Journal of Obesity & Weight Loss Therapy
Open Access

Abstract

Overview: Increasing focus on the rising incidence of obesity in the US is changing the landscape for obesity treatment. Two new weight loss drugs were approved in June and July 2012 by the FDA, making them the first new weight loss drugs approved in this country in more than a decade. And new treatment guidelines issued in June 2012 by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommend that obese adults be offered at least 12 weeks of intensive counseling about lifestyle changes, though use of weight loss medications was not endorsed by the task force because members couldn?t find evidence to support effectiveness. How will new treatment options and guidelines affect physicians and payors? How will regulators balance the risks of new drugs versus obesity as a major public health concern? As an MD with clinical experience, a researcher trained at the Harvard School of Public Health, and a former Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company in their healthcare practice, Richa Pande will address these questions by sharing the results of in depth quantitative and qualitative GLG research conducted among key stakeholders including: ? A quantitative survey of U.S.-based primary care physicians reveals their current therapy choices, their intended use of new medications, and the role they feel that patients can and should play in weight loss. ? In-depth payor interviews with Medical Directors and C-Suite executives in private insurers, managed care, Medicare, and Medicaid uncover intentions regarding payment for behavioral therapies, key influencers of willingness to pay, and what types of evidence-based information they might require for reimbursement. ? Interviews with former regulators and legal experts offer insight into how pressure from public health agencies is affecting the FDA?s view of drug safety and efficacy vs. the need to fight fat The data and interviews with experts Dr. Pande will share will reveal how obesity treatment is changing and the likely impact of recent scientific advances and policy decisions on future health outcomes. Insights from these stakeholders are valuable to pharmaceutical and biotech executives considering entering this therapeutic area, which is currently penetrated at only 1.2% and estimated to be worth$1.8 billion in U.S. sales by 2018. Attendees will learn: ? A general understanding of the severity and ramifications of the U.S.?s growing rate of obesity ? The attitudes and actions that key stakeholders are taking in response to the crisis ? How those responses are likely to play out in the near future via research with key stakeholders ? How this same approach can be applied cost effectively to a wide range of new disease treatment solutions.

Biography

Richa Pande is Senior Vice President, Life Sciences at Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG). Richa directs how the firm serves the world's leading pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device firms, and oversees the rapid expansion of GLG into these new markets and industry subspecialties. The Life Sciences division helps industry executives make better decisions and move better drugs and devices to market sooner and more efficiently. Clients use GLG to connect with outside experts and academics to test hypotheses, prepare to address changes in the external environment, make better resource allocations and help prioritize and manage investments in new markets. Richa was most recently Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company where she spent six years counseling C-level and senior-level executives at major healthcare companies, investment and public sector organizations on their most critical decisions and issues. Her healthcare and pharmaceutical expertise includes corporate strategy, business development, M&A, emerging markets, go-to-market strategies, organizational effectiveness and regulatory issues. She is passionate about innovation in healthcare and better decision making to improve quality, access and sustainability. Richa was a post-doctoral fellow in Health Care Management at Harvard University Health Services, a research associate for the Harvard School of Public Health and a medical officer at two major hospitals in India. She holds a Master of Public Health degree from the Harvard School of Public Health and an MBBS (equivalent to an MD degree) from Bangalore Medical College.