Recent advances in cancer research are improving patient outcomes and increasing hopes that some cancers could be cured while others may become manageable chronic diseases.
Speaking at the WSJ Leadership Institute CEO Summit in London, Joaquin Duato, Chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson, said that finding cures for specific cancers and converting others into chronic diseases is an achievable goal over the next ten years.
The goal is to “try to eliminate cancer” in the next 10 years, Duato said. “That’s a high goal, and we are already making significant progress in certain cancers,” he added.
The healthcare giant has set an ambitious target of becoming the world’s leading oncology company by 2030 and is expanding its cancer-treatment portfolio through acquisitions.
Duato highlighted the progress made in treating Multiple Myeloma, a blood cancer that develops in plasma cells in the bone marrow. He noted that patients who once had only a few years to live now often survive for a decade.
“We have treatments now that utilize your own immune system to attack the cancer,” Duato said. “For patients who were already going into hospice, so they didn’t have any other alternative, they are [at] more than five years, with a single administration, in remission,” he added, describing the development as “spectacular.”
The company is also working in understanding the biological mechanisms that drive cancer growth and in developing new technologies to target these processes.
According to Duato, certain cancers can be cured entirely, while many others can be managed similarly to chronic conditions. “It’s realistic to believe that we are going to cure certain cancers, and some others we’re going to turn into chronic diseases,” he said.
“Cancer is an important thing – I cannot think about anybody who has not been touched by cancer. But there are many other opportunities for us to actually advance science, to address very important social problems,” he added.
Beyond cancer, Duato pointed to dementia as another major healthcare challenge requiring a solution. He also predicted that life expectancy will continue to rise as continued progress in longevity technologies and solutions help people live longer.
He said Johnson & Johnson is optimistic about the future role of artificial intelligence in healthcare, describing it as a “force multiplier.”
