Winner
The Power of Partnerships – shared decision making in rare disease
Partner(s): ZPB Associates, BioCryst UK & Ireland and HAE UK
Executive Summary
“Sharing decisions with my consultant has changed my life dramatically.”Sian Harding, who lives with HAEThe Power of Partnerships engagement programme between BioCryst, ZPB, HAE UK (a small charity representing fewer than 1,500 hereditary angioedema (HAE) patients in the UK), and Barts Health NHS Trust set a new benchmark for excellence in pharmaceutical partnership. United by a shared purpose to improve outcomes for people with HAE – a rare, life-impacting condition – the partners co-created a national campaign to embed shared decision making in clinical practice and raise awareness with HCPs and patients alike. What sets this project apart is its end-to-end commitment to partnership values. And every element, from research to patient tools and films, was co-created with the people who use it – healthcare professionals and patients. The campaign launch achieved national reach, the toolkit rolled out in NHS immunology centres across the country and post-campaign, 87% of surveyed consultant immunologists engaging with the materials, 92% finding them helpful, and 62% reporting a positive change in clinical interactions. The project’s innovative, patient-centred approach has delivered measurable improvements in awareness, clinical practice, and patient experience, demonstrating what great partnership looks like in action.
Highly commended
No Stone Unturned: A Community-Led Campaign to Raise Awareness of PH1
Partner(s): Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, National Kidney Federation, South Asian Health Action, Intent Health
Executive Summary
Primary Hyperoxaluria Type 1 (PH1) is a rare genetic kidney disease that lacks awareness and is likely under-diagnosed within at-risk South Asian communities. This community faces significant health inequities, with a 3-5 times higher likelihood of kidney failure compared to white counterparts, yet rare diseases like PH1 are often overlooked.Our ‘No Stone Unturned’ campaign bridged this gap using a community-first strategy, co-creating every element with community members, healthcare professionals, and charitable organisations. This insight-led, multi-channel campaign blended trusted channels like GP surgeries, community radio, and print media to navigate cultural barriers and empower an underserved community.The campaign exceeded objectives, generating over 476,000 digital impressions and a 25% increase in Google searches for PH1-related terms. It provides a powerful blueprint for culturally competent health education in underserved populations, proving that no community is ‘hard to reach’ when you listen first.
Finalist
Salford Royal Hospital & Merck Serono: Salford Early Diagnostics MS Clinic Collaborative Working Project
Partner(s): Salford Royal Hospital & Merck Serono
Executive Summary
The Salford Early Diagnostics Clinic Collaborative Working Project is a partnership between Merck Serono and Salford Royal Hospital, led by Dr Joyutpal Das and Christian Magson. It addresses a critical challenge in MS care: timely diagnosis and treatment to preserve long‑term brain health. As highlighted in the MS Brain Health report (Giovannoni et al., 2015) and peer‑reviewed literature (Cerqueira et al., 2018), “time matters in MS” — early intervention reduces relapses, slows disability progression, and improves outcomes.Previously, patients faced an average wait of 18 months before accessing specialist services. To tackle this, Merck provided funding for a new clinic aimed to diagnose patients earlier, supported by referral and diagnostic pathways. Pathway mapping streamlined processes, reducing referral times to 6 months; enabling earlier diagnosis, faster treatment initiation and improved outcomes.Salford Royal, one of the UK’s largest MS centres caring for over 5,000 patients, introduced pathways that increase capacity and triage patients efficiently based on MRI evidence of demyelination. The clinic reviews 6 patients per week, with a 95% diagnosis rate, and is projected to assess 200 new patients by year‑end.This project exemplifies transformative collaboration between industry and NHS, embedding sustainable models of care with clear potential for replication nationally.
