The expert committee is made up of four international specialists from the fields of science, business, and consulting. It was established by Michael Moser, member of the Management Board, and helps Fresenius to further develop its sustainability strategy. Yesterday’s meeting focused on key issues such as water management and the ongoing development of the Group-wide human rights program.

Sarah Tix, Head of Group Sustainability, and Anahita Thoms, co-chairs of the Advisory Board, took time out from a tour of the plant to explain the importance of sustainability issues - start the video on the right.

Fresenius Kabi’s Friedberg site supplies essential medical devices used in the care of critically and chronically ill patients in more than 100 countries. Around 650 employees work at the plant. Every year, more than 125 million infusion solutions and around 70 million liquid medicines such as analgesics and narcotic agents are manufactured here. The adjacent logistics center puts together around 40,000 consignments every month and is responsible for packing and shipping them.

“I have cancer.” Each year, around half a million people in Germany alone have to utter these difficult words. The diagnosis casts a shadow over the lives of patients and their relatives. There are many fears and worries, but also hope and a sense of togetherness – all these emotions connect those affected. And yet each patient and each illness is unique. 

This year’s World Cancer Day highlights the commitment to modern cancer care under the theme “United by Unique.” It is a kind of care that focuses not just on the disease, but on the people, taking a holistic approach to their treatment. 

Fresenius is also fully committed to this approach. Our employees support individuals affected by cancer in all phases of the disease: from prevention and the initial diagnosis to therapy and home care. They serve patients beyond expectations and always give their best – not just in the fight against cancer, but also when striving for the highest possible quality of life for patients. Completely in line with our promise of being “Committed to life” – we improve the life of every single person.

Their goal for patients is to receive optimal care and regain a sense of normality

Fresenius Kabi aims to support patients throughout their entire cancer treatment. Their goal for patients is to receive optimal care and regain a sense of normality to the greatest extent possible. The portfolio at their disposal ranges from pharmaceuticals to medical clinical nutrition products and other support services. 

Highly effective medicines, such as a wide range of oncology products as chemotherapeutic drugs and biosimilars, can be used today to personalize therapies. Generics and biosimilars are not only used to fight tumors – some also aid in reducing side effects and improving quality of life.

Cancer and its burdensome treatment can impair the nutritional status of patients and significantly weaken the body. Medical nutrition products for cancer patients support in counteracting malnutrition and help in providing patients with the key nutrients needed during critical phases of their disease. 

Fighting this disease remains an exceptional situation for the patients and their loved ones, during which they should not be left on their own. That is why Fresenius Kabi provides education and support programs that benefit mental well-being throughout the entire treatment journey, for example, during their transition from hospital treatment to home care.

Long-term aftercare also plays an important role where children are concerned

Helios relies on holistic oncology in the treatment of cancer. It takes into account the individual person and their medical history and ensures that each patient receives the best individual treatment.

Cancer is and remains a difficult time in someone’s life – especially if that person develops it very early. Sick children have particular needs, and pediatric oncology staff across four Helios Hospitals in Germany are committed to meeting them. 

One of their youngest patients is Mika, a boy who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2024 at just four years old. At the Helios Hospitals in Schwerin, he receives cutting-edge chemotherapy tailored to his young age. Although he has a 90 percent chance of being cured, the treatment is an enormous burden for the boy and his family, both physically and mentally, which is why the employees also offer them psychological support. Long-term aftercare also plays an important role where children are concerned in order to prevent late effects. At Helios, for example, onco-psychologists are always involved in the therapy process. 

Individual cancer treatment and support is of crucial importance, regardless of the patient’s age. To this end, specialists across different disciplines work closely together at Helios to find the best combination of diagnostics, personalized therapy, and aftercare.

Quirónsalud focuses even more on people when providing care

Patients treated by Quirónsalud in Spain also benefit from a holistic approach and innovative therapy methods. The hospital group is part of Fresenius Helios and has oncology departments staffed by highly specialized professionals in almost all hospitals. They work closely with other teams in multidisciplinary committees and use state-of-the-art technology to diagnose and treat a wide range of tumors. By way of example, Quirónsalud is also one of the pioneers in proton therapy, a form of radiation treatment that targets tumors with millimeter precision.

Doctors and nursing staff are always close to the patient, i.e. ‘human to human’. In order to focus even more on people when providing care, the Jiménez Díaz Foundation in Madrid, for example, has launched a project named HOPE in its oncology day clinic. The patient-centered initiative uses digitalization to help people avoid waiting times and thus gain valuable time. Since the launch of the tool, everyone involved has been less stressed, while the patients’ quality of life has markedly improved. It has also increased the efficacy and safety of the therapies.

Innovative therapies can save lives

Wherever Fresenius’ medical teams operate today, they do their best to ensure that every patient gets access to the best possible medical care. Patients like Mika in Schwerin, who is by no means out of the woods just yet, but is now getting better. 

Mika’s father started a blog during his treatment to help him cope better during this difficult time – generating a huge wave of public sympathy. As a sign of gratitude, his father turned this attention to account for a good cause, raising more than 30,000 euros to date for the children’s cancer charity Kinderkrebshilfe in Germany and cancer research at Helios in Schwerin. 

After all, this is what it is all about. Innovative therapies, which are rapidly being developed thanks to modern research, can ultimately save lives. Experts at Helios expect important new milestones to be reached in cancer therapy over the next few years. Hopes are pinned, for example, on CAR-T cell therapies, highly effective antibody-drug conjugates, and tumor vaccines, which are special vaccinations that prevent cancer from developing in the first place. Therapy and prevention will keep on improving – so that people can continue to move out of the shadow cast by the disease in the fight against cancer.