Novartis empowers Filipino managers

MANILA, Philippines - The recent setting up in Manila of the Novartis South East Asia Cluster regional headquarters will provide broader regional leadership exposure to Filipino managers of the Swiss research-based healthcare company.

“We plan to develop young talents while retaining and empowering experienced Filipino managers who can provide active coaching for our Indonesia team,” said Eric van Oppens, new head of the Novartis Southeast Asia Cluster (Philippines, Singapore and Indonesia) and president and CEO of Novartis Healthcare Philippines.

“We aim to be recognized as the country’s most admired employer,” said the 40-year-old Belgian who is known for his high ethical standards, dynamism and “can do” approach.

Van Oppens recently took over the position of Peter Goldschmidt, who now heads the Central and Eastern Europe commercial operations of Sandoz International, the generic division of Novartis.

Van Oppens was the head of marketing and sales head for Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Commonwealth of Independent States prior to his latest appointment.

In recent years, Novartis has supported Filipino patients’ access to medicines through several programs:

With the World Health Organization, Novartis has provided over 82,300 treatments of its anti-malarial drug Coartem to Filipino patients at cost.

The Novartis Glivec International Patient Assistance Program (GIPAP) has helped provide the company’s cancer drug imatinib (brand name Glivec) to more than 1,000 Filipino patients since its inception in 2003.

In 2007 alone, benefits provided by GIPAP to Filipino patients are valued at over P1.2 billion.

This innovative program is being implemented in more than 65 participating centers across the country.

Today, the GIPAP has evolved into the broader Novartis Oncology Access Program, which continues to serve Filipino patients already enrolled in GIPAP and an additional 120 plus more nationwide. 

“Novartis will continue to partner with key stakeholders in exploring and implementing innovative ways to improve patient access to high-quality medicines,” Van Oppens said.