Samsung (biosimilars) & Sony (Organs-on-a-Chip) 生醫護較長短 !!

Electronics Giants Set Sights on Biotech Samsung, Sony eye life-sci's higher growth as consumer electronics sales flatten. Alex PhilippidisApr 2, 2013 After spending decades trying to outdo each other in consumer electronics, Samsung and Sony have expanded their rivalry over the past year to the life sciences. Sony DADC, the Japanese giant's discs and digital unit, said March 18 it will use its manufacturing prowess to create Organs-on-a-Chip with the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University. The "organs" are actually clear, flexible polymer-encased devices about the size of a computer memory stick, containing hollow microfluidic channels lined by living human cells of a given organ. A month earlier, Samsung Bioepis—a Samsung-Biogen Idec biologics joint venture—said it would collaborate with Merck & Co. to create "multiple pre-specified" undisclosed biosimilars. The collaboration follows separate biosimilars failures by Samsung and Merck in recent years. Biologics is one engine eyed by Samsung for future growth. Another is medical equipment products. The other growth engines are medical equipment, car batteries, solar energy, and light emitting diode display panels. Should all five specialties succeed, Samsung expects to generate some 50 trillion won (about $45 billion) in new revenue by 2020.Also looking to life-sci for future growth is Sony. Soon after succeeding now-chairman Sir Howard Stringer as CEO last year, Kazuo Hirai said its medical business—which includes biotech instruments for flow cytometry, but is anchored on chip, imaging, and sensor technologies—could grow into a "business worth 100 billion yen (about $1 billion) in the mid- and long-term."Sony, which is scrambling to reverse years of red ink, houses a Biotechnology unit looking beyond its traditional strengths in advanced flow cytometry analysis and sorting technology. Lew McAllan, Sony Biotechnology's vp for marketing and distributor operations, told GEN recently Sony is developing a spectral analyzer that will allow simultaneous analysis of overlapping fluorochromes, providing at least 14-color analysis for two standard lasers, by virtue of a 32-channel PMT and deconvolution algorithms in software.Then there's Sony DADC, whose BioSciences division uses the company's high-precision manufacturing, mass production capability, and supply chain expertise for medical tech and biotech customers such as Wyss. The institute will join with DADC in commercializing the more than 10 Organs-on-Chips currently under development. The pipeline includes lung-, heart-, gut-, kidney- liver-, bone marrow-, skin- and blood-brain barrier-on-chip. First developed was lung-on-chip, through which Wyss Institute and partner GlaxoSmithKline modeled pulmonary edema-on-chip and demonstrated the effect of pharmacological agents in a paper published November 7, 2012, in Science Translational Medicine. The partners will also connect the organ chips through an automated instrument into a larger "human body on-chips" designed to study complex human physiology and response to drugs outside the body."The instrument would fluidically link the organ to the other chips in 10 other cartridges, and pump a 'blood substitute' through the 'vascular channels' to keep the organs viable and to link them physiologically like in our bodies, while allowing real-time analysis of cellular and biochemical functions," Geraldine A. Hamilton, Ph.D., senior staff scientist at Wyss Institute, told GEN. "We will then be able to inject a drug and see how blood levels change as a result, for example, of being metabolized by the liver chip and cleared from the body by the kidney chip, while measuring toxicities in the heart chip."The technology has been funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), NIH, and FDA.

New Ventures in Life Sci Winny Tan, Ph.D., industry analyst, drug discovery technologies and clinical diagnostics with Frost & Sullivan, told GEN Samsung and Sony are looking to tap into life-sci's greater potential for growth than consumer electronics. Consumer electronics spending fell 1% last year, and is only projected to rise 4% this year due to smartphone and tablet sales, according to the Consumer Electronics Association. By contrast, 31 U.S. labs surveyed by Goldman Sachs during the fourth quarter spent 5% more on life sciences tools compared with Q4 2011—though uncertainty over sequestration lowered the percentage from 8% year-over-year during Q3."Both Samsung and Sony have found it really challenging to continue growing in their core competencies, so they are looking for other opportunities. Also, there is pressure to diversify, to develop multiple markets," Dr. Tan said. Sony, for example, sought to expand its medical imaging business when it took an 11.5% stake or ¥50 billion (about $529 million) stake in Olympus toward a joint venture set to launch in April."Also, just from a technical aspect, these electronic companies have similar manufacturing processes that can translate well to medical devices, such as those in microfluidics, and those that are point-of-care disposable devices," Dr. Tan added.Samsung and Sony representatives did not respond to e-mailed questions from GEN.Samsung joined with Quintiles to form Samsung Biologics in April 2011. A month later, the unit broke ground for a KRW* 330 billion (about $298 million) manufacturing plant west of Seoul, in the free economic zone of Incheon, South Korea. Samsung envisioned the unit as one of five future growth engines, rising to KRW 2 trillion (about $1.8 billion) in sales by 2020—compared with KRW 10 trillion (about $9 billion) for medical technology.For Samsung, biologics development hasn't been without its risks. Last October, the company halted development of a biosimilar version of the Roche/Biogen Idec lymphoma and rheumatoid arthritis drug Rituxan (rituximab)—just six months after Tae-Han Kim, president of Samsung Biologics, told the Financial Times the company planned to launch generic versions of biologics by 2015 at half of current prices.Samsung never explained the decision, though numerous news reports speculated that the company was angered by the uncertain U.S. regulatory climate for approved biopharma copies of earlier-approved drugs. FDA has yet to finalize draft guidance issued in February 2012 for biosimilars. Samsung is now trying, trying again in biologics. Last year, Samsung Biologics took an 85% stake in Samsung Bioepis, with the remainder held by Biogen Idec. Bioepis says its purpose is to create "affordable and high-quality biopharmaceutical and biosimilar products," but has yet to say what drugs it is looking to develop, or for what indications. In its latest collaboration, Samsung Bioepis will receive from Merck an up-front payment, product supply income, and additional payments tied to clinical and regulatory milestones. Samsung Bioepis will oversee preclinical and clinical development, process development and manufacturing, clinical trials, and registration, with Merck responsible for commercialization. Merck, too, is trying to bounce back from past biosimilar failures involving Aranesp, then Enbrel."I think they chose the most ambitious route," Dr. Tan said. "They have the extra resources, and they're really making this huge play because of the projected growth in biologics, and especially biosimilars."As in electronics, then, Samsung is taking a higher-risk route than Sony in expanding into biotech and broader medical technologies. But higher risk carries higher rewards. And Sony CEO Hirai has correctly diagnosed his company's past play-it-safe approach as a key reason why not only Samsung but Apple has surpassed his company in bringing new products to market lately. While the types of customers and what they need may differ, the keys to success in life-sci aren't too different from consumer electronics: Both Sony and Samsung will have to develop new technologies, commercialize them quickly, then sell their merits to industry and institutional labs.

 

 

中國CDC配發H7N9流感檢測試劑

藥監總局：加強H7N9流感防控醫療器械監管 2013年04月10日 09:03:42來源： 上海證券報 國家食品藥品監督管理總局近日發布《關于加強醫用防護口罩、醫用防護服等流感防控醫療器械監管工作的通知》，要求加強H7N9流感相關醫療器械監管工作。《通知》表示，為確保防控H7N9流感所需醫療器械的質量，近期將把加強相關醫用防護口罩、醫用防護服、呼吸機、麻醉機、體外診斷試劑等防控H7N9流感有關醫療器械的監管作為當前醫療器械監管工作的重點任務。各地要全面及時掌握本轄區內有關醫療器械生產企業的生產動態、銷售情況，以及在經營企業中的各類產品銷售情況，做好企業監督指導工作。各地還要立即組織人員對本轄區內防控H7N9流感有關醫療器械的生產、經營企業進行監督檢查，其中對于生產企業要重點檢查企業是否建立質量管理體係並保持有效運行、產品是否取得醫療器械產品注冊證、原材料控制是否到位等內容。對經營企業則要重點檢查其購銷記錄完善性等。此外，對于H7N9體外診斷試劑，《通知》要求各地及時了解轄區內針對H7N9病毒的體外診斷試劑研制情況，加強指導並督促企業嚴格按照《體外診斷試劑注冊管理辦法（試行）》和《醫療器械應急審批程序》等規定申請產品注冊。近日中國疾控中心已研發出適用于實驗室使用的H7N9流感檢測試劑，並已向各地方配送，各地市級單位已陸續收到疾控中心發放的試劑產品。此外，疾控中心也向國內具備生物試劑研發的企業發放了測序完成的H7N9病毒基因序列，鼓勵各地企業根據序列研制相關合成基因和檢測試劑。據了解，目前許多企業都在抓緊研發工作，達安基因有關人士近日即表示，預計將于一周內推出針對甲型H7N9病毒的熒光PCR核酸快速檢測試劑盒，而科華生物也已表態正著手進行相關檢驗試劑盒的研發。(記者 郭一信)

 

禽類疫苗大廠 (Lohmann Animal Health) 將捨日本於屏農科設廠

Major German animal vaccine supplier to invest in Taiwan: COA 2013/04/05 21:26:01Taipei, April 5 (CNA) Agriculture Minister Chen Bao-ji confirmed Friday that Lohmann Animal Health GmbH, the world's fourth largest supplier of poultry vaccines, will invest US$100 million in Taiwan in the second half of the year to set up an Asian center in the country. Once the center is completed, it will produce an estimated 3 billion doses of vaccine a year for export to Asia, the Council of Agriculture (COA) said.Lohmann declined to comment when asked about the project by CNA.Asia's rapid economic development has provided a fertile environment for infectious diseases in recent years, including the H1N1 swine flu strain and H5N1 bird flu virus, which has created demand for vaccines. Lohmann understands the vast commercial potential for animal vaccines in Asia, but it felt transportation costs from Europe were too high and wanted to set up a center in Asia, the COA explained. Because Taiwan's investment environment, including its location, technology, wage level, and adherence to the rule of law met Lohmann's conditions, it replaced Japan as the company's top option in Asia. The German company will likely invest in the Pingtung Agricultural Biotechnology Park set up by the COA, and its CEO is scheduled to visit Taiwan next month to finalize its contract with the park.Work on the company's plant should start two months after the signing of the contract, according to the COA.(By Yang Shu-min and Lilian Wu)

 

角膜受損

別戴隱形眼鏡游泳、泡湯當心角膜感染眼瞎 欣傳媒／丁彥伶／台北報導-2013年04月04日 上午08:30 近視泡溫泉，擔心一片霧茫茫看不清楚，很多人都會戴著隱形眼鏡泡溫泉，基隆長庚醫院眼科主任孫啟欽表示，該院接獲一位男大生眼睛嚴重發炎、潰瘍就醫的病例，就是因為泡溫泉時，眼睛被污染的溫泉水感染了阿米巴原蟲，病情嚴重險失明，所幸後來搶救回來了。由於戴隱形眼鏡比較清析且方便，台灣許多近視族群都會選擇隱形眼鏡，不過孫啟欽說，很多隱形眼鏡族往往超時配戴，而引起乾眼症狀，日前30歲的簡小姐就是因為眼睛乾用手揉眼睛，發現眼睛變得一片血紅，檢查發現竟是揉眼時揉進了綠膿桿菌，角膜潰瘍也險喪失視力。孫啟欽提醒，過去大家都認為乾眼症只是某些免疫疾病的病人，但事實上現在乾眼症狀其實很常見，包括長時間用眼過勞、隱形眼鏡配戴時間過長、免疫系統疾病，以及服用抗憂鬱劑藥物等四種情況，都會影響眼睛產生乾眼症狀，其中又以隱形眼鏡引起的乾眼症狀，讓民眾最困擾。有許多人因為職務要求，不得不長時間配戴隱形眼鏡，包括空服員、櫃姐、模特兒、運動員…等，很多人因為在工作中無法把眼鏡取下來清洗，若配戴時間又超時，很容易造成角膜受傷，甚至出現異物感、流眼淚、眼無法張開、紅眼、劇烈疼痛、視力模糊等症狀。而很多乾眼症狀的患者，因為眼睛乾癢，常習慣性用手揉眼睛，孫啟欽提醒，我們的手常有金黃色葡萄球菌、綠膿桿菌等，再加上若隱形眼鏡沒有完整清潔，很容易把細菌揉進眼睛，引起角膜的感染。長庚眼科醫師陳永豐提醒，門診中的乾眼症患者有八成以上是女性，許多都是因為戴隱形眼鏡引起，因為長時間配戴隱形眼鏡，會造成淚水層的破壞，也會使乾眼症愈來愈惡化。隱形眼鏡族要避免引發乾眼症狀，要注意：1.不要戴超過八小時、2.不要戴著隱形眼鏡睡覺、3.不要戴著游泳、4.不要戴著泡溫泉、5.不要用自製的鹽水清洗隱形眼鏡，以免自製鹽水可能遭細菌污染，而使眼睛角膜受感染。另外，很多人眼睛乾澀時，以為使用生理食鹽水可以滋潤雙眼也不會引起傷害，孫啟欽提醒，大量使用生理食鹽水會破壞正常角膜的淚水層，愈點眼睛愈乾澀，應該使用人工淚液，若乾眼症較嚴重，可以選擇長效的緩釋型治療藥物配合人工淚液使用，才能真的緩解乾眼症狀。若是因為長時間配戴隱形眼鏡引起乾眼症狀，但生活或工作上不適合戴有框眼鏡的民眾，孫啟欽建議可以採用新的飛秒雷射治療，飛秒雷射角膜切得比較薄，較不易引起淚液膜的破壞。

牙周細菌: 無聲殺手 !!!

牙齒土石流 都怪牙周病2013/04/03 【聯合報╱記者詹建富╱專題報導】記者陳立凱／攝影 案例1：40歲不到的胡小姐，擁有魔鬼般的身材，身為業務人員必須經常面對客戶，但有次她被一位老闆的秘書私下提醒：「妳的口腔氣味有一點重，要不要去看牙科？」隔幾天，她到牙科診所就診，醫師告訴她，口臭的原因來自牙周發炎。 案例2：周先生去年刷牙時，吐出來的牙膏泡沬總混合一些血漬，而且牙齦有些浮腫，但他不以為意，直到最近，他進食時，不時會覺得一陣牙齒痠軟，甚至疼痛。他在老婆的苦勸之下就醫，醫師說，如果再遲個半年，整排牙齒就要報銷了。牙周病醫學會理事長林保瑩指出，根據衛生署國民健康局調查，40歲以上成年人中，有90%以上已出現輕重程度不一的牙周炎，但比起會讓人疼痛難耐的牙疼，許多民眾對於刷牙時會流血，歸罪於自己刷牙太用力，或把牙齦腫痛或有口臭症狀，以為是火氣大、睡眠不足而不以為意。殊不知，一旦牙周炎或牙齦炎放著不管，這些會引起牙周病的細菌就像「無聲的殺手」，會在口腔內不斷繁殖，進而破壞牙周組織，最後導致牙齦嚴重發炎、化膿、牙齒動搖，出現牙齒自然脫落或不得不拔除。牙醫師公會全聯會常務理事陳彥廷表示，造成牙周病的原因很多，包括抽菸、糖尿病、不良假牙、齒列不正等因素，但最重要的是本身是否維持口腔清潔習慣。他說，有的人刷牙時隨便刷幾下，長期下來，就會累積很多牙菌斑及牙結石，但由於牙齒外觀看起來與正常牙一樣，隨著年齡漸長，就會出現牙齦炎或牙周炎，若不及早就診改善，就會出現「牙科的土石流」，也就是牙根開始鬆動、甚至整排掉牙的後果。「成年以後掉牙的主因，不是蛀牙或老化引起，而是牙周病！」林保瑩說，與其事後因為掉牙造成咀嚼困難，或需要植牙而讓自己荷包失血，不如平常做好正確的潔牙方法，保持三餐飯後潔牙的良好習慣，可避免牙菌斑累積，並且每半年定期受口腔檢查，若出現牙齦出血的警訊，要及早就醫，如此才可遠離牙周病上身。

先治牙周病 再來談植牙 近年來人工植牙盛行，不少民眾誤以為牙齒有點動搖，乾脆拔掉重新植牙沒關係，但這是錯誤的觀念。牙周病醫學會理事長林保瑩指出，專業的牙醫師會鼓勵牙周病患者以治療為優先，治療沒有成果，或不適合保留的牙齒時，才會建議拔牙、植牙。林保瑩表示，牙周病及早經過適當治療，可停止惡化，進而避免進一步掉牙的後果。他說，唯有病人有健康的牙齦，才是牙科其他治療，如補牙、贗復補綴、植牙等成功的基礎；如果沒有治療牙周病，就直接接受植牙，這是本末倒置。牙醫師公會全聯會常務理事陳彥廷也表示，從民國99年起，健保局推動「牙周病統合照顧計畫」，透過這項計畫，即使有牙周病的民眾，醫師可協助病人做好正確潔牙的習慣，降低牙菌斑侵蝕牙周，從而控制患者牙周病的病情，並延長自然牙的使用年限。陳彥廷指出，牙周病防治最好的方法，就是早期發現並及早治療，通常醫師會以牙菌斑顯色劑，來判斷牙菌斑所在位置及初期感染的現象。一旦確定有牙周病，目前健保給付的「牙周病統合照顧計畫」，已涵蓋牙結石清除術、齒齦下刮除及牙根整平等基礎治療，病人只需支付每次回診的掛號費及部分負擔，不必再額外支付其他費用。陳彥廷說，如果牙周病達到基本的控制，患者需要提高治療效果，例如使用牙周抗生素凝膠，或因為患者有嚴重的牙齦萎縮、齒槽骨缺損而需要以骨粉或再生膜來進行牙周組織引導再生手術，或者因牙根外露而需要進行牙周整形手術，這些都屬於健保不給付項目，其個別費用從數千到數萬元不等，但牙醫師都會在事前與患者詳細說明自費項目及金額，並徵得病人同意，才會施行。

牙周病初步自我診斷：1.靠近牙齒邊緣的牙齦是不是呈暗紅色或紫紅色？2.牙齡有浮腫現象嗎？3.刷牙或使用牙線時，牙齦會出現血漬嗎？4.牙齒變得比較敏感，攝取冷熱飲食會感到痠痛？5.無論吃什麼都會口臭？6.牙齦有萎縮現象？7.牙齒之間縫隙愈來愈大？8.部分牙齒會搖動？資源來源：牙周病醫學會

 

 

衛生署 出清克流感過期藥品？

立委質疑克流感過期 衛署：只延期沒問題 自由時報-2013年04月04日 上午08:49 〔自由時報記者曾韋禎／台北報導〕民進黨立委陳亭妃昨天質疑已逾有效期限一年多的克流感，衛生署竟仍發放給民眾使用。衛生署則掛保證，強調已經過原廠的安定性試驗，是「延期」而非「過期」，絕無問題。陳亭妃昨召開記者會指出，有民眾就診後，拿到醫院開給的克流感，盒內印製的有效期限是二○一一年十月，衛生署卻在外盒貼上有效期限至二○一三年十月的標籤；民眾向醫院詢問，院方竟說，這是依衛生署公文指示，若不要的話，就要自費購買。陳亭妃拿出衛生署的公文批評，憑什麼羅氏藥廠說沒問題，衛生署就能出清過期藥品？吃出問題的話，誰要負責？陳亭妃要衛生署回收這批過期克流感。

藥廠檢測 品質符合規定 疾管局組長楊靖慧解釋，根據羅氏藥廠提供的安定性試驗報告，克流感在二十五度以下的儲存條件能使用七年；經原廠檢測後，品質都符合規定，所以都還是合格有效的藥品。她指出，現在克流感的有效期限都已經是七年了。衛生署食品藥物管理局主任秘書羅吉方澄清，這是延期，不是過期；任何藥物要延期的話，須符合特定的存放條件，也要有試驗報告；這些克流感延期至七年，品質沒有任何問題，在歐美先進國家也都一樣。

 

肌肉萎縮解藥? 還早 !!

手腳無力、變形 榮陽團隊找到致病基因 【2013/4/8 21:55】 〔本報訊〕全台灣約有9000名潛在的「遺傳性運動感覺神經病變」患者，若民眾有腳掌變形、寫字、拿筷子無力等狀況，即應盡快接受篩檢確診，透過運動延緩病情惡化。過去「遺傳性運動感覺神經病變」診斷不易，一名林先生家族有7人陸續出現上述狀況，卻苦尋不得病因，直到8、9年前輾轉到榮總，經醫療團隊研究多年，才發現神經病變的基因。林先生13歲起便出現肢肌肉萎縮、走路不穩等現象，隨著年齡增長，下肢肌肉萎縮無力的情形更為嚴重，46歲後已完全無法行走，需以輪椅代步；7歲的陳小弟弟2歲時兩腳肌肉便開始萎縮，導致走路不穩、時常摔跤，3歲時便需以輪椅代步，且雙手肌肉也開始萎縮，導致雙手功能喪失。台北榮總神經醫學中心主治醫師李宜中表示，罹患此病的患者會逐漸產生肌肉萎縮、手腳變形、走路不穩等症狀，許多病患到只能以柺杖或輪椅來幫助行動。李宜中指出，兒童及青春期是此疾病最常見的發病時期，預估台灣至少有9000位病患，但因國內對此疾病認識不多，導致有許多發病患者一直沒有得到正確診斷。在林先生家族積極配合下，台北榮總神經醫學中心和陽明大學腦科學研究中心，成功發現「遺傳性運動感覺神經病變」的變異基因，這一項研究成果也已被遺傳學界頂尖學術期刊「美國人類遺傳學雜誌」上。目前，研究團隊正積極開發解藥，李宜中呼籲民眾若出現不明原因的步態不穩、手腳無力，應及早抽血檢測，或許能以適當的運動來延緩症狀惡化。

 

 

產業再等等! 兩岸病毒株先交流!!

衛署：陸願提供H7N9病毒株 【2013/4/9 22:55】〔中央社〕行政院衛生署長邱文達今天說，他已看到公文，中國大陸衛生部疾病預防控制局已同意給台灣H7N9禽流感病毒株。中國國民黨籍立法委員王育敏、吳育仁下午在立法院質詢邱文達，中國大陸是否願意提供H7N9病毒株？兩岸防疫單位是否有管道可直接溝通疫情？兩岸是否會合作研發H7N9疫苗？邱文達答詢表示，他已看到中國大陸願提供H7N9病毒株給台灣的公文，目前兩岸正在交換相關文件，直接從中國大陸取得H7N9病毒株沒問題，但東西還沒到手，還不清楚中國大陸會提供多少病毒株給台灣。他說，衛生署疾病管制局與中國大陸衛生部疾控局可直接對話，疾控局會將H7N9第一手資訊給疾管局，但中國大陸中央與地方衛生單位都會發布疫情訊息，有時地方發布的疫情訊息會比中央疾控局快。邱文達表示，H7N9疫苗株可透過世界衛生組織（WHO）等多重管道，與H7N9病毒株同步取得；此外，衛生署副署長林奏延已領軍組成H7N9疫苗工作小組，但是否與對岸合作研發疫苗，目前只是預備階段，還沒談那麼深入，會朝這個方向努力。國民黨籍立委江啟臣質詢邱文達，如果台灣出現第一起H7N9禽流感境外移入病例，政府處理步驟是什麼？邱文達答詢表示，防疫等級將立刻提升到第4級以上，各方面檢疫將更嚴格，啟動應變醫院，開始用克流感等抗流感藥劑，全面啟動防疫網。衛生署3日將H7N9列入第5類法定傳染病，也就是新興傳染病，並將流感防疫等級，從第2級提升到第3級。衛生署依世界衛生組織建議，將流感防疫等級分6級，第1級是沒有動物流感病毒傳染給人，第2級是動物病毒造成人類感染，第3級是尚未發生人傳人或持續性社區流行，級數愈高愈嚴重。第4級是人傳人且持續性社區流行，第5級是一洲跨國流行，第6級是跨洲的全球大流行。

 

吸塵器也是過敏原?!!

吸塵器過於老舊 小心也是過敏原 【2013/4/9 19:47】〔本報訊〕換季大掃除，容易引發過敏，當心環境也可能是過敏原！北部一名2歲半的幼兒，經常半夜會咳嗽、氣喘、皮膚發癢，尤其過年前家裡大掃除，更是誘發嚴重氣喘，送醫診治後才發現是家中塵蟎惹禍。小兒科醫師周怡宏表示，全台超過9成的過敏兒最大的過敏原來自塵蟎，包含地毯、窗簾、枕頭、床墊等，若是溫度、溼度適合，家中就是塵蟎滋生的溫床；另外，一項調查顯示，超過8成家庭使用老舊或包覆不好的吸塵器，居家環境反而愈吸愈髒，因排氣口溢散出來的氣體會造成二次污染，家中幼兒反而因此成天流鼻水、打噴嚏，皮膚紅腫、發癢，甚至還會引發氣喘。周怡宏建議，比起集中性的一次大掃除，每天、定期清掃更好，房間擺設越簡單越好，並選擇品質好的除濕、吸塵器，每週以5至60度熱水燙洗長期接觸皮膚的床單、被單。長庚醫院兒童過敏氣喘風濕科主任葉國瑋表示，每年3、4月及10、11月是過敏氣喘好發季節，門診量平均增加2、3成，主要多是10歲以下幼童，建議清除過敏原，並定期除濕、換洗床單以及棉被。

 

 

Heart drug (Amiodarone) may be linked to cancer risk

A drug given to some people who have heart rhythm problems could be linked to an increased risk of cancer, according to a study in Taiwan. But we need further studies to confirm these findings. By Lilian Anekwe BMJ Group News

What do we know already? Amiodarone is a drug used to treat heart problems called arrhythmias. It is usually taken as a tablet. Arrhythmias affect how the heart beats. Instead of beating in a regular rhythm, arrhythmias cause the heart to beat very quickly and in an irregular way. This can cause complications, such as blood clots and strokes.Amiodarone can help slow the heart rate down and get the heart rhythm back to normal in some people with arrhythmias. However, it's possible that for some people, this medicine might do more harm than good. This is because amiodarone remains in the body for a long time after it is taken, and this build-up can cause side effects that can affect the skin, lungs, liver, and thyroid.There is some evidence that a build-up of amiodarone may be linked with some cancers, such as thyroid cancer and skin cancer. But there haven't been good-quality studies that have looked at this, and we are a long way from being sure that the link is genuine.To find out more, researchers in Taiwan looked at 6,418 people, with an average age of 70, who took amiodarone for arrhythmias between 1997 and 2008. The researchers worked out how many doses of amiodarone people had taken in one year, and looked for a link between taking amiodarone and cancer.

What does the new study say?In total, 280 people developed some kind of cancer during the study period, which lasted an average of two and a half years. When researchers looked at the group as a whole, people who took amiodarone were no more likely than anyone else to get cancer.Although people were more likely to get cancer if they took more of the drug over time, the link between amiodarone and cancer still wasn't very strong.

How reliable is the research?The clearest answers about links between treatments and side effects come from large studies that include a lot of people. This study was fairly large, but possibly not big enough to say for sure whether there is a link between amiodarone and cancer.The researchers warned that two and a half years might not be long enough to look for a cancer link, as some cancers take longer than this to develop.

What does this mean for me?If you are taking amiodarone to treat heart arrhythmia, there is nothing in this study that suggests you should stop taking it. There would need to be larger and longer studies showing a stronger link before doctors advised people to stop taking the drug. In the meantime, if you have concerns about amiodarone, you can discuss them with your doctor.

 

Taiwan researchers locate gene causing neuromuscular disorder

 2013/04/08 22:32:24 Taipei, April 8 (CNA) A team of researchers from two medical centers in Taipei has discovered a gene, identified as GNB4, that triggers hereditary motor sensory neuropathy (HMSN) if its DNA chain is incomplete.The group discovered the gene after spending years studying a family whose members suffered from HMSN, a heterogeneous group of various inherited neuromuscular disorders.Lee Yi-chung, an attending physician at Taipei Veterans General Hospital's Neurological Institute, said Monday that a man surnamed Lin was diagnosed at the hospital several years ago with HMSN, also known as Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease or Progressive Peroneal Muscular Atrophy.Lee said that according to the patient, his leg muscles began showing signs of atrophy at the age of 13, and the atrophying process lasted until he was 46 years old, when he could no longer walk.Several members of Lin's family also showed symptoms of the muscular disorders, including deformation of their arms and legs and weakness in their leg muscles, Lee said, noting that many HMSN patients end up using wheelchairs as the disorders progress.Before checking into Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Lin had visited many doctors and specialists around Taiwan after he was no longer able to walk, but they all failed to find the cause of his illness, Lee said.With the participation of Lin and his family, the research team, composed of National Yang Ming University's Brain Research Center and Taipei Veterans General Hospital's Neurological Institute, found the gene in the patients that induced the disorders after years of research.HMSN is an inherited, progressive disease of the nerves with weakness and numbness more pronounced in the legs than the arms. The nerves stop sending messages to different areas of the body, such as the hands and feet, because the nerve cells deteriorate.

The muscles in the hands and feet get weak because they no longer receive messages from the nerves and are therefore not used, according to the American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine.According to Lee, HMSN often appears when patients are in their childhood or when they reach puberty. One out of every 2,500 people suffer from the ailment, and at least 9,000 people in Taiwan have it, he said.Because few physicians in Taiwan know about the illness, many patients have not been properly diagnosed, Lee said.The finding of the Taiwanese team was published in the American Journal of Human Genetics on March 7.(By Lung Rui-yun and Elizabeth Hsu)

 

台灣布局中國血糖計品牌 因地制宜 需引路人 !!

台廠銷售策略 攻大陸血糖計 （中央社記者韋樞台北8日電）工研院IEK(產經中心)調查發現，台灣廠商以優異技術爭取到不少大陸血糖計國際大廠代工訂單，而大陸缺乏中間價位血糖計品牌，台商應針對不同市場慎密規劃行銷策略。工研院IEK從去年年中開始研究大陸二級城市的武漢和成都對血糖計的市場規模、需求、滲透率和行銷策略。工研院 IEK 醫療器材與健康照護研究部分析師王榛驛指出，目前大陸居家用血糖計市場競爭者，主要分成國內外品牌兩大區塊；國外品牌包括OMRON、ROCHE、Johnson & Johnson，和大陸品牌的三諾、怡成等；但缺乏中間價位品牌，正是台灣廠商可運用優質平價佈局的機會。王榛驛指出，台灣廠商如五鼎、泰博、台欣、華廣、華晶科及台達電等公司藉著優異製造能力，爭取到許多國際大廠代工與品牌合作機會，技術能量已具國際水準，具有良好的設計與製造能力，並已在歐美市場佔有領先地位。除代工外，部分廠商已建立並積極經營自有品牌，包括華廣生技的「BIONIME」、泰博科技的「F0RA」等。王榛驛說，血糖計銷售成功與否，除考量市場規模外；必須進行縝密的消費者研究，因地制宜推出不同的定價、行銷、品牌、通路策略。尤其血糖計的定價策略若能充分與行銷搭配，打出彈性定價，多元收費，或是以購買血糖計附贈血糖試紙、購買血糖試紙免費提供血糖計租賃服務的方式，都有不錯的效果。他分析，在品牌知名度方面，可針對血糖計普及率較低且消費者健康意識較弱的區域，強化提高消費者的健康意識，以刺激需求產生，再進一步透過健康意識的傳遞的同時，將企業的品牌形象映入消費者腦海中，以有效建立品牌，有助於產品銷售。在通路的選擇上，王榛驛建議，考量到由於消費者購買血糖計的主要通路為藥店或醫療器材專賣店，因此可考慮建置體驗中心或銷售門巿外，還可以巡迴展示或建立行動體驗中心，增加消費者接觸產品的機會，並針對大陸的消費者需求與使用習慣，積極佈局二級城市。1020408

 

 

東宇CFO蔡孟祈 辭職

東宇生技(4731)公告本公司財務主管及會計主管異動發言時間 102/04/0814:55:03發言人 蘇偉誌 發言人職稱 執行長 發言人電話 06-5052755主旨 : 公告本公司財務主管及會計主管異動符合條款第11款事實發生日102/04/08說明1.人員變動別（請輸入發言人、代理發言人、財務主管、會計主管、研發主管或內部稽核主管）:財務主管、會計主管2.發生變動日期:102/04/083.舊任者姓名、級職及簡歷:蔡孟祈；財務主管、會計主管4.新任者姓名、級職及簡歷:遺缺待補5.異動情形（請輸入「辭職」、「職務調整」、「資遣」、「退休」、「死亡」或「新任」）:辭職6.異動原因:個人生涯規劃7.生效日期:102/04/088.新任者聯絡電話:06-50527559.其他應敘明事項:無以上資料均由各公司依發言當時所屬市場別之規定申報後，由本系統對外公佈，資料如有虛偽不實，均由該公司負責.

 

李鍾熙 任 新北市生技產業聯盟理事長!

新北組生技聯盟 提升競爭力 2013-04-09 07:50 PM 【新唐人2013年04月09日訊】（中央社記者王鴻國新北市9日電）為協助生技產業發展，新北市政府明天發起成立「新北生技產業發展聯盟」，擬邀生技中心董事長李鍾熙擔任聯盟首任理事長。新北生技聯盟明天舉辦發起大會，除由市長朱立倫主持，擬邀請生物技術開發中心董事長李鍾熙擔任聯盟首任理事長，會中還邀請行政院政務委員張善政就台灣生技產業的發展發表演說。市府指出，希望透過聯盟的成立，建立新北市生技產業交流平台，並結合產官學研資源，推動技術交流及策略合作，以促進生技創新技術資源整合及產業化，推升新北市生技產業競爭力。市府表示，生技產業列為國家重點發展目標之一，全國生技業約1/4聚集在新北，截至去年底，全市生技產業共2078家，總資本額達新台幣891億元。市府指出，新北市去年新增投資270家公司行號，投入的資本額超過123億元，顯示新北市的生技產業正進入高度成長期。