Legal news and trends for Canadian in-house counsel and c-suite executives
Issue link: https://digital.canadianlawyermag.com/i/1336129
26 www.canadianlawyermag.com/inhouse FEATURE AS THE WORLD continues to battle a health- and economy-crushing pandemic, Canadian medical and pharmaceutical companies are working around the clock to deliver life-saving medications safely around the country, and some players are even developing critical vaccines. "This is a huge opportunity for the life sciences industry," says Vanessa Grant, a partner at Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP. "A spotlight has been shone on it that we may never see again, as more people than ever are turning to life sciences, and that reflects the industry's traditional resilience in the face of economic challenges." While the world leans heavily on this powerful industry, the globally integrated supply chain will continue to present problems for life sciences companies while hospitals scramble to clear a vast backlog of surgeries, according to Grant. "One of the challenges but also an opportu- nity that I see for our clients in the industry is the expansion of domestic production capacity for pharmaceuticals, medical devices and personal protective equipment," she says. "I think the real challenge will continue to be to supply sufficient products." Supply and Spotlight shines on life science companies during world health crisis demand issues around the new vaccine will be a major challenge for the industry, together with communication of any issues that arise, Grant says. Pfizer is at the forefront of new develop- ments as the global pharmaceutical giant is the first manufacturer to begin rolling out a vaccine for COVID-19 that was developed and tested at unprecedented speed, in partnership with Germany's BioNTech. "The interesting thing for us has really been the increase in the pace of activities because of our critical role during the pandemic crisis this year," says Karine Grand'Maison, senior legal counsel at Pfizer. "Between helping Pfizer's legal team navigates the challenges of bringing COVID vaccine to market in Canada young children with their virtual classes and ordering online groceries for our parents, we can't drop the ball on our purpose." Continuing to meet the company's primary purpose of bringing therapies and medications to patients in need during the crisis was a key responsibility for Grand'Maison and her team. Pfizer's legal team played an essential role in supporting the health and well-being of employees and in navigating interactions with health-care professionals and stakeholders during a year of extreme uncertainty and rapidly changing regulations. Supporting the rollout of Pfizer and BioN- Tech's vaccine — which was approved for use in "In the legal team, we are really helping the organization manage the interrelation between us as manufacturers and the governments, health-care professionals and patients who need our medicines." Karine Grand'Maison, Pfizer