General Director of Sandoz Vietnam Charaf Eddine Kadri (left) and Director of K Hospital Lê Văn Quảng at the MoU signing ceremony. — Photo courtesy of Sandoz Vietnam

The Vietnam National Cancer Hospital (K Hospital) and Sandoz, a global leader in generic and biosimilar medicines, signed a cooperation agreement on June 12, 2024. Under this agreement, Sandoz will support the hospital in enhancing cancer patient care and treatment standards in Hà Nội and nationwide.

“This agreement builds on over a decade of collaboration between Sandoz and K Hospital, aiming to improve the connection and cooperation between domestic and international cancer treatment facilities and organisations,” said Charaf Eddine Kadri, general director of Sandoz Vietnam.

Each year, Việt Nam records more than 190,000 new cancer cases and over 120,000 cancer-related deaths. Cancer is the second leading cause of death among non-communicable diseases in Việt Nam, following cardiovascular diseases.

Sandoz has been a leading pharmaceutical company in cancer treatment for many years. Kadri shared: “Over five million Vietnamese patients use Sandoz products annually, with many cancer cases being treated with Sandoz pharmaceuticals in the public hospital system across the country.”

“This partnership will allow Sandoz to sponsor and support information dissemination and organise numerous specialised seminars for doctors at K Hospital and throughout Northern Việt Nam. Through these initiatives, doctors and medical experts can discuss and develop preventive and therapeutic measures for cancer patients,” Kadri added.

“K Hospital is the leading oncology facility in the country, with highly qualified medical staff and modern infrastructure. The hospital consistently collaborates with top pharmaceutical companies worldwide in training, technology transfer, and scientific research to provide the best treatment quality for cancer patients in Việt Nam,” said Lê Văn Quảng, director of K Hospital.

Sandoz aims to increase patient access to healthcare globally. With 22,000 employees in over 100 countries, Sandoz reaches 500 million patients, contributing significantly to global healthcare savings. Established in 1886 and headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Sandoz offers over 1,500 products. In 2022, it reported US$9.1 billion in revenue. Recently, Sandoz became independent globally and established an independent entity in Việt Nam, led by Charaf Eddine Kadri, focusing on cancer and infectious disease treatments.

K Hospital, headquartered in Hoàn Kiếm District, Hà Nội City, celebrated its 100th anniversary in November 2023. It is now one of Việt Nam's largest cancer treatment centres, conducting tests for over 450,000 patients annually. — VNS