NEW YORK (PRWEB)
September 26, 2019

Happygram will be released to the public on Amazon on September 27, 2019, in advance of “Breast Cancer Awareness Month” in October.

In March of 2019 the FDA proposed a change to reporting guidelines for the first time in 20 years to include breast density information in mammogram reports that are sent to patients. This information is already collected and provided to the referring physician.

Women advocates had demanded this change for a decade, and were forced to enact state legislation to require “density reporting” while the FDA resisted calls for the change. As a result of this advocacy, 38 states had enacted some type of density notification laws as of 2018, although not all laws required notification to a woman about her own density.

“Dense tissue” refers to having more than 50% non-fatty vs. fatty tissue in the breast. 40% of women who get mammograms have dense breast tissue, which appears white on a mammogram, and can obscure cancers. 70% of invasive cancers occur in women with dense tissue and cancers are often missed by a mammogram for years until they have metastasized.

Density Fact Sheet: http://www.happygramthemovie.com/press.html

Women with dense tissue have a higher risk for breast cancer. Women with > 75% density have 4-6 times the average risk for cancer, a higher risk than if your mother had breast cancer.

“Happygram” is the term for the form letter women receive stating that their mammograms are “normal,” when they actually have an invasive cancer that is missed by the mammogram.

The documentary was inspired by the friendship between Director Julie Marron, of Rhode Island, and Hallie Leighton, of New York, her close friend who died after mammograms missed her breast cancer until it had metastasized. Ms. Leighton was instrumental in the effort to enact the New York state legislation in 2013 before she passed away. The film has won awards across the country, including First Prize for the Providence Film Festival Award at the prestigious Rhode Island International Film Festival.

“Happygram features several women who were not informed of their breast density, of the increased cancer risk that dense tissue poses, or of the fact that mammograms miss cancers when you have dense breasts,” says film director, Marron.

The film explores alternative and adjuvant FDA-approved screening modalities which are more effective at detecting cancer in women with dense tissue. “The film includes interviews with medical experts, politicians, and attorneys advocating for awareness and action on this life-and-death issue,” Marron states. More info: http://www.happygramthemovie.com/about-us-.html

“What stands out in all the stories in this film is that everyone’s cancer was missed for years by the mammogram, and you just don’t hear about that when breast cancer awareness month rolls around,” Marron said. “We hope to highlight the importance of knowing your breast density, so that no woman ever has to go through what these women did.”

Lemon Martini Productions is a woman-owned documentary production company specializing in social justice topics. Other films include the award-winning documentary, Four Games in Fall (http://www.fourgamesinfall.com), which explores topics of science for hire and media manipulation. Man’s Best Fiend, a film currently in production, explores human/wildlife coexistence through a fifteen-year study of the coyote population on Aquidneck Island.

Happygram Intro Movie Clip: https://vimeo.com/335750246

Happygram Gold Standard Movie Clip: https://vimeo.com/335750246

Press: http://www.happygramthemovie.com/press.html

More Information and electronic press kit available at http://www.happygramthemovie.com.

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CLEVELAND and SAN FRANCISCO (PRWEB)
September 26, 2019

OEConnection LLC (“OEC” or the “Company”), the leading global automotive technology provider for OEM distribution networks, and Genstar Capital (“Genstar”), today announced they have finalized a deal for Genstar to acquire a majority stake in OEC. This transaction was first announced on August 1, 2019. Current investors, Ford Motor Company and General Motors, will each retain their minority investments in the Company.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

OEC was founded in 2000 as a partnership between several original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”), including Ford and General Motors, to provide high-quality technology solutions to facilitate the sale of original equipment replacement parts between automakers and franchised dealers and their wholesale customers. Since its founding, the Company has expanded to also provide software and technology solutions in the data, supply chain and service segments of OEMs’ businesses. Today, OEC is a leading provider of software solutions and data to the original equipment parts industry and is one of the industry’s only end-to-end comprehensive platforms, serving more than 30,000 auto dealers globally, 36 global OEM brands and more than 135,000 global auto repairers.

“We are thrilled to join forces with Genstar as we continue to work to expand the OEC footprint and our product and service offerings for customers across the globe,” said Chuck Rotuno, OEC Chairman & CEO. “Genstar has an impressive track record of partnering with companies in the software sector to accelerate growth and transformational change.”

About OEC

OEC is the leading global automotive technology provider for OEM distribution networks. Its suite of ecommerce, pricing, supply chain, service, business intelligence, parts cataloging, data solutions, and services helps automakers and their dealer networks sell more OE parts in the collision, fleet, mechanical and retail segments, as well as dealers’ own service lanes. OEC serves more than 30,000 auto dealers globally, 36 global OEM brands and more than 135,000 global auto repairers. The company is headquartered in the greater Cleveland area at 4205 Highlander Parkway, Richfield, Ohio, USA, 44286. Additional information is available at http://www.oeconnection.com

About Genstar Capital

Genstar Capital (http://www.gencap.com) is a leading private equity firm that has been actively investing in high quality companies for over 30 years. Based in San Francisco, Genstar works in partnership with its management teams and its network of strategic advisors to transform its portfolio companies into industry-leading businesses. Genstar currently has approximately $17 billion of assets under management and targets investments focused on targeted segments of the financial services, healthcare, industrial technology and software industries.

Media Contacts

OEC:

Geo Money 330-523-1853

Geo.Money@OEConnection.com

Genstar:

Chris Tofalli

Chris Tofalli Public Relations, LLC 914-834-4334

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NEW YORK (PRWEB)
September 26, 2019

Ms Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Philanthropist and Founder of Biocon, today, announced her personal commitment towards enabling universal access to high quality insulin by offering recombinant human Insulin (rh-Insulin) at less than 10 US cents / day in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). These countries, which form most of the world, contribute to 80% of the global disease burden.

The announcement was made at an United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) side meeting on innovation and universal health access convened by UNAIDS Health Innovation Exchange, in the presence of the President of Ethiopia, the First Lady of Namibia, Health Ministers from Botswana and Malawi, and representatives from the Private Sector and Development Agencies. The forum on ‘Accelerating Innovations and Investments for Access to Healthcare’ was co-sponsored by UNAIDS and the Center for Global Health and Development.

Biocon Biologics’ recombinant human insulin has been developed using the scientific expertise and world class R&D and manufacturing facilities that have allowed it to bring multiple biosimilar medicines to the US and Europe. The Company is committed to use its science, scale and expertise to shift the access paradigm for patients in need of insulins. Biocon is a leading global insulins player with over 15 years of experience in addressing the needs of patients with diabetes, having provided over 2 billion doses of human insulin worldwide, thus far.

The announcement by Ms Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is guided by her conviction that a life-enabling product like insulin cannot be priced out of the reach of those that need it on an everyday basis, whether in the United States or in Africa.

Biocon’s Recombinant Human insulin offer of less than 10 US cents / day in LMICs is for vials sourced by the government directly from Biocon, assuming an insulin dosage of 40 IU per day.

Currently, the blended median patient prices in LMICs are US$ 9** per 10 ml vial translating to 36 US cents/ day. The current US list price in retail is over US$ 5*** / day.

Biocon, an India-based global biopharmaceuticals company is committed to affordability and access and will work with healthcare systems and payers worldwide to ensure that Insulin pricing is not a constraint to the well-being of individuals and of communities.

She also called upon insulin delivery devices manufacturers to join the movement towards ensuring affordable access to insulins by ensuring lower prices for the insulin pens and needles required to administer the drug.

Biocon Biologics is willing to work with governments to ensure ways to overcome price barriers, including through special pricing and setting up low-cost manufacturing facilities via public-private partnerships in order to address the huge cost burden borne by people with diabetes.

In high income regions like the US, Biocon believes it can make a dramatic impact on the current insulin pricing crisis if its ongoing discussions with the regulators allow the Company to scientifically bridge its clinical data to US reference product.

This will reduce clinical development costs and bring the product years earlier to patients who cannot afford insulin therapy.

Ms Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is a healthcare visionary and philanthropist. Her vision is to enable universal access to high quality medical products, particularly to address the global chronic disease burden. She is a pioneer of India’s biotech industry and founder of the country’s leading biotechnology enterprise, Biocon. A thought leader and a global influencer, she has been ranked among ‘World’s 25 Most Influential People in Biopharma’ by Fierce Biotech. She was No. 1 in the Business Captains category on the ‘Medicine Maker Power List’ 2018, an index of the 100 most influential people across the globe in the field of medicine, where she has been among the Top 10 continuously since 2015.

She is a full-term member of the MIT Corporation, the board of trustees of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and member of the National Academy of Engineering, US. She is on the board of directors of the US-India Business Council (USIBC) and has previously served as a member of the board of trustees of the US Pharmacopeial Convention (USP). She has been conferred with the Advancing Women in Science and Medicine Award for Excellence by the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, US and Othmer Gold Medal by the Chemical Heritage Foundation, US.

Biocon Limited, publicly listed in 2004, in India is a fully-integrated, innovation-led global biopharmaceuticals company committed to enhance affordable access to complex therapies for chronic conditions like diabetes, cancer and autoimmune diseases, benefitting a billion lives.

Biocon Biologics is its wholly owned subsidiary engaged in providing affordable access to high quality biosimilars to patients across the globe. It is driven by its vision to transform patients’ lives across the globe through innovative and inclusive healthcare solutions. Biocon’s rh-Insulin and Insulin Glargine products are already benefiting people with diabetes in many emerging and developed markets. In multiple countries like Mexico and Malaysia, nearly all insulin-requiring diabetics take Biocon’s insulins. Its rh-Insulin is registered in over 40 countries worldwide.

The Company is serving patients in U.S., EU, Japan, Latin America, Africa, Middle East and Turkey and the Asia-Pacific regions through its high quality biosimilars for diabetes and cancer. Biocon’s large scale, state-of-the-art bio-manufacturing facilities are qualified by various regulatory agencies from developed and emerging markets.

Note:

** Source: BMJ Global Health 2019: Insulin Prices Availability and affordability in 13 low income and middle income countries

*** Source:goodrx.com

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Media Enquiries:

Seema Ahuja: seema.ahuja@biocon.com / +91 997 231 7792

Dr Bobby John: bj@aequitas.co / +1 202 902 9401

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