Washington, D.C. and Geneva, 26 September 2023: This week, IFPMA joins hundreds of stakeholders from across economies in the Asia-Pacific at the APEC Business Ethics for SMEs Forum to recognize and applaud progress made by the initiative in the past decade to advance business ethics in the medical device and biopharmaceutical sectors in the region. This collective endeavor has been anchored in a shared commitment to drive ethical collaboration across health systems, working together within the world’s largest public-private, multi-sectoral partnership.

IFPMA will be represented at the Forum at the highest level, by Chief Ethics and Compliance Officers of member companies, demonstrating the level of dedication for promoting business ethics and integrity.

Mwana Lugogo, Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer at Takeda, said:

“We are an industry dedicated to advancing science and bringing better health to patients and communities around the world. Our ability to transform lives comes with the great responsibility to operate with the highest level of integrity and ethics – building trust with stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem. The collaborative spirit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum over the past decade is an example of that responsibility in action.”

Klaus Moosmayer, Chief Ethics, Risk & Compliance Officer at Novartis, said:

“The Business Ethics for APEC SMEs Initiative is a serious commitment by the pharmaceutical industry to advance ethical behavior and business integrity. It will enable us to create a future for global healthcare where trust and innovation are the foundations of everything we do to improve and extend people’s lives.”

Rady Johnson, Chief Compliance, Quality and Risk Officer, Executive Vice President at Pfizer, said:

“Multilateral organizations, such as APEC, continue to play a vital role in driving the adoption and effective implementation of a culture fostering ethics and business integrity. While much has been achieved in recent years, there is tremendous opportunity in the years ahead to build on this momentum through new partnerships and sharing what we have learned around the world”.

Anisa Dhalla, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer at UCB, said:

“In an industry where our work has the potential to save lives, our unwavering commitment to ethics is more than a business obligation. It is a testament to our dedication to patients and their communities, ensuring that trust and transparency are as essential as the medicines we produce”.

Dirk Brinckman, Chief Compliance Officer at Johnson & Johnson, said:

“Our industry’s global reach strengthens our perspective. Regardless of where we operate, our dedication to upholding ethical standards remains consistent, reinforcing trust across the world’s diverse health systems to patients around the globe”.

Jennifer McGee, Senior Vice President, Chief Global Compliance Officer at Otsuka, said:

“Every step in our research and development, every medicine we produce, is a reflection of our core values. Our credibility does not rest on efficacy alone, but on the ethics and business integrity that guides our quest for innovation.

Lisa LeCointe-Cephas, Senior Vice President, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer at MSD, said:

“In the complex world of healthcare, our commitment to ethics and business integrity – our Ethos – unites us. As we advance the field of medicine, it’s crucial to remember our top priority: caring for patients”.

Nancy Grygiel, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Compliance & Business Ethics and Chief Compliance Officer at Amgen, said:

“Cultivating a culture of integrity is not just an effective organizational strategy but the very essence of our existence in the innovative pharmaceutical industry. A culture anchored in ethics ensures that as millions of us within the sector work hard to pursue new discoveries, we never lose sight of the billions of patients that depend on us”.

Stephen Chien, Interim Chief Compliance and Ethics Officer at Gilead Sciences, said:

“There is nothing more important at Gilead than making sure we do what is right. We strive to uphold the highest compliance and ethical standards because we know this commitment is essential to building trust and ultimately achieving our mission to create a healthier world for all people.”

Thomas Cueni, Director General of IFPMA, said:

“In the innovative biopharmaceutical sector, we know that upholding ethics and business integrity is the central to our mission to deliver the essential medicines and vaccines that lead to healthier futures. We have been working together with the APEC Business Ethics for SMEs initiative to encourage a wider adoption of codes of ethics for industry trade bodies. This has made a tangible impact on nearly 20,000 enterprises of every size across the APEC region and we look forward to advance more regional alignment and implementation in ethical business practices”.