AstraZeneca 'personalized healthcare' customizes treatments for patients

MANILA, Philippines - Guided by a better understanding of diseases and the differences among patients, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, AstraZeneca, is adopting a “personalized” approach to healthcare, particularly in developing targeted cancer treatments.

Personalized medicine is the application of genetic and molecular data to help determine an individual’s predisposition to a particular disease and his or her response to treatment.

“I believe the potential exists to make significant advances against cancer and other killer diseases and the big lesson is that future progress depends in large part on targeted therapies, in other words on personalization of healthcare,” said David Brennan, chief executive officer of AstraZeneca.

In front of an audience of 900 key international healthcare stakeholders, Brennan discussed AstraZeneca’s commitment to future innovations in healthcare in his speech “Improving the prognosis: Cancer cures through innovation” delivered at the 2009 Medical Innovation Summit, a major industry conference organized by the internationally renowned Cleveland Clinic.

To show the progress toward better, more targeted patient outcomes, he shared the story of the anti-cancer drug gefitinib.

“AstraZeneca did not give up on gefitinib despite early setbacks in its development. I am delighted that our determination is now helping many patients around the globe,” Brennan said.

Gefitinib works by blocking the action of epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR), which can become deranged and promotes the multiplication of cancer cells.

Last July, the European Commission granted marketing authorization for gefitinib for the treatment of adults with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with mutations for the gene that codes for EGFR.

In Europe, gefitinib is the only oral targeted therapy available for first-line use and one of just a handful of anticancer medicine already available to target only those patients most likely to benefit.

In the Philippines, gefitinib is indicated for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC who have previously received chemotherapy or who are not suitable for chemotherapy.

Brennan said gefitinib played a key role in furthering understanding of personalized treatment in NSCLC and that it has set the agenda for future drug developments across therapy areas within AstraZeneca.

The gefitinib story showed that lung cancer is not just one disease but is caused by many different disease mechanisms involving different biological pathways, he explained.

“This knowledge has led to our increasing understanding that we need to target the disease with different treatments, depending on the type of lung cancer it is. The future lies not simply in testing medicines among the whole population but in identifying (groups with) specific molecular subsets and trialing medicines among those groups,” Brennan said.

Brennan revealed that AstraZeneca is investing in the discovery and development of potential new treatments in the areas of brain, breast and ovarian cancer, as well as continuing its commitment to lung cancer.

“At least one in 10 of AstraZeneca medicines in clinical development is adopting a personalized approach this year and this figure rises to over half for our anti-cancer medicines currently in development,” he said.

“One of the ways we contribute to personalized healthcare is by participating in global research. We have 12 dedicated people working on 11 ongoing clinical trials involving about 500 patients in 53 sites all over the Philippines,” said Amal Kelshikar, president of AstraZeneca Philippines.

Gefitinib is a prescription medication and can only be used as advised by a doctor. It is always best to consult a healthcare professional.

The most commonly reported adverse effects in patients taking gefitinib are diarrhea, skin reactions (including rash, acne, dry skin and itching), nausea, vomiting, anorexia, and generalized weakness (asthenia).

Gefitinib is not to be given to those with severe hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any other component of the pill.

Some patients taking gefitinib experienced interstitial lung disease (fatal in some cases) and liver problems. Care should be taken by those receiving warfarin.

Patients should seek medical advice promptly when they experience eye problems or severe or persistent diarrhea, nausea, vomiting or anorexia.

There are no data from the use of gefitinib in pregnant or breastfeeding women. Women of childbearing potential must be advised to avoid becoming pregnant, and breastfeeding mothers must be recommended to discontinue nursing while receiving gefitinib. Those who experience asthenia during treatment should observe caution when driving or using machines.