Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, the latest addition to the CleverHealth Network (CHN) led by the Helsinki University Hospital (HUS), is looking forward to collaborating with the CHN ecosystem members in developing innovative solutions in health technologies.  

Medical Head Klaus Tamminen is responsible for Medical Affairs and a various research and product development activities at AstraZeneca Oy, an innovative biopharmaceutical company. According to Tamminen, AstraZeneca is strongly driven by science and innovation to improve the quality of life for patients. Such activities cannot be done alone – partnerships are essential for further development work within ecosystems such as CleverHealth Network. The focus therapy areas at AstraZenecaare related to oncology, hematology, cardiovascular and metabolic illnesses, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), infectious diseases, immunological illnesses as well as vaccines.  

Similarly, as with the CHN ecosystem, artificial intelligence (AI) plays an important roleat AstraZeneca, especially in precision medicine and early-stage detection of diseases. As a specific area in Finland, Klaus Tamminen mentions the work aiming to bring resource savings and solve staff shortage challenges through preventive care and digital patient reports to accelerate patient care. 

As regards the reasoning forAstraZeneca to join the CleverHealth Network, the shared interest in improving peoples’ health, co-developing treatments and changing the health care sector through science were the key drivers to become part of CHN. The common drive to accelerate Finnish know-how in health tech and export it globally were also important criteria for AstraZeneca.  

AstraZeneca considers that all actors within the ecosystem should together contribute to a better health care of patients and ensure that the new innovations reach the patients and oversee how patients are treated in the smartest way. Building a sensible care model for patients and clinicians alike is very important, and use of data will bring value to the collaboration from many angles. AstraZeneca can bring in the CHN the tools and expertiseof their specialised area whilst the other actors can contribute in some other areas. 

The company’s own Nordic innovation unit with its wide network is eager to become part of CHN ecosystem. As an example of their other ecosystem activities, AstraZeneca A.Catalyst Network is present in a significant BioVentureHubin Gothenburg, Sweden. AstraZeneca is looking forward to bringing their expertiseand local understanding to the CHN ecosystem, as well as their knowledge of health care solutions. The AstraZeneca network boasts various start-up partners in digital health care (e.g.diagnostics, identifying patients needing immediate care) and variousglobal contacts. The network can bring in international projects which will be able to learn from the Finnish expertise and HUS. AstraZeneca can help in boosting diagnostics and decision making through automatisation, and accelerate comprehensive home care solutionsand solveresource challenges. 

Klaus Tamminen sums up: “We are looking forward to creating common innovation projects with the other CleverHealth Network partners and as outcomes, we hope to see significant decrease in the delayed diagnostics, and visible increase in truly impactful treatments to illnesses.”