(Newswire.net — November 19, 2019) — As a multi-disciplinary leader in the realm of biopharmacology with over twenty five years of pertinent experience within the continuously growing field, Carsten Thiel has bore witness to the continuous evolutions of the discipline. With evolving technological advancements, burgeoning new treatment options, and cultural shifts in general opinions about the medical industry, the pharmaceutical industry has ebbed and flowed to actively embrace these changes. Actively and consistently engaged in the continuous changes that have led to the betterment of the industry, Carsten Thiel has recognized the merit of acting in an ethical manner at all times, and maintaining a patient first approach, despite potential financial detriment. While the pharmaceutical industry is comprised of many leading for-profit companies, Thiel purports that the entire purpose for the existence of these companies is to serve, aid, and heal various individuals suffering from multiple medical conditions. For Thiel, this consideration has been a driving force throughout his career, and has resulted in his participation in various charitable efforts, championing of patient successes, and desire to truly impact the lives of all individuals.
Berlin-born Thiel was exposed to the transformative nature of the medical field from a young age, with medic parents who helped to shape his love for biology, chemistry, and the complexities of DNA exploration. Upon receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemistry from the United Kingdom’s University of Bristol, Thiel went on to study Molecular Biology at the prestigious Max Planck Institute For Biophysical Chemistry, a highly selective research based organization in Thiel’s native Berlin. After receiving his PhD in Molecular Biology from the Max Planck Institute, Thiel chose to forgo the traditional research based career endeavors, and entered the professional sphere as a Communications and Product Manager for forward-thinking pharmaceutical giant Hoffman la Roche.
Since his initial days with la Roche, Thiel maintained a professional integrity that focused primarily on patient success, and the betterment of the lives that his company’s treatment were targeted toward. Responsible for the launch of la Roche’s initial foray into the diet supplement industry via the weight-loss supplement Xenical, a young Thiel ensured a financially successful result, whilst focusing on marketing the product in a reasonable manner, targeting only individuals who would truly benefit from the product. In his first consumer-facing marketing role, Thiel recognized a somewhat regularly occurring trend in the pharmaceutical industry, where dietary supplements were marketed to a broad audience with lofty claims, and inevitable disappointment.
Unwilling to commit to the status quo, Thiel spearheaded marketing efforts for the product that provided honest expectations, transparency in terms of the need to maintain healthy lifestyle choices in tandem with the medication, and targeting of selective individuals who would most benefit from the medication. With this patient-first approach, Thiel argued mutually beneficial results, where smaller numbers of highly satisfied customers would not only provide adequate sales numbers, but would spread the news of efficacy, bolstering sales on a long-term basis, and building the entire brand’s positive reputation, a feat intrinsically worth more than high first-year sales figures. In pursuing this approach, young Thiel was met with some skepticism from traditional peers, but his convictions regarding ethics, and the patient-first approach, bolstered Thiel’s desire to forge ahead with his ethically based marketing efforts. Through his approach, the launch of Xenical was met with extremely positive consumer reviews and opinions, and first-year sales of the drug reached in excess of 1 billion Swiss francs, a considerable success across all considerations.
In a transformative example of the importance of transparency in the pharmaceutical field, Thiel was put to the proverbial test when working on a new colorectal cancer treatment. After exhaustive work with a team of industry leaders throughout an extensive amount of time, the product was finally ready for market launch. Immediately prior to the treatment’s launch, however, a specific genetic biomarker was found to accurately predict patients’ responsiveness to the proposed treatment. Essentially, a particular test for the presence of this biomarker could provide physicians with insight related to whether or not the patient would respond to the treatment, or if the treatment would essentially be obsolete.
Of course, this discovery vastly complicated the potential launch of the treatment. If left undeterred, the treatment would be offered to all colorectal patients, rendering a larger profit for the company, but providing treatment to individuals who will certainly not benefit from the procedure. Conversely, by accounting for this newly discovered information, the company would have to invest in creating a readily-available testing method for physicians, effectively train physicians regarding the pre-treatment testing, and provide the treatment only for individuals who will be responsive to the treatment, undoubtedly rendering a vastly shrunken profit. In addition to providing patients with the most effective treatment available, the ability to accurately predict efficacy could have vastly positive psychological benefits for patients, bringing them confidence and belief in their treatment, a feat difficult to achieve in the realm of Oncological care.
At the time of the occurrence of this ethical crossroad, the medical field status quo would have erred on the side of garnering the largest possible profit, allowing patients to independently figure out which treatment options were effective, rather than utilizing pre-treatment testing. Favoring the methodology of implementing the biomarker testing, Thiel forged ahead with taking the needed steps to ensure the successful, albeit edited, plan for launching the colorectal treatment. By championing the merits of the patient-first approach, along with the tertiary benefits of being seen as an “innovative competitor” in Oncology care, Thiel was able to generate support from his colleagues. In an innovative and forward-thinking move, Thiel’s contribution to the breakthrough launch of this treatment proved to be an integral step toward fostering a highly ethically driven methodology that would shake the status quo. Becoming the market leader in the specific treatment, Thiel’s method proved to be successful from a financial standpoint, and created systemic change within the pharmaceutical industry that has now become a widespread norm.
For Thiel, a primarily ethically driven motivation continues to be the eradication of various conditions, ailments, and diseases. With an innate and intrinsic desire to truly help people, Thiel continues to be enthralled by the implementation of technological advancements within the realm of medicine, and the transformative power of these advancements throughout what he refers to as The Golden Age Of Medicine, and beyond. According to Thiel, the biopharmaceutical field has been able to implement numerous life-saving advancements within the previous few years, including the development of effective treatment for previously lifelong Hepatitis C, the initial creation of DNA changing treatment for eye diseases, and other forward-thinking advancements.
Through these medical breakthroughs, the biopharmaceutical industry is able to help unparalleled amounts of individuals to live meaningful lives, which is a purpose that should never be forgotten within the industry. For Thiel, maintaining a hierarchy of pressing medical needs is a testament to the industry’s ethical and needs-based approach. In Thiel’s case, this equates to placing a more aggressive focus on providing treatment options for rare diseases, and generating care options for underserved populations. With numerous similar treatment options already in existence for the care of many major diseases and conditions, Thiel has remained weary of oversaturating the market, and has preferred to focus on medical advancements in curing, treating, and eradicating rare diseases. With an estimated 6,000 to 8,000 identified rare diseases globally, countless individuals are left with little to no treatment options for conditions that were traditionally deemed unworthy of extensive medical research, and product development.
Through his latest assignment as President Europe of EUSA Pharma, Thiel hopes to leverage his extensive previous experiences to spearhead the continued development of treatment options for numerous underserved populations. Tasked with growing the company’s European infrastructure to support ongoing growth, Thiel’s assignment fits his lifelong mission of ethical contributions to the medical field, and his desire to create systemic change for affected individuals. Founded in March of 2015, EUSA’s mission statement focuses on transformative care in the niche realm of Oncology, and rare diseases. Since the company’s inception, EUSA has garnered immediate success, and has developed several effective treatments at a staggering pace. With continued growth and expansion, Thiel will parlay his previously perfected skill sets, in tandem with his intrinsic beliefs, to create the infrastructure needed to adequately support ongoing growth, and to ensure the company’s continued foray as an industry leader in the care of rare diseases. For Thiel, this meaningful assignment is a continuation of his previous roles, in a capacity that allows him to effectively spearhead ethical practices and breakthrough developments in the pharmaceutical industry, a continued professional motivator for the industry veteran.
In addition to navigating his professional career by constantly considering the effects of his actions on people, Thiel engages in vast philanthropic efforts, proverbially “paying it forward”, and continuing on his quest to systematically change the lives of countless individuals. A firm believer in the transformative power of education, Thiel attributes his own professional successes to his commitment to education. With vast educational opportunities as a young man, Thiel was able to build upon his initial love of DNA by exploring pertinent fields throughout his education, in experiences that undoubtedly shaped his professional outcomes. Thus, with such deep considerations for the transformative power of education, Thiel has dedicated much time, energy, and resources to philanthropic ventures within education. Serving on the Board for the International School of Zug and Lucerne, a non-profit day school in Switzerland. As an inclusive educational facility, the school enrolls motivated students from over fifty countries, offering a high quality education to many underprivileged children.
Additionally, Carsten has sponsored a local school in Kenya, which has allowed the implementation of infrastructure needed to support growth. Growing from supporting only 50 kids in 2014, to now shaping the future for over 400 students, the school acts as a beacon for opening the doors to expanded career opportunities for these children in the future. Located between Kenya and Tanzania, the school stands alone as the singular educational center in the region, with many children traveling by foot in excess of one hour to receive high-quality education. Without Thiel’s exceptional support, the school would not have been able to support additional students, offering opportunities for self-betterment, and increased career trajectories to otherwise traditionally limited populations. Understanding the tremendous impact of his support, Thiel considers this philanthropic venture to be vastly meaningful, and relishes knowing that he has been able to create a direct and positive effect in the lives of others.
Throughout his expansive career, spanning in excess of twenty five years, Carsten Thiel has remained driven by his continued curiosities about DNA, and his innate interest in the implementation of technology in the realm of biotechnology, and medicine. In addition to his academic interests, however, he has been deeply motivated by his work’s direct impact on the lives of countless individuals, and his dedication to ethical contributions to the field of pharmacology. With these fundamental considerations at the forefront of his career choices, Thiel continues to leverage his vast array of skills for the betterment of humanity.
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