～Celebrating the 4th anniversary of “i2.JP”～
As a pioneer in co-creation for healthcare to achieve "patient-centered" social implementation with "diversity" and "collective intelligence”
“i2.JP” is a healthcare open innovation network that continues to grow as one of the largest in Japan. Nearly four years have passed since its launch in November 2020, and business matching between partners and POC (proof of concept) are steadily increasing.
The power of “i2.JP” as an open innovation is growing as more partners have joined and it has become more diverse. How will it benefit patients and society? We asked Takafumi Horii, President and Representative Director of AstraZeneca K. K., for his outlook.
Our goal is to evolve patient experience
Provide solutions for diverse unmet needs
beyond diagnosis and treatment
―― Could you first tell us about how “i2.JP” was launched?
“i2.JP” was launched in November 2020 by seven companies and organizations, including AstraZeneca, as an open innovation network to address healthcare issues with the vision of "realizing patient-centered care.”
Almost four years have passed since its launch and the healthcare market environment has changed even more. Digital technologies such as 5G (5th generation mobile communication system), AI (artificial intelligence) and IoT (Internet of Things) are evolving, and DX (digital transformation), which leverages digital technologies, is becoming essential in healthcare.
In the post-pandemic era, there is a need for a "more resilient healthcare system" that can respond to pandemics and natural disasters. In particular, Japan faces issues such as a super-aging society and a shrinking workforce, with an urgent need to build a healthcare system that can address these complex issues and reduce healthcare costs.
In order to solve various issues, it is essential to create innovation. AstraZeneca, as an innovation-oriented pharmaceutical company, is actively working not only on the development and delivery of medicines, but also on linking with medical devices and the use of digital technology, in order to provide comprehensive healthcare solutions that improve patient experience, from prevention to prognosis management, and their quality of life. However, there are limits to what can be achieved by a single company. This led to the creation of "i2.JP", an open innovation network, with the idea of becoming a pioneer in realizing patient-centered care by driving innovation through co-creation with various companies and organizations.
AstraZeneca has similar open innovation sites in more than 25 locations around the world, and “i2.JP” is part of AstraZeneca's global network, A.Catalyst Network.
―― What is the "patient-centered care" that "i2.JP" aims for?
We are a pharmaceutical company, so we are committed to developing and delivering innovative medicines. However, the more we try to understand patients, the more we realize that there are a variety of unmet needs around them. Patient experience is not only about treatment and medication.
There are various phases in which patients become aware of their symptoms, seek medical attention, receive a diagnosis and treatment, and begin to recover. What issues exist in each phase, and what solutions are desired? For example, in the phase from disease awareness to seeking medical attention, programs to raise awareness of the disease and encourage people to seek medical attention are desired, while during and after treatment, programs to support patients are expected.
AstraZeneca's definition of "patient centricity" is to improve the overall patient experience by evolving the patient experience at each phase, and the goal of "i2.JP" is to achieve this in collaboration with various stakeholders.
A new attempt of healthcare DX, co-creation with local governments
The "collective intelligence" of healthcare that only "i2.JP" can provide
―― What are the features and roles of "i2.JP"?
Although focused on healthcare, we have many non-healthcare partners, and our greatest strength is that we take on the challenge of creating new value through the "collective intelligence" of knowledge and technology across industries and fields, and the motivation of each partner to "solve problems" is our driving force.
In fact, when I meet partners at events, I am impressed by the level of passion they have. I believe that the network that has been built through the passion of wanting to solve healthcare issues in Japan through their own innovations will accelerate innovation through co-creation.
When we consider the environment surrounding patients, identify unmet needs, find solutions, and then develop them as a business, collaboration between diverse players is necessary. There are many issues, but we must not forget that there are even more companies and organizations with the power and passion to create solutions.
Through “i2.JP”, we are reminded that there are many wonderful innovations in Japan. I believe that one of the important roles of i2.JP is to connect these partners.
―― Business matching and POC are on the rise.
To date, more than 470 companies, organizations, local governments, etc. have joined "i2.JP." The number of partner-to-partner matches is more than 100 per year and the number of projects between AstraZeneca and partners is more than 70 in the three years to the end of 2023.
The i2.JP secretariat acts as a hub to connect partners and create collaborations, and this framework is working well. We are seeing more collaboration between partners other than AstraZeneca. There have been many encounters at events and meetings that have led to the launch of unexpected projects and the discovery of problems and solutions that we had never thought of. As a result, more and more companies are now able to contribute to the evolution of healthcare.
―― Can you give us an example of a project you have implemented?
There are approximately 5.3 million patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Japani, of which only about 362,000 patientsii are receiving treatment. The problem with this disease is the high rate of potential patients who have not been examined or diagnosed. AstraZeneca therefore worked with a telecommunications company to conduct a project to raise awareness of COPD among smokers who are at relatively high risk of the disease, and to investigate changes in behavior, using the company's data platform.
We used the channel and the technology of a player outside of the healthcare industry to raise awareness of the disease. This was an unprecedented and groundbreaking challenge. By bringing together healthcare experts and experts from other fields, such as digital solutions, we were able to achieve a pioneering approach to the issues of disease awareness and behavior change that had never been attempted before.
I think we are able to approach problems from a new perspective and angle because of the involvement of non-healthcare players. This is exactly a case that demonstrates the power of open innovation, and it is possible to expand this kind of disease awareness activity to other diseases.
―― There are also collaborations with local governments.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of the diseases that AstraZeneca is focusing on, and the number of patients in Japan is estimated to be around 13 millioniii. As the disease progresses, dialysis may be required, which can cause a significant burden on the lives of patients and their families, as well as on the medical expenses of national and local governments. Therefore, in collaboration with i2.JP partners - local governments and a company with data analysis technology - we implemented a project to raise awareness of the disease using data from the National Health Insurance Specific Health Examination. As a result, we were able to improve the examination rate and treatment rate by approximately 7% each.
This is an innovative data health initiative that is data-driven and uses data to verify impact, and is highly regarded for the benefits it brings to the three parties - the local governments, the partner company and AstraZeneca. By guiding potential patients to optimal medical consultations based on health checkup and medical receipt data, the data from health checkups becomes more valuable.
COPD and CKD are identified as diseases for which disease control measures should be promoted in the "Basic Policy on Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform 2024" (Honebuto). In addition, "Health Japan 21" also sets targets for disease control measures for each disease, and the "Eighth Medical Care Plan" identifies them as diseases for which measures should be taken, and prefectural governments have been working to implement these measures. In the future, we would like to continue to play a role in resolving these issues by working with local governments and various partners of "i2.JP" for diseases that are positioned as priority issues by the national and regional governments.
Diversity-rich ecosystem
More diverse co-creation
―― About four years after its launch, the number of partners has grown to 470, and it has become Japan's leading healthcare open innovation.
We are honored to be recalled first as the pharmaceutical company most frequently associated with open innovation activities in our online survey of HCPs, healthcare company employees, government officials and others. While increasing the number of partners is not our goal, the more partners we have, the more opportunities we have to meet and collaborate, which in turn accelerates the creation of innovation.
Another point to note is that not only do we have more partners, but they are also more diverse. For example, there are around 60 IT and data-related companies, each with their own unique technology. There are also partners from industries such as travel, games, real estate, and transportation, and "unusual" business matching is starting to take place.
As “i2.JP” is growing as a large, diverse ecosystem, co-creation is expected to become more diverse as well.
―― What is the direction that “i2.JP” is going to take in the future?
Until now, we have been in a phase of increasing partners, working on various projects, accumulating know-how, and exploring ways to scale up. We are now entering a new phase of aiming for even greater social implementation and value creation. We will also be required to create economic and social impact that can be seen in figures.
I think that, in order to achieve social implementation and create new value, we will see not only collaborations between two or three companies, but also consortium-type projects that involve a diverse range of stakeholders in specific regions and fields. This is exactly where “i2.JP”, with its diversity, can play a key role, and I believe that we can also create major trends in society.
In the future, we are thinking of delivering solutions developed in Japan to overseas markets. For example, Japan is the fastest graying society in the world, so super-aging society related solution development could become a pioneering example for the world, and could be applied in other countries. I also hope that "i2.JP" will become a place where startup companies can gain global access and investment opportunities.
AstraZeneca has announced a goal of achieving $80 billion in total revenue by 2030. This goal is accompanied by the statement: "Investing in disruptive innovation that will shape the future of medicine and drive long-term growth." Our growth will depend on working with partners who have ideas that we do not have, and connecting with AstraZeneca's healthcare innovation sites around the world.
It is the "collective intelligence" of various stakeholders that improves patient experience. If you are motivated to "tackle the challenge of solving unmet needs for patients", please take advantage of the "i2.JP" network and join AstraZeneca in transforming society together through the power of co-creation and innovation.
For inquiries
Interested in joining us?
Thank you for your interest. We will get in touch soon.