The pharmaceutical industry is going through significant transformations. One key trend is an increasing focus on personalized medicine, which matches treatments to specific patients using molecular and genetic information. Also, in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, online health and telemedicine have gained popularity to enable faraway monitoring of illnesses and access to health care. While numerous factors contribute to the growth of the pharmaceutical industry, the demand for pharmaceuticals is increasing primarily owing to the growing elderly population and a surge in the prevalence of serious illnesses.
Regardless of these advantages, customers frequently face difficulties in obtaining cost-effective medicines, rising drug prices, and health inequalities. Pathini Thirumal Rao addresses these challenges with his innovative solutions for promoting cost-effective treatment, improving access and bridging health gaps. His patient-focused approach and cutting-edge technology aim to guarantee that individuals have seamless and cost-effective access to the care and medicines they need.
Pathini Thirumal Rao is an inspirational leader and healthcare creator committed to expanding access to high-quality care. He has proven himself as a healthcare industry innovator, with a background in medicine and a strong commitment to patient-centered solutions. His goal is to bridge the healthcare delivery gaps, and increase cost-effectiveness, by leveraging cutting-edge technology. Pathini Thirumal Rao's innovative ideas aim to make healthcare more affordable and patient-friendly, in keeping with the changing needs of modern healthcare. Through his leadership and founding efforts, Rao works to ensure that people have access to affordable and efficient health care.
In an exclusive interview with Industry Outlook, Pathini Thirumal Rao walks us through his educational background, the innovations in the pharmaceutical industry and more.
Can you walk US through your educational background, which has helped you achieve these milestones? As a COO, how do you encourage your workforce to perform better?
My educational journey began with a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Pune. While I had aspirations of pursuing higher studies abroad, financial constraints forced me to stay in India and build my career. This choice led me to work in the pharmaceutical industry, where I obtained valuable expertise.
My schooling provided a solid foundation for my work, but it was the hands-on expertise and insights I gained as a leader that truly formed my approach. My strategy for motivating employees is to keep things simple and to provide them with different and required products. Offering something peculiar in today's pharmaceutical landscape, where generic drugs predominate, piques the interest of both the team and the doctors with whom they work.
Please give us an overview of your experience as a leader of operations. What have been the most important milestones achieved by you in your career as a COO?
I started my career in the pharmaceutical industry in 2003, and I have come a long way. In the year 2016, I began on a groundbreaking project with the launch of my first company, Aronax Pharma. The key objective of this venture was to address a common gap in the pharmaceutical market which is patient compliance. Doctors would suggest medications, but customers would frequently fail to finish them, resulting in poor health outcomes. I established a strategy to bridge this gap by focusing on redesigning well-known medications, which include paracetamol, in order to enhance patient compliance and effectiveness.
By converting these drugs into effervescent tablet forms with appealing flavors like orange or strawberry, we improved compliance, onset of action, and overall bioavailability. This innovation revolutionized the way patients consumed medicine, ensuring that every particle dissolved in water, providing 100 percent drug bioavailability. This is just one example of the approach I took. Each medication was designed to be not only effective but also safe to use. Today, I am relieved that my ideas have been widely accepted by both medical professionals and patients.
My Success in pharmaceuticals lies in the art of turning complex medications into simple, patient-friendly solutions
With numerous innovations in the pharmaceutical world, how do you stay up to date with the relevant ones?
The drugs we created have been fully approved by regulatory authorities, including the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI). This approval is required before any drug can be manufactured or marketed. In order to ensure that our products meet all necessary standards and guidelines, we collaborated closely with regulatory bodies. When it comes to creativity, I believe in simplicity. Hence, I focus on making existing medications more appealing rather than pursuing new molecules or complex innovations. We improve bioavailability and compliance by converting well-established drugs into more palatable and effective forms, such as soft gelatin capsules or gummies, which is often more effective than introducing entirely new molecules.
Can you share a success story related to your efforts to make pharmaceuticals more patient-friendly?
The path we took to develop gummies for children's health is a compelling success story. Children are resistant to medication. By providing supplements and vitamins in gummy form, we not only made the experience a happier one for children, but we also ensured to listen to the concerns of parents who do not want their children to miss out on the vital nutrients. The gummies are appealing and effective as they provide a simple, accessible, as well as tasty way for children to meet their dietary requirements.
What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs looking to make innovations in the pharmaceutical field?
I would suggest the budding pharmaceutical entrepreneurs to stay logical as they navigate the current healthcare landscape. They should try to keep it simple and discover new ways to make existing medicines more effective, and accessible. Since the goal of health services is to improve the lives of people, young entrepreneurs should ensure that the solutions provided to them are easy to understand and implement, leading to have a substantial effect.
Pathini Thirumal Rao, COO, Hetika Pharmaceuticals
A visionary leader and healthcare innovator dedicated to improving access to quality healthcare.
