StemCell Therapy

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New York, 19 May 2020

Thank you, Mr. President.

I will focus my briefing today on two areas.

First: the impact of COVID-19 in Syria and the preparedness and response measures underway.

Second: the humanitarian response across Syria and the findings of the Secretary-Generals Review of Cross-line and Cross-border Operations, which you received last week.

Let me start with the latest update on COVID-19 cases.

Syrian government authorities have confirmed 58 cases in Syria to date, including three fatalities. Another six cases have been recorded in the north-east, including one fatality. No cases have been confirmed in the north-west.

Building up the limited laboratory and case investigation capacities remains a major priority, and the United Nations is reinforcing this effort across Syria.

This includes considerable support from the World Health Organization to the progressive expansion of testing capacities in Damascus, Aleppo, Lattakia and Homs from conducting repairs to providing essential equipment, reagents and on-site training of laboratory technicians.

Testing capacity is not yet sufficiently established for epidemiological evidence across the country, including in the north-east, where further efforts are underway with support from national and international partners. The United Nations including World Health Organization stand ready to further support expansion of testing capacities across Syria in accordance with the epidemiological situation and needs.

Support is also underway for infection prevention and control from risk communication and community engagement to isolation centres. Some $23 million has already been allocated from the Syria Humanitarian Fund, which my office runs, to support COVID-19 preventative measures. Thank you to the donors whose contributions have paid for that.

But there remain significant shortages of personal protective equipment and other medical items across the country.

Let me echo what Geir Pedersen said to you yesterday, further to the Secretary-Generals global call for the waiver of sanctions that can undermine the capacity of countries to ensure access to food, essential health supplies and medical support to respond to the pandemic. Like Geir, I note the public assurances by relevant States that their sanctions programs relating to Syria neither ban the flow of humanitarian supplies nor target medicine and medical devices. I welcome their commitments to fully and expeditiously apply humanitarian exemptions.I continue to follow this issue closely.

As in many other countries, we are seeing the economic impact of the pandemic before we see infections peak: after an initial jump at the end of March, the average price of the national reference food basket for April is 15 per cent higher than the March average, and more than double the average recorded in April 2019. It is now higher than at any time since the crisis began.

In the north-west, which relies heavily on imported goods, the Syrian Pound continues to lose value against the US Dollar. Local sources report that, as of this morning, the exchange rate in some parts of Idleb has fallen as low as 1,950 SYP to the US dollar. Thats a depreciation of 54% since the end of April. The cost of a dollar has more than trebled in the last 12 months: the rate was 570 SYP to the dollar in May 2019. The consequences of this for local communities purchasing power are severe.

In early 2020, before the economic impacts of COVID-19 were felt in Syria, an estimated 80 per cent of people already lived below the poverty line.

The added impact of the pandemic is now driving food insecurity to record levels: the World Food Programme announced last week that an estimated 9.3 million people in Syria are now food insecure up from an estimated 7.9 million people six months ago.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, warned this month that killings of civilians across Syria are increasing, and various parties to the conflict, including ISIL, appear to view the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to regroup and inflict violence on the population.

Mr. President, I now turn to humanitarian operations in the north-west, where aid deliveries continue at record levels.

In April 1,365 trucks crossed from Turkey into the north-west through the Security Council-authorized border crossings at Bab al Salam and Bab al Hawa. This is an increase of over 130 per cent on April 2019.

There are three main reasons for the scale up.

The first is the rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation since December, which continues to demand increased levels of assistance.

The second is the need to prepare for the impact of COVID-19. As I have said before, the north-west is considered at extremely high risk of an outbreak

The third pressure stems from the uncertainty we are operating under.

The authorization of cross-border assistance under Security Council resolution 2504 represents the sole channel for the United Nations to deliver life-saving assistance to millions of people in north-west Syria. It is up for renewal in less than two months.

You have received the Secretary-Generals review of cross-line and cross-border operations. In paragraph 1, the Secretary-General highlights that he has submitted the review ahead of schedule to allow the Council to take a timely decision and avoid the disruption of aid.

The findings of the review are clear: meeting the enormous humanitarian needs in the north-west requires a renewal of the cross-border authorization for the Bab al Salaam and Bab Al Hawa border crossings for an additional 12 months. The United Nations Monitoring Mechanism should be extended for the same period.

This decision cannot be left to the last minute. Too many lives are at stake.

Sustaining pipelines in this massive operation requires weeks and often months of lead-time. An environment of uncertainty risks the continuity of aid. It undermines the ability of humanitarian organizations to save lives.

In the meantime, our colleagues involved in the operation from the loading staff to the drivers to the UN coordinators and monitors are at the border every working day relentlessly, during Ramadan, amidst the challenges posed by the pandemic, to scale up deliveries.

Mr. President,

I now turn to the north-east and the ongoing efforts to increase cross-line deliveries of medical supplies following the removal of Al Yaroubiya as an authorized border crossing.

I am pleased to report that on 10 May the World Health Organization was able to deliver a 30-ton consignment of medical supplies to Qamishli by road. A second consignment of 23 tons is expected to arrive in the coming days.

This is the first overland delivery of WHO supplies to the north-east in two years. WHO is committed to respond to the humanitarian needs of all Syrians in the northeast by the most direct routes especially to reach the most vulnerable.

While this overland delivery is a very welcome step, let me be clear that much more needs to be done to bridge the gap in medical assistance for the north-east.

At present, medical supplies delivered cross-line to north-east Syria are reaching 31 per cent of facilities that previously depended on Al Yaroubiya border crossing for these supplies.

The findings of the Secretary-Generals review of cross-line and cross-border operations are also clear with regard to the north-east.

A combination of more cross-border and cross-line access is required to sustain, and preferably increase, humanitarian assistance.

Several cross-border options were identified in the Secretary-Generals report on alternatives to Al Yaroubiya, released in February. His report also described their limitations in comparison to Al Yaroubiya.

Mr. President, also in the north-east, the provision of water from Alouk Station was again interrupted and reduced many times since my last briefing, creating severe disruptions in water supply, especially in Hassakeh City and IDP camps in the area. At least half a million people are affected.

To compensate, humanitarian agencies have scaled up emergency water trucking, but this is neither a sufficient nor a sustainable solution. Access to water in all areas is all the more critical in this COVID-19 pandemic. Across Syria, relevant parties need to ensure the provision of basic services to civilians.

Mr. President, I have briefed you on the ongoing COVID-19 response across Syria as well as assistance being channeled through the cross-border operation.

Let me also highlight the broader response operation underway from within Syria in areas under the Governments control where the UN and its partner organisations reach most of the people we help. In the first quarter of 2020 the humanitarian operation has delivered food assistance for 3.3 million people; 3.3 million medical procedures; more than 2 million medical treatment courses; life-saving water, sanitation and hygiene assistance for 1.2 million people, education for 1.3 million people; and nutrition support for almost half a million people.

Mr. President, in closing I will reiterate my key ask to the Council today:

The cross-border operation for north-west Syria, authorized by the Security Council, is a lifeline for millions of civilians whom the United Nations cannot reach by other means.

It cannot be substituted. Its authorization must be renewed.

An early decision by the Council will avoid disruption of this vital operation and help humanitarian organisations continue the scale-up that the current needs and the prospect of COVID-19 demand. A delay will increase suffering and cost lives.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Read more from the original source:
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock Briefing to the Security Council on the humanitarian...

A specialist in Preventive Medicine focuses on the health of individuals and defined populations in order to protect, promote, and maintain health and well-being, and to prevent disease, disability, and premature death. They may be a specialist in Public Health and General Preventive Medicine, Occupational Medicine, or Aerospace Medicine. The distinctive components of Preventive Medicine include:

Biostatistics and the application of biostatistical principles and methodology;

Epidemiology and its application to population-based medicine and research;

Health services management and administration including: developing, assessing, and assuring health policies; planning, implementing, directing, budgeting,and evaluating population health and disease management programs; and utilizing legislative and regulatory processes to enhance health;

Control of environmental factors that may adversely affect health;

Control and prevention of occupational factors that may adversely affect health safety;

Clinical preventive medicine activities, including measures to promote health and prevent the occurrence, progression, and disabling effects of disease andinjury; and

Assessment of social, cultural, and behavioral influences on health.

Specialty training required prior to certification: Three years

A preventive medicine physician may become board-certified in three specialties as defined by the American Board of Preventive Medicine.

Aerospace MedicineAerospace medicine focuses on the clinical care, research and operational support of the health, safety and performance of crew and passengers of air and space vehicles, together with the support personnel who assist operation of such vehicles. This population often works and lives in remote, isolated, extreme or enclosed environments under conditions of physical and psychological stress. Practitioners strive for an optimal human-machine match in occupational settings rich with environmental hazards and engineering countermeasures.

Occupational MedicineOccupational medicine focuses on the health of workers, including the ability to perform work; the physical, chemical, biological and social environments of the workplace; and the health outcomes of environmental exposures. Practitioners in this field address the promotion of health in the workplace, and the prevention and management of occupational and environmental injury, illness and disability.

Public Health and General Preventive MedicinePublic health and general preventive medicine focuses on promoting health, preventing disease, and managing the health of communities and defined populations. These practitioners combine population-based public health skills with knowledge of primary, secondary and tertiary prevention-oriented clinical practice in a wide variety of settings.

Career paths can include working in public health, occupational medicine, aerospace medicine, clinical medicine, academic medicine, managed care, research, informatics, policy development and global health. These positions are often located in local, state and federal health agencies, professional health organizations, educational institutions, nonprofit health organizations, public health departments, industry, and all levels of government.

Traditionally, many physicians entering the field of preventive medicine had completed training and worked in another clinical specialty, but found they lacked the necessary skills to manage and treat larger populations, a core component of preventive medicine. Today, residency training for preventive medicine includes a preliminary clinical year (PY1) and specialty-specific training (PY2 and PY3) in general preventive medicine, occupational medicine or aerospace medicine. The PY2 and PY3 year includes a graduate degree for a Master of Public Health (MPH), Master of Science (MS) or Master of Business Administration (MBA).

According to the 2012 Association of American Medical Colleges salary survey, the median compensation for an academic medicine position in preventive medicine ranges from $144,000 to $172,000 in early career to $232,000 to $250,000 in late career.

Original post:
Preventive Medicine | American Medical Association

Dr. Barry Bloom, a professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said hes optimistic that one or more medicines better than remdesivir the experimental Gilead Sciences drug cleared for emergency use" on May 1 will be available by the years end. But he expects the standard of care will probably evolve and ultimately rely on a combination of drugs that pass muster in clinical trials.

You dont need only one drug, said Bloom, a pioneer in global health who devoted much of his career to treating tuberculosis. What we learned with HIV is that no one drug works very well. But if you put three drugs together that are pretty good drugs, you can control the virus for life.

Bloom and other experts suspect that unlike people with HIV, COVID-19 patients would require only short-term treatment with a combination of medicines and recover faster if they got them soon after symptoms appear.

A study published last Friday in Lancet, the respected medical journal, bolsters that notion. It found that patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 at six public hospitals in Hong Kong and the University of Hong Kong seemed to improve more quickly if treated with a three-drug combo, compared with a group that received a two-drug treatment. The triple combination featured three antiviral drugs: one used for HIV, another for hepatitis C, and a third for multiple sclerosis.

The federal website ClinicalTrials.gov lists more than 1,400 clinical trials related to COVID-19 planned or started around the world. A number of them involve combinations of approved and experimental drugs, including remdesivir.

Massachusetts General Hospital, which participated in the global trial of 1,063 coronavirus patients that led to the emergency use of remdesivir, plans to participate in a follow-up study that combines that antiviral medicine with another drug. That second drug is sold under the brand name Olumiant by Eli Lilly and is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis.

Dr. Libby Hohmann, principal investigator of the remdesivir trial at Mass. General, said the Gilead drug had a real statistically significant effect, but as a lot of people are saying, its not a magic bullet or home run. Thats why it makes sense to try to combine it with something else, she said.

Patients who received remdesivir had a 31 percent faster recovery than those who got a placebo, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which ran the trial at 68 sites worldwide. The median recovery time was 11 days for patients who received remdesivir compared with 15 days for those who got a placebo.

Most researchers predict it will take a vaccine to end the pandemic and dont expect one to be approved and deployed for 12 to 18 months, in the most optimistic scenario. As a result, researchers around the world are studying more than 200 experimental treatments to help sick patients recover, according to a tracker by the Milken Institute, a Santa Monica, Calif.-based think tank.

At least 15 drug companies based in Massachusetts or with an outpost in the state are studying possible treatments, as are local academic laboratories.

The firms include the Japanese drug giant Takeda Pharmaceutical, which is working with multiple partners on a drug made from the plasma of people who recovered from disease; Cambridge-based Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, which is collaborating with a San Francisco biotech on technology to silence the genes in the virus that causes COVID-19; and Sarepta Therapeutics, a Cambridge biotech collaborating with the Defense Department on an RNA-based treatment.

Akshay Vaishnaw, who heads research and development at Alnylam, said his company and Vir Biotechnology hope to begin testing an inhaled medicine in humans around the end of the year. The partners will first see how the drug performs by itself, he said, but it would hardly be surprising if researchers ended up studying it as part of a combination treatment.

Combinations allow multiple lines of attack on the pathogen, Vaishnaw said.

Ultimately, researchers say, the standard of care may encompass a cocktail of antiviral drugs that use multiple targets, or it may be several different types of medicines, such as antiviral medicines and anti-inflammatory therapies.

"Infections between a virus and a host cell are complicated processes that involve many different steps, said Dr. Joseph Loscalzo, head of the department of medicine at Brigham and Womens Hospital. That, coupled with the fact that these viruses can mutate quickly, would argue that combinations would help optimize the chance for a cure.

Loscalzo coauthored a recent study that ranked more than 80 approved drugs for their potential to work against COVID-19. The researchers used artificial intelligence and other tools to screen over 7,000 medications now used to treat other conditions.

The National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories at Boston University is testing the roughly 80 drugs on cells from monkeys and humans infected with the coronavirus, and scientists there expect to have results soon.

Although combining drugs holds promise, it can also pose risks, Loscalzo said.

Now you have to look at not just the toxicities of each drug, but the drugs when used in combination, he said. The [clinical] trial duration would likely be about the same, but getting to the point where you could, in a safe way, begin the trial requires more homework beforehand.

Some scientists say they would prefer to repurpose a medicine that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for another disease rather than develop a new drug and test it in clinical trials, which can take years.

With all the drugs being studied, said Bloom, the public health expert from Harvard, its likely that data will emerge in the next couple of months about medicines that are better than remdesivir. But, he said, its premature to bet on any single drug or mix.

Like combination drugs marketed for HIV, he added, an effective cocktail might also become a medicine that doctors could prescribe as a preventative to patients who are at high risk for catching COVID-19. Gilead, which makes remdesivir, sells such a pre-exposure prophylaxis," or PrEP, to prevent HIV. The product, marketed as Truvada, combines two medications.

A drug that you could give to healthy people who would be exposed that would be a new and appealing preventative therapy," Bloom said.

Jonathan Saltzman can be reached at jonathan.saltzman@globe.com

Continued here:
Scientists say the best treatment for COVID-19 may be a cocktail of medicines - The Boston Globe

Rajgopal Noidamboor in this Madras Courier piece:

If you have cold, put some turmeric in hot millk, add some ground pepper, cardamom and honey, froth it and drink it. It will make your throat feel good. Alternately, you can make some hot pepper rasam, mix it with rice and slurp it. To get rid of that darn cold, you coulf also mix ginger, lemon and honey to hot water and drink it. These are age-old recipes passed down from generations. Most of us remember getting these lessons from our grandmother.

Today, turmeric mixed in milk is called Turmeric Latte and sold in fancy cafeterias. But why does turmeric work? Thats because it is the one ingredient which has curcumin natures antiviral, antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. Similarly, Ashwagandha(Withania somnifera)is a natural, preventative intervention.

In the fight against COVID-19, the Ministry of Healths Ayush has creted a task force to look into how preventative complementary and alternative medicine can help fight COVID-19.

We have commissioned an independent scholar to produee a report that looks into the science behind natural alternatives.

Todays storyby Rajgopal Noidamboor looks at the role of complementary and alternative medicine in fighting COVID-19.

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Excerpt from:
Can Complementary and Alternative Medicine Help Fight Covid-19? - stopthefud

Earlier this month, 15-time Grammy winner and esteemed artist Adele wowed the world when she showed off her slimmed-down figure out of nowhere. Thankfully, her doctor shared the singers tips and tricks in order to achieve her type of weight loss in a successful and healthy way shortly after the reveal.

Adeles Doctor Reveals How Singer Lost Weight In A Healthy Way

Winning the esteemed Grammy award 15 times in her ongoing career, Adele is best known for writing songs and ballads that explore lost love, heartbreak and finding ones self after. Shes also known for her powerhouse voice, which only helps in taking her songs to new heights.

But it seems like she still has more surprises up her sleeve since the singer recently wowed everyone by unexpectedly posing a photo showing her slimmed-down figure earlier this month. Shortly afterwards, Dr. Dominique Fradin-Read, her own doctor, revealed just how the singer managed to lose all that weight. Fradin-Read is MD-board certified in preventative medicine and anti-aging medicine with a university degree in nutrition .

I start by telling my patients that when it comes to weight loss, diet and exercisealonewill not be enough in most cases. That is why many patients that come to us have tried to lose weight, they did lose somewhat but put everything back on and often even more.For a successful and sustainable weight loss, we need to look at the whole person and not just address the weight upfront, the physician said.

I combine all the tools and methods in our therapeutic arsenal, starting with the most natural approaches and lifestyle changes, vitamins/supplements, to recommending peptides, rebalancing hormones and finally prescribing medications as appropriately for each patient, she added, saying that after starting her process with the patients, she works toward more intensive treatment.

As for what to eat, Fradin-Read suggested a diet made up of nutrient-rich food as well as protein, good fats, good carbohydrates, dairy and a few wine glasses a week. Green veggies should also take around two-third of the plate. One-third should be for protein, while the remaining space should be for carbs. She also suggested following the well-known Mediterranean diet.

Obesity may occur because of genetics, family history, environment and medical conditions, among other reasons that affect body weight. Pixabay

Originally posted here:
Adele's Doctor Details Healthy Diet That The Singer Took To Help Her Lose Weight - Medical Daily

Functional Remedies

Hemp is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world with remnants of hemp cloth found in Mesopotamia (currently Iraq and Iran) dating back to 8,000 BC. Though the US history of hemp use does not date back that far, the first recorded use of hemp in the colonies dates to the 17th century. However, until the 2018 Farm Bill was signed, hemp cultivation in America was prohibited for nearly a century. This complete overhaul of the law made it legal for farmers to once again grow, process, and sell hemp commercially and legalized nationwide use.

We spoke to Andrew Campbell, the CEO of Functional Remedies, about the companys perfection of its proprietary hemp plants, its unique control from farm to cultivation to finished products using vertical integration, and the nutritional benefits of the phytonutrients in,Synchronicity, its full-spectrum oil.

Functional Remedies newest Brand Ambassador, the plant-based cardiologist Dr. Joel Kahn, also described the integration of Holistic Cardiology into his practice, how he became the founder of a vegan restaurant, and his love of the benefits Functional Remedies offers his patients.

Please introduce Functional Remedies to our readers and describe its history and mission.Functional Remedies has been developing the genetics of our plant and hand-pressed infusion process of our oil for over two decades. We have made all this effort to deliver our customers the most efficacious hemp oil on the planet. Everything we have done and continue to do is with consumers at the center of all our thinking and actions. We have developed a new branding proposition, Synchronicity, and have introduced new products that speak directly to our customers and meet their needs throughout their days and nights. Our mission, or our why, is straight forward; we exist to help people by bringing them healing qualities of the hemp plant. Our how is by creating the most efficacious hemp oil on the planet, and our what are the various form factors (tinctures, capsules, etc.) that act as delivery mechanisms for our full-spectrum oil and all its healing properties.

Please explain to our readers how full-spectrum hemp oil can support and enhance their wellness.Our full-spectrum hemp oil works in concert with the endocannabinoid system (ECS) by enhancing its ability to function properly. The human body naturally makes cannabinoids, but unfortunately, at times, it doesnt make the amount the ESC requires, thats where our full-spectrum hemp oil comes into play; it replenishes the body of its cannabinoid deficiencies. The ESC works with all the other systems in the human body (immune, nervous, respiratory, sensory, cardiovascular, etc.) and helps them work more efficiently. So our full-spectrum hemp oil makes the ECS system work better, and the ESC system makes all your other systems work better- all of this leads to a healthier, more balanced human.

What are the benefits of Full-Spectrum Hemp Oil versus CBD? The easiest way to put it is, Would you rather have freshly squeezed orange juice or frozen concentrate? Our full-spectrum hemp oil is freshly squeezed orange juice. CBD is only one cannabinoid that the hemp plant offers; our oil offers over 100 cannabinoids, along with other nutrients: terpenes and flavonoids. Additionally, to get the CBD isolate, companies burn and mangle the plant. We use a gentle hand pressed method to slowly infuse our hemp oil into MCT oil that produces the most bioavailable product on the market.

Have you seen an increased interest in your hemp oil products since the outbreak of COVID-19? Yes, we have. Yesterday the National Institute of Health (NIH), an organization we have been working with for years, asked us to participate in a working group regarding Covid-19. This will entail a series of calls with scientists discussing ideas and findings around this topic.

Functional Remedies is the only hemp company to receive three Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certifications. Please describe what this achievement means. It demonstrates to our customers the care we use throughout our growing and manufacturing processes to deliver the most efficacious and safest product to their bodies. We are all about quality and safety, and we spare no expense to ensure these two points. Additionally, we have an NSF certification and are well down the path in obtaining our ISO 9001 certification (the highest international standard involving the manufacturing of the forms we sell).

You recently announced your partnership with Dr. Joel Kahn as the companys new Brand Ambassador. How did this relationship develop? We are thrilled to have Dr. Kahn as part of the Functional Remedies family and team. We met Dr. Kahn a few years back, and he was gracious enough to try our products, and he noticed the difference with his patients immediately. Partnering with Dr. Kahn is another example of how Functional Remedies demonstrates its laser focus on quality, purity, and potency. Dr. Kahn only associates with first-class organizations, and we are honored and grateful to have his vote of confidence.

Dr. Joel Kahn, Cardiologist & Brand Ambassador:

You describe yourself as a Holistic Cardiologist. Please explain to our readers how your treatment differs from a typical Cardiologist.The inside joke is that a holistic doctor sees patients with a whole list of questions and problems. But more formally, holistic is interchangeable with functional, integrative, or natural. It is a training in cardiology that is quite rare so far that focuses on the root causes of illness and the whole person. Traditional cardiology makes a diagnosis of high blood pressure. Holistic cardiology inquiries about diet, sleep, fitness, stress, toxins at home and work, allergies, food intolerances, trauma, genetics, and silent infections. By diving deeper into causes of disease, some people can receive a natural therapy that corrects the underlying issue and avoids a prescription drug for life or a procedure or surgery.

You are considered one of the worlds top cardiologists. Do you attribute that to your focus on using plant-based nutrition as preventative medicine?I had a heart murmur as an infant, a noise the doctor heard, and began seeing a pediatric cardiologist from my earliest days. It proved to be more of a scare to my parents than any serious issue, but it put me in contact with heart specialists all of my youth. I was fascinated by the smells, noises, technology, and concerns the medical team expressed. By age ten, if you asked me my career plans, I would answer cardiology. Another coincidence is that in my first week in undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan, the dormitory food was so miserable, but the salad bar was amazing. I stopped eating animal foods at age 18 to survive and learned that I felt amazing on plant-based foods. I merged the two events in my medical training and strived to be the best in class in traditional training but also to further my new interest in nutrition. The final piece to the puzzle was three weeks after I began my first position teaching and practicing aggressive cardiology, a major research study was published showing that plant-based diets could reverse heart disease. I looked to the left and saw balloons and stents that I was using to reverse blockages, and I looked right at my fork and spoon being used only on plant meals, and I merged the two to practice what I called Interpreventional cardiology. I might need to put in a stent, but you were also going to get a lecture on nutrition, prevention, and plant-based recipes. It has been a wonderful combination.

What interested you in becoming the Brand Ambassador for Functional Remedies?I have strict criteria for sharing my name and energies with a project. Is there strong science? Are there high standards of quality? Are there passionate people? Can this help people? When I visited Functional Remedies and met the team, I saw how the product was made with love and vertical integration, how the quality and certifications were of the highest standards and heard the testimonials of people that worked for the company and many of my patients, I was hooked. I have a passion for helping people improve their lives with safe and natural approaches. Functional Remedies is simply the best in class, and I am so proud to be on board.

What motivated you to open your Detroit-based GreenSpace & Go plant-based eatery?I was lecturing all over the USA about the benefits of a plant diet for decades, but when I got back to Detroit, the choices of going out for a healthy meal consistent with my lectures were very limited. My son Daniel had restaurant experience and an MBA, and we sat down to consider a variety of food-related business plans and franchises. Ultimately, we laid out a plan to open a high-quality plant-based cafe to dine in or carry out. We strived to teach our guests the pleasures of fresh foods, prepared to order, and emphasizing quality, taste, and health. The response has been strong and joyful, and we have a lab to change options and lives by opening minds and mouths.

Your goal is to prevent all future heart attacks. If you can accomplish the task, what would be your next dream job?I am living my dream job. I am over 60 years old but jump out of bed every day excited to take on the challenges.If I could prevent all heart attacks, I would focus on aging. Aging is considered a natural process and not a disease. Yet all the common diseases that rob us of joy and health, like cancer and heart disease, are much more common as we age. We are learning the basic mechanisms of aging and developing ways to intervene to avoid the chronic deterioration that may rob us of our dignity in our later years. Imagine feeling good and energetic at 70, 80, or 90 years old! It can be a reality, and I am excited to be part of it. Using the highest quality natural products like Functional Remedies is part of that process. Farm, not Pharma is the answer, and being part of this team is a dream come true.

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Functional Remedies & Dr. Joel Kahn: "I Stopped Eating Animal Foods at Age 18 to Survive and Learned That I Felt Amazing on Plant-Based...

May 14s budget will surely be remembered as the pandemic budget. It might seem like the worst possible timing economic uncertainty rages, Treasury has had to abandon its usual economic forecasts, and the pandemics viral economic spread is far from over.

On the contrary, this may be very good budget timing. With the governments swift lockdown and border actions, we all hope coronavirus will soon be eliminated in New Zealand. The government also rightly took immediate action to support an economy forced into hibernation.

So now the budget arrives just as we are ready to move into phase two of recovery when government spending and tax policies need to change from preventative medicine to patient care.

So what budget action is needed? Despite some clamouring for a new pandenomics to guide policy, there is nothing different in principle about the post-elimination recession about to hit New Zealand, even if it turns out to be bigger than the unprecedented recession caused by the 2008 global financial crisis (GFC).

Negative economic shocks can be supply-driven, demand-driven or both. Each requires different policy responses.

The current crisis started as a (self-imposed) supply shock: firms had no choice but to scale back output while their costs persisted. This is why the governments supply-side wage subsidies and small business support were the right call (even if reasonable people can argue over their size and detail).

Read more: The ghosts of budgets past haunt New Zealand's shot at economic recovery

But as firms come out of hibernation, widespread wage subsidies should be mostly withdrawn. The government cannot possibly provide current levels of wage support for the next one to two years of economic fallout. Nor would it be desirable, as the economy adjusts to a longer recessionary phase. Keeping unsustainable businesses going through this would only undermine the needed adjustments.

Looking ahead, weak demand is more likely as unemployment rises, some businesses fail during this second phase and real wages fall. That is why this budgets timing is helpful. It is time to pivot away from sensible but unsustainable supply-side support, to combating the expected demand contraction and its consequences.

This doesnt depend on Treasury forecasts. We already know that output has dropped massively, with more to come. So preparation for stimulating fiscal policy such as expanding some government spending programmes (though much of this will happen automatically as tax revenues fall and welfare spending rises). Looser monetary policies should help, with the central bank injecting more liquidity into the economy.

This years pandemic budget should, however, look to redirect spending towards immediate support for those businesses and households that will now suffer most. Since total spending will inevitably rise, cutting back longer term and low impact projects needs to form part of this.

A good place to start would be the Provincial Growth Fund, the result of little more than expensive political horsetrading among the governments coalition partners. But somehow I doubt this option is what finance minister Grant Robertson meant last week when he signalled that certain pre-COVID-19 budget priorities will be put on ice.

In my view, two guiding principles should inform budget initiatives.

First, flexibility. Uncertainty around who will be worst affected, for how long and how severely, suggests that flexible support packages make more sense than widespread, predetermined handouts. Lets see where the economic recession bites, with packages in place to respond quickly, rather than trying to predict where the worst effects will be.

Direct government-to-business loans, for example, that can be applied for and granted subject to conditions, would ensure more targeted support. And with interest rates set close to government borrowing rates, they are a relatively low risk, low cost option. Those needing short term help and are able to recover will repay in due course. Those without a long term future would not be well served by delaying the inevitable at taxpayer expense.

Read more: Past pandemics show how coronavirus budgets can drive faster economic recovery

Secondly, plan a future debt trajectory. Much current debate surrounds the eventual taxpayer cost of massive public debt increases, perhaps rising from 20-50% of GDP. As with the post-WWII debt response, this will need to be brought back down, but more slowly than after the GFC, for example.

Public debt increases are global, and New Zealand will not look like a bad international credit risk for the foreseeable future. Plus, with interest rates almost certain to remain low for years, the governments debt servicing costs have never looked better. Nevertheless, a credible plan towards lower debt is essential if we are to be well prepared for the next crisis as we were for this one.

Some are suggesting this years budget initiatives will be pivotal for the economy. Maybe. Mostly, budgets are like yesterdays news. Who remembers the 2019 budget beyond the slogans? It was the hacked budget (which wasnt actually hacked, but prematurely revealed due to Treasury slip-ups). Or the Well-being Budget (the official title that was little more than political spin with a smiley cover photo; what were Bill Englishs social investment budgets about if not well-being?).

So, good luck Mr Robertson we hope your pandemic budget (or recovery budget as you are calling it) delivers more than a catchy strapline.

Read more:
The pandemic budget: moving New Zealand from critical care to long-term recovery - The Conversation AU

Chief public health officer Dr. Heather Morrison draws inspiration from her British Columbia counterpart, who is also a fellow Prince Edward Islander.

Dr. Bonnie Henry has inspired me certainly as a public health leader, Morrison told The Guardian in a recent telephone interview.

She is a friend and a colleague that I reach out to regularly. She has had such a steady, calm way of leading.

Henry, like Morrison, has received ongoing praise for demonstrating strength and compassion in the face of COVID-19. Henry has even reportedly been nominated for the Order of Canada in recognition of her leadership during the global pandemic.

The accolades being heaped on Henry come as no surprise to Morrison.

She is a great public health leader and role model, says Morrison.

She has had that ability to care and is able to have such a critical thinking about public health and population risk and to be able to communicate that, which is really something special.

Morrison's first working relationship with Henry was when Henry was working as interim provincial executive director of the B.C. Centre of Disease Control from December 2013 to August 2014 and Morrison was more than a handful of years into her current role.

The pair, of course, have had regular interaction during the pandemic.

Shes a pleasure to work with, says Morrison.

She will often say something referencing P.E.I. In the past we have had face-to-face meetings, and I always looked forward to seeing her then.

Henry, who grew up in Charlottetown, maintains a strong connection to Prince Edward Island.

Her parents live just a couple of blocks away from Morrisons home, and Henry's sister, niece and nephew live in the capital city.

Henry, unlike Morrison, has made a career away from P.E.I.

In 2000, Henry worked with the World Health Organization and UNICEF on a polio eradication program in Pakistan. The following year she went to Uganda to help combat an Ebola outbreak.

Morrison says her feet have been firmly planted on native soil since she was appointed chief public health officer for P.E.I. in 2007. She has never considered working elsewhere since the prestigious appointment.

Morrison makes a point to mention, whenever she can, that Henry, who was appointed as B.C.s provincial health officer Feb. 1, 2018, is a native of P.E.I.

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P.E.I.'s chief public health officer inspired by B.C. counterpart - The Guardian

New ways of working will boost medical innovation and benefit companies, shareholders, and the wider population

There are three things we know always happen in a crisis. Poor leaders get found out, as voters in the United States may already have already started to realise. The initial response is always completely hopeless, as we have discovered once again in Britain. And finally, and most importantly, whether it a war, a natural disaster, or an epidemic, eventually it sparks a wave of innovation because in the end human ingenuity always rises to a challenge.

The Covid-19 crisis is, at the risk of stating the obvious, the worst medical crisis we have witnessed in a century. But here is a bet, and one that matters to investors: it will also spark a much-needed wave of medical innovation. The last decade has been terrible for the pharmaceuticals and life sciences industry, with slowing innovation, defensive mergers, and dismal returns for shareholders.

However, that could be about to change because new ways of working will be discovered, regulations will be re-invented for a new era, and spending on healthcare will be increased. The companies that come up with treatments will be the big winners but the whole industry will start to flourish once again.

Over the next few months, every developed country will work its way through different strategies, from partial lockdowns to social distancing to herd immunity, to cope with Covid-19. But it remains the case that the only real solution will be scientific. Until we have a vaccine, or an effective drug treatment, the virus will justcome back again and again. There is no other way of beating it. One way or another, technology will have to rescue us.

The pharmaceuticals industry, although it wouldnt want it to happen this way, could use a boost. Its giants have all struggled over the past decade, and while the biotech start-ups may have raised a lot of money, very few of them have managed to live up to the hype. Just take a look at the figures.

Link:
Why Covid-19 will spark a wave of medical innovation - Telegraph.co.uk

Photo: Contributed

The Spotlight Series is a series of articles looking at common, and preventable, diseases. I explain the science behind the condition, how to spot early signs and what you can do to prevent it.

The science

Coronary heart disease (also known as cardiovascular disease, or ischaemic heart disease) is one of the leading causes of death in Canada. It is also relatively preventable, by making small lifestyle adjustments.

Coronary heart disease is caused by a build-up of atheromas along the lining of the arteries around the heart (coronary arteries). Atheromas are deposits, made up largely of fat and cholesterol. This build up in the walls of the arteries makes the arteries narrower, which is called atherosclerosis.

This narrowing of the arteries means that the heart receives less blood. This can cause a variety of problems, the most common of which is angina. Angina is chest pain, that is brought on when the heart isnt getting enough blood. This can be because of physical activity or stressful situations, where the heart is beating faster and therefore requires more blood.

Another form of coronary heart disease is a myocardial infarction, or heart attack. This occurs when the arteries become completely blocked, meaning the heart isnt receiving any blood.

Heart failure can also be a consequence of coronary disease, as the heart becomes too weak to pump blood properly around the body. This can happen either suddenly or gradually.

Signs and symptoms

Angina causes chest pain that is typically associated with a heaviness, tightness or uncomfortable sensation, that may spread to the jaw, neck, arms or back. Angina is often triggered by exercise, and will pass quickly when you rest or use a nitrate spray.

If the pain doesnt go away when you rest, or if the pain is particularly severe, it may be a heart attack. People also experience symptoms like nausea, sweating, feeling faint or short of breath. If you experience these symptoms, call 911 immediately, as this is a life-threatening emergency.

Heart failure can happen gradually or suddenly, and usually presents with shortness of breath. This is due to a build up of fluid in the lungs because the heart cant effectively pump fluid around the body.

How to prevent heart disease

Luckily, you can reduce your risk of getting coronary heart disease easily by keeping your blood pressure and cholesterol levels in the normal range.

Eating a cardio-protective diet is the best place to start. Here are the key aspects of the cardio-protective diet:

The heart is a muscle like any other, and so its important to treat it as such. Giving it regular exercise is the best way to keep it healthy and prevent the onset of disease. Regular exercise keeps your circulatory system efficient, reduces your cholesterol, and keeps your blood pressure at a healthy level.

As well as eating well and exercising to protect your heart, giving up smoking is a hugely important part of preventing disease. Smoking is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, as it causes the blood to be more sticky, and likely to atherosclerose.

Good news: drinking alcohol (albeit in small doses, and in low sugar forms) is actually a positive thing for heart health. Enjoy a glass of this regions awesome wine once or twice a week, and know that its on doctors orders! However, any alcohol in excess is not good, and binge drinking increases the risk of a heart attack. Be sensible.

Take home message

You guessed it its my motto! Eat well, exercise, and be aware of the signs and symptoms. If you believe you may be suffering from heart disease, speak to your family doctor. Even if you have heart disease, it is possible to reverse some of the damage to your arteries. Get in touch if you have any questions, or want to discuss this topic more.

Read the original here:
The Spotlight Series: coronary heart disease - Health and Happiness - Castanet.net

By Shannon Ebrahim is Independent

It is no small feat that Cuba, impoverished for 60 years due to the US economic embargo, has one of the best health systems in the world, with more impressive health indicators than those of the US and many other developed countries. Cubas success is largely due to its unrelenting commitment to prevention and community oriented primary health care.

Cuba has one of the highest ratios of doctors in the world, with 8.2 doctors per thousand people, three times the rate in the US, which has 2.6 doctors per thousand people. South Korea has 2.4 doctors per thousand people, while Italy has 4.1. Cubas mortality rate is equally as impressive with a rate of 4 per 1,000 births, which is lower than that in the US, despite all its resources.

Cuba struggles with shortages of medicine in its pharmacies as a result of the US sanctions regime, but it has found ways to continue improving its universal healthcare for the Cuban population. Cuba spends an impressive 23% of its national budget on healthcare and 30% on education, comprising a total of 53% on education and health, compared to the US which spends 28% on health and education.

It is a shocking double standard that US companies are not allowed to export essential life saving medicine to a critically ill Cuban child if they are the child of a member of the Cuban Communist party. There are medications in the US for particular diseases that cannot be bought in Cuba. US regulations stipulate that US drug companies must certify the end-user if they want to sell medicine to Cubans. The end user cannot be a member of the Communist Party, according to the Helms-Burton Act, which was signed into law by former President Bill Clinton. Most US drug companies find such certification impractical and therefore refuse to export to Cuba.

Cuba has risen above these monumental challenges in acquiring medicine for its people, and these hurdles have actually spurred innovation and medical scientific research in the island nation, with amazing results. Cuba has made huge strides in biotech innovations, and specialises in antiviral drugs such as Interferon Alpha 2B, which is being used to combat Covid-19 in both Cuba and China. Cuba supplies Interferon in its public health system as a preventative measure to elevate the immune system. It is also used in the early stages of infection with Covid-19, whereby it is administered via nebulisation so that it reaches the lungs, and has shown to have a positive impact. It is also administered to positive Covid-19 patients in a critical state through Intramuscular injection. Interferon is now being produced with Cuban technology in Jilin in China at a joint venture facility.

Cubas state owned pharmaceutical industry has been prioritising the production of Covid-19 treatments and therapies, and has 21 other products being used to fight the virus such as antivirals, antiarrhythmics, and antibiotics. Cuba is also using Biomodulin T for recurring respiratory infections in older adults to increase a patients defences.

Cubas successful health system has been an example for the rest of the world. Cuba has the worlds largest medical schools the Havana Latin American School of Medicine which provides free education to 35,000 doctors from 138 countries since 1999. Scholarships to the medical school include full tuition, textbooks, accommodation, meals, and a stipend. Graduates are encouraged to practice on the frontlines in low income and medically underserved communities.

Cuba is committed to producing revolutionary doctors prepared to put their lives on the line both at home and abroad to save lives. Today Cuba has 50,000 doctors working in 61 countries at any one time, which is a feat not even the most developed countries can rival. It is truly remarkable that a tiny island nation which has endured suffocating economic sanctions imposed by the US for over 60 years can have accomplished so much for the betterment of humankind.

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Cuba lauded for one of the best health systems in the world. - stopthefud

Location, location, location. A mantra in real estate and an unfortunate reality for proper access to health care.

In Los Angeles County, those who live in low-income communities are three times more likely to die from COVID-19 than those in wealthier areas. People of color are also disproportionately affected. Black people make up 9% of the Countys population, yet account for a staggering 15% of coronavirus-related deaths.

Regardless, LAs wealthier zip codes have reported significantly higher cases. This is not because such areas are at a higher risk; instead, the numbers are a result of significantly lower rates of testing in lower-income neighborhoods.

Just two weeks ago, Mayor Eric Garcetti expanded free COVID-19 testing to all LA County residents. However, expanding testing is not the same thing as providing equal access to it.

People from underserved communities are more likely to die from coronavirus, due to existing disparities in access to health care and a continued lack of proper prevention and treatment. The county must do more to adequately expand testing to its most vulnerable populations and UCLA can be a part of those efforts. From increasing communication about available resources to easing restrictions on access to testing, LA County and UCLA Health can help by improving testing efforts in the most marginalized neighborhoods.

Coronavirus-related death rates in neighborhoods such as East Hollywood, Pico-Union and Westlake are four times higher than the national average. These are the same areas where more than one-third of housing is overcrowded.

Timothy Brewer, a professor of epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and Medicine, said there are big differences in the healthcare statistics between areas like West and South LA.

In areas where there are more African Americans in particular, those areas tend to be more crowded they tend to be poorer, Brewer said. They tend to have fewer health care facilities, and the health care facilities tend to be of lesser quality than in high-income areas.

Unfortunately, certain populations are at an extremely high risk simply by virtue of their zip code.

Systemic solutions are necessary to address these disparities, but in the mean time, proper testing and prevention is the least that LA County can provide. One way is to make sure that hospitals and clinics in low-income areas are properly staffed and have adequate resources. Its also important that these communities continue to get proper and updated information.

And UCLA has the resources to help. In early April, UCLA Health initiated testing for all incoming surgical and procedural patients, as well as ER admissions. UCLA can work with clinics in lower-income areas to launch expanded efforts.

Populations that have historically had little to no access to proper health care are just as susceptible to catching the virus, if not more. California Governor Gavin Newsom estimates that 60,000 people experiencing homelessness will become infected. In a county with the second highest rate of unsheltered individuals, these populations might not have access to food or shelter, let alone proper medical care.

These things that create pollutants tend to be much more common in people of color communities and poor communities, said Nina Harawa, a professor-in-residence with the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Literally the bodies of people in those communities are predisposed to have poor outcomes related to (COVID-19).

In California, Latinos and African Americans are exposed to 40% more pollution than white people making them more susceptible to coronavirus-related complications.

As a massive health care provider with offices spread across the city, UCLA Health can work with LA county to ensure that these populations get the information they need when it comes to accessible testing options and preventative measures.

Furthermore, undocumented workers, many of whom are working essential jobs and are at a greater risk, have no access to employment benefits or paid sick leave, despite being underpaid. They, along with mixed-status families such as DACA recipients or those with immigrant spouses, also wont get access to the stimulus check provided by the CARES Act.

And the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which covers testing for all uninsured workers, excludes those who are undocumented regardless of the fact that they pay taxes.

And the legacy of the countrys improper treatment of undocumented individuals may heighten fears of deportation if they try to access medical care. ICE agents made arrests on the first day of Californias official lockdown.

They made it seem like you can come get it, you can come get the test, regardless of your immigration status, but (theyre) not thinking about how undocumented folks may still be hesitant and may not trust what they are saying, said Daniela Rodriguez, a fourth-year sociology student.

One major deterrent is the current identification requirement for an individual to receive testing. And while LA County has promised not to use identification for purposes of law enforcement, loosening ID requirements could greatly increase accessibility for low-income and marginalized communities.

Undocumented populations should not have to choose between their health and physical safety. It is vital that the county keeps an open line of communication with the undocumented community, so they can receive the correct information and proper testing.

Granted, LA County has already greatly expanded its testing capacity. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. With the help of institutions like UCLA Health, the county must now make sure that testing is not just equally available, but equitably delivered. Because although the expansion towards universal testing is expensive, there is no other alternative.

Anyone, regardless of socioeconomic status, race or citizenship can become sick and spread the virus. Selectively ignoring already marginalized populations on the grounds of arbitrary social classifications will only prolong the virus reign and cause more avoidable deaths.

The virus does not discriminate and we cannot afford to either.

Read more:
Universal access is not the same as equitable access when it comes to COVID-19 tests - Daily Bruin

Development of PrEP for COVID-19 Could Allow Country to Open Safely Before a Vaccine Is Available

Development of PrEP for COVID-19 is likely possible in a shorter period of time than a vaccine. Although there are no drugs approved yet for treatment or prevention of COVID-19, expert opinions and computer modeling analysis have been able to identify a set of compounds, both small molecules and biological macromolecules, that could stop severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) from replicating in the body.1

PrEP has already been established as an effective medicine that revolutionized the fight against HIV. Since a vaccine for HIV has not yet been developed after decades of research, PrEP has been able to act as a preventative measure for those vulnerable to the disease.1 As a preventative measure, PrEP has been able to reduce vulnerable populations chance of infection by over 99%.2

Our experience with HIV shows that we cannot pin all our hopes on the development of a vaccine, no matter how optimistic we may be, said James Krellenstein, a co-founder of PrEP4All and member of the COVID-19 Working Group New York, in a press release. Development of PrEP for COVID-19 has the potential to be a major breakthrough until a vaccine is available. But research efforts will fail to deliver unless we take a dramatically different approach.2

Currently, scientists have found that some of the molecules that could block the replication of SARS-CoV-2 are already FDA-approved drugs. However, the United States has not been able to coordinate the necessary processes that would effectively evaluate the antiviral potency of these compounds in vitro. This has resulted in a limited number of them having been tested to prove their efficacy in preventing COVID-19.1

In its report, the PrEP4All Collaboration detailed 3 recommendations to facilitate a centrally coordinated process created by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), along with industry and international partners, that would support the development of PrEP for COVID-19 prevention1:

PrEP4All has done the world a great service, said Gregg Gonsalves, assistant professor of Epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health, in a press release. Using antiviral drugs to prevent SARS-CoV2 transmission, just as we use them to prevent HIV, opens up another way to bring this pandemic to an end. Unfortunately, what PrEP4All exposes is an effort just getting off the ground, with no coordination and leadership of key tasks like high throughput screening and prioritization of clinical trials. NIH, FDA, WHO should heedPrEP4Alls recommendations to get this effort on track and scaled-up.2

From prior experience with pandemics such as HIV, according to the report, it has been established that the most efficient method of advancing results is by creating a coordinated process between institutions such as the NIH and WHO, as well as academic and industry partners. Such a process can result in clearer directions regarding basic science and clinical care for a disease.1

In the past, PrEP has been highly effective at fighting pandemics that devastated global populations in a way that seemed uncontrollable. Today, no one knows with certainty the method that will effectively control COVID-19, but it has become necessary to find the most efficient way possible.1

We owe it to the world to explore every possible option in controlling this pandemic, said Krellenstein in a press release. PrEP could be a game-changer for the COVID-19 response and save countless lives, especially among the most vulnerable populations. But that will not happen unless we better coordinate our efforts and urgently prioritize research.2

REFERENCES

See the article here:
Development of PrEP for COVID-19 Could Allow Country to Open Safely Before a Vaccine Is Available - Pharmacy Times

BusinessEvolving health research could catalyse demand for high-end office space in Scotlands cities from the burgeoning life sciences sector, according to Knight Frank.

Tuesday, 12th May 2020, 4:45 pm

The UK Life Sciences report from the property consultancy which has offices in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Melrose has found that growing collaboration between companies in the industry and the wider tech sector, plus more computational science, will cause seismic shifts in the industrys property requirements.

As medical technology, biopharmaceutical, and digital health companies become more interdependent, property will need to reflect their growing need to cluster in new locations, according to the report. It also highlighted the 750 million expansion plans at Edinburghs BioQuarter and the establishment of the Medicines Manufacturing Centre in Renfrewshire as examples of the trend already taking hold in Scotland.

Knight Frank also said Edinburgh and Glasgow were among the top UK locations for investment in digital health, attracting 30m and 10.5m respectively.Scottish Development International says there are more than 750 life sciences organisations in Scotland, with the sector adding 2.4 billion to the economy, on track to reach turnover of 8bn by 2025.

Lee Elliott, Knight Franks global head of occupier research, said: Covid-19 has brought the growing importance of life science and health research companies to the fore. The needs of the NHS, and other health services, will likely cause an acceleration in the convergence of technology and life sciences, particularly around digital diagnostics and preventative medicine.

The restructuring of life sciences companies will bring a new wave of demand from the sector, particularly in Scotland where [small and medium-sized enterprises] make up the majority of the industry.

Indeed, landlords that are able to provide flexible, cost-effective space to accommodate the rapid growth these companies can achieve and help them track their investment will be well-positioned. So too will facilities that are future-proof and capable of manufacturing advanced therapeutics.

Occupier services partner Simon Capaldi said: The shift towards more computational [research and development] will see an increase in the need for more conventional office space in city-centre locations. It is perhaps no surprise that were seeing more demand from the sector in Edinburgh, which offers a deep pool of data science talent.

Tech, more broadly, has emerged over the past five years or so as a significant source of activity in Edinburghs office market, accounting for around one-third of city centre take-up.

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Evolution of life sciences to spur need for high-end office space in Scots cities - The Scotsman

Tokyo May 14, 2020 (Thomson StreetEvents) -- Edited Transcript of Eisai Co Ltd earnings conference call or presentation Wednesday, May 13, 2020 at 7:30:00am GMT

Eisai Co., Ltd. - CEO, Representative Corporate Officer & Director

Eisai Co., Ltd. - Senior VP & President of Neurology Business Group

Eisai Co., Ltd. - VP and Chief Medicine Creation Officer & Chief Discovery Officer of Oncology Business Group

Daiwa Securities Co. Ltd., Research Division - Research Analyst

It's now time. We would like to begin financial results presentation on fiscal 2019 results. Because of COVID-19 infection situation, today we are live distributing -- streamcasting the financial results presentation.

I would now like to introduce the presenter today, Representative Director and CEO, Mr. Haruo Naito. Without further ado, I would like to -- I'll give the microphone to Mr. Naito.

Haruo Naito, Eisai Co., Ltd. - CEO, Representative Corporate Officer & Director [2]

Naito speaking. Now I would like to give you a presentation on the financial results for fiscal year 2019. Please look at the slide.

Given the current circumstances surrounding COVID-19 pandemic, we are a pharmaceutical company. Therefore, we believe that there are many roles that we should play, out of which, I think, what is most important is described on this page, which is stable supply of our products. Needless to say, each pharmaceutical product is leading to quality of life or lives of patients. Therefore, these are all life-related products. Therefore, the discontinuation of supply is not allowed.

On this slide, we are globally rolling out manufacturing at 9 sites over the world. On the right-hand side in table at each manufacturing site, the state of emergency issuance is different among different manufacturing sites. But currently, at all 9 sites, operation is smoothly ongoing. Therefore, stable supply of our products have been secured.

To maintain stable supply, as we have described at the bottom of this slide, we needed to have sufficient supply of raw materials, API or intermediates or packaging materials. These have to be kept in ample stock. To continue our manufacturing activities, such BCP, business continuity plan, is necessary. Currently, for our main products, on the average, we have ample stock of final products amounting to 4 months to 5 months of stock level.

Needless to say, another important point is at manufacturing sites, of course, we have employees who are operating the plant. We needed to secure the safety of them. We have manual -- internal manual for COVID-19 is utilized in order to implement, in fact, rigorous infection control measures to secure safety of employees. Another role to be played by us is to develop treatments and vaccines for COVID-19.

From that perspective, today, first of all, we'd like to share with you the possibility of eritoran, E5564. Eritoran, as you see at the footnote #1, which is a structural analog of lipid A, which is an activator of endotoxin of bacteria, you can see chemical structure scheme of this compound for the sugar chain. And this was a treatment which was in-house synthesized at Eisai Research Institute of Boston with an aim to get approval of this compound for indication of severe sepsis we conducted until up to Phase III trial. But in 2011, this development of eritoran was discontinued.

E5564, or eritoran, will be studied in hospitalized patients who tested positive with COVID-19 and have worsening symptoms. On the right-hand side, mechanism of action and schema are described. The target of eritoran is found at upstream of cytokine gene expression signaling. The target is TLR4. So this is a TLR4 antagonist. At the very upstream of this cytokine gene expression signaling will be inhibited. Therefore, downstream IL-6, TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, various cytokines production will be inhibited. So eritoran is going to be tested for indication for certain groups of patients who tested positive with COVID-19.

In the lower bottom left corner, you will see the description of how we are working on this project. In the U.S., there is an international network called REMAP-CAP-COVID for repurposing of drugs. Various multiple drugs are being tested within this framework, where we have participated to explore the possibility of eritoran. Starting from June 2020, global randomized, controlled study will be initiated at domestic investigational sites. In order to prepare such sites, we are making necessary coordination. These investigational drugs are being under preparation with good quality and about 400 subjects to be enrolled in this randomized, controlled study. If everything goes well, at the end of -- around the end of this year, we'll be able to get the result out of the study and -- although the second wave and third wave of infection are anticipated, but there will be possibility to address those second and third waves of infection.

Through countermeasures against NTD, neglected tropical diseases, we have been engaged with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for many years. In relation to that, the Gates Foundation is taking a central role in the development of vaccines for COVID-19. As you can see in the bottom left corner, an immunologic adjuvant, E6020, which is already used in practical use, this was internally developed and discovered at Eisai Research Institute of Boston, which we may pursue the possibility as a vaccine. And The Scripps Research Institute is leading the initiative called pandemic response library, where Eisai's very unique natural products compound library has been already provided as regards to the development of treatment.

On the right-hand side, what has been already licensed out to Roivant Sciences, which is gimsilumab, which is a monoclonal antibody in Pennsylvania, Exton, former Morphotek site, has originated this antibody, which is anti-GM-CSF monoclonal antibody. For ARDS, or acute respiratory distress syndrome, Roivant Sciences has initiated trial. Utilizing our site at Exton in the U.S., we are providing API for this investigational agent.

Supporting stakeholders. That is described on this page. In Japan, under the hhc concept, we are collaborating with various groups and associations and organizations so far, for example, at the top, with local governments or medical associations. In total, there are about 167 associations with whom we have formed the partnership agreement for dementia. The second bullet shows the 4 groups of Living Labs. And the patient support groups and patient family advocacy groups over 100 groups as such in the area of dementia, cancer, epilepsy and sleep disorder. With 300 groups in Japan, we have prepared masks or relief goods and providing support goods to these groups. In the U.S., Europe, China, Asia and Africa, we are providing funding, for example, to provide PPE or providing support for the frontline health care professionals. In China, we are -- we have donated donation contribution to Wuhan Charity Federation in China.

Given these initiatives, now we would like to present to you the summary of the consolidated statement of income for fiscal year 2019. Please look at the right-hand side. The characteristics of these results are described in the headline. Operating profit was JPY 125.5 billion and profit for the year was JPY 122.5 billion. The profit for the year attributable to owners of the parent is JPY 121.8 billion, ROE is 18.6%, all of which have been the record-high numbers. In the past, for fiscal year 2010, operating profit reached JPY 113.1 billion or ROE reached 16.4%. But all these numbers exceeded that number in fiscal year 2010.

Revenue was JPY 695.6 billion, up 8% year-on-year, which will be explained in details later. This was driven by global brands, our proprietary brand drove this growth. And the cost of sales due to the mix improvement, given the growth of our in-house developed product, cost of sales ratio in the sales improved by 3.4 percentage points. Gross profit grew by double-digit rate. And R&D expenses were 97% of the previous year on this statement of income. However, including partners' reimbursement, R&D expenses were JPY 203.7 billion, which was up 6% from the previous year. We are one of the most proactive pharmaceutical companies in terms of investment in R&D among global peers.

SG&A expenses. Given the expansion of the business in the previous year, the SG&A expenses grew 12% year-on-year due to the expansion of the shared profits with partners. And operating profit was up 46% year-on-year to reach JPY 125.5 billion and profit for the year was 84% increase from the previous year to JPY 122.5 billion. At the very bottom of this page, net DER, minus 0.29 in terms of financial robustness. Therefore, net cash position was secured. The debt-free management has been maintained. In the meantime, free cash was exceeding the JPY 60 billion, therefore exceeding the amount necessary for paying dividend. Ratio of equity attributable to owners of the parent, or equity ratio, is -- was 63.8%. Given any circumstances, we can say that we have very robust financial structure, which would not be affected by any circumstances, I would say.

Here is the breakdown of changes in revenue. On this graph, as you see, the biggest factor for increasing the revenue was expansion of global brands. There was an increment by JPY 53.2 billion. And what has been obtained from the business in the previous year, that is to say, milestone payments, were recognized, increasing the revenue by JPY 10.6 billion. Given the success the business recorded in the previous year, that was the main driver for the increase in revenue this year under review.

Regarding the LENVIMA-related payments, all milestones -- preset milestones were cleared. Therefore, there was milestone payments in the amount of JPY 10.6 billion. And given the transfer right for the -- transfer of the shares of the Elmed Eisai, there was a negative factor and transfer rights for tazemetostat and the milestone payments were recognized. Therefore, there was an increase by JPY 14.1 billion, an increment in total was JPY 52.8 billion year-on-year to reach JPY 695.6 billion.

Next, breakdown of operating profit migration. The factors contributing to the changes were almost similar to what we saw with revenue and increase of shared profit of LENVIMA paid by Eisai recorded minus JPY 25.5 billion. This was all due to the expansion of LENVIMA business. Therefore, shared profit paid to partner was increased. Therefore, we believe that this is a proactive increase in the expenses. And the operating profit was increased by JPY 39.3 billion year-on-year to reach JPY 125.5 billion, which was a record-high.

On the right-hand side, you can see the R&D expenses. Please look at the column for FY 2019, JPY 140.1 billion, which was recorded on the P&L. Adding JPY 63.5 billion as the reimbursement from partners, that total JPY 203.7 billion was the actual spending in R&D activities, which accounts for about 29% of the revenue compared to the previous year, which was up 6% from a year earlier.

Now turning to LENVIMA. For fiscal 2018, 2019 and 2020, over the 3 years, we have seen a steady and dynamic growth over the years. For the current year under review, revenue was JPY 158.0 billion, which was 41% year-on-year. In the current fiscal year, we are aiming at achieving this. On the right-hand side, Americas, for hepatocellular carcinoma and the combination therapy with KEYTRUDA for endometrial carcinoma, for these indications, developments are being ongoing. And the first-line HCC indication, we are preparing for the launch for this indication, which is currently under review in combination with KEYTRUDA.

Another important market next to Americas is China for LENVIMA as well. New patient assistance program has been introduced. And the number of patients has increased by about 60% from a year earlier. And regarding thyroid cancer indication, launch readiness is being progressed. In Japan, EMEA, Asia, Latin America, endometrial cancer and HCC, the number of countries where these indications have been approved and launched is to be expanded in order to achieve this JPY 158 billion for the year.

For LENVIMA, there have been the guidances recommending this LENVIMA use from various societies. And given this COVID-19 infection risk, oral formulation cancer agents are being recommended. For example, from ILCA, International Liver Cancer Association, issued guidelines -- guidance to recommend oral formulation. And the second one, LENVIMA used to be classified as category 2 but now recommended as category 1.

For RCC, the oral formulation cancer agent has been recommended by issued guidance. And LENVIMA, everolimus combination therapy is recommended. For endometrial carcinoma, in combination with KEYTRUDA, rather than every 3 weeks but every 6-week administration is recommended. Therefore, combination therapy of LENVIMA and KEYTRUDA has been increasingly selected. And the benefit of administration of LENVIMA's oral formulation is being enhanced, given this risk of infection.

Conversion treatment is something that I've reported on past occasions. In hepatocellular carcinoma, when tumor volume is large in patients and it is Barcelona B Classification patient, first, LENVIMA can be administered to shrink the tumor volume. And then curative treatment, such as TACE, may be utilized to achieve cancer-free status in patients. And that is conversion treatment. In Japan, which is one of the most advanced countries in hepatic cancer treatment, TACE and other curative treatment have been developed and such -- correction, conversion treatment has been developed. And the combination therapy with LENVIMA allows for such conversion treatment.

Study 307, Study 309 Phase III studies are underway for combination therapy of LENVIMA and KEYTRUDA. And as for the studies listed here, enrollment of target number of patients has been completed. For Study 307 and Study 309, close to 1,000 patients have been enrolled. And we will make sure that we will make close follow-up of patients and would like to make sure that there will not be a delay -- substantial delay in the conduct of the trials. We will work with Merck to minimize negative impact of COVID-19 by working together and by working flexibly.

I would now like to discuss the topic of neurology area. First, DAYVIGO. This is lemborexant orexin dual inhibitor. In Japan and the United States, approval conditions were all satisfied and it is now ready to go. Once again, orexin biology is shown in this slide in the upper part of the slide. One of the most prominent researchers in Japan, Dr. Yanagisawa had conducted ligand hunting for orphan GPCR. And this is known as the most successful result. Orphan GPCR HFGAN72 ligand was discovered to be orexin, as shown in the middle of the slide. And orexin is a very important substance that controls sleep and wake cycles according to Dr. Yanagisawa.

And at Tsukuba Research Institute, library was built. And as a result, we were able to obtain receptor E2006 or lemborexant. There were 2 large Phase III studies, compared to placebo and compared to zolpidem ER in older patients. In these 2 large Phase III studies, very good results were obtained in sleep latency and quality of sleep. And in 2 healthy subject studies, residual next-morning effect was observed. This is the third blue triangle, and this is reflected in the package insert in the United States. As a result of the 2 studies, in comparison to placebo, there were no meaningful differences in next-day postural stability. So sleep latency, quality of sleep and residual next-morning effects in all of these 3 areas, treatment is achieved by DAYVIGO.

We are now preparing to launch DAYVIGO. Under COVID-19 situation, information communication with the traditional method of medical representatives visiting institutions will be difficult. So as shown at the bottom of the page, we will be centering around digital-centric strategy, including web seminars, digital meetings and remote communication. Centering around digital means, we would like to launch DAYVIGO. We are preparing for launch in June timing in the United States and around July timing in Japan.

Now turning to aducanumab. Towards completion of submission, we are making good progress. In the United States, we now have open BLA and have started to submit modules of the filing. This regulatory filing process, in this process, we are making good progress in open BLA submission modules of the filing. And for that, pre-BLA meeting has been scheduled. Therefore, we expect to complete the filing in Q2 fiscal 2020. We have a very good visibility of that. And at the same time, in Japan and in Europe, we are engaging with regulators. Together with Biogen, Eisai is engaging in very strong collaboration with Biogen. And we are starting to make full-fledged preparations to deliver potentially first therapy to reduce clinical decline in Alzheimer's disease patients.

About BAN2401, final regulatory requirement, Phase III study, Clarity AD, is in the stage of enrolling patients and progress had been made so far. However, because of COVID-19 impact, the pace is slightly slowing down. However, sites in China will soon initiate enrollment and the impact may be such that additional 3 months may be required. Final readout timing is changed from Q1 fiscal 2022 that we announced previously to Q2 fiscal 2022. As for earlier phase of AD, preclinical AD, we have Phase III study AHEAD 3-45. And we are about to be ready to start the study. Home infusion at patient home or assessment to be conducted remotely, these are measures that are being encouraged by the regulators. We would like to make active utilization of these methods to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 as much as possible.

Today, regarding BAN2401, I would like to discuss 201 study, which had already been completed. This is the core study. And at the bottom of the page, the situation of OLE study is described. Of course, 201 study is parallel group comparative study. ADCOMPS is used to measure the slowing of progression of the disease. And various background biomarkers are measured. And slowing of pathophysiological progression was observed through the observation of these biomarkers. And we believe that these support for efficacy clinical symptoms.

As for OLE study, after the end of the core study for 2 years, after the end of the randomized study, there is discontinuation of about 2 years. And this is the baseline for OLE study. CDR-SB is used to assess cognitive function. Between active arm and placebo arm in the core study part, there were differences in clinical symptoms. And that difference is maintained over this discontinuation period. The gap between the 2 arms is maintained. That is what this data suggests.

On the right side, in the first bullet, this is described. When disease modifying effect was demonstrated by a drug, it is considered that suppression of cognitive decline versus placebo continues after administration of drug was continued since neuropathy is reduced. This is one of the strong data suggesting disease-modifying effect. In the middle, for your information, our key drug Aricept data is shown. On the right side, at the end -- after the end of the core study of Aricept, after 6 weeks of discontinuation, cognitive function deterioration in active arm was such that the level declined to the same level as placebo arm. And this is the difference between symptomatic relief and disease-modifying drug as we see it. And that is why I am sharing with you this information on this page.

Earlier, about second-generation -- next-generation Alzheimer's disease drug treatment, I have mentioned that we have started full-fledged effort. And one of the important efforts as a part of that is dementia platform easiit. We have registered the name easiit. easiit dementia platform is shown at the center. And this uses smartphone app. easiit core asset includes Aricept accumulation of AD treatment experiences, AD is also included. And based on external cohort and high-quality data, analysis is carried out and advice can be given as a result of utilizing data. And that is the most important core asset.

Using that -- in order to use this asset, on the left side in daily living domain, to consumers, to patients -- or from consumers, from patients, personal health record can be collected, including data on sleeping, data on walking, data on diet. And from April, to providers, sales of NOUKNOW has been started. NOUKNOW is a digital tool, which allows for convenient checking of cognitive function. And through this, personal health record can be collected. And we will be applying our AI to analyze data. As shown in the arrow on the left at the bottom, we can return the information to make a recommendation of preventive action so that people can practice such action. We would like to encourage people acquiring a habit of practicing such preventative action.

On the right side, in the medical domain, medical data is collected by various medical institutions, including blood test results and medical version of NOUKNOW, Cognigram data. Cognigram uses same algorithm to measure brain performance. Such information can also be input into easiit through medical chart, through medical version of the app. Using AI algorithm, treatment effect can be visualized and side effect detection can be assisted. Such information can be provided. And this will make easier realization of optimal treatment and will also assist in conducting efficient interviews and diagnosis by doctors. So in daily living and in medical area, data can be crafted. And they can be connected and combined on the platform of easiit.

One more thing I would like to discuss about easiit is chasms that I also discussed in the information meeting. Chasm is the gap in disease understanding or barriers that must be overcome so that preventive actions become common practice. These gaps are chasms. As noted in the footnote 2, and at the left part, it shows that total population is about 66 million. Often, smaller number of people understand the disease, 44 million. And people who have acquired common practice of preventative action is even smaller in number, and people who have a common practice of checking cognitive function is even smaller. These are the chasms. And in medical domain, on the right side -- as shown on the right side, convenient diagnostic tool, whether it is prevalent, used frequently or biomarkers usage, the number of population is even smaller.

And monitoring of administration side effect, there is even bigger chasms. In each chasms stage, easiit can be used to reduce and eliminate chasm regarding the lack of understanding of disease. People between the ages of 40 to 50, we can offer content that we develop jointly with influencers through easiit to educate people on the disease. As for the lack of convenient diagnostic tool or -- we would like to provide NOUKNOW. And regarding PET test, CSF examination, easiit can provide information about the utilization rate of these equipments in institutions and offer information of that. And easiit can also help build a network for better cooperation regionally by using easiit. As shown at the very bottom including cognitive checking, lifestyle can be improved, and smooth diagnosis and treatment of dementia can be realized more easily. That is what we would like to achieve.

This is my second from last slide. COVID-19 may bring a new order or as people often call it, new normal. We are facing COVID-19 situation, and we were made to realize that there were 2 principles: first is that human life comes first, and the second is that individual countries cannot stand-alone. If -- even if one's country is okay, if the others are not okay, that is not a good situation. And in this situation, one of the most important keyword is digital transformation. Here, digital and personal should be utilized in combination. New way of communication including easiit on the digital platform, we are able to have direct 2-way communication with many patients. And our field force sales activities can use digital in combination with in-person activities.

And in medical care delivery, it is already happening -- some changes are already happening, including online medical consultation. And remote medicine among health care professionals can be further promoted even in remote areas. In African countries, apps may be utilized to understand disease prevalence. On the right side, there is a box with the title New Logistics. I discussed a stable supply earlier. Climate change will continue to be a problem, and we do not know what we will have as next pandemic. There will be natural disasters. Market may grow or shrink. With AI, we can make forecast. In raw materials procurement to production plan, we are able to better execute this. Global enterprise resource planning should be promoted.

And as shown in the next bullet, from intermediate raw material to final product, manufacturing, more on a regional basis rather than depending on global network, may become more necessary. And new life-related policy business -- and businesses is the right bottom box. It is not only pandemic. AMR and Neglected Tropical Diseases can become a major problem and disease for the whole world. We cannot become complacent and therefore, we have to enhance problem-solving abilities in low-income populations and countries. For example, Universal Health Coverage or UHC benefit level improvement is one of the things that we have to seriously address. And in regulatory approval system, priority review system should be flexibly used in broader scope as people are discussing this issue right now.

This is the PL for the ongoing fiscal 2020. JPY 719 billion is the forecasted level of revenue, 3% up from the previous year. So we expect continuous growth in revenue. And therefore, we will be making expenditures including milestone payments. And LENVIMA, JPY 154 billion of product sales including milestone revenue. LENVIMA business alone will be achieving revenue of JPY 250 billion -- or is achieving JPY 250 billion. It has grown into a very big product. And with the mix of in-house product, we will have a better situation, and we will achieve a growth in gross profit. As for R&D expenses and SG&A expenses, the input of resources -- investment of resources, this is for the investment into the future beyond EWAY 2025 into EWAY future. BAN2401 aducanumab, these AD-related diseases, for both of these, we will have large-scale studies, and we have large-scale studies. And LENVIMA shared profit partners will be increasing. And we also have to prepare to make contribution to patients through next-generation dementia drug. And therefore, we also plan to make investments in these areas.

It is now the time to make these investments. And therefore, operating profit is forecasted to be JPY 88 billion; profit for the year, JPY 67 billion. Return on equity is 9.7%. According to the forecast, equity spread will be ensured in this fiscal year. As for dividend per share, it is noted at the bottom line at the Board meeting earlier today, year-end dividend of JPY 80 was approved. And for fiscal 2020, we expect to pay annual dividend of JPY 160.

An with this, I conclude my presentation on fiscal 2019 results. Thank you for your attention.

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Unidentified Company Representative, [3]

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Now we would like to open the floor for Q&A session. (Operator Instructions)

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Questions and Answers

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Operator [1]

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(Operator Instructions)

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Unidentified Company Representative, [2]

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(Operator Instructions) The first question is from Citigroup Securities, Mr. Yamaguchi. The floor is yours. Are you ready, Mr. Yamaguchi? Can you hear? Yes. We can hear you.

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Hidemaru Yamaguchi, Citigroup Inc, Research Division - MD & Analyst [3]

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My name is Yamaguchi, I'm from Citigroup. My first question. Well, first of all, eritoran, which I have heard after a long interval, data will become available by the end of this year and in development -- rather than development and the sales for the future. Is Eisai leading initiative of sales or this network will be leading the initiatives in future sales? Which is the case?

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Haruo Naito, Eisai Co., Ltd. - CEO, Representative Corporate Officer & Director [4]

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Naito speaking. Mr. Yamaguchi, that point is yet to be considered. Now quality of this investigational drug is being secured, and we are making utmost efforts to provide the drugs to the frontline. We are trying to speed up the clinical trial as soon as possible. That is what we are working hard. But if everything goes well and the commercial production shall be accelerated proactively, of course, we would like to see Eisai taking initiative. But when it comes to specific framework for commercialization, which, I believe, is yet to be determined.

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Hidemaru Yamaguchi, Citigroup Inc, Research Division - MD & Analyst [5]

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Understood. Second question is about aducanumab. Let me clarify one point. It's a open BLA or rolling BLA, I think that is the submission made module by module. And after completion, then review process will start. That consensus in the United States, do you think that there is a delay? Or the play BLA meeting itself, there may have been any negative impact to that process or if there have been any reshuffle of the person in-charge at FDA, I think there are certain uncertainties. And I believe it's difficult for you to make any counterargument under this situation. But from your gut feeling, what is your take once completing this process? And then do you think the development afterwards will be visible?

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Haruo Naito, Eisai Co., Ltd. - CEO, Representative Corporate Officer & Director [6]

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For this point as well, it is related to regulatory filing and the timing of getting approval all to be up to discretion of the regulatory authorities. Therefore, we are not in a position to make any comments on that. But we're thinking about the usual range if the delay is contained within that normal range or some minor hedges. I believe that those are contained to the minor ones. For the fundamental core structure of the processes, we believe that these have not been swayed by this situation at all.

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Hidemaru Yamaguchi, Citigroup Inc, Research Division - MD & Analyst [7]

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Understood. My last question is about LENVIMA LEAP study. Those [116] has been submitted after immediately. And since the inception of the study, until the filing, there have been several studies where the filing process was very speedy. Do you think that this stance approach will be continued and repeated for LEAP study?

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Unidentified Company Representative, [8]

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Thank you very much. From Oncology Business Group, Dr. Owa, who is in-charge of Science is going to respond.

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Takashi Owa, Eisai Co., Ltd. - VP and Chief Medicine Creation Officer & Chief Discovery Officer of Oncology Business Group [9]

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Dr. Owa speaking. Mr. Yamaguchi, thank you for your question. Among LEAP study, I believe that what will be designated as a breakthrough therapy in the United States. If there are any potential, we would like to pursue that process together with Merck. Of course, we are not have a preconception regarding any specific types of cancer, but the universal benefit is expected from this combination of LENVIMA and KEYTRUDA. Therefore, we believe that such breakthrough therapy designation can be utilized in order to pursue the faster track approval. That is my answer.

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Unidentified Company Representative, [10]

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We have Mr. Hashiguchi from Daiwa Securities. Mr. Hashiguchi, please.

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Kazuaki Hashiguchi, Daiwa Securities Co. Ltd., Research Division - Research Analyst [11]

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View original post here:
Edited Transcript of 4523.T earnings conference call or presentation 13-May-20 7:30am GMT - Yahoo Finance

Since the coronavirus pandemic began, Americans have been presented with a series of harrowing portraits of a health care system thrown into chaos. First, there were the awful hypotheticals sketched by epidemiologists: hospitals overwhelmed, halls crammed with the desperately sick, doctors forced to decide whose lives were most worth saving. Then came the real-life chaos as the wave of infections began to crest in hot spots like New York City: nurses breaking down over trying to treat dozens of dying patients at once; corpses being forklifted into refrigerated trucks and buried in mass graves.

With evidence mounting that daily deaths are trending downward in some of the hardest-hit locations, theres reason to hope that the worst is nearing its end. But were only just beginning to see the presence of a second, quieter crisis roiling our health care system, an economic disaster brought on by anti-COVID measures that has pushed untold numbers of doctors and practices to the brink of insolvency.

The hospitals bearing the brunt of Americas COVID-19 treatment have had to deal with several types of shortages over the last month: manpower, test kits, protective equipment. Whats been less of a struggle is money. The federal government has committed huge sums of money to ensure hospitals are adequately reimbursed for every COVID patient they treat. Meanwhile, the rest of the nations hospitals have felt the financial squeeze, as they sit mostly idle following a mad scramble to prepare for the possibility they were about to become COVID triage centers. According to first-quarter GDP numbers released yesterday, cratering spending in the health care industry accounted for nearly half of the economys 4.8 percent GDP shrinkage.

Take Michigan. In the early days of the coronavirus crisis, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer moved fast to shore up the states COVID readiness. Among the steps she took: a March 20 executive order temporarily postponing all non-essential medical procedures. As Detroit began to develop into a major coronavirus hotspot, Whitmers aggressiveness seemed prescient. As the weeks dragged on, however, some of the hospitals in more lightly affected areas began to sound the alarm that they were bleeding out financially.

Yesterday, the CEO of Hillsdale Hospital, a small-town hospital in southern Michigan, penned a letter to Whitmer laying out the dire situation: If elective surgeries were not allowed to resume, many of the states rural hospitals would likely be forced to shut down permanently within just a few months.

That CEO, JJ Hodshire, told The Dispatch that the loss of elective surgeries was starving his hospital of one of the few profitable services on an already tight balance sheet. As a small hospital, Hillsdale Hospital lacks substantial bargaining power and thus is largely at the mercy of the procedure rates stipulated by insurance providers even in good times. This means it relies on elective procedures like joint replacements to stay in the black.

We operate on a shoestring budget, he said. We have struggled like the rest of rural American health care. Weve had some losses year after year, but we understand the importance as a community need, as a not-for-profit hospital, that we need to engage in this, because we know that if theres no local hospital, people die. When your hospitals close, access to care is now limited to a 30, 40, 50 minute drive. And when youre talking about heart attacks, youre talking about strokes, every minute counts.

When Whitmers order first came out, Hodshire said, his hospital scrambled to make a plan to prepare for a possible COVID spike, and also to weather a lengthy loss of revenuea plan that meant laying off 15 percent of the hospitals workforce. That number has now grown to 20 percent, and will grow higher if elective surgeries do not resume. Even if they were to resume right away, the hospital would still be looking at about a $10 million hole in its budget, which federal aid has defrayed only partially.

Its going to have grave consequences for many hospitals around Michigan, because we cannot dip that far into our cash reserves to sustain the model without significant mass layoffs beyond the ones Ive already done, Hodshire said. When you think of Hillsdale, its not shopping malls and great cuisine and those type of things. Its very difficult to recruit physicians to this community. And so if I go shredding their contracts and laying off physicians, its counterproductive to our operations, because those physicians will leave. And then I wont be able to have physicians here to engage in the activity.

As the crisis has dragged on without COVID cases spiking in his area, Hodshire said he has had a hard time justifying the freeze to people clamoring for the banned surgeries who cant afford to wait.

We get calls all the time: When are you starting them up? We need to do thismy insurance is ready to run out, because I lost my job and its only good to the end of the month. Can I get that surgery? he said. Well, no, sorry. Why? The governor said we cant. But I heard you have no COVID patients, you have one. Yep, thats true.

Its hard to explain that when someone needs care.

If small hospitals have it bad, many private practices have it even worse. The coronavirus crisis has put a near-total freeze on Americas use of preventative medicine. Some states have closed dentist offices, and where they are open, people often opt to cancel appointments rather than venture into an office and risk virus infection. Same with well-care visits to family practitioners.

Number one, nobodys coming to the office, Dr. Helen Barold, a private-practice cardiologist in Bethesda, Maryland, told The Dispatch. Were probably 20 percent of what we were at the mostprobably less than that. None of the private practice doctors are taking a salary that I know of. Were all just not taking salary at all.

Instead of her ordinary work, Dr. Barold has found herself transformed into a remote aide to help her regular patients navigate the coronavirus crisiswork that now occupies the bulk of her time but is largely unpaid. Making matters worse is the fact that the CARES Act set aside no special dispensation for private practices like hersto qualify for government assistance, she has been forced to dive into the same depleted PPP loan program serving millions of other small businesses in America. She applied for a loan last week, but has yet to hear anything back.

You know, Im a doctor. I dont know anything about that kind of stuff. Nobody said to us, You should be applying for this immediately, she said. I called my congressperson yesterday Theyre like, Yeah, we cant help you. But they did listen to me cry for 20 minutes about the fact that, of all the people, Shake Shack, Harvard, Mercedes, they do not need this. I feel like we need a TBA: Tiny Business Administration.

If Congress replenishes the PPP fund and Dr. Barolds loan goes through, it will buy her a couple months grace: the loan rules permit her to put the money intended to pay her own salary toward her practices lease instead. If it doesnt, shell be faced with an impossible choice: spending down her own life savings just to get her staff through a couple more uncertain months or closing up shop on the practice that has been the pride of her career.

You know, I talked to my lawyer yesterday: Hey, what if I go bankrupt? she said. Is my house going to go? If I decide Im going to go bankrupt, and I cant pay my lease anymore, and Ive got to give my practice uphow much can they take from me?

This is a practice I built myself. I started from scratch, I started from zero patients. I walked in, I opened the door one day and said, I am here. And, you know, I saved so many lives! And its just gone to shit.

Photograph by Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Portland Press Herald/Getty Images.

Read more here:
Our Other Looming Health Care Disaster - The Dispatch

Hannah Gibson -Apr 30, 2020 / 6:00 am | Story:298702

Photo: Contributed

This is a friendly reminder to call your doctor, get seen and start treatment for whatever ailment, lump, bump, injury or illness youre currently experiencing.

With COVID-19 dominating our news, social media, conversations and thoughts, its unsurprising that we might be thinking of little else. However, your health remains a top priority, regardless of your COVID status.

With so much attention on the pandemic, its understandable that you might have not noticed changes to your health, if youre not experiencing a cough, shortness of breath or fever. Or, you may be anxious about visiting a doctor or hospital for fear of contracting the disease or taking up valuable resources.

My message to you is this; let your doctor be the one to judge your health situation. Almost all family practices are available for appointments in some form; whether thats a telephone or in-person consultation. By sharing your concerns with your physician, they can decide what the best course of action is. It may well be that they advise you to sit tight, but they can at least offer guidance and support for at home measures.

However, your doctor may decide that a referral is necessary, or further tests or scans. In medicine, it is always better to catch things early, and referring you for tests or a second opinion can be vital in getting information about your condition while its still possible to provide effective treatment.

B.C.s chief medical officer, Bonnie Henry, has urged citizens not to ignore urgent medical matters during this time. She also advised parents to continue with their childrens vaccination schedule, at a time where vaccinations have never been more important for safeguarding against infectious disease.

B.C. has actually seen a reduction in the number of visits to the ER since the pandemic has begun. On one hand, this is positive; perhaps people are only coming to the ER when they really need it, rather than using it as a walk-in clinic. However, there is a worrying alternative; that people are too scared to come in, and their health will bear the consequences of that.

So, please take this as a reminder to check in on your, and your familys, health. Is there something that has been bothering you? Have you had all tests and scans that were booked in for you? When was the last time you saw your particular specialist? Is your child up to date with vaccinations?

For any further advice or support, please get in touch with your family medical practice by phone, as they are in the best position to help you. Stay safe and be well!

Hannah Gibson -Apr 16, 2020 / 11:00 am | Story:297398

Photo: Contributed

Boredom eating, stress baking and closed gyms can lead to what people are calling the Quarantine 15 weight gained from our time in isolation.

While I dont want to add another anxiety to an already growing list, your physical health should remain a top priority during isolation.

Although worrying about weight gain isnt helpful or effective, taking steps to look after yourself will boost your mental health as well as keeping weight gain at bay.

Ive put together some ideas to help you keep your mind and body in peak condition during this time.

Identify why

Why is it that you keep going to the fridge or cupboard for more snacks? It is likely boredom, which is understandable. The solution is to keep your mind and body busy; call a friend, do a puzzle or read a book.

If youre still struggling, try snacking on something very low in calories, like celery or carrots. Itll keep your mouth and hands busy and wont be contributing to any weight gain!

Keep track

Use an app like MyFitnessPal to track your calorie intake as accurately as possible. Most of the time, seeing how our calories stack up during the day is enough to put us off eating more than we need.

You can also look at the vitamins and nutrients of what youre eating, and adjust accordingly. The chances are, theres vitamins or fibre that youre missing out on, so you can focus on increasing foods that are rich in these.

Exercise where you can

With closed gyms, parks and outdoor spaces, finding a way to exercise right now can be challenging. The good news is that there are lots of online courses and apps that offer at home workouts, ranging from a good old fashioned HIIT session to at-home ballroom dance or burlesque.

Many companies are offering reductions on courses, or free sample sessions, so make the most of whats out there. This may be the time to find a new passion.

Go low

When grocery shopping and cooking, aim to use low fat and sugar foods, such as dairy, spreads, salad dressings and oil. If the unhealthy snacks arent in the cupboard, you wont be able to eat on them!

Think before you eat

Ask yourself; am I eating this because Im hungry, because Im bored or because its in front of me? If its the latter two, stop.

Suggest a game or a walk to break up the mindless munching, or have a glass of water instead.

Check your mental health

Take time to check in on your mental health.

With your routine out of whack, food, sleep and exercise taking a turn for the worse, financial and work struggles and kids out of school, this is a difficult time for us all.

Its important to cut yourself some slack; this is a stressful time and if chocolate or the odd glass of wine helps you relax, go for it! Its all about finding a balance between healthy living and enjoying life, and only you know whats right for you and your body.

Hannah Gibson -Apr 6, 2020 / 11:00 am | Story:296497

Photo: Iz zy/Unsplash

Many of you may be anxious, stressed or upset with everything going on in the world right now.

Whether you suffer from mental-health issues or not, it is perfectly understandable to be experiencing heightened senses of emotion during such a turbulent time.

I have compiled a list of ideas I think can go some way to helping alleviate the feelings of anxiety and upset right now.

Id love to hear your thoughts on it, or if you have any further ideas that may help others.

Seek Help

Its important to remember that help is still out there for you to access, no matter what issues youre facing. With all the attention on COVID, it can be easy to forget about other health concerns, including your mental health.

Most family practices are still open, with an emphasis on telephone consults or even through online portals. If you have a health query, dont hesitate to seek help. Let your doctor be the one to decide if its a priority.

Seeking help for mental-health support is more important than ever. Kelownas Crisis Response line is still running, and is available to listen whatever you wish to talk about.

CMHA Kelowna is also open, and can signpost you in the direction of further care.

Another great resource is http://www.heretohelp.bc.ca.

Give Help

One of the most amazing feelings is being able to help others, and theres no time like the present. If you are able to, providing help and support in your community is an invaluable use of your time.

Whether its getting groceries for elderly neighbours, or offering childcare support to frontline workers, youll get a huge boost for your own sense of wellbeing by helping those around you.

If youre at risk yourself, you can help from your home by offering your phone number to people who are in self-isolation, so that they can call and have a chat to alleviate the time alone.

Limit News

In a time of 24-hour news on the TV, shared news articles on your social media and news apps on your phone, the influx of information can be incessant.

I find it helpful to limit the amount of news I see in a day; too much and the state of the world can become overwhelmingly stressful.

Create Routine

Most of us have seen a big change in our routines, with working from home or having the kids off school. As creatures of habit, we crave a sense of structure, and so creating a routine for your days will help alleviate the feeling of uncertainty.

Set alarms, have your meals at appointed times, and allocate set breaks from work or schooling. Make sure youre getting showered and dressed properly in the morning; it may seem silly if youre not going out, but the process of getting ready and feeling smart will help your productivity levels no end.

Self Care

Now is an excellent time to focus on your self care.

This means something different for everyone, but the essence is finding something that relaxes you and occupies your mind.

This could be:

Whatever works for you, incorporate it into your daily routine. Along with self care for your mental wellbeing, make sure youre looking after your physical health too.

Eating well, exercising, hydrating and getting enough sleep are all really important in keeping your body and mind healthy.

Connect with Others

If you didnt use video calls before, now is the time to get stuck in. Ive been able to connect with my family back in the U.K. far more than I normally would over the last month, as people are realizing the power of video calls.

Weve done pub quizzes, had long chats about life, played games and seen each others living spaces far more than ever, and despite social distancing I feel more connected than ever to some of my closest friends.

Acknowledge Emotions

Despite all these measures, youre likely to still feel anxious or down from time to time, and thats OK. Talk about how youre feeling with a friend or family member, or on the crisis line.

The chances are, they are feeling the same, and shared emotions are much easier to deal with than facing it on your own. If you feel like crying, let it out. Ive cried a lot in the last few weeks, and every time Ive felt a release of emotion that then lets me get on with my day and put those feelings behind me.

Whatever your situation, I hope you and your friends and family are keeping safe and well during this time. Remember to seek help and give help where you can, and most importantly, stay home to slow the spread.

Hannah Gibson -Mar 19, 2020 / 6:00 am | Story:279469

Photo: Contributed

Forty-five per cent of Canadians regularly take health products, such as vitamins, minerals or herbal remedies.

With annual sales at an estimated $1.4 billion in Canada, I ask:

A recentUniversity of Toronto study looked into the evidence supporting the use of supplements, such as vitamins, minerals and fish oils. Specifically, the study looked at the effect on the risk of heart-related illness.

It foundthere was no significant effect from taking supplements.Supplements dont help to prevent cardiovascular disease, and they come at a cost.

I take a look at the main vitamins and nutrients, and how you can ensure youre getting enough without paying excessively for the benefits.

The government only recommends a few supplements, depending on age. Vitamin D is recommended for all Canadians, because most of us are deficient due to a lack of sun exposure.

Vitamin D helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body, and is needed to keep bones, muscles and teeth healthy.

Being deficient in vitamin D can lead to rickets in children, which is a type of bone deformity. In adults, it can cause a condition called osteomalacia, which is a softening of the bones.

During summer, we should be able to get all the vitamin D we need from sunlight. However, as most Canadians are deficient in this vitamin, taking an oral supplement is a good idea.

Vitamin A and C are also recommended for children aged six months to five years old. Vitamin A helps your bodys natural defences, including keeping skin healthy, while vitamin C also helps maintain healthy skin, bone and blood vessels.

Eating a balanced diet full of fruit, vegetables and dairy (or alternatives fortified with vitamins), should ensure that you get all the vitamin A and C needed.

The recommendation to supplement childrens diets is due to the fact that more vitamin A and C are needed for growth and development.

Women trying for a baby, or in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, are recommended to take folic acid. This nutrient is important in the development of the brain and spinal cord in Fetuses.

Aside from pregnancy, there is no clinical need or benefit to taking folic acid, so it isnt recommended for anyone outside this category.

Other nutrients, such as calcium and iron, are also marketed by pharmaceutical companies as being essential to your health and well being.

While this is true calcium building strong bones, muscles and teeth, and iron essential for carrying oxygen around the body we should be reaching our daily targets if we eat a healthy, balanced diet.

Good sources of iron include meat, liver, beans, nuts, whole grains and green vegetables.

Women need more iron than men due to having periods and losing blood each month. Signs of iron deficiency anemia include feeling tired, out of breath or weak.

If you believe you may be deficient, go to your family doctor to get your blood levels checked.

Taking iron supplements without medical supervision isnt advised; iron can cause nasty side effects.

Calcium is also found in similar foods, as well as dairy products (or fortified alternatives). Taking too much calcium, in the form of supplements, can cause stomach pain and diarrhea, so again is not recommended without a physicians advice.

A few years ago, I challenged myself to eat the Daily Dozen a checklist of 12 types of food that you should incorporate into your diet each day.

I downloaded the app (Dr. Gregers Daily Dozen) and aimed to tick off all the food groups by the end of the day.

This is a great way of making sure youre getting all the right vitamins and nutrients to stay fit and healthy!

The list is as follows:

Download the app, or read of Dr. Gregers book, How Not to Die. Its a really informative read about how to use diet and exercise to prevent all the top causes of death.

Get in touch in the comments below, or via email, if you have any questions about supplements or how to reach your daily targets.

More Health and Happiness articles

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It's not all about COVID-19 - Health and Happiness - Castanet.net

By David Williams, CNN

(CNN) -- A North Carolina family's pug may be the first dog in the United States to test positive for coronavirus, according to researchers.

Three members of the McLean family -- Sam McLean, wife Heather and their son, Ben -- contracted Covid-19 last month. Sydney McLean, the couple's daughter, was the only family member to never show any symptoms.

The family found out their dog, Winston, tested positive for the virus too after they participated in a Duke University study about Covid-19 aimed at trying to find potential treatments and vaccines. As part of the study, members of the family under go weekly nasal swabs and give blood samples.

Chris Woods, the principal investigator of the study, said researchers have also been collecting samples from family pets to see how coronavirus spreads in households. Researchers did not use the commercial tests that are in high demand around the world to test the animals.

Although they haven't tested many pets, Winston's sample is the only one that's come back positive. He is believed to be the first dog in the country to test positive for the virus, according to the university.

"His (Winston's) amount of virus that we detected was very low, suggesting that he would not be a likely mechanism or vector of transmission of virus to either other animals or to, to humans in these households," Woods said.

Sam McLean, a researcher and emergency room doctor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was the first member of the family to get sick, his wife Heather McLean said. He had treated Covid-19 patients before he got sick.

Winston did show some minor symptoms while his family was also sick.

"He had a small cough for a day or two right in the peak when all of us were sick and he didn't eat his breakfast one morning," Ben McLean told CNN. "But we didn't have any concrete, like, super alarming illnesses where we're like, 'we need to take him to the vet. He's like really sick.'"

Woods said researchers don't know if coronavirus made Winston sick, or if he had an unrelated ailment.

The McLeans have another dog and a cat, whose tests were negative.

Winston tends to lick things and likes to spend more time around his family, Heather McLean said. Their cat is more aloof, and their older pug likes to sleep most of the time.

"Winston is much more affectionate and we hold them all the time," she told CNN. "So if any of the animals were to have a positive viral test, it would be him."

Federal officials announced last week that two cats tested positive for the novel coronavirus in New York.

Eight lions and tigers tested positive for Covid-19 at the Bronx Zoo, but the big cats are all doing well, according to a news release.

Two dogs under quarantine in Hong Kong also tested positive for the virus, according to officials there.

Experts have stressed that there is no evidence that pets play a part in transmitting coronavirus.

"I would not change our, our behaviors with our household animals at this point. They're really an important part of our ongoing mental health as we continue to participate in our social distancing to combat the pandemic," Woods said.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease specialist, said in a press briefing last week that "there is no evidence whatsoever that we've seen, from an epidemiological standpoint, that pets can be transmitters within the household."

William Schaffner, a professor of preventative medicine and infectious disease at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, said that it is extremely rare for a virus to jump from an animal to a human.

He said the first case in the Covid-19 pandemic was believed to have come from a market in Wuhan, China, but it has spread around the world through human-to-human contact.

"We still don't think this is common and we certainly don't think it's a major route of transmission in either direction," Schaffner said. "It's not common for people to give it to their pets, nor has it been demonstrated ever that anyone's ever gotten this virus from a pet."

Schaffner said it would be a good idea for people who are sick to social distance themselves from their pets, as well as their family members. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has made similar recommendations.

Heather McLean said that her family is now out of quarantine and are cleared to go back to work. Her husband has volunteered to work in a special Covid-19 unit in the emergency room, because he thinks he'll be at less risk than colleagues who haven't been infected.

Heather McLean and Ben McLean hope to be able to donate plasma, so their antibodies can help patients.

"We are feeling very grateful that we have the opportunity to participate in this research study," she said. "We are really hopeful that we can donate plasma to be able to help other patients."

She said Winston is also doing well. He is getting lots of walks, and enjoying following his family around the house to keep an eye on what they're doing.

CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of the dog owners' last name.

The-CNN-Wire & 2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

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A pug in North Carolina may be the first dog in US to test positive for coronavirus - WDJT

The Miami County Health Department is asking residents to complete a survey that should shed more light on how many people in the region are experiencing symptoms related to COVID-19.

Health officials plan to use the results to seek out residents who are currently symptomatic. Those who volunteer to be tested will be able to utilize a new drive-through community sampling clinic set to be established locally by the Miami County Health Department.

A link to the survey can be found on the Miami County Health Departments Facebook page.

This survey is not intended to replace medical care or advice from a medical professional, the health department clarified.

Christena Beer, a disease investigator at the Miami County Health Department, outlined the details of the project in an email to local governmental leaders and health partners Friday, April 24, and the survey was pushed out to the public on Monday, April 27.

We have partnered with the University of Kansas Medical Center Department of Preventative Medicine and Public Health, utilizing their expertise to create and launch a self-reporting survey to residents of Miami County, Beer said.

She added that the plan is to push out the survey through multiple avenues, including social media, websites, school districts and local media.

The survey, which is recommended to be completed for each member of the household, can be filled out in about five minutes, Beer said. It will ask a few questions about the respondents demographic background, current health status, potential COVID-19 symptoms and profession. If the respondent is currently symptomatic, it will also ask if they would like to be tested. If the respondent indicates interest in testing, further demographic information is collected for the purposes of pre-filling laboratory requisitions for more efficient service at the testing site, and if selected, that person will be contacted with a location and time for testing.

Based on the potential need acquired from the survey, we are working on securing supplies to have the ability to test anywhere from 200 to 500 Miami County residents who meet criteria for testing at Kansas Health and Environmental Laboratories, Beer said. We have the ability to oversample certain groups (i.e. profession, geographic location etc.) to ensure that the sample is both representative and meaningful in data collection for the county in its entirety, and we also have the ability to randomize the sample. Once we have more demographic information, as well as number of respondents currently symptomatic, we can better narrow down our sample group(s) based on need.

Dr. Lee Norman, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), recently stated during a press conference that a rate of five tests per 1,000 persons is needed to really understand whats happening in a certain area.

Beer said Miami Countys rate of testing, as of April 24, is 5.14 per 1,000 persons.

Our rate of testing is not necessarily concerning compared to Kansas counties who have nowhere near the testing availability that Miami County has, but increasing our testing capacity will provide data that gives more information about the prevalence of the virus in our county, and it will also identify people who are infected so case investigation and contact tracing can be completed to minimize potential exposures within the community, Beer said. Increased testing will also provide information on hospital capacities, measure the effectiveness of the interventions, and assist in making data-driven decisions when determining our plan to ease restrictions and the phases that will be recommended to reopen.

A specific location for the drive-through testing clinic has not yet been finalized, but Beer said it will be in Paola at a location that will have the layout and specifications to accommodate drive-through testing.

Depending on the results of the survey, Beer said two to four additional clinics may be set up on future dates if enough residents who are symptomatic volunteer to be tested.

The test will be at no cost to the individual being tested, as we are sending specimens to KHEL, Beer said.

She added that Olathe Health and Miami County Medical Center have offered to support the mission and will provide staff and supplies to assist in the specimen collection and courier service to KHEL.

Sheriff Frank Kelly and Emergency Management Coordinator Mark Whelan have offered to help secure a site, traffic and security needs, as well as provide other needed equipment for the number of people invited.

We all have been compounded by the immensity of the unknowns, and if we knew more about the prevalence of COVID-19, we can remarkably improve our resource allocation, Beer said. Furthermore, in conjunction with Governor Kellys guidance, we can collaboratively make decisions about where, when and how we can safely reopen parts of our economy.

Miami County has had five confirmed cases of COVID-19, with the only active case being a resident in their 30s who was added to the report Saturday, April 25.

The health department reported that multiple close contacts of the individual have been identified and contacted with further instruction and monitoring for any symptoms.

Although the case investigation is still ongoing, no specific exposure has been identified at this time, and it will be classified as a local transmission, the department reported.

The other four cases involving Miami County residents have already recovered.

The department reported that 188 Miami County residents have been tested.

Kansas has 3,328 confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in 75 counties that have resulted in 496 hospitalizations and 120 deaths as of 8 a.m. Monday, April 27, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE).

KDHE reported the state has logged 23,839 negative tests. Wyandotte County has the most cases at 573, followed by Ford County, 516; Johnson County, 440; Seward County, 349; Sedgwick County, 339; Leavenworth County, 184; Finney County, 175; Lyon County, 147; and Shawnee County, 105.

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COVID-19 testing to be ramped up in Miami County - Miami County Republic

SALT LAKE CITY A Cedar Hills man who prosecutors say has been fraudulently marketing silver products as a cure for the new coronavirus, has been ordered by a federal judge to stop selling those items.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge David Barlow issued a temporary restraining order against Gordon Pedersen, 60, and his companies, My Doctor Suggests LLC and GP Silver LLC. The injunction comes on the heels of a civil complaint filed Monday in Salt Lake City against Pedersen by U.S. Attorney for Utah John Huber.

The civil complaint alleges that the defendants are fraudulently promoting and selling various silver products for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19, according to a statement from Hubers office. The defendants have made a wide variety of false and misleading claims touting silver products as a preventative for COVID-19, including that having silver in the bloodstream will usher any coronavirus out of the body and that it has been proven that alkaline structured silver will destroy all forms of viruses, (and) it will protect people from the coronavirus.

Pedersen and his companies have promoted silver products as a treatment for various diseases, including arthritis, diabetes, influenza and pneumonia since about 2014, the civil complaint states. These items are marketed under various names such as Silver Solution, Silver Gel, Silver Soap and Silver Lozenge.

In early 2020, Pedersen and My Doctor Suggests started contending that the silver products also cured COVID-19, according to court documents.

Gordon Pedersen falsely claims that My Doctor Suggests silver products can destroy coronavirus, and remove it from the body, assuring the user will never get COVID-19, the complaint states.

In his online sales pitches, Pedersen refers to himself as a doctor and often gives his sales pitch in a white coat with a stethoscope around his shoulders, creating the appearance of a treating physician, even though ... Pedersen does not hold a doctor of medicine degree, and is not licensed as a medical provider in the state of Utah, the complaint alleges.

According to the Silver Health Institute website: Dr. Pedersen holds four doctors degrees. He has a doctorate of naturopathic medicine. He has a Ph.D. from the toxicology program at Utah State University, where he also has Ph.D. degrees in immunology and biology. He is board certified in anti-aging and regenerative medicine and also holds a masters degree in cardiac rehabilitation and wellness.

Defendants are creating a false sense of security that may cause consumers to avoid conventional medical treatment and to ignore travel restrictions and social distancing that slow the spread of COVID-19.Court documents

In one of his YouTube videos promoting a silver hand sanitizer, Pedersen says he is going to go out and shake hands with people, doctors, patients, people who are infected possibly with the flu ... and Im going to have a confidence level that I have protection, court documents state.

In a podcast interview in March, Pedersen claimed, If you have the silver in you, when the virus arrives, the silver can isolate and eliminate that virus, the complaint states. In the same podcast, Pedersen said he could freely travel and was even going on a cruise ship, but was confident he would not catch COVID-19 because of his products.

Prosecutors noted in court documents that the list prices on the My Doctor Suggests website range up to $299.95 for a gallon of the silver solution, a mix of water, sodium bicarbonate commonly known as baking soda and extract from silver wire the companys self-described flagship product.

Prosecutors further noted, There is no recognized cure for COVID-19, and no drug product has been proven safe and effective for the prevention, treatment or cure of COVID-19.

Even Pedersen knows silver products are not a proven cure or treatment for COVID-19, the complaint states. They are also aware that they cannot legally promote My Doctor Suggests silver products for the prevention and/or treatment of COVID-19, and distribute them in interstate commerce. Indeed, defendant Pedersen has stated that, We are not a cure for the coronavirus there is none, and acknowledged that he does not actually know whether the products kill coronavirus.

Prosecutors described Pedersens actions as reckless and harmful to consumers, the complaint says.

Defendants are creating a false sense of security that may cause consumers to avoid conventional medical treatment and to ignore travel restrictions and social distancing that slow the spread of COVID-19, court documents state.

A federal court also froze all of Pedersens and his companies assets on Wednesday.

Even in a time of great uncertainty, there are at least two unchanging realities. There are those who would unlawfully exploit our vulnerabilities, and there are those who will hold such parties accountable, Huber said in a prepared statement. COVID-19 is a dangerous disease, and American consumers must have accurate and reliable information as they make important health decisions.

In issuing the restraining orders, Barlow wrote, There is good cause to believe that immediate and irreparable harm will result from defendants ongoing violations unless they are forced to stop, and that any harm a temporary restraining may cause to Pedersens businesses is greatly outweighed by the threat to the health and safety of individuals relying on defendants products and the representations regarding those products and to the public generally.

A hearing on the preliminary injunction is scheduled for May 12. As of Wednesday afternoon, the My Doctor Suggests website was offline.

More here:
Judge orders Utahn to stop touting silver products as COVID-19 cure - KSL.com