Sweden, as a Platform for Health Outcomes Real World Evidence in Europe

MSD is committed to improve its positive health impact on people’s lifes. The primary way we do this is through our scientific inventions to address the population largest health challenges. But finding new medicines and vaccines isn’t enough.

We want to meet tomorrow’s health challenges by true collaboration and fruitful discussions with all relevant partners within the Swedish health care system. For us, this is about being a part of the Swedish innovation ecosystem in Stockholm Life with the academic excellence, a high-level professional health care, and the innovative start-up’s; all combined in the setting of Swedish digital fluency.

We are humbled by the excellence of our neighbors in Stockholm Life, knowing that we all contribute to the innovation ecosystem in different ways. Specifically, we believe that together, we can make Stockholm and Sweden a platform of Health outcomes real world evidences. Thanks to the local legacy Health data (registries), the academic excellence of the Karolinska Institute and the web of digital startups, the cluster has the potential to be at the forefront of Health data and digital transformation.

We are very pleased to have initiated a direct and long-term partnership between the Karolinska Institute and our global center for Health Outcomes Research. Already 4 projects are ongoing, and we see an equal excitement from both sides of the ocean to make a positive impact on patients through health data driven science.

Clinical trials should remain a pivotal element of the Swedish Lifesciences environment

As a global company we are committed to pursue the science that can lead to true improvements for patients in Sweden. Sweden as a life science nation is now at a turning point. Historically we have had the opportunity to host landmark clinical studies to Sweden due to our great conditions: our personal identification numbers, our long tradition of keeping registries, the trust Swedish citizens put in healthcare and the willingness to contribute to R & D efforts by allowing use of anonymized personal data.

Despite a reinforced global competition for hosting pharma developments; I am convinced that Sweden has the capacity to be competitive in bringing the clinical studies to Sweden, as we have a competitive advantage of using big data and several great collaborations up and running. However, it is important to consider that scientific innovation, clinical studies should not be handled as a stand-alone topic. Broad and early access for patients to innovation should be the driving force of all healthcare stakeholders. Fragmentation and short-term focus are obstacles to our collective goal.

Therefore, we are very pleased to welcome the creation for the new permanent Life science office and will support its leader and the team as needed. The promotion of Sweden as a center of Real World Evidence research in Europe is truly a collective effort yet it will be very rewarding, for patients, for healthcare stakeholders as well as for the overall Swedish Lifesciences ecosystem.

This and much more will be discussed at our next Brown Bag Lunch Talks on clinical studies and how they are a currency for Sweden – I hope to see you all there!

A bientôt!

Managing Director, MSD Sweden