British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has chosen the Hoang Duc Pharmaceutical and Medical Supplies Company as its oncology distribution partner in Vietnam.

Speaking at a signing ceremony for their agreement, Mr. Le Ngoc Danh, Head of the Pharmacy Unit at the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, said that reducing the instance of disease and death from cancer has long been a top priority of the health sector, in which screening, early detection, and highly-effective treatment with advanced therapies are of great significance.

Ho Chi Minh City, which targets becoming a healthcare center for all of ASEAN, is developing a screening and early detection center. Its healthcare sector welcomes the contribution of pharmaceutical companies, including AstraZeneca, in new medicine research and development that contributes to treatment improvements towards healthcare goals. The cooperation between AstraZeneca Vietnam and the Hoang Duc Company will help Vietnamese patients gain early access to new medicine, as in other countries, and bring important benefits to patients and the community, Mr. Danh noted.

“The agreement represents our continued commitment to improving access to medicine for patients, accelerating innovation to transform cancer treatment, and building enduring value for Vietnamese patients and society,” Mr. Nitin Kapoor, Chairman and General Director of AstraZeneca Vietnam, said while also expressing his honor at accompanying the development of Vietnam’s healthcare sector for nearly three decades.

“Besides advancing patient access to innovative medicines, this partnership will also increase the capacity of domestic pharmaceutical distributors and enhance the sustainability of the pharmaceutical supply chain, thereby strengthening the comprehensive development of Vietnam’s pharmaceutical industry,” he went on. “It also aims to contribute to the implementation of the National Strategy for Pharmaceutical Industry Development and the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA).”

Ms. Emily Hamblin, British Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, said AstraZeneca’s impressive journey in Vietnam serves as a shining example of the strong partnership between the UK and Vietnam. The company is renowned not only for its life-changing medicines but also for its sustainability programs that aim to enhance the health and well-being of people and the planet.

“We were delighted to join forces with AstraZeneca in their ‘Green energy for health’ program, which focuses on protecting the environment and supporting improved healthcare access for local patients,” she said. “We are equally committed to supporting AstraZeneca in their future sustainability endeavors and partnering in initiatives that further strengthen the excellent cooperation between the UK and Vietnam. Health system strengthening and tackling climate change are longstanding priorities for the UK Government.”

Over the last three decades in Vietnam, with nearly 600 employees nationwide, AstraZeneca has implemented several impactful programs in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and healthcare partners to promote awareness, prevention, and early detection. Among them are the Healthy Lung Program, to improve the quality of outpatient management of asthma, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), and lung cancer; the Young Health Program, to prevent and reduce NCD (non-communicable disease) risk behavior among young people; and the CaReMe program, to transform the cardiovascular - kidney - metabolic care ecosystem.

AstraZeneca is also cooperating with the World Economic Forum, the London School of Economics, and the Health Strategy and Policy Institute at Vietnam’s Ministry of Health in the Partnership for Health System Sustainability and Resilience (PHSSR), to holistically reinforce Vietnam’s health system so it can guard against future risks.

In addition to a Certificate of Merit presented by the Prime Minister in 2022 for its outstanding contributions to Vietnam’s vaccine diplomacy, AstraZeneca Vietnam also received a Certificate of Merit from the Minister of Health in 2019 and 2022 for its outstanding contributions in cancer prevention and control, among other efforts contributing to the development of Vietnam’s healthcare system.