Takeda announces new access to medicines for Africa from Nairobi

Published: 26-Aug-2016

CSR activities are an important cornerstone of Takeda’s AtM strategy in Africa

Takeda Pharmaceutical has announced the launch of a new Access to Medicines (AtM) strategy, aimed at increasing access to its medicines for patients with some of the highest unmet medical needs.

For decades, the company has provided product, funding and access in many parts of the world, based on regional needs. The new AtM strategy builds on that by focusing on geographies and therapy areas with the highest unmet need.

This comprehensive approach is focused on countries with less developed and evolving healthcare systems in areas such as Latin America, South East Asia and Africa, where sustainable approaches to tackle barriers that limit access to medicines are needed to make a meaningful impact on patient lives.

Of the 38 million people who die from non-communicable diseases each year, three quarters – or 28 million – of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.

‘Access to innovative medicines and quality healthcare is vital to the health of people across the world,’ said Christophe Weber, President and CEO, Takeda. ‘In line with Takeda’s values, our Access to Medicines strategy will expand on our existing commitments to enhance global health, so that our innovative and potentially life-saving medicines can be more accessible and affordable to patients in regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa.’

Takeda’s new AtM strategy will focus on increasing access to some of its most innovative medicines in the areas of oncology and speciality gastroenterology, as well as its vaccine candidates for communicable diseases such as dengue and chikungunya. As part of the company’s not-for-profit approach in Sub-Saharan Africa, Takeda is also working to improve patient access to some of its diabetes and hypertension medicines.

'Takeda is committed to help advance patient health via collaborative, affordability based approaches that bring together key stakeholders to ensure our latest, innovative medicines reach the patients that need them. We have rolled out comprehensive patient assistance programmes in a number of emerging markets,' commented Takeda’s Giles Platford, President, Emerging Markets Business Unit.

'Our aspiration is that eligible patients who are prescribed Takeda’s potentially life-saving medicines will be able to get access to them,’ he added.

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