Read the Conversation
Meeting highlights:
- Collaborative System Building: Patricia emphasized 2025 as a year of cross-functional collaboration in Colombia's evolving healthcare system, with Novo Nordisk actively engaging stakeholders to co-create sustainable solutions.
- Obesity Recognition Leadership: She highlighted Colombia's advanced stance in recognizing obesity as a disease, enabling structured national strategies and positioning the country as a leader in obesity care within Latin America.
- Tailored Regional Initiatives: Novo Nordisk has expanded city-specific and migrant-focused health programs (e.g., in Bogotá, Barranquilla, Cali, and Cucuta), integrating localized data, partnerships, and preventive care to address diabetes and obesity.
- Access to Innovation: Patricia underscored the importance of not only launching next-generation obesity treatments in Colombia but ensuring equitable access, especially through public-private collaboration and outcome-focused models.
- Building Trust in Healthcare: Her three pillars for trust include transparency in corporate motives, broad-scope innovation (including digital literacy for physicians), and reliable, high-quality supply chains that support patient continuity.
EF: How do you see this year from your perspective? What are the priorities for Novo Nordisk in Colombia?
PF: This year has been, and continues to be, a challenging one. In 2024, we experienced a significant shift in the healthcare system. I view 2025 as a year of cross-functional collaboration. And what I mean by cross-functional work is that we have had numerous conversations with various relevant stakeholders to understand what we need to move forward with the healthcare system. It changed, we can say that. It is not the same healthcare system as it was before. It requires that the system and all stakeholders in the system have a common table where we work towards the healthcare system we want, one that represents all Colombians.
I have seen this year as a work in progress, where we have recognized the necessity for all of us to come together and find solutions to this new healthcare system. The reform has not yet been approved, and it remains a topic of ongoing discussion. However, we need to leave that to the politicians and, in the meantime, focus on working toward the solution that Colombia will need moving forward.
I have noticed that new spaces with different stakeholders have emerged, where we sit down to discuss how we will model the future healthcare system. I would say this is a year of cross-functional work, where we all work together as a whole and try to bring solutions for Colombia.
EF: Why is it important for you to be part of the conversation that is actively shaping the healthcare system?
PF: One of the things I admire most about Novo is how important it is for us to leave a legacy in the countries we work in. In the past, we focused on implementing our sustainability and healthcare sustainability initiatives in each country. But as we grow and become more and more important in diseases like obesity and diabetes, which are very prevalent globally, and especially in Colombia, we have come to understand that we cannot just be observers of how things happen. We also have to contribute to the conversation and make sure we help shape not only those discussions but also the actions that are taking place.
Today, I can say without a doubt that we are the leaders in obesity. Obesity is a disease that is prevalent in more than 60% of the global population. Therefore, it is a healthcare problem for every healthcare system worldwide.
Now, we cannot simply sit back and watch; we must participate and engage in tough conversations. We must be part of the healthcare discussion, asking what we are going to do and how we are going to collaborate to make sure that every patient is served and has a chance at a better life. This is the moment where we are now behaving like the leaders we aspire to be in one of the most important global conversations happening right now.
We have a phrase here that we use a lot, which is: if you are not sitting at the table, you are part of it. The conversations are going to happen whether we like it or not. Our experience as a company enables us to make significant contributions to those conversations.
EF: How does Colombia bring value to Novo Nordisk beyond just its market size?
PF: There is one thing that Colombia has always brought, and continues to bring. There is recognition in Colombia that obesity is a disease. That is not the case in many countries around the world, even within Latin America, where obesity is not included in the public system simply because it is not recognized as something that needs to be treated.
Obesity being recognized as a disease has enabled us to have very strong strategies to treat it for what it is, not as an aesthetic issue, but as a healthcare problem. Colombia is a strong example, a country with numerous best practices, because we have the complement of the market. We can say that we understand very well how the healthcare conversations around obesity are being driven.
We are very proud that in Colombia, we often bring these issues to the table, beyond just discussing volume. Unfortunately, last year was a very difficult year. Amid the changes in the healthcare system, many patients went unserved. It was very hard to see patients who were on treatment suddenly lose access because we could not figure it out. It was, and continues to be, very challenging for the patient to have continuity in their treatments.
I am very proud that in Colombia, we are having the tough conversations about healthcare and how treating early can be life-changing, not only for the patient, but for the system itself. Because when you treat early, you see very different outcomes across the healthcare system.
EF: Could you tell us a little bit about the initiatives you have got going on in the country?
PF: This government has a significant focus on expanding healthcare beyond major cities and into rural regions. We have not only continued working on the initiatives we had, but we have also developed them to be more present in more areas. Because it makes sense: healthcare in the main cities, with the system we had, was very good. But the regions had opportunities that needed to be addressed. I will discuss two specific initiatives that we have.
The first one was called Cities Changing Diabetes, and now it is called “Cities for Better Health.” Initially, we were focused solely on diabetes, but as the conversation about obesity progressed, we expanded those initiatives and renamed them Cities for Better Health. We started with an agreement in Bogotá, then went to Barranquilla, and are now finalizing one in Cali.
Therefore, we are expanding our coverage in terms of cities because we recognize these diseases as ones that most commonly progress due to urbanization. You have more people spending much more time in transportation, eating unhealthy food, and getting less exercise, simply because the city does not give them the opportunities to be as healthy as they should be. We collaborate with local governments to identify the unique needs of each city, and we tailor our initiatives to address those specific needs.
For example, in Bogotá, we conducted a very comprehensive study of diabetes and obesity by area. This helped us understand which zones have the highest prevalence of these diseases. With this information, the Bogotá district can make informed decisions and tailor actions to each zone. For example, in one zone, the issue might be security concerns that prevent people from going out to buy healthy food, while in another, the need might be access to locally sourced products. We then work with local HMOs to provide solutions tailored to their specific needs.
In the case of Barranquilla, they have a very strong initiative related to parks and sports. Essentially, we collaborate with them to support their programs in healthy sports and the use of the parks they have developed, encouraging people to engage in physical activity. In Cali, we will work with a sport-related health initiative and measure the outcomes of these programs to track their progress. We tailor the solution for each city to help tackle the obesity and diabetes curve.
We also have a beautiful initiative in Cúcuta where we work with migrants. Migrants from Venezuela crossed the border into Cúcuta seeking health, food, and sometimes work. We established an alliance with the Red Cross to create a space where they can assess their risk of diabetes. We measure their diabetes risk, and then they have a comprehensive appointment with a nutritionist and a legal advisor who helps them navigate the healthcare system in Colombia, enabling them to access the care they need.
One surprising statistic is that 41% of the people who come there are at risk of diabetes. When you hear that, it may seem somewhat normal because this is a vulnerable population that is not eating properly and facing many challenges. So, they not only receive the assessment they need, but they also gain access to healthcare in Colombia.
What we also saw during this work is that there are significant security issues in Cúcuta and the Catatumbo region. You may have heard about the guerrilla presence there, which has caused the displacement of the local population. Now, with this initiative, we are also reaching out to that vulnerable population, discussing their risks, and providing a path to lower those risks. We continue these efforts in partnership with the Red Cross.
Finally, we have other initiatives in the regions where we work with local Secretaries of Health to provide them with a path for treating diabetes or obesity. We are currently collaborating with Caldas and Santander, and are similarly progressing with other regions.
We are accompanying them in what we call the process they should follow when caring for a diabetic or an obese patient. This does not necessarily mean treatment in all cases, as most of these patients may only require basic care; however, the important thing is that the Secretaries of Health are aware of the steps they should follow for these patients.
The initiative involving migrants has now received two awards in Colombia: one for sustainability and another for innovation, both recognizing the results we are achieving. We have attended to more than 5,800 people in just a year and a half since the program began.
EF: What are you most excited about at Novo Nordisk?
PF: What excites me the most is continuing to bring solutions for patients and being leaders in the conversation around obesity. We have our legacy in diabetes. That is our foundation, our history over the past hundred years, of understanding that obesity is the mother of all other diseases. If we continue that conversation, Colombia leads the way in how we discuss obesity, going beyond just weight. This excites me that we have solutions and that we continue to bring those solutions to patients.
This year, I am excited to announce that we are finally launching our next-generation weight product. We cannot mention specifics, but we do have a big launch this year, and that excites us because we are bringing innovation to the very patients we have been talking about.
We are fully focused on working with stakeholders to ensure that patients can access these products. Now, it's not just about the launch—it's about ensuring patients have the right access to innovative medicines.
EF: How can we build trust in the healthcare industry? What would you say are your three main pillars for building confidence in the healthcare industry?
PF: The first pillar is transparency. Having transparent conversations where we lay out what we are doing. I have spoken about many initiatives we are working on, and people sometimes ask, “Why do you care about prevention?” Because it affects 60% of the population.
It is important to discuss these issues openly. When we speak about sustainability, it is not just about the trees and the planet, yes, of course, that matters, but it is also about how we make the healthcare system itself sustainable. You asked me earlier why we are taking a more active leadership role in these tough conversations, beyond just my commercial responsibilities. We understand that we have a responsibility to help make the system sustainable. We do have a transparent interest in that. It is not wrong to talk about it. We should talk about it.
The second is innovation. When people hear “innovation” in pharma, they often think only about products. But that is not all, it is. Yes, we bring life-changing treatments, but we also bring innovation in how we communicate, engage, and help shape healthcare conversations.
For example, I want to share a beautiful initiative we have: our Digital Opinion Leader (DOL) program. We realized that people are going to talk, whether we like it or not. Physicians are active on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. That is fine. However, what matters is that they discuss things responsibly. For more than two years now, we have been training doctors on how to communicate responsibly on digital platforms, particularly when it comes to disease and treatment information. The general public should not be getting complex healthcare advice from an Instagram story.
The third pillar is the supply chain, which, particularly for us, is essential. It is about reliability. The reliability that we can sustain our patients’ course of treatment. However, it is also about quality and efficiency, as we are now starting to see differences between countries. I think that is another conversation we need to have. We bring to the table a source of quality and security for the patients.
EF: How can we shift society’s behavior from short-term decisions to long-term ones, or from focusing on treatment to concentrating on prevention?
PF: The first thing I want to say about preventive care is that we need to include more stakeholders. We cannot just expect the patient to be in charge of prevention. I think that the model is very important.
Historically, we have had a model that does not support preventive care, as it is short-term and pays for what happens today, rather than for long-term health outcomes. If you ask me where we should start, it is with talking about healthcare outcomes. If the model only looks at how much you spend today, you will never shift to prevention because sometimes you need to spend more today to pay less tomorrow. A good example is obesity: treat it early, and you can avoid heart failure or orthopedic issues later.
That is the mindset we need. Preventive care needs to go beyond just the patient. Yes, you can change some behaviors through education, and we believe strongly in that, but the system also needs to reward health outcomes.
EF: How did you manage the success of Novo Nordisk over the last couple of years?
PF: One of my priorities has been to keep our organization focused on a growth mentality. What happens sometimes is that you are selling so much that you stop seeing where you sold, and then you start becoming complacent with the company’s effectiveness.
So complacency creeps in, and people start to forget what actually makes us successful. For me, it is a priority to maintain that mindset and use the opportunity when we are doing very well to make the necessary changes. Change should not happen only during a crisis, but also when things are going well. You need to ask, “What is the next step for my business?”
We spoke about that a lot in 2023 because it is very hard to move the healthcare system. In fact, during our best year, we introduced a new business area called Business Transformation and Innovation. We knew we had to transform to be ready for any crisis, because crises will always come. That is a fact. Nothing stays the same, so you have to be prepared before it happens. We started talking about business transformation back in 2023, which was one of our best years.
EF: What is your final message to our readers?
PF: My message would be to keep working together. I think we often forget our common interest, the patient, and healthcare. We all share that goal. Everyone brings an important point of view that should be considered to build better healthcare. We can do it together.
