Pioneering healthcare access company Axios International announces today the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with WeCareJourney, a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patients in Malaysia. Under the MoU, both parties will support and increase access to rare disease patients in Malaysia via innovative solutions.
“At Axios, we firmly believe partnerships are effective tools to enable healthcare access. How do we come together to improve access in Malaysia and comprehensively address adherence challenges without putting the burden on one single player? Today, we’re here with WeCareJourney to offer rare disease patients access to treatment solutions and provide support to overcome adherence barriers. Through this partnership, our hope is to support the longer-term patient benefits and the holistic patient journey for the rare disease community,” said Ms. Roshel Jayasundera, Senior Director of Global Consulting, Axios International.
SMA is a genetic condition that affects nerve cells and impacts muscle movement. Annually, 50 babies are born with it in Malaysia. Access to healthcare remains a multi-faceted challenge to the community, with obstacles in accessing treatment and medical attention. Treatment options are few and extremely costly, ranking them among the world’s most expensive drugs.
“As a parent to 2 children with 3 different rare conditions, I can share with you that rare diseases can be so heartbreaking, and how difficult the journey can be. I co-founded WeCareJourney to give care and support to enable rare disease families to live active, engaged and hopeful lives,” said Mr. Edmund Lim. Lim founded WeCareJourney after his son was diagnosed with SMA in 2011, bridging key awareness, advocacy, research, and medical and social support gaps for the wider SMA community in Malaysia. “Axios International is a leading global organization with a strong track record in establishing and running programs, that I consider as “lifelines”, for eligible patients to the vital medicines they need. Today, I am excited to sign this MOU with Axios, which will bring Axios and WeCareJourney together to make a difference in the lives of patients and families with rare diseases.”
The MoU was signed at the role of digital healthcare in providing holistic support solutions beyond the hospital setting conference convened by the healthcare access solutions provider. The event sought to discuss the future of healthcare beyond the hospital and the role of digital solutions, bringing together the following experts in a panel moderated by Audrey Raj, the presenter at BFM89.9:
• Roshel Jayasundera, Senior Director, Global Consulting, Axios International
• Raphael Itah, Head of Digital, Axios International
• Edmund Lim, Founder, WeCareJourney
“Digital technology is crucial in Malaysia and the rest of the world because it creates a connected care pathway and strengthens the relationship between patients and healthcare providers. It also supports the patient throughout the patient journey and creates an efficient management system which provides data and information to understand what happens to patients when they leave the hospital by leveraging real world insights. All f our digital solutions have been developed with 25 years of human experience behind it. We know the patient is at the centre of the framework, and we have developed solutions to serve and support these patients,” said Mr. Raphael Itah. “COVID-19 was both a catalyst and a reason to advance towards the digital landscape we know today; we have to find the right partners and the ones who are willing to participate. Malaysia is one of the leading countries in Asia when it comes to digital, and we want to harvest its fertile ground to take digital healthcare forward.”
Axios International first launched Axios+, its suite of digital solutions, in Malaysia in 2021. Today, Axios+, is connecting various healthcare stakeholders in one ecosystem to streamline patient care. In Axios International’s Programs which leverage Axios+, the processing time from physician referral to a patient’s access to treatment is reduced by 55% on average.
With tailored apps and platforms for various stakeholders in a patient’s treatment journey, the Axios+ ecosystem first focused on bridging access gaps between patients, physicians, pharmacists, NGO partners and more. Today, Axios+ is equipped with a host of adherence features addressing evolving patient needs; these help patients discover more about their disease and program through educational materials; they learn to live a better lifestyle and they have the option to become part of a community to exchange experiences and concerns.
“If we truly aim to support patients wherever they are, we need to focus on care beyond the clinical setting, using digital as an enabler,” commented Ms. Roshel Jayasundera.
