On Friday, October 25, a group of twenty participants from the Dutch Chamber of Commerce in Gothenburg met up at the vibrant Nola Bistro in the newly built GoCo Health Innovation City.
Following a delightful lunch, we embarked on what would soon be revealed as Amazing Journey at AstraZeneca. Our guide, Mauritz, greeted us at the main entrance and ingeniously used a model of the AstraZeneca site to entertain us with tales of the buildings’ history.
Next stop was the blockbuster wall, highlighting key medicines and a device developed by AZ that have significantly impacted modern healthcare. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we heard about one of the first breast cancer drugs, still widely prescribed today. Its journey faced challenges, including a lack of patent protection and initial abandonment. However, the "Navy protocol", which involved using this specific drug in the treatment of a dog named Navy, led to breakthroughs that paved the way for human trials, illustrating the power of persistence in medical advancements.
We continued our tour, exploring AstraZeneca's research areas: Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism, Respiratory and Immunology, Oncology, Vaccines and Immune Therapies, and Rare Diseases. Some volunteers attempted to outpace the High Throughput Screening (HTS) process, but the HTS proved faster. We also learned about AstraZeneca's sustainability commitment, symbolized by the suspended a-helix, emphasizing collaboration for societal and planetary well-being. The tour concluded with insights into the drug development process, including the time, cost, and role of failures in fostering medical innovation.
After this energising tour, the group returned to GoCo Health Innovation City for an After Work
drink at Vigor & Joy’s lounge. In a friendly atmosphere, we discussed the highlights of the tour and made plans to reconnect during the next event of the Dutch Chamber on Wednesday, December 4. Please join us on this Glögg mingle by registering on our website.
/S.K.T.
Following a delightful lunch, we embarked on what would soon be revealed as Amazing Journey at AstraZeneca. Our guide, Mauritz, greeted us at the main entrance and ingeniously used a model of the AstraZeneca site to entertain us with tales of the buildings’ history.
Next stop was the blockbuster wall, highlighting key medicines and a device developed by AZ that have significantly impacted modern healthcare. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we heard about one of the first breast cancer drugs, still widely prescribed today. Its journey faced challenges, including a lack of patent protection and initial abandonment. However, the "Navy protocol", which involved using this specific drug in the treatment of a dog named Navy, led to breakthroughs that paved the way for human trials, illustrating the power of persistence in medical advancements.
We continued our tour, exploring AstraZeneca's research areas: Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism, Respiratory and Immunology, Oncology, Vaccines and Immune Therapies, and Rare Diseases. Some volunteers attempted to outpace the High Throughput Screening (HTS) process, but the HTS proved faster. We also learned about AstraZeneca's sustainability commitment, symbolized by the suspended a-helix, emphasizing collaboration for societal and planetary well-being. The tour concluded with insights into the drug development process, including the time, cost, and role of failures in fostering medical innovation.
After this energising tour, the group returned to GoCo Health Innovation City for an After Work
drink at Vigor & Joy’s lounge. In a friendly atmosphere, we discussed the highlights of the tour and made plans to reconnect during the next event of the Dutch Chamber on Wednesday, December 4. Please join us on this Glögg mingle by registering on our website.
/S.K.T.
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