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Pfizer eyes Mideast acquisitions
Guy Lallemand, Pfizer's regional president for Africa & Middle East, has told Bloomberg that the region's respect for patents, openness toward clinical trials and rapid review of products has encouraged the US-based firm to consider making acquisitions in the more established markets such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Gulf. 2009 Middle East sales are expected to be around $500 million and the company is forecasting between 8% and 10% annual growth, he said. Iraq, Iran and Syria are among markets where Pfizer is looking to expand its business, Lallemand added.
Eastern Medical plans Abu Dhabi acquisitions
Abu Dhabi-based United Eastern Medical Services is negotiating for the acquisition of stakes in two Abu Dhabi-based medical centres and is also looking at suppliers, according to the firm's CEO. Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa said funding of the projects and investment plans for acquisitions and joint ventures will be raised through both equity and credit. The group plans a number of further acquisitions and joint ventures over the next 10 years, according to Emirates Business.
UAE warning on plastic surgery supplies
The UAE Ministry of Health (MoH) has ordered all public and private hospitals, pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies to immediately stop selling, buying and using what it describes as 'unregistered low-quality chemicals that are being used in plastic surgeries and cosmetic procedures,' unless they are officially registered at the MoH. These materials, which are of unknown origin, do not meet the country's safety and quality requirements and have been proven to have side-effects, said a ministry official.
UAE may get flu vaccine by September
The UAE will have access to the new swine flu vaccine manufactured by Novartis AG if it is available on the market by September, Gulf News has reported. The H1N1 thermal scanners will also be replaced with new advanced technology at all airports and seaports, as well as other checkpoints.
Hayati offers UAE patient financing
Hayati Healthcare has announced the launch of its healthcare financing services with its first regional office in the UAE. Covering elective and non-elective healthcare procedures, the new start-up offers loans for procedures that are not covered by medical insurance including Dental and Orthodontics, Lasik eye surgery, Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, Cosmetic Dermatology, Hair Transplants, Fertility treatments, Obesity treatments, Cardiovascular surgeries and Maternity among many others.
UAE closes five pharmacies
The UAE's Ministry of Health has said that five pharmacies in the Northern Emirates have been temporarily shut down for violations detected last month during a night inspection. The violations included selling expired drugs and at higher prices, mixing food supplements with drugs, and selling drugs without prescription and hiring unlicensed assistant pharmacists.
Qatar to enhance its e-healthcare system
Qatar's Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology (ictQatar) has said it is working with major players in the health sector on a two-tier approach to enhancing the e-healthcare system to support the government's healthcare reform. The first tier involves a government-owned dedicated network that is currently being developed as a back bone to provide interoperability between various healthcare providers, in addition to key government institutions, while the second tier focuses on a national electronic health record (EHR) that is being conceived as a hub to share information on patient records across healthcare institutions from a central point.
Phony medicines seized in Saudi
A spokesman for Health Affairs in the Saudi city of Taif has said that large quantities of fake medicines, creams and preparations of unknown origin and traditional herbal remedies, were seized at various outlets around the city. He said that people should be wary of unlicensed remedies which may pose a threat to public health.
Trade in counterfeit drugs in Jordan drops
The Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA) has said the kingdom had witnessed a drop in 2008 in the volume of trade in counterfeit and smuggled drugs compared to the year before, due to the administration's increasing the number of its inspectors, in addition to including beauty centres, fitness centres, printing presses and herbal shops among the places to be inspected regularly, reported Jordan Times. 'The fake medicines might negatively affect health, depending on the ingredients used to manufacture them, while sometimes they have no effect but do not cure the patient,' Mohammad Rawashdeh, director of JFDA noted.
Saudi Arabia confirms another swine flu case
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health has announced that a Saudi student returning from the US has been diagnosed with swine flu, the second case of the disease in the kingdom. Preventive procedures were being made in line with the kingdom's national precautionary plan as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), the ministry said.
Dubai seizes 'dangerous' pills
Redha Salman, the director of public health and safety at Dubai's municipality has said that city officials have seized dozens of types of pills and purported health supplements from shops over concerns that they could be dangerous, according to the National. Salman said increased use of the supplements and pills, most of which are priced at less than $1.40, had triggered the move. 'These products were confiscated as they claimed to be a medicine, which was not approved by the Ministry of Health,' he said.
GCC mulls common food safety law
GCC countries are looking into possibilities of implementing a common mechanism for testing and clearing imported food items into the region, The Peninsula has reported. In a recent meeting in Doha, member-countries of the Food Safety Committee exchanged experiences with regard to food imports and testing and looks at ways of cooperation among member-countries. The proposed law aims to ensure that no food which has been declared unfit for use or of substandard quality can enter any of the GCC member states.
Gulf firms given packaging guidelines
The Gulf Central Committee for Drug Registration has asked all pharmaceutical companies to ensure that the packaging of medicine bottles containing liquids follows international standards and that the packaging is secure enough to prevent children from being able to open them on their own. The step was being taken as part of the ongoing standardisation of drug procedures and regulations for the GCC. 'Companies have to improve the quality of their products to meet these standards,' said Nasser Khalifa Al Budoor, Director of the Department of External Relations and International Health at the UAE Ministry of Health.
Saudi confirms first case of swine flu
A Filipina nurse has been confirmed as the first person in Saudi Arabia to contract the H1N1 flu virus, the kingdom's health minister said on Wednesday. The woman arrived in the kingdom on Friday on board a Gulf Air flight from the Philippines and showed first symptoms on Monday, Abdullah al-Rabeeah said. The woman is currently being held in quarantine.
BDF hospital gets capital boost
The Bahrain Defense Force Hospital's Royal Medical Services said it has received a cash donation of BD290000 ($769,210) from the National Bank of Bahrain to upgrade its information technology infrastructure, improve patient safety, reduce medical errors and ensure an effective hospital service.
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