Johnson & Johnson and Asia Pacific Patient Advocacy Group Leaders Unite to Strengthen Shared Decision-Making in Lung Cancer Care

J&J deepens its commitment to patient empowerment in Asia Pacific by launching J&J withMe, a new patient portal offering tailored patient resources, and co-driving market-specific initiatives with patient advocacy groups

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 11 December 2025 – Johnson & Johnson announced the next phase of The 3rd Opinion campaign across Asia Pacific, focused on championing shared decision-making between lung cancer patients and healthcare professionals through events and stakeholder engagements at ESMO Asia 2025 in Singapore.

At a Patient Reception on 6^th December 2025, 20 leaders from 17 patient advocacy groups from across Asia Pacific, Europe and the United States shared their support for the need to strengthen shared decision-making. On December 7, 2025, the ESMO Asia 2025 Symposium, ‘Advancing EGFRm NSCLC Treatment Through Shared Decision-Making’ highlighted the role of healthcare professionals not only in making sense of the data but also in helping patients and their families navigate complex decision-making.

“High prevalence in Asia of certain NSCLC mutations makes the choice of first-line therapy absolutely critical. Treatment decisions must balance clinical objectives with patient values — weighing disease biology, survival prospects, durable disease control and the tradeoffs of side effects. That’s why shared decision-making is essential: clinicians should present all appropriate treatment options, so the final choice is collaborative and aligned with each patient’s goals,” said Professor Zhu Zhengfei, Director of the Radiation Oncology Department, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center.

“When lung cancer patients are empowered to speak up and understand their options, they are more likely to continue the treatment and their dignity is preserved. Initiatives like ‘The 3rd Opinion’ are vital for fostering truly patient-centered partnerships between people living with cancer and their healthcare teams,” noted Ms. Liu Yiting, Marketing & Branding Director, China MeetHealth Mi-Jian Patient Community.

“The shared commitment validates what many people living with lung cancer have long expressed: shared decision making is essential. From our experience supporting patients, meaningful conversations with clinicians help acknowledge patients’ experiences, address their concerns, and preserving their hopes,” added Mr. Jung-Il Cho, Chairman of Korea Lung Cancer Patients Association.

Our commitment comes off the back of a recent patient survey revealing that 90% of Japanese lung cancer patients want to play an active role in their treatment decisions. The survey also found that shared decision-making, where physicians and patients jointly compare treatment options and decide together, is the strongest driver of treatment satisfaction.¹

Patient survey finds that those engaged in shared decision-making were 11 times more likely to report higher satisfaction with their treatments, with 90% of lung cancer patients in Japan wanting to play an active role in their treatment decisions. This finding underscores the importance of shared decision-making and patient-centered care.¹

To bridge the gap between patients’ desire to engage in shared decision making and their lack of practical support, J&J has launched “J&J withMe”, an online hub that equips lung cancer patients and caregivers with tailored toolkits and conversation guides to prepare for consultations and make informed, personalized treatment decisions.

Anthony Elgamal, Vice President of Oncology, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine Asia Pacific said, “The 3rd Opinion truly puts patients at the center of care. As part of our deep commitment to address patients’ unmet needs, we will continue partnering with patient advocacy groups and healthcare professionals to help patients to find their voice and the moment when medical advice meets what truly matters to patients.”

In recognition of diverse cultural and clinical norms across Asia Pacific, J&J has also rolled out tailored market activations in collaboration with local patient advocacy groups:

• Provision of patient resources such as the “Lung Cancer Book of Answers” in China, ‘Value of Time’ video for patients in Japan, and educational assets in India and Australia/New Zealand;
• Digital and social media engagement featuring patients and creators discussing the importance of shared decision-making across Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam;
• Event engagement via the establishment of a patient advisory board in India;
• Corporate Social Responsibility program with a lung cancer patient group in Korea, bringing employees and patients together to better understand the disease burden of patients and strengthen emotional support for the patient community.

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About the 3^rd Opinion

“The 3rd Opinion”, the patient’s own opinion, is a new term that sparks a social movement in the lung cancer treatment journey – designed to elevate the patient voice and empower individuals to take an active role in shaping their treatment plan. By prioritizing shared decision-making between patients and healthcare professionals, this collaborative approach ensures that treatment choices are aligned to each patient’s goals, preferences and circumstances. This results in more informed decisions, greater patient satisfaction, and the best possible outcomes.

About Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Worldwide, lung cancer is one of the most common cancers, with NSCLC making up 80 to 85 percent of all lung cancer cases.[1]^, [2] The main subtypes of NSCLC are adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and large cell carcinoma.[3] Among the most common driver mutations in NSCLC are alterations in EGFR, which is a receptor tyrosine kinase controlling cell growth and division.[4] EGFR mutations are present in 10 to 15 percent of Western patients with NSCLC with adenocarcinoma histology and occur in 40 to 50 percent of Asian patients.[5]^{, [6],[7],[8],[9],[10]} EGFR ex19del or EGFR L858R mutations are the most common EGFR mutations.[11] The five-year survival rate for all people with advanced NSCLC and EGFR mutations treated with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) is less than 20 percent.[12]^,[13] EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations are the third most prevalent activating EGFR mutation.[14] Patients with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations have a real-world five-year overall survival (OS) of eight percent in the frontline setting, which is worse than patients with EGFR ex19del or L858R mutations, who have a real-world five-year OS of 19 percent.[15]By comparison, other common cancers, such as breast and prostate cancer have a 5-year real world OS of 90% and 97% respectively[16].