Parenting an Addict: Mother Tells Her Gripping Story of Unwavering Love
Pittsburgh, PA, October 2, 2020 — Like a drowning woman, Christine Naman grappled for a lifeline and choked on her harsh reality: it was time to let go of denial. The tin foil, spoons and lighters she found in her daughter’s vanity weren’t the makings of a science experiment; they were drug paraphernalia. Christine’s only solace was that she hadn’t found any needles. Three days later she did.
About Natalie is Christine’s raw, compelling story of her valiant fight to help her daughter overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. It is a gripping, cautionary tale of how, in spite of a loving family and a comfortable life, a child can end up on the wrong path, meet the wrong people and get lost in the unthinkable.
About Natalie takes readers deep inside Christine’s emotional and mental turmoil as she grows into her new, unfortunate role as the parent of an addict. She steps on syringes left on the floor and wrestles one from the family dog’s mouth. She lives the nightmare of finding an unresponsive child on the floor and uses Narcan to revive her. She struggles and wins, struggles and loses, cries and rages.
She chases away a drug dealer and stays up all night waiting for her missing child to come home. She rejoices during periods of recovery and hope and is devastated during relapses. When her daughter suffers, Christine suffers right along with her. But through it all, never once, does Christine ever contemplate giving up.
At its core, About Natalie is a story of fighting for — and right alongside — the ones we love, no matter how difficult the circumstances. It’s a story of keeping the faith, battling hard and helping a child get back on the right track. It is the story of struggling, living through it all and coming out on the other, better, side.
Christine has watched a perfectly healthy daughter thrive and then succumb to the pull of substances. She has suffered the feelings of isolation, pain and humiliation that being the parent of an addict often brings. She hopes that by sharing her family’s difficult story she can bring understanding and knowledge to those who do not know the problem firsthand as well as provide comfort to those who know the nightmare of addiction all too well.
Bestselling author Christine Pisera Naman is a wife to a beautiful man named Peter and a mother to three fantastic kids named Jason, Natalie and Trevor. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, which she does poorly; painting, again poorly; and volunteering at her local hospital, which she hopes she does well. She is the author of the Faces of Hope series of books that are now housed in the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York City. Her other works include Caterpillar Kisses, Christmas Lights, The Novena and The Believers.About Natalie is her heart poured onto paper.
Los Angeles, CA, October 2, 2020 — Trauma doesn’t discriminate. It can happen to anyone, anytime. And in all likelihood, COVID-19 has traumatized each and every one of us to some degree. Everybody hits a low point once in a while, and ultimately, the quality of our lives depends on our ability to process heartbreaks and catastrophes successfully. So how do we do that?
In Post-Traumatic Thriving: The Art, Science, & Stories of Resilience, world-renown expert on disasters and trauma Dr. Randall Bell interweaves science and academic research with stories of people who have not just survived, but have used their trauma as their fuel to thrive. Dr. Bell sits down with survivors of the Holocaust; murder-victim’s families; crime victims; suicide survivors; and those who’ve experienced homelessness, disasters, addictions, depression, death, divorce, disabilities, defeats and disease to explore the rare mindset of the post-traumatic thriver.
Through this unprecedented research, Dr. Bell shares with readers stories of remarkable resilience, including the following:
• A deaf man with a glass eye invented the electric guitar and became a household name, remarkably wealthy and most importantly, happy.
• A convicted murderer took responsibility for the damage he caused, graduated with honors from college, became a minister and turned around the hearts of the most hardened criminals.
• A girl born with cerebral palsy landed the world’s first starring role on national television and spoke at the White House three times.
• A woman hid in a basement for years and lost her entire family in the Holocaust. She eventually found true love and paints stunning artwork.
• The sister of a murder victim helped millions of women in toxic domestic relationships.
• A woman’s car crash resulted in an addiction to prescription drugs, a divorce, a loss of her children and a cot in a homeless shelter. She has rebuilt it all back and more.
• A man set to go to the Olympics had his hopes dashed by Jimmy Carter and went on to build a worldwide business empire.
Ultimately, Dr. Bell documents the science of happiness, as well as the individual styles and common thread that all post-traumatic thrivers have to emerge with a fulfilling life. When trauma hits, your most significant decision will be to dive, survive or thrive. If you choose to thrive, this book is for you.
As an economist, Dr. Randall Bell has consulted on more disasters on earth than anyone in history and is widely considered the world’s top authority in the field of post-traumatic thriving. His clients include the Federal Government, State Governments, International Tribunals, major corporations and homeowners. Dr. Bell believes that “the problem is not the problem — the problem is how we react to the problem.”
Often called the “Master of Disaster,” Dr. Bell is squarely focused on authentic recovery and resilience. His research has been profiled on major television shows and featured in numerous magazines and the international media. More information can be found at www.posttraumaticthriving.com.
Post-Traumatic Thriving: The Art, Science, & Stories of Resilience
DECN RECEIVES SIGNIFICANT INITIAL ORDER FOR INTERNATIONAL GENVIRO! SALIVA SWIFT KITS FOR THE DETECTION OF COVID-19
first order from Indian distributor is substantially larger than expected, exceeding international launch expectations with follow-up orders from distributors in Malaysia and Indonesia anticipated
LOS ANGELES, CA—October 2, 2020 / Decision Diagnostics Corp. (OTC: DECN) www.decisiondiagnostics.co, a leading manufacturer and worldwide distributor of diabetic test strips engineered to operate on legacy glucose meters through its subsidiary Pharma Tech Solutions, Inc., today confirmed it has received its first written purchase order from an Indian distributor. The first of several expected follow-up orders is substantially larger than initially reported, and is comprised of 500,000 Genviro! Saliva Swift Kits, 50,000 Genviro! Swift Verify Kits and 7,500 Genviro! Swift Kit Meters.
“With the company having met the target date of September 26th to have our first distributor order in place, we are quite pleased that it exceeds what was planned for based upon our initial discussions with this distributor and his dealer,” said CEO Keith Berman. “In our continuing efforts with this distributor and others, we are encouraged by their interest and based on these discussions, believe we will receive subsequent orders from Malaysia and Indonesia in the coming weeks. We are having conversations on a global scale that we feel will be bolstered by the fact that we also have signed an agreement with a US testing partner.”
DECN’s Indian distributor had this to say about the product and working together, “Genviro! will quickly become an internationally recognized leader of professionally administered Covid-19 testing kits by announcing its entrance into India with its truly rapid saliva kit. The fast Covid-19 Saliva Swift Kit developed by scientists at Pharma Tech Solutions accurately detects the Covid-19 virus in just seconds. We are pleased beyond measure to be the company deemed best suited for providing this tool in our world’s time of need.. The people of India are very fortunate to have those tests coming to them shortly,” said Shailesh P.
The company had previously announced that the Genviro! Covid-19 Saliva Swift Kits had completed repeated rigorous testing at its manufacturing and product development facility in Daegu, Korea. Further, the company stated that it will make three retail products available for international professional use: The Genviro! Saliva Swift Kit consisting of 1 test strip, an interface sleeve adapter, one saliva collection vessel, diluent, package inserts and it will be priced at $8.95 wholesale with an MSRP of $29.95; the Genviro! Swift Kit Meter that will include 1 meter good for up to 100 test readings, an instructional video on computer media, which can also be accessed at the web site www.pharmatechdirect.com, a meter user’s guide manual, and package insert. The meter will wholesale for $19.95 with an MSRP of $39.95 and will include a user’s manual, package insert and the aforementioned DVD containing the company’s GenViro! instructional video in English, with sub-titles in four other languages, Russian, German, French and Spanish with further adaptations of the video in Hindi and Bahasa Melayu. Finally, the third product will be our Genviro! Swift Verify Kit that will include 1 test strip, an interface sleeve adapter and package insert. This kit is designed to provide a follow up Covid-19 test should that be desired. The Genviro! Swift Verify Kit will be priced at $6.95 wholesale with an MSRP of $24.95.
ABOUT DECISION DIAGNOSTICS CORP
Decision Diagnostics Corp. is the leading manufacturer and worldwide distributor of diabetic test strips engineered to operate on legacy glucose meters. DECN's products are designed to operate efficiently and less expensively on certain glucose meters already in use by almost 7.5 million diabetics worldwide. With newly inspired technology, and diabetic test strips already in the final stages of development, DECN products compete on a worldwide scale with legacy manufacturers currently selling to 71+ percent of a $15+ billion at-home testing market.
The company's new GenViro!™ products designed to test for Covid-19 are not yet available in the United States or Puerto Rico, but Emergency (EUA) Waivers are in process with the U.S. FDA with additional submissions to take place in the near future. The company has also signed an agreement with an FDA and CLIA certified US-based testing partner to complete testing per current FDA guidelines and continues to look forward to the FDA authorization of our EUAs.
The same data that will be produced by the company’s new testing partner will be used for submissions to the EU and Russian Federation. We will also use data provided by our Korean partner as part of the XPrize initiative. XPrize requires a blind samples study that provides the company with additional value.
On September 26, 2020 the company began the launch of its international package versions of its GenViro! Saliva Swift Kits and Swift Meter. In addition, the company reports that its distributor for the Russian Federation will be taking on the Genviro! products, and will handle registration for emergency use approval in the Russian Federation.
Forward-Looking Statements:
This release contains the company's forward-looking statements which are based on management's current expectations and assumptions as of October 2, 2020, regarding the company's business and performance, its prospects, current factors, the economy, and other future conditions and forecasts of future events, circumstances, and results.
Colorado State University Global Launches Fully Online Master of Science in Nursing Program
The accredited graduate degree program includes customizable tracks in Leadership and Administration as well as Military and Veteran Healthcare for individual career goals
Aurora, Colo. (Oct. 1, 2020) – Colorado State University Global (CSU Global)—the premier provider of high-quality, career-relevant, and affordable education—is proud to announce its Master’s of Science in Nursing (MSN), a fully online degree that equips students with the expertise and practical skills needed to advance in their healthcare careers.
Specifically designed for nurses who are looking to advance into leadership roles, the MSN offering provides a flexible degree option that accommodates non-traditional and professional schedules. The curriculum is aligned with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s CCNE Standards and Professional Nursing Guidelines and will address the latest in pharmacology, health assessments, and quality assurance, as well as rapidly evolving technologies around healthcare technology and nursing informatics.
Similar to other CSU Global degree programs, students can choose degree specializations to align with their individual professional goals and personal interests. The MSN specializations include a Leadership and Administration and a Military and Veteran Healthcare option.
“As the healthcare profession continues to experience extraordinary demand, there is an increased need for trained and qualified nurse leaders,” said CSU Global Provost and Vice President of Strategic Development, Dr. Karen Ferguson. “We are proud to offer a customizable and flexible master’s degree in nursing that not only fits with the demanding schedules of current healthcare workers but also creates individual pathways to career success, such as through the unique and specialized military and veteran healthcare leadership track. ”
Enrollment for this new program is open now, with term starts offered each month. Interested students should contact Enrollment at 800-920-6723 or email enroll@csuglobal.edu to get started. For more information about CSU Global’s online Master of Science in Nursing, please visitCSUGlobal.edu/msn.
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About Colorado State University Global
Colorado State University Global (CSU Global) offers career-relevant programs for modern learners. As the first and only 100% online, fully accredited public university in the United States, CSU Global is focused on student success as its number one priority. Embracing the land-grant heritage as part of the Colorado State University System, CSU Global sets the standard for quality and innovation in higher education through its expert faculty, who are recognized as industry leaders and trained in working with adults in an online learning environment. CSU Global offers accelerated eight-week courses that start every four weeks. Visit CSUGlobal.edu to learn more.
Caravans to protest SCOTUS, other McConnell-led Senate sins in North Carolina on Poor People’s Campaign national Moral Monday
WHAT: Moral Monday Caravans and March on McConnell: The McConnell-led US Senate has refused to take up a full and comprehensive relief package during the greatest public health crisis in a century, yet is now rushing to push through a Supreme Court nominee to fill the seat of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Following a powerful Moral Monday program of caravans to Sen. Mitch McConnell’s home in DC and offices in Kentucky, Poor People's Campaign activists across the country will take the fight to the offices of senators in 10 states, including North Carolina. The North Carolina Poor People’s Campaign will not cease in its protests against McConnell’s misery, meanness and mayhem and his eagerness to hypocritically stack the Supreme Court vacancy from Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death while refusing to move bills that address the pandemics of poverty, systemic racism and COVID-19.
WHO: The North Carolina Poor People’s Campaign; the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival led by co-chairs Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II and Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, along with state leaders and activists.
WHERE: Caravans will travel to Sen. Thom Tillis’ home offices in Raleigh, Charlotte and Hendersonville. RSVP here if you want to join a caravan or join online at www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/livestream
WHY: We must stop the Senate’s Sins: Stealing the Supreme Court, Stopping Police Reform, Suppressing the Vote, Sabotaging the USPS, Stopping COVID Relief Bills, Stealing Healthcare, Stifling Living Wages, and Separating Families. We cannot stand by and watch a hostile, immoral takeover of the Supreme Court with a new justice, who will join rulings on health care, voting rights and corporate power while the Senate has done nothing to meet the immediate needs of the over 140 million poor and low-income Americans.
**The digital event will be captioned and ASL interpreted.
BACKGROUND: The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, is nonpartisan but deeply political. With organizing committees in 43 states, the campaign is building a moral fusion movement to address the five interlocking injustices of systemic racism, systemic poverty, ecological devastation, the war economy and militarism and a distorted moral narrative of religious nationalism. Our demands are reflected in our Jubilee Platform.
Patient Advocate Offers New Hope for Those with Autoimmune Disorders
Chicago, IL, Oct, 2, 2020 — People shouldn’t have to choose between buying groceries and paying for their medications, when effective, less expensive alternatives may be available.
Ever since her husband’s death from a brain tumor in 2005, Julia Schopick has dedicated her life to patient advocacy and to sharing information about potentially lifesaving alternative and off-label medical treatments. She broke new ground with her first book, Honest Medicine, in which she offered valuable insights supported by patient testimonials regarding the use of four underutilized lifesaving treatments: Silverlon, for non-healing wounds; intravenous alpha lipoic acid, for liver disease; the Ketogenic Diet, for epilepsy; and Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN), for autoimmune diseases.
Julia’s passion for patient advocacy continues in her follow-up book, The Power of Honest Medicine (with Don Schwartz), which focuses solely on LDN—a safe, inexpensive, often dramatically effective alternative to the costly, often-toxic treatments that doctors routinely prescribe for autoimmune and other diseases.
“There is lots of evidence that LDN is a groundbreaking treatment for autoimmune diseases, helping many patients with these conditions to achieve remission,” Julia writes. “In some cases, it can slow or stop the progression of their diseases. In many cases, patients experience a life-changing relief of symptoms.”
In spite of its documented benefits, the use of LDN to treat autoimmune conditions remains largely unknown among the medical community and the public. Julia is committed to changing that.
The Power of Honest Medicine contains contributions from 18 people from around the world (the U.S., the U.K. and Europe), all of whom are eager to spread the word about how LDN helped alleviate their symptoms of serious conditions—such as chronic fatigue syndrome, Crohn’s, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and fibromyalgia—when the higher priced, often-toxic medications they had been taking didn’t work. Also, with many of these conditions, the drugs doctors prescribe can cost thousands of dollars a month, compared with LDN, which costs around a dollar a day.
Additionally, The Power of Honest Medicine contains a section dedicated to helping readers understand LDN and why it has the potential to positively impact those suffering from autoimmune disorders. Plus, the book includes a chapter with strategies for helping readers convince their doctors to prescribe LDN—information Julia has been asked for again and again by her readers and by those who have heard her speak.
Julia’s husband survived 12 years beyond any doctor’s prognosis, and she attributes this to the innovative treatments she uncovered for him. It’s been her passion since then to prevent others from suffering unnecessarily and having to juggle the side effects of toxic medications with the debilitating symptoms of their health conditions.
“I believe that LDN would be the standard of care for autoimmune diseasesif Big
Pharma didn’t rule doctors’ prescribing decisions,” she adds.
Julia Schopick is the bestselling author of Honest Medicine and her follow-up book, The Power of Honest Medicine. She is a seasoned radio talk show guest who has appearedon over 200 shows and is often invited back. Julia’s goal is to empower patients to make the best health choicesfor themselves and their loved ones by teaching them about little-known but promisingtreatments their doctors may not know about. Julia’s articles have been featured in numerous publications, including American Medical News (AMA), Alternative & Complementary Therapies, the British Medical Journal and the Chicago Sun-Times.
Majority of Canadians believe COVID-19 pandemic has transformed health care system in Canada
95% of survey respondents highlight physician wellness as critical
Scotiabank, CMA and MD Financial Management announce $15 million Physician Wellness+ Initiative in response
TORONTO, Oct. 1, 2020 /CNW/ - In a recent survey of Canadians to gather their views on the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, 93% of respondents said that they were concerned about the impact it would have on the Canadian health care system. Nearly all survey respondents (95%) said that the health and wellness of physicians impacts the health of all Canadians1.
Scotiabank, in partnership with the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) and MD Financial Management Inc. (MD), announced today the creation of the Physician Wellness+ Initiative, with $15 million targeted to address the urgent and ongoing health and wellness needs of physicians and medical learners.
"COVID-19 has impacted our communities from coast to coast, and physicians stand at the centre of our country's ability to respond," says Glen Gowland, Group Head, Global Wealth Management at Scotiabank. "Scotiabank is proud to have made contributions that will help alleviate challenges posed by COVID-19 and to now contribute additional longer-term funding to support the health and wellness of the medical profession."
"Being a physician today comes with a great many stressors – diminishing resources, heavy workloads, not to mention the risks associated with COVID-19," says Dr. Ann Collins, CMA President. "We need to take care of our medical community in order for them to take care of patients. This funding will address the needs of physicians and medical learners by leveraging and bolstering existing health and wellness infrastructure while also extending support in new ways."
"For more than half a century, MD has proudly supported physicians so they can better focus on their critical role: looking after the health of Canadians," says Daniel Labonté, President and CEO, MD. "Canadian physicians work to an exceptional standard, and we are pleased to stand behind the Physician Wellness+ Initiative."
Funds will be distributed to provincial and territorial medical associations and key medical organizations that are deeply rooted in the medical community and best attuned to the needs of physicians in their respective areas and fields. In addition, physicians, their families and their health care colleagues will continue to have access to existing support programs: details can be found here.
Scotiabank, MD and the CMA are dedicated to supporting the medical profession and advancing health in Canada, having committed a total of $34.5 million to date through this collaboration. To learn more, please visit md.ca/physicianwellness.
About Scotiabank Scotiabank is a leading bank in the Americas. Guided by our purpose: "for every future", we help our customers, their families and their communities achieve success through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of over 90,000 employees and assets of approximately $1.2 trillion (as at July 31, 2020), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BNS) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit our website and follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankViews.
About the Canadian Medical Association The Canadian Medical Association is the national voice of Canada's medical profession. We work with physicians, residents and medical students on issues that matter to the profession and the health of Canadians. We advocate for policy and programs that drive meaningful change for physicians and their patients.
About MD Financial Management Inc. With more than 50 years of physician-focused experience, MD Financial Management Inc. (MD) is dedicated to providing financial peace of mind to Canada's physicians and their families, so they can enjoy what matters most to them while achieving their career and life goals. MD had more than $52 billion in assets under management as of August 31, 2020. MD Management Limited was the first of the MD Group of Companies to be founded, in 1969. MD Financial Management Inc. wholly owns or has a majority interest in its seven subsidiaries (the MD Group of Companies). It provides financial products and services, is the fund manager for the MD Family of Funds and offers investment counselling services. For a detailed list of the MD Group of Companies, visit md.ca.
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1 The online survey of 3,020 randomly selected Canadian adults was conducted by Maru/Blue via the Maru Voice Canada panel, from August 6 to 9, 2020.
SOURCE Scotiabank
Bring Health Home initiative launches to amplify Ontarians' call for increased home health care amidst COVID-19
Study reveals 78 per cent of Ontarians (and 82 per cent of those aged 55+) say they would prefer home health care for themselves and their loved ones over long-term care facilities
TORONTO, Oct. 1, 2020 /CNW/ - Today, a new initiative launches to amplify the voices of an increasing number of Ontarians calling for even more government support for home health care services.
Following months of feedback and insight-gathering from patients, caregivers and concerned citizens across the province, the Bring Health Home collective has formed to give Ontarians a platform to share their concern about the continued need for more home health care. According to a study, 97 per cent of Ontarians believe there is a crisis in long-term care in the province. Bring Health Home has come together to help address these issues and reimagine Ontario's healthcare system. Despite the recent funding announcements from the Provincial Government, which are a step in the right direction, even more support is needed to implement the kind of meaningful care Ontario patients and their caregivers so desperately need. By shifting the idea of care from institution-focused to home and community based, Ontarians could receive more access to the care they need at home, safely. In fact, the rates of COVID-19 cases in the home health care setting remain very low.
"I have yet to meet a patient who doesn't want to remain at home and receive their care at home whenever possible," says Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of Geriatrics, Sinai Health System and University Health Network. "Ontarians need to know that homecare is a viable, safe and accessible care option that can ease growing burdens on our healthcare system and often better meet their needs; especially during this pandemic. Ontarians need to better vocalize their desire and our collective need for more homecare."
Not only does the lack of home health care impact individual patients, it also impacts family members who end up taking on the physical toll of caregiving as well as the emotional strain of coordinating and implementing care, such as well-known media personality, Cheryl Hickey.
"While homecare is available, it is not financially accessible for everyone, especially for those who need 24-hour care," says Hickey. "My parents have been married for 56 years, and they are currently living separately so that my father can get the care he needs. We need to do better, and homecare must play a bigger role in our healthcare system, so that we can keep families together. People shouldn't be separated from their loved ones simply because home care is not accessible for their family."
Amplifying Ontarians' Voices Bring Health Home is made up of four frontline home health care organizations: Bayshore HealthCare, Closing the Gap Healthcare, VON Canada and SE Health. Collectively, they make 24.6 million home health care visits a year and deliver home health care services to more than 633,000 Ontarians. Each organization brings decades of experience, and between them, they provide more than 50% of home health care services in Ontario.
Bring Health Home believes investing in patient-first home and community-based care is the solution to building a modern, stronger and integrated healthcare system for everyone in Ontario. The collective sees the benefits of home health care first-hand on a day-to-day basis, as do their patients and caregivers, and we want to give Ontarians the platform to express their need and desire for home health care.
A Province-Wide Call To Action Like the patients and caregivers whose voices they amplify, Bring Health Home believes a stronger, safer healthcare system in Ontario is possible with more government support for home health care. Their singular mission is to raise awareness of patient and caregivers' need for more home health care by rallying Ontarians to share the message.
To do this, they have launched a campaign consisting of new survey data, real patient and caregiver stories (including well-known Canadians with lived experience), as well as a simple yet informative video and website that make sharing the message easy.
For more information, please visit: bringhealthhome.ca. You can also follow along here: #BringHealthHome. Click here for access to a fact sheet and campaign assets.
Survey Methodology: The survey of 1,001 Ontarians was conducted on June 18 and 19, 2020 using a representative online panel. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.1%, nineteen times out of twenty.
SOURCE Bring Health Home
Public coverage of AbbVie's SKYRIZI® for the treatment of Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis is now available across additional jurisdictions
SKYRIZI® is an interleukin-23 (IL-23) inhibitor used for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.1
In clinical studies, SKYRIZI® significantly improved levels of skin clearance after just 16 weeks and maintained clearance at one year (52 weeks).1
New Brunswick lists SKYRIZI® on its provincial formulary effective March 19, 2020.
Yukon lists SKYRIZI® on its formulary effective April 1, 2020.
British Columbia lists SKYRIZI® on its provincial formulary effective May 05, 2020.
Newfoundland and Labrador lists SKYRIZI® on its provincial formulary effective September 16, 2020.
MONTREAL, Oct. 1, 2020 /CNW/ - AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), a global, research and development-based biopharmaceutical company, announced today that SKYRIZI® (risankizumab) is now listed as a special authorization drug or exception drug status on the formularies of New Brunswick, Yukon, British Columbia, and Newfoundland and Labrador for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.
SKYRIZI® is part of a collaboration between Boehringer Ingelheim and AbbVie, with AbbVie leading development and commercialization globally, and is the only IL-23 inhibitor to arrive at a positive conclusion with the pCPA.
"I have been fortunate to be involved in the clinical trials. SKYRIZI® has improved the quality of life of my patients with psoriasis by offering them clear skin," states Dr. Irina Turchin, MD, FRCPC, Fredericton, NB. "It is great to see that this treatment is now available to more patients in New Brunswick."
Psoriasis is a chronic condition affecting 125 million people worldwide, including 1 million Canadians, and many patients despite treatment still do not reach their goals or lose treatment response over time.2-4 The most common form is plaque psoriasis, which affects approximately 90% of patients. 5
"I am excited to be able to offer SKYRIZI® to patients with moderate to severe psoriasis in British Columbia as it is now listed on the provincial Pharmacare formulary. Having experience with the medication in clinical trials, I have personally seen how it provides durable and complete skin clearance for many patients. Patients are particularly happy with the dosing schedule," explains Dr Chih-ho Hong, MD, FRCPC, Dermatologist.
Psoriasis has a genetic basis and about one-third of people with psoriasis have at least one family member with the disease.5 Of note, the prevalence of psoriasis is 5- to 10-fold higher in Newfoundland and Labrador than in the rest of Canada. 6
"PsoriasisNL is pleased to learn of this listing of another treatment for psoriasis for the patients of our province. We would like to thank the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for their continued support of advanced therapeutics for the patients of this province who suffer from severe psoriasis. As the province with the highest prevalence of this disease, the availability of these treatments have greatly increased the quality of life for those who suffer from psoriasis", explains Deva Murthy, President, PsoriasisNL.
Information regarding specific reimbursement criteria may be found by consulting the links below:
About SKYRIZI® SKYRIZI® is a novel, humanized immunoglobulin monoclonal antibody designed to selectively inhibit IL-23, a naturally occurring cytokine involved in inflammatory and immune responses.1 On April 17, 2019, SKYRIZI™ received a NOC from Health Canada for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in patients who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy, based on results from clinical studies showing significant improvement in levels of skin clearance after just 16 weeks and at 52 weeks with every 3-month dosing in more than 2000 adult patients.1 Four pivotal Phase 3 studies, ultIMMa-1, ultIMMa-2, IMMvent and IMMhance evaluated more than 2,000 patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.4 Canadians living with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis were well represented in all four of the pivotal clinical trials leading to Health Canada's approval, showing the Canadian leadership in this clinical development program.
About AbbVie in Dermatology For more than a decade, AbbVie has worked to uncover new solutions and improve care for people with serious skin diseases. With a broad clinical trial program, we continue to actively research and adapt to the evolving needs of the dermatology community and advance our pipeline to help people achieve their treatment goals and live beyond their skin disease.
About AbbVie Care The AbbVie Care program is designed to provide a wide range of customized services including reimbursement and financial support, pharmacy services, lab work reminders and coordination, personalized education and ongoing disease management support throughout the treatment journey. For more information, consult abbviecare.ca
About AbbVie AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, virology, women's health and gastroenterology, in addition to products and services across its Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.ca and www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvieCanada and @abbvie on Twitter or view careers on our Facebook or LinkedIn page.
RCSI launches world’s first scientific centre for positive psychology and health
Centre established in response to the increasing prevalence of diseases associated with lifestyle
DUBLIN, Oct. 1, 2020 -- The world’s first academic centre for positive psychology and lifestyle medicine has been launched today by RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences. The new Centre for Positive Psychology and Health will apply the scientific principles of positive psychology and lifestyle medicine to enhance the health and happiness of people in Ireland and around the world.
According to the World Health Organisation, heart and lung diseases, cancers, diabetes and mental health disorders are the world’s largest killers, accounting for an estimated 38 million deaths annually, 16 million of which are premature. Taken together, these conditions account for an estimated 86% of the deaths and 77% of the disease burden in the European region. Lifestyle factors are heavily implicated in all of these diseases.
The outcome of the Centre’s work will be a population with the knowledge and support to take control of their health and wellbeing, reducing the pressure on health systems. The Centre will apply the science of positive psychology and lifestyle medicine to increase people’s sense of happiness and well-being. The Centre will provide education and training for health professionals and for the public. It will also assist public and private sector organisations to develop and implement evidence-based interventions aimed at increasing workforce well-being and engagement.
Launching the Centre, Professor Cathal Kelly, RCSI CEO, said: “Since our foundation in 1784, RCSI has provided leadership in education, training and research with an exclusive focus on improving health and decreasing the burden of disease. We are uniquely positioned to evaluate how lifestyle, and integrative medicine can improve health.”
Professor Ciaran O’Boyle, Director of the Centre for Positive Psychology and Health, said: “Economic, transport and technological progress over the last number of decades has transformed our lives in many positive ways but we should not discount the negative impact of changing lifestyles on our health. We spend more time sitting than ever before. We are increasing socially disconnected. We eat more sugar, consume more alcohol and our stress levels are on the rise. While average income has increased over the past three decades, happiness has not, and many people feel that their sense of well-being could be better.”
Bringing together scientists, clinicians and educators, the Centre aims to equip people, communities and organisations with the information and skills to address these lifestyle issues and reduce the impact of lifestyle diseases on individuals and health systems.
Using interventions that already exist today, the global disease burden could be reduced by about 40% and active middle age extended by 10% over the next decades. Over 70% of the gains could be achieved from prevention by creating cleaner and safer environments, encouraging healthier behaviours and addressing the social factors that lie behind these, as well as broadening access to vaccines and preventive medicine.
“The COVID crisis has accelerated a global focus on well-being. We already know that the virus will have far-reaching and long-lasting implications, not least on our resilience and our mental health. Our work will support people to better understand their own mental health so that they can develop their resilience and learn to flourish”, added Professor O’Boyle.
The Centre will draw on the emerging disciplines of positive psychology, positive organisational research, lifestyle medicine and integrative medicine to undertake research and provide education and training in this area. It will provide a range of resources to equip people with the supports needed to take more control of their own physical and mental health.
The Centre is now taking registrations for a new Professional Diploma in Positive Health. The Diploma will educate health and allied professionals in the rapidly developing area of positive health.
Ranked number one globally for Good Health and Well-being in the Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings 2020, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences is an international not-for-profit university, with its headquarters in Dublin.
RCSI is exclusively focused on education and research to drive improvements in human health worldwide. It is among the top 250 universities worldwide in the THE World University Rankings (2021) and is ranked second among the universities in Ireland. Its research is ranked first in Ireland for citations. RCSI has been awarded Athena SWAN Bronze accreditation for positive gender practice in higher education.
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