Najib Babul – On the Importance of Recognizing the Unsung Heroes of Pharmaceutical Innovations

Pharmaceutical support services company United BioSource Corporation (UBC) recently launched a marketing campaign celebrating the successes of the pharmaceutical industry, from advancements in HIV, hepatitis C and oncology, to everyday acts of helping patients and answering caregivers’ questions. Amidst a customarily antagonistic media environment “Pharma Heroes” highlights the individual contributions that impact countless patient lives and elevate the work of drug development firms, biotech companies, healthcare providers and non-profit organizations. Dr. Najib Babul, an accomplished drug developer and biotech entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, discusses the significance of recognizing the amazing and often heroic work of those within the corporate walls.

“This is a uniquely positive program that emphasizes the personal nature of our industry,” explained Dr. Najib Babul, “While we often get caught up in the many exciting scientific advances that are made, it is important to remember the people who do the hard work and their unwavering dedication to improving the quality of patient lives.”

Over 100 heroes have been nominated by their colleagues to date, each receiving a commemorative plaque and recognition on UBC’s website. A $25 donation is also made in their name to one of three charitable organizations — the Cancer Support Community, Global Genes, or the International Medical Corps — as a representation of the favorable impact each hero has made on the community.

UBC plans to run the program indefinitely, according to senior director of strategic market development, Katie Rapp, “When we take time to celebrate those who make the pharma industry great, individual contributions are celebrated and the collective impact of their work is elevated.”

The company’s campaign is the latest in a string of industry efforts to redefine its public image, which has suffered of late from rampant media coverage of defamatory events, including the Turing and Valeant price hike scandals last fall and the recent Mylan EpiPen pricing controversy. To combat the resulting scrutiny, Pfizer, a leading global biopharmaceutical manufacturer, is currently airing a corporate TV commercial that celebrates the drug development process, explaining how an idea eventually evolves into medicine, while the PhRMA and BIO organizations both launched ventures to boost reputation by focusing on pharmaceuticals’ life sustaining attributes.

Dr. Najib Babul, PharmD, MBA, is an accomplished drug developer, inventor, and biotech entrepreneur with over twenty years of experience in bringing new drugs to market. Presently, Dr. Babul provides consultation services to pharmaceutical companies and investment banks, specializing in the areas of clinical pharmacology, dosage form design, clinical drug development for acute, chronic, cancer and neuropathic pain, rheumatology, and cancer supportive care. He has been an invited as a speaker at FDA advisory committee meetings as well as national and international scientific conferences. Dr. Babul is the author of over 170 abstracts and manuscripts published by leading medical journals and scientific proceedings, including the Lancet, the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Cancer, Anesthesiology, Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, and Anesthesia & Analgesia.

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