StemCell Therapy

Founder,Drug Salvation Foundation,WilsonIghodalo, who alsodoubles as theNational Coordinator, NDLEA Celebrity Drug Free Club Nigeria,is also a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Master Trainer on Sensitisation on Drug and Drug Prevention, Treatment and Care. Known for his passion in addressing substance abuse, Ighodalo in this interview withChiemelie Ezeobi,stronglycanvassed for public health approach to tackle substance abuse in Nigeria

What is your take on the state of the health sector now?

At present the COVID-19 pandemic and how it is being addressed, should be a wakeup call to Nigeria. Public health approachis the single most important goal. Public health promotes and protects the health of people and the communities where they live, learn, work and play.

What is your take on substance abuse as a public health challenge?

There is need to reducesubstance abuse to protect the health, safety, and quality of life for all, especially children. Millions of Nigerians struggle with a drug or alcohol problem. Almost 95 per cent of people with substance use problems are considered unaware of their problem. Few of those who recognise their problem, many have made an unsuccessful effort to obtain treatment. These estimates highlight the importance of increasing prevention efforts and improving access to treatment for substance abuse and co-occurring disorders.

What are its impact on lives?

Substance abuse has a major impact on individuals, families, and communities. The effects of substance abuse are cumulative, significantly contributing to costly social, physical, mental, and public health problems. These problems include: teenage pregnancy, Human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), domestic violence, child abuse, motor vehicle crashes, physical fights, crime, Homicide and suicide.

What was the impact of COVID-19 on children that are addicted to drugs?

Due to the lock down because of COVID-19, some children could no longer have access to drugs and the withdrawal syndromes are becoming more evident and some parents are just beginning to realise that their kids are using drugs. This has made a lot of them panic. I hope they seek for help to allay their fears.

So what is substance abuse?

Substance abuse refers to a set of related conditions associated with the consumption of mind- and behaviour-altering substances that have negative behavioral and health outcomes. Social attitudes and political and legal responses to the consumption of alcohol and illicit drugs make substance abuse one of the most complex public health issues. In addition to the considerable health implications, substance abuse has been a flash-point in the criminal justice system and a major focal point in discussions about social values: people argue over whether substance abuse is a disease with genetic and biological foundations or a matter of personal choice.

Advances in research have led to the development of evidence-based strategies to effectively address substance abuse. Improvements in brain-imaging technologies and the development of medications that assist in treatment have gradually shifted the research communitys perspective on substance abuse. There is now a deeper understanding of substance abuse as a disorder that develops in adolescence and, for some individuals, will develop into a chronic illness that will require lifelong monitoring and care.

Improved evaluation of community-level prevention has enhanced researchers understanding of environmental and social factors that contribute to the initiation and abuse of alcohol and illicit drugs, leading to a more sophisticated understanding of how to implement evidence-based strategies in specific social and cultural settings.

A stronger emphasis on evaluation has expanded evidence-based practices for drug and alcohol treatment. Improvements have focused on the development of better clinical interventions through research and increasing the skills and qualifications of treatment providers.

What are the emerging issues in substance abuse?

In recent years, the impact of substance and alcohol abuse has been notable across several areas, including the following: Adolescent abuse of prescription (Over The Counter OTC) drugs has continued to rise over the past five years. The recent survey found high rates of nonmedical use of the prescription pain relievers Tramadol and Codeine etc. It is believed that two factors have led to the increase in abuse. First, the availability of prescription drugs is increasing from many sources, including the family medicine cabinet, the Internet, and doctors. Second, many adolescents believe that prescription drugs are safer to take than street drugs.

In addition, as the federal governmentthrough Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse, (PACEDA) headed by Retired Brigadier-General Buba Marwa, should begin to implement health reform legislation, to focus attention on providing services for individuals with mental illness and substance use disorders, including new opportunities for access to and coverage of treatment and prevention services.

What is your foundation about?

The Drug Salvation Foundation is a non-government and Non-Profit

Organisation aimed at promoting the quality of public health in the society by leading efforts in the prevention, education, advocacy and care of

substance abuse disorders etc. The organisation is based in Lagos and have driven drug abuse interventions across the country, organising

trainings and prevention campaigns on substance abuse. It has organised various activities in a bid to raise awareness on drug abuse in the society. We have driven drug abuse interventions across the country, through quiz, debates, organising trainings, conferences, charity walk, courtesy visits, workshops, annual lectures and prevention campaigns on substance abuse.

We have reputable personality as board of trustees and founding fathers of this prestigious organisation in the person of Pastor ItuahIghodalo, who is the Chairman of The Drug Salvation Foundation. He is the Managing Partner at SIAO (a firm of CharteredAccountants and Management Consultants) and Senior Pastor Trinity House Church. We also have Otunba O.A. Lawal (Honorary Consul). He is at present the honorary Consul of Malta in Nigeria and the President of the Nigerian-Maltese Business Council.

Putting it in context, we are reaching out through advocacy campaign that seeks to address the current negative perception about people with drug related issues, by promoting evidence based approach which considers drug use as a public health, human rights and development agenda. It

rest on the fact that existing (criminalisation and discrimination) response has failed to effectively address the drug challenge in our society.

What we adopted in The Drug Salvation Foundation as best practice, we do in-house training for our personnel and clients. As part of the efforts to build capacities of staff and associates for optimum performance. All humans are born geniuses. The onus is on all of us to discover, nurture and develop it for the betterment of the society. The need therefore for training and retraining for an enhanced performance cannot be over emphasised.

What drives you in pushing issues against drug abuse in Nigeria?

Drug abuse in Nigeria is a major cause for concern, especially since children as young as eleven years old, are abusing drugs. That informed part of my passion to champion the cause and children are the future of tomorrow, focusing on prevention and promotion of healthy lifestyle against substance abuse now became my ways of touching lives. I found The Drug Salvation Foundation as a platform to share information and ideasabout the problem of substance abuse. This include sharing ideas on how to communicate the message of zero tolerance to drug use. It also highlights the fact that substance abuse interventions are aimed at saving lives, preserving familiesand building stronger communities.

A number of investigations show that Nigeria is experiencing a sharp increase in young people abusing substances like drugs and

alcohol. Many of the patients admitted to rehabilitation and treatment centres for substance abuse are children as young as 11 to 16 years old.

Drug and alcohol abuse at a young age is often the result of peer pressure, which starts at school. In addition, during the school holidays, children are often at home alone because their parents have to work. Children, especially teenagers, get bored and start hangingaround with the wrong group of people, bad influencers. They are then pressurised into trying new drugs, smoking or drinking alcohol, because they want to fit in.

Once children start using substances, they often become problematic drug users. To feed their addictions as they become involved in criminal activities as they try to get money to buy drugs. This can become a continuous cycle of conflict with the law. As part of our integrated approach towardspromoting a drug free society, our NGO also looks at ways to target schools and the inner city youths.

How many years have you championed this cause?

My sojourn started as a media consultant to National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA in 2004. I am a member of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria(APCON), thus Iam an advertising practitioner.

What are the major challenges you have battled in the course of your journey in fighting drug abuse?

Funding and society approach to drug users. Funding from Corporate organisations and High-net-worth individuals (HNWI). We are still hoping corporate bodies and individuals should fund drug abuse awareness campaign and funds improving thecapacity of civil society organisations, so that we can properly take the awareness campaign to schools, inner cities youth, communities and parents, so that parents and communities leaders can properly educate their walls and youths who are more vulnerable to drug abuse. There are so many benefits for corporate sponsorship, but the major one is a Cause Related Marketing for their brand, society will see the organisation as worthy company that contribute positively to the society, sincerely, it will raise their profit. Also it is time now, organisations see drug abuse as public health issues. Substance abuse constitutes socioeconomic and cultural threat in our society today. The time has come for corporate organisations to fund drug abuse awareness campaign, as there corporate social responsibility to the society. We can not all fold our hands and allow the society to decay.

Why public health-based approach?

The society should start seeing drug abuse problems as public health issues and it need public health centred approach. Stressing that drug abuse is not a personalchoice rather a public health issue,substance abuse is a call for a public health-based approach to addressing and discussing the importance of building awareness of substance

abuse as a public health problem. Public health is the science of preventing disease and injury and promoting and protecting the health of populations and communities.

What about punitivedrug laws in Nigeria?

As part of ongoing advocacy against abuse and stigimatisation, as CSOs working on drugs, we are also championingdialogue with stakeholders that brings together key state institutions in charge of theenforcement of the drug legislation, civil society activist, public health workers, human rights

activist, media, lawyers and more importantly the most affected population to change the narrative about drug policy in Nigeria.

Continued here:
Wilson Ighodalo: Addressing Substance Abuse as a Public Health Problem - THISDAY Newspapers

A specialist in Preventive Medicine focuses on the health of individuals and defined populations in order to protect, promote, and maintain health and well-being, and to prevent disease, disability, and premature death. They may be a specialist in Public Health and General Preventive Medicine, Occupational Medicine, or Aerospace Medicine. The distinctive components of Preventive Medicine include:

Biostatistics and the application of biostatistical principles and methodology;

Epidemiology and its application to population-based medicine and research;

Health services management and administration including: developing, assessing, and assuring health policies; planning, implementing, directing, budgeting,and evaluating population health and disease management programs; and utilizing legislative and regulatory processes to enhance health;

Control of environmental factors that may adversely affect health;

Control and prevention of occupational factors that may adversely affect health safety;

Clinical preventive medicine activities, including measures to promote health and prevent the occurrence, progression, and disabling effects of disease andinjury; and

Assessment of social, cultural, and behavioral influences on health.

Specialty training required prior to certification: Three years

A preventive medicine physician may become board-certified in three specialties as defined by the American Board of Preventive Medicine.

Aerospace MedicineAerospace medicine focuses on the clinical care, research and operational support of the health, safety and performance of crew and passengers of air and space vehicles, together with the support personnel who assist operation of such vehicles. This population often works and lives in remote, isolated, extreme or enclosed environments under conditions of physical and psychological stress. Practitioners strive for an optimal human-machine match in occupational settings rich with environmental hazards and engineering countermeasures.

Occupational MedicineOccupational medicine focuses on the health of workers, including the ability to perform work; the physical, chemical, biological and social environments of the workplace; and the health outcomes of environmental exposures. Practitioners in this field address the promotion of health in the workplace, and the prevention and management of occupational and environmental injury, illness and disability.

Public Health and General Preventive MedicinePublic health and general preventive medicine focuses on promoting health, preventing disease, and managing the health of communities and defined populations. These practitioners combine population-based public health skills with knowledge of primary, secondary and tertiary prevention-oriented clinical practice in a wide variety of settings.

Career paths can include working in public health, occupational medicine, aerospace medicine, clinical medicine, academic medicine, managed care, research, informatics, policy development and global health. These positions are often located in local, state and federal health agencies, professional health organizations, educational institutions, nonprofit health organizations, public health departments, industry, and all levels of government.

Traditionally, many physicians entering the field of preventive medicine had completed training and worked in another clinical specialty, but found they lacked the necessary skills to manage and treat larger populations, a core component of preventive medicine. Today, residency training for preventive medicine includes a preliminary clinical year (PY1) and specialty-specific training (PY2 and PY3) in general preventive medicine, occupational medicine or aerospace medicine. The PY2 and PY3 year includes a graduate degree for a Master of Public Health (MPH), Master of Science (MS) or Master of Business Administration (MBA).

According to the 2012 Association of American Medical Colleges salary survey, the median compensation for an academic medicine position in preventive medicine ranges from $144,000 to $172,000 in early career to $232,000 to $250,000 in late career.

Original post:
Preventive Medicine | American Medical Association

Dr. Barry Bloom, a professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said hes optimistic that one or more medicines better than remdesivir the experimental Gilead Sciences drug cleared for emergency use" on May 1 will be available by the years end. But he expects the standard of care will probably evolve and ultimately rely on a combination of drugs that pass muster in clinical trials.

You dont need only one drug, said Bloom, a pioneer in global health who devoted much of his career to treating tuberculosis. What we learned with HIV is that no one drug works very well. But if you put three drugs together that are pretty good drugs, you can control the virus for life.

Bloom and other experts suspect that unlike people with HIV, COVID-19 patients would require only short-term treatment with a combination of medicines and recover faster if they got them soon after symptoms appear.

A study published last Friday in Lancet, the respected medical journal, bolsters that notion. It found that patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 at six public hospitals in Hong Kong and the University of Hong Kong seemed to improve more quickly if treated with a three-drug combo, compared with a group that received a two-drug treatment. The triple combination featured three antiviral drugs: one used for HIV, another for hepatitis C, and a third for multiple sclerosis.

The federal website ClinicalTrials.gov lists more than 1,400 clinical trials related to COVID-19 planned or started around the world. A number of them involve combinations of approved and experimental drugs, including remdesivir.

Massachusetts General Hospital, which participated in the global trial of 1,063 coronavirus patients that led to the emergency use of remdesivir, plans to participate in a follow-up study that combines that antiviral medicine with another drug. That second drug is sold under the brand name Olumiant by Eli Lilly and is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis.

Dr. Libby Hohmann, principal investigator of the remdesivir trial at Mass. General, said the Gilead drug had a real statistically significant effect, but as a lot of people are saying, its not a magic bullet or home run. Thats why it makes sense to try to combine it with something else, she said.

Patients who received remdesivir had a 31 percent faster recovery than those who got a placebo, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which ran the trial at 68 sites worldwide. The median recovery time was 11 days for patients who received remdesivir compared with 15 days for those who got a placebo.

Most researchers predict it will take a vaccine to end the pandemic and dont expect one to be approved and deployed for 12 to 18 months, in the most optimistic scenario. As a result, researchers around the world are studying more than 200 experimental treatments to help sick patients recover, according to a tracker by the Milken Institute, a Santa Monica, Calif.-based think tank.

At least 15 drug companies based in Massachusetts or with an outpost in the state are studying possible treatments, as are local academic laboratories.

The firms include the Japanese drug giant Takeda Pharmaceutical, which is working with multiple partners on a drug made from the plasma of people who recovered from disease; Cambridge-based Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, which is collaborating with a San Francisco biotech on technology to silence the genes in the virus that causes COVID-19; and Sarepta Therapeutics, a Cambridge biotech collaborating with the Defense Department on an RNA-based treatment.

Akshay Vaishnaw, who heads research and development at Alnylam, said his company and Vir Biotechnology hope to begin testing an inhaled medicine in humans around the end of the year. The partners will first see how the drug performs by itself, he said, but it would hardly be surprising if researchers ended up studying it as part of a combination treatment.

Combinations allow multiple lines of attack on the pathogen, Vaishnaw said.

Ultimately, researchers say, the standard of care may encompass a cocktail of antiviral drugs that use multiple targets, or it may be several different types of medicines, such as antiviral medicines and anti-inflammatory therapies.

"Infections between a virus and a host cell are complicated processes that involve many different steps, said Dr. Joseph Loscalzo, head of the department of medicine at Brigham and Womens Hospital. That, coupled with the fact that these viruses can mutate quickly, would argue that combinations would help optimize the chance for a cure.

Loscalzo coauthored a recent study that ranked more than 80 approved drugs for their potential to work against COVID-19. The researchers used artificial intelligence and other tools to screen over 7,000 medications now used to treat other conditions.

The National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories at Boston University is testing the roughly 80 drugs on cells from monkeys and humans infected with the coronavirus, and scientists there expect to have results soon.

Although combining drugs holds promise, it can also pose risks, Loscalzo said.

Now you have to look at not just the toxicities of each drug, but the drugs when used in combination, he said. The [clinical] trial duration would likely be about the same, but getting to the point where you could, in a safe way, begin the trial requires more homework beforehand.

Some scientists say they would prefer to repurpose a medicine that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for another disease rather than develop a new drug and test it in clinical trials, which can take years.

With all the drugs being studied, said Bloom, the public health expert from Harvard, its likely that data will emerge in the next couple of months about medicines that are better than remdesivir. But, he said, its premature to bet on any single drug or mix.

Like combination drugs marketed for HIV, he added, an effective cocktail might also become a medicine that doctors could prescribe as a preventative to patients who are at high risk for catching COVID-19. Gilead, which makes remdesivir, sells such a pre-exposure prophylaxis," or PrEP, to prevent HIV. The product, marketed as Truvada, combines two medications.

A drug that you could give to healthy people who would be exposed that would be a new and appealing preventative therapy," Bloom said.

Jonathan Saltzman can be reached at jonathan.saltzman@globe.com

Continued here:
Scientists say the best treatment for COVID-19 may be a cocktail of medicines - The Boston Globe

Rajgopal Noidamboor in this Madras Courier piece:

If you have cold, put some turmeric in hot millk, add some ground pepper, cardamom and honey, froth it and drink it. It will make your throat feel good. Alternately, you can make some hot pepper rasam, mix it with rice and slurp it. To get rid of that darn cold, you coulf also mix ginger, lemon and honey to hot water and drink it. These are age-old recipes passed down from generations. Most of us remember getting these lessons from our grandmother.

Today, turmeric mixed in milk is called Turmeric Latte and sold in fancy cafeterias. But why does turmeric work? Thats because it is the one ingredient which has curcumin natures antiviral, antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. Similarly, Ashwagandha(Withania somnifera)is a natural, preventative intervention.

In the fight against COVID-19, the Ministry of Healths Ayush has creted a task force to look into how preventative complementary and alternative medicine can help fight COVID-19.

We have commissioned an independent scholar to produee a report that looks into the science behind natural alternatives.

Todays storyby Rajgopal Noidamboor looks at the role of complementary and alternative medicine in fighting COVID-19.

Like Loading...

Related

This entry was posted on May 15, 2020 at 10:26 am and is filed under Discussion.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Excerpt from:
Can Complementary and Alternative Medicine Help Fight Covid-19? - stopthefud

Earlier this month, 15-time Grammy winner and esteemed artist Adele wowed the world when she showed off her slimmed-down figure out of nowhere. Thankfully, her doctor shared the singers tips and tricks in order to achieve her type of weight loss in a successful and healthy way shortly after the reveal.

Adeles Doctor Reveals How Singer Lost Weight In A Healthy Way

Winning the esteemed Grammy award 15 times in her ongoing career, Adele is best known for writing songs and ballads that explore lost love, heartbreak and finding ones self after. Shes also known for her powerhouse voice, which only helps in taking her songs to new heights.

But it seems like she still has more surprises up her sleeve since the singer recently wowed everyone by unexpectedly posing a photo showing her slimmed-down figure earlier this month. Shortly afterwards, Dr. Dominique Fradin-Read, her own doctor, revealed just how the singer managed to lose all that weight. Fradin-Read is MD-board certified in preventative medicine and anti-aging medicine with a university degree in nutrition .

I start by telling my patients that when it comes to weight loss, diet and exercisealonewill not be enough in most cases. That is why many patients that come to us have tried to lose weight, they did lose somewhat but put everything back on and often even more.For a successful and sustainable weight loss, we need to look at the whole person and not just address the weight upfront, the physician said.

I combine all the tools and methods in our therapeutic arsenal, starting with the most natural approaches and lifestyle changes, vitamins/supplements, to recommending peptides, rebalancing hormones and finally prescribing medications as appropriately for each patient, she added, saying that after starting her process with the patients, she works toward more intensive treatment.

As for what to eat, Fradin-Read suggested a diet made up of nutrient-rich food as well as protein, good fats, good carbohydrates, dairy and a few wine glasses a week. Green veggies should also take around two-third of the plate. One-third should be for protein, while the remaining space should be for carbs. She also suggested following the well-known Mediterranean diet.

Obesity may occur because of genetics, family history, environment and medical conditions, among other reasons that affect body weight. Pixabay

Originally posted here:
Adele's Doctor Details Healthy Diet That The Singer Took To Help Her Lose Weight - Medical Daily

Functional Remedies

Hemp is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world with remnants of hemp cloth found in Mesopotamia (currently Iraq and Iran) dating back to 8,000 BC. Though the US history of hemp use does not date back that far, the first recorded use of hemp in the colonies dates to the 17th century. However, until the 2018 Farm Bill was signed, hemp cultivation in America was prohibited for nearly a century. This complete overhaul of the law made it legal for farmers to once again grow, process, and sell hemp commercially and legalized nationwide use.

We spoke to Andrew Campbell, the CEO of Functional Remedies, about the companys perfection of its proprietary hemp plants, its unique control from farm to cultivation to finished products using vertical integration, and the nutritional benefits of the phytonutrients in,Synchronicity, its full-spectrum oil.

Functional Remedies newest Brand Ambassador, the plant-based cardiologist Dr. Joel Kahn, also described the integration of Holistic Cardiology into his practice, how he became the founder of a vegan restaurant, and his love of the benefits Functional Remedies offers his patients.

Please introduce Functional Remedies to our readers and describe its history and mission.Functional Remedies has been developing the genetics of our plant and hand-pressed infusion process of our oil for over two decades. We have made all this effort to deliver our customers the most efficacious hemp oil on the planet. Everything we have done and continue to do is with consumers at the center of all our thinking and actions. We have developed a new branding proposition, Synchronicity, and have introduced new products that speak directly to our customers and meet their needs throughout their days and nights. Our mission, or our why, is straight forward; we exist to help people by bringing them healing qualities of the hemp plant. Our how is by creating the most efficacious hemp oil on the planet, and our what are the various form factors (tinctures, capsules, etc.) that act as delivery mechanisms for our full-spectrum oil and all its healing properties.

Please explain to our readers how full-spectrum hemp oil can support and enhance their wellness.Our full-spectrum hemp oil works in concert with the endocannabinoid system (ECS) by enhancing its ability to function properly. The human body naturally makes cannabinoids, but unfortunately, at times, it doesnt make the amount the ESC requires, thats where our full-spectrum hemp oil comes into play; it replenishes the body of its cannabinoid deficiencies. The ESC works with all the other systems in the human body (immune, nervous, respiratory, sensory, cardiovascular, etc.) and helps them work more efficiently. So our full-spectrum hemp oil makes the ECS system work better, and the ESC system makes all your other systems work better- all of this leads to a healthier, more balanced human.

What are the benefits of Full-Spectrum Hemp Oil versus CBD? The easiest way to put it is, Would you rather have freshly squeezed orange juice or frozen concentrate? Our full-spectrum hemp oil is freshly squeezed orange juice. CBD is only one cannabinoid that the hemp plant offers; our oil offers over 100 cannabinoids, along with other nutrients: terpenes and flavonoids. Additionally, to get the CBD isolate, companies burn and mangle the plant. We use a gentle hand pressed method to slowly infuse our hemp oil into MCT oil that produces the most bioavailable product on the market.

Have you seen an increased interest in your hemp oil products since the outbreak of COVID-19? Yes, we have. Yesterday the National Institute of Health (NIH), an organization we have been working with for years, asked us to participate in a working group regarding Covid-19. This will entail a series of calls with scientists discussing ideas and findings around this topic.

Functional Remedies is the only hemp company to receive three Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certifications. Please describe what this achievement means. It demonstrates to our customers the care we use throughout our growing and manufacturing processes to deliver the most efficacious and safest product to their bodies. We are all about quality and safety, and we spare no expense to ensure these two points. Additionally, we have an NSF certification and are well down the path in obtaining our ISO 9001 certification (the highest international standard involving the manufacturing of the forms we sell).

You recently announced your partnership with Dr. Joel Kahn as the companys new Brand Ambassador. How did this relationship develop? We are thrilled to have Dr. Kahn as part of the Functional Remedies family and team. We met Dr. Kahn a few years back, and he was gracious enough to try our products, and he noticed the difference with his patients immediately. Partnering with Dr. Kahn is another example of how Functional Remedies demonstrates its laser focus on quality, purity, and potency. Dr. Kahn only associates with first-class organizations, and we are honored and grateful to have his vote of confidence.

Dr. Joel Kahn, Cardiologist & Brand Ambassador:

You describe yourself as a Holistic Cardiologist. Please explain to our readers how your treatment differs from a typical Cardiologist.The inside joke is that a holistic doctor sees patients with a whole list of questions and problems. But more formally, holistic is interchangeable with functional, integrative, or natural. It is a training in cardiology that is quite rare so far that focuses on the root causes of illness and the whole person. Traditional cardiology makes a diagnosis of high blood pressure. Holistic cardiology inquiries about diet, sleep, fitness, stress, toxins at home and work, allergies, food intolerances, trauma, genetics, and silent infections. By diving deeper into causes of disease, some people can receive a natural therapy that corrects the underlying issue and avoids a prescription drug for life or a procedure or surgery.

You are considered one of the worlds top cardiologists. Do you attribute that to your focus on using plant-based nutrition as preventative medicine?I had a heart murmur as an infant, a noise the doctor heard, and began seeing a pediatric cardiologist from my earliest days. It proved to be more of a scare to my parents than any serious issue, but it put me in contact with heart specialists all of my youth. I was fascinated by the smells, noises, technology, and concerns the medical team expressed. By age ten, if you asked me my career plans, I would answer cardiology. Another coincidence is that in my first week in undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan, the dormitory food was so miserable, but the salad bar was amazing. I stopped eating animal foods at age 18 to survive and learned that I felt amazing on plant-based foods. I merged the two events in my medical training and strived to be the best in class in traditional training but also to further my new interest in nutrition. The final piece to the puzzle was three weeks after I began my first position teaching and practicing aggressive cardiology, a major research study was published showing that plant-based diets could reverse heart disease. I looked to the left and saw balloons and stents that I was using to reverse blockages, and I looked right at my fork and spoon being used only on plant meals, and I merged the two to practice what I called Interpreventional cardiology. I might need to put in a stent, but you were also going to get a lecture on nutrition, prevention, and plant-based recipes. It has been a wonderful combination.

What interested you in becoming the Brand Ambassador for Functional Remedies?I have strict criteria for sharing my name and energies with a project. Is there strong science? Are there high standards of quality? Are there passionate people? Can this help people? When I visited Functional Remedies and met the team, I saw how the product was made with love and vertical integration, how the quality and certifications were of the highest standards and heard the testimonials of people that worked for the company and many of my patients, I was hooked. I have a passion for helping people improve their lives with safe and natural approaches. Functional Remedies is simply the best in class, and I am so proud to be on board.

What motivated you to open your Detroit-based GreenSpace & Go plant-based eatery?I was lecturing all over the USA about the benefits of a plant diet for decades, but when I got back to Detroit, the choices of going out for a healthy meal consistent with my lectures were very limited. My son Daniel had restaurant experience and an MBA, and we sat down to consider a variety of food-related business plans and franchises. Ultimately, we laid out a plan to open a high-quality plant-based cafe to dine in or carry out. We strived to teach our guests the pleasures of fresh foods, prepared to order, and emphasizing quality, taste, and health. The response has been strong and joyful, and we have a lab to change options and lives by opening minds and mouths.

Your goal is to prevent all future heart attacks. If you can accomplish the task, what would be your next dream job?I am living my dream job. I am over 60 years old but jump out of bed every day excited to take on the challenges.If I could prevent all heart attacks, I would focus on aging. Aging is considered a natural process and not a disease. Yet all the common diseases that rob us of joy and health, like cancer and heart disease, are much more common as we age. We are learning the basic mechanisms of aging and developing ways to intervene to avoid the chronic deterioration that may rob us of our dignity in our later years. Imagine feeling good and energetic at 70, 80, or 90 years old! It can be a reality, and I am excited to be part of it. Using the highest quality natural products like Functional Remedies is part of that process. Farm, not Pharma is the answer, and being part of this team is a dream come true.

Related

Visit link:
Functional Remedies & Dr. Joel Kahn: "I Stopped Eating Animal Foods at Age 18 to Survive and Learned That I Felt Amazing on Plant-Based...

May 14s budget will surely be remembered as the pandemic budget. It might seem like the worst possible timing economic uncertainty rages, Treasury has had to abandon its usual economic forecasts, and the pandemics viral economic spread is far from over.

On the contrary, this may be very good budget timing. With the governments swift lockdown and border actions, we all hope coronavirus will soon be eliminated in New Zealand. The government also rightly took immediate action to support an economy forced into hibernation.

So now the budget arrives just as we are ready to move into phase two of recovery when government spending and tax policies need to change from preventative medicine to patient care.

So what budget action is needed? Despite some clamouring for a new pandenomics to guide policy, there is nothing different in principle about the post-elimination recession about to hit New Zealand, even if it turns out to be bigger than the unprecedented recession caused by the 2008 global financial crisis (GFC).

Negative economic shocks can be supply-driven, demand-driven or both. Each requires different policy responses.

The current crisis started as a (self-imposed) supply shock: firms had no choice but to scale back output while their costs persisted. This is why the governments supply-side wage subsidies and small business support were the right call (even if reasonable people can argue over their size and detail).

Read more: The ghosts of budgets past haunt New Zealand's shot at economic recovery

But as firms come out of hibernation, widespread wage subsidies should be mostly withdrawn. The government cannot possibly provide current levels of wage support for the next one to two years of economic fallout. Nor would it be desirable, as the economy adjusts to a longer recessionary phase. Keeping unsustainable businesses going through this would only undermine the needed adjustments.

Looking ahead, weak demand is more likely as unemployment rises, some businesses fail during this second phase and real wages fall. That is why this budgets timing is helpful. It is time to pivot away from sensible but unsustainable supply-side support, to combating the expected demand contraction and its consequences.

This doesnt depend on Treasury forecasts. We already know that output has dropped massively, with more to come. So preparation for stimulating fiscal policy such as expanding some government spending programmes (though much of this will happen automatically as tax revenues fall and welfare spending rises). Looser monetary policies should help, with the central bank injecting more liquidity into the economy.

This years pandemic budget should, however, look to redirect spending towards immediate support for those businesses and households that will now suffer most. Since total spending will inevitably rise, cutting back longer term and low impact projects needs to form part of this.

A good place to start would be the Provincial Growth Fund, the result of little more than expensive political horsetrading among the governments coalition partners. But somehow I doubt this option is what finance minister Grant Robertson meant last week when he signalled that certain pre-COVID-19 budget priorities will be put on ice.

In my view, two guiding principles should inform budget initiatives.

First, flexibility. Uncertainty around who will be worst affected, for how long and how severely, suggests that flexible support packages make more sense than widespread, predetermined handouts. Lets see where the economic recession bites, with packages in place to respond quickly, rather than trying to predict where the worst effects will be.

Direct government-to-business loans, for example, that can be applied for and granted subject to conditions, would ensure more targeted support. And with interest rates set close to government borrowing rates, they are a relatively low risk, low cost option. Those needing short term help and are able to recover will repay in due course. Those without a long term future would not be well served by delaying the inevitable at taxpayer expense.

Read more: Past pandemics show how coronavirus budgets can drive faster economic recovery

Secondly, plan a future debt trajectory. Much current debate surrounds the eventual taxpayer cost of massive public debt increases, perhaps rising from 20-50% of GDP. As with the post-WWII debt response, this will need to be brought back down, but more slowly than after the GFC, for example.

Public debt increases are global, and New Zealand will not look like a bad international credit risk for the foreseeable future. Plus, with interest rates almost certain to remain low for years, the governments debt servicing costs have never looked better. Nevertheless, a credible plan towards lower debt is essential if we are to be well prepared for the next crisis as we were for this one.

Some are suggesting this years budget initiatives will be pivotal for the economy. Maybe. Mostly, budgets are like yesterdays news. Who remembers the 2019 budget beyond the slogans? It was the hacked budget (which wasnt actually hacked, but prematurely revealed due to Treasury slip-ups). Or the Well-being Budget (the official title that was little more than political spin with a smiley cover photo; what were Bill Englishs social investment budgets about if not well-being?).

So, good luck Mr Robertson we hope your pandemic budget (or recovery budget as you are calling it) delivers more than a catchy strapline.

Read more:
The pandemic budget: moving New Zealand from critical care to long-term recovery - The Conversation AU

Chief public health officer Dr. Heather Morrison draws inspiration from her British Columbia counterpart, who is also a fellow Prince Edward Islander.

Dr. Bonnie Henry has inspired me certainly as a public health leader, Morrison told The Guardian in a recent telephone interview.

She is a friend and a colleague that I reach out to regularly. She has had such a steady, calm way of leading.

Henry, like Morrison, has received ongoing praise for demonstrating strength and compassion in the face of COVID-19. Henry has even reportedly been nominated for the Order of Canada in recognition of her leadership during the global pandemic.

The accolades being heaped on Henry come as no surprise to Morrison.

She is a great public health leader and role model, says Morrison.

She has had that ability to care and is able to have such a critical thinking about public health and population risk and to be able to communicate that, which is really something special.

Morrison's first working relationship with Henry was when Henry was working as interim provincial executive director of the B.C. Centre of Disease Control from December 2013 to August 2014 and Morrison was more than a handful of years into her current role.

The pair, of course, have had regular interaction during the pandemic.

Shes a pleasure to work with, says Morrison.

She will often say something referencing P.E.I. In the past we have had face-to-face meetings, and I always looked forward to seeing her then.

Henry, who grew up in Charlottetown, maintains a strong connection to Prince Edward Island.

Her parents live just a couple of blocks away from Morrisons home, and Henry's sister, niece and nephew live in the capital city.

Henry, unlike Morrison, has made a career away from P.E.I.

In 2000, Henry worked with the World Health Organization and UNICEF on a polio eradication program in Pakistan. The following year she went to Uganda to help combat an Ebola outbreak.

Morrison says her feet have been firmly planted on native soil since she was appointed chief public health officer for P.E.I. in 2007. She has never considered working elsewhere since the prestigious appointment.

Morrison makes a point to mention, whenever she can, that Henry, who was appointed as B.C.s provincial health officer Feb. 1, 2018, is a native of P.E.I.

RELATED:

Visit link:
P.E.I.'s chief public health officer inspired by B.C. counterpart - The Guardian

New ways of working will boost medical innovation and benefit companies, shareholders, and the wider population

There are three things we know always happen in a crisis. Poor leaders get found out, as voters in the United States may already have already started to realise. The initial response is always completely hopeless, as we have discovered once again in Britain. And finally, and most importantly, whether it a war, a natural disaster, or an epidemic, eventually it sparks a wave of innovation because in the end human ingenuity always rises to a challenge.

The Covid-19 crisis is, at the risk of stating the obvious, the worst medical crisis we have witnessed in a century. But here is a bet, and one that matters to investors: it will also spark a much-needed wave of medical innovation. The last decade has been terrible for the pharmaceuticals and life sciences industry, with slowing innovation, defensive mergers, and dismal returns for shareholders.

However, that could be about to change because new ways of working will be discovered, regulations will be re-invented for a new era, and spending on healthcare will be increased. The companies that come up with treatments will be the big winners but the whole industry will start to flourish once again.

Over the next few months, every developed country will work its way through different strategies, from partial lockdowns to social distancing to herd immunity, to cope with Covid-19. But it remains the case that the only real solution will be scientific. Until we have a vaccine, or an effective drug treatment, the virus will justcome back again and again. There is no other way of beating it. One way or another, technology will have to rescue us.

The pharmaceuticals industry, although it wouldnt want it to happen this way, could use a boost. Its giants have all struggled over the past decade, and while the biotech start-ups may have raised a lot of money, very few of them have managed to live up to the hype. Just take a look at the figures.

Link:
Why Covid-19 will spark a wave of medical innovation - Telegraph.co.uk

Photo: Contributed

The Spotlight Series is a series of articles looking at common, and preventable, diseases. I explain the science behind the condition, how to spot early signs and what you can do to prevent it.

The science

Coronary heart disease (also known as cardiovascular disease, or ischaemic heart disease) is one of the leading causes of death in Canada. It is also relatively preventable, by making small lifestyle adjustments.

Coronary heart disease is caused by a build-up of atheromas along the lining of the arteries around the heart (coronary arteries). Atheromas are deposits, made up largely of fat and cholesterol. This build up in the walls of the arteries makes the arteries narrower, which is called atherosclerosis.

This narrowing of the arteries means that the heart receives less blood. This can cause a variety of problems, the most common of which is angina. Angina is chest pain, that is brought on when the heart isnt getting enough blood. This can be because of physical activity or stressful situations, where the heart is beating faster and therefore requires more blood.

Another form of coronary heart disease is a myocardial infarction, or heart attack. This occurs when the arteries become completely blocked, meaning the heart isnt receiving any blood.

Heart failure can also be a consequence of coronary disease, as the heart becomes too weak to pump blood properly around the body. This can happen either suddenly or gradually.

Signs and symptoms

Angina causes chest pain that is typically associated with a heaviness, tightness or uncomfortable sensation, that may spread to the jaw, neck, arms or back. Angina is often triggered by exercise, and will pass quickly when you rest or use a nitrate spray.

If the pain doesnt go away when you rest, or if the pain is particularly severe, it may be a heart attack. People also experience symptoms like nausea, sweating, feeling faint or short of breath. If you experience these symptoms, call 911 immediately, as this is a life-threatening emergency.

Heart failure can happen gradually or suddenly, and usually presents with shortness of breath. This is due to a build up of fluid in the lungs because the heart cant effectively pump fluid around the body.

How to prevent heart disease

Luckily, you can reduce your risk of getting coronary heart disease easily by keeping your blood pressure and cholesterol levels in the normal range.

Eating a cardio-protective diet is the best place to start. Here are the key aspects of the cardio-protective diet:

The heart is a muscle like any other, and so its important to treat it as such. Giving it regular exercise is the best way to keep it healthy and prevent the onset of disease. Regular exercise keeps your circulatory system efficient, reduces your cholesterol, and keeps your blood pressure at a healthy level.

As well as eating well and exercising to protect your heart, giving up smoking is a hugely important part of preventing disease. Smoking is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, as it causes the blood to be more sticky, and likely to atherosclerose.

Good news: drinking alcohol (albeit in small doses, and in low sugar forms) is actually a positive thing for heart health. Enjoy a glass of this regions awesome wine once or twice a week, and know that its on doctors orders! However, any alcohol in excess is not good, and binge drinking increases the risk of a heart attack. Be sensible.

Take home message

You guessed it its my motto! Eat well, exercise, and be aware of the signs and symptoms. If you believe you may be suffering from heart disease, speak to your family doctor. Even if you have heart disease, it is possible to reverse some of the damage to your arteries. Get in touch if you have any questions, or want to discuss this topic more.

Read the original here:
The Spotlight Series: coronary heart disease - Health and Happiness - Castanet.net

By Shannon Ebrahim is Independent

It is no small feat that Cuba, impoverished for 60 years due to the US economic embargo, has one of the best health systems in the world, with more impressive health indicators than those of the US and many other developed countries. Cubas success is largely due to its unrelenting commitment to prevention and community oriented primary health care.

Cuba has one of the highest ratios of doctors in the world, with 8.2 doctors per thousand people, three times the rate in the US, which has 2.6 doctors per thousand people. South Korea has 2.4 doctors per thousand people, while Italy has 4.1. Cubas mortality rate is equally as impressive with a rate of 4 per 1,000 births, which is lower than that in the US, despite all its resources.

Cuba struggles with shortages of medicine in its pharmacies as a result of the US sanctions regime, but it has found ways to continue improving its universal healthcare for the Cuban population. Cuba spends an impressive 23% of its national budget on healthcare and 30% on education, comprising a total of 53% on education and health, compared to the US which spends 28% on health and education.

It is a shocking double standard that US companies are not allowed to export essential life saving medicine to a critically ill Cuban child if they are the child of a member of the Cuban Communist party. There are medications in the US for particular diseases that cannot be bought in Cuba. US regulations stipulate that US drug companies must certify the end-user if they want to sell medicine to Cubans. The end user cannot be a member of the Communist Party, according to the Helms-Burton Act, which was signed into law by former President Bill Clinton. Most US drug companies find such certification impractical and therefore refuse to export to Cuba.

Cuba has risen above these monumental challenges in acquiring medicine for its people, and these hurdles have actually spurred innovation and medical scientific research in the island nation, with amazing results. Cuba has made huge strides in biotech innovations, and specialises in antiviral drugs such as Interferon Alpha 2B, which is being used to combat Covid-19 in both Cuba and China. Cuba supplies Interferon in its public health system as a preventative measure to elevate the immune system. It is also used in the early stages of infection with Covid-19, whereby it is administered via nebulisation so that it reaches the lungs, and has shown to have a positive impact. It is also administered to positive Covid-19 patients in a critical state through Intramuscular injection. Interferon is now being produced with Cuban technology in Jilin in China at a joint venture facility.

Cubas state owned pharmaceutical industry has been prioritising the production of Covid-19 treatments and therapies, and has 21 other products being used to fight the virus such as antivirals, antiarrhythmics, and antibiotics. Cuba is also using Biomodulin T for recurring respiratory infections in older adults to increase a patients defences.

Cubas successful health system has been an example for the rest of the world. Cuba has the worlds largest medical schools the Havana Latin American School of Medicine which provides free education to 35,000 doctors from 138 countries since 1999. Scholarships to the medical school include full tuition, textbooks, accommodation, meals, and a stipend. Graduates are encouraged to practice on the frontlines in low income and medically underserved communities.

Cuba is committed to producing revolutionary doctors prepared to put their lives on the line both at home and abroad to save lives. Today Cuba has 50,000 doctors working in 61 countries at any one time, which is a feat not even the most developed countries can rival. It is truly remarkable that a tiny island nation which has endured suffocating economic sanctions imposed by the US for over 60 years can have accomplished so much for the betterment of humankind.

Like Loading...

Related

Excerpt from:
Cuba lauded for one of the best health systems in the world. - stopthefud

Location, location, location. A mantra in real estate and an unfortunate reality for proper access to health care.

In Los Angeles County, those who live in low-income communities are three times more likely to die from COVID-19 than those in wealthier areas. People of color are also disproportionately affected. Black people make up 9% of the Countys population, yet account for a staggering 15% of coronavirus-related deaths.

Regardless, LAs wealthier zip codes have reported significantly higher cases. This is not because such areas are at a higher risk; instead, the numbers are a result of significantly lower rates of testing in lower-income neighborhoods.

Just two weeks ago, Mayor Eric Garcetti expanded free COVID-19 testing to all LA County residents. However, expanding testing is not the same thing as providing equal access to it.

People from underserved communities are more likely to die from coronavirus, due to existing disparities in access to health care and a continued lack of proper prevention and treatment. The county must do more to adequately expand testing to its most vulnerable populations and UCLA can be a part of those efforts. From increasing communication about available resources to easing restrictions on access to testing, LA County and UCLA Health can help by improving testing efforts in the most marginalized neighborhoods.

Coronavirus-related death rates in neighborhoods such as East Hollywood, Pico-Union and Westlake are four times higher than the national average. These are the same areas where more than one-third of housing is overcrowded.

Timothy Brewer, a professor of epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and Medicine, said there are big differences in the healthcare statistics between areas like West and South LA.

In areas where there are more African Americans in particular, those areas tend to be more crowded they tend to be poorer, Brewer said. They tend to have fewer health care facilities, and the health care facilities tend to be of lesser quality than in high-income areas.

Unfortunately, certain populations are at an extremely high risk simply by virtue of their zip code.

Systemic solutions are necessary to address these disparities, but in the mean time, proper testing and prevention is the least that LA County can provide. One way is to make sure that hospitals and clinics in low-income areas are properly staffed and have adequate resources. Its also important that these communities continue to get proper and updated information.

And UCLA has the resources to help. In early April, UCLA Health initiated testing for all incoming surgical and procedural patients, as well as ER admissions. UCLA can work with clinics in lower-income areas to launch expanded efforts.

Populations that have historically had little to no access to proper health care are just as susceptible to catching the virus, if not more. California Governor Gavin Newsom estimates that 60,000 people experiencing homelessness will become infected. In a county with the second highest rate of unsheltered individuals, these populations might not have access to food or shelter, let alone proper medical care.

These things that create pollutants tend to be much more common in people of color communities and poor communities, said Nina Harawa, a professor-in-residence with the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Literally the bodies of people in those communities are predisposed to have poor outcomes related to (COVID-19).

In California, Latinos and African Americans are exposed to 40% more pollution than white people making them more susceptible to coronavirus-related complications.

As a massive health care provider with offices spread across the city, UCLA Health can work with LA county to ensure that these populations get the information they need when it comes to accessible testing options and preventative measures.

Furthermore, undocumented workers, many of whom are working essential jobs and are at a greater risk, have no access to employment benefits or paid sick leave, despite being underpaid. They, along with mixed-status families such as DACA recipients or those with immigrant spouses, also wont get access to the stimulus check provided by the CARES Act.

And the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which covers testing for all uninsured workers, excludes those who are undocumented regardless of the fact that they pay taxes.

And the legacy of the countrys improper treatment of undocumented individuals may heighten fears of deportation if they try to access medical care. ICE agents made arrests on the first day of Californias official lockdown.

They made it seem like you can come get it, you can come get the test, regardless of your immigration status, but (theyre) not thinking about how undocumented folks may still be hesitant and may not trust what they are saying, said Daniela Rodriguez, a fourth-year sociology student.

One major deterrent is the current identification requirement for an individual to receive testing. And while LA County has promised not to use identification for purposes of law enforcement, loosening ID requirements could greatly increase accessibility for low-income and marginalized communities.

Undocumented populations should not have to choose between their health and physical safety. It is vital that the county keeps an open line of communication with the undocumented community, so they can receive the correct information and proper testing.

Granted, LA County has already greatly expanded its testing capacity. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. With the help of institutions like UCLA Health, the county must now make sure that testing is not just equally available, but equitably delivered. Because although the expansion towards universal testing is expensive, there is no other alternative.

Anyone, regardless of socioeconomic status, race or citizenship can become sick and spread the virus. Selectively ignoring already marginalized populations on the grounds of arbitrary social classifications will only prolong the virus reign and cause more avoidable deaths.

The virus does not discriminate and we cannot afford to either.

Read more:
Universal access is not the same as equitable access when it comes to COVID-19 tests - Daily Bruin

Development of PrEP for COVID-19 Could Allow Country to Open Safely Before a Vaccine Is Available

Development of PrEP for COVID-19 is likely possible in a shorter period of time than a vaccine. Although there are no drugs approved yet for treatment or prevention of COVID-19, expert opinions and computer modeling analysis have been able to identify a set of compounds, both small molecules and biological macromolecules, that could stop severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) from replicating in the body.1

PrEP has already been established as an effective medicine that revolutionized the fight against HIV. Since a vaccine for HIV has not yet been developed after decades of research, PrEP has been able to act as a preventative measure for those vulnerable to the disease.1 As a preventative measure, PrEP has been able to reduce vulnerable populations chance of infection by over 99%.2

Our experience with HIV shows that we cannot pin all our hopes on the development of a vaccine, no matter how optimistic we may be, said James Krellenstein, a co-founder of PrEP4All and member of the COVID-19 Working Group New York, in a press release. Development of PrEP for COVID-19 has the potential to be a major breakthrough until a vaccine is available. But research efforts will fail to deliver unless we take a dramatically different approach.2

Currently, scientists have found that some of the molecules that could block the replication of SARS-CoV-2 are already FDA-approved drugs. However, the United States has not been able to coordinate the necessary processes that would effectively evaluate the antiviral potency of these compounds in vitro. This has resulted in a limited number of them having been tested to prove their efficacy in preventing COVID-19.1

In its report, the PrEP4All Collaboration detailed 3 recommendations to facilitate a centrally coordinated process created by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), along with industry and international partners, that would support the development of PrEP for COVID-19 prevention1:

PrEP4All has done the world a great service, said Gregg Gonsalves, assistant professor of Epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health, in a press release. Using antiviral drugs to prevent SARS-CoV2 transmission, just as we use them to prevent HIV, opens up another way to bring this pandemic to an end. Unfortunately, what PrEP4All exposes is an effort just getting off the ground, with no coordination and leadership of key tasks like high throughput screening and prioritization of clinical trials. NIH, FDA, WHO should heedPrEP4Alls recommendations to get this effort on track and scaled-up.2

From prior experience with pandemics such as HIV, according to the report, it has been established that the most efficient method of advancing results is by creating a coordinated process between institutions such as the NIH and WHO, as well as academic and industry partners. Such a process can result in clearer directions regarding basic science and clinical care for a disease.1

In the past, PrEP has been highly effective at fighting pandemics that devastated global populations in a way that seemed uncontrollable. Today, no one knows with certainty the method that will effectively control COVID-19, but it has become necessary to find the most efficient way possible.1

We owe it to the world to explore every possible option in controlling this pandemic, said Krellenstein in a press release. PrEP could be a game-changer for the COVID-19 response and save countless lives, especially among the most vulnerable populations. But that will not happen unless we better coordinate our efforts and urgently prioritize research.2

REFERENCES

See the article here:
Development of PrEP for COVID-19 Could Allow Country to Open Safely Before a Vaccine Is Available - Pharmacy Times

BusinessEvolving health research could catalyse demand for high-end office space in Scotlands cities from the burgeoning life sciences sector, according to Knight Frank.

Tuesday, 12th May 2020, 4:45 pm

The UK Life Sciences report from the property consultancy which has offices in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Melrose has found that growing collaboration between companies in the industry and the wider tech sector, plus more computational science, will cause seismic shifts in the industrys property requirements.

As medical technology, biopharmaceutical, and digital health companies become more interdependent, property will need to reflect their growing need to cluster in new locations, according to the report. It also highlighted the 750 million expansion plans at Edinburghs BioQuarter and the establishment of the Medicines Manufacturing Centre in Renfrewshire as examples of the trend already taking hold in Scotland.

Knight Frank also said Edinburgh and Glasgow were among the top UK locations for investment in digital health, attracting 30m and 10.5m respectively.Scottish Development International says there are more than 750 life sciences organisations in Scotland, with the sector adding 2.4 billion to the economy, on track to reach turnover of 8bn by 2025.

Lee Elliott, Knight Franks global head of occupier research, said: Covid-19 has brought the growing importance of life science and health research companies to the fore. The needs of the NHS, and other health services, will likely cause an acceleration in the convergence of technology and life sciences, particularly around digital diagnostics and preventative medicine.

The restructuring of life sciences companies will bring a new wave of demand from the sector, particularly in Scotland where [small and medium-sized enterprises] make up the majority of the industry.

Indeed, landlords that are able to provide flexible, cost-effective space to accommodate the rapid growth these companies can achieve and help them track their investment will be well-positioned. So too will facilities that are future-proof and capable of manufacturing advanced therapeutics.

Occupier services partner Simon Capaldi said: The shift towards more computational [research and development] will see an increase in the need for more conventional office space in city-centre locations. It is perhaps no surprise that were seeing more demand from the sector in Edinburgh, which offers a deep pool of data science talent.

Tech, more broadly, has emerged over the past five years or so as a significant source of activity in Edinburghs office market, accounting for around one-third of city centre take-up.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.Subscribe to scotsman.com and enjoy unlimited access to Scottish news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit http://www.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

View post:
Evolution of life sciences to spur need for high-end office space in Scots cities - The Scotsman

Tokyo May 14, 2020 (Thomson StreetEvents) -- Edited Transcript of Eisai Co Ltd earnings conference call or presentation Wednesday, May 13, 2020 at 7:30:00am GMT

Eisai Co., Ltd. - CEO, Representative Corporate Officer & Director

Eisai Co., Ltd. - Senior VP & President of Neurology Business Group

Eisai Co., Ltd. - VP and Chief Medicine Creation Officer & Chief Discovery Officer of Oncology Business Group

Daiwa Securities Co. Ltd., Research Division - Research Analyst

It's now time. We would like to begin financial results presentation on fiscal 2019 results. Because of COVID-19 infection situation, today we are live distributing -- streamcasting the financial results presentation.

I would now like to introduce the presenter today, Representative Director and CEO, Mr. Haruo Naito. Without further ado, I would like to -- I'll give the microphone to Mr. Naito.

Haruo Naito, Eisai Co., Ltd. - CEO, Representative Corporate Officer & Director [2]

Naito speaking. Now I would like to give you a presentation on the financial results for fiscal year 2019. Please look at the slide.

Given the current circumstances surrounding COVID-19 pandemic, we are a pharmaceutical company. Therefore, we believe that there are many roles that we should play, out of which, I think, what is most important is described on this page, which is stable supply of our products. Needless to say, each pharmaceutical product is leading to quality of life or lives of patients. Therefore, these are all life-related products. Therefore, the discontinuation of supply is not allowed.

On this slide, we are globally rolling out manufacturing at 9 sites over the world. On the right-hand side in table at each manufacturing site, the state of emergency issuance is different among different manufacturing sites. But currently, at all 9 sites, operation is smoothly ongoing. Therefore, stable supply of our products have been secured.

To maintain stable supply, as we have described at the bottom of this slide, we needed to have sufficient supply of raw materials, API or intermediates or packaging materials. These have to be kept in ample stock. To continue our manufacturing activities, such BCP, business continuity plan, is necessary. Currently, for our main products, on the average, we have ample stock of final products amounting to 4 months to 5 months of stock level.

Needless to say, another important point is at manufacturing sites, of course, we have employees who are operating the plant. We needed to secure the safety of them. We have manual -- internal manual for COVID-19 is utilized in order to implement, in fact, rigorous infection control measures to secure safety of employees. Another role to be played by us is to develop treatments and vaccines for COVID-19.

From that perspective, today, first of all, we'd like to share with you the possibility of eritoran, E5564. Eritoran, as you see at the footnote #1, which is a structural analog of lipid A, which is an activator of endotoxin of bacteria, you can see chemical structure scheme of this compound for the sugar chain. And this was a treatment which was in-house synthesized at Eisai Research Institute of Boston with an aim to get approval of this compound for indication of severe sepsis we conducted until up to Phase III trial. But in 2011, this development of eritoran was discontinued.

E5564, or eritoran, will be studied in hospitalized patients who tested positive with COVID-19 and have worsening symptoms. On the right-hand side, mechanism of action and schema are described. The target of eritoran is found at upstream of cytokine gene expression signaling. The target is TLR4. So this is a TLR4 antagonist. At the very upstream of this cytokine gene expression signaling will be inhibited. Therefore, downstream IL-6, TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, various cytokines production will be inhibited. So eritoran is going to be tested for indication for certain groups of patients who tested positive with COVID-19.

In the lower bottom left corner, you will see the description of how we are working on this project. In the U.S., there is an international network called REMAP-CAP-COVID for repurposing of drugs. Various multiple drugs are being tested within this framework, where we have participated to explore the possibility of eritoran. Starting from June 2020, global randomized, controlled study will be initiated at domestic investigational sites. In order to prepare such sites, we are making necessary coordination. These investigational drugs are being under preparation with good quality and about 400 subjects to be enrolled in this randomized, controlled study. If everything goes well, at the end of -- around the end of this year, we'll be able to get the result out of the study and -- although the second wave and third wave of infection are anticipated, but there will be possibility to address those second and third waves of infection.

Through countermeasures against NTD, neglected tropical diseases, we have been engaged with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for many years. In relation to that, the Gates Foundation is taking a central role in the development of vaccines for COVID-19. As you can see in the bottom left corner, an immunologic adjuvant, E6020, which is already used in practical use, this was internally developed and discovered at Eisai Research Institute of Boston, which we may pursue the possibility as a vaccine. And The Scripps Research Institute is leading the initiative called pandemic response library, where Eisai's very unique natural products compound library has been already provided as regards to the development of treatment.

On the right-hand side, what has been already licensed out to Roivant Sciences, which is gimsilumab, which is a monoclonal antibody in Pennsylvania, Exton, former Morphotek site, has originated this antibody, which is anti-GM-CSF monoclonal antibody. For ARDS, or acute respiratory distress syndrome, Roivant Sciences has initiated trial. Utilizing our site at Exton in the U.S., we are providing API for this investigational agent.

Supporting stakeholders. That is described on this page. In Japan, under the hhc concept, we are collaborating with various groups and associations and organizations so far, for example, at the top, with local governments or medical associations. In total, there are about 167 associations with whom we have formed the partnership agreement for dementia. The second bullet shows the 4 groups of Living Labs. And the patient support groups and patient family advocacy groups over 100 groups as such in the area of dementia, cancer, epilepsy and sleep disorder. With 300 groups in Japan, we have prepared masks or relief goods and providing support goods to these groups. In the U.S., Europe, China, Asia and Africa, we are providing funding, for example, to provide PPE or providing support for the frontline health care professionals. In China, we are -- we have donated donation contribution to Wuhan Charity Federation in China.

Given these initiatives, now we would like to present to you the summary of the consolidated statement of income for fiscal year 2019. Please look at the right-hand side. The characteristics of these results are described in the headline. Operating profit was JPY 125.5 billion and profit for the year was JPY 122.5 billion. The profit for the year attributable to owners of the parent is JPY 121.8 billion, ROE is 18.6%, all of which have been the record-high numbers. In the past, for fiscal year 2010, operating profit reached JPY 113.1 billion or ROE reached 16.4%. But all these numbers exceeded that number in fiscal year 2010.

Revenue was JPY 695.6 billion, up 8% year-on-year, which will be explained in details later. This was driven by global brands, our proprietary brand drove this growth. And the cost of sales due to the mix improvement, given the growth of our in-house developed product, cost of sales ratio in the sales improved by 3.4 percentage points. Gross profit grew by double-digit rate. And R&D expenses were 97% of the previous year on this statement of income. However, including partners' reimbursement, R&D expenses were JPY 203.7 billion, which was up 6% from the previous year. We are one of the most proactive pharmaceutical companies in terms of investment in R&D among global peers.

SG&A expenses. Given the expansion of the business in the previous year, the SG&A expenses grew 12% year-on-year due to the expansion of the shared profits with partners. And operating profit was up 46% year-on-year to reach JPY 125.5 billion and profit for the year was 84% increase from the previous year to JPY 122.5 billion. At the very bottom of this page, net DER, minus 0.29 in terms of financial robustness. Therefore, net cash position was secured. The debt-free management has been maintained. In the meantime, free cash was exceeding the JPY 60 billion, therefore exceeding the amount necessary for paying dividend. Ratio of equity attributable to owners of the parent, or equity ratio, is -- was 63.8%. Given any circumstances, we can say that we have very robust financial structure, which would not be affected by any circumstances, I would say.

Here is the breakdown of changes in revenue. On this graph, as you see, the biggest factor for increasing the revenue was expansion of global brands. There was an increment by JPY 53.2 billion. And what has been obtained from the business in the previous year, that is to say, milestone payments, were recognized, increasing the revenue by JPY 10.6 billion. Given the success the business recorded in the previous year, that was the main driver for the increase in revenue this year under review.

Regarding the LENVIMA-related payments, all milestones -- preset milestones were cleared. Therefore, there was milestone payments in the amount of JPY 10.6 billion. And given the transfer right for the -- transfer of the shares of the Elmed Eisai, there was a negative factor and transfer rights for tazemetostat and the milestone payments were recognized. Therefore, there was an increase by JPY 14.1 billion, an increment in total was JPY 52.8 billion year-on-year to reach JPY 695.6 billion.

Next, breakdown of operating profit migration. The factors contributing to the changes were almost similar to what we saw with revenue and increase of shared profit of LENVIMA paid by Eisai recorded minus JPY 25.5 billion. This was all due to the expansion of LENVIMA business. Therefore, shared profit paid to partner was increased. Therefore, we believe that this is a proactive increase in the expenses. And the operating profit was increased by JPY 39.3 billion year-on-year to reach JPY 125.5 billion, which was a record-high.

On the right-hand side, you can see the R&D expenses. Please look at the column for FY 2019, JPY 140.1 billion, which was recorded on the P&L. Adding JPY 63.5 billion as the reimbursement from partners, that total JPY 203.7 billion was the actual spending in R&D activities, which accounts for about 29% of the revenue compared to the previous year, which was up 6% from a year earlier.

Now turning to LENVIMA. For fiscal 2018, 2019 and 2020, over the 3 years, we have seen a steady and dynamic growth over the years. For the current year under review, revenue was JPY 158.0 billion, which was 41% year-on-year. In the current fiscal year, we are aiming at achieving this. On the right-hand side, Americas, for hepatocellular carcinoma and the combination therapy with KEYTRUDA for endometrial carcinoma, for these indications, developments are being ongoing. And the first-line HCC indication, we are preparing for the launch for this indication, which is currently under review in combination with KEYTRUDA.

Another important market next to Americas is China for LENVIMA as well. New patient assistance program has been introduced. And the number of patients has increased by about 60% from a year earlier. And regarding thyroid cancer indication, launch readiness is being progressed. In Japan, EMEA, Asia, Latin America, endometrial cancer and HCC, the number of countries where these indications have been approved and launched is to be expanded in order to achieve this JPY 158 billion for the year.

For LENVIMA, there have been the guidances recommending this LENVIMA use from various societies. And given this COVID-19 infection risk, oral formulation cancer agents are being recommended. For example, from ILCA, International Liver Cancer Association, issued guidelines -- guidance to recommend oral formulation. And the second one, LENVIMA used to be classified as category 2 but now recommended as category 1.

For RCC, the oral formulation cancer agent has been recommended by issued guidance. And LENVIMA, everolimus combination therapy is recommended. For endometrial carcinoma, in combination with KEYTRUDA, rather than every 3 weeks but every 6-week administration is recommended. Therefore, combination therapy of LENVIMA and KEYTRUDA has been increasingly selected. And the benefit of administration of LENVIMA's oral formulation is being enhanced, given this risk of infection.

Conversion treatment is something that I've reported on past occasions. In hepatocellular carcinoma, when tumor volume is large in patients and it is Barcelona B Classification patient, first, LENVIMA can be administered to shrink the tumor volume. And then curative treatment, such as TACE, may be utilized to achieve cancer-free status in patients. And that is conversion treatment. In Japan, which is one of the most advanced countries in hepatic cancer treatment, TACE and other curative treatment have been developed and such -- correction, conversion treatment has been developed. And the combination therapy with LENVIMA allows for such conversion treatment.

Study 307, Study 309 Phase III studies are underway for combination therapy of LENVIMA and KEYTRUDA. And as for the studies listed here, enrollment of target number of patients has been completed. For Study 307 and Study 309, close to 1,000 patients have been enrolled. And we will make sure that we will make close follow-up of patients and would like to make sure that there will not be a delay -- substantial delay in the conduct of the trials. We will work with Merck to minimize negative impact of COVID-19 by working together and by working flexibly.

I would now like to discuss the topic of neurology area. First, DAYVIGO. This is lemborexant orexin dual inhibitor. In Japan and the United States, approval conditions were all satisfied and it is now ready to go. Once again, orexin biology is shown in this slide in the upper part of the slide. One of the most prominent researchers in Japan, Dr. Yanagisawa had conducted ligand hunting for orphan GPCR. And this is known as the most successful result. Orphan GPCR HFGAN72 ligand was discovered to be orexin, as shown in the middle of the slide. And orexin is a very important substance that controls sleep and wake cycles according to Dr. Yanagisawa.

And at Tsukuba Research Institute, library was built. And as a result, we were able to obtain receptor E2006 or lemborexant. There were 2 large Phase III studies, compared to placebo and compared to zolpidem ER in older patients. In these 2 large Phase III studies, very good results were obtained in sleep latency and quality of sleep. And in 2 healthy subject studies, residual next-morning effect was observed. This is the third blue triangle, and this is reflected in the package insert in the United States. As a result of the 2 studies, in comparison to placebo, there were no meaningful differences in next-day postural stability. So sleep latency, quality of sleep and residual next-morning effects in all of these 3 areas, treatment is achieved by DAYVIGO.

We are now preparing to launch DAYVIGO. Under COVID-19 situation, information communication with the traditional method of medical representatives visiting institutions will be difficult. So as shown at the bottom of the page, we will be centering around digital-centric strategy, including web seminars, digital meetings and remote communication. Centering around digital means, we would like to launch DAYVIGO. We are preparing for launch in June timing in the United States and around July timing in Japan.

Now turning to aducanumab. Towards completion of submission, we are making good progress. In the United States, we now have open BLA and have started to submit modules of the filing. This regulatory filing process, in this process, we are making good progress in open BLA submission modules of the filing. And for that, pre-BLA meeting has been scheduled. Therefore, we expect to complete the filing in Q2 fiscal 2020. We have a very good visibility of that. And at the same time, in Japan and in Europe, we are engaging with regulators. Together with Biogen, Eisai is engaging in very strong collaboration with Biogen. And we are starting to make full-fledged preparations to deliver potentially first therapy to reduce clinical decline in Alzheimer's disease patients.

About BAN2401, final regulatory requirement, Phase III study, Clarity AD, is in the stage of enrolling patients and progress had been made so far. However, because of COVID-19 impact, the pace is slightly slowing down. However, sites in China will soon initiate enrollment and the impact may be such that additional 3 months may be required. Final readout timing is changed from Q1 fiscal 2022 that we announced previously to Q2 fiscal 2022. As for earlier phase of AD, preclinical AD, we have Phase III study AHEAD 3-45. And we are about to be ready to start the study. Home infusion at patient home or assessment to be conducted remotely, these are measures that are being encouraged by the regulators. We would like to make active utilization of these methods to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 as much as possible.

Today, regarding BAN2401, I would like to discuss 201 study, which had already been completed. This is the core study. And at the bottom of the page, the situation of OLE study is described. Of course, 201 study is parallel group comparative study. ADCOMPS is used to measure the slowing of progression of the disease. And various background biomarkers are measured. And slowing of pathophysiological progression was observed through the observation of these biomarkers. And we believe that these support for efficacy clinical symptoms.

As for OLE study, after the end of the core study for 2 years, after the end of the randomized study, there is discontinuation of about 2 years. And this is the baseline for OLE study. CDR-SB is used to assess cognitive function. Between active arm and placebo arm in the core study part, there were differences in clinical symptoms. And that difference is maintained over this discontinuation period. The gap between the 2 arms is maintained. That is what this data suggests.

On the right side, in the first bullet, this is described. When disease modifying effect was demonstrated by a drug, it is considered that suppression of cognitive decline versus placebo continues after administration of drug was continued since neuropathy is reduced. This is one of the strong data suggesting disease-modifying effect. In the middle, for your information, our key drug Aricept data is shown. On the right side, at the end -- after the end of the core study of Aricept, after 6 weeks of discontinuation, cognitive function deterioration in active arm was such that the level declined to the same level as placebo arm. And this is the difference between symptomatic relief and disease-modifying drug as we see it. And that is why I am sharing with you this information on this page.

Earlier, about second-generation -- next-generation Alzheimer's disease drug treatment, I have mentioned that we have started full-fledged effort. And one of the important efforts as a part of that is dementia platform easiit. We have registered the name easiit. easiit dementia platform is shown at the center. And this uses smartphone app. easiit core asset includes Aricept accumulation of AD treatment experiences, AD is also included. And based on external cohort and high-quality data, analysis is carried out and advice can be given as a result of utilizing data. And that is the most important core asset.

Using that -- in order to use this asset, on the left side in daily living domain, to consumers, to patients -- or from consumers, from patients, personal health record can be collected, including data on sleeping, data on walking, data on diet. And from April, to providers, sales of NOUKNOW has been started. NOUKNOW is a digital tool, which allows for convenient checking of cognitive function. And through this, personal health record can be collected. And we will be applying our AI to analyze data. As shown in the arrow on the left at the bottom, we can return the information to make a recommendation of preventive action so that people can practice such action. We would like to encourage people acquiring a habit of practicing such preventative action.

On the right side, in the medical domain, medical data is collected by various medical institutions, including blood test results and medical version of NOUKNOW, Cognigram data. Cognigram uses same algorithm to measure brain performance. Such information can also be input into easiit through medical chart, through medical version of the app. Using AI algorithm, treatment effect can be visualized and side effect detection can be assisted. Such information can be provided. And this will make easier realization of optimal treatment and will also assist in conducting efficient interviews and diagnosis by doctors. So in daily living and in medical area, data can be crafted. And they can be connected and combined on the platform of easiit.

One more thing I would like to discuss about easiit is chasms that I also discussed in the information meeting. Chasm is the gap in disease understanding or barriers that must be overcome so that preventive actions become common practice. These gaps are chasms. As noted in the footnote 2, and at the left part, it shows that total population is about 66 million. Often, smaller number of people understand the disease, 44 million. And people who have acquired common practice of preventative action is even smaller in number, and people who have a common practice of checking cognitive function is even smaller. These are the chasms. And in medical domain, on the right side -- as shown on the right side, convenient diagnostic tool, whether it is prevalent, used frequently or biomarkers usage, the number of population is even smaller.

And monitoring of administration side effect, there is even bigger chasms. In each chasms stage, easiit can be used to reduce and eliminate chasm regarding the lack of understanding of disease. People between the ages of 40 to 50, we can offer content that we develop jointly with influencers through easiit to educate people on the disease. As for the lack of convenient diagnostic tool or -- we would like to provide NOUKNOW. And regarding PET test, CSF examination, easiit can provide information about the utilization rate of these equipments in institutions and offer information of that. And easiit can also help build a network for better cooperation regionally by using easiit. As shown at the very bottom including cognitive checking, lifestyle can be improved, and smooth diagnosis and treatment of dementia can be realized more easily. That is what we would like to achieve.

This is my second from last slide. COVID-19 may bring a new order or as people often call it, new normal. We are facing COVID-19 situation, and we were made to realize that there were 2 principles: first is that human life comes first, and the second is that individual countries cannot stand-alone. If -- even if one's country is okay, if the others are not okay, that is not a good situation. And in this situation, one of the most important keyword is digital transformation. Here, digital and personal should be utilized in combination. New way of communication including easiit on the digital platform, we are able to have direct 2-way communication with many patients. And our field force sales activities can use digital in combination with in-person activities.

And in medical care delivery, it is already happening -- some changes are already happening, including online medical consultation. And remote medicine among health care professionals can be further promoted even in remote areas. In African countries, apps may be utilized to understand disease prevalence. On the right side, there is a box with the title New Logistics. I discussed a stable supply earlier. Climate change will continue to be a problem, and we do not know what we will have as next pandemic. There will be natural disasters. Market may grow or shrink. With AI, we can make forecast. In raw materials procurement to production plan, we are able to better execute this. Global enterprise resource planning should be promoted.

And as shown in the next bullet, from intermediate raw material to final product, manufacturing, more on a regional basis rather than depending on global network, may become more necessary. And new life-related policy business -- and businesses is the right bottom box. It is not only pandemic. AMR and Neglected Tropical Diseases can become a major problem and disease for the whole world. We cannot become complacent and therefore, we have to enhance problem-solving abilities in low-income populations and countries. For example, Universal Health Coverage or UHC benefit level improvement is one of the things that we have to seriously address. And in regulatory approval system, priority review system should be flexibly used in broader scope as people are discussing this issue right now.

This is the PL for the ongoing fiscal 2020. JPY 719 billion is the forecasted level of revenue, 3% up from the previous year. So we expect continuous growth in revenue. And therefore, we will be making expenditures including milestone payments. And LENVIMA, JPY 154 billion of product sales including milestone revenue. LENVIMA business alone will be achieving revenue of JPY 250 billion -- or is achieving JPY 250 billion. It has grown into a very big product. And with the mix of in-house product, we will have a better situation, and we will achieve a growth in gross profit. As for R&D expenses and SG&A expenses, the input of resources -- investment of resources, this is for the investment into the future beyond EWAY 2025 into EWAY future. BAN2401 aducanumab, these AD-related diseases, for both of these, we will have large-scale studies, and we have large-scale studies. And LENVIMA shared profit partners will be increasing. And we also have to prepare to make contribution to patients through next-generation dementia drug. And therefore, we also plan to make investments in these areas.

It is now the time to make these investments. And therefore, operating profit is forecasted to be JPY 88 billion; profit for the year, JPY 67 billion. Return on equity is 9.7%. According to the forecast, equity spread will be ensured in this fiscal year. As for dividend per share, it is noted at the bottom line at the Board meeting earlier today, year-end dividend of JPY 80 was approved. And for fiscal 2020, we expect to pay annual dividend of JPY 160.

An with this, I conclude my presentation on fiscal 2019 results. Thank you for your attention.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unidentified Company Representative, [3]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now we would like to open the floor for Q&A session. (Operator Instructions)

================================================================================

Questions and Answers

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Operator [1]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Operator Instructions)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unidentified Company Representative, [2]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Operator Instructions) The first question is from Citigroup Securities, Mr. Yamaguchi. The floor is yours. Are you ready, Mr. Yamaguchi? Can you hear? Yes. We can hear you.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hidemaru Yamaguchi, Citigroup Inc, Research Division - MD & Analyst [3]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My name is Yamaguchi, I'm from Citigroup. My first question. Well, first of all, eritoran, which I have heard after a long interval, data will become available by the end of this year and in development -- rather than development and the sales for the future. Is Eisai leading initiative of sales or this network will be leading the initiatives in future sales? Which is the case?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Haruo Naito, Eisai Co., Ltd. - CEO, Representative Corporate Officer & Director [4]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Naito speaking. Mr. Yamaguchi, that point is yet to be considered. Now quality of this investigational drug is being secured, and we are making utmost efforts to provide the drugs to the frontline. We are trying to speed up the clinical trial as soon as possible. That is what we are working hard. But if everything goes well and the commercial production shall be accelerated proactively, of course, we would like to see Eisai taking initiative. But when it comes to specific framework for commercialization, which, I believe, is yet to be determined.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hidemaru Yamaguchi, Citigroup Inc, Research Division - MD & Analyst [5]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Understood. Second question is about aducanumab. Let me clarify one point. It's a open BLA or rolling BLA, I think that is the submission made module by module. And after completion, then review process will start. That consensus in the United States, do you think that there is a delay? Or the play BLA meeting itself, there may have been any negative impact to that process or if there have been any reshuffle of the person in-charge at FDA, I think there are certain uncertainties. And I believe it's difficult for you to make any counterargument under this situation. But from your gut feeling, what is your take once completing this process? And then do you think the development afterwards will be visible?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Haruo Naito, Eisai Co., Ltd. - CEO, Representative Corporate Officer & Director [6]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For this point as well, it is related to regulatory filing and the timing of getting approval all to be up to discretion of the regulatory authorities. Therefore, we are not in a position to make any comments on that. But we're thinking about the usual range if the delay is contained within that normal range or some minor hedges. I believe that those are contained to the minor ones. For the fundamental core structure of the processes, we believe that these have not been swayed by this situation at all.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hidemaru Yamaguchi, Citigroup Inc, Research Division - MD & Analyst [7]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Understood. My last question is about LENVIMA LEAP study. Those [116] has been submitted after immediately. And since the inception of the study, until the filing, there have been several studies where the filing process was very speedy. Do you think that this stance approach will be continued and repeated for LEAP study?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unidentified Company Representative, [8]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you very much. From Oncology Business Group, Dr. Owa, who is in-charge of Science is going to respond.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Takashi Owa, Eisai Co., Ltd. - VP and Chief Medicine Creation Officer & Chief Discovery Officer of Oncology Business Group [9]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Owa speaking. Mr. Yamaguchi, thank you for your question. Among LEAP study, I believe that what will be designated as a breakthrough therapy in the United States. If there are any potential, we would like to pursue that process together with Merck. Of course, we are not have a preconception regarding any specific types of cancer, but the universal benefit is expected from this combination of LENVIMA and KEYTRUDA. Therefore, we believe that such breakthrough therapy designation can be utilized in order to pursue the faster track approval. That is my answer.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unidentified Company Representative, [10]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We have Mr. Hashiguchi from Daiwa Securities. Mr. Hashiguchi, please.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kazuaki Hashiguchi, Daiwa Securities Co. Ltd., Research Division - Research Analyst [11]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

View original post here:
Edited Transcript of 4523.T earnings conference call or presentation 13-May-20 7:30am GMT - Yahoo Finance

Shuhei Nakanishi,1 Hidenori Hirukawa,1 Masashi Shimoda,1 Fuminori Tatsumi,1 Kenji Kohara,1 Atsushi Obata,1 Seizo Okauchi,1 Junpei Sanada,1 Yoshiro Fushimi,1 Akiko Mashiko,1 Tomoatsu Mune,1 Kohei Kaku,2 Hideaki Kaneto1

1Division of Diabetes, Metabolism and Endocrinology, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, Japan; 2Department of Internal Medicine, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, Japan

Correspondence: Shuhei Nakanishi Email n-shuhei@umin.net

Introduction: This study aimed to examine the association between severity of diabetic neuropathy and weight loss during hospitalization in overweight participants with type 2 diabetes.Patients and Methods: Participants of this study comprised 193 patients who were hospitalized for type 2 diabetes treatment. The participants were divided into two groups in the study, based on whether or not reduction of bodyweight was at least 3% during hospitalization. Using Cox models, the association between severity of neuropathy and effectiveness of weight loss under a controlled diet was analyzed. Autonomic neuropathy was assessed on patient admission by R-R interval, as measured in an electrocardiogram (CVRR), and sensory neuropathy was assessed using both 128-Hz tuning-fork vibration and Achilles tendon reflex (ATR).Results: The adjusted hazard ratio for weight loss of at least 3% for CVRR was 1.17 (95% confidence interval 1.07 1.28, P=0.0006) and for vibration time 1.93 (1.01 3.68, P=0.045). After dividing CVRR and vibration time into tertiles based on participant number, the adjusted hazard ratio for the high tertile of CVRR was 2.17 (1.29 3.62, P=0.003), and for the long tertile of vibration time 1.84 (1.10 3.08, P=0.02), compared with the low and short tertiles, respectively. No association was detected between ATR category and weight loss.Conclusion: Severity of diabetic neuropathy was found to be a determinant in weight loss under a caloric restriction regimen for patients with type 2 diabetes. The results of the study suggest that the peripheral nervous system is involved in responses to medical intervention for treatment for type 2 diabetes including bodyweight management.

Keywords: diabetic neuropathy, weight loss, R-R interval as measured in an electrocardiogram, type 2 diabetes

This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License.By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.

Read more:
Association Between Severity of Diabetic Neuropathy and Success in Wei | DMSO - Dove Medical Press

Fact.MR has adopted multi-disciplinary approach to shed light on the evolution of the global Diabetic Neuropathy market during the historical period of 2014 2019. The study presents a deep-dive assessment of the current growth dynamics, major avenues in the estimation year of 2020, and key prospects over the forecast period 2020 2025.The Diabetic Neuropathy market study includes a thorough analysis of the overall competitive landscape and the company profiles of leading market players involved in the global Diabetic Neuropathy market. Further, the presented study offers accurate insights pertaining to the different segments of the global Diabetic Neuropathy market such as the market share, value, revenue, and how each segment is expected to fair post the COVID-19 pandemic.

The global diabetic neuropathy is anticipated to surge at a CAGR of 5.6% during the forecast period (2020-2025). Extensive rounds of primary and a comprehensive secondary research have been leveraged by the analysts at Fact.MR to arrive at various estimations and projections of the Diabetic Neuropathy market, both at global and regional levels. The analysts have used numerous industry-wide prominent business intelligence tools to consolidate facts, figures, and market data into revenue estimations and projections in theDiabetic Neuropathy market.

After reading the Diabetic Neuropathy market report, readers get insight into:

Request for Sample Report with Statistical Info @https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=4698

The Diabetic Neuropathy market report offers assessment of prevailing opportunities in various regions and evaluates their shares of revenue by the end of different years of the assessment period. Key regions covered comprise:

The evaluation of the competitive landscape in the Diabetic Neuropathy market covers the profile of the following top players:

Johnson & Johnson (Janssen Global Services, LLC), Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, NeuroMetrix, Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, GlaxoSmithKline Plc.,Lupin Limited, Astellas Pharma Inc., Pfizer, Inc., Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Arbor Pharmaceuticals, LLC and Depomed, Inc.

To expand the understanding of opportunities in the global Diabetic Neuropathy market report looks at close quarters into the opportunities and new avenues in following key segments:

In addition to understanding the demand patterns of various Distribution Channel, the report on the Diabetic Neuropathy market also enumerates trends expected to attract investments by other various associated industries.

On the basis of Disorder types, the Diabetic Neuropathy market report offers insight into major adoption trends for the following segments:

By Treatment Type,

Peripheral Neuropathy

Drugs:

Analgesic:

Topical:

Opioid:

NSAIDs:

Antidepressants:

TCAs:

SNRIs:

SSRIs:

Anticonvulsant Drugs:

Other Drugs

Radiotherapy:

Physiotherapy

The global Diabetic Neuropathy market report offers detailed assessments and quantitative evaluations that shed light on numerous key aspects that have shaped its evolution over the historical period. In coming years, some of the key aspects that will shape the growth prospects during the forecast period are objectively covered in the study.

For More Detailed Information about Methodology @https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=RM&rep_id=4698

Some important questions that the Diabetic Neuropathy market report tries to answer exhaustively are:

About Fact.MR

Fact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; thats why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.

Media Release:https://www.factmr.com/media-release/1445/global-diabetic-neuropathy-market

Read more:
Diabetic Neuropathy Market Demand Surges Owing to Increasing Production Associated With Covid-19, Concludes Fact.MR - The Cloud Tribune

Krenitsky Pharmaceuticals Inc

Moreover, the Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment report offers a detailed analysis of the competitive landscape in terms of regions and the major service providers are also highlighted along with attributes of the market overview, business strategies, financials, developments pertaining as well as the product portfolio of the Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment market. Likewise, this report comprises significant data about market segmentation on the basis of type, application, and regional landscape. The Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment market report also provides a brief analysis of the market opportunities and challenges faced by the leading service provides. This report is specially designed to know accurate market insights and market status.

By Regions:

* North America (The US, Canada, and Mexico)

* Europe (Germany, France, the UK, and Rest of the World)

* Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, and Rest of Asia Pacific)

* Latin America (Brazil and Rest of Latin America.)

* Middle East & Africa (Saudi Arabia, the UAE, , South Africa, and Rest of Middle East & Africa)

To get Incredible Discounts on this Premium Report, Click Here @ https://www.marketresearchintellect.com/ask-for-discount/?rid=259478&utm_source=NYH&utm_medium=888

Table of Content

1 Introduction of Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment Market

1.1 Overview of the Market1.2 Scope of Report1.3 Assumptions

2 Executive Summary

3 Research Methodology

3.1 Data Mining3.2 Validation3.3 Primary Interviews3.4 List of Data Sources

4 Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment Market Outlook

4.1 Overview4.2 Market Dynamics4.2.1 Drivers4.2.2 Restraints4.2.3 Opportunities4.3 Porters Five Force Model4.4 Value Chain Analysis

5 Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment Market, By Deployment Model

5.1 Overview

6 Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment Market, By Solution

6.1 Overview

7 Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment Market, By Vertical

7.1 Overview

8 Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment Market, By Geography

8.1 Overview8.2 North America8.2.1 U.S.8.2.2 Canada8.2.3 Mexico8.3 Europe8.3.1 Germany8.3.2 U.K.8.3.3 France8.3.4 Rest of Europe8.4 Asia Pacific8.4.1 China8.4.2 Japan8.4.3 India8.4.4 Rest of Asia Pacific8.5 Rest of the World8.5.1 Latin America8.5.2 Middle East

9 Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment Market Competitive Landscape

9.1 Overview9.2 Company Market Ranking9.3 Key Development Strategies

10 Company Profiles

10.1.1 Overview10.1.2 Financial Performance10.1.3 Product Outlook10.1.4 Key Developments

11 Appendix

11.1 Related Research

Get Complete Report

@ https://www.marketresearchintellect.com/need-customization/?rid=259478&utm_source=NYH&utm_medium=888

About Us:

Market Research Intellect provides syndicated and customized research reports to clients from various industries and organizations with the aim of delivering functional expertise. We provide reports for all industries including Energy, Technology, Manufacturing and Construction, Chemicals and Materials, Food and Beverage and more. These reports deliver an in-depth study of the market with industry analysis, market value for regions and countries and trends that are pertinent to the industry.

Contact Us:

Mr. Steven Fernandes

Market Research Intellect

New Jersey ( USA )

Tel: +1-650-781-4080

Tags: Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment Market Size, Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment Market Trends, Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment Market Growth, Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment Market Forecast, Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment Market Analysis Sarkari result, Government Jobs, Sarkari naukri, NMK, Majhi Naukri,

Our Trending Reports

Infusion Pump Market Size, Growth Analysis, Opportunities, Business Outlook and Forecast to 2026

Injection Pen Market Size, Growth Analysis, Opportunities, Business Outlook and Forecast to 2026

Visit link:
Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment Market Growth by Top Companies, Trends by Types and Application, Forecast to 2026 - Cole of Duty

Arbor Pharmaceuticals

Moreover, the Neuropathy Pain Treatment report offers a detailed analysis of the competitive landscape in terms of regions and the major service providers are also highlighted along with attributes of the market overview, business strategies, financials, developments pertaining as well as the product portfolio of the Neuropathy Pain Treatment market. Likewise, this report comprises significant data about market segmentation on the basis of type, application, and regional landscape. The Neuropathy Pain Treatment market report also provides a brief analysis of the market opportunities and challenges faced by the leading service provides. This report is specially designed to know accurate market insights and market status.

By Regions:

* North America (The US, Canada, and Mexico)

* Europe (Germany, France, the UK, and Rest of the World)

* Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, and Rest of Asia Pacific)

* Latin America (Brazil and Rest of Latin America.)

* Middle East & Africa (Saudi Arabia, the UAE, , South Africa, and Rest of Middle East & Africa)

To get Incredible Discounts on this Premium Report, Click Here @ https://www.marketresearchintellect.com/ask-for-discount/?rid=275286&utm_source=NYH&utm_medium=888

Table of Content

1 Introduction of Neuropathy Pain Treatment Market

1.1 Overview of the Market1.2 Scope of Report1.3 Assumptions

2 Executive Summary

3 Research Methodology

3.1 Data Mining3.2 Validation3.3 Primary Interviews3.4 List of Data Sources

4 Neuropathy Pain Treatment Market Outlook

4.1 Overview4.2 Market Dynamics4.2.1 Drivers4.2.2 Restraints4.2.3 Opportunities4.3 Porters Five Force Model4.4 Value Chain Analysis

5 Neuropathy Pain Treatment Market, By Deployment Model

5.1 Overview

6 Neuropathy Pain Treatment Market, By Solution

6.1 Overview

7 Neuropathy Pain Treatment Market, By Vertical

7.1 Overview

8 Neuropathy Pain Treatment Market, By Geography

8.1 Overview8.2 North America8.2.1 U.S.8.2.2 Canada8.2.3 Mexico8.3 Europe8.3.1 Germany8.3.2 U.K.8.3.3 France8.3.4 Rest of Europe8.4 Asia Pacific8.4.1 China8.4.2 Japan8.4.3 India8.4.4 Rest of Asia Pacific8.5 Rest of the World8.5.1 Latin America8.5.2 Middle East

9 Neuropathy Pain Treatment Market Competitive Landscape

9.1 Overview9.2 Company Market Ranking9.3 Key Development Strategies

10 Company Profiles

10.1.1 Overview10.1.2 Financial Performance10.1.3 Product Outlook10.1.4 Key Developments

11 Appendix

11.1 Related Research

Get Complete Report

@ https://www.marketresearchintellect.com/need-customization/?rid=275286&utm_source=NYH&utm_medium=888

About Us:

Market Research Intellect provides syndicated and customized research reports to clients from various industries and organizations with the aim of delivering functional expertise. We provide reports for all industries including Energy, Technology, Manufacturing and Construction, Chemicals and Materials, Food and Beverage and more. These reports deliver an in-depth study of the market with industry analysis, market value for regions and countries and trends that are pertinent to the industry.

Contact Us:

Mr. Steven Fernandes

Market Research Intellect

New Jersey ( USA )

Tel: +1-650-781-4080

Tags: Neuropathy Pain Treatment Market Size, Neuropathy Pain Treatment Market Trends, Neuropathy Pain Treatment Market Growth, Neuropathy Pain Treatment Market Forecast, Neuropathy Pain Treatment Market Analysis Sarkari result, Government Jobs, Sarkari naukri, NMK, Majhi Naukri,

Our Trending Reports

High Voltage Surge Arrester Market Size, Growth Analysis, Opportunities, Business Outlook and Forecast to 2026

High Voltage Wiring Connectors Market Size, Growth Analysis, Opportunities, Business Outlook and Forecast to 2026

See the article here:
Neuropathy Pain Treatment Market Growth by Top Companies, Trends by Types and Application, Forecast to 2026 - Cole of Duty

Ever seen an advertisement for something called diabetic socks, and wondered what in the world that was about? Can socks get diabetes? Can other items of clothing be diabetic? What does diabetes have to do with feet anyway?

Footcare certainly isn't the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks about diabetes, but the fact is that diabetics are at a high risk of foot injuries and infections due to the potential damage high blood sugar levels can do to the nervous and circulatory systems.

A variety of other factors can also pose a risk to diabetics and their feet.

Feet must be washed and thoroughly dried regularly to prevent fungal infections like athletes' feet from excess moisture. Washing your feet with warm, soapy water each day will help prevent bacteria buildup and infection. Applying talcum powder between toes afterward can dry out those areas and reduce the chance of athletes foot and other fungal infections.

Extreme temperatures are also a hazard. As tempting as it may be, dont put your feet up in front of your campfire. You should also wear closed shoes when walking on hot sand or pavement and always apply sunscreen to your feet when theyre exposed to the sun. If you have nerve damage in your feet, you may not notice a burn until its severe, so its best to prevent it altogether.

Cold feet can also be related to restricted blood flow, so keep them warm by sleeping with socks on in the winter and wearing warm, waterproof shoes in bad weather.

While diligent daily care is the best way to keep feet healthy, diabetic socks are a great tool to help you out.

Diabetic socks, are socks specially designed to prevent the development of foot problems among those living with diabetes. Their features are engineered to address all the aforementioned issues to help you keep your feet healthy.

These socks are usually made of a material that wicks away moisture, like that found in exercise clothing, so that the feet stay dry. Some brands even have antimicrobial features in their fabric to help prevent bacteria and fungal growth. In colder temperatures, these socks will keep your feet warm, ensuring good circulation.

These socks are also seamless, so you dont have to worry about pesky rubbing producing blisters. In someone with neuropathy or chronic high blood sugar, something as small as a blister can ultimately turn into an ulcer. Special padding in sensitive areas also helps to prevent injuries like this.

In many cases, diabetic socks have white soles. This can alert the wearer if they have any sort of foot wound because the drainage of blood or other fluid will be visible from outside the sock.

There are a variety of diabetic socks available, with different features and advantages to suit each individuals needs. Consider which are best for you or get a variety for different times of the year and different activity levels.

In general, diabetic socks serve one or more of three purposes: they keep your feet dry, they keep temperature steady, and they prevent abrasions. All will do each of these to some degree, but you can choose which to prioritize in your choices.

While most diabetic socks have some sort of moisture-wicking technology, be sure to look for this specifically if you are very active or have a physically demanding job. These materials pull moisture away from the feet to help to evaporate the sweat, reducing the risk of fungus and infections. They also help to cut down on odor.

Copper-infused socks are made with copper-infused yarn and also have antifungal properties and anti-odor protection.

Padded acrylic socks are ideal for those who exercise often because they keep feet dry and help cushion them to reduce the risk of any foot injury.

You can also find heavily padded or gel-padded socks if you are in need of this additional cushioning.

The yarns that make up your socks can also make a huge difference in the health of your feet. While most diabetic socks are made from soft yarns like wool and bamboo, you can also find those specially made to reduce friction that causes blisters.

If youre really looking to maximize the benefits of your socks, consider new smart socks, which have embedded sensors that alert you of foot temperature changes that might be signs of friction that causes blisters to form. These socks need to be replaced regularly but are a great option for those without much feeling in their feet.

Whatever type of sock you choose, be sure to change and wash them regularly and replace them at the first sign of wear and tear, as holes or pilling can themselves cause injury.

Its important to remember that while diabetic socks are a great tool for the prevention of foot problems, you should always see your doctor if youve already developed an issue.

Slow-healing wounds, unusual odor, and continuous pain in legs are all signs that something is wrong and you should check in with your doctor. Also, keep an eye out for changes in the color or shape of your feet, and ask your doctor to do a foot check-up at your next visit to make sure theyre healthy. Diligent care is the best way to prevent foot problems from developing.

Read the original:
What are Diabetic Socks and Why Might You Need Them? - The Jerusalem Post