ACIBADEM OFFERS:

Today Acıbadem Healthcare Group is a global brand in medical tourism by providing the highest quality of services using advanced technologies and expert teams meeting the international quality standards like Joint Commission International (JCI) and ISO 15189 Clinical Laboratory Accreditation Certificate.

Every year, many patients from different parts of the world travel to Turkiye to receive treatment, and they prefer Acıbadem. In order to provide comfort, trust and stability, Acıbadem offers to international patients a comprehensive range of services including consultations, diagnostic procedures, billing and insurance, travel and accommodation arrangements and translation services. Acibadem International Patient Service Center has been designed as a “one-stop center” and offers healthcare services from the day of the request until the time patient’s return to their home country within 20 different languages.

Holistic Approach To Oncology Patients

Acıbadem Oncology Centers has been designed specifically for the needs of patients undergoing oncology treatments; they are served by a team of experienced specialists using a multidisciplinary approach.

Acıbadem Radiation Oncology Department removes cancer treatment limits by applying novel strategies. Today, it is possible to get better results in cancer treatment thanks to advanced health technologies. Our institution offers a variety of radiation therapy options and develops treatment plans to best address the type and stage of cancer. In conventional radiation treatment, radiation is given to the patients each day in the precisely the same amount regardless of the patient's changes over the course of therapy. At Acıbadem, MRIdian therapy allows us to see and track soft tissues and tumors in real-time. This enables re-planning of the treatment course on the table if it is needed.

Professor Ufuk Abacıoğlu is a renowned specialist in radiotherapy in Turkiye with more than 25 years of experience in cancer treatment. He states, "In Acıbadem Radiation Oncology Department we diagnose and treat all forms of cancer, from more common conditions like lung, prostate and breast cancer to rarer throat cancer and brain cancer. We not only treat adult patients but also treat pediatric patients when necessary. Compared to 20 years ago, we have a lot of new technologies today. As a result, there are significant advances in radiation oncology. Also, image-guidance during radiation therapy helps us tremendously before and during the treatment. It provides myriad opportunities to treat cancer types we could not treat before."

Acıbadem uses the latest healthcare technologies to provide the best treatment for patients. MRI-guided radiation therapy is one of them. This technology is shortly called as MRIdian. It is especially beneficial for the locations where the body has some degree of motion: the tumors located in the abdomen, the thoracic regions, etc. Tumors in these regions are in motion even during normal breathing patterns. Therefore, the tumor area and surrounding healthy tissues can be visualized clearly with the aid of the MRIdian. Real-time imaging helps physicians to control the treatment process during irradiation. In the case of detecting a clinically significant movement of targets or healthy tissues, physicians can adjust the target and re-plan the treatment while the patient is still on the table. A new MRI scan is performed before each treatment session. It allows a tailored treatment in accordance with the patient's daily anatomy.

Acıbadem began treatments with the MRIdian system in 2018, marking Turkiye's first MRI-guided radiotherapy treatments. In the last four years, after seeing the importance of real-time MRI visualization, automatic beam gating, and on-table adaptive therapy in cancer treatment, Acıbadem has purchased a second MRIdian device in 2022.

"In MRIdian therapy, we track the tumor and give the treatment at the right time and position. It allows treatment of hard-toreach tumors, tumors located close to critical structures, or tumors that can move during normal bodily functions such as breathing. This makes MRI-Guided Radiation Therapy different and more effective than other technologies. Moreover, MRIdian therapy offers better results with little to no side effects and complications." says Professor Dr. Meriç Şengöz. He is a highly respected radiotherapy specialist who has 30-years of extensive experience in this fast-evolving medical field.

Acıbadem is one of the few cancer centers in the world that utilizes the power of MRIdian in treating pancreatic, prostate, liver, and other cancer types. If you'd like to learn more, you are encouraged to contact Acıbadem Group at: apply@acibadem.com

First modular mRNA vaccine labs arrive in Rwanda

the production of vaccines.

Developed by German pharmaceutical company BioNTech, the six mobile vaccine-production units are expected to start manufacturing vaccines approximately 12 to 18 months after their installation and are capable of producing up to 100 million mRNA vaccines per year.

pioneer treatments in the development phase against diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV.

RWANDA — Rwanda has received its first modular container prototype known as which utilizes mRNA technology for

One of the recycled shipping containers will produce mRNA vaccines while the other will produce formulated bulk drug products. Rwanda plans to use the same facility to manufacture malaria and tuberculosis vaccines, as well as

This is the first shipment of its kind to Africa as the continent seeks to boost local production of mRNA vaccines. The Kigali plant is the first mRNA technology manufacturing hub, with similar facilities to be set up in Senegal and South Africa. Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tunisia will receive technology from the hub to produce their own mRNA vaccines. The vaccines produced will be distributed to the 55-member African Union bloc.

Pfizer, and Biovac launch freezer farm facility for vaccine storage and supply

SOUTH AFRICA— Pfizer and Biovac have inaugurated a freezer farm facility in South Africa that can store vaccine products at ultra-low temperatures, including the locally manufactured Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine.

The two-storey building houses 135 ultra-low temperature freezers, allowing for the storage of vaccines up to minus 70 degrees Celsius. Biovac is a South African public-private partnership

Manufacturing

focused on improving vaccine access and promoting local manufacturing of vaccines.

The partnership between Pfizer and Biovac dates back to 2015 and aims to establish a sustainable supply of Pfizer's pneumococcal vaccine. To date, Pfizer has invested over R855 million ($47.09m) in Biovac to improve infrastructure and skills development.

Moderna looks to expand its manufacturing footprint globally

USA — Moderna plans to expand its operations globally over the next few years, building on the exponential growth it experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The US-based biotech rose to prominence as one of the first to develop Covid-19 vaccines using its mRNA technology, with net income of US$12.2bn in 2021 and US$18.4bn in Covid-19 vaccine sales in 2022.

Moderna is confident that its mRNA vaccine, Spikevax, can be modified to combat new SARS-CoV-2 strains, including the XBB.1.5 variant. The company is expanding its manufacturing capacity for pandemic prevention, with new facilities planned in the UK, Canada, Australia, and Kenya, and partnerships in Switzerland and the US. In addition, the company has acquired Japanese biotech OriCiro Genomics to speed up the development of its products.

Experts in Kano find unusual manifestation of diphtheria in a baby and teenager

NIGERIA — Diphtheria, a deadly throat disease, has been found in the vagina of a baby and a 17-year-old girl teenager in Kano, according to experts at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital.

The outbreak has claimed 61 lives in Kano State as of March 2, 2023, with a total of 783 admissions, out of which 360 were females and 423 were males. The majority of confirmed cases in Nigeria occurred in children aged two to

14 years.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has declared the situation as an outbreak of diphtheria cases in Lagos and Kano States. The National technical working group multi-partner, multi-sectoral Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) was activated to coordinate the response activities at all levels.

WHO, CDC to establish local vaccine manufacturing plant to fight future pandemics

AFRICA — Medical experts and leaders in Africa have agreed to establish a local vaccine manufacturing plant in order to fight future pandemics.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is partnering with the Africa Center for Disease Control (Africa CDC) to identify six countries for vaccine production, including Rwanda, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, and Algeria.

The manufacture of vaccines will enable Africa to become self-sufficient in the fight against diseases, rather

PARTNERSHIP than relying on donor supplies. WHO is working to improve regulatory capacities for the countries through the Africa Medicines Agency, which was established in 2020.

The agency aims to harmonize the regulatory system for medical products in the African continent and enable smoother approval processes to improve pharmaceutical production. Africa CDC also has plans to establish diagnostic laboratories and therapeutic services.

Pfizer partners with Samsung Bio for drug substance manufacturing until 2029

SOUTH KOREA — Samsung Biologics, a South Korean contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), has signed a biologics supply contract with Pfizer worth US$183m that runs through 2029.

This is the second CMO agreement Samsung Biologics has signed this year, having secured a US$27m CDMO agreement with GlaxoSmithKline in

February. Samsung Biologics has been expanding its capabilities and facilities to meet demand, with plans to enter the manufacture of antibody-drug conjugates in the near future.

The recent Pfizer contract marks the seventh top 10 pharma firm to collaborate with Samsung Biologics, indicating an aggressive expansion strategy.

Pfizer and GSK on track to release highly anticipated RSV vaccines this year

The US Food and Drug Administration is expected to approve both Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline's RSV vaccines for use in people aged 60 and above by May 2023, and Pfizer's vaccine may also be approved for use in pregnant women by August 2023.

GE HealthCare and Sinopharm enter longterm joint venture to grow in China’s medical device market

USA — Pfizer has reportedly developed a vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a respiratory illness that affects millions of people globally and causes severe inflammation of the small airways in the lungs, particularly dangerous for infants.

The European Union is expected to make a decision on the vaccines in the second half of the year, which could pave the way for their introduction in the UK and other countries. The vaccines are designed to provide protection against RSV and reduce the severity of illness in those who do become infected, potentially reducing the number of hospitalizations and deaths related to RSV infections. Other pharmaceutical companies are also developing treatments and vaccines for RSV, including Sanofi, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, and Bavarian Nordic.