Takeda Italiaon the occasion of the ten-year anniversary of the establishment of the oncology division in our country, confirms its commitment in the area of oncology and oncohematology, to be close to patients with cancer. It can be read in a note released by the pharmaceutical company.
“Meeting the unique needs of patients is what drives research and our daily work with the cancer community – declares Anna Maria Bencini, Oncology Country Head, Takeda Italy – our primary commitment is to innovative therapies capable of transforming people’s lives, seeking to unlock the potential of innovation. But there is more. We want to help cure cancer by going beyond therapy, with initiatives that support patients and caregivers through a wide-ranging approach: not only the disease, but also the socio-assistance and organizational context, their experience and their psyche “.
Takeda, already before 2012, was active in oncology, but with the birth of a dedicated division it consolidated its role day by day. Today the company works side by side with operators and institutions to ensure the best treatment path for cancer patients, making the most innovative therapeutic solutions available quickly and working to ensure equity in access to the most appropriate treatments. It all started with oncohematology. It has been available in Italy since 2012 brentuximab bettor, drug-conjugated anti-Cd30 monoclonal antibody, for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory Cd30 + Hodgkin’s lymphoma and for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma. A drug that has changed not only clinical practice, but above all the natural history of a haematological neoplasm such as Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which affects young adults, restoring their prospects of survival.
The pharmaceutical’s commitment in 2020 expanded in the area of lung cancer, making available brigatinib, a next-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor, indicated in the first-line treatment of Alk- non-small cell lung cancer. positive. Today – continues the note – Takeda today offers patients treatments for oncological diseases such as lung, prostate, breast cancer and Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but also for rare cancers, such as multiple myeloma, osteosarcoma and systemic anaplastic lymphoma large cell. The commitment in oncology, however, looks far ahead with investments in research that focus on those patients for whom there are few or inadequate therapeutic treatments.
“There is a lot of turmoil globally, where Takeda’s clinical research focuses on both hematological cancers, such as myelomas and lymphomas, and solid cancers such as oncogene addicted lung cancer,” he explains. Alessandra Fionda, Head of Medical Affairs, Oncology, Takeda Italia – our pipeline focuses on immuno-oncology, an approach that is based on the mechanisms of immuno-surveillance exercised by our immune system to counteract the presence of cancer. In fact, the ability of the cancer cell to implement sophisticated biological mechanisms to make itself unrecognizable by the immune system, eluding the body’s physiological defense systems, is known. The answer of our research is it development of innovative drugs with ‘ingenious’ mechanisms of action aimed at restoring the immune system’s ability to recognize cancer cells and trigger biological phenomena that lead to their death”.
The division of oncology works in collaboration with the scientific and patient communities to contribute to research projects, improve access, management and information. In our country, the biopharmaceutical company dedicates a particular focus to personalized medicine, through collaborations with the academic world, scientific institutions and technological partners. In addition, he is a member of the Assobiotec working group on precision medicine and diagnostics. Takeda also supports the ‘Cracking Cancer Forum’, an annual event that brings together stakeholders from the cancer community to discuss issues, innovative therapies and best practices.
Among the activities aimed at patients, the flagship is the campaign “The sense of the words – Another communication is possible”, Which aims to increase attention to the psychosocial needs of cancer patients and improve the quality of relationships between people with cancer, doctors and caregivers starting from speech, the key element of the care relationship. A unique initiative in Italy that aims to encourage the construction of shared meanings for the fundamental words of the treatment path.