Channel 0112 Medical Services

FDA Issues Complete Response Letter for Ceftobiprole

2010-02-07T06:08:00.000-08:00

Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C. (J&JPRD) today announced it received a Complete Response letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for ceftobiprole. The New Drug Application (NDA) was originally submitted to the FDA in May 2007 for the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI), including diabetic foot infections.

The FDA has requested additional information and recommended additional clinical studies be conducted in order to consider a future approval of ceftobiprole in this indication. J&JPRD intends to discuss the best path forward with the FDA as soon as possible.

Ceftobiprole was licensed from Swiss-based Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. in February 2005. In March 2008, J&JPRD received an Approvable Letter regarding the ceftobiprole filing. J&JPRD responded to the FDA's Approvable Letter in August 2008. In November 2008, J&JPRD received a Complete Response letter,

which recommended additional site audits be conducted. The Company completed those audits through a third party and included the results in its June 2009 response to the FDA's Complete Response letter.
About Ceftobiprole

Ceftobiprole is a novel, broad-spectrum, anti-MRSA cephalosporin with activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumonia and many clinically important Gram-negative bacteria, including Pseudomonas.

The regulatory review process is ongoing in Europe and other countries for the use of ceftobiprole in adults for the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections. Ceftobiprole is approved in Canada,
Switzerland, Russia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Hong Kong.

Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C. (J&JPRD) J&JPRD is part of Johnson & Johnson, the world's most broadly based producer of healthcare products. J&JPRD is headquartered in Raritan, NJ, and has facilities throughout Asia, Europe and the United States. J&JPRD is leveraging drug discovery and drug development in a variety of therapeutic areas to address unmet medical needs worldwide.

[This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from J&JPRD or Johnson & Johnson's expectations and projections. Risks and uncertainties include general industry conditions and competition; economic conditions, such as interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; technological advances and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approvals; domestic and foreign health care reforms and

governmental laws and regulations; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Exhibit 99 of Johnson & Johnson's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008. Copies of this Form 10-K, as well as subsequent filings, are available online at www.sec.gov , www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. Neither J&JPRD nor Johnson & Johnson undertakes to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events or developments.

WHO HAILS NEW GATES FOUNDATION SUPPORT FOR DECADE OF VACCINES

2010-02-05T22:42:00.001-08:00

The World Health Organization welcomes the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation pledge of US$ 10 billion over the next ten years to accelerate global vaccine efforts.

"The Gates Foundation’s commitment to vaccines is unprecedented, but needs to be matched by unprecedented action. It’s absolutely crucial that both governments and the private sector step up efforts to provide life-saving vaccines to children who need them most," said Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General.

Vaccines and immunization have played a major role since the last century in overall health gains. Smallpox has been eradicated, polio is on the verge of being eradicated and more than 2 million deaths are averted each year.

"Building on these achievements, we can take immunization to the next level, with the expanded uptake of new vaccines against major killers such as pneumonia and rotavirus diarrhoea," said Dr Chan. "An additional two million deaths in children under five years could be prevented by 2015 through widespread use of new vaccines and a 10% increase in global vaccination coverage."

Vaccines join other proven measures, such as micronutrient supplements, oral rehydration therapy, and community delivery of antibiotics, that form an integrated approach to child health and have already brought much progress.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announcement comes on the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI). Dr Chan also congratulated the GAVI Alliance on their accomplishment of reaching 257 million additional children with new and underused vaccines.

Counsyl Test to Prevent Diseases Like Those in 'Extraordinary Measures' Now at 100+ Medical Centers

2010-01-29T22:54:00.001-08:00

Free with Insurance, New Pre-Pregnancy Test Saves Lives While Dramatically Cutting Health Care Costs

Genetic diseases like those seen in the new Harrison Ford movie "Extraordinary Measures" can now be prevented with a simple saliva test which is free with insurance for more than 100 million Americans.

The movie centers on the real-life efforts of the Crowleys, a family trying to find a cure for a rare genetic disease affecting two of the family’s three children. The condition wasn’t detected until after their children were born.

Now, couples can take a Universal Genetic Test before pregnancy to determine whether their baby is at risk for more than 100 life-threatening genetic diseases. At-risk couples may then use a well-understood procedure called IVF/PGD to protect their child from genetic disease and ensure a healthy pregnancy.

This Universal Genetic Test was invented by scientists and social entrepreneurs from Stanford and Harvard and brought to the public via a Stanford startup named Counsyl (counsyl.com). As Newsweek recently reported:

“What is the secret to improving public health while cutting costs? The question has consumed Washington, but it's being answered elsewhere, by doctors offering a new test for more than 100 rare recessive genes, some of which cause fatal diseases. The test, [offered by] Counsyl, lets potential parents assess their genomes to see if their future kids are at risk. ... This is as preventive as medicine gets: the test could eliminate all single-recessive-gene diseases.”

The test is now offered by physicians at more than 100 prestigious medical centers across the United States, including Yale Fertility Center (see counsyl.com/map), and has attracted the support of prominent academics, bioethicists,

religious leaders, families with genetic disease, and doctors from America’s largest hospitals.

Broad Support among Prominent Physicians for Universal Genetic TestingDr. Steven Ory, Past President of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine: "After 30 years in reproductive medicine, I am more optimistic about this development in genetic disease prevention than I've ever been before. The vast majority of babies born with genetic disease have no family history. That's why it's so critically important for all parents to get the Universal Genetic Test before pregnancy."

Dr. Pasquale Patrizio, Director of the Yale Fertility Center: "Every adult of reproductive age needs the Counsyl test. It is unusual in that it benefits all three parts of the health care triad: patients, doctors, and insurers. A child stricken by

preventable genetic disease often dies in infancy and costs the bereaved parents millions in medical bills. A five minute saliva test that prevents this is a money saver, a time saver, and most importantly a life saver; it really is a no-brainer."

Dr. Thomas Walsh, Director of the Male Fertility Laboratory at the University of Washington: "Genetic testing has been recommended for all adults before pregnancy since 2001, but like many topics related to planning a pregnancy, awareness of this

issue continues to lag. This test covers several key genetic diseases, including cystic fibrosis, spinal muscular atrophy, sickle cell, Tay-Sachs, and many others. The results of testing enable couples to make an informed decision before conceiving a child.”

Dr. John Marshall, Former Chairman of Ob/Gyn at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center: "Because the test can be taken in the privacy of one's home as well as in a clinical setting, it reminds me of the first 'at home pregnancy test'. This 'at home carrier test' is very similar in that the healthy adults who take it generally

test negative, with those who test positive referred for medical followup. It thus completely reshapes the debate over so-called direct-to-consumer or 'DTC' testing. Offering this test over the web as well as in a clinical setting is simply a moral imperative, as it is the only way to get needed care to people in rural areas who may be far away from large hospitals."

Dr. Michael Levy, Clinical Professor of Ob/Gyn at Georgetown & Director of IVF at Shady Grove Fertility, America's largest IVF center: "Parents who know their carrier status before pregnancy can take preventive measures to have a healthy

child. Because new techniques like PGD are used before pregnancy, they avoid the ethical dilemma of termination that was previously a roadblock to wider adoption of carrier testing."

The New Standard of Care at the Nation's Largest Fertility CentersDr. Angeline Beltsos, Medical Director of the Fertility Centers of Illinois: "Every doctor and patient wants to avoid a high-risk pregnancy. Yet many people don't know that

single gene disorders now account for more than 10% of infant deaths. The Universal Genetic Test is the next ultrasound: a non-invasive early warning system for couples to know if their baby is at risk."

Dr. Arthur Wisot, Medical Director of Reproductive Partners Medical Group in Los Angeles: "The Counsyl test is appropriate for everyone trying to conceive because it is the first test that makes it both practical and economical to screen for so

many genetic diseases. Couples can now protect their baby from developing any one of over a hundred debilitating and lethal genetic diseases with just a saliva sample. This test is the future of genetic screening."

Dr. Ian Hardy, Medical Director of Fertility Centers of New England: "We have been offering the Counsyl test to our incoming patients as part of their standard

evaluation with exceptional results. It is an easy-to-use saliva test which is covered by most insurance plans and allows couples to be screened for both common genetic diseases (like CF, SMA, PKU, and beta thalassemia) as well as dozens of rare conditions."

Dr. Kaylen Silverberg, Medical Director of Texas Fertility: "The Counsyl test replaces a battery of more expensive blood tests. It provides a couple and their physician with much more information for a fraction of the cost. Counsyl testing

represents a quantum leap forward in pre-pregnancy planning for couples — especially those concerned about having a child with a genetic disease — as it is safe, affordable, and easy to use."

Dr. Michael Soules, Medical Director of Seattle Reproductive Medicine: "The new Counsyl test is the simplest and most cost-effective way to do genetic screening as it checks for over 100 significant disorders with a single saliva sample. Enlightened insurance carriers are paying for this test as it saves them the major future expenses of covering a chronically sick child."

An Advance for Women, Minorities, and Families with Genetic Disease Professor Henry Louis Gates of Harvard University: "As the first genetic test for all ethnic groups, the Counsyl test represents a genuine breakthrough for minority health. With

one test for diverse communities, African Americans and Hispanics can benefit from a new technology that actually reduces health care disparities."

Elena Ashkinadze, Program Supervisor in Genetics, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School: "Because Counsyl's test simultaneously covers diseases from many ethnic groups at a considerably lower cost than standard blood tests, it promises to make carrier testing affordable for previously underserved patient populations, including African Americans and Hispanics. The current practice is mostly to screen once a woman gets pregnant. With Counsyl's test, we can change the emphasis to pre-pregnancy screening when more options, including preimplantation genetic diagnosis, are available. Ideally, women should understand that having carrier testing before
pregnancy is as important as refraining from alcohol during pregnancy."

David Brenner, Director of the Dysautonomia Foundation: "As a parent of a child with a genetic disease, I wouldn't want another child to suffer from what my son has

endured. Nothing is more important than safeguarding the health of our children, and this test is such a simple and powerful way to prevent terrible suffering."

Rabbi David Wolpe of the Sinai Temple in Los Angeles: "Several years ago, a mother whose son was born with Tay-Sachs said to me sadly ‘The Rabbi made sure to tell us not to play Wagner's march at our wedding, but said nothing about being genetically tested.’ Ensuring that Jewish couples — and others — are offered genetic
testing is a critical task."

Professor Steven Pinker of Harvard University: "Universal genetic testing can drastically reduce the incidence of genetic diseases, and may very well eliminate many of them." Last year, Professor Pinker took the test with his wife, the novelist Rebecca Goldstein. To raise awareness of preventable genetic disease, they are now publicly announcing for the first time that both of them tested positive as carriers for familial dysautonomia. While they themselves are healthy, their children would have been at risk for this life-threatening genetic disease — underscoring that the value of genetic testing is far from hypothetical.
About Counsyl

The Universal Genetic Test was developed by Counsyl, a Stanford startup founded by social entrepreneurs and philanthropists. Counsyl's mission is to end the needless suffering of preventable genetic disease.

To ensure that every ounce of prevention enables a pound of cure, each test taken helps Counsyl fund treatments for children living with genetic disease. More than $50,000 has already been donated to nonprofits over the course of 2009. For the next month, donations will go to the John F. and Aileen A. Crowley Foundation in honor of John Crowley, the Harvard Business School graduate whose life is the basis

Stimulus for Thailand’s hospitality industry

2010-01-24T06:59:00.001-08:00

The Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSMEP), Impact Exhibition Management and Thailand Restaurant News magazine are inviting local and international players in the hospitality business, and entrepreneurs interested in this sector, to Thailand International Restaurant and Bar 2010 at Impact Muang Thong Thani in June 2010.

This international expo is designed to raise the standard of Thailand’s hospitality industry and giving encouragement and support to new entrepreneurs now that the economy is recovering.

Yuthasak Supasorn, OSMEP’s Director-General pointed out that the restaurant and service industry was one of Thailand’s vital sectors, with a value of two hundred thousand million baht each year, and that new business ventures were continually opening.

“As the economy continues to improve, everyone involved in this sector needs to be ready to take advantage of emerging opportunities,” he said.

“However, sustainable success in this business depends on many factors, such as location, financial support, market insight, product and service quality, customer base and network of business alliances. The Thailand International Restaurant and Bar 2010 has been organised to give players in this sector, whether they’re actual or potential, the support they need to go for that success.”

Pornphan Bulner, Assistant Director Exhibition Project of Impact Exhibition Management, explained that the expo would integrate products, services and technologies relating to restaurants, hotels, bars, coffee shops and catering to meet the needs of entrepreneurs.

“It will showcase raw materials, equipment and machinery, as well as new techniques and skill trainings for all roles in the hospitality industry. At the same time it will provide a platform for negotiation, networking and exchanging information,” she said.

“At least 150 local and international companies will exhibit their products and services on a combined space of 10,000 square meters. We’re expecting to receive more than 10,000 Thai and foreign visitors -- owners, managers, suppliers and business consultants, as well as people who are interested in running their own business.”

Thailand International Restaurant and Bar 2010 will be arranged in three zones: Cuisine for Change, World of Wine & Spirits, and Coffee (Tea & Bakery) Culture. It will also include seminars, demonstrations of recipes and cooking techniques, competitions for chefs, sommeliers and bartenders and an Asian barista championship.

Chatthaporn Yolao, Managing Director of Thailand Restaurant News magazine, said that the event would present new food trends and the latest technologies as business opportunities, and marketing information from experts. Thai SME’s would also benefit from the new relationships they make with other entrepreneurs and service providers.

“We are hoping that Thailand International Restaurant and Bar 2010 will be instrumental in raising the standard of the food and beverage and hospitality industries in Thailand, and in doing so benefit the Thai economy,” she said.

International Diabetes Federation Reports Diabetes Burden Shifting to Developing Countries

2010-01-24T03:39:00.001-08:00

International Diabetes Federation calls for increased funding for essential medicines and for governments to make diabetes a priority in national healthcare plans

Four out of every five people with diabetes now live in developing countries, with most affected men and women being of working age.

This is according to the latest data published by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) in the fourth edition of the IDF Diabetes Atlas. (www.diabetesatlas.org)

"It is dismal news that some 285 million people live with diabetes today. Even worse, low and middle-income countries are bearing the brunt of the disease," said IDF President Jean Claude Mbanya.

According to World Health Organization estimates, India and China will lose national income to the tune of nearly US$900 billion between 2005 and 2015 to diabetes and cardiovascular disease. IDF predicts that diabetes will cost the world economy US$376 billion in 2010 and a hundred billion more within a generation.

"Families are losing breadwinners, parents are losing children, children are losing mothers. Much of this tragic loss of life is preventable," said Prof Mbanya, who features in a BBC documentary showcasing the burden of diabetes in the developing world.

The half-hour documentary - titled Bittersweet - is being aired this week as part of BBC World's Kill or Cure series. Set in Nairobi, Kenya and Pune, India, the film shows how the South Asian subcontinent is facing a type 2 diabetes pandemic, while in Africa many countries struggle to put insulin within reach of people with type 1 diabetes.

"It's an outrage that while treatment and technology exists for people with diabetes to manage their disease, the reality is that for millions of people in low and middle-income countries, modern treatment and technology is still a dream," added Prof Mbanya.

"IDF calls for increased funding for essential medicines and for governments to make diabetes a priority in national healthcare plans."

Bittersweet will air on BBC World at 11:30GMT on 13 January (Asia Pacific only), 15:30GMT on 14 January and 02.30GMT on 15 January. The documentary can also be viewed online at http://www.rockhopper.tv/programmes/311/
About IDF

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is an umbrella organization of 212 member associations in 163 countries and territories, representing over 285 million people with diabetes, their families, and their healthcare providers. The mission of IDF is to promote diabetes care, prevention and a cure worldwide. Its main activities include education for people with diabetes and healthcare professionals, public awareness campaigns and the promotion and exchange of information. IDF is a non-governmental organization in official relations with WHO and associated to the United Nations' Department of Public Information. For more information, please visit www.idf.org and follow us at twitter.com/IntDiabetesFed

Thailand to host 17th International Training Course for Full-Endoscopic Operations

2010-01-21T06:09:00.000-08:00

Bumrungrad International; the Faculty of Science at Mahidol University; the Faculty of Medicine at Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University; and the Department of Spine Surgery and Pain Therapy Center of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, St. Anna-Hospital in Herne, Germany, will host the 17th International Training Course for Full-Endoscopic Operations of the Lumbar, Thoracic and Cervical Spine, on

- Friday 22 January, at the Conference Center, Bumrungrad International hospital, Sukhumvit Soi 3, and
- Saturday 23 January, at the Faculty of Science, Mahidol University.

Endoscopic spine surgery has been gaining more popularity for the past decade. Today, it is regarded as a standard treatment for early disc pathology. This course is designed for both neurosurgeons and orthopaedic surgeons from domestic and international hospitals, who have a strong interest in developing the endoscopic lumbar discectomy technique for patient selection.

First Non-Invasive Technology for Treatment of Uterine Fibroids Awarded MHLW Approval in Japan

2010-01-17T03:52:00.001-08:00

InSightec's ExAblate System Uses Magnetic Resonance-Guided Focused Ultrasound to Perform Uterine Procedures Without Incisions

InSightec Ltd. announced today that Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) has approved the company’s ExAblate® MR-guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) system for the treatment of women with uterine fibroids. “We are very pleased that the Japanese Ministry of Health has approved the

ExAblate system and that women in Japan will now have access to a noninvasive treatment option for uterine fibroids,” said Dr. Kobi Vortman, President and Chief Executive Officer of InSightec. “The approval was based on a growing body of evidence showing that ExAblate is a safe, effective, and durable treatment for this widespread, life-impacting condition. ExAblate is an outpatient procedure and patients normally return home the same day and to work within one to two days compared to lengthy hospitalizations and recovery times associated with more invasive procedures such as hysterectomy, myomectomy or UAE.”

ExAblate is currently the only noninvasive treatment for uterine fibroids approved for use in Japan. Approximately 25% Japanese women will develop symptomatic uterine fibroids, primarily during childbearing years. These benign tumors can significantly impair functionality and degrade quality of life resulting in significant work absences.

Using the ExAblate system, the physician uses the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to visualize the patient's anatomy and then aims focused ultrasound waves at the targeted tissue to thermally ablate, or

destroy it. The MRI allows the physician to monitor and continuously adjust the treatment in real time. The patient is consciously sedated to alleviate pain and minimize motion.

A growing body of evidence supports the system's safety and efficacy, including the results of a study published in the August 2007 edition of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The study showed that ExAblate offered

women sustained relief from uterine fibroid symptoms for up to two years, with a low incidence of side effects. The 359-patient Mayo Clinic-led collaborative study also showed that destroying as much of the fibroid as possible leads to the most durable symptom relief with 85% of the participants experiencing symptom improvement after one year. Studies conducted in Japan indicate similar results.

The ExAblate system received the CE Mark for uterine fibroids in October 2002 and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in 2004. Over 5,500 women around the world have chosen to undergo the non-invasive ExAblate treatment for their symptomatic uterine fibroids over invasive surgery.
GE Healthcare is the distributor of ExAblate in Japan.
About InSightec

InSightec Ltd. is a privately held company owned by Elbit Imaging, General Electric, MediTech Advisors, LLC and employees. It was founded in 1999 to develop the breakthrough MR guided Focused Ultrasound technology and transform it into the next generation operating room. Headquartered near Haifa, Israel, the company has over 160 employees and has invested more than $130 million in research, development, and clinical investigations. Its U.S. headquarters are located in Dallas, Texas. For more information, please go to:
http://www.insightec.com/
About GE Healthcare Japan

GE Healthcare Japan Corporation provides cutting edge medical technologies and healthcare services that design the next-generation patient care model by utilizing its expertise across a wide range of areas such as medical diagnostic imaging systems and healthcare IT equipments such as CT (Computerized Tomography) systems and MR (Magnetic Resonance) imaging systems, medical diagnostic drugs, biological information monitors, drug discovery, biotechnology-based drugs, and providing support for the management of

healthcare institutes. GE Healthcare Japan Corporation was established as the core site in Japan for the healthcare business section within the General Electric Company (GE, based in the U.S.)

Alphatec Spine Agrees to Acquire Scient'x Groupe SAS

2010-01-02T04:44:00.001-08:00

Acquisition Creates Global Scale and Offers Revenues and Cost
Synergies, Complements Alphatec Spine's Product Portfolio and
Enhances Aging Spine Focus Combined Entity to be Third-
Largest Global Pure-Play Spinal Implant Company

Alphatec Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATEC), the parent company of Alphatec Spine, Inc., a medical device company that designs, develops, manufactures and markets products for the surgical treatment of spine disorders, with a focus on treating conditions affecting the aging spine, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Scient'x Groupe SAS, a spinal implant company headquartered in France.

The transaction is structured as an all stock transaction such that 100% of outstanding Scient'x stock will be exchanged pursuant to a fixed ratio for 24 million shares of the Company's common stock. On a pro forma basis, current Alphatec shareholders will own approximately 69% of the combined company and approximately 31% will be held by current Scient'x shareholders. The transaction is currently expected to close by the end of the first quarter of 2010 and is subject to the approval of the Company's shareholders. Subject to the closing of the transaction, the Company expects 2010 pro forma full-year revenues to be in a range of $220 million to $225 million, and pro forma full-year 2010 adjusted EBITDA to be in a range of $32 million to $35 million. The transaction is expected to be neutral to slightly positive to 2010 EPS and accretive to 2011 EPS, excluding amortization of intangible assets, transaction expenses and related restructuring charges. The Company has absorbed transaction-related costs that had a negative impact to EPS in the third quarter and are expected to negatively impact previously issued EPS guidance for the fourth quarter of 2009. The Company also expects to absorb additional transaction-related expenses in the first quarter of 2010.

The combined company will create the third-largest independent spinal company with a global span of product distribution. Scient'x is the largest privately held independent spine company outside of the United States with product distribution in over 50 countries.

The transaction was unanimously approved by a Special Committee of independent members of the Company's Board of Directors. Following such approval by the Special Committee, the Company's Board of Directors unanimously approved the acquisition agreement. Thomas Weisel Partners LLC acted as exclusive financial advisor to the Special Committee and provided a fairness opinion to the Board of Directors that the transaction was fair to the Company from a financial point of view as of the date of this press release. DLA Piper LLP (US) acted as independent counsel to the Special Committee.

The Company believes that the strategic merit of the combined business includes the following benefits to its shareholders:
* Increases scale and global presence in all major geographic markets
* Provides cross-selling opportunities in major markets to leverage
future growth across core spine products and Aging Spine products
* Strengthens and expands the Company's product portfolio with
differentiated products in all segments
* Enhances the Company's ability to educate, train and service its
spine surgeon customers
* Provides cost synergies in distribution, marketing and
administration infrastructure
* Diversifies potential future U.S. healthcare reform and regulatory
risks

Both the Company and Scient'x operate in the high growth spinal implant market. The worldwide spinal implant market in 2009 is estimated to be $8.5 to $9.0 billion with a long-term growth rate that is estimated to be between 10% and 12%.

"We believe that Scient'x is a perfect complementary strategic fit for Alphatec Spine," stated Dirk Kuyper, Alphatec Spine's President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Kuyper continued, "Besides the significant cost and revenue synergies the acquisition offers, Alphatec Spine will now have the opportunity to reach 50 international markets with our aging spine and core fusion technologies. This transaction moves us into position to be able to become one of the top global spine companies."

"I am pleased to have the opportunity to work closely with Oliver Burckhardt again, following our time together at Aesculap Inc. He will be instrumental in overseeing our international sales efforts and will lead the strategic marketing direction of the combined company. We believe that the combination of Alphatec Spine and Scient'x creates a complete and broad product portfolio with differentiated products addressing underserved markets with disruptive technologies," continued Mr. Kuyper.

"I am excited to be joining the Alphatec Spine team," stated Oliver Burckhardt, Scient'x's President and Chief Executive Officer. "We believe that the combined product portfolio will be among the most innovative of any spine company in the market," Mr. Burckhardt continued, "At Scient'x, we have created a global distribution network in over 50 countries with an excellent history of broad surgeon training and education that will help to drive shareholder value. We look forward to introducing Alphatec Spine's products to our customers as well as leveraging Alphatec Spine's strong U.S. presence with Scient'x's technology."
Conference Call

Alphatec Spine will host a conference call today at 1:30 p.m. PT / 4:30 p.m. ET to discuss details of the acquisition. To participate in the conference call, please visit the investor relations section of the Alphatec Spine website at www.alphatecspine.com. The dial-in numbers are (888) 510-1762 for domestic callers and (719) 325-2383 for international callers. A live webcast of the conference call will be available online from the investor relations section of the Alphatec website at www.alphatecspine.com. The webcast will be recorded and will be available on the investor relations section of Alphatec Spine's website, for at least 30 days after it is posted.
About Scient'x

Scient'x is a Guyancourt, France based medical device company that designs, develops and manufactures spinal implants and instrumentation. Scient'x was founded in 1988 and offers today a full range of implants for spinal fusions, posterior semi-rigid stabilization and a cervical total disc replacement device. Its international distribution network consists of a direct sales force in France and the U.K., a hybrid of direct sales force and distributors in Italy as well as exclusive and non-exclusive distributors in more than 50 countries including the United States. The Scient'x surgeon education and training network augments its international distribution capabilities.

Scient'x key products includes the Isobar(TM) TTL and Isobar Evolution(TM) rods, a semi-rigid rod technology used in spinal fusion surgeries, as well as an offering of cervical and lumbar implants also used predominantly in spine fusion surgeries. The Isobar(TM) products are 510(k) cleared by the FDA in the U.S. as an adjunct to fusion. Outside of the United States, Scient'x markets also a unique and proprietary ceramic-on-ceramic cervical total disc replacement device, DiscoCerv(R), which has been implanted in over 3,000 patients since its initial launch.
About Alphatec Spine

Alphatec Spine, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Alphatec Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATEC). Alphatec Spine is a medical device company that designs, develops, manufactures and markets products for the surgical treatment of spine disorders, primarily focused on the aging spine. The Company's mission is to combine world-class customer service with innovative, surgeon-driven design that will help improve the aging patient's quality of life. The Company is poised to achieve its goal through new solutions for patients with osteoporosis, stenosis and other aging spine deformities, improved minimally invasive products and techniques and integrated biologics solutions. In addition to its US operations, the Company also markets its spine products in Europe. In Asia, the Company markets a broad line of spine and orthopedic products through its subsidiary, Alphatec Pacific, Inc. For more information, please visit www.alphatecspine.com.

Also visit the Aging Spine Center, www.agingspinecenter.com, a web-based information portal for healthcare providers and patients regarding aging spine disorders and their treatment. The Company is working with the National Osteoporosis Foundation as well as other clinical portals that provide peer-reviewed content, to populate the Aging Spine Center. The interactive website enables patients to review pertinent information about disorders that affect the aging spine in an easy-to-understand format that includes videos, graphics and questions that should be asked of caregivers. Medical information on the website includes published abstracts regarding the aging spine.

The Alphatec Spine, Inc. logo is available athttp://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3520
Use of Non-GAAP Information

Alphatec provides its financial results in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP). The Company also uses forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures in addition to and in conjunction with corresponding GAAP measures to help analyze the performance of its core business, in connection with the preparation of annual budgets, and in measuring performance for some forms of compensation. In particular, Alphatec presents (i) adjusted EBITDA, and (ii) combined pro forma financial information, which in each case are non-GAAP financial measures.

Non-GAAP financial measures reflect an additional way of viewing aspects of Alphatec's operations that, when viewed with the GAAP results, provide a more complete understanding of Alphatec's results of operations and the factors and trends affecting Alphatec's business. However, non-GAAP financial measures should be considered as a supplement to, and not as a substitute for, or superior to, the corresponding measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. Non-GAAP financial measures used by the Company may differ from the non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies, including Alphatec's competitors.

Alphatec believes the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure to adjusted EBITDA is net income (loss). Adjusted EBITDA is net income (loss) excluding the effects of interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, stock-based compensation costs, and other non-recurring income of expense items, such as in-process research and development, expenses related to the transaction and acquisition related restructuring expenses that are expected to occur following closing.

Alphatec has not included in this presentation a reconciliation of these forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures because, due to variability and difficulty in making accurate forecasts and projections or certain information not being ascertainable or accessible, not all of the information necessary for a quantitative reconciliation of the forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures is available to the Company without unreasonable efforts. The probable significance of providing these forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures without the directly comparable GAAP financial measures is that such GAAP financial measures may be materially different from the corresponding non-GAAP financial measures.
Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are intended to be covered by safe harbors created thereby. Shareholders are cautioned that all forward-looking statements are based largely on Alphatec's expectations and involve risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or are beyond Alphatec's control. Statements containing a projection of revenue, EBITDA, cost and revenue synergies, additional market opportunities, future economic performance, product development timelines, the acceptance of products by the surgeon community or whether the acquisition agreement will be consummated are just a few examples of forward-looking statements. Some factors that could realistically cause results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements include the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the acquisition agreement; the outcome of any legal proceedings that have been, or may be, instituted against the Company or Scient'x related to the acquisition agreement; the inability to complete the acquisition due to the failure to obtain shareholder approval for the transaction or the failure to satisfy other conditions to completion of the transaction, including the receipt of all regulatory approvals or third-party consents related to the transaction; risks that the proposed transaction disrupts the Company's current plans and operations and the potential difficulties in employee retention as a result of the acquisition; the ability to recognize the benefits of the transaction; litigation outcomes, including without limitation product liability litigation and litigation related to the infringement of intellectual property of a third party; the impact of healthcare reform and regulations in the United States and other jurisdictions; the Company's ability to meet its financial guidance; the growth rate of the spine market related to aging and elderly patients; the ability to achieve regulatory approval for products in the Company's development pipeline and the successful adoption of such products once approved; the Company's ability to develop and expand its business in the United States, Asia and Europe; the Company's ability to compete with other competing products and with emerging new technologies; continuation of favorable third party payor reimbursement for procedures performed using the Company's products; unanticipated expenses or liabilities or other adverse events affecting cash flow or the Company's ability to successfully control its costs or achieve profitability; and the uncertainty of additional funding. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and in the Company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") available at the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov.

The statements in this press release reflect the Company's expectations and beliefs as of the date of this release. The Company anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its expectations and beliefs to change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements publicly at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any date after the date of this release.
Important Additional Information Will Be Filed with the SEC

In connection with the proposed transaction, the Company will file a proxy statement with the SEC. The proxy statement will be mailed to stockholders of Alphatec and will contain important information about Alphatec, Scient'x, the transaction and related matters. SHAREHOLDERS ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE BECAUSE IT WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Shareholders may obtain a free copy of the proxy statement (when available) and other documents filed by the Company from the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. The proxy statement (when available) and such other documents may also be obtained for free from the Company's website at http://www.alphatecspine.com or by directing such request to Alphatec Spine, Inc., Investor Relations, 5818 El Camino Real, Carlsbad, CA 92008, telephone: (760) 494-6746.

Alphatec, Scient'x and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed acquisition. Information regarding Alphatec's directors and executive officers is contained in Alphatec's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008 and its proxy statement dated May 8, 2009, which are filed with the SEC. As of November 30, 2009, Alphatec's directors and executive officers beneficially owned approximately 41.2% of Alphatec's common stock. A more complete description of the interests of Alphatec's directors and officers in the acquisition will be available in the proxy statement relating to the acquisition.

Published in "Bone" Journal, Scientific Researches Confirm Peptan(TM) Hydrolyzed Collagen Benefits on Bone Health

2009-12-16T19:19:00.001-08:00

Studies Conducted at INRA-AgroParisTech Laboratory Under Pr. Daniel Tomé Supervision and Published* in November 2009, in the Official Journal of the International Bone and Mineral Society "Bone", Reveal new Benefits for Peptan(TM) in Osteoporosis Prevention In response to customer concerns regarding long-term bone health, Rousselot has carried out, for several years now, many studies to demonstrate that an oral intake of Peptan(TM) may have a positive impact on osteoporosis.

Bone is a living dynamic metabolic system that relies on a maintained balance between bone formation and bone resorption. Cells called osteoblasts make bone while cells called osteoclasts resorb it. An imbalance

may lead to osteoporosis, a condition where the density and quality of bone is reduced.

Researchers conducted in vitro studies, and highlighted that Peptan(TM) in bone cell culture induced a better differentiation of osteoblasts. Those positive results have then been confirmed in vivo on ovariectomized mice, used to simulate a postmenopausal osteoporosis, which leads to a lower bone mineral density (BMD).

Animals were divided into three groups: a control group (non ovariectomized), a group of ovariectomized mice, both fed with a normal diet and a group of ovariectomized mice that received a diet containing Peptan(TM). After 12 weeks, the BMD of the group fed with Peptan(TM) is not significantly different from the BMD of control group. On the contrary the BMD of ovariectomized mice not fed with Peptan(TM) is lower.

Confirmation of Peptan(TM) benefits on bone health has been obtained by the measures of Carboxy Terminal Telopeptide (CTX), a usual marker of bone resorption. CTX is significantly lower in mice fed with
PeptanTM indicating that bone resorption is reduced.

Researchers conclude that Peptan(TM) may restore bone density in simulated post-menopausal osteoporosis by stimulating osteoblast growth and differentiation. This demonstrates the interest of Peptan(TM) as a bioactive ingredient to help preventing bone loss during aging.

*Hydrolyzed collagen improves bone metabolism and biomechanical parameters in ovariectomized mice: an in vitro and in vivo study. Guillerminet et al. Bone 2009.
Rousselot, http://www.rousselot.com

Part of VION N.V. (N.L.), Rousselot(R) is the worldwide leader in gelatine and hydrolyzed collagen. VION N.V. is an internationally operating food group that produces high-quality foods and ingredients for
humans and animals (Turnover: EUR 9.6 billion - 31,000 employees worldwide)

Health Care, Telecommunications, And Chemicals Likely Will See More Upgrades Than Other Sectors In 2010, Article Says

2009-12-15T19:00:00.000-08:00

Credit quality is slowly beginning to stabilize across nonfinancial industries, though rating activity remains more negative than positive, said an article published today by Standard & Poor's, titled "Three U.S. Industries With The Greatest Potential To Improve Their Credit Quality In 2010 (Premium)." As the economy slowly rebounds in 2010, we expect to see areas of improvement, though upgrades likely will trail downgrades in most sectors.

"After reviewing the distribution of outlooks and CreditWatch listings, ratings trends, the performance of bond spreads, and recent operating results, we identified three sectors that we believe have the potential to see an upturn in creditworthiness next year," said Diane Vazza, head of Standard & Poor's Global Fixed Income Research. "These three are health care, telecommunications, and chemicals."

Health care, which weathered the storm better than most sectors, has a relatively high positive bias (the proportion of issuers with a positive outlook or ratings on CreditWatch positive) and has seen relatively strong operating results.

The telecommunications sector also has fared well during the recession, despite having a number of highly leveraged companies. Improvement in economic and credit market conditions is supportive of continued stabilization and potential improvement in the credit quality of the telecommunications sector.

The chemicals sector has performed much worse than the other two sectors during the recession, though it has begun to show signs of stabilization. Given the cyclical nature of the sector, stronger economic conditions in 2010 could give credit quality a boost.

This article is part of our premium Global Fixed Income Research content, which is available to premium subscribers to RatingsDirect on the Global Credit Portal at www.globalcreditportal.com and to RatingsDirect at www.ratingsdirect.com. Ratings information can also be found on Standard & Poor's public Web site by using the Ratings search box located in the left column at www.standardandpoors.com. Members of the media may request a copy of this report by contacting the media representative provided.

Accumetrics Closes 2009 with Positive Outlook

2009-12-15T18:51:00.000-08:00

New distribution agreements, favorable clinical data, and significant capital financing position the company for continued growth in 2010 Accumetrics, Inc., developer and marketer of the VerifyNow(R) System, the first rapid and easy-to-use diagnostic system for measuring an individual's response to multiple antiplatelet agents, announced that 2009 included a doubling in the number of international and U.S. distribution agreements, as well as positive medical community support, and significant capital financing

that will take the company into 2011.

In 2009, the company continued its commitment to creating a powerful, worldwide distribution network aimed at gaining adoption of its products at end-user levels. Spanning Europe, Latin America and Asia, Accumetrics currently has partnerships with 20 leading international distributors who provide the company with local representation in over 30 countries. Latest additions to the international distribution network include Keller Medical in Germany, ZAO "Schag" in Russia and VSA Alta Complejidad S.A. in Argentina. Accumetrics continued to strengthen its U.S. presence by partnering with 10 cardiovascular specialty distributors to enhance support to the company's growing base of clinicians in the domestic hospital market. Accumetrics has

also partnered with National Distribution & Contracting, Inc. (NDC), the largest organization of independent medical supply distributors in North America, to expand its distribution network in the physician office lab
marketplace.

Increasing evidence of the clinical value of platelet reactivity testing was demonstrated in several presentations of new clinical studies including the POPular study, presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in November, and a meta-analysis presented at a symposium during the 2009 Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT ) Conference. These data also build upon the anticipation of the results of the GRAVITAS trial, which has now completed 80% enrollment.

"2009 has proven to be an outstanding year of growth for Accumetrics," said Timothy I. Still, CEO and President of Accumetrics. "We look at 2010 as a breakthrough year for the company, and are pleased to be in a position to capitalize on the growing clinical acceptance of platelet reactivity testing."

Accumetrics concluded 2009 with $17.1 million in new capital financing, which will fully support the company into 2011. Proceeds will fund a number of key 2010 milestones including expanded claims for existing products, new product development and continued expansion of commercialization efforts. About Accumetrics (www.accumetrics.com)

Accumetrics is committed to advancing medical understanding of platelet function and enhancing quality of care for patients receiving antiplatelet therapies by providing industry-leading and widely accessible diagnostic tests for rapid platelet function assessment.

Accumetrics' VerifyNow System is the first rapid and easy to use platform for measuring an individual's response to multiple antiplatelet agents. Addressing every major antiplatelet drug, including FDA-cleared products for aspirin, P2Y12 inhibitors (e.g. prasugrel (Effient(TM)) and clopidogrel (Plavix(R))), and the GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors (e.g. ReoPro(R) and Integrilin(R)), the VerifyNow System provides a valuable tool to help
physicians make more informed treatment decisions.

The Accumetrics logo and VerifyNow are registered trademarks of Accumetrics, Inc. ReoPro is a registered trademark of Centocor, Inc. Integrilin is a registered trademark of Millennium Pharmaceuticals. Plavix is a registered trademark of sanofi-aventis. Effient is a trademark of Eli Lilly and Company.

MALARIA PROGRESS REPORT SHOWS THAT DEVELOPMENT AID FOR HEALTH IS WORKING

2009-12-15T18:36:00.000-08:00

Significant progress has been made in delivering life saving malaria nets and treatments over the past few years, but the coverage of malaria programmes needs to be stepped up drastically in order to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), according to a report released today by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The World Malaria Report 2009 found that the increase in international funding commitments (US$ 1.7 billion in 2009 compared to US$ 730 million in 2006) had allowed a dramatic scale up of malaria control interventions in several countries, along with measurable reductions in malaria burden. However, the amounts available still fall short of the US$ 5 billion required annually to ensure high coverage and maximal impact worldwide.

The WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan, described the findings in the report as cause for cautious optimism and said "While much remains to be done, the data presented here clearly suggest that the tremendous increase in funding for malaria control is resulting in the rapid scale up of today's control tools. This, in turn, is having a profound effect on health - especially the health of children in sub-Saharan Africa. In a nutshell, development aid for health is working."

The report found that more life-saving malaria nets and treatments were delivered in 2007 and 2008 compared to 2006.

More African households (31%) own at least one insecticide-treated net (ITN), and more children under 5 years of age used an ITN in 2008 (24%) compared to previous years. These averages are affected by low ITN ownership in several large African countries for which resources for scale-up are only now being made available. Household ITN ownership reached more than 50% in 13 of the 35 highest burden African countries.

Use of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) is increasing but remains low in most African countries with fewer than 15% of children with fever receiving an ACT.

More than one-third of the 108 malarious countries (9 African countries and 29 outside of Africa) documented reductions in malaria cases of more than 50% in 2008 compared to 2000.

Where scale-up of proven interventions has occurred, and surveillance systems are functioning, remarkable impact has been documented:

In countries and areas that have achieved high coverage with bed nets and treatment programmes (e.g. Eritrea, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Zambia and Zanzibar, the United Republic of Tanzania) recorded cases and deaths due to malaria have fallen by 50% (target set by World Health Assembly for 2010) suggesting that MDG target for malaria can be achieved if there is adequate coverage of key interventions.

Large decreases in malaria cases and deaths have been mirrored by steep declines in all-cause deaths among children less than 5 years of age suggesting that intensive efforts at malaria control could help many African countries to reach, by 2015, a two-thirds reduction in child mortality as set forth in the MDGs.

High levels of external assistance were shown to be linked to decreases in malaria incidence. However, many external funds are concentrated on smaller countries with lower disease burdens. More attention needs to be given to ensuring success in large countries that account for most malaria cases and deaths.

Parasite resistance to anti-malarial medicines and mosquito resistance to insecticides are major threats to achieving global malaria control. Confirmation of artemisinin resistance was reported in 2009, and WHO is leading a major resistance containment effort in South East Asia. Key elements in the global strategy to prevent the spread of drug resistance include: 1) Rapidly reducing the spread of malaria using malaria preventive tools 2) ensuring that all malaria infections are correctly diagnosed, effectively treated and followed-up to ensure that they do not spread the disease to others 3) halting the marketing and use of oral artemisinin monotherapies and importantly, 4) carefully monitoring the efficacy of medicines to detect early evidence of resistance.

The report noted that there was urgent need for the global community to completely fund the Global Malaria Action Plan in order to sustain early success and achieve the 2015 MDGs. The African Region had the largest increase in funding of all regions, led by investments by the Global Fund, the U.S. President's Malaria Initiative, and other agencies.

The success of malaria control efforts will be in reducing the burden of malaria and improving child survival. Investing in malaria control is not only helping the world to reach the MDGs, but is also helping to build health systems that will ensure that these development gains are sustained.

BAXTER RECEIVES EMEA POSITIVE OPINION FOR H1N1 PANDEMIC INFLUENZA VACCINE

2009-11-19T06:11:00.001-08:00

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX) today announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) granted its “positive opinion” for H1N1 pandemic vaccine using Baxter’s Vero cell technology. This positive opinion confirms the acceptability of Baxter’s regulatory submission to obtain final marketing authorization and licensure of the product.

Baxter H1N1 vaccine is the first cell culture-based and non-adjuvanted vaccine to receive a positive opinion in the European Union. Initial quantities of vaccine have already been delivered to a number of countries, including the UK and Ireland, for use in their national vaccination programs, and are awaiting product release subject to final marketing authorization being granted by the European Commission.

Presently, Baxter is confirming the safety and immunogenicity of Baxter H1N1 vaccine in clinical trials. The company is conducting two randomized trials in 400 healthy adults age 18 and over and in 400 children and adolescents to supplement the licensure post-approval with appropriate clinical data. These trials are evaluating the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine at dose levels of 7.5ตg and 3.75ตg. Once countries initiate national vaccination programs using H1N1 vaccine, Baxter will also conduct a large-scale observational study with H1N1 vaccine in 9,000 people of different age groups, including children.

Preliminary safety data in adults and the elderly indicate that the vaccine is well tolerated in these age groups. The observed systemic and local reactions are similar to those generally experienced after vaccination with licensed seasonal influenza vaccines. Immunogenicity data from the first vaccination in adults are due later this month. The current dosing schedule, as specified in the EMEA mock-up licensure for H1N1 vaccine using another virus strain, calls for two 7.5 ตg doses of vaccine to be given 21 days apart. Baxter expects the data from the trial of healthy adults to indicate whether a single dose may be possible for H1N1 vaccine. This study will also determine whether a lower dose, 3.75ตg, is sufficient to induce the necessary immune response.

"We are pleased that the regulatory submission and the preliminary clinical trial data uphold the extensive work done by Baxter and the support received from key Ministries of Health in developing a pandemic vaccine,” said Hartmut J. Ehrlich, M.D., vice president of global research and development for Baxter BioScience. “We are looking forward to analyzing the immunogenicity data for our cell culture-derived, non-adjuvanted vaccine to assess the potential of a one dose regimen.”
ABOUT BAXTER’S PANDEMIC VACCINE DEVELOPMENT

Earlier this year, the EMEA granted mock-up licensure for H1N1 vaccine using a different strain with pandemic potential, which was tested in five completed clinical trials worldwide in more than 1,300 people. In addition, more than 3,500 people have been vaccinated using the same strain during an ongoing Phase III study. Mock-up licensure is a regulatory pathway for pandemic vaccines that was created by the EMEA in 2004. This pathway allows for the development, evaluation and licensure of a company’s pandemic candidate vaccine using an available influenza strain that has the potential to cause a pandemic. Once a pandemic is declared and the influenza virus strain causing the pandemic is identified, the mock-up licensure allows for fast track approval of a pandemic vaccine containing the actual pandemic strain.

Baxter received the H1N1 strain for testing and evaluation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (a WHO Collaborating Center) in early May. The company then undertook pre-production testing and evaluation of the virus strain to assess its growth characteristics in the company’s proprietary Vero cell culture technology.

Baxter initiated commercial production in early June, and made its first commercial product within 12 weeks of receipt of the virus. The company produces bulk H1N1 vaccine at its large-scale commercial facility in Bohumil, Czech Republic, and then sends the vaccine to Vienna, Austria for the final formulation, fill and finish before distribution. Baxter completed production of the first batches of H1N1 vaccine in late July and initiated its first delivery within two weeks. The company continues to deliver vaccine on an ongoing basis to national public health authorities.

Baxter initiated its license application for H1N1 in July based on the EMEA published guidelines for pandemic vaccine marketing authorization. The company conducted rigorous testing of the H1N1 based vaccine and submitted additional data for vaccine development, product quality and manufacturing processes specific to that strain. Other non-E.U. countries may choose to evaluate the company’s EMEA submission and licensure as the basis for their national health authority’s authorization for use of the vaccine.

More information on H1N1 clinical trials is available at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=baxter+h1n1
ABOUT BAXTER INTERNATIONAL INC.

Baxter International Inc., through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures and markets products that save and sustain the lives of people with hemophilia, immune disorders, infectious diseases, kidney disease, trauma, and other chronic and acute medical conditions. As a global, diversified healthcare company, Baxter applies a unique combination of expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to create products that advance patient care worldwide.

Living with KIDNEY DISEASE

2009-11-12T22:41:00.000-08:00

       Transplants can get patients back to a normal life When Porntip Puang-ngern became easily tired, began to lose weight and was vomiting frequently 10 years ago, she had no idea what was wrong.
       Even when the doctor diagnosed her with chronic kidney disease, she remained in the dark about the illness.
       "I didn't know much about kidney disease at that time. Information was hard to find, and the illness was so unfamiliar to me," said Ms Porntip, now 60 years old.
       However, after similar symptoms appeared in her two sisters a few years later, kidney disease was no longer a stranger to the Puang-ngern family.
       Back then, the three sisters were in and out of hospital for treatment which was to change as their illnesses progressed.
       Despite oral and injected medication, the disease reached end-stage renal failure so it was necessary to undergo haemodialysis, a treatment which is tiring and time-consuming.
       "It took 4-5 hours for each treatment, twice a week, and often I would feel the side effects like weakness and dizziness when I returned home," said Jongkol Puang-ngern, one of Ms Porntip's sisters.
       The doctor urged them to register for donated kidneys with the Thai Red Cross Society. Finally, luck was on their side. Just a few years after they registered, the three sisters had successful organ transplants.
       "Getting a new kidney and being able to live on with it is like winning the lottery. Now we're happy living life the way we used to. What we need to do is to take better care of ourselves so that our new kidneys can last for a long time," said Ms Jongkol.
       Knowing your kidneys
       The kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs on either side of the spine in your lower-middle back.
       Dr Viroon Mavichak, a nephrologist at Praram 9 Hospital, says that the main function of the kidneys is to clean our body by removing waste products and excess water from the blood. All the while our organs such as the heart, lungs and liver are working, waste products are generated from the normal metabolic process. These waste products are released into the blood, and carried to the kidneys, which filter the blood and excrete the waste in the urine.
       "If our kidneys function well, all the waste will be excreted, and our bodies will be fresh and clean. But if the kidneys function poorly, our bodies become polluted. Our blood will be dirty and the body dirty. That results in the malfunction of other organs. If both of your kidneys completely fail or someone took them out, you will be dead within seven days," said Dr Viroon.
       Chronic and acute kidney disease
       The Puang-ngern sisters
       Chronic kidney disease happens when one suffers from gradual and usually permanent loss of kidney function. This happens gradually over time, usually months to years. In the end, patients will suffer end-stage renal failure, when there is total or near-total loss of kidney function and patients need dialysis or a transplant to stay alive.
       Acute kidney disease, meanwhile, develops rapidly over days or weeks. It is a serious condition, but does not cause permanent damage to the kidneys, and still can be cured in time.
       The chronic type, however, is more worrying as the early signs can be very subtle and many people who have the disease don't know it.
       What causes chronic kidney disease?
       Dr Viroon says there are various causes of kidney disease. Diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney stones, occlusion of blood vessels, gout, and kidney infections can result in chronic kidney disease, while factors such as accidents and severe diarrhoea can result in acute kidney failure.
       "Chronic kidney disease that is mostly found in urban people is caused by diabetes. Diabetes can cause arterial occlusive disease which, if it continues for 10-20 years, will lead to damaged kidneys," he said.
       In rural areas, however, kidney disease is mostly a result of "glomerulonephritis", a disease causing an autoimmune reaction to kidney tissue.
       Who can have a kidney disease?
       Dr Viroon says about 10,000 Thai people currently have a kidney disease, with an average of one new patient each day.
       He said kidney disease can happen in people of all ages, even infants who are born with a kidney abnormality. But mostly, it happens to people aged 30-50 years old. People with diabetes or high blood pressure are also among the risk groups. In some cases, kidney disease can be genetically transmitted.
       Dr Viroon Mavichak
       How to know you have chronic kidney disease?
       According to Dr Viroon, people with chronic kidney disease normally experience symptoms when their kidneys are about 80% damaged. This is because kidneys can still function normally even though they have started to deteriorate.
       "Kidney disease is usually in hiding like an unseen murderer. When your kidneys are slightly damaged, you'll never know it unless you have a blood test. It's like your mobile phone battery. You can use it for 48 hours, then the power is gone and your phone will suddenly switch off," he said.
       When the kidneys finally lose their function, patients will experience the following symptoms:
       1. Loss of appetite, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting.
       2. Swelling in the legs, ankles, feet, face or hands because the kidneys don't remove unwanted fluids in your body.
       3. Change in urination. You may urinate more often. Urine may be foamy or bubbly or it may contain blood.
       4. Have anaemia problems.
       5. Poor function of the brain as it is not getting enough oxygen. This can result in memory problems, trouble with concentration and dizziness. If the symptoms are extreme, patients can be in a comatose state.
       6. Shortness of breath and respiratory problems as extra fluid builds up in the lungs.
       7. Waste build-up in the blood can result in skin rashes and itching.
       8. Reduced immunity causing easy infection from germs.
       9. Vomiting blood as a result of waste in the stomach.
       10. Women may experience infertility problems.
       How to treat chronic kidney disease
       Treatment for early stages of chronic kidney disease include oral and injected medication to boost the red blood cell count. When the disease progresses to the end stage, there are normally two major treatment methods. One is haemodialysis. Patients have to spend 4-5 hours per treatment on a kidney machine, two or three times a week, to have their polluted blood filtered and sent back into the body.
       "However, note that haemodialysis can only clean your blood, but it cannot replace other functions of the kidneys, such as the production of certain hormones."
       The best method, he said, is a kidney transplant. There are two major channels for getting the organs. First is from donors who have died in accidents. Second is donated organs from living people, which Thai law only permits from people in the same family, or husbands and wives who can provide evidence of their relationship. The sale of kidneys is illegal.
       After the transplant, patients need to take immune suppressive drugs regularly to stop the body from rejecting the new organ.
       "Getting another kidney is like getting a strange object into the body, which will try and fight that object. If that process is not controlled, the transplanted kidney will fail," said the doctor.
       The risk of this is especially acute in the first three months. Patients must therefore come for a regular examinations, every one or two months.
       The success rate for kidney transplants is 95% if the organs were given from relatives, and 75% from deceased donors. Normally a transplanted kidney can function for 30-40 years.

Sonova buys cochlear implant maker

2009-11-12T22:40:00.000-08:00

       Swiss hearing aid firm Sonova Holding AG said yesterday it was buying cochlear implant maker Advanced Bionics Corp,based in California, for $489 million in cash.
       Sonova expects the transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval, to be completed within three months.
       "Sonova will offer the most comprehensive and innovative product and service portfolio covering any customer need for most types of hearing problems,"Valentin Chapero, Sonova's chief executive, said in a statement.
       Privately-held Advanced Bionics was founded in 1993 and is based in Valencia,Los Angeles County. Its majority shareholder is the biotech investor Alfred Mann.
       The company, which has 660 employees and sales in over 30 countries,has an 18% share of the global market in cochlear implants.
       These electronic devices are surgically implanted inside the ear to stimulate the auditory nerves, allowing deaf people to hear sounds.
       Sonova spokesman Holger Schimanke said there was little overlap between Sonova and Advanced Bionics, and consequently there are no plans to restructure the business.
       "Advanced Bionics will continue to operate as an independent unit within the Sonova Group," Schimanke told the Associated Press."We aren't talking about any kind of job cuts, definitely not."
       He said Advanced Bionics had developed "a great American technology that many people consider to be world leading, but it hasn't really taken off."
       "We're going to give them the business and sales expertise to do so," said Schimanke.

Bigger Merck on the prowl

2009-11-08T04:22:00.000-08:00

       The new Merck & Co has become the world's second-biggest drugmaker overnight with a huge acquisition, but it still has a fat wallet and plans more wheeling and dealing.
       A day after closing its $41.1 billion purchase of longtime joint venture partner Schering-Plough Corp, Merck already "is looking to increase the number of acquisitions and licensing deals it does,"chief executive Richard Clark said on Wednesday.
       The company has averaged 50 deals a year since 2003.
       "We'll actually do more and maybe even try to double it," he told the Associated Press exclusively.
       Clark said Merck was looking to make deals with "biotech companies that have first or best-in-class products that can build our franchises."
       It has about $8 billion in cash and investments to spend.
       "We've got a tremendous pipeline,with 15 late-stage candidates," Clark said.
       Between those drugs and future deals,Merck is focusing on several areas, including its longtime strengths such as cardiovascular disease - with four new drugs in testing - and vaccines, adding Schering-Plough's experimental shot to prevent staph infections to Merck's array of standard child and adult vaccines.
       Other targets are osteoporosis medi-cines, such as a Merck drug to replace its pioneering Fosamax, which has lost sales to generic competition, and women's health, as Schering makes contraceptive and fertility drugs.
       With the Schering deal, Merck leapfrogged from No.8 to No.2 in the industry by revenue, behind Pfizer Inc - despite Clark insisting he opposed such a megadeal since he took Merck's helm
       in 2005.
       Merck, based in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey,and New York's Pfizer, which last month bought Wyeth for $68 billion, are now back in the positions they held a decade Clark:'We've got a ago.tremendous pipeline'Merck was the world's top-selling drugmaker in the mid-1990s, but Pfizer took the lead in 1998 when it launched an overnight success, impotence pill Viagra. Repeated mergers among other drugmakers pushed Merck further back in line.
       The new Merck will start off with roughly $40 billion in annual sales, operations in more than 140 countries and more than half its sales from foreign countries - an advantage as US sales have stagnated in recent years.
       "We're going to be better in emerging markets," Clark said, meaning countries such as China, India and Brazil with people now spending more on health care.
       The company also is more diversified,with Schering's animal and consumer health businesses and biotech division.
       "It really puts us on a global stage as a health-care leader," Clark said.
       Schering-Plough, of Kenilworth, New Jersey, also brings several promising experimental drugs and some big sellers including hepatitis drugs and allergy spray Nasonex.
       The companies jointly sell cholesterol drugs Vytorin and Zetia.
       About 40% of Schering-Plough's top managers are staying on, but its CEO,Fred Hassan, is leaving with a severance package worth roughly $51 million.
       The companies have said they expect to make about 16,000 job cuts out of their now-combined staff of 106,000 people. With no official word on those cuts,many employees are anxious.
       Clark said Wednesday it would take time to decide which employees will leave and which facilities will close.
       The new company is organised into five divisions, including its manufacturing operations and Merck Research Laboratories.
       The others are the prescription drug business and two Schering-Plough businesses, animal health and a consumer health business with well-known brands such as Claritin allergy pills, Miralax laxative, Coppertone sun care items and the Dr Scholl's foot0care line.

Patients in medical maze need advocates

2009-11-04T05:46:00.002-08:00

       Two days after surgery to replace both my knees, a social worker employed by the hospital told me that the insurance company would not pay for me to stay any longer. Seeing that I was barely able to get to the bathroom on my own, she told the company I was not ready to enter rehab and insisted that I needed at least another day in the hospital.
       She was right, and I was grateful for the intervention; I was in no shape to argue with insurance bureaucrats whose goal is to save money and who had no interest in, nor any way to assess, my well-being.
       As health issues go, mine was a relatively minor concern. I now realise that in the complex world of modern medicine, nearly all patients, and especially those who are critically ill, need an advocate, someone to negotiate with medical professionals, insurers and others to ensure that they are receiving optimal care.
       David Wayne Smith, a disability specialist at the Arizona Arthritis Centre in Tucson, became an advocate for his 58-year-old son, who had been thrown from a horse and lay near death in a hospital room 800km away. He had several broken ribs,bruised lungs, a fractured clavicle and serious breathing problems, Smith wrote in the September-October issue of Arthritis Self-Management . For three long weeks, during which there were many close calls with death, his son lay in a drug-induced coma, his breathing maintained by a tube in his throat and a respirator.
       Steeling himself against profound feelings of helplessness and fear, Smith quickly realised he had to become part of his son's treatment team as a patient advocate.
       Smith began by making himself known to the hospital administrator and everyone involved with his son's care. He called the chief of the trauma centre whenever his son took a turn for the worse and got permission for himself and his son's wife to attend daily rounds when doctors discussed the patient's progress.
       And when his son was ready to leave the trauma centre, Smith insisted that he be transferred to a rehabilitation centre, not a regular hospital bed.
       Thanks in large part to Smith's advocacy, his son made rapid progress in rehab and in two weeks was able to go home, where his father has continued to advocate on his behalf, now to help counter the depression and anxiety that can accompany such a life-changing accident.
       "I see patients routinely in this situation, patients in their thirties and forties who've been told by rheumatologists that they can no longer work and must get by on Social Security disability benefits," Smith,83, said in an interview."I work with them to find specialists who can help them improve their situation, and I encourage them to take better care of themselves.
       "Many patients with rheumatoid arthritis are reluctant to have the surgery that can enable them to get back to work, or they don't take their medication,or they fail to see the proper specialists."
       Smith outlined four situations that call for a patient advocate:
       Patients' illnesses or injuries are life-threatening, and they are unable to act on their own behalf.(As with Smith's son, such patients may be unconscious or placed in a drug-induced coma, or otherwise heavily medicated.)
       Important decisions must be immediately made regarding treatment,but patients are temporarily unable to act for themselves because of severe physical or emotional trauma.
       Although otherwise competent,patients are unaware of their rights, benefits or treatment options, as may happen with patients who have cancer, heart disease or severe arthritis.
       Patients lack the mental ability to make rational decisions regarding their rights, treatments and benefits.
       The advocate's main role is to serve as a link between patients and their health care providers.
       The advocate helps make sure that patients get needed treatments in a timely fashion and can alert doctors when patients fail to follow prescribed remedies.
       Perhaps most important, patient advocates assist with continuity of care,
       ensuring that critical medical information is given to new providers and helping patients connect with ancillary personnel when employment, financial,legal or other issues arise.
       For example, the advocate might negotiate with an employer to adapt work responsibilities that fit the abilities of an ill or injured patient but still benefit the employer.
       Sometimes, advocates also have to work with families facing role reversal issues when the family breadwinner becomes disabled.
       Smith said that when illness or injury disrupted the family dynamic, communication problems were commonplace.
       Smith told of a woman who served as an advocate for her husband, who had been severely injured in a traffic accident.
       When the trauma surgeon said the man's leg would have to be amputated, the woman refused to consent to the surgery and instead arranged with his insurance company to have him transferred to a skilled nursing facility,where he could get both physical and occupational therapy.
       The wife consulted a plastic surgeon,who repaired injuries to the man's face and sewed his thumb back on. She also closely monitored his pain medication and arranged for a unit that relieves pain through electrical nerve stimulation,arguing with the insurer that this would be a less costly and more effective approach than heavy-duty drugs.
       In the end, the man's leg was saved and his face minimally scarred. He could walk without any aid or limp and was able to return to work as a clinical nurse.
       An effective advocate, Smith said, has to be "knowledgeable, committed and aggressive - forceful in a positive way and a good listener".
       He added that it was important to be cooperative, caring and firm, but not demanding, to foster cooperation and not antagonise the patient's health care providers.
       The advocate can be a family member or friend, or a professional patient advocate, who often has a background in medical social work.
       Some who work with older people are called geriatric care managers. Many patient advocates are volunteers whose compensation comes from satisfaction in helping someone recover.
       It is better to avoid advocates who might have a conflict of interest that could compromise patient care.
       Thus, using an advocate employed by the hospital or insurance company may not always serve the patient's best interests.
       Some hospitals maintain a roster of patient advocate volunteers.

Public health

2009-11-04T05:46:00.001-08:00

Remember a couple of weeks ago the government stopped reporting on the H1N1 influenza? Because it had pretty well stopped, and there were no deaths for a week? Yes, well, just kidding.Kamnuan Ungchusak, a Public Health Ministry disease control expert said to stand by for a second wave of swine flu,quite possibly worse than the first wave,which killed 182 people and closed all Bangkok schools for more than a week.The fears stem from a sudden upsurge in H1N1 cases in North America, where children in particular are being struck down by the virus. The weather is cooling,schools are resuming class and (one hopes) the tourist high season is approaching. Also, the long-promised anti-flu vaccine isn't ready, won't be for weeks, oh, make that months. All of these facts are good for flu, bad for humans. Ah, but that's not all. Permanent secretary for public health Paijit Warachit called a meeting of health and livestock officials. He fears that the H5N1 avian flu is set to strike again as well.But big problems loom, potentially political tsunami. In Thailand, in the US -where flu is already an official national emergency - and around the world,authorities have somehow botched the vaccine that would protect tens of millions from the H1N1 pandemic. Thai authorities say tests may begin in midwinter. Despite months of soothing talk and preparation, the Obama administration can't produce enough vaccine to provide shots for President Obama's daughters. The promises of vaccine have proved hollow, and governments may pay for that prevarication if the H1N1 does indeed hit hard, as feared.

BOON TURNS TO CHINA AFTER SELLING HOSPITAL STAKE

2009-10-28T19:58:00.002-07:00

       Property tycoon Boon Vanasin recently unloaded shares in Piyavate Hospital to Red Bull owner Chaleo Yoovidhya so he can focus more on hospital investment in China.
       "China will be my latest country for investing in healthcare. I believe revenue from that industry in that country will exceed revenue from all of my businesses in Thailand, both healthcare and property, within five years," Boon said.
       He said he spent much of his time in China now, overseeing construction of his hospitals. Despite the opportunities afforded by the world's most populous country, investment in China is quite difficult for foreigners, and so he finds he must be on hand there.
       Boon's hospital arm, the Thonburi Hospital Group, sold its entire 40-per-cent stake in Piyavate Hospital, although he maintains his personal 5-per-cent holding and remains a director.
       The group generates annual revenue of Bt3 billion from 17 hospitals, while Boon's property business generates about Bt2 billion per annum.
       Boon's foreign-investment arm, WJ International Healthcare, is constructing three Chinese hospitals at a combined cost exceeding Bt1 billion, with a different Chinese partner for each one: the military, the Foreign Ministry and the Red Cross Society of China.
       Boon plans to open three hospitals a year in China, serving mainly foreigners.
       He said the Thonburi Hospital Group agreed to sell its shares in Piyavate Hospital roughly five months ago, obtaining Bt400 million from the deal. The money will go towards the Bt900-million expansion of Thonburi Hospital 1 and Thonburi Hospital 2.
       The group will spend Bt400 million to build new outpatient and inpatient buildings at Thonburi Hospital 1, after which capacity will double in the outpatient building to serve 3,000 patients a day, while inpatient beds will increase 25 per cent to 500.
       A budget of Bt500 million has been earmarked for a new outpatient building at Thonburi Hospital 2 that can serve 1,500 outpatients daily, up from 800 now.
       Boon said another reason for selling the Piyavate shares were his and Chaleo's conflicting opinions on the business's direction. He wanted to embark upon a major Bt2-billion upgrade of Piyavate, in order to make it more competitive with other private hospitals, but Chaleo wants the 16-year-old hospital to grow more slowly.
       Boon resigned as Piyavate's chairman but signed an agreement with Chaleo retaining the right to become Piyavate Hospital's major shareholder within three years. If he does return in that capacity, he may let his heirs hold the stake.
       Piyavate CEO and president Nithi Mahanonda said Chaleo planned to bring in more doctors from several fields, cut unnecessary costs and make the most beneficial use of the hospital's facilities. After five years of losses, the hospital is expected to post a net profit next year, with revenue increasing 15 per cent.
       Nithi expects revenue of Bt1 billion this year, up 25 per cent from last year. The company will book a net loss estimated at Bt60 million, an improvement from last year's Bt300-million loss.
       Piyavate expects to take six years to clear its accumulated losses of Bt800 million.
       Nithi said with the transaction, Chaleo's children and grandchild now hold 75 per cent of the hospital's registered capital of Bt2.1 billion, while 19 per cent is held physicians.
       He said Piyavate had spent nearly Bt200 million on renovating its building and would increase the number of beds from 100 to 150 within six months. It is also adding more full- and part-time physicians to attract more patients, especially foreigners, who are higher margin.
       Piyavate plans to become a top-five private hospital in the near future.

GE shrinks ultrasound tool

2009-10-28T19:58:00.001-07:00

       The future of ultrasound technology, as interpreted by General Electric Co, looks a bit like a flip phone crossed with an iPod.
       GE chief executive Jeff Immelt unveiled a handheld ultrasound machine at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco on Tuesday called the Vscan, saying it could become the "stethoscope of the 21st century."
       The device folds open clamshell-style to reveal a small screen on the top half and a circular button pad on the bottom.A small attached wand can be used to generate a non-invasive scan of a patient's organs or of a fetus.
       The Vscan is aimed in part at primary care doctors, who could use it instead of sending patients to get an ultrasound at a specialist's office. It could also be used by doctors in remote regions without access to hospital equipment.
       Immelt said that the device, which will be available sometime next year,would be "very digitally capable" but that it would not have Wi-Fi access to wirelessly transmit ultrasound images.
       The cost of the device is unknown.During the summit, Immelt declined to elaborate on the possibility that Fairfield, Connecticut-based GE will sell a stake in its NBC Universal entertainment division to cable TV operator Comcast Corp or any other company.
       He said that GE "is comfortable" with the division."

PREMA LOOKS TO STAUNCH FLOW

2009-10-28T19:57:00.001-07:00

       Thai pharmaceutical manufacturers are concerned about the sale of counterfeit medication because not only does it affect the industry it also has an adverse effect on consumers, the Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers Association (PReMA) said yesterday.
       PReMA's CEO Kitima Yuthavong said many members of the group were concerned about the issue, which seems to be increasing in Thailand. PReMa, in its capacity as an alliance of manufacturers, is collaborating with government agencies to solve the problem.
       Thavirap Tantiwongse, director of Health System partnerships at PReMA, said though exact figures of the damage inflicted upon the Thai pharmaceutical industry were not available, the World Health Organisation is predicting that the value of counterfeit drugs across the world will hit US$75 billion (Bt2.5 trillion) by next year. At least five nations, including the US, are currently suffering the problem of counterfeit drugs.
       He added that fake drugs could be easily bought at ordinary pharmacies, and consumers often buy the counterfeit medication because it is cheaper.
       PReMA president Teera Chakajnarodom said the 10,000 or so drug stores across the country face the risk of becoming channels for counterfeit medication.
       "Involved government agencies are not able to solve this problem because the penalties are not strong enough. In addition, the business of fake drugs can be very profitable," Thavirap said.
       Kitima said PReMA, which is celebrating its 39th anniversary this year, will hold a seminar on October 30 to discuss the issue of counterfeit drugs as well as do case studies on how to cope with the problem and how to educate consumers.
       Yoshitaka Koketsu, president of Astellas Pharma (Thailand), a Japanese pharmaceutical manufacturer, said his country ranked 5th globally in terms of counterfeit medication, after China, South Korea, the US and India. In Japan, most of the fake drugs are sold through the Internet, even though most Japanese pharmaceutical companies have unique techniques to stop their drugs being reproduced.
       Keketsu said the Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (JPMA), which has more experience in combating counterfeit medication, will share its know-how at the PReMa seminar.

Obama eases pressure on medical marijuana

2009-10-20T20:54:00.001-07:00

       In a sharp policy shift, the Obama administration told federal attorneys not to prosecute patients who use marijuana for medical reasons or dispensaries in states where it has been legalised.
       A Justice Department official said the formal guidelines were issued on Monday to reflect President Barack Obama's views. The Bush administration had said it could enforce the federal law against marijuana and that it trumped state laws.
       The decision was praised by activists in California, the first state to legalise medical marijuana in 1996. But concern remains among some medical and law enforcement authorities about hundreds of clinics distributing marijuana under the protection of state law and without regard to health.
       During his presidential campaign last year, Mr Obama said he intended to halt raids of medical marijuana facilities operating legally under state laws.
       On Monday a White House spokesman repeated Mr Obama's view that "federal resources should not be used to circumvent state laws".

Dental Implant

2009-10-14T21:46:00.000-07:00

       What is Dental Implant?
       A dental implant is an artificaial tooth root replacement and is used in prosthetic dentistry to support restorations that resemble a tooth or group of teeth.
       What are the Advantages of Dental Implants?
       - Improved appearance. Dental implants look and feel lide your own teeth. And because they are designe4d to fuse with bone, they become permanent.
       - Improved speech.
       with poor-fitting dentures, the teeth can slip within the mouth causing you to mumble or slur your worlds. Dental implants allow you to speak without the worry that your denture might slip.
       - Improved comfort. Because they become part of you, implants eliminate the discomfort of removable dentures being displaced.
       - Easier eating. Sliding dentures can make chewing difficult.
       Dental implants function like your own teeth allowing you to eat you favourite foods with confidence and without pain.
       - Improved self-esteem. Dental implants can give you back your natural smile, and help you feel better about yourself.
       - Improved oral health. Dental implants don't require reducing other teeth, as a tooth-supported bridge does. Because nearby teeth are not altered to support the bridge, more of your own teeth are left intact, improving your long-term oral health. Individual implants also allow easier access between teeth, improving oral hygiene.
       - Durability. Implants are very durable and will ast many years. With good care, many implants last a lifetime.
       - Convenience. Removable dentures are just that; removable. Dental implants eliminate the embarrassing inconvenience of removing your dentures, as well as the need for messy adhesives to keep your dentures in place.
       Detailed Procedural Steps are as follows:
       Preparation of the Jaw for Implantation: A dental implant is commonly composed of a titanium material screw and a crown. A small-diameter hole (pilot hole) is drilled at edentulous (where there is no tooth) jaw sites in order to guide the titanium screw that is a dental implant in place. to avoid damaging vital jaw and fae structures like the inferior alveolar nerve in the mandible (lower jaw), a dentist must use great skill and expertise when boring the pilot hole and sizing the jaw bone.
       Placement of the Implant: After the initial pilot hole has been drilled into the appropriate jaw site, it is slowly widened to allow for placement of the implant body. Following this placement, a protective cover screw is placed on top to allow the implant site to heal and the dental implant to anchor (Osseo integration). After several months, the portective cover is removed ans a temporary healing is placed on top of the dental implant. The temporary abutment serves as a template around which the gum grows and shapes itself in a natural way. The process is completed when the temporary abutment is replaced with a permanent crown.
       How Painful are Dental Implants?
       Most people who have received dental implants say that there is very little discomfort involved in the procedure. Local anesthesia can be used durint the procedure, and most patients report that implants cause less pain than a tooth extraction.
       After the dental implant, mild soreness can be treated with over-the-counter pain medications, such as Tylenol.
       How Do I Care for My Implant?
       Dental implants require the same care as real teeth, including;
       Brushing after meals of at least twice a day.
       Cleaning with cholhexidine mouth wash after meal in case of unable to do brushing.
       Applying dental flossing after meals or at least once daily before bed time.
       Avoiding rigid or hard chewing food to prevent broken of the teeth.
       Undergoing regular dental check-ups.
       De. Jaran Busagonruangrat
       Docter of Dental Surgery
       Dental Center Bangpakok 9 Internnational Hospital
       Can Anyone Get Dental Implant?
       In most cases, anyone healthy enough to undergo a routine dental extraction or oral surgery can be considered for an implant procedure. Patients should have healthy gums and enough bone to hole the implant. They also m ust be committed to good oral hygiene and regular dental visits. Heavy smokers, people suffering from uncontrolled chronic disorders-such as diabetes or heart disease-or patients who have had radiation therapy to the head/neck area need to be evaluated on an individual basis. If yoy are considering implants, talk to your dentist to see if they are right for you.

Cancer cure still far off

2009-10-13T05:22:00.000-07:00

       Politicians and researchers have predicted for nearly four decades that a cure for cancer is near, but cancer death rates have hardly budged and most new cancer drugs cost a fortune while giving patients few, if any, added weeks of life. For this collective failure,the man atop the United States' regulatory agency for new cancer drugs increasingly - and supporters say unfairly - gets the blame: Dr Richard Pazdur.
       Patient advocates have called Dr Pazdur, director of the Food and Drug Administration's cancer drug office, a murderer, conservative pundits have vilified him as an obstructionist bureaucrat, and guards are now posted at the agency's public cancer advisory meetings to protect him and other committee members.
       "The industry is not producing that many good drugs, so now they're looking for scapegoats in Rick Pazdur and the FDA," said Ira S. Loss,who follows the drug industry for Washington Analysis, a service for investors.
       In 10 years at the Food and Drug Administration, Dr Pazdur,57, has helped to loosen approval standards for cancer medicines and made it easier for dying patients to get experimental drugs. But he demands that drug makers prove with near certainty that their products are beneficial, a requirement that he repeated at a public advisory hearing on September 1 in the slow,loud tones of someone disciplining a dog. After he spoke, the committee of experts voted to reject both drugs.
       Critics say that Dr Pazdur's resolve has cost thousands of lives and set back the pace of discoveries."Patients are right to be angry and frustrated with Richard Pazdur," said Steven Walker, co-founder of the Abigail Alliance, a patient-advocacy group."He is a dinosaur."
       But neither the controversies swirling about him nor his years as an oncologist treating terminal patients have dented Pazdur's naturally sunny disposition. He laughs like Charles Nelson Reilly,eats like Gandhi and likens his tenure at the drug administration to that of a Roman Catholic priest from the 1960s who had to translate the Latin liturgy into plain language.
       "You can't win in this job," Dr Pazdur said in an interview in his office."If you approve a drug,they accuse you of lowering standards. And if you don't approve it, you're the worst thing since the Nazi death camps and should be killed."
       Whether Dr Pazdur has struck the right balance between hope and certainty has enormous consequences for patients and industry. Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the US;more than 562,000 people are expected to die of it this year.
       Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are testing more than 860 new cancer medicines - more than in any other disease category,according to manufacturers. Because patients are desperate and insurers are often forced by law to pay, prices are soaring, making cancer medicines among the best ways for drug makers to make money. But cancer has proven difficult to crack, leading to frustration among executives and advocates who wonder why the FDA is not approving more drugs.
       No cancer medicines can be sold to or even tested on people without the imprimatur of Dr Pazdur and his staff of about 150 oncologists,toxicologists and other specialists. But pressure from advocacy groups and cancer researchers frustrated with failure have led the agency to abandon many of the usual approval requirements.
       Federal law requires that the agency demand two "well controlled" trials before approving a drug; in cancer, the FDA is often satisfied with just one. With many experimental drugs, the agency demands trials with thousands of patients,while for cancer, it has accepted studies with a few dozen.
       Before Dr Pazdur's arrival, the agency largely insisted that drug makers prove that their products extended life. Companies did this by giving the drug to one group of patients, providing a placebo or an older drug to another group and then seeing which group lived longer. But some cancers take a long time to kill, making survival trials lengthy and expensive. So the drug administration under Dr Pazdur's leadership increasingly allowed some studies to track a drug's effect with X-rays.If scans showed that tumours grew less rapidly,the drug could be approved.
       Dr Pazdur pressed for the changes because,he said, the growing number of approved cancer medicines made determining whether any one delayed death increasingly difficult. Many patients now cycle through several medicines before dying.And some drugs that have not been proven to extend life may delay more serious symptoms and medical interventions, he said.
       For instance, the drug administration initially rejected oxaliplatin because no trial at the time proved that it delayed death. But the agency finally relented in 2002- years after the drug's approval in Europe - because scans showed that it postponed tumour growth. Oxaliplatin is now commonly used to combat colorectal cancer.
       Some patient advocates - mostly from older,more established organisations - bemoan these changes because even if a drug shrinks tumours,it may do nothing to delay death or improve patients' last days. And because so many cancer medicines have toxic side effects and high prices,drugs that have no proven benefit may actually be harmful to patients' health and economic well-being.
       These advocates point to mistakes like toxic chemotherapy with bone marrow transplants in breast cancer, which in the 1980s and 1990s increased the suffering of nearly 30,000 women before studies finally showed that it was ineffective.When in doubt, the drug administration should not approve, they say.
       "We want drugs that prolong survival, not drugs that just improve a test result," said Frances M. Visco, president of the National Breast Cancer Coalition.
       To others - mostly newer, more aggressive patient organisations - the FDA's cancer group under Dr Pazdur's leadership has not lowered standards or sped approvals nearly enough. If there is any hint that a drug works, dying patients -many of whom have run out of other options - should be allowed to buy them, they said.
       And some cancer specialists say that Dr Pazdur,after pushing for years to lower approval standards,has toughened them recently after being criticised for approving drugs that were later shown to have few benefits.
       "I'm worried there's been a change in his thinking that could be adverse for the field,"said Dr Bruce A. Chabner, clinical director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and a member of the board of directors of PharmaMar, a Spanish biotech company whose drug Yondelis is approved in Europe but was rejected in July by the FDA's cancer advisory board after a critical introduction by Dr Pazdur.
       Little of this controversy surrounding Dr Pazdur affects the development of truly powerful medicines. In 2001, his agency took just 11 weeks to approve Gleevec, which has miraculous effects on a form of leukaemia. But when drugs have marginal benefits, figuring out whether they work is controversial and time consuming.
       Many of the recent rejects have come from small biotechnology companies for which a single FDA approval can be the difference between fiscal calamity and vast profits. On September 1,tiny Vion Pharmaceuticals brought its leukaemia drug Onrigin to an FDA advisory committee for consideration.
       One clinical trial found that Onrigin increased deaths three-fold compared with a placebo. The drug administration told the company in meetings in 2004 and 2006 that another trial was so poorly designed that it was unlikely to pass muster.Vion persisted.
       During the company's presentation to the advisory committee, Dr Pazdur seemed at times visibly pained - grimacing or shaking his head.When patients brought to the meeting by Vion spoke about Onrigin's benefits, he turned away ("Only patients who benefit from the drugs are brought to the meetings, not those who are harmed or get nothing," he explained later.) He reminded the committee,"We only have one randomised trial here which shows an increase in death."
       The committee voted 13 to 0 to require a new study. Vion executives would not comment.
       Some small companies seeking approval of a drug have waged public campaigns with the help of investors and advocacy groups that sometimes lead to vicious attacks on Dr Pazdur. Take the case of Xcytrin, a brain cancer medicine made by Pharmacyclics of Sunnyvale, California.After a key study failed to show that the drug worked, the company's chief executive at the time, Dr Richard Miller, blamed doctors at a hospital in France.
       "They got a very negative result there, and it really skewed the data," Dr Miller said in an interview.
       He lobbied top FDA officials to approve the drug anyway. They refused. He became a prominent agency critic, writing four opinion columns in The Wall Street Journal in 2007 arguing that the agency was keeping vital treatments from dying patients.
       Dr Miller did not make public the drug agency's reasons for rejecting Xcytrin and, because the law prevents the agency from discussing drug rejections, Dr Pazdur remained mum.
       A year ago, Dr Miller was replaced as chief executive at Pharmacyclics by Robert W. Duggan.In an interview, Duggan said that the Xcytrin study was flawed, and that the drug administration was right to reject the drug.
       "It's not just one hospital mishandling the data. That's false," said Duggan, who described the trial's results as a "dog's breakfast" of confusing signals. Biotech executives often blame the drug administration for their own failures so they can continue to raise money from investors, Duggan said.
       Dr Miller, who is raising money for a new company, responded:"I think Mr Duggan is making nice to the FDA."
       Tony Fiorino, president and chief executive of EnzymeRx, in Paramus, New Jersey, said that biotech executives were often former scientists who believed so deeply in their products that "it's an ecstatic experience". When the drug administration rejects their application, these executives have every incentive, he said, to "go ballistic on the agency".
       "You're going to pull out all the stops," Fiorino said."This is your one lottery ticket."
       And it is not just executives behind the attacks.Melvin Flores, an oxygen technician from Lowell,Arkansas, sent several email messages last year to Pazdur, one of which said,"You've murdered enough innocent people already - enough is enough."
       Flores invested in a company whose cancer medicine did not get approved, pummelling its shares and depriving patients of a lifesaver, he said in an interview."It's a Holocaust that has happened," he said.
       Besides singling out Dr Pazdur's email box,advocates have put his name on advertisements on city buses in the Washington area, sued him and shouted his name at protests. But Dr Pazdur said he and his family had endured far worse.
       His grandfather, a Polish immigrant, was crushed to death under a railroad car in the Great Depression while sweeping up loose corn kernels to feed his family. With six children, his grandmother remarried, had three more children and was widowed again several years later when her second husband died in a construction accident.
       His mother married her first husband two weeks before he shipped out for the Second World War; he was killed in the war. Dr Pazdur's father, a factory worker for Standard Oil of Indiana,went blind from glaucoma when Dr Pazdur was a young teenager, impoverishing his family anew.
       An avid gym cyclist who is greyhound-thin,Dr Pazdur does not eat meat because he believes a vegetarian diet will help protect him from cancer, although the supporting evidence is as thin as vegetable broth. His wife, Mary, said that when he travels, she buys herself a nice steak.
       Dr Pazdur became intrigued with the FDA while overseeing drug trials at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre. When the cancer job became available, he applied. On his first day, he was struck by how much the agency resembled the Catholic church of his childhood.
       "We had a door in our old office that was controlled electronically, so someone had to buzz you in," Dr Pazdur said."We had that same door in my grade school separating the convent from the school. It was such a secretive world here."
       He set about changing that by reaching out to cancer advocacy and medical groups. He has held cancer advisory meetings at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the world's largest body of cancer scientists.And he began, in conjunction with others, an annual training programme for cancer researchers.
       The result is that Dr Pazdur "has a lot of support within the mainstream cancer community", said Dr Otis W. Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society. In May,the oncologists' society gave him a special recognition award for "his outstanding service to the oncology community".
       Dr William John, a cancer researcher at Eli Lilly, described Dr Pazdur as knowledgeable and fair. But Walker, the patient advocate, said that Dr Pazdur's close ties with the oncology community showed the corruption of the entire clinical trial system.
       Pazdur said that blaming the FDA for the dearth of new cancer medicines was "like blaming the failures of American education on the SAT test".
       "We just do the assessments," he said.

Graft inquiry shows we're serious- PM

2009-10-11T23:12:00.001-07:00

       Inquiries into alleged irregularities under the economic stimulus package at the Public Health Ministry would show how determined the government is in fighting corruption, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva says.
       "Authorities were told from the beginning that they need to be extra careful when a scheme of this scale and enormous budget is involved as it will be prone to corruption," Mr Abhisit said during his weekly television and radio address yesterday.
       The prime minister has instructed Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai to speed up the investigations into the graft allegations.
       "I want to prove to the people that my government is determined to make state projects corruption-free," he said.
       Mr Abhisit's assurances come just days after his meeting with the president of the Rural Doctors Society, Kriangsak Vacharanukulkiat, who raised the alleged irregularities under the 86 billion baht medical supplies and equipment procurement programme.
       Dr Kriangsak also revealed the names of politicians he claimed were involved in the irregularities, Mr Abhisit said.
       The prime minister has agreed to consider calls to change the make up of the inquiry panels to ensure the investigations remain free of political meddling.
       The investigations focus on two areas,Mr Abhisit said: the unusually high cost of constructing buildings, and the list of medical supplies which does not match the needs of hospitals.
       The unwanted medical items had been included on the list upon a request from members of the public health minister's advisory team, the doctor claimed.
       Mr Witthaya said he would push ahead with the scheme.
       Speaking at a meeting in Songkhla yesterday, the embattled minister called on health officials not to let down the public.
       "The scheme must go ahead and it's the duty of public health officials to prove that it is corruption-free and is beneficial to the people," he said.

Democrats to eradicate loopholes

2009-10-10T23:40:00.000-07:00

       The Democrat Party has pledged to eradicate loopholes in the Thai Kem Kaeng economic stimulus project by learning a lesson from alleged irregularities in the Public Health Ministry's procurement of medical supplies.
       The Rural Doctors Society has accused the ministry of spending money on unnecessary and overpriced medical items for hospitals.
       Democrat spokesman Buranaj Smutharaks said the case would be considered in the cabinet meeting on Tuesday when Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his ministers are scheduled to discuss the budget for a second economic stimulus project.
       The ministry has been given 86.6 billion baht under the Thai Kem Kaeng project, which is part of a huge budget of 1.44 trillion baht.
       Around 60% of the ministry's spending goes to build public health buildings while the rest is used to buy medical equipment for hospitals.
       However, the Rural Doctors Society has alleged hospitals did not participate in the procurement and many bought items which were unnecessary and unusually expensive.
       The allegations have forced the advisory team of minister Witthaya Kaewparadai to resign. Doctors on Friday also demanded Mr Witthaya and his deputy Manit Nopamornbodee step down to make way for a transparent inquiry.
       Dr Buranaj yesterday defended the ministers, saying they did not have to resign now as there was no evidence of their involvement in the alleged scandal.
       However, he said the government has agreed to investigate the case and even cancel the acquisition of some medical supplies.
       He urged the society to directly tell Mr Abhisit if it had evidence showing ministers have been involved in corrupt acts.
       The society's head Kriengsak Watcharanukulkiat conceded that it was difficult to get "the bills" to prove the alleged irregularities.
       However, he had the documents showing the average prices of medical equipment and construction projects under the Thailand: Investing from Strength to Strength scheme were much higher than the figures used in normal projects.
       For example, Phu Kradueng Hospital built a 24-room nurse dormitory at a cost of 6.8 million baht in December last year, but a building of the same type cost as much as 9.57 million baht under the Thai Kem Kaeng scheme.
       A doctor's residence normally costs 760,000 baht, but the budget jumped to 1.89 million baht under the project.
       "This should be sufficient evidence to show that there is something fishy in this mega-spending scheme," Dr Kriengsak said.
       He called on public health officials,particularly the management of rural hospitals who were forced to follow the politicians' orders, to speak up.
       "Without information from state officials, it will be difficult to unmask politicians implicated in the alleged corruption," he said.

Fake drugs swamping region

2009-10-09T22:06:00.000-07:00

       Fake malaria drugs from China are breeding resistance to life-saving medications in Thailand and Cambodia, threatening to derail global efforts to eradicate the disease, a study funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation found.
       Among more than 700 packets of pills sold at private drugstores in Cambodia and Thailand,60% were found to be substandard or counterfeit around the border, compared with less than 5% in other areas in Thailand, said Patrick Lukulay, director of drug quality and information for US Pharmacopeia,a Rockville, Maryland-based organisation that tracks fake drugs. Previous studies have suggested about one-third of malaria drugs in western Cambodia are fake, Mr Lukulay said. Substandard treatments are contributing to growing resistance to genuine medicines in the area, he added. That threatens to unravel progress made against the disease in Africa, which has 90% of the world's malaria cases, if the resistant strain spreads there, researchers have warned.
       "We did not expect a worsening of the situation," Mr Lukulay said in Phnom Penh yesterday."We thought that by now things would have improved, but in fact they have not. The border areas are still notorious for having poor quality medicines."
       Malaria strikes about 250 million people each year and kills more than 880,000, mostly children under five,according to the World Health Organisation. Its the world's third-deadliest infectious disease, behind Aids, which results in about 2 million deaths each year, and tuberculosis, which kills 1.6 million people annually.
       The disease is caused by a tiny parasite called Plasmodium, carried in the saliva of female mosquitoes. When an infected insect bites a person, the bugs travel to the liver, multiply and enter the bloodstream. There they invade red cells,leading to fever, chills, nausea and diarrhoea. Unchecked, they cause red cells to stick to the walls of capillaries,slowing blood flow. Sufferers can die from organ failure without treatment.
       The pills tested in the $350,000(11.7 million baht) Gates-funded study were mostly from China and touted to contain artesunate, part of a family of drugs called artemisinins that are the most potent weapons against malaria, Mr Lukulay said. In reality, the study completed last week found that some had no active ingredient, while others contained small amounts, which fuel resistance by aiding the survival of the hardiest parasites, he said.
       Treatments derived from artemisinin are taking almost twice as long to clear the parasites in patients in western Cambodia than in northwestern Thailand,showing the drugs are losing their potency against the disease, a study published in July in the New England Journal Of Medicine showed."This is a very, very large problem potentially for the whole world," said Nick White, director of the Bangkokbased Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, which is studying drug-resistant malaria in the areas around the Thai-Cambodia border."The scale and the speed of the response have been unfortunately too small."
       Researchers are still trying to understand why counterfeit malaria drugs are so abundant there, Mr Lukulay said.
       The WHO, which also participated in the drug-quality study, is trying to eliminate the resistant strain from that region with a mass screening and treatment programme backed by $23 million from the Seattle-based Gates Foundation.

THONGLOR PET HOSPITAL TO LIST ON SET

2009-10-07T21:33:00.001-07:00

       Thonglor Pet Hospital plans to list on the Stock Exchange of Thailand next year to raise funds for expansion.
       Managing director Boonchu Thongcharoenpoonporn yesterday said the company wanted to make the institution the country's pet-hospital leader within three years.
       The listing plan should help the company to achieve the target.
       The company plans to increase its number of hospitals from the current five branches to eight in the next three years. Each branch requires a budget of about Bt100 million, he said.
       After listing on the SET, the company will grow by 30 per cent during the three-year plan, he added.
       Thonglor Pet Hospital plans to develop into a specialist medical centre for pets. It has already purchased medical equipment worth more than Bt30 million and will install computers and tele-medicine to exchange information on treatment between the main hospital and provincial branches.
       There are 1,400 pet hospitals nationwide with an overall growth rate of 10 per cent a year, according to the company.
       Thonglor Pet Hospital projects revenue growth of 30 per cent this year.
       The pet market is valued at Bt10 billion, which covers pet services, food, clothing, fashion and shampoos.

Health procurement projects put on hold

2009-10-02T19:26:00.001-07:00

       All Public Health Ministry procurement projects under the government's stimulus programme have been halted due to corruption allegations.
       Acting permanent secretary for public health Paijit Warachit yesterday shelved all procurement projects for medical equipment and ambulances to be funded under the "Thailand: Investing from Strength to Strength" scheme.
       The order came only a day after he ordered the purchase of UV sanitisers at community hospitals be delayed.
       "All procurement projects have to be deferred for transparency reasons until the two committees have completed their findings," he said.
       "Any procurement project found to have irregularities or to be unnecessary will be cancelled."
       Dr Paijit appointed public health inspector Seri Hongyok to chair a committee investigating the purchase of UV sanitisers.
       Another panel will scrutinise other health related procurement proposals.
       The preliminary findings should be released by Oct 8, Dr Paijit said.
       The freeze came after the Rural Doctors Society revealed irregularities in the planned purchase of equipment at community hospitals. An 86.6 billion baht budget had been allocated for local public health authorities to make the purchases.
       For the first time in several years, the government has allocated a massive budget to the Public Health Ministry.
       The doctors' group said the funding,50 times larger than the annual health budget, could be skimmed by politicians and officials.
       UV sanitisers, for example, had been added to the procurement list for community hospitals without their request.
       The quoted price was 40,000 baht for each machine, compared with a market price of only 6,000 baht.
       Kriangsak Vatcharanukulkiat, director of Phu Kradueng Hospital and president of the Rural Doctors Society, said the plan to purchase flagpoles for small community hospitals should be reviewed as the quoted price of 495,000 baht for each pole was inflated.
       Suppakit Sirilak, director of the ministry's Bureau of Policy and Strategy responsible for projects under the government's stimulus package scheme, said he would seek advice from the Budget Bureau to ensure transparency in the procurement process.

Vitallife to launch blood testing for anti-ageing

2009-10-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

       Vitallife, operator of Vitallife Wellness Centre, a leading anti-ageing medicine provider, will launch VitechPro in mid-December.
       It will be the first advanced wellness lab for anti-ageing and preventive medicine in Southeast Asia. The new unit is part of company plans to expand its client base from individuals to companies.
       CEO Anthony Jude Tan yesterday said Vitallife, a subsidiary of Bumrungrad Hospital, where it is located, had spent Bt30 million to set up VitechPro.
       Of that, Bt22 million was used to import an LCMS-MS machine, an advanced diagnostic lab tool to test blood in the course of anti-ageing and preventive treatment. Once the blood is tested, VitechPro can customise n8utraceuticals for patients in its affiliated clinics and other wellness centres throughout Southeast Asia.
       This method has become standard in wellness centres and is gaining in popularity among health-conscious consumers. At present, centres must send blood samples to the US or Europe and wait roughly four weeks for the results.
       But with this new service, Vitallife can complete blood tests within a week, which will be much more convenient. VitechPro's blood test will also save 20-30 per cent on the cost.
       VitechPro, a pioneer in anti-ageing and preventive medicine, will also provide short courses for its affiliated clinics, so they can have a comprehensive knowledge of the field. Courses will cost US$20,000 (Bt671,000) for clinics outside of Thailand and $15,000 for local clinics.
       VitechPro has already secured contracts with wellness centres in Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines to be its affiliates.
       Tan said many clinics throughout Southeast Asia were approaching VitechPro about doing their blood tests. It expects to have 10 corporate clients in the region next year along with eight local ones.
       Vitallife expects the new business to generate Bt40 million next year, with revenue growth of 8-10 per cent per annum.
       Tan said the global economic turmoil had not affected Vitallife Wellness Centre as much as it had its competitors. Its revenue is up 10 per cent year on year so far, and the company has targeted full-year revenue of Bt110 million.
       Vitallife this year has appointed representatives in eight markets, including Russia, Malaysia, Portugal and Hong Kong. That number is expected to reach 13 by year-end, including the US and Germany.
       "We expect Vitallife's revenue to grow 15 per cent next year with these new representatives," he said.

Flood-affected people to get medical help

2009-10-02T19:23:00.001-07:00

       The Public Health Ministry yesterday sent medical supplies to aid flood victims in the northern and northeastern areas hit by tropical depression "Ketsana".
       Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said 70,000 medical sets were dispatched to 15 flooded provinces for distribution to local mobile medical units giving preliminary help to flood affected people.
       The 15 provinces include Ubon Ratchathani, Nong Khai, Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan, Si Sa Ket, Roi Et, Yasothon, Buri Ram, Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, Nan, Uttaradit, Lampang, Chiang Mai and Tak.
       In addition, the ministry has stockpiled around one million sets of medical supplies for emergency distribution to the inundated areas.
       Over 100 residents of Ubon Ratchathani are reported suffering from floodrelated diseases.
       Provincial health offices have been instructed to send medical workers to treat victims as well as educate them on basic treatment for such diseases, said Mr Witthaya.
       The ministry has launched floodrelated Hotline 1699 to help stranded victims contact medical emergency teams.
       According to the Meteorological Department, tropical depression Ketsana has been downgraded to active low pressure cell status, covering the Northeast. It is expected to move slowly along a low pressure trough passing through Nakhon Ratchasima and Thailand's central regions.

Ministry halts UV sanitiser purchase plan

2009-10-02T19:21:00.001-07:00

       The Public Health Ministry has ordered its offices across the Kingdom to halt the funding of UV sanitisers purchased under the government's economic stimulus scheme.
       The freeze follows complaints from the Rural Doctors Society about alleged corruption in the purchase of the equipment and other facilities involving the ministry's spending of an 86.6 billion baht fund under the Thailand: Investing from Strength to Strength scheme.
       The Rural Doctors Society last week claimed there were irregularities in the ministry's spending under the scheme,saying some projects called for the purchase of medical equipment at inflated prices and some facilities were not necessary.
       It cited the approved budget of over 300 million baht for UV sanitisers for use at community hospitals nationwide.The machines are not needed. Also,the price quoted was 40,000 baht each when the market price is only 6,000 baht.
       Acting permanent secretary for public health Paijit Warachit yesterday said a letter had been sent to provincial public health offices calling a temporary halt to all purchases of UV sanitisers until the situation had been investigated.
       Dr Paijit said two committees had been set up to look into the corruption allegations.
       One chaired by public health inspector Seri Hongyok would consider if the purchases were needed.
       A deputy permanent secretary would head the other panel looking into the transparency of other medical equipment and facility purchases under the scheme.
       Preliminary results of the need for UV sanitisers for community hospitals should be completed within a week,Dr Paijit said.
       The president of the Rural Doctors Society, Kriangsak Vatcharanukulkiat,said the Ubon Ratchathani provincial health office and other provinces had announced the terms of reference for the UV sanitiser procurement.
       Meanwhile, the house committee on public health yesterday invited Dr Kriangsak to provide details of the alleged irregularities.
       Dr Kriangsak told the committee the prices of medical supplies quoted under the scheme were up to 30%above market prices in some cases.
       He also told the committee two politicians had spoken with two car companies about the zoning of the bidding for the ambulance supply contract.
       Dr Kriangsak asked for a review of the procurement plan.

HIV VACCINE TRIAL SUCCESS REPRESENTS A RAY OF HOPE

2009-10-02T19:19:00.000-07:00

       Following last week's announcement by the Public Health Ministry and other agencies of a modest but historic breakthrough in HIV vaccine development, the question is now: What's the next step in the fight against the spread of HIV/Aids? In this interview with The Nation, director of the Thai Phase III HIV vaccine clinical trial, Dr Suppachai Rerks-Hgarm, discusses this and other related issues.
       Q: What is your feeling now the world's largest HIV vaccine trial, involving 16,402 volunteers, is complete?
       A: I am relieved as we have done a great job and come up with quality information to be analysed, despite world pessimism over development of an HIV vaccine. But I am still worried because my ultimate goal is to have a vaccine to prevent the spread of HIV/Aids, particularly in Thailand. We have not reached this goal, meaning an important mission still awaits us.
       Q: The researchers announced at the Public Health Ministry's Department of Disease Control press conference that the vaccine was 31.2 per cent effective in reducing the risk of HIV infection. Would you explain further.
       A: The result of this experiment meant people who received this vaccine had a 31.2 per cent lower risk of HIV infection than people who did not. We found only 51 out of 8,201 volunteers who received the prime boost combination of vaccine were infected with HIV, while 74 out of 8,201 volunteers who received the placebo vaccine were infected with the HIV virus. However, we compared the efficacy of the vaccine among volunteers who used a condom when they had sex and those who did not. The result showed there was no difference among both groups. We also found that most volunteers had reduced sexual risk behaviour, including reduced sexual partners, and were using more condoms after receiving the vaccine.
       Q: What was done to follow up on the volunteers and provide treatment for those infected with HIV?
       A: Volunteers could still access health services under their benefits provided by the government. Those 125 volunteers infected with HIV will receive free anti-retroviral drugs and treatment.
       Q: How do you explain the deaths of two volunteers during the trial?
       A: Two volunteers who died were infected with HIV but they received a placebo vaccine. One of them had been abroad and did not receive treatment there, fearing repatriation. This volunteer had decided to come back to Thailand to receive medication when the disease became severe. The other volunteer disappeared from the trial after receiving the vaccine. We could not track their records about symptoms and cause of death. But we can conclude that the vaccine was safe because it was produced from the synthetic HIV virus. There was no chance of getting HIV from injecting vaccine.
       Q: How will you develop this research for the next vaccine generation?
       A: We can do more studies in detail from the information and blood samples we collected from volunteers. This will help us understand [the vaccine] from different angles and provide important clues for development of the next generation vaccine. We also need opinions from local and international researchers. In the long term, we hope the next generation of vaccine will be more effective. Thanks to [what we learned from] the failure of the previous HIV vaccine trial, we have improved our methods. Now we have seen the world's first achievement in developing an HIV vaccine and we know exactly what we are going to do for the next generation of vaccine.
       Q: Will you release to the public the remaining information about the HIV vaccine trial?
       A: Of course. We need to inform people and listen to opinions from scientists and researchers to help us check and reconfirm information we did not get from the experiment. But the right to publish this study in academic journals is the research team's privilege. We made agreements with the HIV vaccine-makers - who own a licence to produce a vaccine - to reduce the price of their product if the vaccine is effective. But now we have to restart negotiations with them, as the trial's efficacy was not high enough for [its general] use. This does not mean we have no ray of hope. The success of this trial reflects that developing countries have the capacity to be partners with developed countries to discover a vaccine. So we are trying to change our position from buyer to co-developer. And for those countries not participating in the trial, the World Health Organisation and other non-profit organisations will help them negotiate with the vaccine-makers to reduce the price of the product. From now on, the project will invite the volunteers to hear their individual results and to know what kind of vaccine they received.
       Background to the vaccine trial
       The Thai Phase III HIV vaccine clinical trial, also known as RV144, tested the "prime-boost" combination of two vaccines: ALVAC HIV vaccine (the prime) produced by Sanofi-Pasteur, and AIDS VAX B/E vaccine (the boost) produced by Global Solutions for Infectious Diseases. This vaccine combination was based on an HIV strain common in Thailand. The RV144 was designed to test the vaccine strategy's ability to prevent HIV infection, as well as its ability to reduce the amount of HIV in the blood (viral load) of those who became infected after they enrolled in the study.
       The Ministry of Public Health conducted the study, together with Mahidol University and the US Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Science, operating out of Thailand. It was sponsored with funds of Bt3.5 billion from the US Army Surgeon General.
       The Phase III vaccine study was launched in 2003 involving 500 Thai researchers and 16,402 non-infected volunteers - aged between 18 to 30 - with an average risk of HIV infection; half received the prime boost combination of vaccine and half received a placebo.
       The vaccinations ended in July 2006, and volunteers received an HIV test every six months for three years. They received counselling on how to prevent becoming infected with HIV at the beginning of the study, and every six months after the start of the trial, for a total of three and a half years.
       Before agreeing to participate, all volunteers were informed of and consented to the potential risks associated with receiving the experimental vaccine combination. Meanwhile, the International Data and Safety Monitoring Board did not identify any safety concerns after eight meetings following the trial's initiation.
       The study vaccines did not cause HIV infection because they are not made from and do not contain the entire virus, either live or killed.

RURAL DOCTORS TO VET ITEMS ON PURCHASE LIST

2009-09-30T22:20:00.000-07:00

       The Public Health Ministry plans to have the Rural Doctors Society officially investigate its planned procurement of medical devices under the Thai Khemkhaeng budget.
       "We will let the society's representatives sit in on a committee to oversee and investigate the procurement," the ministry's Permanent Secretary Dr Paijit Warachit said yesterday.
       He was speaking after the Rural Doctors Society revealed many items listed in the procurement plan were overpriced. These items included UV fans and biochemistry blood test devices.
       The society's chairman Dr Kriangsak Watcharanukulkiet said some items were in fact not necessary at all.
       "For example, not all tambon hospitals need a one-tonne truck. Some of these hospitals have just a few staff members. They won't be able to find a driver. In addition, maintenance and petrol costs could put them in trouble," Kriangsak said.
       He also pointed out that many manufacturers were willing to give free biochemistry blood test devices worth Bt3million to state hospitals as long as the facilities agreed to buy solutions from them.
       Kriangsak said his society did not seek to shoot down the procurement plan.
       "But we are calling for a review because there is clearly a way to save the budget," he said.
       Health Professional Association chairman Paisal Bangchuad added that many advanced medical devices from the planned procurement would be useless at tambon hospitals.
       "Most staff members at the tambon hospitals are not doctors. We cannot administer advanced equipment," he said.
       He said the tambon hospitals wanted devices that could be shared with health volunteers.
       "We hope the ministry will prepare some budget for each hospital to buy what is necessary for its operations. For example, some hospitals may want boats, not pickups," he said.
       Paijit said he had instructed provincial public-health chiefs to suspend the procurement of controversial items. "I am going to appoint a deputy permanent secretary to oversee the overall procurement too," he said.
       Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said a committee tasked with investigating the budget use for the procurement of medical devices would comprise six to seven members.
       "In this committee will be representatives from provincial hospitals, community hospitals and the Rural Doctors Society," he added.

SEARCH FOR A WONDER VACCINE

2009-09-30T22:18:00.000-07:00

       "To successfully develop a vaccine takes a very long time,a huge budget and a long-running procedure ... Vaccine development is not always done for commercial purposes. So we researchers desperately need strong support from all partiesinvolved PUNNEE PITISUTTITHUM
       Ajourney of a thousand miles all begins with a single step, and so does the journey of Punnee Pitisuttithum."The development of an HIV/Aids vaccine is like a hurdle race. There are a number of barriers that we researchers must jump across. And in this race, to reach the finish line is not a piece of cake," said Punnee, head of the Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University.
       For more than 10 years, the 52-year-old researcher has been devoting her time and energy working on HIV/Aids vaccine trials. Her job is to test preventive serums over and over to see whether any of them can work against the particular HIV strain found in Thailand. After a considerable amount of trial and error,the effort Punnee along with her team invested eventually paid off when the result of the HIV/Aids vaccine trial recently carried out was announced.
       The result of the trial shows that the vaccine has 31.2 percent efficacy in preventing HIV/Aids infection.In other words, it appears to be able to reduce the chance of catching the virus by around one-third in tested volunteers. Yet it cannot lower the level of virus in the blood in infected cases.
       But even though the effectiveness of the new vaccine is yet to reach the 50 percent efficacy rate needed to apply for a vaccine licence, and that the vaccine seems to not be powerful enough, the result can still be considered an important scientific breakthrough. The experimental project, according to Punnee, does indeed give new hope in the HIV/Aids vaccine research field and at the same time paves the way for the development of more successful anti-HIV drugs in the future.
       "During the past five to six years, apart from testing the HIV/Aids vaccine, we [research team]have also been working to empower the community through vaccine trials. We have raised awareness and created a better understanding regarding the importance of HIV/Aids prevention. Volunteers that took part in the trial along with other people in the community have become a part of the project and have begun to have a sense of belonging. We have created networks among volunteers and established a volunteer club. At the same time, we have also trained our staff so that they meet international standards.'
       "This way, we have improved our research infrastructure, boosted capacity building and prepared groundwork for future studies which, to me, is as important as the trial itself," commented Punnee,who is also chief of the Clinical Infectious Diseases Research Unit.
       Graduated from the Lady Hardinge Medical College,Delhi, India, Punnee has been working with the Vaccine Trial Centre, a clinical facility founded within Mahidol University's Department of Tropical Medicine, for more than 20 years. Her main responsibility is to examine the safety and efficacy of vaccines sent from vaccine manufacturing companies in other countries and to also check, analyse and confirm whether they are safe to use in Thailand. So far she has experience in clinical vaccine trials for cholera,polio and cervical cancer.
       According to the professor, the HIV/Aids vaccine trials in Thailand first started in 1994, after the spread of the epidemic in the early 1990s. At that time, a team of researchers only attempted to use one vaccine that could stimulate just one arm of the immune system. Unfortunately, it failed.
       "In the trial we conducted earlier, we used an HIV/Aids vaccine called Aidsvax, which could create antiviral immunity only in human blood. But it didn't succeed. The vaccine was not able to prevent the HIV/Aids infection. So we came up with a new regimen.This time we created immunity for both human blood and human cells," recalled Punnee of how the recent HIV/Aids vaccine trial was initiated.
       The vaccine clinical trial, referred to as RV 144,was carried out under the concept of "prime-boost"combination, the scientist explained. Simply speaking,RV 144 tested two vaccines. The first, Alvac HIV or the "prime", enabled the body to make immune defences to target cells invaded by the virus before the infection could spread out of control. The second,Aidsvax B/E or the "boost", stimulated the production of immunity in the blood. The vaccine combination,Punnee remarked, was based on HIV strains that commonly circulate in Thailand.
       Alvac HIV was developed by Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccine division of French-based drug manufacturer Sanofi-Aventis, while Aidsvax B/E was originally developed by Genetec Inc and is now licenced to Global Solutions for Infectious Diseases.
       The trial, Punnee went on, was designed primarily to test the ability of the vaccine formula to prevent HIV/Aids infection, as well as its ability to reduce the amount of viral load of those who became infected.
       RV 144 involved 16,402 HIV-negative male and female volunteers aged 18 to 30. Having lived in Rayong and Chon Buri province, these heterosexual Thai candidates were at average risk of contracting the HIV/Aids.
       All participating candidates were divided into two groups: one group received the prime-boost vaccine regimen and the other was administered placebos.Vaccines were injected into volunteers over the course of six months. After that, the test subjects were required to have a follow-up blood test once every six months for the next three years.
       Prior to their participation in the trial, all candidates were notified of and consented to the potential risks associated with receiving the experimental vaccine combination. Throughout the study period, they also received counselling on HIV/Aids prevention.
       RV 144 began in October 2003. In total, it took about six years for the trial to be fully completed.And this, according to Punnee, was the first successful prime-boost vaccine trial in the world, which signifies that the development of a safe and effective vaccine against one of the world's most dangerous pandemics is still possible.
       Involving such a large number of volunteers being tested, RV 144 was also Thailand's first communitybased and the world's largest HIV/Aids vaccine trial ever conducted, added the professor.
       "Right now there are approximately 600,000 Thai people living with HIV/Aids infection. And each year there are about 16,000 new cases of HIV/Aids infection reported in Thailand. The vaccine will therefore be like the light at the end of the tunnel for the world population," said the researcher.
       As the HIV/Aids vaccines were manufactured in Western countries, the next question is:"Then why was the vaccine trial performed here in Thailand?"
       "Testing a vaccine in countries other than the particular one that will use the vaccine is ethically wrong," Punnee explained."If we, for example, want to use the HIV/Aids vaccine in Thailand, it is critical that we test it here to see whether it works with the particular strain that spreads here. And it's the same with this [RV 144] trial. If other countries wish to use this vaccine regimen, they have to test and further develop it in their respective countries, too."
       "Admittedly, Thailand itself is not yet capable of creating such vaccines. And we have absolutely no idea as to when we will be ready to do so. But carrying out the trial and having the HIV/Aids vaccines tested here in Thailand will enable our country to have negotiating power in terms of the vaccine price to be sold here. With our participation in the trial run, Thais will have vaccines that are cheaper and more affordable," she added.
       The future of vaccine development in Thailand,according to the vaccine analyst, looks quite promising.Since the Avian influenza outbreak several years ago, Thailand has been on alert and started building and improving the country's potential in producing vaccines to shelter its people from illnesses. The Ministry of Public Health is now therefore working actively on its plan to set up a plant to manufacture vaccines both for use and for study. One of the country's most significant threats is, however, the lack of scientists who are capable of developing knowledge and expertise needed for vaccine production.
       "Thailand has come a long way from where it first began in terms of vaccine research and development.During the past 20 years, our vaccine clinical trials have met international standards. Even so, we still have quite a long way to go because to successfully develop a vaccine takes a very long time, a huge budget and a very long-running procedure. Successful laboratory research, for instance, does not necessarily mean that the vaccine will work well for everybody.More studies are essential to ensure that the vaccine will be safe to use.
       "Vaccine development is no easy task. And it is not always done for commercial purposes. So we researchers desperately need strong support from all parties involved," Punnee noted.
       Now that the result of the RV 144 HIV/Aids vaccine trial has been disclosed, Punnee and her team are well aware that a lot more work, studies and challenges lay ahead.
       Yet the researcher considers the recent vaccine trial as the first step towards success. She fully hopes that a safe and highly effective HIV/Aids vaccine will one day be accessible to people not just in Thailand but also around the globe.
       "The ultimate goal of all vaccines is to function as a preventive measure against a specific disease prior to a person being infected. So my highest hope for the HIV/Aids vaccine is that some day in the future the young generation will be eligible to receive the vaccine, especially before their first sexual experience.In the meantime, we researchers have a lot of work to do. And the result of our previous trial will be a stepping stone to our path towards developing a successful vaccine."

CONNECTIONS CREATE GROWTH FOR THAI OPTICAL

2009-09-30T22:16:00.000-07:00

       By some measures, Thai Optical Group, a listed lens manufacturer, may look like any other original equipment manufacturer. But its special relationship with major retailers of glasses in Thailand and the UK tells a different story.
       According to Thai Optical Group (TOG) chairman Sawang Pracharktam, the company is expecting a "jump in business" in the next three years. This is because a 25-per-cent stake in TOG was bought last year by Specsavers, the biggest optical retailer in UK, and Specsavers is planning to increase its number of stores around the world from 1,500 to 2,000 over the next few years. The expansion is likely to demand more lenses from TOG.
       When Specsavers bought the stake in TOG, it also revealed plans to increase its lens purchases from TOG from 30 per cent of its needs at present to 50 per cent.
       Sawang said the increase would take time and Specsavers had already sent its experts to help TOG to improve its production lines and efficiency, in order to meet the firm's pricing and volume targets.
       Specsavers bought the controlling stake in TOG because it wanted to ensure that it wouldn't be bought by other companies, he said. TOG remains one of a handful of independent lens manufacturers that have survived competition and takeovers in the world market.
       TOG reported flat growth in sales revenue in the first half of this year, although profit rose by 14.67 per cent to Bt74.5 million. The firm suffered an 11-per-cent slide in sales and profit during the second quarter because political unrest in April led to the cancellation of small orders requiring a short delivery time of four days.
       Due to advancements in technology, and in order to reduce their costs, some retailers of glasses in developed countries have begun ordering prescribed lenses for individual customers from cheaper foreign sources like TOG.
       "We can ship them back the lenses, complete with the frame, within four days of the order being placed - the same lead time they would get if they ordered from a local laboratory," he said.
       TOG's laboratory now supplies several thousand pairs of glasses per day to individual customers in France, Germany, Australia and the Netherlands, through local retailers.
       Sawang said the firm had no plans yet to provide direct services to individual customers in foreign countries, because such a move might not be ethical.
       TOG still relies on original-equipment manufacturing for 80 per cent of its revenue, with the rest coming from its own brand.
       Sawang said distribution channels had increased in recent years. As an independent manufacturer, TOG can sell its lenses to brand owners, other manufacturers, independent laboratories and chain stores, as well as selling its own brand lenses through some of the same channels.
       The group's major strategy over the next few years will include building its own sales channels, enabling it to reach customers in potentially rich markets such as Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia, where it plans to establish lens laboratories next year.
       TOG will reap benefits from its special relationship with Better Vision, one of Thailand's largest retailers of glasses, which has already opened 12 retail shops in Malaysia and 13 in Singapore, he said. Better Vision, or Hor Waen in Thai, is run by the same family that formed TOG.
       In Thailand, TOG sells its lenses through its exclusive distributor Nam Sin Thai, also run by the Pracharktam family, which resells the lenses to Better Vision.
       Sawang said a financial adviser was studying a possible merger between Better Vision and TOG.
       TOG is expected to grow by 8 per cent this year, down from 15 per cent, which has been its annual target for many years. Nevertheless, the firm is aiming to increase its sales revenue and net profit to more than Bt2.5 billion and Bt300 million, respectively, in 2014, he said.
       Last year, it booked a net profit of Bt143.38 million from revenue of Bt1.52 billion.

Vaccine results confuse scientists

2009-09-30T22:15:00.001-07:00

       Experts agree that a vaccine is the onlyway to conquer Aids,but the virus mutates unbelievably fast, can hide from the immune system and attacks the very cells sent to battle it.
       More than 25 years into the Aids pandemic, scientists finally have a vaccine that protects some people - but instead of celebrating, they are going back to the drawing board.
       The vaccine - a combination of two older vaccines - only lowered the infection rate by about a third after three years among 16,000 ordinary Thai volunteers.
       Vaccines need to be at least 50% effective,and usually 70 to 80% effective, to be useful.
       Worse, no one knows why it worked."Additional studies are clearly needed to understand how this vaccine regimen reduced the risk of HIV infection," said Dr Eric Schoomaker, surgeon-general of the US Army, which helped pay for the study.
       Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said:"We need to bring the best minds together and map the way forward."
       The vaccine is a combination of SanofiPasteur's ALVAC canarypox/HIV vaccine,which includes synthetic versions of three HIV genes, and the failed HIV vaccine AidsVax, made by a San Francisco firm called VaxGen and now owned by the nonprofit Global Solutions for Infectious Diseases.
       "It is likely that significant efforts will be needed to fully understand the study results and to appreciate how they will inform the next steps to develop and deliver a safe and effective HIV vaccine," said Dr Peter Kim,president of Merck Research Laboratories.Merck's first Aids vaccine failed in 2007.
       "I am not sure this will encourage com-panies to immediately jump in," said Mitchell Warren of the non-profit Aids Vaccine Advocacy Coalition."What we hear from pharma and from small biotechs is that they are fascinated by an Aids vaccine but as a business proposition, it is too risky."
       The Thai trial may help them re-evaluate,Mr Warren said. But first, some scientific direction is necessary."What is needed there is more in-depth analysis, to extend these findings, doing both clinical [human] and preclinical [animal)]studies to find out why it is working and how we can make it better,"said Jim Tartaglia, vice president of research and development at Sanofi. Companies and non-profits along with governments have been working to make a vaccine against the human immunodeficiency virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.The fatal and incurable virus has killed 25 million people and infects 33 million now.
       Experts agree that a vaccine is the only way to conquer it, but the virus mutates unbelievably fast, can hide from the immune system and attacks the very cells sent to battle it. To work, any HIV vaccine would have to activate both arms of the immune system - the antibodies that home in on invaders such as viruses to neutralise them,and the T-cells that recognise and destroy viruses. This vaccine did not appear to generate much of either response, and yet prevented infection 30% of the time.
       Even more confusing, among the 51 people who were vaccinated but were infected anyway, the virus thrived just as well as it did among unvaccinated HIV patients. Researchers would not have expected that they would have expected the vaccine to at least make the infection less serious, as influenza vaccines do, for example. Dr Fauci wonders if the vaccines stimulated some component of the immune system that has been overlooked.
       Dr Donald Francis, a former government vaccine expert who helped develop AidsVax and who helped found Global Solutions for Infectious Diseases, said his team would be developing smaller studies to answer some of these questions."We have a limited amount of vaccine now," Dr Francis said.
       The findings do offer renewed hope for finding a better vaccine.
       "There are now six approaches that look better than Merck's vaccine in the best of the animal models," said Dr Seth Berkley,head of the International AidsVaccine Initiative, which funds studies.
       IAVI believes the rewards could be substantial - not just stopping the worst pandemic of our times, but financially."At its peak, an HIV vaccine could represent 5% to 13% of the total global vaccine market,"IAVI estimates. At $2 a dose for the developing world and $100 in richer countries, IAVI estimated companies might bring in $1.6 billion to $3.8 billion a year with an HIV vaccine. Yet the private sector accounts for just 10% of all Aids vaccine research and development funding.

SAMITIVEJ HOSPITAL JOINS PROGRAMME WITH PDA TO HELP PROVINCIAL PATIENTS

2009-09-30T22:13:00.000-07:00

       Samitivej Hospital recently joined Mechai Viravaidya's Population and Community Development Associations programme to improve living conditions of the rural poor in Nakhon Ratchasima and other north easteen provinces.
       The hospital is encouraging customers to donate new and used toys to children under the toy-sharing programme in Buri Ram.
       It also recently made a Btl-million donation to develop Nuangpluang Village in Nakhon Ratchasima with a commitment to fund the project annually.
       To Samitivej CEO and managing director Raymond Chong, the longterm corporate-social-responsibility (CSR) projects are aimed at creating opportunities for their medical staffto serve people in rural areas, as well.
       "I would like our staff always to come to the village to educate people about health and guide children on planning for a career," he said.
       "We don't want to do only a one-off charity event and then depart. We intend to strengthen the bond with villagers in many regards. Nuangpluang will be the first village Samitivej will develop as a community".
       The hospital's CSR project for Nakhon Ratchasima is called Healthy Community.
       "It sets out to assist villagers by improving their health and developing career skills and overall living conditions," Chong said.
       The PDA, founded and chaired by Mechai, will run the project for the hospital.
       Mechai is well known for his family-planning efforts decades ago. The campaign earned him the nickname "Mr Condom".
       Chong said the Btl-million allocated for Nongpluang would be used as a community fund for villagers seeking employment opportunities. It will also be used to pay for scholarships.
       For the toy-sharing project, Chong said big boxes had been set up at its three hospital-on Sukhumvit and Srinakarin roads in Bangkok and in Chon Buri's Sri Racha district-tostore donated toys.
       In only one month 2,000 items have been donated, demonstrating the public's willingness to bring happiness to provincial children.
       The toys are meant as rewards for desserving children who have performed some sort of public duty, such as growing saplings, replaning trees or collecting garbage.
       Mechai, whose family has been a loyal patron of Samitivej Hospital for four generations, initiated the toy project in Buri Ram afew months ago.
       Tanatat Puttasuwan, director of CSR at the PDA, said the aim of the toy-sharing project was to foster a spirit of philanthropy among youngsters.
       Children wishing to borrow the toys must perform a good deed, such as some sort of activity that promotes recycling and green projects.
       "There is a real danger of children becoming too self-centred and failing to show regard for others," he said. "The toy-sharing programme should help instil sense of compassion and empathy for others who are less fortunate," Tanatat said.
       In only one month, 2,000 items have been donated, demonstrating the public's willingness to bring happiness to provincial children.

BGH unit taps sports medicine

2009-09-27T20:36:00.000-07:00

       Bangkok Hospital Group is rebranding its bone and joint treatment unit in both the domestic and overseas markets, hoping to cash in on expected high demand when the economy rebounds.
       The rebranding will focus on promoting the advanced technology available for treatment and surgery, said Dr Pornthep Mamanee, chief of sports medicine,knee and shoulder surgery at the affiliate of SET-listed Bangkok Dusit Medical Services Plc (BGH).
       "The department is focusing on developing human resources in this sector to serve the huge demand from local and overseas patients. We will conduct training programmes for technicians and physicians from this year onward," he said."Qualified personnel with the knowledge of new treatments are still far below the actual demand in the market."
       New technologies such as robotic surgery and arthroscopy using imaging equipment are minimally invasive and shorten recovery times. Dr Pornthep said treatment times for some conditions were just one or two days compared with more than five days previously.
       The department expects the number of patients for the services will rise by 10-15% from 450 last year,70% of whom are foreigners.
       Bangkok Hospital opened its bone and joint centre seven years ago and attracted just 20 patients in the first year, but new technology in recent years has encouraged more people to seek treatment.
       "Thailand will be another hub for sports medicine within the next few years and we need to accelerate human resource development for this sector in line with other health-care businesses,"said Dr Pornthep.
       Only a few state medical schools offer training courses in new technology related to the sector. They include Siriraj Hospital, Chulalongkorn Hospital and Ramathibodi Hospital.
       Bangkok Hospital Group, the country's largest private hospital operator, this year has also upgraded and rebranded some other specialty units including neurology, in a bid to raise public awareness during the economic downturn.

Hospital graft claims denied

2009-09-27T20:35:00.001-07:00

       Doctors can choose to buy own supplies
       The government has not ordered state hospitals to buy specific supplies as part of the Thai Kem Kaeng national development spending project, Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai says.
       About 86.6 billion baht has been allocated for medical facilities under the Thailand: Investing from Strength to Strength scheme.
       Rural doctors claim the project calls for the purchase of medical equipment at inflated prices and local hospitals are not being invited to participate in the procurement.
       However, Mr Witthaya said yesterday that provincial public health authorities and hospital directors had full authority over the choice of medical supplies and could order the supplies that would meet the demands of their patients.
       He denied central authorities had intervened in the procurement process at local hospitals.
       Of the 86.68 billion baht allocated to the Public Health Ministry,60% will go towards putting up public health buildings and the rest towards medical equipment.
       Mr Witthaya said the Public Health Ministry had stepped up measures to ensure the spending was transparent.
       Special working groups would follow all aspects of the project's implementation.
       Khamron Chaisiri, director of the Thai
       Kem Kaeng office, said the ministry had set up a committee to supervise procurement and coordinate the process with hospital directors and public health doctors at the provincial level.
       The ministry, through the committee, will assign experts on procurement, laws and construction to work with provincial authorities,and will field regional inspectors to monitor the spending.
       As part of the public health improvement project,2,151 state clinics will be upgraded to tambon-based hospitals.Each facility will receive 1.35 million baht for the development, with 500,000 baht to go towards construction and 855,000 baht towards medical supplies.
       Local health authorities have come up with 46 items for procurement. They include dentistry units, electrocardiographs, foetal heart rate detectors, massage beds, sonographers and outdoor audio systems.
       However,Pongthep Wongwatcharapaibul, secretary-general of the Rural Doctor Foundation, yesterday said the government was also offering what hospitals did not want, such as UV sanitisers. He also said supplies listed for purchase under the project were overpriced.
       Dr Pongthep said a UV sanitiser was quoted at 40,000 baht but its market price was only 6,000 baht. A respirator was quoted at 1.2 million baht but a hospital had bought one for 500,000 baht. Hospital representatives were not given a say on the choice of medical supplies. A probe was needed into the way the scheme was being run.

Fearless volunteers

2009-09-27T20:33:00.000-07:00

       Rayong residents say they took part in the HIV vaccine trial because it will be useful for the world
       The world has 16,402 Rayong residents to thank for their dedication in volunteering for the globe's largest HIV vaccine trial conducted in Thailand six years ago.
       "This is our ray of hope: to keep younger generations from contracting HIV. That's why I decided to join the trial," says 32yearold gardener Aree Khamphonrat, after hearing the trial result which shows it is now possible to produce a powerful prevention against the viral killer.
       The result was announced by the Public Health Ministry on Thursday.
       The Phase III vaccine study was launched in 2003 and involved 16,402 noninfected volunteers aged between 18 and 30, the age group at average risk of contracting HIV. Half of them received the primeboost vaccine combination and the other half received a placebo.
       Modest results
       The trial's final result shows that the experimental vaccine is 31.2percent effective in reducing the risk of infection. It failed to reduce or kill the HIV virus in the blood of infected persons.
       The result, though modest, is a light at the end of the tunnel for scientists around the world.
       6 vaccinations in 3 years
       Aree received six vaccinations in the past three years. She socialised like any other normal person, and occasionally went to a healthcare centre for a routine check.
       "I was excited when the healthcare staff told us about the bloodtest results," she said.
       Aree was reported to be in good health and there were no signs of any chronic illness. "They told me to use a condom when I had sex, but during the trial I had no sex and my test result was negative."
       No worries
       Even though there were reports of two volunteers dying, she said she did not worry about the adverse side effects of the vaccine.
       Thirtythreeyearold freelance worker Tanad Yommaha also had no fears of being a volunteer as he thought the project would be useful to the rest of the world.
       "[During the trial] I went about life like any other normal person because I believed that the vaccine was safe enough to prevent me from becoming infected with HIV," he said.
       Aree and Tanad do not know whether they received the vaccine or a placebo. They are waiting for their individual results, which are to come in next month.

PUBLIC HEALTH MINISTRY TO SET UP PROBE PANEL ON SPENDING

2009-09-27T20:32:00.000-07:00

       Moves are afoot to siphon funds from Bt9-bn budget: doctors foundation
       Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai is preparing to set up a fact-finding panel to inspect the ministry's budget spending, following corruption allegations from the Rural Doctors Foundation.
       Witthaya reacted after the foundation claimed yesterday preparations had been made to massively siphon funds from the Bt9.29-billion allocated to the Public Health Ministry under the Thai Khemkhaeng (Invest for Strength) stimulus project.
       "The panel will be set up as soon as possible. I will invite Kriangsak Wacharanukulkiart, head of the Rural Doctors Society to join the panel because he is impartial and has a wide network of doctors in rural areas. He can help us find the truth from his network," Witthaya said.
       He will hold a meeting today to discuss setting up of the panel after his meeting with nationwide provincial public health officials.
       Dr Pongthep Wongwatcharapaibul, secretary-general of the Rural Doctors Foundation, alleged that certain politicians had made preparations to buy unneeded equipment for public hospitals around the country at inflated prices.
       And reference prices for procurements of public hospitals under the project have also been inflated so that the budget could be siphoned from, Pongthep alleged.
       "I will ask provincial public health officials about the budget request and require them to inspect unnecessary budget spending or too high prices of medical tools. Hospitals should buy what they need," said Witthaya.
       The TKK programme is the second stimulus package with a total budget of Bt1.56 trillion.
       The Bt9.29 billion allocation for procurements under the projects of the Public Health Ministry has been approved by the Cabinet.
       Pongthep said the details of the allocation showed irregularities.
       For example, the Cabinet approved the procurement of items not requested by public hospitals,citing
       UV disinfecting machines as an example.
       He said the Cabinet approved the project to buy the UV disinfecting machines for public hospitals nationwide at the price of Bt40,000 per each unit. The overall value of the procurement would be over Bt300 million although the machines were not needed, he said.
       He claimed the machines could be normally bought for Bt6,000 per unit.
       The Cabinet also approved the procurement of respiratory systems at Bt1.2 million per unit, while some hospitals had bought the systems for only Bt500,000 per unit, Pongthep said.
       He added that the Cabinet also approved the construction of living quarters for hospital staff at the rate of Bt9.6 million per a building, while some hospital bid for the construction early this year for only Bt6 million per building.
       "I've checked with hospitals and found that some local politicians met them and asked them to list what they wanted at inflated prices," Pongthep said.
       "This project lacked transparency from the beginning because hospitals were not asked what should or should not be procured and how much the items should be bought for."
       He said compiling of the items to be purchased under the TKK programme was made while the new permanent secretary and director-generals were about to be appointed so "some who want career advancement did it for the politicians".
       Pongthep said Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva should appoint Doctor Banlu Siripanich, a former senior Public Health Ministry official, to investigate the alleged irregularities.
       Pongthep said Banlu should find out who initiated the purchase of UV machines and who compiled the inflated list of reference prices.
       He said the Banlu committee, if appointed, should amend the list of reference prices and should remove unnecessary items from the procurements to save the budget for buying what
       is really needed.
       Banlu once headed a panel, which investigated alleged massive corruption of the procurements of the Public Health Ministry, resulting in the conviction of then public health minister Rakkiart Sukthana, who is now serving his jail term.
       Pongthep said the current case would be similar to the Rakkiart case except the public health minister is now a Democrat Party member. Rakkiart was then a minister in the Social Action Party.

BLASTED TO BEAUTY

2009-09-27T20:31:00.001-07:00

       When working women decide they need to do something about their complexion, not everyone's ready for Botox, lasers or chemical peels. For most, the simpler, gentler investment for their hard-earned money is skin moisturisers, night creams and serums.
       You could have counted me in with that group, but then along came Turbo Bright.
       A young dermatologist at Romrawin clinic in Bangkok explained that the key to this natural treatment is fast-moving micro-droplets of saline sprayed at high pressure directly onto the skin surface.
       Vitamin C or nutritious serums can be introduced to the stream, forced by the jet of current past the outer layers and deep into the epidermis.
       It's high-powered but non-abrasive, and certainly effective-microdermabrasion and mesotheraphy without the needles.
       "It can be used in combination with laser treatment, and leaves you feeling relaxed, with completely rejuvenated skin," the specialist said.
       In the treatment room, I lay down and tucked my hair in a cap as cotton buds were inserted in my ears. I was ready to experience the magic. An easthetician explained that the first step is cleansing, followed by the Turbo Bright.
       The high-velocity jet can be loud, but that means it's hard at work peeling away the superficial layers of the skin to allow deeper penetration for the vitamins.
       Next, the hand-held Turbo Bright device is moved around the face to encourage lymphatic drainage from the neck and side of the face.
       Then it's time to boost skin brightness. The lovely aesthetician carefully moved the device to every facial feature in turn, from forehead to cheek, nose and above the lip and chin, without missing a micro-spot.
       The spray is kept close to the skin but never touches the surface.
       The last step involves spraying on Vitamin C to encourage new cell growth.
       The fluid stream feels powerful without ever giving you the worry that damage is being done. The jet pressure is just right to shear away dead skin, leaving no red-ness afterwards.
       Honestly, it feels a little like going through a car wash, but after an hour I was truly relaxed. I felt I'd been to a spa rather than a dermatologist' clinic. The immediate result was nothing short of stark cleanliness and a visible glow.
       For more information, see www.Romrawin.com or call (02) 655 7511.

354,000 Thais got HIV in past 25 years

2009-09-27T20:29:00.000-07:00

       The total number of infections is 354,000, and 94,800 patients have died from the sexually transmitted disease from 1984 to August this year, said Suphan Srithamma, the Public Health Ministry spokesman.
       Most of those infected, or 63%, are aged between 25-39.
       This year alone, 1,980 people have become HIV-positive.
       The ministry's HIV/Aids update came two days after the Disease Control Department disclosed the result of an HIV vaccine trial carried out in Thailand.
       The results of the trial show the vaccine has 31.2% effectiveness in preventing HIV/Aids infections.
       Dr Suphan said the HIV infection rate among male sex workers,12.21%, continues to rise.
       Infection rates in the other groups surveyed are falling or have recorded little change, according to the ministry's latest study on HIV infections, conducted last year.
       Among female sex workers, those who worked at a brothel tended to have a significantly lower infection rate than those working independently and secretly, said the doctor.
       That has raised concerns over the risk of HIV transmission from informal female sex workers to male clients and their wives, said Dr Suphan. More condom use campaigns are needed to help curb infections, he said.
       The HIV infection rate among alien workers, fishermen, and drug users was 1.24%,2.5% and 48.15% respectively, a small change on the previous year.

Govt looks at delaying order for flu vaccine

2009-09-24T21:38:00.001-07:00

       Thai health authorities are considering shelving plans to order an added 3 million flu vaccine doses to cover priority groups because of global production shortages.
       Deputy permanent secretary for public health Paijit Warachit yesterday said the order for the 3 million doses against the pandemic influenza might have to be put on hold.
       "It's not easy to order millions of vaccine doses at this time as there are only about 500 million doses available worldwide, compared to a global population of 6 billion," Dr Paijit said.
       Dr Paijit will assume office as the new public health permanent secretary on Oct 1.
       He also said it was essential to consider other factors such as the research and development of a local nasal-spray type vaccine and to take into account the outcome of vaccine donation pledges to developing countries.
       The subcommittee on immunisation practice, which advises the government on vaccine matters, last week recommended that front-line healthcare workers, pregnant women and people with obesity problems or developmental disability and chronic diseases about 5 million people - should be the first to receive vaccines.
       He said they were the top priority in regard to type-A (H1N1) flu because they belong to high-risk groups.
       The recommendation is aimed at reducing the number of deaths in the country based on the fatality figures released by the Bureau of Epidemiology.
       Dr Paijit said the type-A (H1N1) flu has put 10,000 people in hospital ever y day.
       However, only 2 million doses of inactivated vaccine will be available from the manufacturer, Sanofi Pasteur,in December and January.
       Dr Paijit said provincial health officials have been instructed to closel y monitor and control the spread of the H1N1 virus in schools, factories,temples and prisons as cases of local human-to-human transmission have been reported nationwide.
       The flu situation in the North and Northeast could get worse in coming months as the weather changes from the rainy season to the cool season, Dr Paijit said.
       An estimated 5 million people in Thailand have already contracted the H1N1 virus after the first case was reported in late April, he said.
       This group amounted to only 8% of the total population and would not help slow the virus transmission rate,Bureau of Epidemiology director Pasakorn Akrasevi said.

PUBLIC URGED TO KEEP WASHING THEIR HANDS

2009-09-24T21:36:00.000-07:00

       The Public Health Ministry yesterday urged people to be vigilant in frequently washing their hands and wearing face masks when they are in public areas, in a bid to slow down the second wave of the type-A (H1N1) influenza virus expected to re-emerge from next month until January.
       The move comes after the ministry learned that people nationwide have been ignoring personal hygiene in flu prevention - such as eating well cooked food, not sharing spoons, frequently washing hands, and using face masks.
       "We know that good personal hygiene among individuals is the key preventive tool against the pandemic. But nowadays, because people are not taking precautions, a second wave of the pandemic is certain," he said.
       The Public Health Ministry yesterday announced that seven more people - five men and two women- had succumbed to the new flu virus during the past seven days, bringing the total deaths to 160.
       Most of fatalities were reported in six provinces including Si Sa Ket with two deaths, followed by Khon Kaen, Phetchabun, Songkhla, Phitsanulok, and Sukhothai, each with one.
       The ministry estimated over 5 million people have been infected with the new flu virus during the past four months since the outbreak hit Thailand.
       " We need collaboration from members of the public to prevent a second wave," Witthaya added.
       The Department of Medical Science's National Influenza Centre has conducted a study of 2,011 samples collected from patients with flu-like illness admitted to nine hospitals across country from January 1 to July 31. It found 44 per cent had been infected with the new type-A (H1N1), virus while the remainder were infected with seasonal flu.
       However, the number of patients with the new flu virus admitted to hospital had dropped from 10,000 cases per day to 8,000.
       The coming end of the rainy season and the beginning of winter season's cool weather could cause the disease to spread more easily, Witthaya said. Provincial public health offices nationwide should strictly implement preventive measures against the new flu virus pandemic.
       The ministry's deputy public health minister, Dr Paijit Warachit said people with chronic disease should seek medical treatment at hospital immediately if they develop high fever, while others are advised to go to hospital on the second day after a high fever develops.
       To boost public immunity against the new flu infection, Paijit said the government had ordered two million doses of inactivated vaccine. The first lot of 1 million doses will arrive in Thailand in December, while the second lot will be despatched in January next year.Medical workers, pregnant women, and patients with chronic disease will be the first to receive vaccination.
       Meanwhile, the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) had decided to delay the first phase of clinical trials of a vaccine against a new strain of type A (H1N1) influenza from September 24 to October 6 after tests with guinea pigs found one had an infection in its lungs. Results of the new tests will be released in two weeks. Vaccine trials with 24 human volunteers have been delayed.
       Meantime, GPO has produced a third lot of the vaccine against the new flu virus and stored it.

Courses to detect Cardiac defects early

2009-09-24T21:35:00.001-07:00

       Starting next month, nurses and health workers at government hospitals and clinics across the country will be given training to help them detect cardiac problems in new-born babies - to help reduce high fatality rates.
       There are now 7,000-8,000 babies with congenital heart-related problems, or around 0.8-1.0 of the annual birth rate in Thailand.
       Without early detection and surgery before the babies are a year old, 20 per cent of them could die or suffer chronic heart diseases, the Cardiac Children Foundation of Thailand said yesterday.
       Foundation chairman Prof Bunchob Pongpanit said of those born with heart-related problems, 5 per cent of symptoms were curable while the remaining 95 per cent faced a risk of dying or having life-long defects. Therefore, early detection of symptoms and treatment was crucial to limit further complications.
       The first courses in the training programme, funded jointly by the National Health Security Office and a charity fund on behalf of late Princess Mother, would begin next month until all selected personnel across the country complete the courses.
       Training will include class lectures and basic practice at local health facilities. And a network of trained personnel will be built up to extend the task further.

HEALTH MINISTRY TO CLOSELY WATCH PURCHASE OF EXPENSIVE DEVICES

2009-09-23T22:55:00.001-07:00

       Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai yesterday instructed top level health officials to watch closely the buying of expensive medical devices under the government's Thai Khemkhaeng (Invest for Strength )budget.
       "I will set up proactive measures to prevent corruption. If there is any corruption, I will kill it," he said.
       On Monday, he received complaints of a ministry letter ordering provincial public health offices to instruct rural hospital directors to purchase medical devices - the "UV fan" which kills micro bacteria in hospitals - at Bt 40,000 per each. The cost of the UV fan in the market ranges from Bt 20,000 to Bt40,000.
       Rural Doctor Society's chairperson, Dr Kriangsak Watcharanukulkiet said he had received complaints from several rural hospitals over the ministry's letter ordering purchase of the UV fan from a private manufacturer.
       The letter attached the name of a UV fan manufacturer and recommended to rural hospitals the price of Bt 40,000.
       Kriangsak said hospitals in Maha Sarakham, Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Khaen and Songkhla were told to purchase 56, 58, 20, and 16 UV fans, respectively.
       " Of course, some hospitals need to purchase this medical device - but why is there only one supplier's name attached to the ministry's letter? The ministry said it was displaying the UV fan's details for rural hospitals so they can make their own decision about whether to buy it or not," he said.
       "We will keep a close eye on this issue as we don't want low level public health officials becoming an instrument for politicians to exploit over the Thai Khemkhaeng (TKK) project ," he added.
       Witthaya explained that under the TKK project, the government has allocated Bt86 billion to the Public Health Ministry which will budget Bt 45million to provincial public health offices across country to buy UV fans.
       He said he had ordered senior health officials to investigate allegations the ministry may have also set price specifications for respirators under the TKK budget.
       Dr Paijit Warachit will be the key man to investigate this complaint when he takes over as the ministry's permanent secretary.
       He said he has allowed hospital directors across the country to make their own decisions on whether or not to buy the respirators under this project. If there is any scandal over price setting, the hospital director must take responsibility for it.
       "So far, I have not established any ministry committee setting [price] specifications for the respirator," he said.
       When asked about complaints about an adviser who might be involved in the suspect ministry UV fan purchase order, Witthaya said some advisers are physicians and may have interest conflicts with someone else.
       " Don't look at them with a pessimistic view," he said.
       Witthaya has asked health officials who may have information to contact him and he would scrutinise the issue with utmost transparency.

HI-TECH HEALTH PLAN WITHOUT A FRAMEWORK?

2009-09-23T22:53:00.000-07:00

       To make Thailand into a country where people can expect equality in receiving high-quality health and medical services no matter where they seek them, the country needs a distinguished national e-health policy as a frame-woke for its investment in healthcare technology.
       So says Boonchai Kijsanayoti, health-informatics officer at the Public Heath Ministry.
       Moreover, he says the country's health and medical systems need a national e-health governance body as well as additional investment in healthcare-related information and communications technology(ICT).
       At present, Thailand's annual information-technology(IT) expenses for the healthcare industry amount to 3-6 per cent of gross domestic product(GDP), whereas the United States spends 15 per cent of its GDP per year on healthcare-related IT investments.
       The World Health Organisation(WHO) says e-health means the use of information and communications technology(ICT) to improve the quality of healthcare, the overall health of the population and the efficiency of the healthcare system.
       Boonchai said the establishment of an e-health system required a development model, and there were three main elements involved: foundation policy and strategy - such as governance, fixing of policy, funding and infrastructure; enabling policy and strategy - such as citizen protection, equality and interoperability; and e-Health applications - such as public health services, knowledge services and providers of service.
       Meanwhile, the Public Health Ministry has rolled out the second phase of the National Health Information System, covering the three years between 2010 and 2012. The plan aims to improve healthcare services by providing a health information system at 11,160 healthcare points of service throughout the country.
       Under the plan, there are four stages of implementation. First is the establishment of the infrastructure and net works for the new system, connecting healthcare service facilities with the Internet and establishing health data centres at provincial health offices. It will also connect central health-information offices with provincial health data centres and develop health-information security systems.
       Second, the ministry will develop both the infrastructure for a Health Information Exchange and national standards for minimal health-data sets, health-information messaging standards, health-information privacy and security standards and health-terminology standards.
       The third stage will involved the implementation of telemedicine services using an Internet connection(Web technology) to provide teleconsultations between primary care providers and secondary care providers in provincial of district hospital. It will enable 252 provincial or district hospitals around the country to serve 1,500 sub-district health-promotion hospitals.
       The fourth stage will be the implementation of a health television system with the aim of providing health-education broadcasting and health-threat alerts from the minstry's central office facilities across country.
       The government has allocated Bt2.97 billion to roll out the plan over the next three years.
       Additionally, the ministry is working on the second phase of the National Health Standard Data Set, concerning standards for clinical data. It has been working with the National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre and the National Health Security Office, Boonchai said.
       He said the ministry was also continuing work on the first phase of National Health Standard Data Set, which was due to end this year. The work involes harmonising reimbursement data sets of three health-insurance schemes: social security insurance, national health security insurance and civil service medical benefits, as well as decreasing the reporting workloads of health-service providers.
       "We will continue to work on the development of national standare codes, including medical disease classifications, drug codes, the Thailand drug code, the health facilities code and the laboratory code," Boonchai said.

Carer jailed for sex attack

2009-09-23T22:51:00.000-07:00

       A carer at a former children's home was jailed for two years yesterday for sexually attacking teenage girls, the Press Association reported.
       Gordon Wateridge, nicknamed "the Perv" by his victims, carried out the attacks in the 1970s at the Haut de la Garenne children's home in Jersey.
       The 78-year-old, described as a "persistent sexual bully" during his trial last month, was found guilty of eight charges of indecent assault and one charge of assault at Jersey's Royal Court.
       Youngsters sent to the home were vulnerable and suffered from a variety of problems. But Wateridge, then in his 40s, failed in his obligation to look after them, the court heard.
       He would grope girls' breasts, kiss them on the neck and, in one instance,forced his hand inside a victim's underwear.
       Wateridge, who was born in Croydon,south London, was the first person to be charged in connection with a historic child abuse investigation on the island.
       One victim repeatedly broke down in tears in court as she recalled how Wateridge would regularly lean out and grab her and other girls as they walked past the home's snooker table.
       The woman, who was taken into the home after her father unexpectedly died,said Wateridge would push her on to the snooker table and grope her breasts and inner thighs.
       "It wasn't right ... I was a girl of 13 or 14, he was a big man, I would be shouting at him to stop," she said.
       Passing sentence yesterday, Judge Christopher Pitchers said:"What he did was rightly described in the trial as sexual bullying." It was true, he added, that the acts carried out by Wateridge were at the "lower end" of the sentencing guidelines.
       He said:"They were vulnerable because they were children and because they were placed in the home without the support of a loving family. They were entitled to expect care, love and kindness but in fact they received sexual bullying and unkindness."

Illegal stimulant upgraded to type-1 drug

2009-09-23T22:50:00.001-07:00

       The Food and Drug Administration has reclassified the illicit stimulant dimethylamphetamine a type-1 drug in an effort to arrest its growing popularity.
       The stimulant is related to methamphetamine but has a reduced effect.
       The addictive drug was previously classified a type-2 drug, which carried a jail sentence of up to 20 years under the Narcotics Act for anyone caught smuggling it. The smuggling of type-1 drugs carries the death penalty.
       The FDA has upgraded the classification of dimethylamphetamine to match methamphetamine, mainly due to the increase in smuggling of the drug.
       The suggestion to elevate its classification to type-1 was made by the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, FDA secretary-general Pipat Yingseree said.
       "We have to keep seeking ways to stamp out new trends in the smuggling of drugs," he said.
       "Drug dealers were switching from trading in methamphetamine to dimethylamphetamine mainly because of the lenient penalties."
       Mr Pipat said the drug's mild effect,compared with methamphetamine, also enabled dealers to sell more.
       Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai has approved a ministerial regulation classifying dimethylamphetamine as a type-1 drug.
       Its enforcement is expected to take effect within 180 days after its publication in the Royal Gazette, he said.
       Kobkul Chantavaro, an adviser to the ONCB, said traces of dimethylamphetamine have occasionally been found in ice, or crystal methamphetamine.

LOCAL TEAM MAKES VACCINE FOR SPASMS

2009-09-23T22:48:00.000-07:00

       KKU academic says success rate is 100% on some symptoms
       After two decades of research, a Khon Kaen University academic has produced medication created with extracts of botulinum toxin that can be used to treat muscle spasms.
       Prof Dr Sutthiphan Jitphimolmas said his work was based on relevant studies conducted in many countries and that medications extracted from botulinum toxin were already available in Europe at high prices.
       "The research team has produced vaccines that are effective and, at prices as low as Bt3,000, easily affordable for Thai patients," he added.
       Citing studies and research under his supervision, vaccines and medications can treat various kinds of muscle spasms, especially those on the face, eyelids, the back, migraine, heavy sweating and crossed eyes, said Sutthiphan, who is also dean of KKU's Faculty of Medicine.
       "The success rate of treatment on these symptoms is 100 per cent," he added.
       Patients given vaccines or medication via injections on affected muscles experience a drop of frequency of spasms within two weeks. The treatment takes about three months in severe cases.
       "Of the 700 patients vaccinated or medicated, 90 per cent are on their way to recovery while 80 per cent have fully recovered," he added.
       Sutthiphan said extensive research was underway on botulinum toxin in other countries for other uses such as cosmetic treatment for wrinkles or to reduce physical irritation during intercourse. Other symptoms that can possibly be cured with botulinum toxinbased medications include difficulty in urination, tension in the vocal cords and the treatment of congenitally distorted feet.
       Botulinum toxin is a neurotoxic protein produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum that was discovered more than 200 years ago. It is the most toxic substance known to mankind, but can be used in very small doses to treat muscle spasms.
       Outbreaks caused by botulinum toxin are not frequent in Thailand, with the most recent reported in 2006 in Nan, when more than 200 people became sick after eating food made of bamboo shoots. Canned foods and sausages that are not properly produced are the most common sources of contamination.

Poor "have no access" to vaccine

2009-09-21T23:33:00.002-07:00

       Top of the agenda for the World Health Organisation's (WHO)Western Pacific meeting this week will be how to combat the H1N1 flu pandemic in developing nations.
       There are growing fears that poorer countries will not get enough vaccines,despite a pledge last week by the US and eight other nations to make 10% of their flu vaccine supply available to others in need.
       "The developing world will have no access to vaccines for the time being.There are some donations but it is not enough," said Lo Wing-lok, a member of Hong Kong's government scientific committee on emerging diseases.
       "It is very much a matter of equity and the WHO must look at any way to address this."
       Developing countries such as the Philippines are not only unable to produce the vaccine for the H1N1 flu virus but their people are more vulnerable to infection because of poverty, crowded living conditions and lack of healthcare.
       While the Americas still have the highest death toll from the virus, cases are expected to increase.
       In the Western Pacific there are about a million people living in poor conditions without access to healthcare, making them particularly vulnerable, WHO regional director Shin Young-soo said yesterday, on the eve of the WHO meetings in Hong Kong.
       "Hopefully many countries including China and the United States are soon going to vaccinate their own people but that is not the case for many developing countries and it is something we are worried about," he said.
       The WHO and the UN are working on raising a billion dollars to help buy vaccines for countries that need help,he added.
       Mr Shin said some experts estimate that 20% to 30% of the Western Pacific region will eventually be affected by the virus. So far Australia has the highest H1N1 flu death toll in the region, with about 171 deaths, according to the WHO.
       The organisation warned last week that production of vaccines will fall substantially short of the amount needed to protect the global population.
       The WHO put the number of deaths worldwide from the virus at 3,486, up 281 from the previous week.
       Despite new evidence that only one dose of the vaccines currently being tested will be enough for most people,a WHO spokesman said output next year will be "substantially less" than the annual 4.9 billion doses production forecast. The US, Australia, Brazil, UK, France,Italy, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland have said they will make donations to nations without vaccines.

Top medical award goes to Thai teacher

2009-09-21T23:33:00.001-07:00

       A Thai medical science teacher has won an Association for Medical Education in Europe award.
       Paphan Musikawat, a medical science teacher at Maharaj Hospital in Nakhon Si Thammarat, won the Amee award in recognition of her assessment of medical science students under the hospital's project to produce doctors for rural people.
       Dr Paphan was among a group of medical science educators who attended the annual Amee conference where the award was presented. The conference was held in Malaga, Spain, from August 29 to Sept 2.
       There were five award categories: curriculum planning, assessment, teaching and learning, student issues and research in medical education. There were 450 entries for the awards, seven from Thailand.
       Dr Paphan has been granted Amee membership and issued with free copies of Medical Teacher , an international journal of education in the health sciences,for one year.
       Amee is a worldwide organisation with members in 90 countries on five continents. Members include educators, researchers, administrators, curriculum developers, assessors and students in medicine and healthcare professions.
       It organises an annual conference and delivers courses on teaching, assessment and research skills for teachers in medicine and healthcare professions.

CHINESE PRODUCTS "UP TO STANDARDS"

2009-09-21T23:31:00.002-07:00

       China's manufacturers of medical products claim to have upgraded their goods in order to overcome a negative image of offering low-quality products, and to enable them to compete with rival manufacturers around the world.
       Many of them joined last week's Fourth Medical Fair Thailand 2009. Among about 250 exhibitors at the fair, about 55 were from China, the highest number from any participating country.
       Danny Gao, sales manager of Shenzhen Creative Industry, which makes a wide range of patient-monitoring equipment and home-care products, said that some medical products manufactured by Chinese firms in the past might have had lower quality than those of their foreign rivals.
       However, they have now improved their product quality in a bid to export to the world's markets.
       His company, for example, has developed its medical equipment over the past nine years and its products are now distributed both within China and overseas, to markets such as the United States, European countries, South Africa and South America.
       Over recent years his company has been earning 70 per cent of its income from within China and the rest from exports. However, this year, revenue from the domestic market has fallen to 60 per cent of the total and 40 per cent has come from exports.
       "We would like to expand our world markets, which are much bigger than our domestic market. Exporting to world markets such the US and Europe would guarantee that Chinese medical products, like those of our company, have high quality," he said.
       Shenzhen Creative Industry's products have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, Gao said.
       Hollye Chen, marketing director of Reach Surgical, a manufacturer of medical staplers, said she believed that medical products made by Chinese manufacturers were these days of the same quality as those produced in other countries. However, Chinese firms could manufacture at lower prices because some of their costs, such as overhead expenses, were much lower than those of overseas companies.
       "Medical technology is something that every country can learn. I can say that Chinese people have the same talent as the Americans, for example. But our production costs are much lower, depending on the competitive situation and regions. So, I can't say for how much less Chinese companies can produce medical equipment," Chen said.
       Reach Surgical has been operating for four years. Its exhibit at the Medical Fair Thailand was its first foray into international markets.
       "I've heard that the healthcare business in Thailand is growing and the government supports the industry to become a medical hub for the region. So, there is a big opportunity for us to expand our business to this kingdom," she said.
       The company is also looking for other export destinations in Asia, as well as in the US, Europe and South America.
       Kris Su, international sales manager for Guoteng Science and Technology Development, one of China's leading manufacturers of patient monitors, said the medical products of some Chinese companies had low quality because fierce competition forced them to cut costs in order to set the lowest prices.
       However, some manufacturers maintain a focus on manufacturing high quality products in a bid to compete with overseas firms. So, customers - both end users and hospitals - have to study the products on the market very carefully before deciding to purchase or place orders.
       China has many manufacturers of patient monitors. However, his company exports its products to 60 countries and 75 per cent of its revenue last year came from export sales, he said.

PHYSICIAN BAGS AMEE AWARD

2009-09-21T23:31:00.001-07:00

       Dr Paphan Musikkawatr, a physician at Maharaj Nakhon Si Thammarat Hospital, has won a prestigious award from the Association for Medical Education of Europe Conference for her outstanding research to improve the curriculum for medical students.
       "This award will lift the standard of the Thai medical curriculum to be recognised at the international level," Dr Prat Boonyawongvirot, permanent secretary of the Public Health Ministry, said yesterday.
       Prat, who led a delegation of 16 medical professors to the meeting in Malaga, Spain early this month, said the ministry had submitted seven research papers to the academic competition held during the conference.
       The competition committee had selected only one outstanding study conducted by Paphan to receive the AMEE's Patil Award for her excellent work in curriculum assessment.
       Paphan's research was on "the implementing portfolios in an objectivebased curriculum at the Maharaj Nakhon Si Thammarat Hospital's Medical Education Centre.
       Her work focused on the evaluation of medical students' learning under the project to boost the number of rural doctors.
       Paphan will receive a certificate, AMEE membership and a year's subscription to a medical curriculum journal as her prizes.
       The AMEE is the largest conference for medical professors around the world to discuss medical curriculum development. This year it attracted over 2,300 medical professors from 81 countries.

FRESH WAVE OF SWINE FLU INFECTS THOUSANDS IN MEXICO

2009-09-19T21:07:00.000-07:00

       Mexico was hit with 1,341 new swine flu cases since Monday, bringing the total to 26,338 ahead of the usual autumn flu season, health officials said yesterday.
       The Health Ministry said one more person died from the A(H1N1) virus between Monday and Thursday, bringing the death toll to 218 in the country where the virus first emerged in April before becoming a pandemic. In late August, Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova estimated nearly one million people could be infected by the virus during the winter, out of a total population of 100 million in Mexico.
       The official global flu death toll has reached 3,486, up 281 from a week ago, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), which has reported 296,471 known cases of infection. That number is seenas far below actual figures as some countries lack systematic analysis.
       The UN agency said the Americas region still has the highest death toll, at 2,625. The Asia-Pacific region reported 620 official fatalities, while Europe recorded at least 140 deaths.
       In the Middle East, 61 people succumbed to the virus while in Africa, 40 people have died from it.
       The WHO on Friday warned that the production of swine flu vaccines will fall "substantially" short of the amount needed to protect the global population.
       "Current supplies of pandemic vaccine are inadequate for a world population in which virtually everyone is susceptible to infection by a new and readily contagious virus," WHO director general Margaret Chan said.
       Despite new evidence that only one dose of the vaccines currently being tested will be enough for most people, WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said output next year will be "sub-stantially less" than the 4.9 billion doeses annual production forecast.
       Some 25 pharmaceutical laboratories working on vaccines have indicated that weekly production is lower than 94 million doses, he said.
       In May, the WHO had forecast a weekly output of 94.3 million doses if full scale vaccine production was launched.
       But pharmaceutical companies have in recent weeks slashed their production expectations due to poorer than expected yields from the so-called "seed virus" strians developed by WHO-approved laboratories.
       Amid growing fears that poorer nations will not get enough vaccines, the United States led nine countries which on Thursday pledged to make 10 per cent of their swine flu vaccine supply available to other nations in need.
       The UN health agency's chief applauded the move the United States, Australia, Brazil, Britain, France, Italy, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland.

       Mexico Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova estimated nearly 1 million people could be infected.

Human trials of flu jab delayed again

2009-09-19T21:06:00.000-07:00

       Human trials of the Thai-made type-A (H1N1) influenza vaccine have been delayed for the second time after the World Health Organisation recommended the Thai team conduct more studies on the trial jab's safety.
       Vichai Chokewiwat, the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO)chairman, said the WHO viewed that Thai scientists were new to the production of live-attenuated vaccine, so the country should take careful steps in producing a vaccine.
       The WHO's recommendation came after the Thai team detected an abscess in a rat injected with its trial H1N1 vaccine earlier this month.
       Although the WHO experts concluded that the abscess had nothing to do with the trial vaccine, they recommended more studies be done before Thailand goes ahead with human trials.
       "So we decided to postpone the vaccine testing on humans for 10 more days. The trials will begin on Oct 5," Dr Vichai said after the meeting of a committee on vaccine trials on humans which he chaired yesterday.
       The human testing was originally scheduled for Sept 21, but was later postponed to Sept 24 and then Oct 5.
       "Yes, we are worried that Thailand's H1N1 vaccine development project is not going as smoothly as expected, but we have come this far and we won't give up," said Dr Vichai.
       In the meantime, the GPO would recruit volunteers for vaccine trials.
       The GPO planned to conduct vaccine tests on 24 volunteers, but only seven were on the list as most of the applicants did not meet the testing requirements.
       In another development, the subcommittee on immunisation practices,a body that counsels the government on vaccine matters, yesterday proposed a priority list of H1N1 vaccine recipients.
       The advisory panel would next week submit the list to the Public Health Ministry for review and then help state and local health departments plan for a vaccination campaign as soon as the previously-ordered 2 million vaccines arrive around December and January.
       Under the list, health care workers,pregnant women and those with obesity problems will be among people first in line to receive the vaccine, followed by those with chronic diseases and developmental disabilities, totalling 5 million,who are at the highest risk of complications from the new flu strain.
       Somchai Chakrabhandu, Disease Control Department chief, said the recommendation is based on the number of fatalities reported by the Bureau of Epidemiology.
       The type-A H1N1 flu has caused over 10,000 hospitalisations and 153 deaths in 56 provinces as of Sept 16. Most of them were among these risk groups,except for the healthcare workers.
       Charung Muangchana, director of the national vaccine committee, said an estimated 400,000 healthcare workers are listed to receive the vaccine first because they are on the front lines in providing services at hospitals.

City hospitals to unify patient record-keeping

2009-09-16T08:01:00.000-07:00

       By the end of this year, patients who already have records with one hospital can be admitted to other hospitals in the 17-hospital Electronic Medical Record (EMR) network without having to re-register, offering customers a hasslefree registration process, according to Dr Chatree Duangnet, Chief Executive Officer of Bangkok Hospital Medical Centre.
       Based at Bangkok Hospital, the new single patient EMR systemwill manage and interconnect the database to other hospitals in the network, offering patients a one-stop registration service,along with quicker and more convenient services.
       Veerasak Kritsanapraphan, the Bangkok Hospital Group's Chief Information Executive, added that the IT development projects with IBM solutions on the UNIX system greatly benefit both patients and doctors.
       "Imagine Bangkok Hospital customers who may travel to Phuket but unfortunately have an accident. They can be admitted to Bangkok Hospital Phuket without wasting time going through the registration process while the doctors can instantly track a patient's medical history from the system."
       In the next phase, the system will add more services by providing 'whatif' analysis setting parameters for each patient and offering suggestions for doctors to make decisions faster.
       Dr Chatree added that in terms of security, the system has to verify that only authorised persons can gain access to patients' data and meet security at international standard.
       "If you are one of our customers,while laying down in the roomwatching a program and then doctor comes, it is possible for the doctor to retrieve the patient's record to show up on the TV and can discuss the progress with the patient.
       "In the long term, the hospital may open connections to other public hospitals. However, such a system has the challenge of standardising data by creating a unique patient ID number no matter which hospital they are at. In order to map medical records between hospitals it is easiest to integrate in our group first," Dr Chatree said.
       Attracting more medical tourists
       According to Veerasak, the single patient EMR also helps hospitals in the Bangkok Hospital Group to attract more overseas patients through hospital partner alliances in Europe and the Middle East when patients are referred here.
       The foreign hospitals can request to monitor and update the status of their patients via the online system.
       In line with the improved efficiency in patient records and tracking, the Bangkok Hospital Group will also upgrade its financial and business management system with IBM Cognos solution, to connect hospital data and analyse statistics to help executives make precise investment decisions.
       In the healthcare business, there are many unexpected factors that may affect its business. This solution helps to prepare business plans with 'what-if' modelling capabilities such as scenarios in closed airports or in pandemic situations.
       "With these two important projects we are able to offer an effective treatment analysis faster than before, and with more convenient services. The systematic and integrated data system will be of great benefit for medical research,paving the way for the Bangkok Hospital Group to set a new standard of Smarter Healthcare in Thailand."
       Build IT R&D in healthcare
       Dr Chatree added that even during the economic downturn, the hospital still continued investing in IT and established a new IT company called Greenline Synergy to centralise all IT teams in each hospital under one company.
       Each company has to allocate a minimum budget of 1.5 percent from its revenue worth 20 billion baht to IT.
       "We sees IT like oxygen for our business to create with advanced technology not only for treatment but also for infrastructure no matter wireless or mobile computing and caring service," Dr Chatree said.
       Acting as general manager for Greenline, Veerasak said that the new company will recruit more staff this year and there are also plans to increase capital register from 30 million baht to give stronger bargaining when negotiating with vendors.
       Moreover, the company has allocated a number of staff in research and development for Radio Frequency Identification or RFID to enhance patients'safety and potential to use in babymother first phase.
       "There are a lot of technological issues to consider especially when it operates it should not have any affect or interfere with medical equipment. If the company is successful it will roll out through the entire group. Within the next couple of years, the company plans to sell the solution to other hospitals outside the Bangkok Hospital Group.
       "When centralising IT, we experience a lot of savings starting in standardising technology and acquiring hardware and software. With the power of bargaining,it can reduce rental PC costs from 1,500 baht per unit to 500 baht. While we can replicate the solution to roll-out in the network before selling to make more money a as profitable business,"Veerasak said.

IMPACT OF RECESSION ON FIRMS NOT UNFORM

2009-09-14T20:12:00.000-07:00

       A look at the expansion plans of two Thai companies demonstrates the varying effects that the recession has had in the Kingdom.
       Better Vision Group, operator of the Hawman chain of optical-goods shops, has been forced to scale back its investment plans, said managing director Pakee Pracharktam.
       The perception of eyeglasses as a necessity for those with vision problems is still largely limited to the Kingdom's large urban areas, Pakee said. Much like books and computers, rural Thais still do not perceive glasses as a necessity, he said. This reality has made the recession particularly difficult for the firm.
       "We opened five or six Hawwan shops in 2007 in line with the rapid expansion of hypermarkets. However, several of these stores, especially those in rural towns, did not see good sales," Pakee said. The company has more than 80 stores at shopping malls and hypermarket branches nationwide.
       After it started experiencing cash-flow problems last year, the compaby decided to delay new investments to focus on existing branches, Pakee said.
       The company has shut down several shops that showed little promise, including outlets in Ratchaburi and Prachin Buri, and some smaller outlets in Bangkok.
       "We have tried to improve the performance of our stores by launching more promotions and staff-development initiatives," said Pakee.
       Under the adjusted-growth plan, the company will only open two or three new stores per year, he said.
       "We will evaluate all investment possibilities, however," he said.
       Pakee said 2009 had brought many negatives, including the continuing of the political unrest from last year and the deadly type A (H1N1) influenza otubreak.
       In stark contrast to the Hawwan chain's experience, Nitipon Group, a leading beauty-clinic operator, is going full steam ahead with its growth plans, setting its sights on the upcountry market, said managing director Nitipon Chaisakulchai.
       "Our Nitipon clinics already cover all prime locations in Bangkok. What we want to do next is to expand the retail network upcountry," he said.
       "We currently operate 37 Nitipon clinics, seven of which were opened in the first half of this year. We see great opportunities to expand our network in the provinces," Nitipon said.
       The expansion of Central Plaza shopping malls into the Northeast, especially in Khon Kaen and Udon Thani, would create new business opportunities for retail tenants in Bangkok-including Nitipon-that want to open upcountry outlets, he said.
       Unlike other businesses, Nitipon said, beauty clinics had proven to be "recession-proof."
       "Amid the economic slowdown, we have not seen any significant drop in demand for beauty clinics' services. Beauty clinics are a part of Thai consumers' lifestyles today, and Thais are still highly concerned about their appearance," Nitipon said.
       The company recently launched several clinics under a new brand, Retouch Laser Centre by Nitipon Clinic. Retouch Laser Centres have opened at The Mall Bangkapi, Future Park Rangsit, Seacon Square and Fashion Island.

Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for patients at Wattanosoth Hospital

2009-09-13T20:01:00.000-07:00

       Hematopoeitic stem cell transplantation is a complex medical treatment program that can cure many otherwise incurable blood or bone marrow diseases, beta-thalassemias, lymphomas, and certain cancers, both in adults and children. This treatment approach backed by specialised tertiary care has been accepted worldwide as one of modern medicine's amazing curative methods. Through an affiliation with the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in the USA. Wattanosoth Hospital is now able to commence transplants that comply with the standard treatment regimen.
       Our hematopoietic stem cell transplantation unit is established on the 6th floor of Wattanasoth Hospital, part of the renowned Bangkok Hospital Medical Center. This two=bed unit is equipped with highly-efficient clean rooms and other related facilities and has a capacity of 10-15 stem cell transplantations a year. Our physicians and nursing staff have previous experience in performing over 120 transplants and attending patients intensively. The most common and most successful conditions that have been treated with this procedure are thalassemias, multiple myelomas, lymphomas, aplastic anermia, and leukemias. The source of the hematopoietic stem cells used is derived from bone marrow, peripheral blood or umbilical cord blood collectre and preserved after a baby is born. The treatment procedures are most commonly called Bone Marrow Transplatation(BMT), Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation, and Umbilical Cord Bolld Transplantation, respectively.
       For certain blood diseases such as beta-thalassemia, patients will need to have suitable HLA-matched healthy donors, possibly their own brothers/sisters or unrelated volunteers. We will test the blood of the patient and the potential donor for typing and matching and cooperate in circumstances where it is necessary to search for an appropriate unrelated donor.
       Allogeneic stem cell transplatation where a healty person donates cells to a sick person is so sophisticated scheme of therapy and integration of medical sciences and technology. We offer well-organised comprehensive treatment program for particular group of patients who fulfil indications for undergoing transplantations. Our stem cell transplant physicians wil discuss, explain and answer the patient's and/or parents' questions regarding this effective and informed curative therapy in detail.
       Our stem cell transplant physicians comprise the BMT Conference which discusses and plans treatments for each BMT patient. Full explanations, family education and support information is provided to BMT patients and their families and all questions are answered regarding this effective and informed curative therapy.
       BANGKOK HOSPITAL Tel.1719

Obama lays down law on health care

2009-09-11T06:16:00.000-07:00

       President Barack Obama told Congress on Wednesday to end its political bickering and move quickly on a broad healthcare overhaul that would dramatically transform the US health system and insurance market.
       In a sometimes emotional speech,Mr Obama said lawmakers were closer than ever to enacting healthcare reform and spelled out proposals to improve conditions for those with insurance and expand the choices for 46 million uninsured Americans, including a controversial government-run "public option". He also rebuked critics, accusing them of substituting scare tactics for honest debate by pushing false ideas like the charge that "death panels"would decide treatment for the elderly.
       "I will not waste time with those who have made the calculation that it's better politics to kill this plan than improve it," he told a joint session of Congress and a national TV audience."If you misrepresent what's in the plan,we will call you out."
       Democrats, who have struggled for decades to enact healthcare reforms,gave Mr Obama frequent standing ovations while Republicans murmured unhappily at times and held aloft copies of a Republican-sponsored healthcare bill. Republican Congressman Joe Wilson shouted "you lie" when Mr Obama said his plan would not insure illegal immigrants.
       Republicans also laughed loudly when Mr Obama said "there remain some significant details to be ironed out". Mr Obama hoped the speech would rejuvenate his flagging push for an overhaul of the $2.5 trillion healthcare system and reclaim control of a debate that has bogged down in Congress amid rising public scepticism.
       He said the overhaul would cut costs,improve care and regulate insurers to help protect consumers while expanding coverage. He repeated his pledge that the proposal, which would cost $900 billion over 10 years, would not increase the budget deficit.
       As promised, he spelled out the concepts he wanted in any final bill passed by Congress, including affordable coverage for all Americans and creation of an insurance exchange where individuals and small businesses could shop for policies. He reiterated his support for a government-run insurance plan - the so-called public option - that has drawn strong opposition from cr-
       tics who say it would harm insurance companies and amount to a government takeover of the industry.
       But he was clear that the lack of a public option in any final bill would not be a deal-breaker, and he promised to entertain Republican ideas to foster more competition and reduce costs.
       "The public option is only a means to that end - and we should remain open to other ideas,"he said. In the Senate, months of bipartisan Finance Committee talks by the so-called "Gang of Six" negotiators moved into the final stages earlier in the day as the panel's Democratic chairman, Max Baucus, said it was time to proceed with or without Republicans.
       Mr Baucus said he would push ahead with a bill next week modelled after proposals he distributed recently to members. That plan would levy a fee on insurers to help pay for coverage but would not include a governmentrun option, which he said "cannot pass the Senate". Mr Baucus' plan would tax insurance firms on their most expensive policies and offer tax credits to individuals and families to help offset the cost of premiums.

Holistic Medicine The new hope for Cancer patients

2009-09-09T23:40:00.000-07:00

       Cancer, a frightening disease that is always a top ranking cause of death for people around the world every year, has tormenting symptoms, harsh side effects of treatment and is very expensive to heal, which makes the disease seem incurable. Today we will introduce cancer to you in a new way, describing the new and hopful method of treatment called "Holistic Medicine". This is based on the experience of the Director of Integrative medicine department, Jirung Holistic medical center, Dr. Torsak Thippairoj M.D. a physiciam who gives precedence to qulity of life and treatment at the same time, instead of curing just to win over the diseases without concern of the side effects on the patient, family and society.
       What is Holistic Medicine?
       Holisfi and Integrative medicine is medication that gives priority to the whole body of a person rather than just specific parts or problems of that person. This is based on how human body is composed of web-like interconnections of internal physiological factors. Abnormilities which happen inside the body and show up in one part could be the cause of imbalances on other part. This is especially true with chronic diseases that progress over a long period of time. In most of these cases, imbalanced and damages from many system at the same time have been found. To treat this group of patients, it is necessary to look at the whole system that has been found in the entire system of that person instead of focusing only on the problem shown.
       How is it different from Conventional Medicine of Alternative Medicine?
       Conventional Medicine or mainstream practice has strongly emphasized the identification of a precise diagnosis and to treat that disease conventionally. This is effective for an instant problem or an acute attack which needs quick execution to suppress the symptoms and prevent the consequences of damage. Most of the treatment emphasizes medication, operamove, and prevent the normal processes of the body.
       As for those who are ailing with chronic diseases, we started to see that medication and other methods to suppress block, compress or force the normal processes of the body at any spot or many spots at the same time for long periods have caused new problem that we will have to fix again and again. The result of this kind of therapy for chronic diseases can only slow down the symtoms of the disease, but cannot stop the process of the disease and make the system back to normal ever again.
       We can see this trend happening around the world; chronic disease patients have started to search for new ways of therapy more and more. The most well-known therapy is Alternative Medicine, which is another kind of therapy that replaces Conventional Medicine by using herbs, acupuncture and th rapeutics. Most of this therapy is practiced on opinion or based on experience, which is different from Conventional Medicine which is based on evidence. However, we also see that many alternative therapies that have been proven and accepted broadly are also used in Conventional Medicine periodically.
       Holistic and Integrative medicine is considered a bridge linking these two opposite medical practices mentioned earlier, since the physicins still use evidence for the labs such as blood testing, urinalysis, saliva testing and stool examination to indentify imbalances in that person and specify the healing plan without limitations on either Conventional plan without limitations on either Conventional or Alternative medicine. The main purpose is to treat that person as whole body, not only focusing on the disease. For example, if we find out that a patient has a problem relaxing, a mind management method such as mediation in included in the treatment plan for the cancer patient along with a nutritional program to support the healing plan.
       How to treat cancer with Holistic medicine?
       Start with the physician's diagnosis to find imbalances and determine the condition of the disease, which may take at least one hour, followed by laboratory tests to extimate and confirm the earlier suspictions, and then set up the healing plan individually based on the information obtained. Normally, the healing plan has 2 procedures; Basic and Advanced.
       Basic procedure(repalce and remove)has the main principle of the replacement process which is to replace bad things with good things. This applies to essential elements the patient lacks, such as:
       -Foods(protein, fats, carbohydrates, fiber)
       -Vitamins, minerals, accessory or conditionally essential nutrients
       -Lights, water, air
       -Movement
       -Rhythm
       -Love, community, connection
       -Meaning, purpose
       For this purpose, it must go along with the removal process by removing bad things. This applies to worthless things found in the patient that disturbs the body system, such as:
       -Toxins (biologic, elemental, synthetic_
       -Allergens(food, mold, dust, animal products, pollens, chemicals)
       -Microbes(bacteria, yeast, parasites, prions)
       -Stress(physical, psychological)
       -Poor Diet and/or Nutritional Insufficiency
       The Advanced procedure (restor and regenerate) emphasizes disease control, strengthening and rebuilding what was damaged from the disease by integrating both Conventional and Alternative medicine treatment.
       Sample of Cancer treatment with the Advanced procedure in Holistic MedicineIn Conventional Medicine.
       There are limited options such as operation, radiation and chemotherapy, which have problems with side effects from the treatment, especially radiation and chemotherapy which affects the normal system of patients. That's why there are new options to control cancer which emphasize strengthening the patient's normal physiology with the smallest effect to the physical system. For example, adoptive immunotherapy is the method of cultivating blood cells to increase the killer T-Cell white bood cells that have a function of dealing with free radicals in the body directly, and then inject it back into the patient's body to strenghen the immune system. Wer found that this type of white blood cell is always suppressed as a result of cross talk between cancer and the patient's immune system. Sometimes, the Dendritic cells from the patient's blood are injected back into the palitent and act like antigen presenting cells, which will lead to creating effector cells that respond to cancer cells.
       In case the patient has a very weak condition either from the disease or from side effects of the treatment, and the blood cell quantity is very low, treatment with stem cells to restore the physical condition promptly could be an option.
       Physicians tend to use the options that strenghten the normal system of the body instead of destroying the disease without regard to the harsh side effects. However, to choose any streatment at any time, we must consider each patient's condition individually. There is no specific or fixed way for a healing plan.
       The result of healing.
       This way of healing gives the patient a higher quality of personal, family, and social life. In terms of disease control, we found that for patients with less severe conditions, we can have high expectations. but in patients with severe conditions, we found that they still have cancer, but it is not spreading or is slowly spreading. For example, let's consider a case of patient with cancer that has spread to the lungs and liver, which is considered the final phase. Normally, wer cannot expect survial over three years, but after treating with this way, that patient can survie for seven years and still be able to work like normal. However, the patient must follow the process strictly in nutrition, environment, and emotion. Many times we see that when patients take care of themselves less, rapid changes of the disease can occur.
       What is the most important thing to heal a cancer patient?
       Cancer is a chronic disease that forms over a long period, according to environment, behavior and generic factors. When the disease occurs, reversing the unbalancing process takes strong intentions, understanding and an attempt in life style modification. The key to success in healing this group of patients depends on the patients themselves. If the patient is weary and in despair of th treatment of of misunderstanding, the chance of success will be less. The physician is just an advisor, who gives advice of many options, but the person who actually does the treatment and sets the sucess of the healing is the patient himself, with support from family and friends.

State tells tired MDs to drink more coffee

2009-09-08T20:13:00.001-07:00

       Exhausted Australian doctors have been told to drink up to six cups of coffee a day to stay awake during extended shifts, building pressure on Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to seize control of state-run hospitals.
       A document on fatigue management released by health officials in Queensland state recommended doctors ingest 400mg of caffeine to stay awake on the job, or the equivalent of six cups of coffee,after warnings that patients were dying.
       "For management to just say go and have a cup of coffee and get over tiredness, it cheapens the whole issue,"Australian Medical Association Vice President Steven Hambleton said.
       "We are talking about serious issues here, and this is not just a serious suggestion at all. It can't be a weakness to say you're dog tired," he said.
       The recommendation followed warnings from a doctors union that patients were dying because overworked medics were being forced to work up to 80 hours without a break. Australia's national centre-left government is under pressure to seize control of the nation's public hospital system.

10 things you need to know

2009-09-07T19:23:00.000-07:00

       Since it first emerged in April, the global swine flu epidemic has sickened more than 1 million in the US and killed about 500.
       It has also spread around the world, infecting tens of thousands and killing nearly 2,000.
       This summer, the virus has been surprisingly tenacious in the US, refusing to fade away as flu viruses usually do.
       And health officials predict a surge of cases this autumn, perhaps very soon as schools reopen.
       A White House report from an expert panel suggests that from 30 percent to half the US population could catch H1N1 during the course of this pandemic and that from 30,000 to 90,000 could die.
       So how worried should you be and how do you prepare? Here are 10 things you should know to be flusavvy:
       1. No cause for panic.
       So far, H1N1 isn't much more threatening than regular seasonal flu.
       During the few months of this new flu's existence, hospitalisations and deaths from it seem to be lower than the average seen for seasonal flu, and the virus hasn't dramatically mutated. That's what health officials have observed in the Southern Hemisphere where flu season is now winding down.
       Still, more people are susceptible to Type A flu and US health officials are worried because it hung in so firmly during the summer - a time of year the flu usually goes away.
       2. Virus tougher on some.
       H1N1 is more of a threat to certain groups - children under 2, pregnant women, people with health problems such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease. Teens and young adults are also more vulnerable to H1N1.
       Ordinary, seasonal flu hits older people the hardest, but not H1N1. Scientists think older people may have some immunity from exposure years earlier to viruses similar to this one.
       3. Wash your hands often and long.
       Like seasonal flu, H1N1 spreads through the coughs and sneezes of people who are ill.
       Emphasize to children that they should wash with soap and water long enough to finish singing the alphabet song,"Now I know my ABC's ..." Also use alcoholbased hand sanitisers.
       4. Get the children vaccinated.
       These groups should be first in line for H1N1 shots when they become available, especially if vaccine supplies are limited - people 6 months to 24 years old, pregnant women and health care workers.
       Also a priority: parents and carers of infants, people with high-risk medical conditions.
       5. Get your shots early.
       H1N1 shots should be available later this year. If you are in one of the priority groups, try to get your shot as early as possible.
       Check with your doctor about where to do this.
       6. Immunity takes a while.
       Even those first in line for shots won't have immunity for a month or more.
       That's because it's likely to take two shots, given three weeks apart, to provide protection. And it takes a week or two after the last shot for the vaccine to take full effect.
       The regular seasonal flu shot should be available later in the year. People over 50 are urged to be among the first to get that shot.
       7. Vaccines are being tested.
       Health officials presume the H1N1 vaccine is safe and effective, but they're testing it to make sure.
       The US government has begun studies in eight cities across the country to assess its effectiveness and figure out the best dose.
       Vaccine makers are doing their own tests as well.
       8. Help! Surrounded by H1N1.
       If an outbreak of swine flu hits your area before you're vaccinated, be extra cautious.
       Stay away from public gathering places such as shopping complexes, sports events and churches. Try to keep your distance from people in general. Keep washing those hands and keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth.
       9. What if you get sick?
       If you have other health problems or are pregnant and develop flu-like symptoms, call your doctor right away. You may be prescribed Tamiflu or Relenza.These drugs can reduce the severity of Type A flu if taken right after symptoms start.
       If you develop breathing problems (rapid breathing for children), pain in your chest, constant vomiting or a fever that keeps rising, go to an emergency room.
       Most people, though, should just stay home and rest. Cough into your elbow or shoulder. Stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever breaks. Fluids and pain relievers like Tylenol or paracetamol can help with achiness and fever. Always check with a doctor before giving children any medicines. Adult cold and flu remedies are not for them.
       10. No H1N1 from the barbecue.
       You can't catch H1N1 from pork or poultry either (even though it recently turned up in turkeys in Chile). H1N1 flu is not spread by handling meat, whether it's raw or cooked.
       Source: US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

An example to emulate

2009-09-06T20:44:00.001-07:00

       Krisana Kraisintu was in Manila last week,although too few of her fellow Thais noticed.Few even know her name. Yet Ms Krisana has brought more honour to her country,achieved more meaningful success in her work, and has made Thailand and the world a better place than just about all of her more famous compatriots put together. This admirable pharmacologist has used her education, but has ignored the standard postschool life of job and family. She has toiled for many years to try to bring quality of life to hundreds of thousands of Thais, other Asians and Africans. Her hard work has earned her Asia's Nobel Prize, the Magsaysay Award for public service.
       Winning the Magsaysay is one of the top honours that any Asian can achieve. The awards are named for former Philippine president Ramon Magsaysay, who died tragically in an airplane crash in 1957. The late president is lionised for his integrity and honesty, in addition to his government ability. The awards that honour his memory live up to the standard. They are not for sale; they are not glibly given.
       The first Thai to win a Magsaysay was Puey Ungphakorn, in 1965 for public service. Since then,24 prominent and little-known Thais have been among the award winners, who span the continent. The awards are given in six categories - government service, public service,community leadership, peace and international understanding, emergent leadership, and in journalism,literature, and the creative communication arts.
       Judging is tough, and deserving recipients are not found every year. Last year, Dr Therdchai Jivacate received the Magsaysay Award for public service for his work in providing prosthetic limbs to poor people. The same award went to the micro-financing effort of the Philippines Centre for Agriculture and Rural Development Mutually Reinforcing Institutions.
       Ms Krisana's story is one of selfless, devoted and most importantly beneficial service to her fellow humans.A trained scientist, she has seldom been in the laboratory since embarking on her career. She joined the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) in 1983. Her CV stressed her knowledge of drugs, but from the start of her career she focussed on making generic drugs.Her early achievements gave affordable pharmaceuticals for patients with hypertension and diabetes.
       When the worldwide HIV/Aids problem became an epidemic, Ms Krisana began to focus her attention and impressive vigour on this problem. Her heart was touched because so many of those infected with the disease were poor. Because they seldom could afford the new generation of drugs being developed, Ms Krisana took it as her goal to bring such drugs to the poor patients.
       She has allied herself with anyone able to help, and of course has fought governments and drug companies to bring generic medicine to the world. In Thailand, she actually invented the anti-HIV drug cocktail now known as GPO-VIR - affordable to most patients, but then made available to the very poor. She treated Thais and patients in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. But she became aware that roughly 1% of four million HIV and Aids patients were receiving anti-retroviral drugs in subSaharan Africa. So she took her campaign there.
       Ms Krisana has an explanation for her nearly three decades of making a difference:"I am a scientist but I am very sensitive." One person can make a difference.But working quietly, for neither wealth nor glory, she has shown that one person can change mindsets and move the world. It is Thailand's honour to have Ms Krisana as a citizen.

Civil servants reined in over medical bills

2009-09-06T04:50:00.000-07:00

       The government will start scrutinising medical bills at state hospitals across the country to curb civil servants and their families running up huge expenses at the public's expense.
       Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai yesterday said he had assigned the committee overseeing the national drug list to gather all information on medical expenses claimed by civil servants.
       His decision followed a meeting between officials and ministers from the Finance, Labour and Health ministries to revamp the state's health care benefits for up to 5 million civil servants and their families.
       "The Justice Ministry previously reported a drug corruption scandal involving the distribution of large quantities of medicines to civil servants at several hospitals,' said Mr Witthaya,speaking at a conference on the development of medical services at local hospitals.
       "Some of these cases have already been subject to legal action," he said.
       Many civil servants and their families have been criticised for seeking reimbursement for medical expenses deemed to be unjustifiable.
       Some civil servants reportedly claimed back expenses for non-medical services such as spa treatments.
       The national medical welfare budget for civil servants has skyrocketed over the past four years to 80 billion baht a year from 30 billion baht as a result.
       Civil servants, who largely earn a modest salary, are given free medical care by the state. They are also entitled to be reimbursed by the ComptrollerGeneral's Department, under the Finance Ministry, for medical expenses they have paid in advance.
       Deputy Prime Minister Korbsak Sabhavasu last month suggested the civil service's medical coverage should be reduced by requiring civil servants to help contribute to medical savings accounts.
       In another development, Winai Sawasdiworn, secretary-general of the National Health Security Office (NHSO) which runs the state's universal health care scheme, said the agency and health academics would on Tuesday discuss issues concerning the various types of medical benefits.
       The aim was to find ways to better manage health funds and synchronise the medical schemes, he said.
       The cabinet on Aug 5 approved draft amendments to the Social Security Fund Act to expand health care benefits to cover 5.7 million families of private sector employees who are members of the Social Security Fund.
       The spouses and children of SSF members are currently entitled to medical treatment under the universal health care scheme, but they are not eligible for free treatment under the social security scheme.
       The government plans to draw part of the budget from the NHSO and give it to the Social Security Office (SSO) to help the latter cope with rising expenses resulting from the expanded coverage.
       The health minister yesterday said the amended Social Security Fund Act would not affect the funding programme's financial stability.
       The fund covers 9.2 million privatesector employees.
       The Social Security Office handles the fund worth more than 400 billion baht.
       It annually makes about 20 billion baht profit from the legal requirement for employers and employees to contribute 1.5% of their income to the fund.
       Pun Wunnapinij, the SSO secretarygeneral, earlier said the prospect of an increase in the number of fund beneficiaries was less worrying than the possibility that contributions to the fund might drop due to rising unemployment figures.
       Falling contributions could affect the fund's stability, he said.

Agencies told to cut costs of health-care programmes

2009-09-03T20:21:00.001-07:00

       Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday summoned government agencies responsible for the central health programmes to find ways to make the programmes more efficient to rein in the government's health-related costs.
       Labour Minister Phaitoon Kaeothong said Abhisit was concerned with the increasing social expenses, which could reduce the government's investment capability. The ministries of Public Health and Labour as well as other agencies were instructed to draw up measures to cut or maintain health expenses, without jeopardising the quality of the service.
       Finance Ministry permanent secretary Sathit Limpongpan said that within a month, a study to restructure the overlapping three health and welfare systems, the Social Security Fund, the system for civil servants and the universal health programme, for higher efficiency will be completed. Civil servants' health costs have risen from Bt30 billion ten years ago to nearly Bt80 billion, he said.
       Phaitoon said foreign workers in Thailand may be required to buy health and life insurance policies. The compulsory policy should cost no more than Bt500 per year, and this will entitle the workers out-of-office sickness, disability and loss of life.

STEEP RISE IN SWINE FLU CASES

2009-09-01T20:52:00.000-07:00

       Some 45,000 patients with underlying diseases such as liver, kidney, and blood disease, heart disease, obesity, to gether with pregnant woment, have been admitted wiht influenza-like symptoms to hospitals in 61 provinces across the country, the public Health Ministry revealed yesterday
       The Thai Health Promotion Foundation said the number of patients with thetype-A (H1N1) fluhad increased drastically in the northern and northeastern provinces. Doctors are concerned.
       Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said since the new flu outbrek hit the country in May, he had ordered 970,000 healthcare volumteers to screen villagers. They report unofficially that 44m,258 cases already with serious health problems, to gether with obesity and pregnancy, were found with influenz-like symptoms and admitted to hospitals. Of htis number,3,705 had severe symptoms.
       Healthcare volunteers also reported that among the general people they had found 316,266 cases with flu-like symptoms.
       Healthcare volunteers also reported that among the general people they had found 316,266 cases with flu-like symptoms, with 10,175 needing hospital treatment.
       Former Public Hjealth Minister, Dr Mongkol Na Songkla, who now chairs the Thai Health Promotion Foundation's subcommittee to fight the pandemic, said he is worried over the situation upcountry.

Longer lifespan hopeful

2009-08-31T19:48:00.000-07:00

       It may be the ultimate free lunch - how to reap all the advantages of a calorically restricted diet, including freedom from disease and an extended healthy lifespan,without eating one fewer calorie. Just take a drug that tricks the body into thinking it's on a diet.
       It sounds too good to be true, and maybe it is.Yet, such drugs are now in clinical trials. Even if they should fail, as most candidate drugs do,their development represents a new optimism among research biologists that ageing is not immutable, that the body has resources that can be mobilised into resisting disease and averting the adversities of old age.
       This optimism, however, is not fully shared.Evolutionary biologists, the experts on the theory of ageing, have strong reasons to suppose that the human lifespan cannot be altered in any quick and easy way. But they have been confounded by experiments with small laboratory animals, including roundworms, fruit flies and mice. In all these species, the change of single genes has brought noticeable increases in lifespan.
       With theorists' and their gloomy predictions cast in the shade, at least for the time being,experimental biologists are pushing confidently into the tangle of linkages that evolution has woven among food intake, fertility and lifespan.
       "My rule of thumb is to ignore the evolutionary biologists - they're constantly telling you what you can't think," Gary Ruvkun of the Massachusetts General Hospital remarked in June after making an unusual discovery about longevity.
       Excitement among researchers on ageing has picked up in the last few years with the apparent convergence of two lines of inquiry: single gene changes and the diet known as caloric restriction.
       In caloric restriction, mice are kept on a diet that is healthy but has 30 percent fewer calories than a normal diet. The mice live 30 to 40 percent longer than usual with the only evident penalty being that they are less fertile.
       People find it almost impossible to maintain such a diet, so this recipe for longevity remained a scientific curiosity for many decades. Then came the discovery of the single gene changes,many of which are involved in the body's regulation of growth, energy metabolism and reproduction. The single gene changes thus, seem to be pointing to the same biochemical pathways through which caloric restriction extends lifespan.
       If biologists could only identify these pathways,it might be possible to develop drugs that would trigger them. Such drugs could in principle have far-reaching effects. Mice on caloric restriction seem protected from degenerative disease, which may be why they live longer. A single drug that protected against some or all the degenerative diseases of ageing would enable people to enjoy more healthy years, a great benefit in itself, even if it did not extend lifespan.
       The leading candidates for such a role are drugs called sirtuin activators, which may well be mimicking caloric restriction, in whole or in part. The chief drug is resveratrol, a minor ingredient of grapes and red wine. Sirtris Pharmaceuticals of Cambridge, Massachusetts, is now conducting clinical trials of resveratrol, in a special formulation, and of small-molecule drugs that also activate sirtuin but can be given in much lower doses. The resveratrol formulation and one of the small chemicals have passed safety tests and are now being tested against diabetes and other diseases. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not approve drugs to delay ageing, because ageing in its view is not a disease.
       The resveratrol tests are still under way, but last month the results with another substance,the anti-fungal drug rapamycin, were published.Rapamycin was found to extend mice's lives significantly even though by accident the mice were already the equivalent of 60 years old when the experiment started.
       Rapamycin has nothing to do with caloric restriction, so far as is known, but the study provided striking proof that a chemical can extend human lifespan.
       Another result, directly related to the caloric restriction approach, emerged last month from a long-awaited study of rhesus monkeys kept on such a diet.
       The research was led by Richard Weindruch of the University of Wisconsin. As fellow primates,the monkeys are the best possible guide to whether the mouse results will apply in people. And the answer they gave was ambiguous.
       The monkeys who had spent 20 years on caloric restriction were in better health than their normally fed counterparts, and suffered less diabetes, cancer and heart disease, apparently confirming that caloric restriction holds off the degenerative diseases of ageing in primates as well as rodents.
       But as for lifespan, the diet extended life significantly only if the researchers excluded deaths that were apparently unrelated to ageing,such as under the anaesthesia necessary to take blood samples. When all deaths were counted,lifespan was not significantly extended.
       Some researchers think it is perfectly valid to ignore such deaths. Others note that in mouse studies one just counts the numbers of dead mice without asking what they died of, and the same procedure should be followed with monkeys,since one cannot be sure if a death under anaesthesia might have been age related.
       With the rapamycin and rhesus monkey results,David Sinclair said,"we have more weight on the side of people who think it's going to be possible". He emphasised the ability of both caloric restriction and sirtuin-activating drugs to postpone the many diseases of ageing, at least in mice. To have one drug that postponed many degenerative diseases in people would be a significant advance, he said, even without any increase in longevity.
       People may live so long already that no drug could make much of a difference. Probably because of reductions in infant mortality and other types of disease, human life expectancy in developed countries has been on a remarkable,unbroken upward trend for the last 160 years.Female life expectancy at birth rose from 45 years in 1840 to 85 years in 2000.
       An important difference among experts on ageing is whether there is an intrinsic rate of ageing. Supposing there were cures for all diseases,what would one die of, if one died at all? Vijg and Campisi believe there is a steady build-up of damage to DNA and to proteins such as collagen and elastin fibres that knit the body together.Damage to DNA means that the regulation of genes becomes less precise, and this regulatory drift disrupts the stem cells that repair each tissue. Even if all diseases could be treated, it is not clear that anything could overcome intrinsic ageing.
       Miller, on the other hand, said he believes that no clear distinction can be made between disease and other frailties of ageing."Anything a doctor can charge for we call disease, but wrinkled skin, white hair or not feeling good in the morning, these we don't call disease," he said.
       He said he thinks that the idea of intrinsic ageing is not well defined and that contrary to the theories of the evolutionary biologists, there may be simple ways to intervene in the ageing process.
       In the view of evolutionary biologists, the lifespan of each species is adapted to the nature of its environment. Mice live at most a year in the wild because owls, cats and freezing to death are such frequent hazards. Mice with genes that allow longer life can rarely be favoured by natural selection. Rather, the mice that leave the most progeny are those that devote resources to breeding at as early an age as possible.
       According to this theory, if mice had wings and could escape their usual predators, natural selection ought to favour longer life. And indeed the maximum lifespan of bats is three-and-ahalf times greater than flightless mammals of the same size, according to research by Gerald S.Wilkinson of the University of Maryland.
       In this view, cells are so robust that they do not limit lifespan. Instead the problem, especially for longer-lived species, is to keep them under control lest they cause cancer. Cells have not blocked the evolution of extremely long lifespans,for example, that of the bristlecone pine, which lives 5,000 years, or certain deep sea corals, whose age has been found to exceed 4,000 years.
       Some species seem to be imperishable. A tiny freshwater animal known as a hydra can regenerate itself from almost any part of its body,apparently because it makes no distinction between its germ cells and its ordinary body cells. In people the germ cells, the egg and sperm,do not age; babies are born equally young, whatever the age of their parents. The genesis of ageing was the division of labour in the first multicellular animals between the germ cells and the body cells.
       That division put the role of maintaining the species on the germ cells and left the body cells free to become specialised, similarly in neurons or skin cells. But in doing so the body cells made themselves disposable. The reason we die, in the view of Thomas Kirkwood, an expert on the theory of ageing, is that constant effort is required to keep the body cells going."This, in the long run, is unwarranted - in terms of natural selection, there are more important things to do," he writes.
       All that seems clear about lifespan is that it is not fixed. And if it is not fixed, there may indeed be ways to extend it.

HOUSE PASSES BUDGET BILL AMID JIBES

2009-08-31T05:41:00.000-07:00

       The House of Representatives yesterday morning passed the 2010 budget bill by 244 to 10 votes, ending 42 hours of deliberation.
       Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva promised after the vote that the government would ensure the money was well spent.
       Initially debate on the 2010 budget bill was expected to end about 2am yesterday.
       However, in the end it ended much later, about 10am yesterday.
       Of the MPs in the House,244 voted to pass the bill. Ten others voted against the bill, and 69 MPs abstained.
       The government will spend 1.7 trillion baht during the next fiscal year. The 2010 Budget Act comprises 34 articles.
       Yesterday morning's deliberation focused on education and public health issues.
       Some members of the opposition Puea Thai Party attacked the budget during the debate as inefficient, saying the money earmarked for boosting the economy would not be enough.
       Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said the money allocated to the Public Health Ministry under the 2010 budget was very small. It meant that over the next seven years, the ministry could not afford to renovate any hospital buildings or construct new buildings.
       However, the "Thailand: Investing from Strength to Strength" programme,which is the government's economic stimulus programme, would offer money for construction work at all provincial hospitals and 60 district hospitals, said Mr Witthaya.
       LET ME GO HOME: Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, captured in different moods during the lengthy and at times feisty budget bill debates in the House, which lasted from Friday until yesterday morning.

A MILLION INFECTED BY SWINE-FLU VIRUS IN FOUR MONTHS, SAYS MINISTRY

2009-08-28T20:50:00.000-07:00

       More than a million Thais have been infected by the typeA (H1N1) virus in the past four months, the Public Health Ministry revealed yesterday
       Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said yesterday that some 60 million of the Thai population are now at risk of being infected by the new flu virus.
       "Surveillance remains an important mechanism to fight the pandemic," he added.
       Earlier, Disease Control Department spokesperson Dr Suppamit Chunsutiwat estimated that more than 6 million to 30 million people would be infected by the new flu virus and about 600 to 1,200 people would die from the pandemic as most people do not have immunity against the type A (H1N1) virus.
       He added that the pandemic was likely to continue for two to three years and then become the annual flu.
       Former Public Health Minister Dr Mongkol Na Songkla, who chairs the Thai Health Promotion Foundation's subcommittee to fight the typeA (H1N1) influenza, said the pandemic in Bangkok and nearby provinces was slowing down. However, the disease had spread to upcountry provinces, especially among farmers.
       Witthaya urged farmers who develop flulike symptoms to stay at home and avoid close contact with poultry as the disease could be transmitted from human to animals.
       "The Department of Livestock is closely monitoring the birdflu virus H5N1 and H1N1," he said. "So far, we have not seen any mutation of the new flu virus and drug resistant virus strain."
       Meanwhile, Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) board chairperson Dr Wichai Chokwiwat said the GPO has decided to produce the live attenuated vaccine against the typeA (H1N1) virus after the World Health Organisation, laboratories in the Netherlands and Russia confirmed that the virus seed vaccine - imported from Russia - proved to be safe on animals and its genotype and gene expression did not change.
       The GPO's scientists had last week injected the virus vaccine into the second lot of 1,500 of specific free pathogen eggs. The eggs were then incubated for two to three days during which time the virus multiplied. The eggs will he harvested once it contains millions of virus vaccine.
       Wichai said the GPO will harvest the second lot of the virus vaccine from the eggs on August 31. If the eggs produce the virus vaccine with a higher yield than the first lot of eggs, GPO will have to delay the human trial for two weeks.
       However, if the second lot of eggs produce vaccine virus with lower yield than the first lot of eggs, GPO could use the vaccine virus harvested from the first lot of eggs.
       Even the first lot of eggs produced a low yield of the virus vaccine but the World Health Organisation's expert said the amount from the first lot would be enough to produce vaccine and could be tested on 12 volunteers by September 4. However, GPO will make its decision whether to delay or continue the human trial followed the deadline.

Preventing blood clots

2009-08-27T19:40:00.000-07:00

       The risk of life-threatening blood clots related to air travel spurred a marketing boom for flight socks and airlines recommending passengers to do seat exercises, especially on long-haul journeys. Cramped seating, long periods of inactivity and dehydration are major factors contributing to so-called economy-class syndrome or deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
       Besides frequent flyers, those on a long drive may also have increased risk of DVT, said Assoc Professor Thanainit Chotanaphuti, MD of Phramongkutklao College of Medicine."If you're on a coach for nine hours from Chiang Mai to Bangkok and develop pain and swelling in one leg then you may have DVT," he said.
       In clinical practice, the orthopaedic surgeon has to deal with DVT as a complication of total knee and total hip replacement, especially among ageing Thais.Fifteen years ago, he was more busy fixing broken arms and legs of younger people from accidents whereas today Phramongkutklao Hospital's Orthopaedic Department is receiving more older patients for major operations.
       Venous blood clots, also known as venous thromboembolism (VTE), include DVT and pulmonary embolism (PE).
       DVT, a blood clot in a deep vein usually in the leg,can be caused by slowing or stopping blood flow.Blood in the leg veins travel to the heart and then to the lungs. A blood clot that breaks loose and blocks a vessel in the lung can lead to PE, damaging the lung and other vital organs and in some cases resulting in death.
       How does surgery put patients at a higher blood clot risk? Blood vessel damage during an operation can trigger a blood clot formation as the body naturally responds to the injury byproducing blood clots to act as a plug to prevent bleeding. Afterwards, restricted mobility during hospitalisation doubles the trouble.Moreover, the risk of developing venous blood clots continues for at least two months after surgery, and most symptomatic cases develop after discharge from the hospital.
       "Blood clot prevention for patients undergoing major orthopaedic surgery includes using anticoagulants. After the operation, instead of bed rest for two or three days, we advise patients to get moving and walk as soon as they can to reduce the risk," said Dr Thanainit."Not many people recognise that it can cause sudden death. Out of four cases, it is likely that two are due to heart disease, one from stroke, and the fourth from a venous blood clot."
       Killing around 300,000 people in the US and 500,000 in Europe each year, venous blood clots are estimated to be the third most common cardiovascular disease after heart disease and stroke. What was once thought to be a rare phenomenon among Asian populations has become a worrying trend and studies have shown that Asians do get clots. According to the Assessment of the Incidence of DVT in Asia study conducted among 407 patients who had undergone major orthopaedic surgery,41 percent of Asian patients were at risk of the disease.
       Despite the well-recognised risks, there remains a low rate of appropriate preventative treatment for blood clotting. The recent multinational ENDORSE study in 32 countries revealed that fewer than 60 percent of surgical patients at risk received standard venous blood clot prophylaxis.
       Anticoagulants in current use for the prevention of blood clots have several disadvantages. Low molecular weight heparin injections make long-term and home use inconvenient and impractical for the patient. Vitamin K antagonists, while taken orally,may require frequent monitoring.
       "The need for drugs that are convenient for both the patient and the physician has led to the development of Factor Xa inhibitors, which target specific points in the blood coagulation cascade, as a new treatment option," said Dr Frank Misselwitz, head of Bayer Schering Pharma's Cardiovascular Therapeutic Area in Wuppertal, Germany. Last September,the German pharmaceutical giant introduced a Factor Xa inhibitor taken as a once-daily tablet, to provide uncomplicated blood clot prevention.
       The new drug has been extensively studied in the RECORD clinical program, the largest of its kind ever conducted on an oral anticoagulant in the prevention of venous blood clots after total knee or hip surgery. Comprising four trials, it involved more than 12,500 participants, of which 1,300 were from the Asia Pacific region.
       "With its favourable benefit-risk profile, rivaroxaban could transform treatment approaches for the prevention of potentially life-threatening blood clots following hip or knee replacement surgery," said Dr Misselwitz.

Medical bills give govt fever

2009-08-27T19:39:00.000-07:00

       The Democrat-led coalition has taken a courageous step in pursuing long-delayed plans to overhaul the medical benefits scheme for civil servants. The decision will certainly prove unpopular. It most likely will be met with strong opposition frommembers of the government's workforce, whose resistance to the initiative derailed the project two years ago.
       The reason that has forced Deputy Prime Minister Korbsak Sabhasavu, who is in charge of national economic affairs, to pick up this potentially hot political potato for consideration again, is more than obvious.The government's financial health is in a precarious condition at present. The long-standing medical cost overrun has, therefore, again become a major and logical target for slashing, in the government's attempt to maintain the state's balance sheet. The past several governments have noted the alarming trend in the state's expenses with regard to the ballooning cost of civil servants' medical welfare. But none dared seriously tackle the problem out of fear that this would stir discontent among the 2.3-million-strong civil workforce - the main work horse which implements state policies.
       It was not until 2007, when the Surayud Chulanont government assumed office, that the problem was raised for serious consideration. This occurred after the 37-billion-baht budget earmarked for civil servants was quickly used up within the first nine months of that fiscal year, forcing the military-installed government to turn to the Treasury's reserves to cover the shortfall.The Comptroller General's Department was then instructed to study guidelines to curb medical expenses incurred by state employees. A ceiling on medical expenses for certain diseases and lists of essential and non-essential medicines were then drawn up, along with tighter control over the reimbursement process for medical expenses for civil servants nationwide.However, that effort to overhaul the welfare collapsed even before the new systemwas put in force the following year. This happened after the Council of State ruled in favour of civil servants' complaints that the Comptroller General had no power to control doctors' dispensing of expensive medicine under the medical welfare system.
       Deputy PM Korbsak has pointed out that uncontrolled expenses plus the unethical exploitation of the medical welfare scheme by some civil servants has caused the state's medical bills to jump from 30 billion baht to 80 billion baht in just four years. This almost equals the state's annual budget for the universal health scheme covering more than 40 million people nationwide.
       In comparison, it is understandable that civil servants earn substantially less than employees at the same job level in private firms. Many people found state employment attractive only because it offered job security and generous welfare which extended to their families.However, civil servants must realise that the government is in no position to carry on footing these astronomical medical bills. Without proper control, the expenditure on civil servants' medical bills could climb beyond 200 billion baht a year within the next decade. This is outrageous and unacceptable.
       Minister Korbsak has suggested that instead of relying on the national budget alone, civil servants should join the government in helping to contribute to a fund to cover their medical welfare. The idea is worth exploring if it will ease the state's financial burden. But first the government will need to get civil servants to accept that they must stop freeloading on the state budget for their medical expenses. Getting civil servants to acquiesce will be a difficult job indeed.

"Bad, cruel" nurses come under fire

2009-08-27T19:37:00.002-07:00

       Britain's National Health Service (NHS) delivers sometimes "appalling" standards of basic care carried out by "bad, cruel nurses" who should be banned from the profession, a patients lobby group said yesterday.
       A report by the Patients Association told of people left lying in their own excrement and urine, having to go without food or drink and having call bells taken away from them.
       The group, a charity set up 40 years ago to represent views of patients,demanded an urgent review of basic care standards. The association's president, Claire Rayner, a former nurse and television personality, said she was sickened by the report.
       "For far too long now, the Patients Association has been receiving calls from people wanting to talk about the dreadful,neglectful, demeaning, painful and sometimes downright cruel treatment their elderly relatives had experienced at the hands of NHS nurses," she said in a foreword to the report.
       "I am sickened by what has happened to some parts of my profession of which I was so proud. These bad, cruel nurses may be - probably are - a tiny proportion of the nursing work force, but even if they are only 1% or 2% of the whole they should be identified and struck off the nursing register."
       The Patients Association published a dossier of the experiences of 16 patients,whose stories were outlined by them and their relatives.
       Adrian Goddard described how his mother Pamela, suffering from cancer,was "often found in her own faeces and urine" when family members arrived to visit her. Relatives would "need to prompt staff to come and wash and change her".
       Janet Brooks said her father, Thomas,was left without incontinence pads.
       "He was bleeding rectally and he ended up laying in urine and blood. He also wet the floor and my elderly mother wiped this up while the nurse and the assistant nurse looked on and did nothing to help," Ms Brooks said in the dossier.
       Patients Association director Katherine Murphy said the accounts showed some patients were "denied basic dignity".
       The Royal College of Nursing, which speaks for thousands of nurses, said poor care was "completely unacceptable" but added this should not overshadow what it said was the "vast majority of good quality care given to millions of patients every day".

SSO kidney cover denied

2009-08-27T19:37:00.001-07:00

       The Social Security Office is denying medical treatment to social security members suffering kidney diseases who share the same surname as their employer, activists say.
       Subin Noksakul, president of the Thai Kidney Club, yesterday said it was unacceptable that the SSO would reject claims based on the relationship between employees and employers.
       Social security members had been accused of collaborating with employers to defraud the SSO, he said.
       "What the SSO should do is to examine the employees' status to find out if they get paid and pay taxes," he said.
       Mr Subin also called on the SSO to speed up its decision on the right to medical treatment of SSF members who contracted kidney disease before they joined the social security scheme. The SSO was reluctant to extend medical coverage to people who developed kidney diseases before they became social security members.
       He said it was not right to deny these people treatment because they had paid into the Social Security Fund.
       "The SSO must not forget that people with kidney problems are capable of working," he said.
       Thanaporn Methawikool, head of the SSO's medical standardisation unit, said yesterday it had been agreed that social security members' right to kidney treatment would have to be examined.
       She said she would ask SSO officers to speed up their deliberation so those eligible could receive quick treatment for their illnesses.

HIGHER OUTPUT SOUGHT BY KINGSGATE

2009-08-27T19:36:00.001-07:00

       Kingsgate Consolidated, Australian owner of Thailand's biggest gold mine, is seeking to double output at the operation from 2011 and forecast the price of bullion to rise as high as US$1,500 (Bt51,200) per ounce within two years.
       The company expects government approvals next month to expand capacity of the plant at its Chatree Mine to 5 million tonnes of ore a year, Gavin Thomas CEO of the Sydney-based company, siad yesterday.
       "We've obviously got a cashflow machine here. If we can keep the head-grade high, we make a lot of money," Thomas said.
       "I see gold moving well over its price. I see it moving sideways in the short term and moving upwards $1.1200 to $1,500 in the next 12-24 months."
       The company posted a net profit after tax fell 10 per cent to 32.5 million Australian dollars(Bt921 million) for the fiscal year ending June 30 on production of 76,028 ounces.
       Output is forecast to increase to 120,000-140,000 ounces this year, Kingsgate said in a statement.

VACCINES SHOULD BE AT FOREFRONT IN CHILD HEALTH

2009-08-27T19:35:00.000-07:00

       Paediatricians and health experts at an international conference have called for pneumococcal conjugate vaccine to be added to the country's routine immunisation program, as the World Health Organisation has reported pneumonia kills two million children under five annually - one death every 15 seconds. The three-day event, titled "Asian Vaccine Conference 2009", last ended Saturday with the signing of the "Siem Reap Declaration".
       It called for policy-makers, academics, the pharmaceutical industry and others to put vaccination at the forefront of child protection - and to put under-utilised vaccines such as those of pneumococcal, haemophilus influenzae type-b (Hib), and rotavirus into a national immunisation program (NIP).
       Dr Lulu C Bravo, chairwoman of the Asian Strategic Alliance for Pneumococcal Disease Prevention, said half the under-five deaths from pneumonia came from an infection with bacteria called streptococcus pneumoniae, leading to invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPDs) such as blood infection and meningitis. Most kids with severe IPDs become disabled and often die.
       Citing the 2004 WHO death rate figures among under-five children, she said pneumonia was the number one killer at 19 per cent followed by diarrhoea at 17 per cent and IPDs at 10 per cent. Bravo said the first and second killers were vaccine-preventable.
       "Every child needs to be protected and it's their right (to be vaccinated)," she said adding this would be in line with the Millennium Development Goals' two-thirds reduction in child mortality by 2015.
       "Vaccines cannot be considered as 'costs' but 'investments' to create quality children for a country's future," Bravo said.
       The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine was included in the US immunisation programme for under-five children in 2000. The infection ratio of 80 to every 100,000 toddlers declined to 4.6 in 2003, a 94-per-cent drop.
       Out of 92 countries with the vaccine available for sale, 39 have included it in their NIPs. Hong Kong will be the first in the Asia-Pacific region to introduce the vaccine as part of its programme, from September 1.
       Thailand currently has this vaccine as an alternative for parents to buy for infants at Bt3,000-Bt3,500 per shot. The four-shot schedule begins at two months, followed by more shots at four, six and 12-15 months.
       Royal College of Paediatricians president Somsak Lolekha said the vaccine also benefited unvaccinated people, especially the pneumonia-prone group over 65. It also reduced the number of pneumococcal patients with penicillin resistance (by 98 per cent among under-two children and 79 per cent of over-65 persons).
       Besides vaccination, parents can protect their children by teaching them good hygiene (especially frequent hand washing and covering nose and mouth when sneezing), by breast-feeding infants and by consulting doctors about immunity boosting.
       New pneumococcal conjugate vaccines - PCV-10 and PVC-13 - are coming soon. PCV-10, which boosts immunity against haemophilus influenzae and could immunise 80 per cent of Thais, is being registered with the Thai Food and Drug Administration. PVC-13 could immunise 90-95 per cent of Thais and its registration with the US FDA is underway, he added.
       If the government included vaccines in its immunisation programme, pharmaceutical companies would stampede to offer products and the price would drop, Somsak said. He suggested countries in the region come together for better bargaining to buy the vaccine in large lots at the lowest price.
       Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) deputy governor Dr Malinee Sukvejchaworakij attended the conference. The BMA launched a pilot project supplying PCV-7 to some 100 children born on December 5 last year and reportedly has in the pipeline a similar project to provide the vaccine to "risky children" (such as those born underweight or with heart disease).

Stimulus, global rebound to revive medical trade

2009-08-26T20:00:00.001-07:00

       Medical care and equipment businesses are betting on global recovery and the government stimulus package to advance their industries' outlook.
       Thirty percent of the government's Strong Thailand investment programme is devoted to medical care upgrading,said Paijit Warachit, deputy permanent secretary for Public Health Ministry.
       The ministry over three years will receive 86 billion baht -30% for replacing equipment and the rest for constructing hospitals and provincial health-care centres as well as training health personnel.
       "This allocation will improve the life of the public and indirectly improve the economic performance of related industries," said Dr Paijit.
       The ministry will adjust its regulations to give private hospitals flexibility in supporting Thailand as a hub for medical tourism, he added.
       The industry expects more exhibitors and visitors at the upcoming Fourth International Exhibition on Hospital, Diagnostic, Pharmaceutical, Medical and Rehabilitation Equipment and Supplies to be held at Queen Sirikit Convention Center from Sept 16-18.
       "Compared with its third exhibition held two years ago, the number of local and international exhibitors signed to join the event has increased 5% to 250 participants. We hope the number of visitors will increase by 25% to about 5,000," said Gernot Ringling, managing director of Messe Dusseldorf Asia Pte Ltd, the event organiser.
       Some industry insiders are barely affected by the global slump, he said. Only small operators have been hit - and they expect strong improvement in the near future from global recovery and the government's planned revamp of national health care.
       The medical industry is still a sunshine industry and the increase in exhibitors signing up to the event shows demand is still high, he said.
       The government projects medical tourism revenue nearly tripling from $1.3 billion in 2005 to $4.4 billion by 2012, said Mr Ringling.
       The improving outlook is shored up by treatment and hospitality for foreign patients continuing to meet international standards.
       The trading value of about $50 million generated by the 2007 exhibition is also expected to increase this year. But forecasting is difficult because the figure includes post-event sales, he said.

Most transplant organs "from death row"

2009-08-26T19:59:00.001-07:00

       The majority of transplanted organs in China come from executed prisoners, state media reported yesterday in a rare disclosure about an industry often criticised for being opaque and unethical.
       The country's Health Ministry and the Red Cross Society of China this week launched a national organ donation system to reduce reliance on death row inmates and encourage donations from the public, the China Daily newspaper reported.
       Condemned prisoners are "definitely not a proper source for organ transplants", the report quoted Vice-Health Minister Huang Jiefu as saying. He has publicly acknowledged that most transplant organs are taken from executed prisoners, but only with prior consent.
       Foreign medical and human rights groups have long criticised China's organ transplant trade as being opaque, profitdriven and unethical. Critics say death row prisoners may feel compelled to become donors.
       Voluntary donations in China remain far below demand, partly because of cultural bias against organ removal before burial. About 1.5 million people in China need transplants, but only about 10,000 operations are performed annually,Chinese health officials say.
       China has acknowledged that kidneys,livers, corneas and other organs are routinely removed from executed prisoners, but gave no details. Chinese transplant specialists estimate at least 90% of transplanted organs come from executed prisoners, human rights groups say.
       The China Daily said more than 65%of organ donations come from death row, citing unnamed "experts".
       China puts to death more people than any other country. Earlier this year,Amnesty International said China executed at least 1,718 people in 2008. The exact number is not known.
       The new donor system, launched on Tuesday, will link possible donors with recipients and make public a waiting list of patients to increase transparency in allocating organs. The Red Cross will also encourage post-public donations.
       The new system is China's latest step to regulate organ transplants. In 2007,officials agreed not to transplant organs from prisoners or others in custody, except into members of their families.
       Also, regulations introduced in 2007 bar donations from living people who are not related to or emotionally connected to the transplant patient.
       The Health Ministry said it could not provide more information on the new donor system as staffers were busy.

GPO cooks up first batch of flu vaccine

2009-08-26T19:58:00.000-07:00

       Researchers have produced the first local batch of vaccines for use against influenza type-A (H1N1).
       The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation, which is making the vaccine, is now looking for a new academic partner to step up production ahead of the second wave of infections expected in December.
       GPO managing director Witit Artavatkun yesterday said 1,270 vials, each containing 0.7ml of the vaccine, were labelled and stored in a temperaturecontrolled room awaiting sterilisation tests. The process would take two weeks.
       Mahidol University's faculty of veterinary science is preparing for further tests on animals before moving on to a clinical trial, in line with a recommendation by the subcommittee overseeing health strategies against the flu pandemic, Dr Witit said.
       Virologist Prasert Thongcharoen, the subcommittee chairman, raised concerns over the safety of fast-tracked vaccine research and said careful development was needed as Thailand had adopted the live-attenuated vaccine technology, as opposed to unactivated virus technology.
       Live-attenuated vaccine technology allows a large amount of vaccine to be produced in a short period of time.
       Dr Witit said the GPO had followed development steps recommended by the World Health Organisation.
       The agency was considering using facilities at King Mongkut's University of Technology (KMUT) Thon Buri to boost production of the vaccine to accommodate the second wave of the influenza.
       He said the agency hoped to use facilities at KMUT's Bang Khunthian campus as its second plant for making the vaccine.
       Dr Witit admitted the maximum production capacity of the plant at Silpakorn University's faculty of pharmaceutical sciences in Nakhon Pathom province was just 540,000 doses per month.
       The agency hopes to produce 10 million doses of the vaccine by December.
       A five-year rental plan for using university laboratories to develop vaccines is being negotiated with KMUT. The GPO said it could invest 150 million baht into the project. Additional funds have been sought from the World Health Organisation, he said.
       Meanwhile, the Public Health Ministry yesterday confirmed eight new deaths from H1N1, raising the country's death toll to 119.
       Paichit Varachit, deputy permanent secretary for public health, said the deaths between Aug 16 and 22 were four women and four men. Half were aged from 31 to 40 years, which is categorised as a risk group.
       The rise in the number of deaths in the past week was the smallest since weekly tallies were begun on July 15. It was nearly half the 14 deaths reported the week before.
       Dr Paichit said the H1N1 outbreak in Bangkok and surrounding areas was diminishing, but it was spreading in northern provinces."The ministry has instructed every province to strictly follow two reduction measures: Reduce both the number of viral infections and the overall death toll as much as they can," he said. Dr Paichit said the government committee in charge of containing the H1N1 outbreak, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kachornprasart, met on Tuesday and agreed to continue anti-flu measures.
       H1N1 WATCH Deaths: As of Aug 22,compared to Aug 15 111 119 Aug 15 Aug 22 Contact numbers: * Public Health Ministry hotline: 02-590-1994 (24 hours) or 1422 * Health Emergency Response Unit: 02-590-3333 * BMA disease control division: 02-245-8106 POST graphics

Walking tall with Vojta

2009-08-26T19:57:00.000-07:00

       Breakthrough treatment arrives in Thailand to give hope to disabled kids
       Sirindhorn National Medical Rehabilitation Centre (SNMRC) yesterday teamed up with the University of Heidelberg's Orthopaedic Hospital to give children born with limb deficiency a better chance of walking and growing up to lead active lives.
       Over the past 15 years, Thailand has recorded 114,381 cases of children with disabilities, many of them with multiple physical impairments.
       200 medics to be trained
       SNMRC's director, Dr Daranee Suvapan, said that under the collaboration about 200 healthcare practitioners will be sent on a threeday seminar given by German experts to learn a new multidisciplinary approach to treatment for mobilityimpaired children.
       The new treatment is dubbed the Vojta Therapy after its originator Dr Vaclav Vojta, a Czech neurologist concerned with problems of motor rehabilitation.
       Initially used to treat children with cerebral palsy, Vojta Therapy is well regarded across Europe and Japan. Rather than training the body directly, Vojta Therapy stimulates the brain to create coordinated movements that aid functions such as balance, gait, grasping and speech.
       Daranee said the therapy would provide an alternative treatment for complex problems that are better tackled with a multidisciplinary approach. Cases of stroke, spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy and amputation would also benefit from the longterm followup care offered by Vojta Therapy, she added.
       Thailand currently has 300 medics specialising in physical rehabilitation, but many of them lack the skills to diagnose disease, evaluate function, set goals and monitor a child's development.
       "We need to develop our medical worker's skills to a level where they can diagnose disease and provide appropriate care to patients," said Daranee.

TESTS START ON VACCINE FOR 2009 INFLUENZA

2009-08-26T19:56:00.000-07:00

       The first 1,270 doses of a clinical nasalspray vaccine against the typeA(H1N1) flu is now being tested on animals to study sterilisation and toxicity, Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) director Dr Vitthit Attavejchakul said yesterday.
       The trial would be carried out by Mahidol University's Faculty of Veterinary Science and the results released in about two weeks, he said.
       Meanwhile, the second lot of 1,500 specific pathogenfree eggs was inoculated with a virus seed vaccine on Tuesday. They are expected to provide a new yield of flu vaccine by tomorrow.
       The GPO had planned to test the first lot of clinical vaccine against new flu virus in 24 human volunteers by September 4.
       But because the German eggs produce a low yield of the new flu vaccine, the GPO has decided to test the vaccine on only half (12) of the volunteers.
       The rest of the volunteers will have to wait till the second lot of clinical vaccine is ready at the end of September.
       GPO plans to produce 20 million doses of the vaccine initially, and Silpakorn University's Faculty of Pharmacy is contracted to produce 10 million doses of the new flu vaccine.
       However, the plant at Silpakorn University can only produce 540,000 doses of the vaccine a month, so the GPO is negotiating with King Mongkut University of Technology's Thon Buri campus to supply further amounts of vaccine.
       GPO will allocate Bt150 million for a new vaccine plant and will spend four months installing machines and devices for vaccine production.
       If construction of the plant at King Mongkut University of Technology's Thon Buri campus is finished, GPO will use this plant to produce live attenuated vaccine while the plant at Silpakorn will shift to produce inactive vaccine.
       A leading scientist at Chulalongkorn University, Dr Thirawat Hemajutha, has suggested the GPO should renovate its animal vaccine plant, run by the Department of Livestock, at Pak Chong district in Nakhon Ratchasima, for use as a plant to temporarily produce human vaccine promptly.
       Vitthit said he had already asked the Department of Livestock but was told this was not possible, as the department plans to produce three animal vaccines and could not stop that work.
       Vitthit said the virus seed vaccine imported from Russia had not changed significantly or mutated into virulent form.
       "We did not see any significant changes in the virus' genes, particularly in the position to control its virulence," he said.
       "Every process that we have done to produce vaccine is cerฌtified by the World Health Organisation."
       The Public Health Ministry confirmed yesterday that eight more people had died from the new strain of typeA (H1N1) flu last week, bringing the total number of fatality to 119.
       Deputy permanent secretary for Health Dr Paijit Warachit said the new fatalities were four men and four women. Half were people aged between 31 to 40 years of age and categorised as a risk group for the new flu.
       Paijit said the ministry remained on its guard against the H1N1 flu pandemic. It was urging provincial authorities to monitor people who have flulike illness as the disease has already spread among farmers and workers.
       The ministry has distributed about 6.7 million tablets of the antiviral drug oseltamivir to hospitals upcountry to treat patients with flulike illnesses. It had also "reserved" about six million tablets at the GPO and Department of Disease Control. So far, about 1.8 million pills had been given out in a bid to save patients' lives.

H1N1 could cause 90,000 US deaths

2009-08-25T22:31:00.000-07:00

       Swine flu could infect as much as half of the US population this year and cause up to 90,000 deaths,President Barack Obama's science advisers warned on Monday.
       Laying out a "plausible scenario" for the epidemic's impact in the United States, the report painted a grim picture of stress on the US health-care system as it struggles to cope with a flood of flu patients.
       The epidemic's resurgence could "produce infection of 30-50% of the US population this fall and winter, with symptoms in approximately 20-40% of the population [60-120 million people],more than half of whom would seek medical attention", the report said.
       As many as 1.8 million people could be admitted to hospitals with up to 300,000 of them requiring treatment in intensive care units (ICU).
       "Importantly, these very ill patients could occupy 50-100% of all ICU beds in affected regions of the country at the peak of the epidemic and could place huge stress on ICU units, which normally operate close to capacity," it said.
       The epidemic, it said,"could cause between 30,000 and 90,000 deaths in the United States, concentrated among children and young adults", it said.
       That compares with 30,000 to 40,000 deaths from seasonal flu each year,mainly among people over age 65.
       The report said the epidemic poses "especially high risks" for people with pre-existing conditions such as pregnant women and patients with neurological disorders, respiratory impairment,diabetes or severe obesity.
       It also mentioned Native Americans as being at risk from the swine flu.
       The flu's resurgence could occur as early as September when the school term begins, and peak in mid-October.
       But a vaccine against the A(H1N1)virus is only projected to be available in mid-October, and it will take vaccinated individuals several more weeks to develop protective immunity, the report said.
       "This potential mismatch in timing could significantly diminish the usefulness of vaccination for mitigating the epidemic and could place many at risk of serious infection," it said.
       The report by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology said that while the virus is "unlikely to resemble the deadly flu pandemic of 1918-19", the current strain still "poses a serious health threat".
       According to the latest official US figures, the 2009 swine flu strain has already killed 522 people in the US and hospitalised almost 8,000 people since it emerged in Mexico at the end of April.
       The group recommended accelerating preparation of flu vaccines for distribution to high-risk individuals and clarifying guidelines for the use of anti-viral medicines. Advisers also called on the public to stay informed on A(H1N1)'s expected spread as the northern hemisphere's regular flu returns with the colder months.
       These efforts involve using social networking sites on the Internet to propagate health messages and an "intensive public education" campaign to promote awareness to the threat.
       The White House also needs to create a post that has "primary authority to coordinate key decisions" for fighting the pandemic, the report said.
       Among other recommendations are for workplaces to "liberalise rules for absenteeism" so employees are not pressured to come to work when they feel sick.

Organiser upbeat over 4th Medical Fair Thailand

2009-08-25T22:30:00.000-07:00

       Messe Dusseldorf Asia expects the 4th Medical Fair Thailand, a biennial event, will generate more business than the US$50 million (Bt1.7 billion) in the previous edition, due mainly to rising global demand for health care despite the world economic crisis.
       "I can't estimate the exact figure of trading value during the fair this year, but I hope the number will be higher than last time," said Gernot Ringling, managing director of Messe Dusseldorf Asia.
       Messe Dusseldorf Asia is a regional branch of Messe Dusselorf, one of the world's leading trade fair organisers.
       "I've talked with many people in the medical industry in Southeast Asia, including in medical hubs like Thailand, and know that there is demand to develop and upgrade the facilities and medical technology of hospitals. This is because the medical sector is still a sunshine industry, which has had less of an impact from the global crisis," he said.
       The 4th Medical Fair Thailand, an international exhibition covering hospitals, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, medical and rehabilitation equipment and supplies, will be held on September 16-18 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre.
       Ringling said Messe Dusseldorf was confident about organising the fair in Thailand because it believes in the country's potential as a regional medical hub. "Thailand's medical industry has grown very fast in the last 10 years not only in the region, but also in the world market.
       Thailand in 2004 generated revenue of $2 billion from foreign patients. I expect the value to increase to $4.4 billion by 2012," he said.
       He added that it was very interesting that Singapore - Thailand's competitor in becoming the main medical regional hub - had started to promote itself as a world medical destination before the Kingdom, but that Thailand had gained more recognition as a hub and attracted more foreign patients.

       Singapore can attract patients from neighbouring countries such as Indonesia, while Thailand is the medical destination for Middle Eastern countries.
       Messe Dusseldorf Asia has a regional office in Singapore and also organises medical fairs in the country.
       "I believe that the advantages of Thailand's medical industry are pricing, which is more reasonable, and good service in medical treatment," said Ringling.
       Some 250 exhibitors will be participating in the 4th Medical Fair Thailand, slightly higher than in 2007. However, the number of visitors is expected to be 5,000 per day, a sharp rise from 4,000 daily two years ago.
       Among the many highlights of the latest medical technology on show will be a wireless wheelchair controller using Bluetooth, as well as advanced respiratory equipment.

P&G's drug business sale fits strategy

2009-08-25T22:29:00.000-07:00

       The Procter & Gamble Co's $3.1 billion sale of its prescription drug business is in line with its recent strategy of shedding products to focus on areas with the best growth and profitmargin prospects.
       The deal announced on Monday with Warner Chilcott PLC will take away $2.3 billion in annual revenues, including the billion-dollar brand Actonel, an osteoporosis treatment. Last year, P&G sold another billion-dollar brand, Folgers coffee, to J.M. Smucker Co for some $3 billion.
       "We know that our shareholders don't reward us ... for absolute size; they reward us for growth," Bob McDonald, who became P&G's CEO on July 1, told analysts in a conference call.
       "And we are going to do what we have to do to get the right portfolio of businesses together."
       P&G, the world's largest consumer products maker, reported on Aug 5 that its fourth-quarter profit fell 18% and sales 11%. Its revenue for the fiscal year that ended June 30 was $79 billion.
       McDonald said Monday's deal would allow P&G to concentrate more resources on consumer health care, including overthe-counter medicines such as Vicks and Prilosec OTC, feminine care products such as Always, and oral care led by the Crest toothpaste brand.
       He said P&G had plenty of room to increase sales in the consumer health care market, which has grown 5 to 6%per year and has good margins and solid potential.
       P&G, also targeting beauty and grooming, has recently acquired the upscale men's skin care line Zirh and men's grooming business The Art of Shaving.
       Analysts think P&G eventually could sell such major brands as Braun appliances, Duracell batteries and Pringles snacks.
       Among satisfied buyers of P&G businesses has been Smucker, which earlier bought Jif peanut butter and Crisco shortening from P&G.
       The Orrville, Ohio-based company reported last Friday its fiscal first-quarter profit more than doubled and beat expectations, mainly because of increased sales from Folgers.

Province leads the way in mapping out the future

2009-08-25T22:04:00.000-07:00

       Suphan Burihas won an award for its effective implementation of GIS, writes Sasiwimon Boonruang
       Many public organisations have adopted the geographical information system (GIS)as a tool for city planning and administration, with Suphan Buri being particularly successful.
       This is due to its complete database system and network integration through every agency, according to Somsak Pureesrisak, the governor of Suphan Buri, Thailand's most successful province in terms of utilising GIS and MIS (management information system).
       The principle is that the data must be updated by the data owners, said Somsak, adding that GIS has been implemented in every agency in the province.
       Somsak suggested public agencies adopt the data carried out by the Public Health Ministry because village health volunteers have to collect both household and personal data. With a population of some 800,000, Suphan Buri has 174 health stations, where some 15,000 village health volunteers work.
       "The village health volunteers' primary job is to visit the people, and they are close to the public. The data research carried out by these staff is extremely relevant because they really work in the field," he said.
       Prior to 2005, Suphan Buri used the Health Centre Information System (HCIS) as the population database survey. Ten hospitals in the province have used five different hospital systems: Hos XP, Hospital OS, Khon Kaen , Mit Net and Stat Dispence. The big problem is the database systems cannot interoperate between hospitals and the health centres.
       The system then changed to E-Care in 2006, with the focus on developing the database system of the health centres and covering information on patients and medicine. The GIS database of people and households has now been added to E-Care and the system has been used in the provincial health centres and district health centres.
       "In the rural area, all data can be collected and the treatment and village visiting schedule can be checked over the web service," Somsak said, noting that the administrator can also view medicines are available, in what quantities, at each health centre.
       However, another problem is that each health centre uses a different code for the same medicines. The computer programs of hospitals and health centres also are not integrated, which presents problems in data sharing between them.E-Care, which was used until 2008, has now been replaced by E-Health.
       The governor, who has a background in engineering, has ordered the government agencies to consolidate all databases to solve the problem of data integration. The Hos XP has been chosen,allowing data integration among the agencies to become workable, whereby the health centres are the primary care units.
       Besides checking the data via the web service, E-Health also allows the government to verify personal records through the data centre. Provincial health centres take care of he data of public health service reports, while the provincial hospitals collect medical records of patients.
       Over the next year, the province plans to implement a patient fingerprint system. This will be useful for many bureaux such as the police as it can double up as a source to aid criminal investigations.
       The governor pointed out that Thai people hold several multi-purpose cards:ID card, driving license, tax card, ATM card, social security card, and so on.
       "Wouldn't it be smarter to have one person with one record, rather than one person with too many records," he suggested, noting that in the future,the data integration of those organisations - Provincial Administration department, Revenue department, Transport department, Social Security Office,Public Health Ministry, and so on will enable officials to work more efficiently, through the approach of "one person, one record".
       The governor pointed out that the Land department has the data of landowners and deeds, and the province has further developed the data by applying GIS. The system enables officials to view details of houses, the data of family members and their occupations,because the residents in that home some case may be not the land owners.
       MIS has been working with GIS through the matching-up of databases and pictures of household locations and the members of the families. Here, they apply GIS to link with the farmer database.
       "We can connect further between the data of locations and the MIS and make use of them in many aspects,"said the governor.
       However, he admitted that the GIS here is not yet perfect. There is the farming land data of the entire province and all the farming land locations, but it is not yet thoroughly understood what kinds of crops are grown at each.
       Making use of the technology in Suphan Buri can answer many problems that the government today is dealing with. One example is to keep records of foreign workers; who they are and where they live. The global positioning system (GPS), aerial photographs,3D technology, and photos of the land location have been used to help verify alien workers, both legal and illegal.
       The Labour Ministry needs measures to manage alien labour, by registering them and their family members. Somsak pointed out that Suphan Buri has some 8,000 registered alien workers. Including their family members, this means a total of around 20,000 foreigners legally living in the province. The health centres have records of these people and their data is stored on web application, which the immigration office has access to. Police can check alien records via mobile phone or computer, and the system can report to them via SMS, MMS or web service.
       Suphan Buri is now working with Samut Sakhon province to implement the alien labourers' examination system with smart cards and fingerprint technology. The system is expected to be in place by next year."We are now studying if both technologies can be combined,"said Somsak.
       To prove the persons' right to the land, Suphan Buri has applied aerial photography and then set the GPS. The system can therefore match house locations with owners, and how many households are in each location.
       The province has already covered more than 500,000 plots of land.
       This will help Suphan Buri to prove whether or not government policies such as rice pricing insurance and crop insurance are working.
       Suphan Buri is now working with the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry to add to the database of public land of different types, such as national parks, mangrove forests and wildlife sanctuaries.
       So far, the province's GIS system and aerial photographs have served the ministry in coping with the problem of water shade areas, forest areas and national reservation areas.
       These will be used to prove the right of land occupation and examine incidences of public land invasion.
       The governor pointed out the government's policy of land and property tax and community title deeds can be performed with less effort and greater accuracy once the public agencies have a good database to refer to and have use of GIS and MIS.
       Suphan Buri province was recently honoured with the Special Achievement Award in GIS (SAG)2009, at the ESRI International User Conference, as it has made extraordinary contributions to the global society and set new precedents throughout the GIS community.
       Several organisations have implemented GIS, but not as effectively as Suphan Buri, where the system has been integrated into day-to-day operations.
       The GIS utilisation here leads to benefits for the public and the overall local administration, said ESRI (Thailand)general manager Krairop Luanguthai.