Wyeth med rep tops MRAP
"I looked forward to it."
So said Monriel Paul Veluz of Wyeth Philippines after topping the Medical Representatives Accreditation Program (MRAP), the results of which were announced on August 28 by the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines.
"My achievement is for my family and for the company I stand for," he added. "Because I am Wyeth."
Veluz, however, was not the only Wyeth employee who did well in the MRAP. In fact, 95 percent of Wyeth's medical representatives passed the MRAP--with a number of them registering a grade of 90 percent or higher. In recognition of this achievement, Wyeth Philippines gathered the successful MRAP examinees for a celebration at the Wyeth canteen on September 14.
President and general manager Perpetuo de Claro personally congratulated the med reps. "Thank you for making that happen," he said. "I hope we can further that along."
Noel Fortin, associate director for marketing of the pharmaceutical division, agreed: "We feel proud and we're very happy. It is our tradition of success."
Veluz and the other top performers were awarded with an MRAP pin. These were Cathy Ubiadas, Grace Romero, Cecille Dionisio, JP Dayrit, Rowland Mercado, Ron Sabarre, Edel Belleza, Francis Sanchez, Dino Rodriguez, Richard Merino, and Racquel Delmonte.
Veluz, who had topped the 1996 board examinations for medical technologists, said that he was challenged by their trainers at the company-initiated review classes held in Tagaytay City in April. He recalled: "Review
talaga … [at] makakapal ang modules." But dedication and hard work paid off for a not-so strange achievement.
PGHgears up for centennial
The University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital is gearing up for its centennial with a one-billion-peso renovation and retooling program aimed for completion in 2007. The hospital has embarked on five priority programs that include human-resource development, total quality medical and systems management, personnel welfare and incentives, pioneer programs, and centennial projects.
Dr. Carmelo Alfiler, hospital director, said the PhP1 billion target funding will be earmarked for improvement of equipment, services, and infrastructure, including the construction of the PGH centennial building with multilevel parking, ambulatory care offices, and commercial spaces. The program is designed to enable the hospital to respond to its ever expanding role in the nation's health system.
Since its establishment in 1907, PGH has been the premier tertiary referral medical center in the country. Often referred to as the Ospital ng Bayan, its entire complex consists of 40 buildings on 10 hectares of land. It has 16 charity pavilions, and seven pay-service blocks with a total of 1,500 beds. It serves more than half a million patients each year, making it as one of the busiest centers for medical care, research, and training. With 90 percent of its patients belonging to the low-income bracket, PGH plays a critical role in providing health care to the economically disadvantaged sector of the population.
W. Sevilla, MD
DOH, BFAD okay Solae claim
The Department of Health and the Bureau of Food and Drugs have authorized The Solae Company to use in the promotion of its products a health claim linking the consumption of soy protein-based foods to reduced risk of heart disease.
The approved claim will read: "25 grams of soy protein a day, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease."
A similar claim was approved in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration in 1999 and in the United Kingdom by the Joint Health Claims Initiative in 2002. Similar claims have also been approved in Korea, Brazil, and South Africa.
"This is a breakthrough for heart health in the Philippines," said Justine Gayer, Solae marketing-communications manager. "However, we'd like to stress that it is also essential to recognize the importance of the total diet in the prevention of cardiovascular disease," she added.
Based in St. Louis, Missouri, The Solae Company is a leading manufacturer of soy protein ingredients. It serves food and beverage manufacturers, dietary-supplement developers, retailers, and consumers in 100 countries. The company was formed through an alliance between Bunge Limited and DuPont. For more than 30 years, The Solae Company has invested in fundamental research to understand the health benefits of soy protein to provide better ingredients for better living. Researchers in leading universities and research institutions have used soy-protein products produced by The Solae Company in hundreds of completed and ongoing soy studies.
HMG brings Texan technology to RP
The people who froze a man back to life are in the Philippines to introduce world-class medical services that make such a feat possible.
In Houston, Texas, sits the largest medical complex in the world--the Texas Medical Center, with over 42 institutions, 13 hospitals, and 11 schools. In December last year, Dr. Joseph Varon, a critical-care-medicine specialist at the St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital (SLEH), the principal institution of the medical complex, went outside the box of conventional resuscitative methods to bring a man who had been without oxygen for 45 minutes back to life by lowering his body temperature down to 90 degrees while keeping him on life support.
The man was swimming in the Pacific by the Mexican Riviera when a powerful wave plunged him underwater and into the sand. The hypothermic therapy that Varon used allowed his body to hibernate and heal. The man woke up on the third day.
Now, through a joint venture between SLEH and the Houston Medical Group (HMG), this kind of medical expertise is made available to Filipinos.
HMG will represent SLEH in Asia with two services: the virtual second opinion (VSO), which gives Filipino patients access to the medical expertise of SLEH, and the advanced medical treatment (AMT), which ensures hassle-free concierge service for those whose condition requires the patients here to travel to the US and benefit from the latest advances in health care at the Texas Medical Center.
"As the premier branch of SLEH in Asia, we are confident that we can provide patients and their families access to world-class health-care services, personalized customer care, cultural sensitivity, and strict confidentiality," said Warren Whitehead, SLEH vice president and head of international operations.
"Everything is customized to meet their demand and needs to make sure that patients undergo diagnosis, therapy, and treatment as comfortable as possible," assures HMG president Leo de Leon.
With the VSO, medical records of Filipino patients are sent to specialists from any of SLEHs five institutes for cancer, urology, and diseases of the heart, liver, and lungs. HMG can also arrange conference calls with SLEH specialists for immediate consultation, upon patient's request, and in partnership with their local doctors.
AMT service includes travel arrangements and document processing, hospital check-in, arrangement for car services, security, cost estimates, and airport assistance.
M. Ciriacruz
Scar control with Gamma Hydroxy
Just under two years ago, a hand-picked team of dermatological experts was assigned the task of developing a solution to acne scarring, one of the most disfiguring cosmetic conditions that leave unsightly pock marks.
The expert team at Skin Doctors Dermaceuticals, an Australian company, knew they were faced with a challenge. But as it was one that really would make a difference to those who suffered the distress of this facial condition, the entire department rose to the task with unprecedented dedication.
Said Dr. Anna Piekarska, director of research and development at Skin Doctors: "We had to examine the hundreds of ingredients that claimed a potential for powerful skin resurfacing. After examining all the available scientific data we disregarded practically everything and agreed with the Mayo Clinics' evaluation that only one thing was likely to have an effect to the degree that we sought--these of course are the potent hydroxy acids. Up until the discovery of these alpha and more recently beta-hydroxy acids mostly everything else was just a moisturizer-ordinary face creams with outlandish claims."
"We finally cracked the code--the secret was in super stacking the ingredients in the right combination to create a cosmeceutical strength resurfacing serum that use the power of synergy," said the team, which included clinical researcher Angel Gregan.
The result is the Gamma Hydroxy skin-resurfacing cream, a new generation hydroxy formulation that synergistically blends the best from both the alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta-hydroxy acids (BHAs) for a resurfacing effect with regular use so dramatic that it has been likened to a cosmetic surgeon's inpatient peel.
The precise combination of hydroxides has been carefully balanced so that the beautiful, smoothing effect happens cumulatively--over a number of weeks--without harsh irritation to the skin.
Doctors who wish to know more about Gamma Hydroxy may call Marshelly Grace C. Bago, head of sales and marketing of Cytherea at +63-2-7937200 and +63-2-7937104 or e-mail her at shelly@cytherea.com.ph. Their office is at the 27th floor of Trident Tower, 312 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City.
Abbott gets approval for Xact stent
ABBOTT PARK, Illinois
Abbott announced it has received approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a new minimally invasive device to treat patients with carotid-artery disease. The FDA gave the go signal for Xact Carotid Stent and Emboshield Embolic Protection System to treat patients at risk of stroke who are not favorable candidates for surgery. With this, Abbott becomes the second company to enter the US carotid-stent market.
"Carotid endarterectomy has proved to be a reliable method for treating carotid artery disease, but it is not the ideal treatment for everyone," said Dr. Gary Roubin, chair of the department of interventional cardiology at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. "Some patients may stand to benefit more from a minimally invasive procedure with a carotid-artery stent and embolic protection that avoid the risk associated with general anesthesia, eliminate the risk of cranial-nerve injury and neck scarring. The Xact Carotid Stent and Emboshield Embolic Protection System provide a truly advanced minimally invasive treatment alternative for these patients."
"The launch of our carotid-stent system in the US is further evidence of the innovative line of vascular products Abbott has built that is gaining momentum in the interventional community," said Robert B. Hance, president of Abbott Vascular. "We are delighted to see the benefits of clinical and scientific advancement at Abbott result in an important new treatment for patients at risk of stroke."
The new system features a stent specifically designed to treat diseased carotid arteries-- arteries in the neck that have become clogged or partially blocked due to atherosclerosis. The Xact stent is self-expanding and has a closed-cell design that creates a tightly knit yet highly flexible mesh to help restore the inner diameter of a carotid artery, promote a smooth inner vessel surface, and potentially reduce the release of emboli from a diseased vessel when it is treated.
The Xact stent is designed for use in combination with the fully retractable Emboshield filter. Emboshield is designed to capture emboli that can break off during a carotid stenting procedure, and it is the only filter to feature Barewire, a proprietary technology developed to allow for better control of stent placement once the filter is in place and fully apposed against the vessel wall.
Abbott received approval and clearance for the Xact Carotid Stent and Emboshield Embolic Protection System based on its submission of SECuRITY Registry Study data in a premarket approval application filed in 2004. Both Emboshield and Xact were launched in the European Union at the end of 2003.
Merck CHC eyes Asian market
Merck KGaA of Germany, the world's oldest pharmaceutical-chemical company, announced plans to get a slice of the joint-health market in Asia estimated to be worth US$100 million.
Kai Beckmann, managing director of Merck Pte. Ltd Singapore and Merck Sdn. Bhd. Malaysia, subsidiaries of Merck KGaA, said that the company has identified Asia as a priority market for the launch of a range of evidence-based natural joint-health supplements being marketed by Merck Consumer Health Care (CHC), a wholly owned division of Merck KGaA.
The products will be launched under the Merck CHC's Seven Seas brand in six Asian markets--Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Thailand--in 2005-2006.
According to independent research commissioned by Merck CHC, more than one in four adults in these Asian markets currently experience joint health problems, ranging from inflammation caused by painful joints to cartilage damage associated with arthritis.
The business opportunity is further strengthened by evidence showing that while the potential joint-health market is both sizeable and increasing--as the Asian population grows older--treatment of joint pain and arthritis is still widely seen as an unavoidable and natural symptom of ageing. It is common practice for patients in Asia to seek treatment from their doctor only when their joint pain becomes severe.
"We have identified an entirely new health-care category in Asia for natural joint-health treatments and believe Merck, through its commitment to evidence-based innovation, is uniquely positioned to become the leading [provider of] joint-care supplement in the region," Beckmann said.
He noted there is no evidence-based over-the-counter joint treatment in this region of Asia today other than Seven Seas joint-health range. Sounding optimistic about the commercial opportunity in the region, Beckmann pointed to Merck CHC's experience in Hong Kong where it successfully established leadership in the joint-health sector following the introduction of the Seven Seas high-strength cod liver oil with tri-omega. Early results have been impressive with Seven Seas enjoying an 89-percent increase in sales since 2004.
Fresenius raises 2005 targets
BAD HOMBURG, Germany
Fresenius Medical Care, the world's leading supplier of dialysis products and services, said it was raising its full-year earnings targets after a "very successful" second quarter and first half.
FMC booked net profit of US$116 million dollars from April to June, up 15 percent on the year-earlier period. Operating profit rose by 12 percent to US$238 million and sales grew by eight percent to US$1.674 billion. Taking the first six months of the year as a whole, net profit rose by 16.6 percent to US$223.5 million dollars, operating profit was up 11.5 percent at US$458 million dollars and sales grew by 9.0 percent to US$3.283 billion dollars.
"Based on the strong performance in the first half, we now expect full-year net profit to grow by 12 to15 percent," said chief executive Ben Lipps. Previously, FMC had been pencilling in net profit growth in the "low double-digit percentage range."
"Our second-quarter and half-year financial results, led by Europe and North America, were excellent and exceeded expectations," Lipps said.
AFP
J & J sponsors midwives meet
Johnson & Johnson was one of the major sponsors of the 27th International Confederation of Midwives Congress attended by around 2,000 midwives from all over the world July 24 to 28 in Brisbane, Australia. Johnson & Johnson sponsored a precongress workshop and two congress symposiums.
The workshop on promoting the health of mothers and newborns during birth and the postnatal period was participated in by delegates from China, Afghanistan, India, Samoa, Fiji, Lebanon, Papua New Guinea, Russia, and Africa who updated their skills on how to best care for women and children in their countries.
On the other hand, the symposiums had as speakers Dr. Maria Hernandez-Reif, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Miami and codirector of the Florida-based Touch Research Institutes, and Dr. Alain Khaiat, president of the Cosmetic Toiletry and Fragrance Association of Singapore and Johnson & Johnson vice president of research and development in Asia Pacific. Hernandez-Reif, who has conducted groundbreaking studies on the effects of massage therapy on infants, discussed new advances in benefits of touch in preterm infants while Khaiat presented a paper on the special needs of infant skin.
Through the years, Johnson & Johnson has been forging strong partnerships with midwives and other health-care professionals as part of its credo to encourage better health and education for maternal and child care.
"Midwifery plays a key role in health-care for newborns especially in the Philippines, as only 17 percent of all births take place in hospitals," said Allan Ancheta, Johnson & Johnson Philippines senior professional marketing manager. He noted that in the Philippines, pregnant women in the rural areas rely mostly on nurses and midwives for prenatal care. Citing data from the Department of Health, he said that out of 1,559,123 total births in 2002, 83 percent or 1,294,072 were assisted by midwives.
"Johnson & Johnson has a strong partnership with midwives through various initiatives," Ancheta added. Some of these are the annual Ten Outstanding Midwives awards and the Midwives Leadership Development Program in partnership with the Integrated Midwives Association of the Philippines and the Ateneo Graduate School of Business.
Hospital for stem-cell therapy
SEOUL
South Korean medical company plans to open the world's first hospital exclusively providing treatment using stem cells obtained from umbilical-cord blood.
Histostem Co. Ltd. said it is close to a final agreement with an unnamed European investment company to set up the hospital in the southern resort island of Jeju in the first half of 2007. Under the accord, Histostem and the European investor will jointly put in US$80 million to set up a 100-bed hospital.
"This would be the world's first hospital exclusively for umbilical-cord-blood-stem-cell therapy," said Dr. Han Hoon, who heads Histostem. For two years Han has been using the therapy to treat patients with medical conditions that
other treatments have failed to help. He and his researchers have carried out more than 250 umbilical-cord-blood stem-cell treatments since July 2003, including cases of spinal-cord injuries, liver cirrhosis, Buerger disease, diabetes, chronic renal failure, and a dozen other diseases. Results were varied, depending on the kind of diseases and the degree of severity in each case. But in most cases treatments improved the patient's condition or cured the disease.
Han and his team made headlines in November when Hwang Mi-Soon, 37, who had been unable to walk since damaging her spine in an accident two decades earlier, was shown at a press conference taking a few cautious steps with the help of a walking frame. It was the world's first published case in which a patient with spinal-cord injuries had been treated successfully with stem cells from cord blood, Han said.
Han said his team took the lead in developing umbilical-cord-blood stem-cell therapy in 2000 by successfully isolating stem cells from umbilical-cord blood for the first time.
Several patients suffering with Buerger disease, diabetes, and liver cirrhosis said they had been improving remarkably following umbilical-cord-blood-stem-cell transplants.
In May Han's team treated their first foreign patients, a Croatian and a Turk with spinal-cord injuries. It was too early to tell the final effect but the two had partially recovered their sense of hot and cold and finger movements, Han said.
Han and his team also received medical records from 135 other people including foreigners, for future treatments.
Han, who has expertise in both immune genetics and bone-marrow transplants, said his ample stockpiles of cord blood in South Korea helped provide fertile soil for experiments in new techniques and treatments.
AFP
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