AstraZeneca Malaysia Enters Partnership For Type 2 Diabetes Holistic Treatment Approach

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 15 (Bernama) – AstraZeneca Malaysia has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with four parties to establish a holistic approach to treating type 2 diabetes in Malaysia and improving patient outcomes. Astrazeneca Malaysia country president, Dr Sanjeev Panchal said the collaborative programme, called Take CaRe of Me, encompassed the prevention of cardio-renal complications through awareness, integration of innovative solutions into the primary care ecosystem, and enhancement of early-stage diagnostic capabilities for patients. The four other parties in the multi-collaborative partnership are Tricog Health for the provision of AI diagnostics technology, and tertiary care centres -- Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway Medical Centre Velocity, and Cardiac Vascular Sentral Kuala Lumpur (CVSKL). “With the support of AI technology from our partners, we are able to integrate innovative new technologies into clinics to support primary care physicians in screening patients who may be at increased risk of associated cardio-renal complications more effectively. “This clinical model not only enables screening for cardio-renal complications at three primary-care clinics in the Klang Valley, it also facilitates their referrals to tertiary care centres where they will undergo further diagnostic testing. “The multi-collaborative effort will create a seamless management pathway that could change the landscape of diabetes management in Malaysia and improve the lives of patients,” he told reporters at the virtual launch of the pilot programme Tuesday. Aside from early diagnostics, Dr Sanjeev said the collation of data generated through patient screenings would form the foundation for a local registry which would help shed light on the unmet medical needs that still exist in diabetes management at the primary-care level. In Malaysia, nearly one in five adults, the highest in Southeast Asia since 2015, are affected by type 2 diabetes, which has been shown to increase the risk of developing cardio-renal complications that further increase if the disease is not diagnosed and treated early. This puts considerable strain on the local healthcare system and hospital resources, thus placing a burden on the country’s economy as a whole. “We recognise the burden of type 2 diabetes on emerging markets and yet awareness levels remain limited. “By establishing a holistic approach and integrating advanced technologies that allow for early diagnostics and treatment into the patient pathway, we can develop the primary care ecosystem, minimise the cardio-renal risks related to type 2 diabetes and save more lives,” Dr Sanjeev said. -- BERNAMA