Whether it’s single or multiple packs, dosing or filling systems, the French company Biocorp is a reference, and its expertise is proven. From design conception to prototyping, its strong internal R&D resources enable it to develop tailor-made products that meet the requirements of the pharmaceutical industry. Innovative, Biocorp has also broadened its field of application by turning to the design and development of connected medical devices. A successful turn with, among others, the medical device Mallya®, a smart pen injector that facilitates insulin administration and provides real-time monitoring for patients through a mobile application. Connect in Pharma spoke with Éric Dessertenne, CEO about the strategies defined to achieve objectives in terms of sustainability and patient centricity.
Your core values are Innovation, Quality and Agility. How do you make them alive at Biocorp?
Éric DESSERTENNE: Innovation is the driving force of Biocorp and it is in the company’s genes: today, more than one third of our staff is dedicated to R&D. And health tech innovation couldn’t exist without a serious dose of agility since we need to adapt our solutions to evolving needs of patients as well as changes in medical devices. And of course, Biocorp would not be able to survive if our team didn’t give importance to quality: quality of our devices of course, but quality also concerns our raw materials, our exchanges with our suppliers and our partners, as well as the quality of internal listening which allows us to give life to innovations.
According to you what are the key stakes for the pharma and the biotech industries? What is your strategic vision for the next decade?
ED: We are enthusiastic to see how important patient centricity has become in Biopharma strategies. At Biocorp we consider that smart devices and digital solutions will play a key role in that patient centricity strategy and having patients more engaged, together with HCP’s (Health Care Professionals) being able to track patients remotely will play a key role in improving clinical care and efficiency Biocorp has the ambition to be a strong enabler of those new solutions, providing a new global digital care setting for the benefits of patients.
The Covid crisis has brought to light many dysfunctions in the supply chain of health products. At the same time, pharmaceutical companies are under pressure to tackle environmental sustainability to positively impact both people and the planet while strengthening their operations. What is the strategy decided by Biocorp to achieve these objectives?
ED: Yes, it is true that Covid has severely impacted some sectors, including the medical devices sector with the shortage of materials such as electronic chips. But this virus has also Page 1 revealed a clear need to evolve the health sector and patient monitoring, including remote monitoring and self-treatment. This is particularly true in one of our preferred therapeutic areas, namely diabetes. We have to give the keys to patients so they can comply their treatment et easily refer to their HCP when needed. Biocorp is now committed to an environmental approach that is being reinforced. Some bases have been laid for several years: ethical selection of our suppliers, reasoned use of resources, virtuous treatment of waste, well-being at work, etc. But we still have a long way to go considering current and future environmental issues. We have therefore prioritized the subject of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) in 2022 by setting up an internal steering group to work on the three pillars of our commitments:
– Limiting our environmental impact
– Building an inclusive, supportive and caring company
– Ensuring that we practice an ethical economy
A CSR charter reflecting our commitments should be published by the end of the year.
Biocorp is one of the Founding Partners of Connect in Pharma. Why was it important for your company to establish yourself as a founding partner of the event?
ED: After a long period without professional events due to covid, it seemed important to us to support an initiative like Connect in Pharma. The theme of the exhibition combined with the geographical location (Geneva), at a distance in time from Pharmapack Europe drove us to position Biocorp as a strong partner of this show.
