Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), a leading pharmaceutical company in the world, has partnered with Bangladesh’s Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Limited (HPL). They signed a strategic partnership deal last week, which is expected to allow MSD to provide advanced medical services through HPL.
The partnership will also give a special focus on addressing women health issues, sharing scientific knowledge and global experiences and bringing unique patient-centric solutions in Bangladesh.
KG Ananthakrishnan, president and managing director of MSD in South Asia region, has shared the company’s plans and strategies here with Dhaka Tribune. Ananthakrishnan has an extensive career in pharmaceutical sector spanning almost four decades, and is currently in charge of MSD’s operation in the South Asia region which includes Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India.
Why did you choose to partner with HPL?
Before we enter any kind of partnership, we do our research and identify the right partner. Fortunately, HPL’s portfolio, which focuses on specialty in treatment of diseases, matches with ours. So, this is a good merger in terms of our synergy.
What do you expect out of this partnership?
Any partnership we enter is a strategic partnership, that is, we’re looking at it from a long-term perspective.
We are starting with three vaccines and our whole idea is how we further strengthen this partnership bringing in newer specialty products through HPL, research products – how we make it available in the Bangladesh market. That is what we’re looking forward to seeing.
What is the biggest challenge in healthcare service providing in this part of the world today?
One of the biggest challenges in this part of the world is access (to medical facilities). I am talking about lack of awareness, acceptability and affordability, as well as infrastructure constraints. If the healthcare challenge has to be addressed in South Asia, it is important to address all the facets of the problem in a systematic manner.
Could you please elaborate?
First of all is raising awareness about a disease – what it is, how can it be cured, managed and prevented.
With that you have to have adequate medical service infrastructure too like more medical institutions, skilled manpower, technicians, nurses and quality diagnostic facilities. So it’s very important that we must meet the infrastructural necessities.
Once this challenge is addressed, we need to ensure that healthcare products and services are available at prices which are within affordability of local people. Fortunately in this part of the world, pharmaceutical products are by and large are available at low prices.
You’ve been in this field for a long time. What is your mantra in addressing diseases?
I always say the disease has to be addressed in a complete fashion. Just addressing one small facet of it will not produce a complete solution. It has to be addressed holistically. And that is why I say: it is a multidimensional problem which has to be addressed with multiple stakeholders, each one utilising their own strength, knowledge, research and other capacities.
That’s the reason why we say in our own logo: Be Well. Our whole idea is based on what it is that we can do in our own capacity to make the world well, to make the patients well in countries where we work.