Author: admin

-the progress achieved in recent years in the treatment of the disease and the development of new drugs with better tolerability have improved the quality of life of the patient

-the best way of “ ahead of ” to the crisis is taking antiepileptic medication correctly, because decreases neuronal hiperexcitabilidad. With antiepileptic drugs, the crisis come to control 70% of patients

-Zebinix ®, is the first drug research from Bial, which is administered by mouth – a compressed journal-allow better enforcement and one has a good tolerability in patients with epilepsy (2,3)

-pharmaceutical company Bial is strongly committed to innovation terapéutica, investing more than 20% of its annual turnover in I & D

Porto, 2011-September Zebinix ® has gathered these days at the headquarters of Bial in Oporto, prestigious epileptólogos and national and international, neuroscientists in order that can share experiences and exchange views relating to progress in the treatment of epilepsy.

Epilepsy is a neurological disease that affects approximately 400,000 Spanish and each year are diagnosed more than 20,000 new cases according to the Spanish Foundation of neurological diseases study FEEN.

Within the framework of this meeting, experts discuss various aspects related to the treatment and disease progression and will share his experience on the effectiveness of treatments in the short and long term, improvements in the quality of life of patients with new drugs and will reflect on the experience with the epilepsy in Europe and Portugal.

According to the DRA. Sea Carreño, Director of the epilepsy unit of the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona and attending the meeting, “ these meetings help neurologists that we dedicate ourselves to epilepsy to have knowledge of the developments in the treatment of the disease that can be enhanced for our patients. They are also a very appropriate framework for sharing preliminary experiences with new drugs or other forms of therapy ”.

Advances in the treatment of epilepsy

Attendees to the meeting experts point out that the progress achieved in recent years in the treatment of epilepsy and the development of new drugs with better tolerability have improved the quality of life of patients.

“ If crises are well controlled and the medication is well tolerated, there is usually no significant impact on the quality of life. However, the drug-resistant epilepsy is associated with a poor quality of life by the crisis itself and the problematic associate (cognitive, psychiatric, social, and labor) ”, explains this specialist. According to Dr. Carreño, now “ we recognize and better treat this pathology ”

with respect to the consequences that may occur in the short- and long-term epilepsy DRA. Carreño points out that “ there are many sick people with epilepsy that lead a completely normal life even if they have to take medication. However, some patients, especially those who have frequent crises which are not controlled with medication, may have social and labour issues. The serious long-term epilepsy may also be associated with cognitive problems (e.g. alteration of memory), psychiatric (depression and anxiety) and increase mortality ”.

“ The best way of “ ahead ” to crises is correctly taking antiepileptic medication, because it decreases the neural hiperexcitabilidad. With antiepileptic drugs come to control 70% of patients ”, emphasizes the DRA. Carreño.

Zebinix ® promising treatment in the treatment of epilepsy

In this sense, BIAL, co-promotion with Eisai Europe, a subsidiary of the Japanese multinational Eisai, recently launched, Zebinix ® (eslicarbazepina acetate), an antiepileptic drug (AED) administered orally – a daily pill – and is effective to improve seizure control.

With regard to the benefits that presents eslicarbazepina, Dr. acetate Carreño points out that “ Zebinix ® is a drug in clinical trials has proven to be effective for the treatment of rebel crisis, with a good tolerability profile. In addition its pharmacokinetics allows only takes a day, which represents a great advantage for many patients ”, says the DRA. Carreño.

Zebinix ® is the first drug of BIAL, one of the most important Iberian pharmaceutical groups, research, and is the fruit of 14 years of research and investment of 300 million euros.

This new drug was approved in April 2009 by the European Commission – based on the opinion of the European Medicines Agency – as adjunctive therapy in adults with partial seizures with or without secondary generalization.

On BIAL

Founded in 1924, BIAL is an international pharmaceutical group with own research that sells various products in over 50 countries on four continents. BIAL is the largest Portuguese pharmaceutical group. In Spain BIAL centralizes antiallergic vaccines and production means of diagnostics for allergies for the different markets where it operates. The Centre of excellence located in Bilbao, where the Group concentrated I & D projects in the area of allergic immunotherapy, is responsible for increasing the portfolio of products offers the pharmaceutical for the treatment of allergies.

The BIAL group is a partner of choice for many companies in response to its strong presence in the Iberian Peninsula, as well as in Latin America and in several countries of French- and Portuguese-speaking Africa.

BIAL is strongly committed to the therapeutic innovation, investing more than 20% of its annual turnover in I & D. The main areas of research and development of the company are the Central nervous system, Cardiovascular System and allergic immunotherapy. The recent launch of Zebinix ® now enables the presence of the BIAL group, through a business partner in various European countries, among which are large markets pharmacists, case of Germany and United Kingdom. Currently BIAL has other innovative products in development that will probably reach the market in the next few years consolidating the position of the company in Europe.

About Eisai

Eisai is a leading r & d globally-based pharmaceutical companies and has defined its corporate mission as “think first in patients and their families and increase the benefits provided by health care,” which we call human health care or Human HealthCare (hhc)(, for its acronym in English).

Eisai focuses its r & d activities in three key areas:

-area of Neuroscience: Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, pain, epilepsy, depression, neuropathic, etc.

-Area of Oncology: cancer treatments; tumour-regressing, tumor suppression, antibodies, etc. and support cancer treatments; relief of pain, nausea, etc.

-Reaction vascular and immune and includes: acute coronary syndrome, disease concurrence, sepsis, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, disease Crohn, etc.

Eisai, which develops its activity in the United States.USA, Asia, Europe and Japan, has over 11,000 employees working throughout the world.

Eisai has subsidiaries in Europe, in over 20 countries: United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Ireland, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Portugal, Iceland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia.

Referencia:

(1) report FEEN on epilepsy in Spain. Spanish Foundation of neurological diseases.

(2) Technical specifications of Zebinix ®, November 2010.

(3) (C) et Elger to the. Efficacy and Safety of Eslicarbazepine Acetate as Adjunctive Treatment in Adults with Refractory Partial-Onset Seizures: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Group Phase III Study. Epilepsy 2009; 50 (3): 454 – 463.

-lung is the most affected organ that develops during childhood and adolescence

-at the beginning of the fall occurs between 20 and 25% of school children with asthma admissions

-atmospheric pollution caused by traffic and industry exposure increases the risk of diseases respiratory in adulthood

-At age 14 adolescents begin smoking in a usual way

Spain, 2011-September in its commitment to the prevention and respiratory health, SEPAR, the Spanish society for Pneumology and thoracic surgery, before the start of the course recalls the importance of protecting the youngest of respiratory diseases that have their origin in the environmental pollution, in particular air pollution caused by gases and particles emitted by the transport and industries, but above the harmful effects of tobacco.

Respiratory diseases professionals believe appropriate to this reminder because “ the lungs are a body of development especially slow, still maturing during the stage child and adolescence and why it is one of the organs most affected by exposure to pollution ”. As explained by Dr. Juan Ruiz Manzano, President of SEPAR, “ the lungs are not developed at birth, even a child of 8 years, they develop until around the age of 18 ”. It is this development through childhood and adolescence, which the health of this body can be seen especially altered by pollutant factors of air with effects that can lead to chronic respiratory diseases in adulthood. Effects of the exposure range from malformations in the prenatal period to childhood asthma or chronic pulmonary obstruction in adulthood.

According to the who (World Health Organization) 30% of childhood diseases are associated with the environment. In developed countries the main two triggers are air pollution and tobacco, either for their own consumption or for consumption of the parents.

Numerous studies have shown the effects of the children of mothers who smoke tobacco. Thus, the size and weight of babies of mothers persistent smokers is lower than in babies of mothers who do not smoke. Similarly, children who suffer exposure pre and post natal tobacco have increased risk of respiratory infections in the first years of life and be diagnosed asthma.

On the other hand, the chest also show their concern by age of onset of tobacco use, which in our country stands at the age of 13. As points out Dr. Eusebi Chiner, Secretary General of SEPAR “ at the age of 13 tobacco, tested at 14 smoking on a daily basis and between 18 and 29 is when condenses more smokers Strip, 33.7% ”. And remember “ the possibility of disease of heart is proportional to the number of cigarettes smoked per day and the number of years which maintains this harmful habit ”. Therefore young people to start soon in this habit, multiply the possibilities of developing some kind of respiratory disease, tumor, or cardiovascular complication as adults.

Another factor causing respiratory infections in childhood or with sequelae in adulthood is air pollution. “ It is estimated that 35% of the Spanish population breathe polluted air but they are the two extremes of life, the newborn infants and older persons, the most vulnerable to the effects of pollution in cities ” explains Dr. Chiner

to be aware of the risks of contaminationSEPAR recalls how children who live less than 300 metres from Highway have less lung development which the residing at 1,500 meters, because of the toxicity of diesel engines. The reduction of child pulmonary function is a known risk factor in development and worsening of asthma and the later development of COPD (pulmonary obstruction disease).

Similarly, children and people with asthma are most affected by exposure to concentrations of NO2 which relate to chronic respiratory diseases, premature aging of the lung and the decline of its functional capacity.

“ As important as the family environment, the school is a favourable space to educate children of the importance of preserving the quality of the air and explain to them that tobacco is a pollutant more and more harmful to health ” says Dr. Ruiz Manzano.

SEPAR believes it is important to offer students the opportunity to meet the need for respect, care for and improve the air that surrounds us and at the same time, show you how your health is seriously affected by the quality of the air we breathe. In this sense, makes available to all teachers and parents three didactic units dedicated to the quality of the air and lung health that can be found here.