Rocío Loren Hernández Flores, Commercial Manager of the Respiratory Division for Mexico at Asac Pharmaceutical Immunology, offers us a new perspective on the current immunotherapy market in this country.
He is responsible for all the commercial operations of the Respiratory line, which includes the brands: IPI Allergens, IPI Bacterial Suspension and Plesinox, among others.
With more than 17 years of pharmaceutical career in laboratories such as Pfizer, Wyeth, Schering Plough and corporations such as Maypo Pharmaceuticals. In 2015 she joined IPI ASAC Mexico where she served as Marketing Manager of the Respiratory line and later also as Manager of the Dermatological line position she held until her current role.
Rocio was born in Mexico and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Commercial Relations with a Master’s Degree in Strategic Marketing from IPN.
- What is the biggest challenge you have faced as Commercial Director of IPI ASAC MEXICO?
After being the market leader in Immunotherapy until 2018 in Mexico, our challenge was to regain the doctor’s trust due to the shortage as a result of the remodeling of the Alicante plant in 2019. Little by little and with a lot of effort, this work is being achieved.
- How does the current market dynamics affect the allergen vaccines business?
In Mexico a few years ago there were only 5 allergy companies and since 2020, 3 more global brands have arrived, which offers the specialist more treatment options.
It is true that the population today presents a greater number of allergies at an early age, which boosts the vaccine business.
As a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic, we suffered physician deaths, as Mexico was the #1 country in registered deaths of health personnel, which impacted us in less attention and diagnosis of allergic patients, causing a moderate contraction in demand in 2021, which began to recover in 2022.
- Do you consider that given the current situation, it is necessary to make a change in the business strategy? What is the biggest challenge the company has to face?
As a result of the pandemic and the collective lock-in we had to change the strategy to continue in the preference of the Physician to a digital modality, establishing as a means of communication the RRSS and/or Apps that replace the face-to-face visit.
Now we seek to combine face-to-face relationships with customers with the maintenance of update webinars. Changes in customer demand forced us to make strategic adjustments and are being consolidated in this new stage.
Promote product training and the new digital skills required by the new normality.
- From your point of view, what is the key for immunotherapy to continue growing within the company?
Achieving total availability of the portfolio in the shortest possible time is the key. To continue working with residents so that they get to know and learn how to handle our products.
For the Mexican market, as a neighbor of the USA, innovation is vital under our 3 distinctive benefits: safety, efficacy and cost-effectiveness.
- The mother company, Asac Pharmaceutical Immunology, has worked in recent years to develop new, more concentrated sublingual immunotherapy products, based on the most recent efficacy, safety and adherence studies. how has this been received in Mexico among prescribing physicians and their patients?
The new concentration is something that physicians have been waiting for to make better personalized vaccines for their patients. Not only with a safe and effective management of their allergies, but also with faster benefits in the control of their symptomatology. Patients like the fact that it is a more efficient sublingual vaccine and encourages adherence to their treatment.
- What are your priorities for the immediate future? What are your plans for growth in the coming years?
After the prolonged loss of stock, our priority is to strengthen again the confidence of prescribers and continue to improve our service and care. Also to inform them that our diagnostic panel has grown again and we offer what the highest patient care needs require.
We have increased our sales force to strengthen our presence nationwide and we want to continue to reach out to the entire medical class in the Republic of Mexico.
