Unlocking a More Connected Approach
Earlier this year as I was approaching 25 years at AstraZeneca, I transitioned into my new role as Vice President of our US Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism (CVRM) therapeutic area. For me, this transition comes at a time when millions of people across the United States are living with more than one chronic disease. And a painful reality is that for too long, healthcare has often viewed these conditions independently – as separate diagnoses requiring separate solutions.
The Evolving Perception of Chronic Disease
Today, we know that chronic conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, and obesity rarely exist in isolation. They share common biological pathways and often exacerbate one another's symptoms, placing patients who lack proper treatment in a cycle of worsening health. Many people also remain undiagnosed, undertreated, or entirely uncontrolled. In the US alone, nearly 50% of adults are affected by cardiovascular disease, and more than 37 million people are living with chronic kidney disease.
These numbers underscore the significant unmet need that still exists across the care continuum and reinforce the need for more innovative approaches to care.
And to me, this evolution in how we transform care for the whole patient is one of the most exciting developments in healthcare.
Redefining Care
To address this widespread need, our AstraZeneca ambition is to help redefine how we think about health by treating the whole patient by intervening earlier to change the course of disease.
That perspective is different. It's moved beyond aspiration and into the fabric of how we work to support patients throughout their entire journey, preventatively.
Across our US CVRM portfolio, we are investing in areas where we believe we can make the greatest difference – from hypertension and cardiorenal protection to dyslipidemia and the future of weight management. Together they reflect a broader vision: helping address the root causes and interconnected drivers of chronic disease.
Fueling Innovation Beyond the Lab
Some of the most valuable lessons I've learned have come from listening – to patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and advocates whose experiences shape our understanding every day.
Each brings a unique perspective on the patient journey, and together those insights help us identify where cutting-edge science can have the greatest impact.
The stories from patients like Deborah and Jacqueline stay with me and our entire team because they reinforce an important truth: behind every diagnosis is a person with goals and hopes for the future. These stories hit close to home for us. They're not abstract cases; they're people we love, and many on our team have been personally impacted by similar journeys. That shared experience is what fuels our collective passion for advancing innovations that help people receive care earlier.
This commitment to listening also shapes how we work together at AstraZeneca.
Today's Partnership Transforms Tomorrow's Outcomes
Advancing care across interconnected diseases requires interconnected teams. It calls for agility as science evolves, versatility to think across specialties and disciplines, clarity about the challenges patients face, and endurance to pursue meaningful change over the long term. Most importantly, it requires teamwork, bringing together researchers, clinicians, commercial teams, patient advocates and many others around a shared purpose.
And at AstraZeneca, alongside a pioneering team, I’m proud to help build what's next – moving fast, staying curious and advancing the future of CVRM care for patients and healthcare professionals alike.
The promise of a better tomorrow isn't ahead of us; we're already writing it, every day.