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38 Lundbeck Magazine 2009
"I have always been deeply
interested in the human psyche,
and I find associating with CNS
specialists intellectually enriching"
Turkey, because the market changes from day
to day.
“This means that we must constantly be a
step ahead of everyone else. From the very
beginning, I fought for more reps because it
suddenly became possible to market Cipramil®
directly to GPs. We were only 15 employees at
the time, and I could see opportunities in
expanding our staff. We succeeded in
convincing headquarters, though it took some
time,” says Gaye, who found it difficult to
maintain her patience. Her efforts paid off in
the end, however, with sales of Cipramil®
rocketing skyward and becoming the bestselling
pharmaceutical in Turkey in 2003.
Cipralex® has since taken over the role of
market-leading antidepressant in Turkey.
Despite keen generic competition, sales are
still rising.
Cipralex® has six generic copies. There are four
of Ebixa®. However, they are branded generics
which cost 80 per cent of the price of the
originals. Under the current health system and
reimbursement regulations, only a fraction of
patients must pay for treatment with the
original products.
“In terms of pharma, Turkey is close to being
on a par with Europe. Regulations have
become more and more stringent, and the
government is taking longer and longer to
process applications for price adjustments and
reimbursement. This will result in major
challenges for us in the time ahead,” says
Gaye, who has handled numerous crises over
the years. In her view, she merely needs to
apply an extra large amount of her
competitive gene and combat capability.
Loves sports
She cultivates both by engaging in a variety of
sports in her spare time. “I love sports. I used
to swim when I was young, and I played
basketball at a professional level. Basketball
taught me teamwork and swimming taught
me self-discipline. Both are useful in my work.
I now have very little spare time, but we have
a gym at the office where I do Pilates. I also do
yoga, and we compete in Wii Sports in my
family at home.”
Gaye is the mother of two daughters aged 20
and four, hence her lack of spare time.
“With my first daughter, I was so busy that
time just flew by, but I now have another
perspective on life and try to maintain a better
balance between my work and my private life.”
To the extent that time allows, she travels the
world with her husband who has his own
company and is a passionate photographer.
“As I mentioned, I find it difficult to sit still for
very long at a time,” Gaye says with a smile.
“I do feng shui to acquire more peace and
harmony – also here at the office. I used the
principles when we furnished our new offices,
and when I eventually retire, I may well begin
working as a feng shui consultant. I could
never even dream of stopping work entirely.”
PHOTO: Simon ladefoged