The InnoGen Pharma Group recently held Operation Bigay Lunas, an annual humanitarian project that coincided with the anniversary celebration of Mercury Drug. The project included free clinics in Quezon City and Taguig involving volunteers from Metz Pharma, Randril Pharma, Eadriex Pharma, Vitalink Health Products, Solvang Pharma, Westfield Pharmaceutical, Aldril Pharma, and Dr Zen's Research. Free medicines were also distributed to 3,000 needy patients.

    Marcelino Merced Jr., Metz district supervisor, said Operation Bigay Lunas gives employees and doctors "a sense of fulfillment and the opportunity to get to know more about InnoGen's mission and vision." About 60 volunteers from InnoGen and volunteer doctors took part in the project.

    Haydee Paras, Vitalink area sales manager, said that the medical mission served as a venue for introducing people to the group's various pharmaceutical products.

    Meanwhile, Dr Zen's Research also held free diabetes screening at the Ospital ng Maynila, Cardinal Santos Medical Center, and Qurino Memorial Medical Center. Dubbed as Diabetes: Screening Awareness for Value and Vitality, it offered free blood-glucose screening, blood-pressure measurement, electrocardiogram monitoring, cholesterol testing, and oxygen-saturation reading. M

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Sanofi, VRPMC partner v. rabies

 

With 300 to 600 Filipinos dying of rabies infection yearly, the Philippines ranks fifth worldwide in rabies-infection incidence. Eyeing to help contain the infection, Victor R. Potenciano Medical Center (VRPMC) has partnered with Sanofi Pasteur to put up its own animal-rabies unit, the first in Mandaluyong City.

    The center formally opened on July 20 in ceremonies led by Menchie Abalos, who represented Mayor Benhur Abalos; Ma.Victoria Vergel de Dios, VRPMC administrator; and Ching Santos, sales director of Sanofi Pasteur.

    Speaking after the ribbon cutting and blessing of the unit, Dr. Nancy Bermal of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine noted that rabies is serious health burden in Asia, with about eight million people receiving postexposure treatment yearly. The annual economic burden of the disease amounts to over US$560 million.

    In the Philippines, RITM data show that around 400,000 animal bites are seen annually, 80 percent of which are inflicted by dogs. Nearly 66 percent of the cases involve children.

    Bermal said that the primary mode of rabies transmission is dog bite. Animals like cattle, monkeys, and mongoose are also possible transmitters when they bite, scratch, or lick human skin. Rare cases of rabies were found to have been transmitted through mere inhalation of virulent aerosols. The incubation period of the rabies virus is usually four to seven days after exposure. Symptoms like malaise, fatigue, headache, and fever generally appear within 20 to 90 days after the bite. Soon after, the symptoms expand to cerebral dysfunction, anxiety, insomnia, confusion, agitation, abnormal behaviour, hallucinations, progressing to delirium.

    The production of large quantities of saliva and tears coupled with an inability to speak or swallow are typical during the later stages of the disease. Death almost invariably results two to 10 days after the first symptoms.

    Bermal said victims of animal bites must immediately be taken to the nearest animal-bite center for wound care and postexposure treatment. The VRPMC animal-bite center offers affordable postexposure vaccination for animal-bite patients. M

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Novartis posts US$2 B 1Q profit

GENEVA

Novartis boosted its hopes of registering record profits this year as it posted an 18-percent increase in second-quarter net profit to US$2.02 billion. However, it said that it was expecting a slowdown in pharmaceutical-sales growth in the second half of 2007 mainly due to the regulatory suspension of its bowel drug, Zelnorm, and growing competition on the US generics market.

    Total net income over the first half of 2007 grew by 14 percent compared with the same period last year to reach US$4.19 billion while net sales grew by 14 percent, reaching US$19.94 billion. That included US$10.12 billion in sales in the second quarter, an increase of ten percent.

    "All areas of our strategic health-care portfolio performed well in the first half of 2007 despite some setbacks in the pharmaceuticals division," said chief executive Daniel Vasella.

    Novartis said a decline in second half operating margins on pharmaceuticals from 30.7 percent last year to 30.2 percent this year reflected strong investments in new-product launches and late-stage trials for new drugs.

    Novartis maintained its outlook for a record operating net profit but revised its outlook for net-sales growth to "midsingle digits" in local currencies vis-à-vis the previous outlook of "above five percent" in local currencies.

    The group had already revised its 2007 sales outlook downwards with its first quarter results following the suspension of Zelnorm by US authorities due to fears of cardiovascular problems among some patients. Some US$488 million of the US$561 million-dollar global sales of the drug last year took place in the United States, according to Novartis's annual results for 2006.

    Approvals of several new drugs-including seven in the first half-were expected to help overcome some of the losses. M AFP

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Fight dehydration the Pocari way

 

Sports drinks, also known as electrolyte- and carbohydrate-containing beverages (ECBs), is a physiologic "first-aid" treatment to prevent dehydration

    This was the message of Dr. Lester Deniega, pediatric-infectious-disease specialist, in a satellite symposium sponsored by Otsuka Pharmaceuticals during the recent 44th annual convention of the Philippine Pediatric Society.

    Dehydration occurs when the body loses water and electrolytes through perspiration, and more are likely to be lost if the person is involved in strenuous physical activities or lives in warm climates. The usual remedy for dehydration is to gain the lost water and electrolytes. Active people or those involved in sports often resort to sports drinks or ECBs.

    Deniega emphasized the role of ECBs in fighting off dehydration, referring to it as a physiologic "first aid" treatment for dehydration that can prevent complications including heat stroke. Aside from its nourishing effect to prevent dehydration, ECBs can be a beneficial supplement for diarrhea treatment as it helps replace essential electrolytes and fluids lost with the watery diarrhea, Deniega said.

    In ECBs, the taste, level of acidity, calcium content are also important, stressed Deniega.

    Otsuka recently launched Pocari Sweat, a new refreshing sports drink in the market. It is less acidic with more calcium content and is a healthy and effective companion for diarrhea treatment. Most of all, it can replace the electrolytes in the body lost due to excessive perspiration which usually happens when engaging in sports and strenuous activities.

    The refreshing taste of the new Pocari Sweat makes it ideal for everyday thirst-quenching. Pocari Sweat is now available in all major supermarkets, convenience stores, and drugstores nationwide. M

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US cancer clinic to grow Asian base

 

A United States-based cancer clinic newly set up in Southeast Asia is positioning to convince more Asian patients that international-standard oncology care can be had closer to home at a more affordable price.

    Dr. Steven Tucker, medical director of the newly established The West Clinic Excellence Cancer Center in Singapore, said their patients can expect to spend lower than what they will usually shell out for treatment in the US on at least two aspects.

    Singapore's proximity to the Philippines means less money and time spent abroad. Tucker estimates that a newly diagnosed patient would spend three to five days only in Singapore to complete a comprehensive treatment procedure from imaging, consultation, initiation of therapy, and education.

    The Singapore center opened its doors in October and is the first international site put up by the 25-year-old oncology clinic, said to be one of the top 10 cancer clinics in the US today with more than 120,000 patient encounters a year.

    "Complete transparency is important. No hidden costs. Cancer care can be expensive. Some of the new drugs are ridiculously expensive and we work with the companies to lower those prices. But what we can do, day in and day out, is to make sure that our charges are in line with reasonable time and effort," Tucker said.

    Charges for expenses, like doctors' professional fees in West Clinic Singapore, are only about a quarter of US rates and are cheaper than other Singaporean practitioners. From its present all-American complement of cancer specialists, the clinic is looking to recruit more US board-certified physicians with local language skills in Chinese and Vietnamese.

    In a recent media briefing, Tucker disclosed that they are now eyeing more opportunities to integrate The West Clinic's approach to cancer care in different Asian countries including the Philippines.

    The clinic is already firming up expansion plans in China, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Dubai. In the long run, he envisions having the patients' second and third visits conducted in partner facilities or full-fledged West Clinics in newer Asian locations.

    "It is widely acknowledged that there is expertise in cancer care in the Philippines. I know this personally because over the last 10 years, I've been taking care of men and women with cancer from the country," he said. "Unfortunately, as the number of cancer cases rise, the number of doctors is not increasing as rapidly and we will be facing a manpower shortage in cancer care in the future."

    He noted that the robustness of economies in Southeast Asia also means that people will have the wherewithal to seek health-care services such as screening and other preemptive measures and go for highly targeted treatments whether for cancer or infections.

    Developing cost-effective care for developing countries like the Philippines will be another area the clinic will look into. It plans to bring its anticancer advocacy thrust to Asian shores by setting up a not-for-profit foundation that will partner with local public institutions, philanthropies, hospitals, and physicians. M Grace Roxas

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Artegraft shifts to plastic packaging

KINGSPORT, Tennessee

With health-care needs on the rise, manufacturers of medical supplies are turning to plastics to create safer, more innovative products, and to minimize business costs. One such company making the shift is Artegraft Inc., which recently selected Eastar Copolyester MB002 manufactured by Eastman Chemical Company for the packaging of its collagen vascular grafts.

    Risk of breakage during transport has prompted Artegraft to redesign its 21-inch glass culture tube used to package its collagen vascular grafts, which are used as hemodialysis grafts or for peripheral bypass. Instead of the glass tube's cylindrical shape, the new plastic culture tube has a flat side to prevent it from rolling and damaging the graft. For ease-of-use, the diameter of the neck opening was increased, and a peel-away, heat-shrink tamper evident seal was added. Each new tube is embossed with the Artegraft name on the outside.

    Laurence Potter, vice president of scientific affairs at Artegraft said the new packaging is more robust and stable and does not compromise the surgical readiness or performance of the grafts. "Secondary packaging costs can be decreased as well as transport, warehousing, and other expenses as a result of the switch to plastic," he added.

    The medical-grade Eastar Copolyester MB002 is a resin developed for extrusion blow molding containers in medical applications where aesthetics such as high clarity and gloss, toughness, and chemical resistance are desirable. It is compatible with the same sterility and validation processes used for Artegraft's existing glass tubes.

    "Aside from its stellar manufacturing properties, Eastar's proven alcohol resistance ensures the plastic will not absorb into Artegraft's sensitive product," said David Gotler, director for technical services at O.BERK Company. "Essentially we found a plastic that mirrored the advantages of glass, allowing Artegraft to respond quickly to medical industry needs with a sound patient product." M

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US court upholds Plavix patent

NEW YORK

A United States judge has upheld the patent for clopidogrel (Plavix) by Sanofi-Aventis and its US partner Bristol-Myers Squibb, blocking a generic version of the multibillion-dollar-selling heart drug.

    The ruling by US District Judge Sidney Stein bars Canadian firm Apotex from selling a generic version of Plavix, a blood-thinning treatment to prevent heart attack and believed to be the second-largest medication sold worldwide. The decision also opens the door to damages to be assessed against Apotex, a Canadian firm specializing in generic drugs.

    In an 82-page opinion, Stein said Apotex "failed to prove by clear and convincing evidence that [the Plavix US patent] is invalid or unenforceable on any of the grounds asserted." He said the French-US partnership was "entitled to permanent injunctive relief and, as shall be determined by the court in a future proceeding, damages."

    The judge said that Plavix, marketed in the US by Sanofi-Aventis and Bristol-Myers, has a valid patent history dating back to the 1980s in the US, Canada, and Europe.

    A joint statement by Sanofi-Aventis and Bristol-Myers said the ruling determined that the generic version of Plavix infringes on the patent and that the decision would maintain their patent through 2011.

    A Sanofi-Aventis spokesman in Paris said the company was "satisfied" with the decision.

    Apotex said it would immediately file an appeal.

    The Plavix patent is set to expire in 2011. But Apotex argued that the latest version of the drug contained no significant changes to the drug for which another patent expired in 2003.

    Global sales of Plavix amounted to some US$5.9 billion in 2005, making the drug the second-most-prescribed medication behind Pfizer's Lipitor. But the generic version of Plavix took 60 percent of the market in the weeks it was on the market in 2006 before an injunction was issued.

    Plavix was approved for sale in the US in 1997 for patients at risk of a heart attack or stroke and for those who have recently suffered such afflictions.

    Apotex asked the US Food and Drug Administration in 2001 for permission to make a generic version of Plavix. This resulted in lawsuits and an out-of-court settlement last year in which Apotex would delay its production.

    But regulators claimed the deal ran afoul of US antitrust laws and the agreement fell apart. Apotex began selling its generic clopidogrel on August 8, 2006 after the deal on delaying the product launch fell apart.

    The judge later that month ordered the Canadian firm to stop selling the product pending a full hearing on the case. M AFP

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GSK to donate flu vaccines to WHO

LONDON

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) would donate 50 million doses of its vaccine to the World Health Organization to fight a human-flu pandemic. Delivered over a three-year period, the donation would provide enough doses for 25 million people.

    Scientists fear that the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu that is prevalent mainly in Asia could mutate into a form easily spread among humans, leading to a global pandemic with the potential to kill millions.

    "An outbreak of pandemic flu could have a devastating effect on some of the poorest countries on our planet," said GSK chief executive Jean-Pierre Garnier. "As a health-care company, GSK takes seriously its responsibility to ensure access for the world's poorest people to our medicines and vaccines. [The donation] enables us to play a part in the WHO's efforts to coordinate a more comprehensive global solution to this potential health-care crisis."

    The WHO has expressed its desire to create an international stockpile of H5N1 prepandemic vaccines, a strategy which received the endorsement of the 193 member states in attendance at the World Health Assembly in Geneva in May. M AFP

 

 

 

 

 

 

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