Takeda Pharmaceutical Company has launched a new access to medicines (AtM) strategy aimed at increasing access to its medicines to patients with high unmet medical needs. 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.

The approach is focused on countries with less developed and evolving healthcare systems in areas such as Latin America, South East Asia, and Africa. The announcement coincides with Takeda's formal opening of offices in Nairobi, Kenya, from where the company aims to form sustainable AtM partnerships across Sub-Saharan Africa adopting a not-for-profit approach.

Takeda's new AtM strategy will focus on increasing access to its oncology and specialty gastroenterology medicines as well as for its vaccine candidates for communicable diseases such as dengue and chikungunya. Takeda is also working to improve patient access to some of its diabetes and hypertension medicines.

The initiative aims to address multiple access barriers common across regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa, including development of AtM-targeted life-cycle management for its existing medicines, accelerated registration of its innovative medicines, increased participation of local centers in clinical trials, establishment of early-access programs where applicable, and introduction of innovative approaches to address affordability for those patients whose ability to pay the full cost of treatment is limited.

Source: Takeda Pharmaceutical Company