Biocon has approved the appointment of Peter Bains as the Group CEO, with effect from September 18, 2023. He will be reporting directly to Biocon Group Chairperson, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw.

Bains has accordingly stepped down from his role on the Biocon Board as an Independent Director with immediate effect, to assume this strategic executive responsibility.

Welcoming this appointment, Mazumdar-Shaw said, “Biocon is entering a dynamic phase of growth for its three core businesses, Biocon Biologics, Biocon Generics and Syngene, and for the Group as a whole. I am delighted to welcome Peter back to the Biocon Group in the role of Group CEO.  Siddharth Mittal, CEO & MD, Biocon, Shreehas Tambe, CEO & MD Biocon Biologics and Jonathan Hunt, CEO & MD, Syngene International will continue to have independent charge of their businesses and will work with Peter to strengthen synergistic strategic leadership at a Group level to maximise the combined value of all three businesses. Peter has a unique fit and profile for the role having both extensive global leadership experience and success across the biopharmaceutical field and a comprehensive understanding of the Biocon Group, having led Syngene for five years, taking it through its very successful IPO in 2015. I am confident that this appointment will serve the integrated business objectives of the Biocon Group of companies and deliver added value to all stakeholders.”

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Pharma companies sell their products by representing them to doctors through medical representatives (MRs) and generating prescriptions. These traditional MRs remain the mainstay of a pharma company’s business generation process, even with the emergence of newer modes of connection between healthcare providers and pharma companies, such as digital and omnichannel platforms. A safe estimate of a representative’s role in the industry over a five-year period would still emphasise the importance of the repesentative, despite accounting for the projected growth of newer channels. However, this balance could be disrupted if regulatory changes, like the rapid genericisation of the market in India, were to occur.

Despite the current and future significance of an MR’s role, the quality of the average MR has been rapidly declining – a sentiment shared by both pharma executives and healthcare professionals (HCPs). While this decline may have started a few years back, COVID-19 acted as a catalyst, exacerbating the situation. This article explores various aspects related to the issue of MR quality and proposes potential solutions.

Increasing career options for graduates with undifferentiated degrees

Traditionally, graduates with degrees in B.Sc, B.Com, and D.Pharm would join as MRs. The profession also saw an influx of B.Pharm graduates due to the rapid growth in the number of pharmacy colleges. Previously, the MR position was considered one of the better career options for these undifferentiated graduates. However, this is no longer the case. Several changes in the business environment have depleted this pipeline for the pharmaceutical industry. Firstly, there is an increasing number of locally available career options such as banking/finance, IT, industry, telecom, consumer durables sales and service, and modern trade. These relatively newer job opportunities often offer comparable or even better pay than an MR job. For example, a telecom or consumer durables sales and service job may offer a similar starting salary to that of an MR. Consequently, the MR job is no longer the most financially rewarding option for these graduates. Secondly, pharma companies have significantly expanded their field force over the last decade, resulting in a demand-supply issue. In some cases, it takes up to 60 days to fill an MR vacancy in Mumbai, the most populated metro in India.

The youth’s changing priorities

Nowadays, the younger generation doesn’t solely prioritise salary when choosing a career path. The level of social acceptance associated with a job plays a more significant role in their decision-making process. Historically, an MR’s job was never highly valued socially. However, with the prevalence of social media, its impact on society has increased. Yet, a social media post for a position like ‘Executive – Customer Services’ with a modern trade retailer or telecom operator receives a more favourable social response, even if the role primarily involves customer service at a mall. In comparison, an MR’s job faces challenges regarding social acceptance.

Lack of respect and importance within organisational structure

There is a growing dissatisfaction among reps regarding their lack of respect and importance within the organisational structure. This issue hinders the industry’s ability to attract suitable candidates through positive word-of-mouth publicity.

Lack of proactiveness by large pharma companies in creating awareness about pharma-selling careers in relevant social/academic circles

Established large companies recruit only about 10-12 per cent of positions through campus recruitment of freshers. Usually, MR aspirants start their careers with smaller companies, spending approximately a year there before applying to larger firms. The ad-hoc selection process and limited resources of smaller companies often result in low-quality recruitment and induction procedures.

Most often, MR candidate sourcing occurs through line managers’ contacts in the field. Line managers almost always prefer experienced candidates over freshers, believing that an experienced rep will become productive sooner. However, relying on a pool of MRs working with smaller companies for 85 to 90 per cent of recruitment is a major limiting factor for quality recruitment, even for larger companies. One reason why large companies do not recruit from campuses or hire freshers is the higher attrition rate within the first six months of joining the profession. Many new MRs find alternative career options or become disenchanted with the MR job. Unfortunately, large pharma companies have not intervened at the campus level. Only a negligible number of companies conduct campus-level orientation programs for graduating students, and campus recruitment drives by larger companies are infrequent.

Job vs career: While a large portion of the top positions in pharma marketing/sales hierarchies are held by individuals who started as MRs, there is still a lack of visibility among reps regarding career progression and associated salaries. Improving visibility in this regard can incentivise reps to make conscious efforts toward better quality work.

Training-related issues

Classroom training: In an effort to avoid wasting money and efforts on training MRs who might leave early, pharma companies prefer to invest in training only after a rep has spent six months on the job. As a result, some MRs work in the field for as long as six to nine months without proper classroom training. This low-quality fieldwork has a lasting impact on the MR’s confidence and work orientation.

On-the-job training: Area Sales Managers (ASMs), responsible for the on-the-job training of MRs, are also experiencing a decline in quality due to several reasons:

• Lack of clarity on work expectations from ASMs: In terms of job expectations for ASMs, measurable strategy execution parameters and direct customer management are becoming more important than softer parameters like coaching MRs on scientific skills, communication, and selling techniques. This shift leads to neglect in coaching MRs on in-clinic performance parameters. You get what you ask for.

• ASMs selected from the same pool of MRs with inherent quality issues: The MR to ASM promotion process often prioritises fieldwork quantity, performance track record, and customer relationships over quality in-clinic performance, communication, and scientific flair. This leads to the promotion of MRs who excel in fieldwork but lack the ability or conviction to engage doctors with scientific content or effective in-clinic communication. While fieldwork is important, these other aspects are equally crucial.

• ASMs expected to directly generate business from doctors: With the declining quality of MRs, some companies expect ASMs to directly generate business from doctors during joint calls, undermining MRs’ development and ownership of the process.

• Lack of clarity on work expectations from ASMs: In terms of job expectations for ASMs, measurable strategy execution parameters and direct customer management are becoming more important than softer parameters like coaching MRs on scientific skills, communication, and selling techniques. This shift leads to neglect in coaching MRs on in-clinic performance parameters. You get what you ask for.

• ASMs selected from the same pool of MRs with inherent quality issues: The MR to ASM promotion process often prioritises fieldwork quantity, performance track record, and customer relationships over quality in-clinic performance, communication, and scientific flair. This leads to the promotion of MRs who excel in fieldwork but lack the ability or conviction to engage doctors with scientific content or effective in-clinic communication. While fieldwork is important, these other aspects are equally crucial.

• ASMs expected to directly generate business from doctors: With the declining quality of MRs, some companies expect ASMs to directly generate business from doctors during joint calls, undermining MRs’ development and ownership of the process.

Gender inequality

Although a large number of female candidates are choosing to become MRs, not all companies actively select them. Despite HR and organisational policies encouraging improved gender equality, many line managers tend to avoid hiring female candidates. Reasons often cited include concerns about future maternity leave and a perceived softer approach expected from female reps under sales pressure. While senior management recognises the superior communication abilities of female reps, resistance at lower-level functions is depriving the profession of this abundant talent. Increased participation of women in the profession would not only bring about positive qualitative change but also aid in cultural transformation within the industry.

Activity-engagement-based selling models

As activity/customer engagement-based selling expands, MRs are able to manage business without relying solely on classical in-clinic processes. This reduces the reps’ dependence on delivering a strong scientific pitch or executing marketing communication within a doctor’s cabin.

Lack of consistency/sharpness in product promotion

Frequent changes in marketing communications and a lack of sharpness in strategies discourage MRs from settling into a consistent working pattern. Strategies and communications are often changed before reps have the opportunity to gain comfort and proficiency with them.

Rollout meetings for strategies and new launches often focus on leadership addresses and high-level strategic pitches, leaving little time for reps to understand and practice scientific and marketing communications.

COVID impact

Reduced access offered by healthcare providers (HCPs) to reps during the COVID-19 pandemic led MRs to accept compromised situations for meeting with doctors. This included conducting calls in parking lots, elevators, and patient waiting areas. The acceptance of such compromised settings by MRs has led HCPs to continue these methods of granting visits to reps. However, these compromised settings do not encourage MRs to carry out their work in the desired manner, resulting in a loss of overall quality and approach to work.

What can the industry do to remedy this?

1. Improve reliance on campus/freshers recruitment. Conduct orientation programs and provide short training for potential candidates before selection.

2. Provide training to reps as soon as possible after they join the organisation.

3. Increase the starting level salaries of MRs to make the profession more attractive compared to other career options.

4. Give strong emphasis on scientific flair and communication skills during the MR to ASM promotion process.

5. Recruit more female MRs. Facilitate maternity leave and provide support for line managers to better manage female reps’ absence during maternity leave.

6. Establish stability in promotional approaches, strategies, and tactics. Minimise frequent changes.

7. Maintain a reliance on the classic in-clinic process for business generation, even with the growing trends in engagement, doctor dispensing, and digital approaches.

8. Allocate adequate time for MRs to understand and practice communication during brand launches and quarterly campaign meetings.

9. Foster respect for reps and create a positive internal organisational environment. Reps who feel safe and have high self-esteem will be more assertive in their customer interactions.

(The author has 30 years experience in Domestic Formulation Sales, Marketing and Business management)

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A private equity consortium led by PAG, an Asia-based investment firm, has hired Anil Khubchandani as Managing Director and CEO of Sekhmet Pharmaventures. Khubchandani has over 30 years of experience in strategic partnerships, global sales and marketing, operations management, and research & development. In his most recent role, he served as Co-CEO and Whole-time Director of Jubilant Ingrevia, where he focused on business transformation and growth strategy implementation. He has spearheaded several global CDMO assignments and new business initiatives for pharma innovator companies.

Sekhmet Pharmaventures is the India arm of Gamot API Pte, a Singapore-based platform launched by PAG along with Indian private equity firms CX Partners and Samara Capital to buy stakes in fast-growing pharma companies. The platform acquired control of Chennai-based Anjan Drug in October 2020 and the Hyderabad-based Optimus Drugs group of companies in September 2022. Gamot API is majority owned by PAG, which has invested over $1.5 billion in India across its private equity and private debt businesses.

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Raghuveer Kini recently took charge as the Executive Director of the Export Promotion Council for Medical Devices. The EPC Medical Devices is set up by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India.

Earlier, he served as the Executive Director of the Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council (Pharmexcil) and Director, The Plastics Export Promotion Council (Plexconcil).

The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya recently also launched the Export Promotion Council for Medical Devices and the Scheme for Assistance to Medical Devices Clusters for Common Facilities (AMD-CF) along with the National Medical Device Policy 2023.

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If we look at the trend of recent regulatory citations, to me, most of them could be directly or indirectly attributed to personnel capability or practice-related issues. Obviously, human performance variability and its impact on product quality have clearly grabbed the attention of regulators worldwide. This is also evident from the newly published EU annexe-1, which has such an elaborate section on ‘Personnel’ as compared to its last update in 2003, with an increased reiteration of the word ‘training’ from 5 to 10 times in the current revision.

This is apparently leading to increasing focus of the pharma organisations to make training an important pillar of their quality systems. However, many top leaders of such organisations still wonder – why do so many people in the company fail to perform in the right way, even after going through the training programmes each year?

This is an obvious question, but the answer lies deep inside our current training systems in the pharma industry. A lot of previous research on this subject points towards the following reasons for training not being effective:

• Trainees do not receive the intended message fully because of barriers like language, attention or prior knowledge on the subject.
• They are not able to understand the criticality or usefulness of the subject they are trained on.
• They do not believe that the new methodology will work for them or it is any better than the current practice.
• They are also hesitant to try new ways as they are afraid it might increase their workload or cause any inconvenience.
• The current facility and process design doesn’t support the implementation of new learnings.
• New learnings are lost very fast due to the unavailability of opportunities to practice on the ground. In such cases, it’s unable to overcome the existing habits.
• There is no mechanism to accurately evaluate the trainees’ competency before deployment on a job.

The experiment by the German psychologist, Hermann Ebbinghaus, well known as the “Ebbinghaus forgetting curve”, demonstrates the information received is forgotten over time very fast when no systematic efforts are made to retain it (Figure 1).

A similar research by the National Training Laboratories (NTL) Institute finds that the effectiveness of training can be highest when you teach someone else or use the training immediately or practice what you learnt. On the contrary, it is least effective if it is classroom training or if you learn by self-reading (Figure 2).

The challenge today in the pharma industry is that we over-rely on classroom training and SOP readings with limited scope for on-the-job training for critical processes. In most cases, trainees do not get the opportunity to use their learnings immediately or practice their newly acquired skills/knowledge before they are actually qualified for a job role. Further, most of the post-training assessments are theoretical. This is due to obvious reasons of contamination of critical areas or the possibility of a loss of costly products and machine downtimes.

So how do you expect your training to be effective and for trainees to retain what they are taught for a long time?

This is like the ‘chicken-and-egg story’. On one hand, you cannot expect the trainees to gain reliable skills/knowledge without practising what they learnt or applying their new learnings on the ground – on the other, you cannot allow them to practice/perform on the actual shop floor before they are fully trained and certified. Then, what is the solution?

There could be only two options to solve this puzzle:

• Creating a training facility where all the required infrastructure is presently similar to an actual commercial facility with provision for test materials and experienced trainers. Although this could be an ideal scenario for training associates on people-dependent critical operations like in aseptic manufacturing or sterility testing, it needs a huge investment to maintain a parallel facility with utilities and material supplies, hence not always a good option.

• The second option is Virtual Reality (VR)-based training environments. Virtual Reality offers a huge opportunity to simulate an actual shop-floor environment near to real and provide an auto-guided immersive training platform that solves all the problems discussed above. VR as a training mode offers several advantages over conventional training in pharma. Some of them are listed below:

1. 1. Practice options: Once the right way to perform a task is explained, VR offers the opportunity to practice in a risk-and pressure-free environment, without any equipment downtime, environmental contamination or material wastage. 

   2. Instant correction: It provides instant feedback for all errors along with directions for correction. Participants get multiple opportunities to correct a practice till they are perfect on the task.

   3. Auto-guided training: VR-based training does not need a human trainer to communicate the message or evaluate the performance post-training. The entire program is auto-guided with a final evaluation of training results. This allows participants to take this training at their own convenience without waiting for any trainer.

   4. Better understanding: Visualisation of mistakes or error situations and their impact on the product and patients offer a deeper understanding of the ‘why’ behind each process and practice. This increases employee buy-in on the new subject.

   5. Better knowledge retention: Since VR training work on audio-visuals, demonstrations and practising options, it boosts knowledge retention several times higher than conventional training modes.

   6. Better employee engagement: With participants enjoying the whole experience and able to get aligned to the communicated message, the overall performance improves, which results in better employee engagement.

   7. Better efficiency: The end result is increased efficiency of training, reduction of overall training expenditure, reduction of human errors and related regulatory citations.

It’s the need of the day to change the current training systems in the pharma industry to move beyond a check box exercise to a real value-adding tool. The regulatory push that we are seeing in recent days is a clear indication towards that. However, we won’t be able to bridge this gap due to the inherent limitations in this industry, unless we adopt new technologies like virtual reality. VR has already a time-tested history in many industries, but still remains a huge untapped opportunity for pharma. Once leveraged to its full potential, it can be a game changer.

References

1. Easygenerator blog – “How to beat the forgetting curve” by Kasper Spiro

2. NNE article on Digitalization – “Virtual reality boosts daily operations in pharma manufacturing”

3. Pharmaceutical Online article – “Reviewing FY2017 FDA 483s: Training Failures Or A Learning Paradigm?”By Troy Fugate

4. EU GMP Annex-1 – “Manufacture of Sterile Medicinal Products”

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Johnson & Johnson (J&J) announced the appointment of Dr John Reed to the company’s Executive Committee as Executive VP of Pharmaceuticals, R&D. Dr Reed previously served as Executive VP, Global Head of Research and Development for Sanofi and brings more than 35 years of biomedical research leadership to the company.

Dr Reed will join J&J on April 3, 2023, assuming responsibility for the company’s industry-leading portfolio from Dr William Hait, who has served as interim head of J&J’s pharma R&D organisation since August 2022.

Joaquin Duato, Chairman of the Board and CEO of J&J commented, “Dr Reed is an accomplished leader and highly regarded researcher with an extraordinary track record for discovering and developing life-saving innovations on a global scale. I am confident his experience and leadership will enable our pharma R&D organisation to continue to accelerate innovation and competitiveness, invest with focus and discipline and improve the lives of the patients we serve around the world with transformational medicines.”

Dr Reed said, “I am deeply honoured and extremely excited to join J&J. I share the company’s commitment to innovation to conquer disease and improve human health, and I look forward to applying my passion for science, experience in drug discovery and development and commitment to helping patients in leading the talented pharma R&D team.”

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Pfizer’s Board of Directors has appointed Meenakshi Nevatia as an Additional Director and the MD for a period of five years with effect from April 3, 2023. She succeeds S Sridhar, who announced his early retirement in August 2022.

Nevatia is a seasoned leader with nearly 30 years of business leadership and consulting experience with top companies such as Mckinsey and Co, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, and more recently Stryker Corporation. Meenakshi has worked in over eight countries (developed and emerging) and has held several General Management roles across multiple markets such as Thailand, Spain (Iberia), and India.

Nevatia received her Bachelor’s in Science (Economics) from Presidency College, Kolkata, India, and completed her Post Graduate Diploma in Management from the highly acclaimed Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA).

Pradip Shah, Chairman of the Board, Pfizer said, “This is a pivotal time for Pfizer in India, and I am pleased to welcome Meenakshi to take over the baton and set new benchmarks for the company and indeed the industry, I also wish to express my gratitude to Sridhar for his long years of service. His patient-centric vision contributed significantly to the growth of the company, increasing our reach to many more patients in the country and helping them benefit from the company’s drugs and therapies over the years.” 

Nick Lagunowich, Global President, Emerging Markets, Pfizer said, “India is critical to the healthcare ecosystem in the region and globally; it is a place where we aspire to bring many more breakthrough therapies and health solutions to patients across the economic segments. We are thrilled to welcome Meenakshi who comes at an important time when we are poised to scale up our contribution to the India Healthcare industry.”

The Board of Directors of Pfizer, at their meeting held on February 9, 2023, considered the recommendation of the Nomination & Remuneration Committee, and approved the appointment of Nevatia as the Managing Director. Sridhar, the current India Country President will be stepping down as Managing Director and Member of Board close of business hours on March 31, 2023.

The appointment of Nevatia will be subject to approval of shareholders through Postal Ballot and central government.

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Venus Remedies has been Great Place To Work Certified” in India (from January 2023 to January 2024). This is the fifth time and for the second consecutive year that Venus Remedies has received this recognition.

A company statement said, “Venus Remedies has always primarily focused on its workplace culture. Employees, one of its stakeholders, form the most significant part of the company’s ecosystem. Complying with the Great Place To Work’s movement ‘Making India a Great Place To Work For All,’ Venus Remedies persistently strives to provide a conducive work environment to its employees.”

“Employee satisfaction, growth, and development are not one-time tasks, recognises Venus Remedies. Consistency is the key! With unwavering determination and healthy association with its employees, Venus Remedies continually invests in their social, intellectual, economic, mental, and professional development. The organisation will continue to foster a work culture of connection, trust, care, and emotional safety for its workforce by taking regular feedback from each and every individual,” a statement issued by the Great Place To Work Institute said.

“Venus is grateful to its employees for recognising their company as a Great Place To Work. In 2022, we were able to nurture and harvest our learning-driven culture. As the world progressed and adopted artificial intelligence (AI) in their work, the organisation took the initiative to prepare its employees for an AI-assisted future. The adaptability of our employees to that change shows signs of progress for us, and we aim to prepare our workforce for the fourth industrial revolution. We are proud to create an ecosystem in which we provide an open platform to our employees, and they take that as an opportunity to ensure their growth and that of the company,” said Akshansh Chaudhary, President, Human Resources, Venus Remedies.

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As biopharma is one of the sectors where the PM Group is active, what are the biopharma manufacturing trends for 2023 that your sector leaders are observing?

Some key trends we are seeing include:

1. Sustainability – a significant challenge across industry and the supply chain with a particular emphasis on carbon, water and energy reduction;

2. SMART manufacturing, digital transformation and Industry 4.0 – how to identify and incorporate relevant new technologies for better performance and faster delivery including Augmented Reality (AR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, data analytics, etc.

3. New therapies – pharma industry manufacturers are considering how Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) and other traditional modalities can be combined within the same facility or within a newly constructed agnostic building. New innovations will focus on retrofitting existing facilities, ensuring increased flexibility and adaptability for new processes and regulatory requirements

4. Value-based project delivery – There is a continued focus on cost reduction; modular construction techniques as well as shortening project schedules, efficiency, single-use and improvements in quality and GMP compliance

Can you give us some idea of the business mix between the sectors serviced by the PM Group? What percentage revenue comes from biopharma companies?

PM Group is a recognised world leader in the pharma engineering industry with over 55 per cent of our business coming from the sector. We are also leaders in the MedTech, food, advanced manufacturing and mission critical sectors. Our multi-disciplinary teams are experts in the design, construction and delivery of complex projects, common to these sectors. The PM Group has been ranked by Engineering News Record among the top-five pharma engineering firms, top 100 international design firms, top five food engineering firms and top 10 data centre engineering firms for 13 consecutive years.

What has been the growth of PM Group’s first decade in India, in terms of percentage of global revenues? What is the target growth for the next financial year and how will this be achieved?

Our Asia operations of which India is a part, accounts for approximately nine per cent of our business. Total group revenues in 2021 were $500 million. In 2023, we are targetting growth in India from 100 to 150 people.

Is India’s talent pool for the biopharma vertical sufficient for PM Group’s recruitment needs?

Yes. There is a high-quality talent pool in the specialist area of pharma engineering design in India. We are very confident of attracting additional talent to our team and achieving our growth targets.

Are there any ways the Group is nurturing this talent to attract and retain the right talent?

The quality of the world-leading projects we design and deliver is highly attractive to our employees. As an employee-owned company, we also offer many perks to our employees such as a hybrid model of working, flexible working hours and maternity leave. Apart from this, employees here also enjoy international secondment opportunities and leading standards in training (internal and external), and quality conscious work ethics in our state-of-art office environment. Keeping our employees at the centre, PM Group is committed to maintaining inclusivity in the workspace and to fostering a culture of mutual respect and belonging.

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Pfizer India has announced a 12-week paternity leave policy for its employees as part of its diversity and inclusion initiatives. The new leave policy is applicable from 1st January, 2023, and can be availed by biological as well as adoptive fathers. The initiative by Pfizer is a significant move towards fostering inclusion, diversity and equity within the organisation, the company informed via a statement recently.

According to the statement, the paternity leave policy offers birthing and non-birthing fathers the flexibility to avail leaves over a period of two years. The minimum number of leaves that can be availed in a single tranche is two weeks and the maximum is six weeks. In case of any complexity, the employee will be allowed to take additional leaves under Pfizer’s generous leave policies which include casual leave, elective holiday and wellness days.

Shilpi Singh, Director, People Experience, Pfizer India, said in the statement, “At Pfizer, people are at the centre of everything we do. We believe the future of a progressive workspace will be defined by practices that harness a people-first approach. The 12-week paternity leave policy will most certainly enable our male colleagues and their partners to cherish the experience and joyful moments of parenthood. A progressive policy of this nature is our endeavour to harness the power of equity at the workplace and enable both men and women to invest equal time in essaying their roles and responsibilities as a parent.”

Some other employee benefits offered by the company are telemedicine with access to doctors across more than 30 therapeutic specialties, Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) that offers global wellness and mental health support, medical plan and infertility treatment up to maximum of maternity coverage to create a safe and inclusive workplace for its employees.

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