Recently in Topics in the News Category

A month or so ago we received an email from our kid's preschool advising us that due to the amount of children with food allergies, nut products would be restricted.   This meant PB&J, PB & banana, and PB & raisin sandwiches (lunch staples for our kids!) would need to be replaced with an alternative.  This rule applies the youngest children, 18- 36 months; the ones who can't list off their food restriction or ask you if the brownies are gluten-free.

This week Pediatrics released a study stating that '4% of U.S. children have food allergies.'  We are well aware that more kids are showing food allergies--but why?  The study offered a few theories for the increase, one being that our kids are not exposed enough to germs, which doesn't allow their immune systems to build up protection.   Theories are helpful; but the study noted that more research would need to be done to determine the root cause.  

There is an 'allergy table' at our preschool and now a nut-free environment for the littlest ones.   We are pretty fortunate, our kids haven't shown any food allergies (yet?) and we want to protect our kids but we need answers, Let's hope we get them before all those seats fill up.

We were surprised to read a Dow Jones story last week reporting that GlaxoSmithKline had "refused" to sell some of its medicines to a generic manufacturer.  We were surprised because, in fact, we have offered in writing to sell the medicines and have outlined the steps necessary--primarily confirmation that FDA would allow the sale and approve the generic company's planned research.

"After FDA has considered the issues...GSK would be pleased to work with (the generic company) consistent with FDA's conditions to address GSK's business and liability concerns," conclude the GSK letters, which the reporter had obtained.  The generic company has not responded to GSK.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines "refuse" as "show or express unwillingness to do." The characterization does not fit this situation and the Dow Jones story did not accurately report our position.  

We wanted to share these facts and set the record straight.

As most of this blog's readers are aware, last Thursday and Friday the FDA held an important meeting on social media and internet marketing.  For two-full days, representatives of the industry (click here for PhRMA's testimony), agencies and patients presented to FDA's Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising and Communications on how technology and Web 2.0 have dramatically changed the way health information is exchanged.

For those of us who have been deeply involved in this space, most of the testimony did not cover new ground but it did demonstrate how extraordinary are both the opportunity and challenges presented by the explosion of digital communications and user-generated content.  A central question is how best to ensure patients have truthful, balanced information about treatments--in our case, prescription medications--in such an expansive, and ever-evolving medium.  A corollary question is what our proper role should be in making this happen.

FDA should be applauded for holding this meeting--and listening patiently to some 76 presentations!  It is clear the agency will need time to digest all that has been presented (the docket is open for comments through February 28, 2010).  The meeting was a great time to connect with friends and colleagues from across healthcare who share our excitement with how new media is transforming health care communications.  We look forward to working together with all of them and FDA toward developing a framework that results in the absolute best outcomes for patients and their caregivers.

(PS: Our friend Bob Pearson has posted a very comprehensive overview of the meeting here.)

Those of you outside of the dermatology community may not know that November is National Healthy Skin Month. But for those of us who think about skin on a daily basis as part of our jobs, this is an opportunity to spotlight broadly the importance of skin.

Skin is our largest organ. It protects our bodies, serves as a barrier against infections, and helps us maintain our body temperature. Healthy skin is one important measure of our overall health, but is an often forgotten and neglected part of our overall healthcare regime. 

National Healthy Skin Month is a great time to focus on our own skin health, and I encourage everyone to take a few moments this month to consider ways to improve and maintain your skin health, such as:

·         Get regular skin health screenings with a dermatologist.

·         Regularly inspect your own skin, and make note of any changes, such as moles, redness, bumps, etc.  

·         Ensure that your skin is getting enough moisture--especially as some climates are entering the colder, dryer winter months--by drinking plenty of water and applying moisturizer to your skin daily.

·         Apply SPF daily. Even in the winter months, the sun's rays can have damaging effects on our skin.    

Healthy skin should not be a concern just this month, but on an ongoing basis, and here at Stiefel we spend 365 days a year focused on helping patients worldwide achieve healthy beautiful skin through the products and programs we put forth.  So how is your skin health today?

(Image courtesy of Stiefel.)

How did we get from having HIV activists chaining themselves to a desk in Burroughs Wellcome offices to having 65 HIV community activists travel from across the US to meet with GSK clinical and commercial leaders in Denver this year?  It was not easy.

The cooperative relationship that GSK has developed with the HIV community over the last 20 years parallels the company's successes in helping support the battle against HIV.  Successes like providing the first treatment for AIDS, developing an effective therapy to dramatically reduce mother-to-child transmission, and providing the first fixed-dose combination treatment for HIV were all brought to patients by GSK scientists.

We've found that sitting down and engaging in two-way conversations with activists was a critical and productive step in helping us understand the needs of our patients. 

This year was the 11^th HIV Summer Summit hosted by GSK.  Sixty-five activists, advocates, educators, and writers met with us in this annual event, which provides a forum for scientific exchange and education on issues that affect the treatment and lives of people living with HIV.

We recently announced that we're joining with Pfizer to form a new company focused exclusively on HIV and we received a lot of direct, candid feedback from the community regarding what they want to see from a new HIV company. 

We've been involved with HIV since the epidemic started.  And our commitment to the community has never been stronger. 

In support of the first federally recognized 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, GSK was invited to partner with My Good Deed, the Children's Health Fund and New York Cares to share our employees' time and talents on volunteer projects in recognition of this historic day.

A weekly post from a busy mom concerned about raising healthy children.

It sounds made up but this is in fact how our bedtime story ended last night as my daughter went to sleep with a cough that makes parents cringe.  As our kids head back to school, we need to encourage that they hear what we are saying, and then of course, do it ourselves.  I must have said 'cough in the crook of your elbow' and at least ten times on the way home--and yet I forgot to do it myself and got reminded--'Mom, crook!'  (Really.)

Cold and flu season are upon us and it is important to remind our kids to wash hands and cover up - no matter how much we might sound like broken record.  Unfortunately, this can be mundane and quite boring for lots of kids--and mine occasionally do not do as they are asked.  I'm trying to make it fun.  I'm following the CDC recommendations  and encouraging my kids to sing Happy Birthday (once slow, twice fast) while we wash our hand hands, to really be effective.  Or make up silly games--Ultimate Germ Stopper--to help my kids remember that even though it might look silly coughing in your crook is really cool, even for me, and then we can all live happily ever after.

If needed--the federal government has enlisted Elmo on the washing hands action so when my kids have heard enough from me I can just have them watch Elmo--somehow he always seems to get through to them.

I live in Philadelphia, and recently have not been able to avoid these fairly odd commercials for Pennsylvania's state "readiness" initiative ReadyPA.  The commercials struck me as incredibly vague, talking about "preparedness" and being "ready."  I mean, I know ReadyPA is about helping people understand how and why to be prepared in the event of an emergency, disaster, or pandemic, but still, a little clarity in a public service announcement goes a long way.

Then today I discovered that it is National Preparedness Month, and the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is out and about talking about being prepared--and using H1N1 as an example.  It really comes down to the basics: wash your hands, sneeze into your arm, wash your hands, if you are sick they stay home and wash your hands.  Oh, and remember to wash your hands.