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Thrombosis: Sanofi introduces new Clexane ranges into Nigeria market

 

Drug

By Michael Ajayi and Vivian Ihechu
Lagos, Oct. 23, 2019 (NAN) Sanofi, a multinational pharmaceutical company, on Wednesday in Lagos introduced “New Clexane”, a brand of Enoxaparin sodium, 20mg, 60 mg and 80mg Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) into the Nigerian market for the treatment of Venous Thromboembolism (VTE).

Clexane dosing, treatment cost and VTE management is more convenient in patients with cases of severe renal impairment, underweight, obesity, being treated with DVT/Pulmonary Embolism (PE) and high risk gyneacological surgery patients.

Speaking at the launch which also held simultaneously in six cities in the country, Ms Folake Odediran, the General Manager and Country Chairman, Sanofi Nigeria-Ghana, said there was need to tackle VTE because of its high socioeconomic burden and morbidity rate.

“VTE has its socioeconomic burden as patients will need to spend more days in the hospital resulting in extra treatment cost and reduction in hospital bed space available for other patients.

“Venous Thromboembolism ( VTE ) is blood clots occurring as Deep Vein Thrombosis pulmonary embolism or both.

“This launch of Clexane doses of 20mg, 60mg and 80mg into the market is to address the unmet medical needs to the treatment and prevention of thrombosis.

“Some of the insights into unmet medical needs based on our interactions with stakeholders in the market of VTE include cost, dose optimisation in weight-based VTE management and in special populations,” she said.

Odediran restated  Sanofi’s commitment to collaborating with healthcare stakeholders and providing innovative therapeutic options to improve outcomes in VTE management.

Dr Omolale Awodu, a Professor of Haematology, School of Medicine, University of Benin ( UNIBEN), said that one in four deaths are  from causes related to blood clots.

According to her, VTE is also the number one cause of preventable deaths in hospitals.

“The prevalence is increasing in Nigeria and the burden in medically ill patients also increases.

“Acutely ill medical patients are the most vulnerable,” she said.

Awodu urged healthcare practitioners and also patients on the need to identify the risk factors to prevent fatality, especially as most VTE cases became fatal even before they had been diagnosed.
MA/VIV/PDE
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(Editing by Vivian Ihechu/Peter Ejiofor)

Health

Thrombosis: Sanofi raises awareness on condition, urges Nigerians to know risks

Thrombosis

By Iyanuoluwa Johnson and Augusta Uchediunor
Lagos, Oct. 14,  2019 (NAN) Sanofi, a multinational pharmaceutical company, has raised concerns on the need to create more awareness for people, especially patients to know their thrombosis risks and demand for thrombosis treatment or action to be taken to prevent the disease (Prophylaxis).

According to Ms Folake Odediran, General Manager, Sanofi Nigeria/Ghana, this is because thrombosis is becoming a growing public health issue with great socioeconomic burden.

Odediran made the assertion in Lagos as the company joined to mark the 2019 World Thrombosis Day commemorated annually on Oct. 13.

She said: “Venous thromboembolism (VTE), blood clots occurring as deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, or both, is an important and growing public health issue.

“Worldwide, one in four people die from causes related to thrombosis; it claims more lives than AIDS, breast and prostate cancer, and motor vehicle crashes combined.

“The main concern is that many people are not aware of this condition.

“VTE also has its socioeconomic burden, as patients will need to spend more days in the hospital resulting in extra treatment costs and reduction in hospital bed space available for other ill patients.

“We should educate Nigerians and tell them to demand to know their thrombosis risk, especially their risk, especially when on hospital admission.’’

Odediran said that Sanofi, as a health journey partner, had engaged with various partners and stakeholders, to identify areas of support to address the VTE challenge.

According to her, it has also integrated these opportunity areas into its business and strategy to better meet patient needs.

“Our areas of support has focus on capacity building, partnerships with healthcare associations and driving awareness on VTE.

“Our capacity building activities are built around the VTE Safe Zone Programme which is designed to improve the care of hospitalised patients and reduce their risk of a VTE.

“The programme is focused on education for doctors, pharmacists and nurses, development of VTE risk assessment tools and setting up of Institutional Thrombosis Committees.

“This project has been successfully implemented in UCH, Ibadan and is in the pilot phases in UNTH, Enugu, UBTH Benin and AKTH Kano.’’

The Sanofi general manager said the organisation had also partnered healthcare associations, including the Nigerian Society of Heamatology and Blood Transfusion to disseminate the first-ever VTE guidelines to guide healthcare practitioners on management and prevention of VTE.

Earlier, Prof. Sulaimon Akanmu of the Haematology and Blood Transfusion, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, said that no fewer than 50 per cent of patients on admission in Nigerian hospitals might develop thrombosis.

“Thrombosis is a deadly condition caused by the formation of potentially deadly clots (i.e. blood that has turned into solid form) within the blood vessel.

“When the blood clot forms in the vein, referred to as `Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)’, part or whole of the clot can detach and travel in the circulation to lodge in the lungs, causing a condition referred to as pulmonary embolism (PE).

“Both DVT and PE are collectively referred to as `Venous Thromboembolism (VTE)’ and VTE, kills mostly before needed specialised medical intervention is obtained.’’

Akanmu said thrombosis was responsible for 370,000 deaths in Europe, far higher than the number recorded for total number of deaths from AIDS, breast cancer, prostate cancer and traffic accidents combined.

He noted that according to a study, less than 20 per cent of the African patients had a diagnosis of thrombosis risk, while only a fraction of them received correct thrombosis prophylaxis,’’ he said.

According to him, thrombosis is more common among patients in the hospital than individuals at home.

He advised that an individual in the hospital be evaluated because if found to be at risk as high as 40 per cent, such person was “100 per cent likely” to develop thrombosis before leaving the hospital. (NAN)
IJ/ANU/VIV/PDE
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(Editing by Vivian Ihechu/Peter Ejiofor)

Health

World Thrombosis Day: Haematologist advises air travellers to take less alcohol

 

The Thrombus and Thrombo-Embolism

Thrombosis

By Eniola Etti and Vivian Ihechu

Lagos, Oct. 14, 2019 (NAN) Prof. Sulaiman Akanmu, a Professor of Haematology and Blood Transfusion at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, advised  air travellers to know what is thrombosis and the risks.

He said that knowing the dangers would guard against coming down with  thrombosis, a deadly condition caused by the formation of potentially deadly blood clots (blood that has turned into solid form) within the blood vessels.

Akanmu gave the advice at a media briefing organised by Sanofi, a multinational pharmaceutical company, to mark the 2019 World Thrombosis Day on Sunday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that  World Thrombosis Day  is marked annually on Oct. 13 and it focuses attention on the often overlooked and misunderstood condition of thrombosis, an urgent and growing health problem.

Some people known to have passed on from thrombosis include actor James Stewart, Rapper Heavy D and Nigerian Star, Goldie Harvey, who died after returning from the 55th Grammy Awards in 2013.

Akanmu said “when the blood clot forms in the vein, it is  referred to as Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT).

“Part or whole of the clot can detach and travel in the circulation to lodge in the lungs, causing a condition referred to as pulmonary embolism (PE).  Both DVT and PE are collectively referred to as “Venous Thromboembolism” (VTE).

“Travellers, particularly air travelers, are more particularly associated with Venous Thromboembolism.

“This occurs especially in individuals who already have inherited or genetic predisposition of thrombosis.’’

According to him, the environment in the economy class makes this happen, especially the environment up in the sky.

“Generally in the sky, the pressure there is completely different from the one on surface and this makes us, while in the sky, to lose more fluids.

“People become more dehydrated, which is what we call Low Blood Viscosity, which means resistance to flow, the flow of blood becomes more sluggish and the sluggishness predisposes to thrombosis.’’

The hemaetologist said that passengers in the Economy class of an aircraft were usually clamped  and  they don’t do “ Air Exercise’’ .

He also advised air travellers to take water intermittently while on air and take less alcohol.

“The location where the thrombus occurs is at the back of the knee and that is where we have popliteal vein.

 “Nearly 90 to 95 per cent of air travellers in economy class would have thrombosis at the knee because it is constricted.

“This, however, does not affect passengers in first class and business class because there is space and room for walking exercise,’’ he said.

For long distance land travellers, Akanmu said, it is also advisable to stop at every two or three hour interval to help reduce the risk of thrombosis, especially for those with history of inherited predisposition. (NAN)

ENI/VIV/HA

Edited by Vivian Ihechu/ Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu