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EF: In the post-Covid times, executives must deal with complex multi-faced economic and political scenarios; even some big companies are restructuring and reassessing their footprint. How do you visualize 2023 for GSK? As a challenge or an opportunity?
JA: Even in the most challenging times, I look for opportunities. We are transitioning from the pandemic into an endemic, but there will still be Covid. 2023 will be a year of consolidation after the pandemic. The policymakers will have the presence of mind to focus on long-term essentials. In 2019, the government had plans to introduce changes in health, but the pandemic delayed them. Now, with more stability and a longer-term perspective, the focus can go to new processes and priority investments, which will translate into opportunities for our sector.
EF: Could you elaborate on the evolution of GSK's Mexican portfolio in the post-pandemic era?
JA: GSK is going through a global transformation process, each country at its rhythm linked to the spillbacks into the different markets. In Mexico, the largest part of our portfolio till 2022 was general medicine and personal care products, followed by HIV drugs and vaccines. Oncology and immunology have always been part of our research, and commercially, we are now aggressively entering specialties and planning our oncology comeback. For the middle term, we envision a more balanced portfolio; vaccines are gaining traction, and we have innovative vaccines for children and adults. Auto-immunization is an area that has not been properly explored or developed in Latin America, and there is much to be done in Mexico. There are some vaccines for adults but new concepts, such as immuno-fitness, are now being considered. Even if Mexicans eat better and exercise more after turning fifty, their immune system declines. With the aging population, auto-immunization is critical for the future. We have R&D in biologics and partner with other industry players to bring new products to the market. We have a biologic product for severe asthma that is doing very well, another for lupus nephritis, which is growing, and by the end of the year, we plan to launch our first cancer product and have more in the pipeline. Nowadays, it is standard to combine three products; in Asia, we are launching Tobato, a combination of two products. It has the same level of efficacy, but we have reduced the long-term health impact as the product contains fewer substances. In HIV, we have more to come with injections every 6 to 8 weeks which will improve the quality of life for patients, respiratory products for COPD, for asthma in the different stages of the disease. We have plenty of new products coming, which will change GSK's profile, giving it bigger participation in vaccines and specialties such as oncology without abandoning primary care, which will continue to be an essential part of our business. We have innovation in the primary care pipeline.
EF: Does Mexico have the potential to become an innovation hub in Latin America? What is GSK doing to generate innovation in Mexico?
JA: GSK has three main R&D centers in Latin America, Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. The Mexican R&D center has been established for twenty-five years, where all the new products are tested, and all portfolio products are investigated. Mexican participation in clinical trials is very relevant due to the closeness of the United States, as it has a large Latino population. The Mexican institutions have a high-quality standard and are approved by European and US regulatory agencies. Our hospitals and clinics are also excellent, and Mexico is known for its clinical investigation. Mexican institutions and scientists have a very high level in pharma, chemistry biology. In Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico, GSK has a program called Cross in Science, which promotes basic-level research in these three countries based on partnerships GSK has with academic institutions and the government to finance local investigators. If the research ends up in a product or a patent, it is for the local investigation group, although GSK does have the first right to use the patent. It is a great program, and I have worked closely with it in Argentina. In Mexico, I know of a product very close to being patented, born from clinical investigation testing done by Mexican scientists and institutions with our collaboration. We also place investigators in institutions abroad to work on the transference of knowledge and technology. Cross in Science is recognized and has had very interesting results.
EF: What is Mexico's strategic importance to GSK as a global group?
JA: We are organized by regions, divided into direct, growth, and performing markets, and all are relevant. Mexico and five other key markets are in the emerging markets region and will be responsible for two-thirds of GSK's growth in the coming years. In Latin America, these markets are Brazil, the biggest market, Mexico and Argentina, and India, Turkey, and Vietnam drive growth in Asia. It is interesting to note that China is not part of the emerging markets for GSK; it reports to international markets. Mexico is the 13th world economy and is expected to reach the top ten in the next few years, making it an important market to GSK. Considering Mexico has refocused more resources on the healthcare system, and taking into account the population numbers, economy size, and possible post-pandemic nearshoring growth is a certainty. Mexico has trade agreements with more than 60% of the world economy, and all the above makes us extremely attractive for growth, investment, science, well-being, and the pharma industry. Investments are coming to the country, the Mexican peso is one of the few currencies gaining value as a hard currency, and we expect this to continue. It is up to Mexico to materialize all the opportunities coming our way, added to the fact that we are very well located as far as neighbors are concerned.
EF: Many large companies are evolving, restructuring, and transforming. GSK is becoming more specialized, creating the consumer spinoff Haleon. What does this mean for GSK? How does it strengthen your position within the market?
JA: Six years ago, we had a meeting with financial market analysts on positioning the company in Mexico. They said it was hard to position us because we covered pharma, vaccines, and consumer health, giving the company a mixed profile. We thought it was the correct way to balance out and grow in the longer term and provide a more appealing company profile to the financial market. But the advice was to focus on what we do best, our then CEO decided we should try to build the best pharmaceutical and consumer companies, and it was what we did. We merged our consumer health division with Pfizer and Novartis consumer health creating the world's number one OTC consumer health company, leaving us to focus on drugs and vaccines. From a financial perspective, the transformation was good for attracting investors to the different companies, making more sense as the two areas operate very differently. In pharma, investors are interested in growth, and risk is higher due to R&D. All in all, it gave us the flexibility to focus our energy on developing new drugs and vaccines. With the separation of divisions, I believe the growth potential for the new GSK is tremendous, with benefits for patients and shareholders. We are a patient and solution-driven organization.
EF: What is your approach to adopting and using more technology, AI, and innovation in the sector? How is GSK leveraging digital tools to enhance operations in Mexico?
JA: Despite not being a tech expert, I see the impact and benefits of technology at all levels of our organization. The core of our organization is R&D; technology, AI, and machine learning are critical as they help us identify new approaches and targets and speed up the pace of innovation. Technology's potential is almost immeasurable for the patient due to the precision and personalization it brings. It increases patient engagement and therapy adherence. It opens doors to personalized treatments in the medium term. It has impacted our relations with doctors, ACPs, and ACOs, going from face-to-face interaction to personalized relationships through digitalization. We message according to the client's needs with immediacy, sending the right content through the right channel at the right time. Technology has boosted our internal processes within our organization, making us more agile, efficient, and productive. AI will be huge as it will accelerate, change, and impact from discovery to prompt delivery at all levels and all the way. Digital transformation will make companies more efficient, productive, and targeted, with the patients as the final beneficiaries.
EF: In ten years, when you look back at this period in your career, how would you like to be remembered?
JA: I am not a man of science; I believe the biggest impact I can create is on people to deliver what patients need. I am the articulator or facilitator without being an expert in any field. I work with experts in many areas who work together to perform as a team, exponentially multiplying their output due to the joint work I actively promote. If I am lucky, ten years ahead, my team will recognize this. I would love to be remembered as a leader who accelerated and materialized the Mexican transformation by achieving a successful, high-performing team.
EF: Our feature is called "Road Map to the Future," if you had to create a road map for the healthcare industry in Mexico, what would be your three base pillars?
JA: Governments and institutions must understand that health is a great business. Investment in health has multiplying effects, not just on the population's well-being but on the economic development of a country. A pillar would be adequate investment in health, not as a percentage of the GDP, but as an accelerator for future economic growth. Secondly, a communion between the government, institutions, and industry would generate an amazing virtuous circle. Health investment would allow the population's access to health and its technologies in a much shorter time range. Healthcare will evolve naturally if research, systems, regulations, and access are revitalized and boosted to their maximum potential. My third pillar would be to ensure talent stays in the country, there is much talent in Mexico, but we must take better advantage of it so it does not leave. Opportunities must be offered to develop and retain creativity, inventiveness, and innovation to benefit the country's health.
EF: How would you attract and retain the best talent in your organization?
JA: Today, the employer-employee relationship is much more balanced than when I started many years ago. We look for people, but people now choose specific companies. We look for people with a certain profile and a focus on the patient from a creative standpoint; we are, after all, an innovative organization. Young talent looks for diverse and inclusive organizations with social responsibility, growth opportunities, and a company that has value for them. Today's younger generation is more globalized and therefore attracted to global companies. Global thinking is attractive, especially if it includes professional growth possibilities. I was born and educated in Colombia; I didn't have access to what the younger generations have today, internet, communications, etc., but I was still attracted to the idea of having a global impact on patients and working for a worldwide company. Today there is internet and education access even in remote villages in Latin America. Access to basics such as food, health, and education generates democratization, and we have dramatically advanced in these areas, helped by technology, making the world more inclusive. Competitiveness has also grown; it is another world from when I started.
