Asia PharMed & HealthCare Thailand Digital Issue No.1

ISSUE NO.1 www.ipriasia.com

Medical Technology - Equipment & Device - Pharmaceutical - Manufacturing - Health Care & Technology Information

Covid-19: Vaccine Development in Germany Memory Care and Mental Wellness Covid-19 : Creating Demand for Digital Health Applications DIGITAL ISSUE NO.01 : JANUARY 2021

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Editor’s note ADDRESS IPRI Co.,Ltd. 58/2 Soi Phrom Sri, Sukhumvit Rd., Khlong Tun Nuea, Wattana, Bangkok 10110 Thailand Tel: +66 (0) 2392 2011 Website: www.ipriasia.com MANAGEMENT Publisher Wannee Sananwatananont MEDIA DIRECTOR Laverne S.Taypin : lawant@ipriasia.com ADMINISTRATION / DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION Rawiphan Promgam : rawiphan@ipriasia.com DIGITAL TEAM / PRODUCTION Wiratchada Sukkhathon : pure@ipriasia.com Watcharida Sukkhathon : preem@ipriasia.com

As the world faces challenges due to Covid-19, which has disrupted lifestyles of people regardless of their race or skin color, all across the world. And as the digital technologies, the upcoming 5G network have provided people with fast and broad access to information, helping to connect people across borders. increasing production efficiency in the manufacturing sectors, thanks to the full speed and unlimited connectivity, making the world a smaller place like one could never have imagined before.

This edition of Digital Magazine for industrial sector of Pharmaceutical, Medical Equipment & HealthCare that you are now reading the latest updates on modern technologies for the manufacturing industry of Pharmaceutical, Medical Equipment & HealthCare so that everyone can access latest technologies from the manufacturers and for the manufacturing industry instantly and with efficiency. It also allows you to access to information in digital format so that you can easily forward and share the information to those that are relevant.

I hope that our readers will benefit from Asia PharMed & HealthCare Thailand Digital issue. As for any of the latest developments on new technologies that you would like to share, kindly send to us at editor@ipriasia.com. We are more than happy to be the medium for sharing your news.

Lavene S.Taypin

DIGITAL ISSUE NO.01 : JANUARY 2021

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CONTENTS

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ExEcutive column VNU Asia Pacific

special article Covid-19 : Creating Demand for Digital Health Applications

Industry association

- COXY-AMP: COVID-19 Colorimetric Detection Kit

- NSTDA helps Thai company launch an effective product to fight COVID-19 pandemic

Covid-19: Vaccine Development in Germany

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NSTDA helps Thai company launch an effective product to fight COVID-19 pandemic

special article

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Healthcare & Life Sciences

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Sandvik In The Human Body/life changing innovations

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Health care & technology - Memory Care and Mental Wellness

- What Recent Business Relationships Tell Us About The Future Of Telehealth

Health care & technology Q4’20 healthcare funding

manufacturing FROM SIMPLE TO COMPLEX

ASIA PHARMED & HEALTHCARE THAILAND

DIGITAL ISSUE NO.01 : JANUARY 2021

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Executive column VNU Asia Pacific

Asia Pharmed & Healthcare Thailand talks to Mr Heiko M. Stutzinger, Managing Director VNU Asia Pacific and Mr. Anucha Parnpichate , Project Manager of Thailand LAB INTERNATIONAL & Bio Asia Pacific for special insights into the challenges of organising events amidst Covid-19 and the move to their new offices at The PARQ. Facing the challenges of Covid-19 Mr. Heiko M. Stutzinger, Managing Director VNU Asia Pacific, says that there isn’t any business that’s been unaffected by the pandemic. “It’s worldwide, and impacts personal as well as business life. There’s no area of life that’s not affected from the 2 years of Covid-19. For some businesses, it’s obviously positive, for example, for Zoom and Food Delivery. However, in the trade-show business, we have been really negatively affected because our core business is bringing people together.”

“Normally our business is really robust. But Covid-19 is attacking us right in the heart. And no safety measure, when the virus is really there and attacking us, can help us. I think we are going through several stages.”

Mr Stutzinger explains that when talking of events, trade shows are still possible. “There are different characteristics of events. Is it a B-2-B event or a B-2-C 6

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event? And is it an international event or is it a national event? What we see is that for economies where you don’t have the second wave of Covid, such as China and Thailand, definitely, events are possible. But for events that cater to an international audience, it is impossible. Ofcourse, digital and hybrid events are possible. And B-2-C events, that are national, are possible.”

He expressed that during the past five years, although the company has been investing a lot in traditional trade shows, the digital aspect has not really been prioritised. “It has been a mistake that we have not been looking at digital for our events. There is a lot of value if we do it the right way. We had digital platforms for matchmaking, but you still had to download the app.” Mr Stutzinger reiterated that the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of virtual in the events arena. “When the Covid came up, we needed to do our homework in pretty short notice and with speed.”

The rise of Virtual 2020 marks the 10th Anniversary of Thailand LAB INTERNATIONAL along with Bio Asia Pacific 2020. “It’s also the first time organising a hybrid event,” added Mr. Anucha Parnpichate , Project Manager of Thailand LAB INTERNATIONAL & Bio Asia Pacific. “We have received good feedback from both exhibitors and visitors. Basically, we provide the physical exhibition together with onlineplatform and technology features, such as live-streaming, live-broadcasting, business matchmaking.”

This year we also have a platform called ‘Bio Square’ which is the key highlight for this year. Bio Square is a space for mingling, networking, pitching and knowledgesharing between the industry experts. Several sessions allowed international speakers and virtual participants to connect via Zoom while being shown throughout Bio Square’s big display screens, also garnering the attention of trade visitors.

This year Thailand LAB INTERNATIONAL along with Bio Asia Pacific 2020 concluded with 109 exhibiting companies and 8,067 trade visitors. 65% of trade visitors were physical visitors while 35% werevirtual.

We had 47 physical conferences and 47 purely virtual conferences, plus 38 hybrid conferences (physical conferences with livestream to Facebook live) making more connections for visitors who cannot travel and also create moreengagement with visitors all over the world.

“As I talk to many of the industry experts, during the first half of 2021, Covid-19 still exists.”

In 2021, the exhibition will continue in a hybrid format, following the “new normal” that has resulted from Covid-19. Thailand LAB INTERNATIONAL will return and expand to a larger area, featuring over 200 exhibitors.

Bio Asia Pacific will be fully launched in September 2021 along with Thailand LAB INTERNATIONAL 2021.

A Journey in Time

“For 2021, our mission is market-creation, bringing people together for learning, networking and facilitating deals. Our philosophy is to make the customer journey really worthwhile, and to make it a really good customer experience.”

VNU Asia Pacific recently relocated their offices to The PARQ in mid-February, when the Covid19 was just starting to come up. The new office is equipped with several meeting rooms and conference rooms. There is also a restaurant style kitchen and pantry, as well as a lounge where staff can relax. The design of the office is based on the concept of contemporary, cutting-edgeand modern while at the same time not cold like concrete. The idea is that the office should be professional and the staff should be comfortable.

About VNU Asia Pacific VNU Asia Pacific is the organiser of Thailand LAB INTERNATIONAL & Bio Asia Pacific 2020, the leading conference and exhibition platform for Biotechnology, Life Sciences and Smart Health in Asia Pacific. VNU Asia Pacific recently hosted their first virtual event with the Thailand LAB International, a Collaborative Innovation Platform for Laboratory and Life Sciences Industry in Asia Pacific. The co-located shows took place on 28-30 October 2020 at Bangkok’s world-class exhibition hall, BITEC.

Mr Stutzinger recalls that VNU Asia Pacific was founded in 2012. It has been a slow journey but also going with the marketing in South East Asia. “At that time, everyone was looking at Europe, China, USA. I think Southeast Asia, in the trade show world, it’s recently DIGITAL ISSUE NO.01 : JANUARY 2021

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SPECIAL ARTICLE

By Germany Trade & Invest

Covid-19: Vaccine Development in Germany

Researchers in Germany play a leading role in the search for solutions to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic. Vaccine development projects, in particular, are attracting lots of interest.

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Covid-19 vaccines from Germany in clinical trials

EU agreements signed subject to approval

Three German companies have started clinical trials of Covid-19 vaccines.

BioNTech, Pfizer and CureVac have concluded supply agreements with the EU and other areas in order to provide their vaccines after they receive approval.

BioNTech from Mainz has developed the mRNA Vaccine BNT162 jointly with the US pharma company Pfizer. It is currently Phase II/III trial. Some 44,000 participants are expected to be enrolled in the trial, which is scheduled to continue until June 2021. the vaccine is already being used in the US, UK and elsewhere.

In September, BioNTech acquired a GMP manufacturing facility in Marburg/Germany from Novartis AG in order to create additional vaccine manufacturing capacity of up to 60 million doses per month. mRNA vaccine in phase II trial stage Curevac, a TĂźbingen University spin-off company, is also developing an mRNA vaccine that is currently in Phase III trial. The trial is expected to continue well into 2021. Curevac is collaborating with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations on the development of this vaccine, and has a strategic partnership with GSK to advance mRNA and mAB the rapeutics against infectious diseases.

IDT Biologika, located in Dessau, is collaborating with the German Center for Infection Research and several universities to develop an MVA vector vaccine. The product is currently undergoing clinical trial in Hamburg.

German government R&D funding activities The German government has invested considerable sums to accelerate the research on and production of Covid-19 vaccines. The Federal Ministry for Education and Research, for example, funded the three companies mentioned above to the tune of around EUR 750 million. Germany also bought a EUR 300 million stake in CureVac in June.

Early-stage Covid-19 vaccine development There are many more companies working on Covid-19 vaccines at earlier stages: ARTES Biotechnology is developing a vaccine based on virus-like particles baseclick is working on an mRNA vaccine Leukocare is cooperating with the companies ReiThera (Italy) and Univercells (Belgium) on a vector vaccine – the first in-human study of which was announced for summer 2020.

Prime vector technologies is conducting research on a polyvalent vaccine vector. The company was supported by a grant from the EXIST program, which promotes the transition from academic research to industry.

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SPECIAL ARTICLE

By Germany Trade & Invest

Covid-19 : Creating Demand for Digital Health Applications An increasing number of teleconsultation providers are already offering their sevices in Germany. patients remained skeptical, but the corona pandemic is changing this situation.

Corona boosts the use of telemedicine services The corona pandemic has been a true catalyst for telemedicine services in Germany. For many years, the digitalization of the healthcare system in Germany has been slow. Since 2018, the German Ministry of Health has pushed forward a significant number of legislative acts to digitalize the healthcare system. In December 2019, the Geman parliament passed the Digital Care Act (DVG) and the strict regulatory framework for teleconsultation has been relaxed. Since these changes, initial treatment via video call has now become possible.

The Covid-19 crisis has made the use of telemedicine and other digital health solutions an imperative.

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The National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung) has lifted limitations on video consultion for physicians, increased possibilities for video consultations for psychotherapists, and allowed doctors to write people off sick from their jobs without personal contact.

Teleconsultation provider race has begun As the market for telemedicine opens up, more and more teleconsultation providers – for example, Dialogue from Canada and Online Doctors from Switzerland – are expanding their services to the German market (73 million potential customers with public health insurance and 9 million with private health insurance).

Swedish start-up Kry is also now active in Germany and recorded a 60 percent increase in video consultations in February followed by 219 percent increase in March.

Teleclinic, a German telemedicine pioneer, reports a weekly 50 percent increase in use since the beginning of the corona outbreak. At present, many telemedicine providers also offer free Covid-19 consultation.

The pandemic has encouraged the use of digital health solutions in Germany. Teleconsultations, medical apps and online coaching platforms have already proven their value. Growing patient and physician acceptance and rules for this promising market means that DiGAs will be here to stay after the pandemic.

Digital solutions help with staying at home Digital health solutions are also an important resource in dealing with the physical limitations and mental burden caused by home isolation. KaiaHealth’s app-based therapy targets back pain with online motion and relaxation exercises.

Since corona hit Europe, the digital health company from Munich has recorded a 40 percent increase in terms of daily in-app activity. Berlin-based mental health start-up Selfapy now also offers specific corona support including hotlines, guided programs and coaching.

Setting the regulatory framework Prior to the pandemic, Germany was already developing the legal framework to introduce more digital health applications (DiGAs) into the national statutory health system. Starting this summer, German physicians can prescribe such apps to their patients, while providers can pay for their services from statutory health insurance funds.

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industry Association

by The National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC)

COXY-AMP: COVID-19 Colorimetric Detection Kit The COVID-19 pandemic has killed over 1 million people and caused significant damages to Global economy.

Despite the availability of vaccine, testing remains critical as it helps contain and mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic by identifying infected individuals to help prevent further person-to-person transmission of COVID-19.

RT-PCR has been adopted as the standard method for COVID-19 detection due to its accuracy, specificity and sensitivity. As the method requires expensive laboratory equipment and trained technicians to perform and interpret results, making the PCR platform inaccessible to the wider population, thus crippling the ability to contain the spread.

Research team at BIOTEC-NSTDA has developed COXYAMP, a rapid COVID-19 colorimetric detection kit. The assay employs loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technique to amplify genetic materials of SARS-CoV-2, the causative of COVID-19. The test is a simple one-step method and the result, as indicated by the color change, can be visualized with naked eyes.

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Because the assay detects SARS-CoV-2 RNA, its performance highly depends on the quantity and quality of RNA. COXY-AMP is designed to consist of two sets of tests: 1) XO-AMP for SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection and 2) Internal Control for RNA assessment to ensure the test accuracy.

The tests are simple to use, by adding RNA to the reaction tubes of both XO-AMP and Internal Control and incubating the tubes at 65°C for 75 minutes.

XO-AMP reaction turns yellow if SAR-CoV-2 RNA is present in the sample. The color shift from purple to green in Internal Control indicates sufficient amount of RNA. COXY-AMP has a number of advantages over the standard method. COXY-AMP reagents cost around 300 THB/test, compared to 1,000 THB for the RT-qPCR method. In fact, the commercial RT-PCR test for COVID-19 costs as high as 5,000 THB in Thailand. In term of instrument, COXY-AMP only requires a heating block costing only 10,000 THB, whereas the price of RT-PCR machine ranges from 600,000 to 1 million THB. At 75-min assay time, COXY-AMP is twice as fast as an RT-PCR method.

This test was validated with 146 clinical samples, and the results revealed 100% accuracy, 100% specificity, and 100% sensitivity.

This COXY-AMP technology is available for licensing.

It was among the exciting innovations presented at the International Innovation and Business Pitching in THAILAND TECH SHOW 2020. Click here to listen to the pitch, in English language, by Dr. Pakapreud Khumwan.

https://www.tts2020-online.com/streams/556

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industry Association by the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA)

NSTDA helps Thai company launch an effective product to fight COVID-19 pandemic

A press briefing was held on 14 December 2020 by Healthiness Company Limited to introduce Besuto12 hand cleansing gel. Besuto12 was developed by Healthiness Company Limited, in partnership with AVS Innovation Company Limited - a research company based at Thailand Science Park – and funded by NSTDA under the Fast Track for Medicine and Medical Device Fight COVID-19 Program.

Launched in April 2020, NSTDA’s Fast Track for Medicine and Medical Device Fight COVID-19 Program aimed at accelerating the product development process to reach the market to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Specifically, the program provided financial support to local companies to perform the quality and safety assessment of medicine and medical devices.

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Test results have shown that Besuto12 is effective against COVID-19, H1N1, H3N2, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), fungus, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) which is spreading in Thailand especially among young children in school. The product is alcoholfree and contains extracts of grape seed, cucumber and green tea that help moisturize the skin. With thin film forming technology, the gel can provide up to 12-hour protection in one application.

Besuto12 won Canadian Special Award at International Invention Innovation Competition in Canada (iCAN 2020).

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More information

Thailand news

BY World Health Organization Thailand (WHO THAILAND)

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

SPOTLIGHT • On the 5th of January 2021, 527 new cases of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 were announced by the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand (MoPH), bringing the total number of cases to date to 8,966.

• The remaining 439 cases reported today are in migrant workers who were identified through contact tracing and active case finding in Samut Sakhon. This brings the cumulative total in this group to 2,476 cases.

• Of these 8,966 cases, 49% (4,397) have recovered, 0.7% (65) have died, and 50.2% (4,022) are still receiving treatment or under isolation.

• Locally transmitted COVID-19 cases have now been reported in 56 provinces. Two additional provinces – Sing Buri and Nan – reported new cases today

• The 527 laboratory-confirmed cases reported today include 6 individuals who arrived recently in Thailand and were diagnosed in quarantine facilities.

• Update on the Rayong event

• The 527 new cases reported today also include 82 cases classified as ‘local transmission’, as follows:

• 56 cases are linked to occupational risk and visiting crowded places, including Bangkok (15), Phetchaburi (1), Surin (1), Nonthaburi (2), Samut Songkhram (31), Sing Buri (3), Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya (2), Suphan Buri (1).

• 26 cases are under investigation and verification including Nakhon Pathom (1), Nan (1), Surat Thani (6), Nonthaburi (18).

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• between 23th Dec – 4th Jan, 426 cases were reported

• the majority of cases were women (sex ratio 1:1.23), the median age was 49 years old.

• the majority of cases (57%) were asymptomatic. transmission was concentrated in Muang District: risk places include gambling dens, cockfighting grounds, fitness clubs, entertainment venues, markets and schools

UPDATE FROM THE CCSA • The Ministry of Interior has issued guidance on province-specific measures to all Provincial Governors on 4th January 2021, providing general measures for all areas and specific measures for highly controlled areas.

• Measures to be applied in all areas include DMHTT precautions, self-quarantine for 14 days for people who have been to highly controlled areas or areasreporting active cases, and ensure no gambling activities occur.

• Measures to be applied in highly controlled areas include

• closure of places with risk of transmission including pubs, bars and karaoke establishments.

• measures for food and beverage establishments : limiting number of customers, spacing, registration through ThaiChana application or other types of records, limiting eating in until 9 p.m. and providing takeaway only between 9 p.m. and 6.00 a.m.

• screening for inter-provincial travel to/from highly controlled areas, registration of travelers to accommodate contact tracing, checkpoints on roads

at a sub-provincial level, collaboration from members of the public to limit inter-provincial travel for necessary purposes and delivery of goods only.

• preparation of field hospitals, equipment and supplies, and communication with the community to minimize resistance for areas with upward trends of transmission.

• collaboration from employers to implement preventive measures amongst employees.

• introduction of tightened measures, as needed, at the discretion of Provincial Communicable Disease Control Committees.

• The Ministry of Public Health has proposed to CCSA that five highly controlled area provinces – Samut Sakhon, Rayong, Chonburi, Chanthaburi, Trat – should establish additional stringent measures, e.g. Mor Chana contact tracing mobile application must be used in these provinces.

• Pending approval of the cabinet, the Emergency Decree will be extended from 15 January 2021 to 28 February 2021.

WHAT WHO IS DOING TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THAILAND WHO Thailand supports the Royal Thai Government through the Ministry of Public Health, sharing information on key developments, guidelines and scientific updates.

WHO also supports the wider UN response, including working with key partners to support migrant populations in Thailand. WHO also provides information and advice to staff of the UN system in Thailand.

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SPECIAL ARTICLE

By Germany Trade & Invest

Healthcare & Life Sciences Germany is the largest market for healthcare and life sciences products within Europe. Both market demand and location factors make it a preferred choice for many international companies preparing to expand their business.

Germany’s growing markets are driven by various global trends. Social developments like demographic change and technological tendencies such as digitization are two key examples.

Science and innovation made in Germany frequently lead to the commercial exploitation of cutting-edge technology. This is especially the case in the life sciences sector, which comprises a variety of hi-tech areas like molecular diagnostics, (bio-)pharmaceuticals and biomaterials, and medical equipment.

It is our mission to help your company grow in Germany.

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Health care & technology

By Miznee Digital Healthcare Written by Tayo Akiwumi

Memory Care and Mental Wellness An Asia Pacific Perspective

Background The vast majority of us take our memory for granted.

And why not? It’s always there. In the background, ready for us whenever we need it and never seems to go missing.

Then, as it so often does, time intervenes. We get older and remembering becomes less instant, we actually have to make an effort to recall. The change is often imperceptible, gradual. So much so we make excuses for ourselves for not being able to find words, recollect a place, a person, an event, a name, all that once were familiar.

Not until we frequently ‘misplace’ car keys or fail to understand what we just left the kitchen to go to the bedroom for or what it was, we were about to say during a conversation, that we begin to be alarmed. Then it may gradually dawn on us that our power over our memory, that once instant control we had over practically any aspect of our past is leaving us. Worse, much worse is yet to come as a result of this dis connection in our memories. Our mental agility may also become less leading to dementia and perhaps more

specifically, Alzheimer’s diease. A potentially fatal illness that plagues us as we advance in age. At this point, it is important to note that dementia is not the exclusive province of the aged or necessarily directly related only to aging. Younger members of the global community have been susceptible to dementia related illness, however, the vast observed sufferers of dementia are senior citizens.

In the Asia Pacific region, over 23 million people were living with dementia in 2015, a figure projected to reach close to 71 million by 2050 according to Alzheimer’s Diseases International (ADI). ADI is an international federation of Alzheimer associations around the world.

By 2050, about 150 million people are expected to be suffering from dementia globally. Asia Pacific is home to about half of the world’s current 50 million people living with dementia. With its rapidly increasing aging population, the importance of preparing for and implementing long term age related care such as for dementia cannot be understated. Japan has the largest aged population while Singapore has the second fastest ageing population second only to the Republic of Korea.

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Health care & technology

By Miznee Digital Healthcare Written by Tayo Akiwumi

It is generally believed that a dementia epidemic is in the future of the region. As stated by WHO, only Australia, Japan and the Republic of Korea have formulated public health policies directly targeting the burden of dementia. Singapore and Thailand have been making some progress in addressing the issue by raising awareness. In a recent in-depth report on Dementia prevention by the Lancet Commission, it was noted that dementia not only affects the patient but also the family and the economy. It further noted that the cost of care for dementia is in the region of US$1 trillion.

In Asia Pacific in 2015, this figure was over US$180 million and expected to significantly rise.

There is optimism in the region as countries such as China and India as well as Japan begin to publicly take major steps in managing present and preparing for future dementia related illnesses.

A major obstacle in the Asia Pacific region is the social stigma associated with dementia and thereby, those who are living with the illness. It is broadly agreed on by global and regional health organizations working on the challenges presented by dementia that a more dementia friendly environment must be created. If success is too be achieved, people with dementia should be able to

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continue with their lives within society, not on its borders or in the shadows.

Memory Care There may come a time when it becomes overwhelming to care for someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s at home. The potential challenges can be difficult in many ways including emotionally. Ensuring your loved one ages gracefully and comforably with the specialized care only possible in professional settings such as in an assisted living facility or a nursing home for example.

Other alternatives include hiring a professional caregiver to visit and provide care at home.

Experts agree that, beyond the provision of daily suport such as meals, bathing and other personal tasks, it is crucial to help the senior citizen increase, improve, maintain or gain mental vitality. Reconnection with memories using well proven techniques such as Reminiscence Therapy in a structured and stimulating environment is highly recommended. This in addition to boosting social interactivity can go a long way toward boosting the competence and confidence of our senior citizens in their later life.

“

Digital healthcare offers Asia Pacific countries the opportunity to catch up with and leapfro western regions

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Mental Wellness Dementia triggered by Alzheimer’s disease accounts for between 60-80% of dementias. Apart from loss of memory, its effect can include debilitating loss of cognitive skills including learning, reasoning, making judgments, communicating and generally conducting life on a daily basis.

Mental wellbeing is of course not necessarily only linked to dementia. Everyday stress, loss of a loved one, workplace politics, relationship and financial challenges are examples. The current corona virus pandemic is another important example of triggers leading to mental wellness concerns.

Mental care specialists are increasingly practicing well established techniques like CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and Mindfulness. Telehealth services are becoming prevalent, enabling patients to receive care in the comfort of their home. This a key development as the social stigma previously mentioned in relation to those with dementia applies to all mental illness unfortunately. This is where Asia Pacific countries can not only catch up but leapfrog their western counterparts. In a range of studies, it has been shown that the citizens as well as GPs are keen and ready to accept such mechanism to healthcare delivery.

While the care provided by telehealth service providers is very much welcome, it is still very much a service for the wealthy and well-to-do in many countries around the world. That includes Asia Pacific countries.

The per hour cost of a video-conference session with a GP is beyond the reach of many socio-economic communities in Asia Pacific countries. When one then considers that this is likely not to be a one-off required session but more will be needed possibly followed by in-person visits, the costs start becoming prohibitive for most. How about the average number of members of the family in the region? They may also require healthcare attention at some stage.

So how can the costs be reduced sufficiently to satisfy the needs of patients, GPs, hospitals, clinics and government agencies?

Digital Primary Care Implementing a better primary care level within the overall hierarchy of healthcare provision within a country has been highlighted as vital for many nations yet to do so in the region. Increasing and better managing the primary care professional resource will certainly help a great deal. But what if we can clone some of the standard expertise of these primary care professionals? Once cloned and digitized many more patients can be serviced at a significantly lower cost and in a timely manner, regardless of the socio-economic or geographic community in the region. Languages and customs will also need to be considered.

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Health care & technology By sandvik thailand

Sandvik In The Human Body/life changing innovations A new life – with new technique and an ultra-fine wire A disease or an accident can change your life in an instant. We want to empower people to lead their For more information. everyday lives with quality. Our medical solutions make it possible. A tiny wire made a huge difference in young Amanda Rosengren’s quality of life, giving her the type of security, safety and freedom every teenager needs.

At first glance Amanda Rosengren looks just like any other teenager: she loves hanging out with her friends, competing in sports and dreams about a career in acting. Oh, and she’s constantly on her smartphone.

But, if you look a bit closer, Amanda checks her phone a bit more carefully than the other kids.

Amanda’s smartphone is actually a lifesaving tool.

It is where her blood sugar level is shown with the help from a CGM (continuous glucose monitor). A tiny medical wire is inserted under the skin in one of her arms and it functions as a sensor that sends information to an app in her smartphone. The CGM is one of the applications that Exera® medical wire

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from Sandvik is used in. The wire is actually so tiny that it has been used in insect brains to test responses to stimuli. The small size and the high quality of the wire makes it ideal for use in medical devices that are implanted inside humans. Checking her blood sugar levels is a routine part of her daily life. Amanda has type 1 diabetes, a never-ending disease that can be very dangerous if blood sugar levels are not constantly monitored and adjusted with insulin.

I wasn’t allowed to go too far away from home. If I went out, I got loads of phone calls from mum and dad.

Now 13 years old, Amanda is used to her condition and its challenges – she was only four when she and her family found out about her condition, so she has basically grown up a diabetic. Actually, she still remembers the day back in 2011 when one of her teachers at kindergarten alarmed her parents that something wasn’t quite all right, that Amanda acted differently than the other kids. She was very thirsty and went more often to the bathroom. On top of that Amanda, who normally was very tired when the kids had their daily nap, now didn’t seem to be able to fall asleep at all.

“Since my teacher had diabetes herself, she understood that these things could be symptoms of the disease and called my parents,” Amanda says.

mum and dad, who of course were worried about me.

And when my friends had sleepovers, my parents came to pick me up when it was bedtime.”

Amanda remembers her dad showing up earlier that day to pick her up from kindergarten. After a urine test at the emergency room, Amanda was diagnosed with diabetes. The family had to stay at the hospital for a week after getting the diagnosis. They met a therapist and a dietician and Amanda’s parents were trained in how to treat a diabetic child.

But in 2013 Amanda’s mother Helen Blomqvist, who is a bit of a tech geek, heard about the CGM that measures tissue glucose 24 hours a day. This means that you can immediately view your glucose value, a trend graph and in particular the direction the value is going in.

In March 2014, Amanda’s medical diabetic team suggested that the family should test the CGM. Today, she gets readings on her blood sugar level and that information is sent in real time to an app on her smartphone. If her blood sugar level is going high or low, she instantly gets a warning.

After that turbulent week, the family moved back home to a host of changes. Needles, blood samples and blood sugar controls became a daily necessity.

Since diabetes is a serious illness, Amanda’s parents were obviously worried constantly and tested her blood sugar frequently. At this point Amanda was full of needle marks on her hands and arms.

A very limiting time Constantly monitoring the blood sugar levels of a diabetic is a never-ending dance between eating and insulin injections to keep the blood sugar at a steady level. When it comes to children, the care needs to be individually adjusted since each person is unique.

Amanda’s blood sugar levels were pretty difficult to monitor, since they often fluctuated, which put even more pressure on Amanda’s family. Her parents were afraid to leave her alone and slept and worked in shift. They also found it hard to let Amanda go to kindergarten, even though they got an extra daily resource to help her there. This went on for years.

Amanda remembers this time as very limiting to her and that she was treated differently than her friends.

“I wasn’t allowed to go too far away from home,” she says. “If I went out, I got loads of phone calls from

This technique means everything to us.

Amanda also has an insulin pump attached to her stomach, that automatically gives her the right dose of insulin according to the measurements the app recommends.

The new technique has provided Amanda and her family a new lease on life. Since Amanda’s blood levels are constantly monitored and registered in the app, the family can be more spontaneous.

“Seeing the blood sugar levels visually is very powerful, you really do know if you have a high or low value,” says Helen Blomqvist, Amanda’s mother. “It makes us and Amanda feel very safe. This technique means everything to us.”

And with the alarm function that is integrated in the system, her parents can sleep better – knowing they will wake up by an alarm in case Amanda gets a too high or low blood sugar level.

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Health care & technology

BY The CB Insights

What Recent Business Relationships Tell Us About The Future Of Telehealth An array of healthcare stakeholders - from payers to providers to drug developers - are increasingly joining forces with telehealth companies to expand access to “socially distant� care.

Covid-19 has drawn an unprecedented amount of attention to telehealth.

Between February and April, monthly telehealth news mentions tripled. Meanwhile, investor interest in the space is picking up. Telehealthstartups have already raised $2.6B across 194 deals- on pace to set new fundingand deal activity records in 2020 ($6.6B across 490 deals).

At the same time, a wide range of healthcare stakeholders are forging business relationships with telehealth companies to bridge gaps in a challenging healthcare landscape and to minimize opportunities for viral transmission. More than 80 companies have established relationships with telehealth companies so far in 2020.

These relationships demonstrate the expanding breadth of services that telehealth technology can provide.

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Below, we look at some of these newly formed relationships - from strategic partnerships to license agreements - and consider what they could mean for telehealth going forward.

The highlighted business relationships are categorized by telehealth use case.

Covid-19 has drawn an unprecedented amount of attention to telehealth.

Between February and April, monthly telehealth news mentions tripled. Meanwhile, investor interest in the space is picking up. Telehealthstartups have already raised $2.6B across 194 deals- on pace to set new fundingand deal activity records in 2020 ($6.6B across 490 deals).

Healthcare IT Healthcare IT giant Cerner recently announced a collaboration with virtual care provider HealthTap to expand and modernize its work force benefit solutions for self-funded employers.

Cerner already offers a suite of solutions and services, including employee health portals, customized on-site and near-site health centers, and personalized wellness coaching, but the incorporation of HealthTap allows it to better address the growing demand for more cost-effective, flexible, and user-friendly care options.

The on-demand virtual care provided by HealthTap could be especially helpful for employees traveling to or working in remote locations.

for transmission and secondly byreducing triage to diagnosis turnaround time.

CLINICAL LABORATORIES Telehealth companies are joining forces with diagnostic labs to expand access to at-home diagnostic tests.

For example, Sweden-based telehealth startup KRY is working with ABC Labs to enable patients to take Covid-19 tests from home. KRY performs all of the patient-facing services like prescription writing, interpreting the test results, and providing follow-up care, while ABC provides the mail-in test kit and performs the laboratory analysis.

While these types of mail-in arrangements facilitate “socially distant” care delivery, they can take some time to complete.

DEVICE MANUFACTURERS Other solutions are being developed to rapidly process results on-site in patients’ homes. For example, Alveo Technologies is working on an at home, smartphoneconnected, infectious disease test system that it says can deliver results in 30 minutes and allows patients to share those results with remote providers.

Diagnostic Testing By integrating easy-to-perform, at-home diagnostics with proven models of remote care, healthcare stakeholders are aiming to make diagnostics more discreet, convenient, efficient, and affordable.

These types of solutions provide a host of other benefits in the context of Covid-19: first by reducing opportunities

To advance its be.well platform of analyzers, nasal swabs, and cartridges, Alveo has enlisted the technical and regulatory expertise of its partnerJohnson & Johnson. According to the company, Alveo plans to use a phased approach to first gain Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for its Covid-19 test, followed by a multiplex assay that can test for a variety of infectious diseases.

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Health care & technology

by CB Insights

Q4’20 healthcare funding

A drop from Q3’20 record-highs Last quarter, we saw the global healthcare funding reach an all-time high of $22B with 1,500+ equity deals.

Q3’20 was marked by many mega-rounds, such as China-based JD Health’s $830M round and Bright Health’s $500M round. And new funding records were set across industry sectors such as healthcare AI and telehealth.

However, at the current pace, we could see this beginning to slow down in Q4’20 with the projected funding being roughly $20B.

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A similar trend is expected for the global digital health funding, which we saw jump to reach over $8B in Q3’20. As of 11/17/20, it has raised a total funding of $2.9B, and it is projected to reach $5.5B by the end of the quarter at the current run-rate.

But, we still have nearly another half of Q4’20 to go, and the quarter has already seen a number of big funding rounds so far. In fact, we’ve seen 30 mega-rounds ($100M+ deals) in the quarter, with a majority going to US- and China-based companies.

These deals include some of our 2020 Digital Health 150 finalists — 98Point6, Avail, Bind, Sophia Genetics, and Carbon Health.

Also, new oncology therapeutics companies D3 Bio and Scorpion Therapeutics launched this quarter with their respective Series A financings.

For more insights into how this quarter could shape up, check out the report here.

Automation for providers With Covid-19’s outsized impact, health system executives are looking for ways to optimize operations and drive efficiency.

In our Healthcare Providers Digitization & Task Automation Tech Market Map Report, we explore tech solutions that can digitize and automate manual, time-consuming, and repetitive tasks.

From AI-enabled medical coding to chatbot-enabled communication, these solutions aim to reduce errors, payment delays, and physician burnout.

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Manufacturing

By VEGA Instruments Co.,Ltd.

FROM SIMPLE TO COMPLEX With new pressure sensors and level switches, VEGA becomes a full-range supplier for level and pressure in pharmaceutical applica-

The new VEGABAR compact pressure sensors with switch function and VEGAPOINT capacitive level switches are perfectly tailored to standard applications. One special feature is the 360° status display, which can be set to any one of 256 different colours and easily seen from any direction.

The special challenges faced by the pharmaceutical industry result from the wide diversity of its processes.

Success depends on the consistency and continuity of the production processes – whether it be mixing, filling, autoclaving or CIP and SIP cleaning. This makes it all the more important for operators to be able to relyfully on the measurement technology deployed onthe plant. Level and pressure sensors from VEGA have made a name for themselves over many decades for their reliability and longevity. Robust, versatile and easy to use: even under extreme conditions or strict regulations, they provide important impulses for greater plant safety and efficiency.

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Complete supplier for level and pressure VEGA now completes its measurement portfolio for pharmaceuticals production with two new compact instrument series comprising of pressure sensors/ switches and point level switches. The product families VEGABAR and VEGAPOINT prove that automation can be quite simple and highly efficient at the same time, without compromising on reliability, hygiene or accuracy. The new measuring instruments are perfectly tailored to standard applications that nevertheless require high quality. Their standardized hygienic adapter system provides the flexibility needed to keep installation effort and parts inventory to the minimum. The process fittings can be interchanged and adapted to local requirements.

At a glance: 360° switching status display

Everything’s easier with wireless operation

Thanks to the all-round status display, all sensor states can be easily seen from any direction. This illuminated ring, which can be customised froma choice of 256 different colours, remains clearly visible, even in daylight. At a glance, the user can see if the measuring process is running, if the sensor is switching or if any sensor management required.

VEGA has also integrated wireless communication into its new VEGABAR and VEGAPOINT measuring instrument series. The sensors can connect via smartphone or tablet. Especially useful in environments such as clean rooms, where physical access involves a lot of effort, it means setup and operation become considerably easier.

Intelligence with IO-Link

The new VEGABAR pressure switches/sensors and VEGAPOINT level switches represent an important milestone for VEGA, combining key elements of reliability, flexibility and accuracy for pharmaceutical processes. Now, users not onlyget an entire range of level and pressure measurement technology from a single source, but also hygiene-optimisedinstrument designs that are extremely easy to install and use.

There is a lot of sensor intelligence built into the new compact series: the standard IO-Link protocol ensures both universal and simplecommunication.

This means that, via the standardized communication platform, this enables seamless data transfer and simple system integration.

The universal, flexible hygienic adapter system of the new instrument series reduces not only the amount of work involved, but also the spare parts inventory.

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Event calendar

CPhI Japan 2021

Austropharm

P-MEC Japan

22- 24 April 2021

14- 16 April 2021

14- 16 April 2021

Tokyo Big Sight

Tokyo Big Sight

https://www.cphi.com/

http://www.pmec-japan.com

INFORMA MARKETS JAPAN

INFORMA MARKETS JAPAN

BIOMEDevice

Messe Wien

Arab Health 2021

http://www.austropharm.at REED EXHIBITIONS MESSE SALZBURG

PharmogaraPlus

5- 6 May 2021

21-24 June 2021

26-27 June 2021

Boston Convention &

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Paris expo Porte de Versailles

Exhibition Center

www.arabhealthonline.com

www.pharmagoraplus.com

http://biomedevice.md-

INFORMA MARKETS

CLOSERSTILL MEDIA HEALTH-

dionline.com

CARE LTD.

INFORMA MARKETS

LABVOLUTION

MEDICAL FAIR THAILAND

7-9 September 2021

8- 10 September 2021

22- 25 September 2021

Messegelände Hannover

BITEC

Messe Düsseldorf

http://www.labvolution.de

http://www.medicalfair-thai-

http://www.expopharm.de

DEUTSCHE MESSE AG

land.com

AVOXA- MEDIENGRUPPE

MESSE DÜSSELDORF ASIA PTE.

DEUTSCHER APOTHEKER

LTD.

GMBH

PHARMAPACK

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Expopharm

INTERPHEX

13 & 14 October 2021

19-21 October 2021

Paris expo Porte de Versailles

Jacob K. Javits Convention Center

www.pharmapackeurope.com

http://www.interphex.com

INFORMA MARKETS

REED EXHIBITIONS THE AMERICAS

ASIA PHARMED & HEALTHCARE THAILAND

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September 1-3, 2021 EH 102-104, BITEC, Bangkok

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