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Lundbeck Magazine 2009
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health system is also being expanded, though
at present only highly-placed government
employees have full coverage. The rural
population has no coverage whatsoever, but
political initiatives have now been taken to
provide a certain amount of health insurance
coverage for agricultural labourers.”
“Nursing homes are now also available,
especially in the cities, but they are expensive.
People who can afford to do so, employ a
person to care for their parents. An example of
this would be modern families who are fully
occupied by their work,” Zhang says, adding
that the one-child policy makes it increasingly
essential for the government to solve the
problem of the rising numbers of elderly
persons with dementia. The care burden is
simply becoming too great.
An important role for Lundbeck
The task of getting government authorities to
provide support for treatment of dementia in
future is very close to Professor Zhang’s heart.
The same is true of increasing knowledge and
awareness of the disease among doctors,
families and friends.
“The Lundbeck Institute plays an important
role in that respect. Its activities will enable us
together to spread knowledge of the disease
and treatment for it to doctors throughout
China. I am very impressed by Lundbeck –
particularly by the fact that the company does
not think merely in terms of commercial
interests – but has a long-term view to
improving quality of life for patients, as well
as their family and friends. Doctors and the
pharmaceutical industry have many common
interests. And we can help a lot of people by
working together,” Zhang Zhen-Xin states. She
has also received support for her research from
Lundbeck.
In addition to looking after her patients at
Beijing Union Medical College Hospital, she
is an untiring lecturer and instructor – not just
in China, but also at the international level
where her comprehensive knowledge is highly
respected.
The same is true among her patients. On
display in her office, one can see several gifts
from grateful patients whom she has treated
for Alzheimer’s. “Thank you for adding a year
to my life,” says one of the New Year’s
greetings she has received.
“And that warms my heart,” Professor Zhang
says.
“It is not true when people say that there
is no treatment for Alzheimer’s disease,”
she adds, “because there is. We only have
to persevere in making government officials
and the general public aware of the fact that
treating Alzheimer’s is truly worth while.
We can make a difference.”
New Lundbeck Institute in China
In December 2008, Lundbeck opened
The Lundbeck Institute, China. Based in
Beijing, the Institute will work to spread
knowledge of CNS disorders among
doctors and patient associations in China.
The aim is to contribute to improving
quality of life for persons with psychiatric
or neurological disorders.
Like The Lundbeck Institute in Denmark,
the Institute in China will help establish
the Lundbeck name as a research-based
company that specializes in CNS. The
Lundbeck Institute in Denmark has
held courses on depression, anxiety,
schizophrenia and dementia for more
than 4000 specialists from around the
world since it was founded.
The Institute in Beijing intends to hold
courses for Chinese specialists conducted
by specialists from China. The newly
established Institute has therefore allied
itself with a number of key opinion
leaders in the fields of psychiatry and
neurology.
PHOTO: Simon ladefoged