treatment.
According to guidelines from governmental and professional groups such as the
(US) Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, and the European Pressure Ulcer
Advisory Panel, poor nutrition is a major risk factor for development and progression
of wounds, including pressure ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers.
Inadequate nutrition can make body tissue more susceptible to the effects of pressure,
resulting in greater risk for wound development, and slow healing. Moreover, the
aging process itself is associated with reduced appetite and overall intake, putting
elderly long-term care residents at greater risk for malnutrition. Adequate medical
nutrition therapy or dietary intake of calories, protein and fluids along with
key nutrients is a cost-effective strategy to prevent and treat pressure ulcers,
with the potential to significantly accelerate healing.
For years, Novartis Medical Nutrition has provided patients and physicians with
RESOURCE Arginaid EXTRA drinks an easy and convenient way to provide
the specific nutrients that help wound healing. These nutrients range from zinc
and vitamins C and E, to arginine, an amino acid that works at the cellular level
to help promote wound healing. Last year Novartis
Medical Nutrition launched the product in Japan, under the Isocal Arginaid
brand, as the first oral supplement specifically targeting wound care. The success
of the launch reflected the consumer insights used by the Medical Nutrition Business
Unit to adapt Isocal Arginaid to the Japanese diet and taste.
Compared to Western countries, the Japanese diet traditionally is lower in fat
content, but higher in levels of protein, zinc and |
| other
micronutrients. So we adapted the core components of Isocal Arginaid to
the nutritional profile and habits of the Japanese consumer, says Michel Gardet,
Head of the Medical Nutrition Business Unit. Isocal
Arginaid was launched in raspberry and orange flavors already available in
Western markets but the taste is milder, in line with local preferences. Novartis
Medical Nutrition also is preparing the launch of two additional flavors green
apple and grape that are popular with seniors in Japan.
The flavors are designed to go with foods usually eaten for breakfast and the
main meal of the day. And while Isocal Arginaid comes in a ready-to-serve
brik package, the volume is reduced to 125 milliliters, or about half the size
of the standard US brik pack. Catering to local consumers
seems to be paying off, especially in terms of compliance. In pilot studies in
Japanese hospitals and geriatric institutions, almost 90% of participating patients
finished the Isocal Arginaid drinks served with their meals.
THE CATNIP PILL Fortekor, the daily treatment
for chronic renal insufficiency in cats from Novartis Animal Health, is one of
the first veterinary medicines to address the needs of both cats and their owners.
Fortekor pills are oval in shape an unconventional design that reflects
two fundamental consumer insights. Animals don't understand
that a medicine is good for them. Cats compound the difficulty of drug treatment
because as notoriously finicky eaters they may bite pills, rather than swallow
them, and consequently lose part of the intended dose. |
| To
ensure correct dosing, an owner often has to force the medicine down the animals
throat. Yet many pet owners simply wont force-feed medication for fear of damaging
the trusting relationship they have established with their pet. In the case of
Fortekor indicated for a chronic disease and requiring daily administration
that challenge is magnified. Novartis scientists
hit upon a solution by using innovation not force. Extensive tests of diverse
tablet shapes showed that a soft, oval tablet is easier for cats to swallow
by being slimmer at its widest point than the diameter of a comparable round pill.
In addition, Fortekor was transformed to sheer catnip by varying texture
of the tablet and adding a flavor. In home tests involving
hundreds of owners and their pets, almost 90% of cats voluntarily took the oval,
flavored Fortekor tablet compared to only about 50% of cats given a conventional
round pill. The shape, texture and taste of animal
medication is a relief for owners, ensuring correct and regular dosing to achieve
the desired therapeutic effect, while strengthening the relationship with their
pets. Buoyed by the success of the new Fortekor, Novartis Animal Health
has developed and launched formulations of other medications applying the same
principle. |
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