M-MY-00000654-10-2021
Expire: 20-10-2023 unless superseded by a new version

Kuala Lumpur, 23 October 2021 – Today, Roche (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, organized its first Life Talk Series in conjunction with its celebration of 125 years anniversary this month. The life talk session is a platform to inspire and share knowledge with external audiences. There will be 3 Life Talks in the format of a panel discussion, starting with Women’s Health, today, followed by Diversity & Inclusion and Personalized Healthcare at a later date. These interactive panel sessions are an opportunity to speak about various health-related topics which require the attention of many in order to celebrate the next 125 years towards a sustainable, healthy future.

The first Life Talk session was on Women’s Health and the panelists included Dr. Azura Ahmad, Consultant Medical Oncologist; Prof Dr. Woo Yin Ling, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist; YB Puan Nurul Izzah, Member of Parliament for Permatang Pauh and Choo Mei Sze, a cancer advocate & colorectal cancer survivor. The session was moderated by Dr. Murallitharan M, Consultant Public Health Physician and Managing Director of National Cancer Society Malaysia (NCSM).

“The incidence of all cancers in Malaysia is expected to increase almost 80% from 2020 to 2040 (from 48,639 to 86,666 new cases)1. Poor awareness and knowledge about the signs and symptoms of common cancers is likely to contribute to a delay in help-seeking, diagnosis and treatment and, in turn, leads to poor survival outcomes”, said Dr. Muralli.

“Empowering patients to attend routine screening and to seek early treatment will increase their chance of survival and probability of cure. Many patients present late for various reasons; from fear to lack of awareness. With evolution of science, personalised diagnosis and treatment, doctors have more to offer compared to before. However, besides the advancement of treatment options, improvement in the health system, in particular health financing should be the next revolution for patients”, said Prof. Woo.

Dr. Azura also said advances in medical sciences have led us to a better understanding of the changes within a patient’s cancer cells that can be targeted to stop cancer growth. Over the last 2 decades, precision cancer therapy has revolutionised not only cancer diagnosis but also new cancer treatments helping doctors transform treatment for their patients. “Continued understanding of cancer genomics has played an important role in creating more effective modern therapies, making way for personalised medicine to help patients better,” Dr. Azura added.

Mei Sze, who is a cancer advocate & colorectal cancer survivor commented that “Having fought cancer at a young age, I’ve triumphed over the disease to come out as a survivor. Luckily, I’ve also been blessed to have great medical care, family members and good friends that supported me throughout my journey. And yes, along the way, I’ve learned a few things: if you are unsure about changes in your body, get yourself checked with a healthcare professional, always seek early treatment if need be and be informed of the available treatments out there. Do not wait or it might be too late.

Women in many settings face complex barriers to early detection, including social, economic, geographic, and other interrelated factors, which can limit their access to timely, affordable, and health care services. “I believe anyone can play a role in reducing barriers to healthcare — this includes health planners, policymakers, clinicians, educators, community members, and advocates. We must be cognisant of the barriers faced by women, particularly those within our most deprived segments, to getting the screening and treatment they need. For effective investments, plans, and policies, we must understand our health system requirements and the overall costs involved, alongside of course acknowledging the criticality of early detection and prevention,” said YB Puan Nurul Izzah.

“For 125 years we have been delivering better ways to diagnose, prevent and treat diseases in order to improve the lives of millions. This is possible through a curious mind, permanent innovation and constant reinvention of ourselves. Our current product pipeline is the strongest in our history, and we are opening up completely new opportunities through digitisation and insights into healthcare data,” said Ms. Wong Sit Yin, Healthcare Access & Corporate Affairs Director from Roche (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd.

Drawing from a history of experience, Roche continues to find ways to work together across countries and stakeholders to find the right match of solutions that help improve outcomes for patients while making healthcare more sustainable for future challenges.

Over the past 125 years, Roche’s mission has been to improve people’s health. Roche is committed to go where the science takes it, and is currently mainly active in oncology, immunology, ophthalmology, infectious diseases and neuroscience. The diagnostics division is also transforming the way diseases can be prevented, diagnosed and monitored. With pharmaceuticals and diagnostics under one roof, Roche is uniquely placed to collaborate from the earliest stages of research to identify novel targeted approaches to diagnosis and treatment. Roche’s approach to personalised healthcare is rooted in a combination of advanced diagnostics, medicine, data, analytics, and digital technology. Investment in genomic profiling and real-world data partnerships has enabled Roche to become an industry-leading partner for medical insights that is working towards making personalised healthcare a reality for all.

The ongoing global pandemic has shown that patients worldwide can benefit from healthcare companies and other partners collaborating together. Roche continues to serve as a connector and catalyst, seeking purposeful partnerships across society to establish holistic healthcare solutions and help global health systems work better for individuals, healthcare providers, payers and society at large. Corporate social responsibility, ethical conduct and diversity in business, respect for human rights, sustainable access and a commitment to protecting the environment have been top priorities at Roche for many years. For the twelfth consecutive time, Roche has been recognised as one of the most sustainable companies in the Healthcare Industry by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices.

In 2021 and 2022, Roche celebrates where it has been, what it’s doing and where it’s going. What it’s really celebrating is life. Life - in its beauty and its complexity, as moments to be experienced, shared and remembered. Life - improved by science from despair to hope. To celebrate its historical milestone, Roche is launching a number of local and global activities to honour the many moments that make up life, whether that’s creating new memories that resonate for years or pausing to reflect on the small precious moments of our past.

Reference:

1. Global Cancer Observatory. Available atLast accessed 6 October 2021