About
4.6 million Filipinos suffering from chronic stable angina are expected to
benefit from a new drug that was introduced at the Philippine Heart Association
Annual Convention at the EDSA Shangri-La Manila on Thursday, May 28, 2015.
The
Menarini Group, a leading Italian pharmaceutical company known worldwide for
its innovative products, recently signed an exclusive long-term agreement with
Gilead Sciences, Inc. to launch a new anti-anginal agent, in 140 countries,
including the Philippines.
A.
Menarini Philippines, Inc. said the novel drug is designed to help millions of
Filipinos with stable angina pectoris whose symptoms have not been controlled
by first-line and second-line therapy agents like beta blockers and/or calcium
antagonists.
The
World Health Organization1 has stated that cardiovascular diseases
(CVDs) remain the No. 1 cause of death worldwide. In 2008 alone, about 17.3
million died from CVDs, representing 30% of global deaths.
WHO
added that over 80% of CVD deaths take place in low- and middle-income
countries, and occurs in both men and women. To make matters worse, the New England Journal of Medicine2
added that at 12 months of follow-up, 59% of patients on medical therapy still
had uncontrolled angina.
In
the Philippines, CVD is a leading cause of mortality and 90% of the population
has one or more of the six prevalent risk factors of the disease. These are
smoking, physical inactivity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, overweight,
and obesity.
“We are delighted and honored to further
strengthen our long-term partnership with Gilead to help address the needs of
angina patients in these new territories, in particular the Asia Pacific
region,” said Alberto Giovanni Aleotti, vice president of the Menarini Group.
Menarini
is an international pharmaceutical company with over 16,000 employees worldwide
in more than 100 countries in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the
Middle East, and has a 2012 turnover of over €3 billion. It ranks 17th
in Europe and 34th in the world, according to the IMS World Review
2012.
The
Group has 14 manufacturing sites located in Italy and abroad where over 545
million packages yearly are produced and distributed throughout the five
continents, ensuring the health of patients all over the world. For more
information, visit http://www.menarini.com/
References:
1.
Global status report on
non-communicable diseases 2010. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2011
2.
N Engl J Med 2007; 356:1503-1516 April 12,
2007
Press Release
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