Japan Society of Anxiety Disorders and Viatris Pharmaceutical Conclude Partnership Agreement for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Disease Awareness

The Japan Society of Anxiety Disorders (Location: Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture; President: Eiji Shimizu) and Viatris Pharmaceutical G.K. (Location: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Sona Kim) have concluded a partnership agreement for disease awareness concerning Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), aiming to widely deliver accurate, science-based, and patient-centric information to society. As the first phase of the agreement, the Japan Society of Anxiety Disorders will supervise Viatris Pharmaceutical's GAD disease awareness campaign, "Could that worry be GAD?", starting Monday, May 11.

Sona Kim, President of Viatris Pharmaceutical (left) and Eiji Shimizu, President of the Japan Society of Anxiety Disorders (right), holding the agreement.

GAD is a disorder characterized by chronic, uncontrollable, excessive "anxiety" and "worry" about multiple events and activities. In addition to anxiety and worry, physical symptoms such as difficulty sleeping and muscle tension, as well as restlessness, fatigue, irritability, and difficulty concentrating, can lead to serious functional impairment in daily life and work (1). According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), the lifetime prevalence of GAD in Japan is reported to be 2.6% (2). Recent research using the self-administered GAD-7 questionnaire reported a prevalence of 7.6% for suspected GAD (GAD-7 score of 10 or higher) (3). This suggests that many people are living with GAD symptoms.

However, awareness of GAD in Japan has been low, and many people have perceived it as "just being a worrier" or "a personality trait," and have not sought expert consultation. Furthermore, until now, there have been no approved drugs for GAD in Japan, meaning some patients suffered from symptoms without receiving appropriate diagnosis or treatment. With the emergence of new treatment options, it is anticipated that the need for information on GAD will increase among those who have endured their symptoms, attributing them to personality, and those who have hesitated to seek medical attention despite recognizing their symptoms.

Against this backdrop, disseminating accurate information to promote proper understanding, early consultation, and appropriate treatment for GAD is crucial. Through this agreement, both parties aim to improve overall societal awareness of GAD and strengthen support for patients and those around them.

■ Outline of the Partnership Program

The main initiatives under this agreement are as follows:

Co-production of GAD awareness campaign videos for the public
We will produce accurate and easy-to-understand content to help general consumers correctly understand GAD and facilitate early consultation and appropriate care.

Dissemination of disease education videos
We will provide educational videos that explain specialized knowledge about GAD in an easy-to-understand manner, promoting understanding among healthcare professionals and the general public.

These activities will be implemented cooperatively, with the Japan Society of Anxiety Disorders providing medical supervision based on its expertise, and Viatris Pharmaceutical offering technical support and production resources.

■ Comments on the Conclusion of this Partnership Agreement

Eiji Shimizu, President, Japan Society of Anxiety Disorders
"Through this partnership, we hope that a correct understanding of GAD will widely permeate society, and that it will serve as an opportunity for individuals suffering from symptoms often overlooked as 'just being anxious' or 'a personality trait' to connect with appropriate support and medical care.

GAD is a disorder that is difficult to manage solely through personal effort or willpower; accurate, evidence-based information and understanding from those around are indispensable. As the Japan Society of Anxiety Disorders, we will continue to disseminate easy-to-understand information from the perspective of medical experts, staying close to the public, and contribute to creating an environment that facilitates early consultation and appropriate treatment. We look forward to continuously promoting reliable disease awareness activities through our partnership with Viatris Pharmaceutical."

Sona Kim, President, Viatris Pharmaceutical G.K.
"At Viatris, under our mission 'to empower people worldwide to live healthier at every stage of life,' we have focused not only on providing treatments but also on activities to spread proper understanding of diseases throughout society.

While many patients suffer from GAD, it is not sufficiently recognized, and there are many cases where patients do not receive appropriate diagnosis or treatment. We find it extremely meaningful to be able to deliver highly reliable, medical evidence-based information to the public through this agreement with the Japan Society of Anxiety Disorders. Through this partnership, we aim to contribute to improving GAD understanding in Japan and strengthening support for affected individuals and those around them."

References

Saburo Takahashi et al. (Supervisors); "II Diagnostic Criteria and Codes 5 Anxiety Disorders/Generalized Anxiety Disorder": DSM-5-TR Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Igaku-Shoin pp242-246

Stein DJ, Kazdin
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