Our mission is to make a difference through our medicines; for patients, their families, our stakeholders and society in general.
Despite major advances in healthcare in previous decades there are still major unmet medical needs we need to conquer. But we cannot do it all at once, and we cannot always do it alone.
We know where our expertise lies and where there is the biggest need for innovative health solutions. By focusing our own efforts, and working with our partners and stakeholders, we hope to make significant progress in the discovery and development of medicines in six key areas:
Cancer
Cancer is one of the world’s biggest healthcare challenges. It claims over seven million lives every year and the number continues to rise, with deaths estimated to reach 12 million by 2030. But the way we treat cancer has changed in recent years more than for any other disease—the diagnosis of cancer no longer represents a “death sentence” to the individual; rather, it is increasingly becoming a chronic disease which while not always ‘curable’ can often be successfully managed with appropriate treatment. Still, many unmet needs remain.
Targeted treatments that specifically address the underlying mechanisms of disease are the future of cancer treatment. Our oncology teams seek to redefine cancer as we know it by discovering new solutions for treatment and restoring our patients’ lives.
We are exploring multiple platforms to attack tumours, including monoclonal antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, bi-specific antibodies and small molecule chemistry & oligonucleotides.
Infection
The treatment of infection is an area where there have been few major advances in recent years.
Diseases such as tuberculosis (TB) are a huge problem in the developing world and a re-emerging one in many developed countries.
Antibiotic resistance is on the increase and global demand for new therapies is high. Currently, there are few reliable treatment options for an increasing number of patients. With the ageing populations in many areas of the world, invasive procedures will be more widely used & bacteria will continue to be more virulent, severely limiting the effectiveness of current treatments.
Another area of great unmet need is sepsis. Over three million patients worldwide are in need of effective treatment for sepsis each year.
Our expertise and technology in drug discovery means that we can be at the forefront of research into new ways to treat infectious diseases. Our infection group aims to discover and develop effective, targeted therapies to address unmet needs in serious bacterial or viral infections and neglected diseases.
Our focus is on the development of treatments for serious bacterial infections, viral infections and diseases of the developing world as well as diagnostics and the development of novel vaccines.
Cardiovascular diseases
Cardiovascular diseases remain the greatest risk to life for adults, accounting for 17 million deaths worldwide each year. It is now estimated that the total number of people living with diabetes globally will reach 380 million (7.3%) in 2025 from 246 million (6.0%) currently.
From atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and atrial fibrillation (cardiac arrhythmia) to diabetes, diabetic nephropathy and obesity, we’re using our world-leading expertise to develop products that could be vital in the fight against cardiovascular diseases both in the developed and developing world.
Gastrointestinal
In the West (i.e. Europe and North America) between 10-20% of adults suffer from gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD). The prevalence of GERD in Asia is lower, but increasing. Proton pump inhibitors have revolutionised the treatment of this condition and our scientists have been at the forefront of this revolution. We aim to continue to break new ground in this area.
Neuroscience
Neuroscience is one of the broadest categories with tough challenges that need to be met. Disorders of the central nervous system are the most significant disease burden in high income countries and are expected to grow substantially in other regions of the world, including Asia, as the standard of living increases.
Conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, depression and chronic pain, all have one thing in common – a real and urgent need for novel treatment approaches to improve the lives of patients.
We have decades of experience in the discovery and delivery of neurological medicines. We want to continue to drive success in this area through the development of candidates for diseases such as Alzheimer’s and major depressive disorder (MDD), and through collaborations to help us access the best that neuroscience research can offer.
Related articles
Respiratory & Inflammation
Respiratory disease exacts a huge burden on patients and society. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is currently the fourth leading cause of death worldwide and an estimated 300 million people suffer from asthma: both are on the increase.
We hope to continue to provide much needed progress in this area of medicine with our strong pipeline of small molecules and biologics.
We believe that a targeted approach is necessary to deliver real benefit for people living with inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, and we hope our expertise in the development of targeted biologics will provide a real contribution in inflammatory diseases.
We are researching and developing valued medicines for respiratory, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases with a focus on areas where no therapies exist. Our drive is to lead the advancement of innovative medicines with greater efficacy, improved safety and enhanced convenience.