In this Issue...

Chairman's Message Election Countdown Part 1: Overview of Democratic Candidates' Health Care Plans As November’s presidential election approaches, there is still no clear cut Democratic candidate. I am writing this column based upon currently available campaign information and primary results, but, in

the political arena, things could change at any time. Currently, Senators Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama are fighting head to head for the nomination, but is their stand on the issues getting lost amid all of the politics? One of the most important issues for the country is healthcare. If elected, what would Clinton or Obama do to improve accessibility to healthcare insurance and decrease healthcare expenditures? Would selecting Clinton over Obama change the face of healthcare for the country? Both candidates have presented health care plans implemented if elected. Obama claims his plan would have the greatest cost decrease compared to his opponents by creating a national health insurance program for individuals who (1) do not have employer-provided health care and (2) do not qualify for other existing federal programs. Unlike Clinton, Obama does not mandate individual coverage for all, but requires coverage for all children. Obama claims this plan would save the "typical family" $2,500 a year in health care premiums.... Read More

Nu Skin claims to have identified a previously unknown cause of skin aging that could help create products that combat wrinkles before wrinkles even appear.

Scientists from Nu Skin and Purdue University presented their discovery of an enzyme that produces age accelerating free radicals at the International Investigative Dermatology in Japan this week..... Read More

Increase in Counterfeit Products Entering EU

Counterfeit products have long been a problem in the pharmaceutical and consumer goods markets, and now counterfeit cosmetics are becoming increasingly prevalent.

Counterfeit cosmetics are entering the EU in increasing numbers, with a 264% increase from 2006 to 2007. ..... Read More

Canada Continues Regulation of Ingredients

As part of the safety review of chemicals found in consumer goods, Canada has labeled a family of chemicals used in personal care products as toxic.

The industry will have 60 days to comment before the chemicals are added to the federal list of substances that are toxic for the environment or human health...... Read More

New Market Opportunity: Professional Skin Care

Professional skin care products are considered to be a growing new market opportunity, even though growth differs in various global regions.

Europe is the biggest consumer of the products and has an approximate 40% share of the $5.9bn global market..... Read More

Success Breeds Success...Year After Year

This certainly applies to PDM MedExpo & BioLink which after eight years continues to deliver a consistently trendy and exciting event to the healthcare community. PDM MedExpo & BioLink is sponsored and organized by Avani International’s sister company in the USA, PDM Healthcare.

The 8th Annual PDM MedExpo & BioLink 2008: The Wellness LifeStyle Expo took place on Sunday, May 4th at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel. Over 400 participants nationally traveled to Cleveland and embraced MedExpo events starting from 11am to 9pm.

Attendees and exhibitors saw that this event created a new energy for business development, peaking interest from important manufacturers from the aesthetics, pharmaceutical, and medical supply industries participating at MedExpo and networking with leading healthcare practitioners and executives. The wellness and aesthetics were the topic of the day not only for participants but media as well.

Event highlights included educational symposia, exceptional keynote speakers Monica Robins (Senior Health Correspondent at WKYC) and Jim Trakas.... Read More

Eastern Europe is becoming the next focal point for the global pharmaceutical industry. A high number of clinical trials are taking place in Russia, and the number is expected to grow in coming years.

Currently, 38,000 patients are enrolled in clinical trials in Russia, and more CROs are setting up operations in Russia.... Read More

France: Pharma Industry Needs to Change 32,000 Jobs Could be Lost

France is being hit by hard economic times, as evident in the French pharmaceutical industry, with 32,000 jobs at risk between 2005 and 2015.

The job cuts are the result of official bodies failing to adopt a "proactive" approach to the challenges facing the French ... Read More

Japan: Growth for Contract Manufacture

In 2005, Japan changed its Pharmaceutical Affairs Law to allow Japanese license holders to outsource 100% of drug manufacturing. Previously, the law had required part of the process to be conducted in Japan.

This change in law could potentially revolutionize the global contract manufacture market.

Prior to the law change, many Japanese manufacturers held on to the belief that if they had to conduct part of the process in-house, they might as well keep the whole process in-house.

Now, Japanese firms are starting to look to foreign markets for APIs. About 30% of Japanese firms make APIs in-house or ... Read More

Treximet Approved for Migraines

The FDA approved Pozen Inc.’s Treximet to treat migraines. The drug combines GlaxoSmithKline’s Imitrex with the anti-inflammatory naproxen. Pozen had sought approval since 2005 and twice was asked by the FDA to provide more data.

There are 30 million migraine sufferers in the United States costing $15 billion annually in lost worker productivity. ... Read More

FDA Approved: Cimzia to Treat Crohn's Disease

Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) has been approved by the U.S. FDA to treat adults with moderate-to-severe Crohn’s disease who have not responded to conventional therapies. Cimzia, an injected drug, can cause side effects including headache, malnutrition, upper respiratory infection, abdominal pain, nausea and reactions at the injection site. Because the drug affects the immune system, people taking Cimzia are at increased risk of life-threatening infections. The drug also blocks tumor necrosis factor, which may contribute to the onset of ... Read More

FDA Launches Safety Reviews

The FDA is conducting safety reviews of Regranex Gel, Ziagen and Videx. All three are FDA approved medications.

The review of Regranex Gel, a skin product used to heal leg and foot ulcers, was prompted by study data suggesting there may be an increased risk of death from cancer in diabetic patients who use the gel. While the review is ongoing, health care professionals should ... Read More

Sugar: The Not-So Sweet Story

Research has found evidence that sugar consumption interferes with immune function: When subjects were given refined sugar, their white blood cell count decreased significantly for several hours afterwards. Findings in other studies indicate a possible correlation between ... Read More

How Cancer Drug Can Damage Kidneys

The sometimes controversial cancer drug Avastin can cause kidney damage by doing what it is supposed to – but in the wrong place. Avastin, whose generic name is bevacizumab, is the first member of a family of drugs designed to attack cancers by cutting off their blood supply. It does this by inhibiting the action of vascular endothelia growth (VEGF), a protein that promotes the growth of blood vessels.... Read More

New Test Recommended to Determine Cardiovascular Disease Risk

New guidelines may change the way doctors treat patients at risk for cardiovascular disease. The guidelines say an additional test should be added to the standard cholesterol test used to determine cardiovascular disease risk. The guidelines endorse the use of advanced lipoprotein testing by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) as a more accurate method to determine risk and to check whether LDL cholesterol lowering therapies are having an effect in patients.... Read More

CF Drug Shows Promise

An investigational oral drug called VX-770 showed promising results in treating cystic fibrosis (CF) patients who carry the G551D mutation of CF. A 14-day phase 2a trial of 20 patients found significant improvements in several key indicators of CF, including lung function, ... Read More