Agility Award in Pharma Market Excellence

Summary of work

Hereditary Angioedema (HAE) is a rare, potentially fatal, genetic disorder, characterised by painful swelling attacks that can occur without warning and last for days.

In January 2020, Takeda launched Takhzyro▼ for the prevention of HAE attacks in patients aged 12 and older. The initiation of new patients onto Takhzyro typically involves the first 1-2 doses being administered in a hospital by a healthcare professional (HCP), before being transferred to a home setting.

Takhzyro was just six weeks into launch when COVID-19 took effect, preventing hospital appointments and putting patient treatments at risk. Anxiety increases the risk of HAE attacks; getting treatment to vulnerable HAE patients was critical during the stressful pandemic. Working with UCLH NHS Foundation Trust and Barts Health NHS Trust, Takeda redesigned existing processes to facilitate Takhzyro ‘at-home initiation’: HCPs consulted patients remotely, followed by one-to-one patient training with a homecare company ensuring patients were safe and confident to administer Takhzyro at home.

It took two weeks from lockdown to develop the Takhzyro ‘at-home initiation’ concept, and only another two weeks to implement. Patients who would not have benefited from treatment have, due to Takeda’s agile response to the worsening pandemic.

Judges' comments

There was a clear link to patient impact in this initiative and the launch clearly delivered a new service in challenging times. Launching Takhzyro had a real focus on patients, with one-to-one coaching and patient-centric implementation that really demonstrated success.