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

###

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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THE WOODLANDS, Texas (PRWEB)
September 28, 2019

Amada Senior Care of North Houston Earns Perfect Texas State Survey

100% Top Rating was Achieved in Official Review Conducted by Health and Human Services (HHS)

Amada Senior Care of North Houston was awarded the highest possible rating in a recent Health and Human Services survey. HHS surveys, including site visits, allow state employees to review a home care agency’s care practices and program documentation.

The HHS survey process helps to ensure that direct services provided by the visited agency are among the best in the senior care industry and are designed to help support the overall health of the agency’s clients. These results were certified for Amada Senior Care of North Houston, a licensed home care agency owned and operated by Amy and Troy Tice.

“This is the community I grew up in, my family lives in and we are committed to a mission of giving back,” said Troy Tice. “We started this journey with the simple goal of providing our seniors with safety and security in every environment. I am proud of our accomplishments, awards and reputation, but we are not done. We will fight every day to make sure our seniors, veterans and anyone else who needs help has a way to find it.”

State surveyors conduct an on-site review as part of the three-day HHS survey process. During the review, the survey team ensures the visited agency is in compliance with the regulations of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.

Troy, Amy and the entire Amada North Houston team are dedicated to providing outstanding care that makes life safer, easier and more enjoyable for seniors in their community. The experienced and knowledgeable team members at Amada Senior Care North Houston stay involved with seniors’ needs throughout the entire care process, paying special attention to the unique situation of each and every client.

The Tices understand the importance of providing the services seniors truly need – from monitoring health and safety, to providing trained, compassionate caregivers, and to overseeing placement as needed – in order to serve as a valuable asset to seniors’ families and the entire Houston community. Call (832) 209-8846 to schedule a free care needs consultation with a senior advisor or fill out the request form online http://www.AmadaNorthHouston.com.

About Amada Senior Care

Founded in 2007, Amada is America’s trusted resource for caregiving and long-term care insurance claims advocacy. Learn about Amada’s goal to enrich the lives of seniors and their families at http://www.AmadaSeniorCare.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jeremy Brooker

Director of Marketing – Amada Senior Care Corp.

(949) 544-1131    jeremy.b@amadaseniorcare.com

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BOSTON (PRWEB)
September 26, 2019

Zappi has appointed Hendrik Van Vuuren as its new SVP of Strategic Accounts. Van Vuuren has been brought on to work with large enterprise customers who are looking to overhaul the way they do advertising and innovation research, to turn testing into learning. Hendrik will enable them to maximize value by deploying Zappi’s automated consumer insights platform systematically throughout their organizations.

His most recent role was Regional Head of Consumer Insights and Analytics at Sanofi CHC and, prior to that, he was at Kantar Millward Brown for 17 years, where he was SVP and Global Account Director. He holds a master’s degree in statistics from Stellenbosch University in South Africa.

Van Vuuren’s extensive experience and expertise, both client and agency side, will be invaluable in helping large corporate customers manage change, and transform their insights organizations to become more agile and effective.

Hendrik commented on his new role, saying, “I’m excited to join Zappi having worked closely with the platform and teams at Sanofi to implement an iterative test and learn research culture, that drove down the cost and time spent on getting to better ideas and creative. The real power of Zappi is not that it enables faster or cheaper research, but that it empowers an organizational mindset shift that transforms research from expensive risk mitigation to a nimble competitive business advantage. I look forward to the opportunity to help Zappi customers transform their own organizations to be more consumer centric and more successful.”

Ryan Barry, Zappi’s Chief Revenue Officer had this to say,

“I’ve known Hendrik for many years. He knows research, he knows marketing, he knows innovation and he understands the challenges corporate insights professionals are going through, having just successfully optimized the insights function at Sanofi. Through my experience working with him at Kantar and when he was a customer at Sanofi, I am confident that Hendrik’s experience and passion for our industry will be a major value add for our customers and their businesses.”

Editor’s note: For more information on Van Vuuren’s new role or Zappi please contact Ken Yanhs at ken.yanhs@zappistore.com or +1 617 383 1984

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ALBANY, N.Y. (PRWEB)
September 28, 2019

Dr. Farah Sajid, owner and creator of Semblance Medspa in Albany, New York, is thrilled to announce the opening of her state-of-the-art medical spa, Semblance Medspa, in Albany, New York.

Dr. Sajid’s passion for self-care and self-confidence is what inspired her to create Semblance Medspa. She is dedicated to providing the leading aesthetic and body contouring treatments to help people achieve their goals with the highest level of results and comfort possible.

“Everyone deserves to feel healthy and beautiful,” says Dr. Sajid, “and I can’t wait to partner with you on your quest for optimal health, beauty, and vitality!”

Dr. Sajid has carefully selected a wide range of proven treatments that deliver optimal benefits, including CoolSculpting®, the world’s #1 non-surgical fat reduction treatment, and EmSculpt®, a state-of-the-art non-surgical butt-lift and muscle-toning treatment. For skin tightening Dr. Sajid proudly offers Vivace™, the most advanced microneedling treatment available, as well as a non-surgical eyelid lift for rejuvenating the delicate skin around the eyelids. Additionally, Semblance Medspa offers Exilis Ultra 360™ skin tightening, Botox® and dermal fillers, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatments, including the PRP Facial and PRP Hair Restoration, laser hair removal, acclaimed Halo™ laser skin renewal, BBL™ photofacial, chemical peels, facials, Skinwave and Dermasweep microdermabrasion, medically-supervised weight loss, IV Hydration Therapy, and more.

For more information about Semblance Medspa or to schedule a consultation, call 518.599.0008.

About Semblance Medspa

Created by Dr. Farah Sajid, Semblance Medspa is on a mission to bring out your personal best with the highest level of non-surgical aesthetic and body contouring treatments on the market. Dr. Sajid has designed a leading menu of acclaimed treatments, including non-invasive body contouring treatments CoolSculpting® and Emsculpt®. Dr. Sajid and the team of skin care experts at Semblance Medspa also offer advanced skin rejuvenation treatments such as Vivace™ Fractional Micro Needle RF, and a Non-Surgical Eyelid Lift. Other proven and trusted treatments include injectables with Botox® and dermal fillers, Halo™ laser skin renewal, BBL™ photofacial, facials, chemical peels, Dermasweep microdermabrasion, PRP Facials, PRP Hair Restoration, and Laser Hair Removal.

About Dr. Farah Sajid

Medical director/owner Dr. Farah Sajid’s passion to help you look and feel amazing at every stage of life inspired her to create Semblance Medspa, realizing her vision of providing the highest level of aesthetic care and wellness services. To help you achieve your personal best, Dr. Sajid has gathered a leading selection of award-winning treatments and acquired the most advanced aesthetic skills and training to provide the results you deserve with comfort and ease. She believes everyone deserves to feel healthy and beautiful, and she can’t wait to help you realize optimal vitality from the inside out!

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NEW YORK (PRWEB)
September 26, 2019

High-risk patients undergoing coronary stent procedures may not require long-term aspirin use after stent placement, Mount Sinai researchers report in a groundbreaking study.

The current standard of care for these patients is to combine aspirin with an anti-clotting medication, such as ticagrelor, to lower the risk of heart attack. However, this treatment also increases bleeding complications, and identifying therapies that lower bleeding without increasing heart attack risk has emerged as a clinical priority.

New results from the study, “Ticagrelor With Aspirin or Alone in High-Risk Patients After Coronary Intervention” (TWILIGHT), suggest that doctors treat high-risk cardiac patients following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) by withdrawing aspirin and using ticagrelor alone. The findings were published in the September 26 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine and presented as a late-breaking trial at the 31st Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT), the annual scientific conference of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation.

“This pivotal, first-ever study to withdraw aspirin in complex patients with coronary stents underlines the importance of bleeding avoidance strategies for targeted care. We showed that withdrawal of aspirin after three months in patients already on a potent antiplatelet regimen (ticagrelor) reduced bleeding significantly without the harm of increasing death or heart attacks,” said TWILIGHT’s Global Principal Investigator, Roxana Mehran, MD, Director of the Center for Interventional Cardiovascular Research and Clinical Trials at Mount Sinai Heart and Professor of Cardiology, and Population Health Science and Policy, at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “This simpler approach saved many bleeding events and preserved the benefit of the single potent blood thinner (ticagrelor). We thank our global investigators in 187 sites around the world who worked tirelessly to bring this study to the finish line, and the patients who agreed to participate in this investigator-sponsored study.”

“As an academic, investigator-initiated global trial, this effort represents the concerted and enthusiastic support of partners and collaborators within the United States and abroad who were committed to answering an important and clinically relevant question,” says Usman Baber, MD, MS, Chair of the TWILIGHT Clinical Coordinating Center and Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “The overall magnitude and consistency of effect we observed with ticagrelor monotherapy suggests this may be a safer and effective antiplatelet strategy as compared with standard of care.”

Current medical guidelines for patients receiving a cardiac stent in a cardiac catheterization laboratory through a minimally invasive PCI procedure advise that patients receive dual-antiplatelet therapy with both aspirin and a drug from a class of stronger antiplatelet medications called P2Y12 inhibitors, of which ticagrelor is one. These medications prevent blood clots that can lead to heart attack or stroke by reducing the ability of platelets, cellular fragments circulating in the blood, to stick to one another and form a clot. TWILIGHT examined the impact of ticagrelor alone versus ticagrelor plus aspirin on clinically relevant bleeding among patients at high ischemic or bleeding risk undergoing PCI.

The investigators enrolled 9,006 high-risk patients at 187 sites across 11 countries in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. All patients had undergone successful PCI with at least one drug-eluting stent and had been discharged on dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and ticagrelor for a three-month duration. After completing the three-month course of dual-antiplatelet therapy, patients without major adverse events were then randomized in a double-blind fashion to either aspirin (81 to 100 mg daily) or placebo, and all patients continued with open-label ticagrelor (90 mg twice daily) for 12 months. Investigators tracked the occurrence of any clinically relevant bleeding, or adverse events such as death, heart attack, and stroke.

For patients who took ticagrelor and no aspirin (placebo), bleeding was reduced by 44 percent, compared to patients on ticagrelor combined with aspirin. Additionally, there were no differences in the risk for heart attack, death, or stroke between the groups, which suggests that aspirin withdrawal does not compromise safety. These results were consistent in both men and women, and in patients older and younger than 65 and those with diabetes (patients over 65 and diabetics are often at higher risk of bleeding and ischemic complications after stenting).

“The TWILIGHT trial is a landmark trial which will change our PCI practice by eliminating aspirin after three months in patients on ticagrelor with resultant lower vascular bleeding and no effect on ischemic endpoints,” says Samin K. Sharma, MD, Director of Clinical and Interventional Cardiology for the Mount Sinai Health System. “The findings are particularly important since this is the first study of its kind where a majority of patients were from the United States of America. The results are more generalizable to American patients and the practice of dropping aspirin may be widely and easily accepted in this country.”

“This groundbreaking study enhances Mount Sinai Heart’s excellence in the field of interventional cardiology,” says Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, Director of Mount Sinai Heart and Physician-in-Chief of The Mount Sinai Hospital. “I am proud of our team for achieving such great success with our collaborators here in the United States and around the world on this pioneering clinical trial.”

The drug ticagrelor is made by AstraZeneca, which provided Mount Sinai with an unrestricted grant to perform the investigator-initiated study. Dr. Mehran has received financial compensation as a consultant and advisory board member for AstraZeneca in the past. Dr. Baber has received consulting fees from AstraZeneca in the past.

About the Mount Sinai Health System

The Mount Sinai Health System is New York City’s largest integrated delivery system, encompassing eight hospitals, a leading medical school, and a vast network of ambulatory practices throughout the greater New York region. Mount Sinai’s vision is to produce the safest care, the highest quality, the highest satisfaction, the best access and the best value of any health system in the nation. The Health System includes approximately 7,480 primary and specialty care physicians; 11 joint-venture ambulatory surgery centers; more than 410 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and 31 affiliated community health centers. The Icahn School of Medicine is one of three medical schools that have earned distinction by multiple indicators: ranked in the top 20 by U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Medical Schools”, aligned with a U.S. News & World Report’s “Honor Roll” Hospital, No. 12 in the nation for National Institutes of Health funding, and among the top 10 most innovative research institutions as ranked by the journal Nature in its Nature Innovation Index. This reflects a special level of excellence in education, clinical practice, and research. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 14 on U.S. News & World Report’s “Honor Roll” of top U.S. hospitals; it is one of the nation’s top 20 hospitals in Cardiology/Heart Surgery, Diabetes/Endocrinology, Gastroenterology/GI Surgery, Geriatrics, Gynecology, Nephrology, Neurology/Neurosurgery, and Orthopedics in the 2019-2020 “Best Hospitals” issue. Mount Sinai’s Kravis Children’s Hospital also is ranked nationally in five out of ten pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report. The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked 12th nationally for Ophthalmology and Mount Sinai South Nassau is ranked 35th nationally for Urology. Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai St. Luke’s, Mount Sinai West, and Mount Sinai South Nassau are ranked regionally.

For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (PRWEB)
September 26, 2019

TwelveStone Health Partners, a leading provider of comprehensive chronic care medication services, has named Tammy Greer as director of finance.

“With more than 15 years of public accounting experience working with growth companies like TwelveStone, Tammy’s background ensures that we maintain our high level of fiscal responsibility,” says Jozef Nuyens, chief financial officer of TwelveStone Health Partners.

Greer is responsible for establishing financial policies, procedures, controls, and reporting systems. In this role, she will take the lead for legal and regulatory compliance with all accounting and financial reporting functions and overseeing cost and general accounting, payroll, and risk management.

She is an experienced CPA, who prior to TwelveStone, managed the accounting function at The Parkes Companies, including 32 affiliates. As a controller she was responsible for financial statements, risk management, and treasury management while managing the accounting system and controls to ensure accurate reporting of financial results in compliance with GAAP.

Greer joins several Middle Tennessee State University alumni at TwelveStone where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting.

About TwelveStone Health Partners

TwelveStone Health Partners incorporates the objective of glorifying God into its mission by delivering a higher level of service to partners and patients. As an organization, TwelveStone supports the transition from acute to post-acute care environments and the transition from sickness to health. This is the third evolution in the company’s history, beginning in 1980 when Richard Reeves and Ronald Powell created a single retail pharmacy location then called Reeves Powell Saveway Drug Store. In 1994 Shane Reeves and Rick Sain launched Reeves-Sain and over 20 years grew the organization to include seven companies. In 2015 Reeves Sain Drug Store, Inc., a retail pharmacy, and its specialty pharmacy, EntrustRx were sold to Fred’s, Inc. In 2016 Shane Reeves launched TwelveStone Health Partners with the objective of continuing to pursue the highest professional, business and community goals set forth by its founders. For more information visit http://www.12stonehealth.com.

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