health business
AUGUST, 2018 | The HEALTH
07
Under Armour
showcases fall/winter
2018 collection
(From right to left) Dr Choo Gim Hooi with Institut Jantung Negara Consultant Cardiologist Datuk Dr Ahmad
Khairuddin Mohamed Yusof launching Repatha.
Amgen introduces inhibitor
to reduce cholesterol
A
MGEN
recently
announced the avail-
ability of Repatha in
Malaysia, a PCSK9 inhibitor
for lowering high cholesterol.
Repatha contains an active
substance called evolocumab.
Evolocumab is designed to
attach to a substance called
PCSK9 that affects the liver’s
ability to take in cholesterol. By
attaching to, and mopping up
PCSK9, the medicine increases
the amount of cholesterol enter-
ing the liver and consequently,
lowers the level of cholesterol in
the blood.
Cardiac Vascular Sentral
Kuala Lumpur (CVSKL) Con-
sultant Cardiologist, Dr Choo
Gim Hooi explained that with
Repatha inhibiting the protein,
in combination with statin, the
liver is able to reduce LDL (bad
cholesterol) in the blood by up
to 70 percent.
Statins are commonly
prescribed to lower high LDL.
However, for some patients it
may be insufficient. The PCSK9
inhibitors such as evolocumab
(Repatha) can assist further by
considerably reducing LDL cho-
lesterol in patients who cannot
reach optimum results using
standard therapy with statins.
Repatha can be used in
combination with a statin for
patients who are unable to
achieve adequate reduction in
LDL cholesterol at the maximum
tolerated dose of statin. Data
from clinical trials demonstrated
that Repatha resulted in up to
77 per cent additional LDL-C
reduction in patients already
receiving statin therapy.
In Malaysia, Repatha is dis-
tributed by Zuellig Pharma and
manufactured by Amgen.
Featuring the season’s latest top-to-toe collections, the fall/
winter 2018 collection was designed to accommodate one’s
need whether it’s to train in the gym, to run on the tracks or
to manoeuvre easily between training and the next appoint-
ment on their social calendar.
Known famously for its technology, Under Armour hits
the ground once again with their technology into its sport
style collection for the women’s collection making not just
suitable for the gym but also for one’s lifestyle. The ‘UA Per-
petual Series’ made for both genders respectively, intends
to help athletes keep the perfect form while they push for
more weights, more reps and more miles.
Adding on to his tour and product presentation, Under
Armour Merchandising senior manager, Jason Ang men-
tioned the ‘Swyft Collection’ which was created as the
ultimate distraction-free running gear, intending for its
wearers to feel like they are as light as possible.
Mundipharma sets up painfocus digital platform
M u n d i p h a r m a re ce n t ly
announced the development
of painfocus; a revolutionary
new end-to-end pain manage-
ment solution that significantly
increases the objectivity of pain
measurement.
Leveraging on Biofourmis’
biovitals analytics engine, pain-
focus uses advanced machine
learning that combines multiple
physiology biomarkers captured
using wearable devices to calcu-
late the presence and severity
Dear Doctor
of pain. The app can capture,
monitor and analyse data gener-
ated by patients in an inpatient or
outpatient setting, and share with
caregivers an accurate picture of
health including level of pain,
quality of life and general physiol-
ogy in real-time via a web-based
dashboard.
It also enables digital patient-
caregiver communication,
which is particularly significant
f or patients who don’t have the
ability to verbally explain how
they’re suffering.
Painfocus has been tested in an
early feasibility study conducted
in multiple hospitals in South
Africa from January to May 2018
that continuously monitored the
physiology of knee arthroplasty
patients using Everion physiol-
ogy monitor. The study found
significant correlations between
patient-reported pain scores and
the results calculated by painfo-
cus in an ambulatory, real-world
setting.
Sport style
collection
offers
ultimate
comfort
for both
genders.
Send your questions to the editor at ainhuda@revonmedia.com with contact details and passport sizephoto.
Chosen questions will be answered by our panel doctors and will be published in our monthly edition of The Health.
QUESTION: What is the difference
between a generic and a patented
drug? QUESTION: Can keyhole surgery
be performed on children and
what are the benefits? QUESTION: Would a person be at
risk of bladder dysfunction if one
is obese?
ANSWER: Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur
Family Medicine specialist,
Dr Marieanne Sundram ANSWER: Pantai Hospital Kuala
Lumpur Paediatric and Neonatal
surgeon, Dr Nada Sudhakaran ANSWER: Sunway Medical
Centre Consultant Physician and
Nephrologist, Dr Ng Eng Khim
GENERIC medications are the same
as the patented drugs in terms
of dosage, safety, effectiveness,
strength and stability.
Patented drugs are licenced which makes them more
expensive. Once the license or the duration to hold the
patency is over, then the medication becomes cheaper and
becomes a generic drug. Both types of drugs are regulated
by the FDA, gives the same effect and is quite safe to use. KEYHOLE surgery or minimally
invasive surgery in children is fast
becoming the choice for parents
who are aware of this option. It
causes less pain and deformity than standard traditional
open surgery. OVERWEIGHT predisposes one
to a high risk of kidney failure. It is
likewise for heart failure. The organ
is designed for certain weight. If a
person should exceed that, naturally the internal organs will
be burdened.
Overactive bladder disease is when a person can’t hold
their bladder. Patients who are obese, tend to have a higher
score when it comes to continence and urgency.