SEPTEMBER , 2023 | THE HEALTH

According to Affin Hwang Capital ( Affin Hwang ), this comes after healthcare companies covered by the firm reported first-half 2023 ( 1H23 ) earnings that met its expectations . Despite a slight decline in hospital operators caused by seasonality factors , which the firm noted has since recovered , Affin Hwang sees the results favourably . Looking ahead , the Company noted that new competition should be restricted primarily because the sector is heavily regulated . Affin Hwang added that from July to August , the inpatient volumes within Malaysian operations increased compared to the lows of the second quarter of 2023 ( 2Q23 ).

The firm chose IHH Healthcare Bhd and KPJ Healthcare Bhd as

THE NATIONAL Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency ( NPRA ), Ministry of Health Malaysia ( KKM ) has urged the public to refrain from buying and using two cosmetic products as they have been found to contain scheduled poisons . They are :

• Beaute Treatment Cream – detected scheduled poisons Hydroquinone , Tretinoin and Betamethasone 17-Valerate

• Beaute Nite Cream – detected scheduled poisons Mercury and Betamethasone 17-Valerate Mercury is prohibited in cosmetic products because it can be harmful to health . It can be absorbed into the body and cause damage to the kidneys and nervous system . It can also interfere with the brain development of young or unborn children . Mercury can also cause rashes , irritations and other skin changes .

Products containing hydroquinone , tretinoin and betamethasone 17-valerate are the sector ’ s top picks with “ Buy ” calls because of their efforts to cut costs and ongoing plans to sell their loss-making foreign ventures .

“ For perspective , the fasting month typically registers the weakest numbers for IHH . We see no risks in our earnings estimates for

medicines that must be registered with the Drug Control Authority and should only be used with the advice of a health professional . The use of products containing these ingredients without the supervision of a health professional can cause unwanted side effects such as the following :

• Hydroquinone can cause redness on the applied skin , discomfort , unwanted skin color changes , the skin becomes hypersensitive , can prevent the pigmentation process ( depigmentation ) which reduces the skin ’ s protection from harmful ultraviolet rays and can increase the risk of skin cancer .

• Tretinoin can cause redness , discomfort , soreness , peeling and hypersensitivity to sunlight in the applied area .

• Betamethasone 17-Valerate can cause the part of the facial skin that is applied to become thin and prone to irritation , pimples , changes in skin pigmentation and increase the risk of being absorbed into the circulatory system , which can have harmful effects .

VISTA Eye Specialist , an Eye Care Clinic in Malaysia , announce its certification as a B Corporation™ ( B Corp™ ).

The certification follows VISTA ’ s recent win in The STAR ’ s ESG Positive Impact Awards ( Star ESG Awards ) and is awarded through a rigorous verification process to companies meeting high standards of transparency , accountability ,

social and environmental performance .

This distinguishes companies dedicated to positive global impact from those solely focused on profits . The B Corp certification also enables consumers , investors , and stakeholders to identify businesses aligned with their values .

Noteworthy for clinical and business excellence , VISTA is a

2023E , and expect IHH and

KPJ to grow year-on-year ( YoY ) from the ongoing strength in patient volumes ,” it added .

In the healthcare industry , Affin Hwang also named

UMediC Group Bhd as a top pick due to the Company ’ s enormous potential for earnings growth due to its upcoming plans to expand into the manufacturing arm .

“ Interest for its prefilled humidifiers far exceeds its capacity , as foreign manufacturers look to outsource production to relatively cheaper countries ,” it said .

The Company kept its “ Hold ” recommendation on Apex Healthcare because the Company expects muted near-term earnings growth . In general , Affin Hwang kept an “ Overweight ” rating for the healthcare industry .

Sellers and distributors of these cosmetic products need to stop selling and distributing these cosmetic products immediately . The sale and distribution of these cosmetic products violates the Drugs and Cosmetics Control Regulations 1984 .

Individuals who commit offences under these Regulations may be subject to a fine not exceeding RM25,000 or imprisonment not exceeding three years or both for the first offence and a fine not exceeding RM50,000 or imprisonment not exceeding five years or both subsequently . Companies that commit offences can be fined up to RM50,000 for the first offence and RM100,000 for subsequent offences .

The public is encouraged to check the notification status of a cosmetic product by visiting the NPRA ’ s official website www . npra . gov . my or through the ‘ NPRA Product Status ’ application which can be downloaded

preferred destination for global surgeons seeking learning and collaboration . With an impressive score above the passing mark , VISTA ’ s B Corp certification excels in Staff , Customer , and Community pillars . It stands among a select group of global medical centres to achieve B Corp Certification and is the sole Eye Specialist in Asia with this distinction .

DUOPHARMA BIOTECH Berhad maintained its revenue growth trajectory in the six-month period ended Jun 30 2023 ( Q2FY2023 ) with Yearto-Date ( YTD ) FY2023 revenue of RM367.99 million , a marginal growth of 0.08 per cent compared to the same period last year , during a half-year hit by multiple industry-wide challenges gradually building since early 2023 .

At the same time , YTD Profit Before Tax ( PBT ) for FY2023 stood at RM44.81 million , compared to RM48.12 million last year , while Q2FY2023 saw revenue and PBT of RM167.52 million and RM16.52 million respectively , as compared to RM181.74 million and RM21.47 million respectively in the corresponding quarter last year , displaying less favourable results when contrasted with the financial performance in corresponding quarter last year .

For the period ended Jun 30 2023 , the Company saw year-on-year sales growth in the private prescription pharmaceutical market , ethical speciality sector and export segment , while the consumer healthcare sector saw lower demand , resulting in only a marginal increase in the Group ’ s overall revenue compared to the same period in the previous year . Concurrently within the period , there were increased operational costs resulting from the upward adjustment in electricity tariff , elevated labour costs pursuant to the amendments to the Employment Act 1955 , higher finance costs due to the rising Overnight Policy Rate ( OPR ), once-off costs incurred due to temporary shutdown of the small volume injectable plant for upgrading and maintenance , and incremental costs associated with commencement of production in the new K3 facility , which caused the undesirables to the overall financial performance in Q2 2023 and 1H FY 2023 .

Duopharma Biotech Group Managing Director Leonard Ariff Abdul Shatar said : “ Duopharma Biotech ’ s strong fundamentals , diverse portfolio , and focus on innovation has enabled us to maintain revenue growth despite being in a time that challenged the entire industry with higher operating costs .

“ Notwithstanding the factors such as lower demand in the consumer healthcare segment , the multiple industry challenges and the fluctuating foreign exchange costs that were expected to persist , we are prepared for a situation where recovery in the industry may take some time .

“ In this period , we remain committed to strengthening our core focus that has enabled our success , including diversifying into high-value biologicals and niche products , expanding our range of Ethical and Consumer Healthcare ( CHC ) product portfolios , enhancing our presence in the ASEAN region and upgrading our manufacturing facilities into world-class assets ,” he said .