Tuesday May 20th / 2008

Tuesday May 20th / 2008

12:10: The Health Roundup with Jay McQueen.

12:12: A recent study by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario warns that blood pressure rates represent a significant risk to the general population and are particularly high in key ethnic groups.
Guest: Dr. Sean Wharton, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, specializes in treating high blood pressure at the Wharton clinic in Hamilton.

12:20: How’s the gym treating you? If it’s not going so well, it might be time to go ALL CANADIAN!
Guest: Ernie Schramayr over at All Canadian Fitness.

12:35: St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton’s Programs for Assessment of Technology in Health (PATH) Research Institute and the McMaster Institute of Urology are launching a study to evaluate a new way to provide relief for men suffering from an enlarged prostate.
Guest: Dr. Paul Whelan, Urologist at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, and Head of Urology here in Hamilton.

12:45: Rexall Radio Health Matters segment.
Guest: Hilton Silberg

Apotex receives Final Tender Approval from Rwanda For Vital AIDS Drug!

Apotex Inc. is one of Canada’s largest generic pharmaceutical company’s which has successfully bid and been awarded a tender from the Rwandan Government for the life saving combination AIDS drug “Apo Triavir”. Apotex is the first company to provide this medicine to Africa under the provisions of the Canadian Access to Medicines Regime (CAMR). CAMR provides the mechanism for developing countries to address critical healthcare needs by importing less expensive generic versions of patented drugs. The process has taken Apotex three years to where a drug can now go to thousands in Africa. Apotex is the only company in Canada to go through the complication process; the Generic Pharmaceutical Industry has asked the Federal Government to simplify the process of getting urgently needed drugs to Africa. Apo Triavir is a drug which is a combination of 300mg Zidovudine, 150mg Lamivudine and 200 mg Nevirapine and was evaluated and approved under the CAMR by Health Canada. Apotex is producing ApoTriavir at cost, with the price quoted at $19.50 (US) per tablet. The three separate AIDS brand products would cost around $6.00 per dose if bought individually. The Apotex Group has 6,000 employees in Canada and exports close to 300 quality lower cost medicines to 115 counties. It is the No.1 pharmaceutical company in Canada for R&D with planned expenditures of $2 Billion the next 10 years. Elie Betito director of public and government affairs for Apotex is quoted “ By October sometime we’re hoping that the product will be on a plane on delivery to Rwanda. Betito said that Apotex essentially developed the drug as a goodwill gesture and will not see a return on its development costs at the selling price. He added that the company likely will not go through the CAMR process again unless it is changed.

Information obtained www.apotex.com

Nadine Janacek Rexall #0202
Blog Reporter