As the second segment of COSMO’s “Japan in 10 Minutes” interview series, our CEO Kumi Sato interviews with Dr. Tsubokura, of Hirata Central Hospital in Japan.
In the interview, Dr. Tsubokura discussed the situation about PCR testing and Antibody testing in Japan.
Finally we are seeing a flattening of the worldwide COVID-19 curve and lifting of lockdowns across major cities. On May 14, Japan lifted its state of emergency for 39 prefectures. With people and businesses asked to either refrain entirely or severely restrict so many activities during the crisis, we are now entering a new phase of resuming daily life while coexisting with the virus.
Some experts are predicting that the post-COVID-19 world will be accompanied by a transformational paradigm shift, spanning every aspect of our lives from business and commerce, to education to politics. Indeed, the pandemic has already ushered in rapid adoption of long-advocated initiatives, such as cashless society, online shopping, teleworking, paperless society, online education, and telemedicine. We can now finally predict that Japan will see step changes in these areas, with COVID-19 acting as the catalyst.
COSMO Healthcare has now opened a YouTube channel to disseminate medical information and news of industry trends.
The global spread of COVID-19 is showing no signs of abating. Companies are faced with the challenge of taking sufficient measures to prevent transmission and minimize impact, while simultaneously sustaining their business. In these circumstances, how should those of us in the field of public relations respond?
In today’s newsletter, we will apply some of the basic tenets of public relations to this unique situation and focus on two key areas with practical tips. Firstly, how to disclose sensitive information if an employee becomes infected and secondly, the critical decisions that must be taken when considering whether to go ahead with a press conference or media event in Japan.
As the pharmaceutical and medical device industries grow increasingly complex, demand for reputation risk management also increases. Even risk-averse companies have inevitably faced incidents.
Instead of approaching communication as an add-on service, COSMO recommends proactive reputation risk management, which involves strategic actions based on two cornerstones: The first cornerstone is to upgrade “risk intelligence.” It is important to take a data-driven approach to quantify reputation, including potential risks, on a regular basis. Visualizing specifics and how to fill which gaps illuminates clear strategic directions and enables planning of concrete actions.
The second cornerstone is improving the “risk management” process. This involves proactively identifying risks and bolstering resilience. A bird’s eye view of the whole process is needed to ascertain internal alignment of risk awareness, clarity of governance, and team responsibilities, and training standards.
We’re now a month into 2020, but this year is a significant milestone for COSMO, marking the 60th anniversary of our agency. Since our establishment in 1960, COSMO has evolved from providing editorial services for Japanese companies to being a pioneer in Japan’s communications industry, now specializing in globally-focused healthcare consultancy. A key driving force for COSMO’s business growth has always been to strive to make progress in our field. During this landmark year, we will continue to make advancements in healthcare communications that deliver meaningful value for our clients.
Q&A with the Change Makers at the Forefront of Patient-Centricity
COSMO’s senior consultant in Washington DC, Emi Yasukawa, reports on the EyeforPharma Patient Summit USA held October 2 – 3. At the two-day summit in Philadelphia, pharmaceutical industry professionals and patient advocacy groups gathered to share their insights move the industry forward.
In this article, I am honored to share insights and takeaways from three change makers. The following are three key takeaways that will help us form our next moves regarding patient engagement:
John Linnell, COPD Foundation, US COPD Coalition
John was diagnosed with COPD in 2005 at the age of 50. Now, he has been serving numerous patient advocacy positions, at both national and international levels.
John is a member of the Board of Directors for the US COPD Coalition, the Executive Board of Directors for EFFORTS, and the Governing Board for the COPD Foundation PPRN (Patient Powered Research Network). John also sat as a patient reviewer for the United States Department of Defense Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program for several years. John is also finishing a study funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, entitled, “Impact of a Peer Support Program Amongst COPD Patients and Their Caregivers.” The outcomes and results are currently being prepared for publication in a peer reviewed medical journal which will list him as a co-author.
Lode Dewulf is trusted as a global thought leader for patient engagement in medicine development. He currently works as Chief Patient Officer at Servier, a foundation-governed global pharmaceutical company.
Lode Dewulf, MD, DPM, FFPM, Chief Patient Affairs Officer, Servier
When Dr. Dewulf studied and practiced medicine, he quickly realized that true engagement, with the patients and their families, are at least as important as good medicine in achieving the best health outcomes. He joined the pharmaceutical industry in 1989 to create a broader impact through medical education. Ten years later, when the internet started to grow as a new way to provide quality medical information, he took a sabbatical and co-founded PlanetMedica, Europe’s first healthcare portal. Dr. Dewulf continued in global executive leadership roles in pharmaceutical medical affairs. In 2012 at UCB, he became Chief Patient Affairs Officer, the industry’s first executive dedicated to patient affairs. Dr. Dewulf volunteers his time supporting individual patients and advising both private and public organizations about patient engagement.
Kazuyoshi Hatanaka, Chairman of Japan Partners for Patient-Centric Care (JPPaC)
Mr. Kazuyoshi Hatanaka has vast experience in the pharmaceutical industry and worked from 1968 to 2006 at Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, which merged to become Astellas Pharma Inc. He was also a management consulting professional at Hatanaka Pharma Consulting, a Professor at Kagawa University Business School Graduate School of Management, and an auditor at Toho Pharmaceutical.
Since 2014, Mr. Hatanaka serves as the Chairman of an non-profit organization (NPO) called Japan Partners for Patient-Centric Care (JPPaC), whose mission is “The needs of the patient come first”. Through his NPO activities, he is learning from survivors of intractable diseases and cancer, regarding what it is to be a patient, and how should “patient-centric medicine” be defined.
Current titles: Chairman of Japan Partners for Patient-Centric Care (JPPaC) and Specially Appointed Professor, Graduate School of Pharma Management, Japan University of Economics
Q: We have heard that your NPO, JPPaC, is a patient advocacy group that will be participating in eyeforpharma Japan. We would like to ask you about JPPaC’s activities, as well as your thoughts on your timing of re-acknowledging the importance of patient-centricity and putting it into practice as a patient advocacy group in Japan – why now?
Cosmo Public Relations Corp. President, Kumi Sato, joined the Center of Open Innovation Network for Smart Health (COINS) and the Innovation Center of NanoMedicine (iCONM) to lecture on communication strategy. The COINS/iCONM event included a series of seminars under the central theme, “Looking ahead to the arrival of globalization and the AI era.” The COINS/iCONM event was attended by doctors and researchers specializing in smart nanomachines.
Sato’s lecture was entitled, “How to Effectively Communicate – Communication Leadership.” In her presentation, she instructed participants how to consider healthcare communication strategies beyond ad hoc tactics by harnessing COSMO’s communication framework. She began by introducing how COSMO uses an “umbrella framework” to approach core healthcare communication challenges.
Dr. Dai Hozumi, a director at COSMO, will host “SwitchPoint Shibuya” on August 31, 2019.
SwitchPoint is a movement built around diverse gatherings of the smart, the curious, and the creative from all circles of humanitarian and global development work. SwitchPoint Shibuya is a globally curated event created in a partnership between IntraHealth International, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and the Japan Center for International Exchange focused on inventive approaches to solving health challenges in Africa. The event will feature talks and performances, interactive microlabs, and a networking reception.
Cosmo Public Relations Corp. today announced that their Deputy Managing Director, Tomomi Nagasawa, was shortlisted as PR Professional of the Year (Agency) at PR Awards Asia 2019. PR Awards Asia celebrates the most outstanding, inspired and successful campaigns, individuals and companies in Asia-Pacific’s communication industry.
Tomomi creates multi-stakeholder healthcare communication strategies to deliver the best client outcomes. She was instrumental in transforming COSMO to its current expertise in healthcare and biotech. Tomomi is also a role model for young Japanese women; she effectively wears three hats: she is the Deputy Managing Director of COSMO, she is the mother of a young child, and she is also a local politician’s wife. Balancing these vastly different duties, she exemplifies a new generation of Japanese women, who can have it all.
After nearly 60 years in business since it was established, COSMO reflects on the past 12 months of helping MNCs navigate Japanese healthcare communications.
Healthcare communications consultancy has grown further into our core offering since we first committed to this space over a decade ago. This year, COSMO was a leading consulting agency for one of the largest M&A deals by a Japanese company.
We also managed product launches across varied disease areas and proactively communicated clinical milestones. COSMO provided English and Japanese communication services across preclinical to launch phases for both established pharmaceutical companies and upcoming biotech companies.
On October 16, 2018, the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) celebrated its 70th anniversary at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo.
The ACCJ was established 70 years ago when founding ACCJ President Dennis McEvoy met General Douglas MacArthur to discuss the great potential of the ACCJ as a force for good. Since then, the ACCJ has become a primary voice in the US–Japan economic partnership and the premier foreign business organization in Japan.
