THE HEALTH | SEPTEMBER , 2021

DKSH Holdings ( Malaysia ) Berhad , the leading partner for companies seeking to grow their businesses in Asia and beyond , has been appointed by Malaysia ’ s Ministry of Health ( MoH ) as the official distributor for the CanSino vaccine nationwide effective Aug 25 , 2021 .

Under this agreement , DKSH Malaysia will store and distribute CanSino vaccine to all MOHdesignated vaccination centers ( Pusat Pemberian Vaksin or PPV ) in East and West Malaysia . The CanSino vaccine will be stored at DKSH Malaysia ’ s ISO-certified healthcare distribution center in Shah Alam , which has existing fit-for-purpose cold chain capabilities to handle life-saving drugs and highly sensitive temperature-controlled vaccines .

Gary Chee , Vice President , Business Unit Healthcare , DKSH Malaysia said : “ For almost a century now , DKSH has been a pivotal partner in the history of Malaysian healthcare . Over the years , we have supported both public and private healthcare in several vaccine projects .

“ We deliver on our promise to preserve the quality and safety of products under our

PANADOL , the flagship brand of GlaxoSmithKline , launched on Aug 16 a nationwide campaign to raise public awareness on post Covid-19 vaccination care for pain and fever . In support of the Government ’ s effort to combat vaccine hesitancy amongst the community and increase vaccination uptake , the Panadol Post Covid-19 Vaccination campaign will include pertinent tips and information on how to manage post Covid-19 vaccination pain and fever with Panadol .

Bryan Wong , General Manager of GSK Consumer Healthcare Malaysia , said , “ The government ’ s pledge to vaccinate at least 80 per cent of Malaysia ’ s adult population by Feb 2022 has our full support . It is encouraging to see a high rate of acceptance of the Covid-19 vaccines care according to stringent quality standards . With our proven distribution competence in East and West Malaysia , we are confident of providing reliable and safe cold chain services in accordance with good distribution practice and quality assurances standards for important and urgent deliveries like the Covid-19 vaccines .”

in Malaysia and the vaccination rate has been climbing steadily .

“ To achieve the herd immunity target as soon as possible , it is not only important for us to play a part in educating the public about the importance of Covid-19 vaccination ; but also provide accurate guidance , on the proper usage of Panadol as part of symptomatic treatment for post Covid-19 vaccination .”

The Panadol Post Covid-19 Vaccination campaign rolled out in phases beginning June 2021 , featuring educational video , and informational guideline contents across multiple platforms including Panadol Malaysia ’ s digital and social channels , media platforms , and in-stores at local retailers such as Watsons , 99 Speedmart nationwide .

UK-based Malaysian scientist Dr Serena Nik-Zainal has once again been recognised for her efforts in cancer research , this time being awarded the Francis Crick Medal and Lecture 2022 .

The Francis Crick Medal and Lecture is awarded annually in any field in the biological sciences .

According to the UK ’ s Royal Society , Dr Serena ’ s latest award was accorded to her for “ enormous contributions ” to the understanding of the causes of cancers , through her analyses of mutation signatures in cancer genomes , which is now being applied to cancer therapy .

In a statement , the Royal Society said Dr Serena will deliver her prize lecture next year , where she will receive a bronze medal and a gift of £ 2,000 ( RM11,500 ).

On Twitter , Dr Serena , who is attached to the University of Cambridge , said she was thrilled and grateful for the immense honour . “ Thank you to all that have taught , supported , pushed and mentored me .

“ So appreciative ! My wonderful team , this is for us !” she said .

Although the Royal Society did not mention which specific work had won her the award , it is noteworthy that one of Dr Serena ’ s most recent works involved an “ algorithm classifier ” called MMRDetect .

According to her biography on the Cambridge website , Dr Serena is an advanced clinician scientist and an honorary consultant in Clinical Genetics .

She qualified in medicine from the University of Cambridge in 2000 on a scholarship from Petronas . After that , she pursued post-graduate studies at the Wellcome Sanger Institute ( WSI ) in 2009 exploring breast cancer using whole genome sequencing ( WGS ).

She was subsequently awarded a CRUK Advanced Clinician Scientist Fellowship in 2017 before moving to the University of Cambridge . In 2019 , she was honoured with the Dr Josef Steiner Cancer Research Prize 2019 , which some have dubbed the “ Nobel Prize for Cancer Research ”.

CANCER Research Malaysia ( CRM ) has collaborated with geneticists , gynaecologists , and oncologists throughout the nation to complete a study called MaGiC , which stands for “ Mainstreaming Genetic Counselling for Genetic Testing of BRCA1 and BRCA2 in Ovarian Cancer Patients in Malaysia ”.

By spearheading this study , CRM has made Malaysia the first country in Asia to mainstream genetic counselling for ovarian cancer nationwide .

The MaGiC study began in 2017 to determine the feasibility and impact of introducing mainstreaming – namely , the implementation of genetic or genomic testing in other specialties such as oncology , to aid diagnosis and / or treatment – to the Malaysian population . Through this study , a total of 800 ovarian cancer patients across Malaysia had access to genetic testing and counselling for faulty BRCA genes : a drastic increase in access to genetic testing from an estimated five per cent to 52 per cent .

The impact has been positive in that mainstreaming is proven to be a feasible option to address the increasing need for genetic services in lower-resource settings like Malaysia and other Asian countries , thus paving the way to improve patient access to better treatment and risk management options .

Prof Dr . Woo Yin Ling , Consultant Gynae-oncologist at University Malaya and Lead Clinician in the MaGiC study said , “ This study has shown that mainstreaming among the gynaeonocologists and oncologists is feasible , and it has built that resource of trained clinicians nationwide to improve genetic counselling and testing access ”

Dato Dr Rushdan , a gynaecologist at a Ministry of Health ( MoH ) hospital explained , “ As one of the few trained surgeons that specialise in women ’ s cancers , we manage the treatment of many women with different types of cancers . However , prior to this study , we received little training on how to incorporate genetics in our clinics .

“ As a hospital situated outside the Klang Valley , it was a challenge for patients to have access to this kind of service . Thanks to the MaGiC study , we are delighted to provide equitable access to precision medicine and we hope that this will lead to an improvement in survival rates of ovarian cancer patients in Malaysia .”

Ms Yoon Sook-Yee , Principal Investigator of the Study and Genetic Counsellor at Cancer Research Malaysia explained that “ Identifying BRCA mutations in ovarian cancer patients is important for their medical management and preventative measures for their relatives . However , due to the lack of genetic counsellors , clinical geneticists and awareness among clinicians , there is inadequate genetic testing in most parts of Asia .

“ Mainstreaming genetic counselling will help improve access to BRCA genetic testing in Malaysia , thereby allowing us to identify individuals with higher risk of cancer as well as improve patient access to better treatment and risk management options .”

Genetic counseling service was previously only available at four clinics ; access has since grown to make this available in 23 hospitals . Professor Datin Paduka Dr Teo Soo Hwang , Chief Scientific Officer of CRM added , “ Our earlier research had identified how common this genetic alteration is . Therefore , we have developed a more accessible alternative to conduct the genetic test .

“ We are overjoyed to have mainstreamed our services which enable greater access to genetics services nationwide . What we do is only possible because of the support from the public through partnerships , fundraisers , and donations – that is the key to the sustainability of this programme .” — The Health