PRESIDENT- ELECT CANDIDATES

Claude Le Pen PhD


Claude Le Pen is professor of economics at Paris-Dauphine University and former dean of the Department of Applied Economics (1990-1995). He is director of the postgraduate program on “Economics and Management of Health Care Organizations”.

He studied business administration in HEC business school in Paris and holds a doctorate in Economics from Panthéon-Sorbonne University. He specialized in health economics in 1985. He was appointed as member of several state commissions within the Ministry of Health, namely the “Transparency Commission” for evaluation of pharmaceutical products (1989-92), the National Health Account Commission (1992-1995), the task force for guidelines in economic evaluation of medical technologies, the Committee for the accreditation of physicians’ networks (1997-2000), the Commission for national tariff of medical procedures (2004). He is non executive member of the board of the CNAMTS [the main public health insurance fund in France (2003), and expert to the Parliamentary Office for Health Policy Evaluation] (2003). He also acts as expert for the European Union and was rapporteur of a working party preparing the round-tables on the Completion of the Single Market for Pharmaceuticals (1996-1998). He chairs the Health Insurance Study Group of Institut Montaigne, a think-tank on public policy sponsored by a group of major companies in France. He is member of the board of the “College des Economistes de la Santé” and member of editorial or scientific boards of several scientific journals.

Apart from his academic position, Claude Le Pen is also the Scientific Director of AREMIS Consultant, a leading consultancy company in the field of health economics and health management in France.

He wrote several books, the last one, published in 2004, co-authored with Didier Sicard, President of the National Commission of Medical Ethics. He authored or co-authored more than one hundred of scientific papers published in domestic and international peer-review journals.

ISPOR Vision Statement by Claude Le Pen PhD

After ten years, 1995-2005, ISPOR has established itself indisputably as the major international organization in the growing field of pharmacoeconomics, outcomes research, medical decision-making and all related disciplines. No researcher in these fields can afford missing one of its annual congresses in America and Europe. Its peer-review journal, Value in Health, has gained an international reputation of quality and relevance. Through its educational programs, interest groups, task forces and committees, ISPOR contributes actively to the elaboration and dissemination of high level knowledge and science among all those who are interested in these fields, academics, health care professionals, governmental bodies, private corporations. Thanks to its local chapters and the Asian-Pacific Conference, ISPOR has expanded its activities beyond the western world, thus becoming truly International.

These remarkable achievements are due to the clear vision of the ISPOR founding fathers, to the quality and the dynamism of its management staff, to the contributions of thousands of researchers all around the world who have participated to and supported its activities.

The paths for the future are clear to me and they all lead to “bridging the gaps”. There is “bridging the gap” between academic disciplines since pharmacoeconomics and outcome research rely on many basic disciplines [clinical medicine, clinical research, economics, epidemiology public health, statistics and modeling]. They all must learn from each other. There is “bridging the gap” between academics and decision-makers that often do not speak the same language although they do need each other. There is “bridging the gap” between the public and the private sectors, as health care is a world in which these two logics are intimately connected. There is “bridging the gap” between science and health policy as our shared goal remain to serve quality and equity in the distribution of health care all around the world.

I am very proud and honored to be a candidate for ISPOR President and to have the opportunity to lead this collective enterprise.

CANDIDATES FOR DIRECTOR (POSITION 1)

Anita Burrell MA, MBA


Anita Burrell is currently Senior Director, Global Health Outcomes and Market Access at Sanofi-Aventis in Bridgewater, NJ. She received a M.A. in Economics from Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada and a Masters in Business Administration from Kingston University, Surrey UK. Anita lectured economics and worked at Statistics Canada before joining the pharmaceutical industry in 1992. Prior to joining Sanofi-Aventis, Anita worked for the Wellcome Foundation and Boehringer Ingelheim in positions of increasing authority in health economics.

During her tenure in health economics, Anita has experienced all phases of development and worked in several therapeutic areas including CNS, cardiovascular, oncology, anti-virals, respiratory and metabolism. A member of ISOQOL, she has developed new patient-reported outcomes instruments in migraine, herpes, acute otitis media and sleep. As a founder member of iHEA and active member of DIA and ISPOR, Anita regularly speaks on health economics and related fields and is a guest lecturer on the Pharmaceutical MBA Program at Rutgers University. She is responsible for the initiation of a briefing series on health economics, outcomes research, patient reported outcomes and evidence based medicine which is endorsed by Bandolier and included in the Electronic Library for Health.

Anita spent five years as the UK Head of Health Economics with an active involvement with the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) technology assessment program. As a part of the industry group, Anita acted as an advisor to the update of the Guidance to Manufacturers and Sponsors. She is currently an HBA member, a co-leader of the ISPOR Issues and Methods Definitions Working Group of the Compliance Special Interest Group and is a member of the Health Economics Advisory Group for the IFPMA.

Currently Anita is undertaking a PhD program focusing on pharmaceutical pricing and in her leisure time enjoys reading, horse riding and travel.

ISPOR Vision Statement by Anita Burrell MA, MBA

ISPOR represents an international and multidisciplinary membership which has an exciting role in healthcare. Having lived in both North America and Europe and working in a global environment, I hope that as a Director on the ISPOR Board of Directors, I am influential in bringing together the strengths of the membership through understanding the different needs of groups which come together under the ISPOR banner. I would propose that the current direction of inclusion with a focus on common themes is developed for workshops and plenary sessions at the ISPOR meetings encouraging multinational and multidisciplinary comparisons and co-developments that increase the strength of the society in leading the science forward.

The future of the discipline lies in integration of the information that we can bring to the healthcare system in a practical and relevant manner to that already considered. I feel strongly about supporting the educational aspirations of the organization to both encourage innovative techniques and to improve the communication of results to decision makers. I also believe that ISPOR provides a unique opportunity for the exchange of knowledge within all stakeholders in the healthcare arena and would encourage the use of technology as a way to support and increase this exchange.

As an individual I am known for standing behind principles in which I believe. I have been a member of ISPOR and enjoyed the interchange which the society has provided for many years. I hope that I have the opportunity to meet more members and support this incredible organization through this new role in the future.
 

Scott D. Ramsey MD, PhD

With training in medicine and economics, Dr. Ramsey’s primary research interest is in studying the economic aspects of new medical technologies. Dr. Ramsey has expertise in conducting cost-effectiveness studies alongside clinical trials, and has directed economic studies alongside trials of new therapies for osteoarthritis, asthma, diabetes, emphysema, and lung and colon cancer. He also has training in genetic epidemiology, and currently has a career development award from the National Cancer Institute to estimate the cost-effectiveness of genetic screening for hereditary colon cancer.

Dr. Ramsey is an Associate Member of the Translational and Outcomes Research Group, part of the Cancer Prevention Program in the Division of Public Health Science at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. He also is on the Faculty of the School of Medicine, School of Pharmacy, and the Institute for Public Health Genetics at the University of Washington. He lectures frequently at universities, the National Institutes of Health, pharmaceutical companies, and health insurers on topics related to cost-effectiveness in medicine.

Dr. Ramsey’s current research focuses on cost-effectiveness analyses of various cancer technologies. He is also involved in four projects concerning the quality of life and outcomes for prostate cancer patients based on treatment decisions; two of these are funded by the National Cancer Institute. A third, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is a multi-center collaboration with the University of Texas and the University of Southern California investigating the relationship between treatment decisions and outcomes for prostate cancer patients, including reports from relatives and physicians. In the fall of 2004, the National Human Genome Research Institute began funding a collaborative effort between the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Erasmus University in the Netherlands to develop a genetic screening policy model for colorectal cancer, for which Dr. Ramsey is the principal investigator. He continues to serve on the Medical Devices Dispute Resolution Panel for the Food and Drug Administration on a three-member board, and was re-appointed for this position in 2004. Finally, he remains active in supporting and developing the Public Health Genetics degree programs and their Institute for Public Health Genetics at the University of Washington.

ISPOR Vision Statement by Scott D. Ramsey MD, PhD

ISPOR has achieved the status of worldwide organizational hub for those interested in pharmacoeconomics and health outcomes research – due primarily to its diverse and dedicated membership, which spans academia, industry, and government. ISPOR and its journal, Value in Health, has been an effective vehicle for mobilizing this community to both improve the scientific rigor and broaden the applications of pharmacoeconomics research and reporting.

Changes in the health care marketplace offer several opportunities for ISPOR and its members. For example, in the United States, the new Medicare prescription drug benefit and pressure on the private health insurance industry to control costs creates opportunities to develop value based purchasing programs. Worldwide, countries with emerging economies must manage growing demand for health care with constrained budgets. As a board member, I would work to implement its Vision 2010 initiative so that ISPOR’s training programs, guidance documents, and programs effectively addresses these emerging opportunities.

I believe ISPOR can strengthen its position as a vehicle for improving standards of practice. As co-director of the recent ISPOR RCT-CEA Task Force, I worked with a group of diverse and talented individuals on developing best practices for cost-effectiveness analysis alongside clinical trials. As a member of the Board, I would work to develop methods that continue to improve the quality, transparency, and timeliness of pharmacoeconomic information. I would work to strengthen and expand new ISPOR initiatives in estimating value for diagnostic and therapeutic devices, particularly in the area of pharmacogenomics. Finally, and most importantly, I would utilize my years of experience working with managed care decision makers on Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) committees and the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy to improve the as yet under-realized connection between those who produce pharmacoeconomic information and end users – not only public and private health care purchasers, but also the nascent area of individual consumer decision making.

CANDIDATES FOR DIRECTOR (POSITION 2)

Joyce A. Cramer

Joyce A. Cramer is an Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine. During several decades of work in clinical trials, she developed methods for the evaluation of drug efficacy and adverse effects, study design and management, and enhancement of medication compliance, as well as instruments to assess quality of life and other patient-reported outcomes for various medical disorders.

Her publications include 5 books, over 150 manuscripts, 35 book chapters, and numerous abstracts, covering topics in neurology, psychiatry, medicine, pharmacology, research design, outcome assessment, compliance, and quality of life. She is a frequent lecturer and consultant on these topics. Her books are titled: Quality of Life and Pharmacoeconomics: An Introduction, Quantitative Assessment in Epilepsy Care, Patient Recruitment in Clinical Trials, Alcohol and Seizures, and Patient Compliance in Medical Practice and Clinical Trials

She serves on the Editorial Boards of Acta Neurologica Scandinavica and Epilepsy & Behavior, and chairs the Board of Trustees of the Lennox Fund. She previously served as Treasurer of the American Epilepsy Society, member of the Board of Directors of the Society for Clinical Trials and Editorial Board of Epilepsia. She is Associate Editor and member of the Governing Board of Epilepsy.com, a non-profit website resource for patients, families, and providers.

She chairs the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) Special Interest Group on Medication Compliance, and was an ISPOR representative to the FDA Patient-Reported Outcomes Harmonization Task Force on patient-reported outcomes and quality of life data for use in labeling and marketing. She previously was a Work-Group leader for the ISPOR Special Interest Group on Quality of Life.

She has received the International Ambassador Award and the US Service Award for her research in epilepsy, the ISPOR Distinguished Service Award and the International Research Promotion Council, World Scientist Forum Award: Eminent Scientist of the Year.

ISPOR Vision Statement by Joyce Cramer

ISPOR represents a wide variety of disciplines under the aegis of pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research. In recent years, I have been one of the supporters of keeping the “O” prominent in the society’s mission. We have grown so fast and spread so wide internationally that, at times, we do not have an adequate grounding for our work. Therefore, I support the enhancement of ISPOR’s mission to develop the definitions, guidances/ guidelines that are needed to move forward. I want to see ISPOR’s treasury used to advance these goals.

Some people know of my research to further understanding of medication compliance/adherence and treatment persistence. Other people know of my work in patient reported outcomes research where I have promoted understanding of clinically important changes in instrument scores. I was an initial group leader of the Quality of Life (QOL) Special Interest Group (SIG), and later started the Medication Compliance SIG. My practical experience ranges from being an early proponent of using electronic monitoring of medication usage, to instrument development (e.g., QOL, patient satisfaction, adverse event, preference), to overall outcome assessments in prospective studies. All of these methods are rolled up into “outcomes” analyses.

Thus, my vision for ISPOR is to maintain a member-centered approach. This includes keeping the annual conferences structured toward inclusion of member-initiated workshops and symposia, as well as support of SIGS that bring together people with similar special interests. I want to see ISPOR present definitions, guidances/ guidelines to the medical community, and to be recognized globally as the definitive source of information on pharmacoeconomic and health outcomes issues.

Jenifer Ehreth PhD


Jenifer Ehreth, PhD is the Director of Economics and Reimbursement for Medtronic Europe, Sàrl, with its European office in Switzerland that is an American medical device company. In this position, she has a team of 20 people scattered throughout Europe and is responsible for economic analyses in support of health care treatments in the context of government payers. She meets with policy-makers and thought leaders across Europe on issues of system reform and patient access. Prior to this position, she was Vice President for Economics and Pricing World-wide for Aventis Pasteur in Lyon, France. Aventis Pasteur, recently renamed Sanofi Pasteur, is one of the largest vaccine manufacturers in the world. Here she completed numerous evaluations of the economic impact of vaccination and continues her involvement in vaccine access. From 1995 to 1999, she was responsible for the Corporate Health Economic Departments of SmithKline Beecham and then Bristol Myers Squibb. Prior to joining industry, she spent 15 years as a professor teaching and conducting Outcomes and Economic Research at the University of Washington in Seattle and has over 30 peer-reviewed articles in this area. She received a Robert Wood Johnson Faculty Fellowship in Health Care Financing enabling her to obtain a post-doctorate at Johns Hopkins University and spend a year at the Prospective Payment Commission in the US Government evaluating the implementation of DRGs. Before receiving her PhD, she was a Coronary Care nurse working in special care units and in open-heart surgery in hospitals in the US and in the Philippines. Jenifer has one personal aspiration and that is to be a bridge between payers and clinicians to improve access to appropriate patient care. She has been active in ISPOR since its inception and served on numerous committees throughout this time

ISPOR Vision Statement by Jenifer Ehreth PhD

I see ISPOR as the leading international professional society in the area of outcomes research. It needs to expand from its industry and academic base to payers from government and insurance that use outcomes research in decision-making and to providers such as hospital administrators and physicians. Decision-makers are increasingly looking towards outcomes research to help with resource allocation decisions and are interested in neutral venues to learn more about studies, analytic techniques, and who to turn to for advice. I will work to expand its influence from pharmaceutical treatments to medical devices, biologicals and delivery systems. The need to share ideas between academics, practitioners, and government officials has provided ISPOR with a multi-disciplinary membership leading to innovative and barrier-breaking solutions to cost/quality/access questions. ISPOR has three key mandates for the future: 1) Outcomes Research: Provide scientific review and dissemination of new, ground-breaking research through professional conferences, publications, and interest group activities. 2) Capacity-building: Support student and young investigator groups to encourage Outcomes Research programs in Universities throughout the world. 3) Partnership: Reach out to practitioners and government officials with joint interest groups, research activities, and training opportunities.

For example, at the Hamburg meeting last year, I helped organize a session on DRGs for medical devices that brought American and European experts on DRGs together for a discussion of how they impact the adoption of new technology. I hope to continue organizing sessions like this that bring different perspectives together bridging various views.

ISPOR’s success has largely been due to its ability to integrate different perspectives. The inclusion of economics, epidemiology, medicine, marketing, and politics will continue to enable ISPOR to address questions such as practice guidelines and health care policy and to set standards of practice in outcomes research. The importance of multi-national comparisons will always play an important role in the growth of ISPOR. My areas of focus will continue to be: expanding the international vision, strengthening the support for students, and strengthening the medical device and biological interest groups in Europe and the US.