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Your window into Astellas’ world of patient-centered and science-driven healthcare, as told by the experts who bring it to life.
This article features a real patient sharing her personal experience and is available to the public for disease awareness only. Individual experiences may vary. It does not endorse any specific treatments or medications. Please consult your healthcare professional for medical advice.
On a subway platform, the yellow safety lines at her feet suddenly seemed to disappear.
At first, she thought it might have been her imagination. But gradually, the words she tried to read began to distort, and her field of vision slowly darkened.
Approximately 30 years ago, she was diagnosed with dry age-related macular degeneration, a condition with no effective treatment.
"It was a shock," the patient recalls.
Even so, life goes on.
Using a magnifying glass to read has become one of many small adjustments that are now part of her everyday life.
Adapting, finding small moments of joy and continuing to move forward. What this video shows is not someone extraordinary, but a person living a life not so different from our own.
For Hiroyuki Higashiyama, who was involved in the creation of the video, this encounter became an opportunity to revisit a fundamental question: how should we truly engage with the reality of patients' lives?
Hiroyuki reflects:
"What stayed with me most was the way this patient continues to move forward, quietly but steadily, while living with her condition."
Hiroyuki Higashiyama
Patient Partnerships Lead
Japan and China
Hiroyuki has been leading Patient Centricity initiatives in Japan and China. He has been listening and learning from patients' voices and experiences and seeks to reshape the future of healthcare. Throughout his career, one question has stayed with him:
"Are we truly understanding the realities patients face?"
Earlier in his career, while working in research and development, he often found himself questioning whether the pressures of limited time had prevented him from fully engaging with patients' realities.
Over time, through his work in Patient Centricity, that sense of unease gradually turned into conviction.
"Without understanding the realities of patients' lives, truly meaningful VALUE in healthcare cannot be created."
This belief remains a guiding principle—one he returns to whenever uncertainty arises.
"I don't want you to assume you understand."
These words, spoken by a patient, became a turning point for Hiroyuki.
Within a limited time, it is easy to focus only on gathering necessary information. But that process alone may not lead to a true understanding of what matters most.
This led him to rethink what it means to listen. Listening is not simply about collecting information. It is an expression of respect—and a commitment to remain attentive to the meaning behind words.
Today, Hiroyuki serves as a bridge between patients, patient communities and related functions in the Astellas' organization.
His role is not just to collect voices, but to understand what truly matters to patients—and to connect those insights to decision-making and action.
To achieve this, patients are invited to share their experiences in company-wide meetings and functional discussions, creating opportunities for direct dialogue. Through videos and on-demand platforms, more employees can engage with patients' lived experiences.
In addition, interactions in operational settings, such as manufacturing sites and research facilities, are also emphasized. Sharing the same space and time helps deepen understanding.
These initiatives go beyond information sharing. They are beginning to influence how decisions are made. For example, in senior leadership meetings, patient perspectives are now placed at the starting point of strategic discussions.
Hiroyuki explains:
"Patient voices should not remain as reference information. They need to be part of the starting point for decision-making."
Hiroyuki describes this approach as "walking together with patients."
"It means engaging with patients not as recipients of support, but as equal partners. Recognizing that we see the world differently, and continuing to seek to understand those differences, is where partnership begins."
By continuing to question, to listen and to engage in dialogue, both sides move forward together. That process, he believes, defines what it truly means to walk alongside patients.
Patient voices are bringing about real changes within the organization. Naoki Okamura, Representative Director, President and CEO, continues to meet directly with patients and share his learnings across the company. These actions, taken one by one, help to shape awareness and engagement among employees.
These efforts, accumulated over time, influence how decisions are made and how priorities are set. Rather than being treated as information alone, patient voices are becoming a force that prompts the organization to reflect on how it operates.
Hiroyuki envisions a future where each patient's aspirations to live their lives are naturally reflected in healthcare. A future where patient voices are not merely consulted but respected as a force that helps shape healthcare itself.
"Listening to patient voices is the compass that keeps us focused on what truly matters."
A conversation that begins with a single patient's voice can lead to changes in how an organization thinks and behaves. Over time, these changes contribute to better healthcare experiences for patients. By engaging with each individual voice, we move closer to Astellas' goal of creating and delivering greater VALUE faster for patients.
Listening to patient voices is the first step toward co-creating better healthcare. The voice of the patient featured in this video is one such starting point.
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