Global biotech leader Amgen promotes projects to protect health of aging population

Leading biotechnology firm Amgen China's "Healthy Aging Project" has won the "Excellence Award for Corporate Social Responsibility 2022" at the latest 2022 ESG Excellence Award Ceremony.

The 2022 ESG Excellence Award Ceremony is guided by the Information Office of Shanghai Municipality and Shanghai United Media Group and organized by Shanghai Daily. It acknowledges best practices in terms of "Environment, Society and Governance (ESG)."

"The recognition is a testament to Amgen's relentless endeavors in executing the ESG framework and unswerving commitment to the China market," said Irene Hsu, vice president and general manager of Amgen China.

Amgen entered China in 2012, committed to use science and biotechnology to improve the health of Chinese patients and societies, and has identified chronic diseases as a key area for its ESG efforts in healthy aging.

In China, chronic diseases are the primary cause of disability among senior citizens, seriously affecting their health and wellbeing while also causing a heavy financial burden both to their families and society. Between 500 and 600 million patients suffer from chronic diseases, accounting for approximately 88.5 percent of the death toll from illness in China in 2019.

"Our efforts are grounded in our mission of serving patients, from harnessing our advanced biopharmaceutical expertise to address the increasingly unmet medical needs caused by the aging population, to collaborating with local partners to optimize the chronic diseases' prevention and treatment pathway and build a sustainable healthcare ecosystem, thus supporting the realization of 'Healthy China' vision," Hsu noted.

Beyond accelerating business growth and expanding the reach of well-suited to more patients, Amgen is committed to leading the shift from the current "Break & Fix" healthcare ecosystem to "Predict & Prevent," to better address budding issues and lower the chronic disease burden, in line with Healthy China blueprint.

Supported by Amgen, the Construction and Empirical Study of High-Quality and Efficient Health Service System of Aging Era (Phase II), also known as the Integrated Project of Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Treatment, was launched in August of this year.

Under the guidance of the China National Health Development Research Center and the China Cardiovascular Association, the project aims to identify cardiovascular disease high-risk patients from primary care health platforms constructed by the government and refer them to hospital's chest pain center for standardized treatment and follow-up care.

In the cardiovascular disease field specifically, Amgen also supported opening the Chinese ASCVD (atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease) Prevention and Control Center in July 2019 to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients through preventative measures.

In March 2021, it was upgraded to the ACS (acute coronary syndrome) follow-up program, establishing ACS follow-up protocols to enhance compliance after PCIs (percutaneous coronary interventions). The program covered 50 central hospitals and screened nearly 50,000 patients by 2022, expecting to benefit more in the long run.

In the bone health field, Amgen has been partnering with the Institute of Science and Technology of the National Health Commission and the Chinese Society of Osteoporosis and Bone Mineral Research on the Power Bone Program to establish and optimize a localized and standardized osteoporosis management care pathway by involving various disciplines at primary and first-class hospitals. To date, nearly 90 medical centers and more than 11,000 patients have benefited.

A disease status educational forum on osteoporosis was recently held at Amgen's booth at the fifth China International Import Expo as part of the efforts by Joyful Bone Program co-launched by Amgen and the China Women's Development Foundation to raise public awareness of osteoporosis prevention in elderly women. By now, the Program has equipped over 8.4 million Chinese women and their families with osteoporosis disease knowledge.

Looking ahead, with all the ongoing CSR programs, Amgen will continuously work with all stakeholders to accelerate the Healthy China initiative by leveraging its ESG strategic framework of Healthy People, Healthy Society, Healthy Planet and a Healthy Amgen.