Tell Me Why skin health matters more than you think

Skin conditions are often dismissed as cosmetic concerns, but their impact reaches far beyond the surface, affecting mental health, confidence, relationships and quality of life, says Frederik Kier, Executive Vice-President of International Operations at LEO Pharma. 

Watch the episode to learn more about how the company is collaborating with healthcare providers, policymakers and industry partners to make sure patients receive better treatment and support.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

The knowledge that is built over more than a century of being specifically dedicated to skin diseases makes us capable of understanding the biology behind skin diseases, being able to innovate and bring newer and better medicines to market. But on top of that, what we also started discussing, we do have a better sense of what a person living with skin diseases is going through. So putting that into context, making sure that we work with authorities, with healthcare professionals and societies to bring across the knowledge that it requires. I think that that has brought Leo to where it is today.

SPEAKER_00 0:41

So we try to kind of on these tests I retired with the other thing. It's an absolute pleasure to be your host for today, and we are talking about something that affects nearly everybody at some point in their lives and often doesn't receive the attention that it truly deserves, and that is our skin. Our skin is the largest organ in the body. It protects us, it reflects our health, and plays an absolutely huge role in our confidence and well-being. Yet for millions of people living with chronic skin conditions, the impact extends far beyond what we can see on the surface. It can affect mental health, relationships, careers, and a full quality of life. No wonder then that dermatology is becoming an increasingly important healthcare priority. So, what role can innovation, collaboration, and greater awareness play in improving the outcomes for patients? Well, joining me today is Frederick Keir, Executive Vice President of International Operations at Leo Pharma. Frederick oversees Leo Pharma's international operations as the company continues to strengthen its presence around the globe, including here in the Middle East, with its new regional office at Expo City, Dubai, and a strategic partnership with the Emirates Dermatology Society to raise awareness of chronic hand eczema. Frederick, welcome to Tell Me Why. It's wonderful to have you with us today.

SPEAKER_01 2:21

It's wonderful to be here. Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_00 2:24

Thank you so much for joining me. So let's dive straight into our questions. So, first off, people often think about skin conditions as just cosmetic concerns. But from your perspective, why should we be thinking about skin health as a serious public health issue?

SPEAKER_01 2:40

As you said in your introduction, our skin is the largest organ on the body. And we all have a relationship with our skin some somehow and somewhere. Skin diseases is not a trivial uh matter of life. So when you're affected by skin diseases, you're often affected way beyond the visible appearance on your skin. It affects your social life, it can affect your work life, it can affect your psychological well-being.

SPEAKER_00 3:14

Absolutely. And many chronic skin diseases have an invisible emotional and psychological impact alongside the physical symptoms. So, how is important is it for healthcare systems to be recognizing the broader burdens when treating their patients?

SPEAKER_01 3:30

So I think we we we gotta put ourselves in in the seat of a person living with skin diseases. Him or her is affected both visibly by the skin being impacted, but also psychologically and emotionally. And if we do not recognize the aspects that go far beyond the skin, we do not set up the infrastructure and the support systems to actually help the person living with that skin disease. So very, very important.

SPEAKER_00 3:59

And Leo Farmer's been around a very long time, and he's spent more than 115 years, and today you reach close to 100 million patients annually, which is is incredible. That's huge. So what has allowed the company to remain a global leader in such a specialized field so long, you know, more than a century?

SPEAKER_01 4:21

Yeah, I think uh the knowledge that is built over more than a century of being specifically dedicated to skin diseases makes us capable of understanding the biology behind skin diseases, being able to innovate and bring newer and better medicines to market. But on top of that, what we also started discussing, we do have a better sense of what a person living with skin diseases is going through. So putting that into context, making sure that we work with authorities, with healthcare professionals and societies to bring across the knowledge that it requires. I think that that has brought Leo to where it is today.

SPEAKER_00 5:02

It's amazing work. And you talk about innovation, and it's often associated with discovering new medicines, but healthcare innovation can mean so much more than that. Um, so how does Leo Pharma define innovation when it comes to improving patient outcomes?

SPEAKER_01 5:18

Yeah, Leo Pharma sees our, we see our role as firstly innovating on medicine. So medicine is the cornerstone of what we do and bring forward. But together with medicine, we actually, as said before, have a lot of knowledge of the person living with skin diseases. And in order to enhance the likelihood of that person living a better life, we need to make sure that the healthcare professional understand what it is living with skin diseases. Maybe the support functions, it could be nurses and others to understand that, but also that the general society knows better because there are a lot of bias, there are a lot of stigma when you see a person being affected on their skin. We have a normal tendency to create our own biases. And we need to address those biases.

SPEAKER_00 6:07

I love that education and awareness is key.

SPEAKER_01 6:09

Very, very much so. And we have many chronic diseases around the world where biases are surrounding the disease. So it is the case in skin diseases, and we find that extremely important to address.

SPEAKER_00 6:22

And one of the company's latest milestones is the opening of your brand new regional office here in Expo City, Dubai. Uh, so why was now the right time to deepen Leo Pharma's presence across the Middle East? And what does this investment say about the region's growing importance in what you do?

SPEAKER_01 6:41

So Leo Pharma has offices in more than 30 countries, and we operate in additional 40 countries more. The Middle East, and especially Dubai, is a significant international hub, and therefore we decided to put our regional office for what we call emergent markets out of Dubai. The convenience, the connectivity that Dubai offers was second to none.

SPEAKER_00 7:05

And of course, Dubai has a massive focus on healthcare as well, which so it's a no-brainer, really.

SPEAKER_01 7:10

Certainly so, and I think that's where we have benefited a lot over the last many, many years to collaborate with the authorities to raise awareness about skin diseases.

SPEAKER_00 7:19

And the Middle East has ambitious health care transformation plans, as we're saying. So, where do you see the biggest opportunities for advancing dermatology care across the region over the next decade or so?

SPEAKER_01 7:33

So I had the pleasure of living in Dubai for three years, a couple of years ago, and I've been witness to the strength of the healthcare system in Dubai and the UAE. And what is very, very prominent is the access to new and innovative medicine. But on top of that, I see authorities playing an increasing role in educating the general society and the public. And here we play a fundamental role together with the authorities to raise the awareness of skin diseases.

SPEAKER_00 8:05

And collaborating with local authorities is key and very, very important. And you've signed an memorandum of understanding with the Emirates Dermatology Society. So why are partnerships like that important? And what do you hope this collaboration is going to achieve for healthcare professionals and patients alike?

SPEAKER_01 8:24

So partnerships like this are extremely important where we can merge the efforts that we as a company are doing with the efforts of authorities and different societies, and thereby we just strand stronger in the eyes of the public, but also those living with skin diseases. So specifically, we are hoping to increase the awareness of skin diseases and also a specific disease called chronic hand eczemia.

SPEAKER_00 8:52

That's one of your first priorities in that the partnership is going to be raising the awareness of chronic hand eczema. So for people like myself, I'm not aware of it. I'm I don't know what it is, I don't know anything about it. Many people have never heard of it. So can you explain to us, please, what exactly is the condition and why does that particular condition deserve greater awareness and attention?

SPEAKER_01 9:17

So chronic hand eczema is, as the name alludes to, is a chronic disease, inflammation that is affecting your hands. And then you'll say, So, what's the big problem? But the big problem is that for those living with chronic hand eczema, they are impacted most often in the functioning of their hands. So you will you will have uh itches, you will have redness, you'll you'll you'll some are even describing the disease like being cut by a thousand paper cuts. So it's highly impacting your the way you operate. But back to our first commentary, this disease also has a big impact on your potential social life, your work life, and other things. So this is a very serious disease, it impacts estimated around 5% of the general population. So while many do not know, many people are living with it.

SPEAKER_00 10:12

That's that's quite a substantial percentage when you look at it. It is.

SPEAKER_01 10:16

And in order to raise that awareness, but also make people aware that they're help to be sought after this this uh collaboration with the authorities and society is important.

SPEAKER_00 10:28

Many people live with skin conditions for years, um, going undiagnosed, they don't get the right diagnosis or treatment. So, what are some of the misconceptions surrounding chronic hand eczema that need to be challenged, what needs to be put out there?

SPEAKER_01 10:44

So, specifically, is often surrounded with a perception that it's is acute, so it'll go away. You can self-treat it, you can try to stay away from potential uh elements that are in impacting the the skin on your hands. We need to make the public aware that this is a chronic disease, it's a chronic disease that that you need help with, and therefore, by creating again this collaboration, we hope to enhance the the public awareness of this disease and people will start seeking help.

SPEAKER_00 11:19

And I think collaboration is key, as you've said there, and healthcare is an increasingly collaborative industry involving the clinicians, the policymakers, the patient communities. So, how important is that ecosystem approach uh if we want to improve outcomes in dermatology?

SPEAKER_01 11:38

Of fundamental importance. So we as Leo Pharma have been innovative as we discussed for more than 100 years. We bring out innovative medicines. But if medicine is not used, it is of no use. Yeah. So we need to see the medicine in a greater ecosystem where we educate healthcare professionals, patients, but also relatives around the specific skin diseases so that together we enhance the quality of life for those living with the skin diseases.

SPEAKER_00 12:08

And I think the healthcare industry is one of the most innovative sectors. It's very, very fast moving, and we have things like artificial intelligence, precision medicine, and digital healthcare. Uh, they're changing many areas of medical practice. So, how do you see these particular technologies transforming dermatology in the coming years?

SPEAKER_01 12:28

So I see a huge impact from technological advancements, both in the way we research and find new molecules for new treatments, but also in the way we engage with uh patients. We can use digital media, societies can use digital media to educate, and then we can also use digital media and AI to help the diagnostic tools. So, skin diseases are often visible, and by AI tools, potentially we in the future can enhance the diagnostic part of skin diseases.

SPEAKER_00 13:03

So many incredible things that help with the diagnosis and treatment and early diagnosis is key for things like this. Fantastic. Frederick, and finally, can you tell me what is your long-term vision for Leo Pharma in the Middle East and beyond expanding the business, what legacy would you like the company to leave for patients, healthcare professionals, and the wider healthcare ecosystem?

SPEAKER_01 13:27

So, in general, uh Leo Pharma has crossed the 100-year anniversary. We we hope to be 200 years as well. And in order to do so, the legacy we would like to leave is a company that has brought across very innovative medicine and have brought that medicine in a collaboration with different parts of the general society. Specifically for the Middle East, we are continuing to expand our presence here in the UAE and also using that for a hub in the rest of the Middle East. So we're truly excited about the future.

SPEAKER_00 14:02

Can't wait to see what you do next and definitely leading the way in innovation and uh your your patience, thank you, I'm sure. It's amazing work.

SPEAKER_01 14:09

Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_00 14:11

Frederick Kreer, thank you so much for joining me on Tell Me Why Today. It's been a pleasure to have you.

SPEAKER_01 14:15

Thanks for having me. A pleasure.

SPEAKER_00 14:17

And today's conversation reminds us that skin health goes beyond just appearance. It's about physical health, emotional well-being, confidence, and quality of life. And as awareness grows and innovation continues to reshape medical dermatology, collaboration between healthcare providers, scientific communities, and organizations like Leo Pharma are going to play an increasingly important role in helping patients receive earlier diagnoses, better treatments, and stronger support. To all of you out there watching this podcast, if you'd like to learn more about the future of dermatology and the work being done to help improve skin health across the region, make sure you keep an eye on the initiatives emerging from Leo Pharma and its partners here across the UAE. Thank you for joining us on Tell Me Why. And don't forget to visit golfnews.com forward slash podcasts for more insightful conversations. My name's Emma Brain, and I will see you next time on Tell Me Why.