March 2010 Archives

I've always found that the most interesting things in life occur through collaboration--when people with different backgrounds and skills look at a problem and come up with a solution.  Intersections and overlaps and such.

If art imitates life, what's the best way to look at the correlation between obesity and portion size throughout history?  Well two brothers, Brian Wansink, director of the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab and his brother, Craig, a professor of religious studies at Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk (and a Presbyterian minister, to boot) decided to take a look at depictions of the most famous meal in history--the Last Supper.

The brothers Wansink posited that since the last millennium saw dramatic increases in the production, availability, safety, abundance and affordability of food, perhaps this would be reflected in depictions of the Last Supper.

The researchers, whose study was recently published in the International Journal of Obesity, analyzed 52 paintings of the Last Supper--from artists as diverse in style and era as Titian, Da Vinci, Tintoretto, and Warhol.  What they found was that the size of the entrée increased by 69%, plate size went up 66%, and loaves of bread increased by 23% over a 1000-year period.  The largest increases happened after 1500.

Using a purely anecdotal method, I can see the difference in my own home.  I have some plates that my mother gave to me when I first moved into an apartment, and compared to some that I purchased a few years ago, the increase in plate size is astounding.  Her dinner plates look like my salad plates! 

An informal survey from 1994 found that the standard plate size in the restaurant industry grew in the early 1990s, from 10 inches to 12, which equates to 25 percent more food.  Since we know that obesity and diet are linked, it stands to reason that eating all the food on those extra square inches three times a day can add up quickly on your waistline.

(Image of Tintoretto's Last Supper courtesy of Wikipedia.)

For the most part, dinner is at 6pm every night in our house.  Sometimes it needs to be earlier (read- temper tantrum on the way home from school), and sometimes due to busy schedules it might be later.  I had this routine growing up and we've embraced it in our house. 

We also have a TV rule: none on school nights.  Not surprisingly this is hugely unpopular. 

Nonetheless, we attempt to consistently stick to these routines and, according to a recent Pediatrics study, instituting these routines will help lower the risk of childhood obesity.  

The third routine the study suggests is making sure kids get the right amount of sleep.  Our kids do have a regular bed-time.  This one is not wildly popular with my daughter (Mom--are you going to bed too?).  Her internal alarm clock is something I can't control which results in an hour or two less sleep than she should get, but it's a work in progress.  My son, he likes to sleep.  He does not like to be woken up.

This detailed course of our nightly schedule--is it written in stone?  Do we always stick to it?  Nope, we're not perfect.  Stuff happens (late meetings, food shopping, T-ball!), but we try to keep the routine and the balance so our kids (and us) stay healthy.

This morning, President Obama signed the second part of the historic health reform package. This signing ceremony received far less fanfare than the ceremony he held last week, but it was no less important. Today's ceremony brings a year and half of political debate to a close and marks a turning point for healthcare in our country.

Now, you're probably wondering when you will start to see the benefits of this new law. The Kaiser Family Foundation has an excellent summary showing when each of the major provisions is scheduled to kick-in. The American Medical Association also has a good summary for physicians outlining what changes they can expect to see in their practices.

Certainly, implementing such a large piece of legislation will take time, so moving into this next phase of transforming our health system will require patience as regulators sort out all the details. GSK and other members of the pharmaceutical industry continue to be guided by a belief that all Americans should have access to high-quality, affordable health care coverage and services, and we believe the health reform legislation that passed this week is a step in the right direction. The legislation is not perfect, but we are committed to supporting its implementation so that it reflects the best interests of patients while preserving an environment that values medical innovation. 

Today, we took a step towards breaking down one of the barriers to routine vaccination of adults in the US by introducing the GSK Vaccines Access Program, which will provide our FDA-approved adult vaccines for cervical cancer, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B and TDaP (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) free of charge to people with low incomes who do not have insurance coverage for vaccines. 

Second to potable water, vaccines are one of the most effective ways we can prevent and fight disease, and subsequently, help drive down the cost of healthcare in the United States.  Unfortunately, vaccines are severely under utilized by American adults. 

The numbers are staggering.  In the United States, 50,000 to 70,000 adults die every year from diseases that can be prevented by vaccines.  That's more than die from each of the top three cancers in US adults.

Yesterday, GSK became one of the first manufacturers to sign a unique agreement with the GAVI Alliance to provide the poorest children in the world with vaccines against invasive pneumococcal disease, a major killer of children under five. The Pneumo Advance Market Commitment (AMC) is an innovative financing mechanism that will accelerate access to vaccines in developing countries and at an estimated savings of around 90 percent.

This year, children in Africa will begin receiving GSK's pneumo vaccine about one year after its introduction in Europe. Such rapid progress is largely due to the AMC and is a watershed for public health.

In many ways, GSK has been preparing for the AMC since we began making vaccines for polio more than 50 years ago. For us, immunization is a global endeavor by definition. GSK has long recognized that vaccines are the cornerstone of children's health around the world, and we strive to meet the needs of every market--no matter how rich or how poor. 

We designed a tiered pricing system and engaged in long-term, high-volume contracts with partners like Unicef and GAVI to make it work. Today, 80 percent of our vaccines are delivered in developing countries and 50 percent are purchased through our longstanding partner, the GAVI Alliance.

But the AMC has expanded the speed and scope at which we can deliver a sophisticated vaccine like one for pneumococcal disease, which has 10 strains and requires massive, manufacturing facilities. The AMC gives us the confidence and certainty we needed to build the capacity to supply up to 300 million doses over the next decade.

The impact of the AMC will be nothing short of extraordinary.  Every year, two million children under the age of five die of pneumonia, mostly in Africa and Asia, which means that the disease kills more children than AIDS, malaria and measles combined. Seven million children will reach their fifth birthday by 2030, thanks to the AMC.  

Designing such a model required creativity, coordination and--most importantly--strong champions. This year begins what Bill Gates is calling "the decade of the vaccine." This agreement is just the beginning. 

This week's vote in the House of Representatives was nothing short of historic. It brought us one step closer to comprehensive health reform that will improve access to high-quality, affordable health care coverage and services. With the President ready to sign the Senate health reform bill into law, more than a year of debate is starting to draw to a close. But, before the ink is dry and other legislative issues rise to dominate the news, there is more work to do on healthcare.

This week, the Senate will take up debate on the reconciliation bill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has promised that the reconciliation package will pass by the end of next week. While it's not a slam-dunk, the prospects are looking good for the reconciliation package to also make it to Obama's desk.

Together, the Senate health reform bill and the reconciliation package offer many positive provisions that improve access and promote wellness for all Americans. As the Biotechnology Industry Organization (Bio) outlined well in their health reform statement, the bills could also have a very positive effect on medical innovation. The current health reform bills aren't a panacea, and challenges will still remain for our industry and America's health system, particularly as the details of the legislation start to be implemented.  But overall, the vote was a very positive step forward towards comprehensive reform.

We're committed to running our business responsibly and to making GSK more responsive, more flexible and more open to the expectations of society.  We're also determined to deliver on our promises to make GSK more transparent and to seek new solutions and innovative partnerships to make our medicines and vaccines more accessible to those who need them most. 

Today we published our 2009 Corporate Responsibility (CR) Report.  The CR Report covers the progress made on new standards of clinical transparency and steps to improve global public health.  We've also announced the principles of GSK's flexible pricing strategy which will increase access to medicines and vaccines for patients in middle income countries.

And, for the first time, we've provided examples of how we are implementing our 2009 pledge to reinvest 20% of our profits made in Least Developed Countries back into infrastructure projects to help improve healthcare in the developing world.

Corporate responsibility is about how we achieve our goals and implement our business strategy. We aim to operate in a way that reflects our values and to connect business decisions to ethical, social and environmental concerns.  The CR Report is just another acknowledgment that we can do well by doing good.

Every day, our scientists walk into their labs, hoping that their work in developing medicines makes a difference in peoples' health.  Recognition doesn't drive them; a commitment to healthcare and the power of science does. 

But today, they can allow themselves to take a bow...

The Cancer Research Institute (CRI) announced the recipients of its 2010 Oliver R. Grace Award for leadership in medical research, patient care, or public education.  Our scientists' 15-year effort in developing a vaccine that could help the immune system fight cancer--known as Antigen-Specific Cancer Immunotherapy (ASCI)--is being recognized for the potential innovation it could bring to public health and patients worldwide. 

Our CEO Andrew Witty will be accepting this honor on June 16.  Andrew, by the way, will be in good company as fashion designer Michael Kors is also receiving the award for his work supporting research and education in HIV/AIDS and other diseases. 

This recognition also speaks to the fact that there is so much more that needs to be done.  The 'war on cancer' is being fought on so many fronts.   Progress in the last decade toward targeted therapies has been tremendous.  But just as scientists pinpoint one opportunity to improve survival, more obstacles appear and the search continues.

So with humility and great appreciation to CRI, thank you.  This award is not just about the development of innovative medicines; its recognition that cancer treatment requires new thinking to make a difference for patients.

When I was in my twenties, I was young and excited about my future. I never thought I'd be that girl--the one with cervical cancer. Like many young women, cervical cancer wasn't on my radar, and I had no idea that I was even at risk! But it happened to me, and my 10 year battle with the disease has led me to share my story with other young women, to encourage them to join the fight against this preventable disease.

Cervical cancer is actually the second leading cause of cancer death for young women in their 20s and 30s in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 11,000 women were expected to be diagnosed with cervical cancer last year. This means that one woman in the United States is diagnosed with cervical cancer every 47 minutes!

As part of my work with GSK, I'm proud to announce that I recently came together with 46 other women to appear on CBS's The Early Show to build awareness and illustrate the serious reality of another woman being diagnosed in the U.S. every 47 minutes.

When I was diagnosed, my doctor advised that I get a radical hysterectomy and I initially refused when I learned that it would leave me unable to bear children. It was very tough for me to learn and accept the fact that cervical cancer treatments could jeopardize my ability to successfully bear a child. I ended up undergoing a radical hysterectomy and additional treatments to rid my body of the cancer. Luckily, my story has a happy ending, as I am cancer-free today and I have a beautiful daughter who was born last year via a surrogate mother.

Young women today need to know that cervical cancer is preventable, which is why I am sharing my story and teaming up with GSK to raise awareness for the disease. I hope that my personal experience will empower young women to not only learn more about cervical cancer, but also to speak with their doctor about how they can protect themselves against this very serious, yet preventable, disease.  

For more information about cervical cancer, please visit www.HelpPreventCervicalCancer.com and speak with your healthcare provider about what you can do--vaccination, pap tests, and lifestyle changes--to help prevent cervical cancer. Another woman should not have to suffer the consequences of cervical cancer.

Our guest blogger, Michelle Whitlock, is a cervical cancer survivor who is working with GSK to raise awareness for cervical cancer among young women. Michelle is being compensated for her work on behalf of GSK's cervical cancer awareness campaign.

Seems sort of obvious, right?  Well, to a healthy young woman, it's not.  In fact, young women told us they feel invincible. But the reality is that every 47 minutes another woman in the U.S. is diagnosed with cervical cancer.* Women in their 20's are at risk for cervical cancer, and most don't realize that cervical cancer treatments can impact their ability to have a baby. 

Cervical cancer is serious, but it is a cancer that can be prevented. This is why GSK has launched this disease awareness campaign.  Young women need to be aware of the ways to help prevent cervical cancer and so our awareness campaign encourages them have this important discussion with their healthcare provider. 

Young women told us that if we were going to get their attention we needed to be clever and speak their language. We gladly accepted the challenge and the result is a series of attention-grabbing ads that strike an emotional chord by making the expected unexpected.  Young women found the disruptive nature of the ads authentic and motivating.  So, maybe it isn't fair to get their attention this way, but there is nothing fair about cervical cancer.

If you would like to view the spots they can be found on YouTube. And to learn more about ways to help prevent cervical cancer, text PREVENT to 81227** or visit the campaign website at www.HelpPreventCervicalCancer.com.

*The American Cancer Society estimated that 11,000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2009, which works out to one woman every 47 minutes.

**Message and data rates may apply.