PHILIPPE ETTER > Senior Partner
MedTech Industry
From: Agiez, canton Vaud, Switzerland.
Work: Co-founder of Medidee, a CRO and regulatory consulting firm for MedTech. We help medical products companies get their products clinically tested and approved.
Hobbies: Sailing and repairing classic cars.
Recent book: High sea license training books.
Favorite food from Switzerland: Raclette.
Favorite spot in Switzerland: Our garden, garage, and the Lac of Neuchâtel. I’m in Switzerland during the quarantine. I’m looking forward to returning to my office in Horsham, PA.
How and why did you choose Pennsylvania to open your US office?
We opened Medidee USA in Horsham, PA in 2019. We chose Pennsylvania because the East Coast is well known as having the highest density of MedTech related businesses, besides Massachusetts/Boston which many views as being over-rated.
What has surprised you most working in your field?
I am surprised by the amount of innovation happening around the universities, which PA has a lot. However, this innovation is not organized as it is in Switzerland where a culture of performance is embedded.
What do you think are the major things that will be changing in your field within the next 5 years?
I believe more and more EU companies will try to come to the US due in large part to the clarity of the FDA. However, in order for this to happen, the health system here needs to evolve as we are seeing the best technologies being brought to the market while life expectancy continues to be decreasing.
Please explain the impacts of the current health crisis in your field?
We will see a higher load due to the number of projects related to clinical testing of new COVID-19 related products. Some are serious, while some are just opportunistic dreams. Other than that, the main difficulty lies within having to perform the sales process virtually on a computer screen.
What is a quality, trait, or practice you would implement from Switzerland to the US?
I would implement the integration of networks for innovation from university hospitals toward R&D and market. This is known within the field as “translational medicine”. Switzerland has a density per capita 2-3 times higher than that of the East Coast. Startups get better support in Europe, however, investors are more likely to invest more money in the US.
Does the same line of work vary in the US compared to Switzerland? Is it the same? How so?
In general, yes. Now, regulatory affairs consulting requires the buildup of a lot of momentum and coherence to get new products approved. The US system with the FDA is extremely clear and people here tend to more strictly adhere to the regulations that are in place. The European and Swiss systems are a bit different where opportunities can sometimes be built using optimized methods and more direct interaction.
How does your Swiss culture impact and contribute to your work?
I feel Americans tend to be quite often intrinsically positive toward Swiss people and products. However, they may sometimes still have a rather romanticized view of Switzerland, and in a way undermine its many industrial and innovative contributions. We mainly have to integrate the generally accepted scheme that “external support” is appreciated from wherever you come.
What do you miss most about Switzerland?
As I have had to remain in Switzerland during the confinement, I haven’t had a chance to really miss too much of anything! I suppose I tend to miss the structure of the economy in Switzerland where people can choose apprenticeships as a higher form of education.
You’ve lived in multiple countries, what challenges did you face when you opened your company in the US?
Medidee has a strong presence in Germany and Switzerland. As with any new business coming to the US, it is challenging to establish a strong reputation here. However, due to the sheer size of the US economy, it is mathematically easier to grow your business without attracting too much attention from competitors.
Would you like to share with us success stories?
We have recently been chosen by three local startups as their consulting supplier in situations where there were plenty of local US-born companies that they could have enlisted instead. To me, this says that we are not so far from our target!
We welcome your comments at swissimpact.pa@gmail.com
Thank you!