“ILAP is unique in that it brings the HTA, the payer, and the regulator together at a much earlier stage in a products development when the entire clinical plan can be influenced in a way that is not possible when a product is further down the development pathway. By going early and involving all the right stakeholders, the chances of the product ultimately getting to patients, not just getting approved, can be maximised. It’s a classic case of starting with the end in mind and companies should take a close look at this offering when developing early commercial strategy.”

How much are you willing to pay for a year of life enjoyed at full health? Can you really put a price on life? Even if you try to avoid this kind of thought experiment, there are others who face these decisions on a daily basis. In fact, every decision about where to allocate health resources is likely to have life-or-death consequences. Since limited resources are a healthcare constant, Mel Walker, Advisory Board member at NDA, is the person you want to have on your team when these decisions are being made as he is driven to help as many patients as possible gain access to life changing treatments and has developed the skills and experience to deliver on this mission.

Mel utilizes his extensive experience in strategy development to enable companies to achieve success by integrating commercial and patient access requirements at earlier phases of drug development, including Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMP). His areas of expertise include deep knowledge of European Payer and HTA systems and strategies that optimize value proposition, pricing, reimbursement, patient access and product uptake.

Commenting on his appointment, Mel Walker said: “I am delighted to be supporting the RBW team at such an exciting time for the company and wider industry. I am passionate about ensuring that patients have access to innovative therapies and delivering on this mission fundamentally relies on recruiting and developing talent. I joined the RBW team because of their people focus and core values and I look forward to seeing what we can achieve together.”