Garin denies negotiating for Dengvaxia price

Former Health Secretary Janette Garin denied negotiating with Sanofi Pasteur on the price of the anti-dengue vaccine in an attempt to reduce its cost.


During the joint hearing of the Senate blue ribbon, health and finance committees on Thursday, Senator Richard Gordon asked if Garin negotiated with the French pharmaceutical giant to reduce the cost of the Dengvaxia vaccine in 2015.

“I strongly deny that. I did not negotiate with the price, but Sanofi came to the Philippines and presented their proposal to the government,” Garin said.

She narrated that she was late during the meeting, but some Department of Health (DOH) directors and an undersecretary were already there.

“So I came last in the meeting but I made a joke your honor because it was already at the end of the meeting. I said just update me and I said sana po buy one take one ‘yan if the private buys one, give one to the government,” she said.

“But I never negotiated for the price because we didn’t have money (at that time),” she added.

The P3.5 billion vaccination drive was launched in 2016 when Garin was still health chief.

According to the timeline of events submitted by former DOH Secretary Paulyn Rosell-Ubial to the Senate panels, Garin “negotiated with Sanofi to reduce the cost of the vaccines on June 9, 2015.”

The alleged negotiation, according to the timeline, happened after Garin went to Paris, France on May 14, 2015 and met with Sanofi Pasteur officials and discussed the vaccine’s cost over dinner.

This meeting was followed by Sanofi’s submission on Oct. 29 of an application to include the dengue vaccine in the Philippine National Formulary (PNF) pending the Certificate of Product Registration (CPR) issuance of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). /cbb

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Contestants of ‘The Biggest Loser’ Were Allegedly Told to Throw Up to Lose Weight

Ever wondered how contestants in shows like The Biggest Loser would lose a lot—I mean A LOT—of weight in a short span of time? Apparently, it’s more than just the strenuous exercise that they do on the show. Contestants are now coming forward, saying that they were constantly given drugs to lose the weight.

These testimonies came after a study came out on why the show’s contestants gain weight again. It was found that it was because of a slowed metabolism caused by starvation.

An unnamed source tells The New York Post that then trainer, now host Bob Harper would provide contestants with drugs like Adderall and Ephedra, which is reportedly an FDA-banned drug.

Season two contestant Suzanne Mendonca also shared her experience in the show. “People would take amphetamines, water pills, diuretics, and throw up in the bathroom,” she says. “They would take their spin bikes into the steam room to work up a sweat. I vomited every single day. Bob Harper tells people to throw up: ‘Good,’ he says. ‘You’ll lose more calories.'”

Another contestant, Mark Yesitis, also shared that he had his gall bladder removed after joining the show.

Meanwhile, a representative of Bob released a statement saying, “These allegations are absolutely false and are in direct conflict with my lifelong devotion to health and fitness. Safety is paramount in my training regimen and, while demanding, my approach has always focused on the overall well-being of contestants as they lose significant weight and educate themselves, for the first time, on living a healthy lifestyle.”

But with this many testimonies, who’s to say what’s really happening and what is not? And now that Bob is hosting the show, will it also happen with future contestants? Likely, if proven true. We just hope this gets settled before something worse happens.

[The Cut]

Photo courtesy of The Biggest Loser’s Instagram

source: preen.inquirer.net

Talc, a common ingredient in baby powder and makeup, contains stray asbestos

Talc is a common ingredient in many everyday products, but as a number of recent lawsuits have brought to light, it may also contain trace amounts of asbestos, a material whose airborne fibers can scar lungs and cause cancer.

Talc is used in everything from makeup to baby powder. It’s even used as a food additive. But it is also sometimes interlaced with asbestos. Although asbestos is known to be dangerous—and known to be found in cosmetic talc— the US Food and Drug Administration has allowed the industry to monitor itself in its use of talc in cosmetics, despite concerns about its toxicity. Manufacturers say they test their talc for asbestos and only use talc that is proven to be asbestos-free. But some experts say that the outdated tests being used can’t detect the low levels of asbestos that may be present and can still be dangerous.

Government documents show that FDA officials first discussed the issue in 1976 but decided to allow the industry to test its own products. Proposals for the FDA to run the tests came up again in 1994 and 2001, but to no avail.

Asbestos was a common material used in buildings, toys, and various products until the mid-1970s, when its toxicity was recognized and its use became more limited. But it is still not entirely out of manufacturing in the US. Recent tests run by the non-profit Environmental Working Group found asbestos in four brands of crayons and toy crime-scene kits, it recently reported.

Asbestos exposure can cause a very aggressive form of cancer called mesothelioma. In the US, about 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year, says the American Cancer Society. If you believe you or someone you care about has been exposed to asbestos, contact Cooney & Conway, a law firm specializing in mesothelioma, to learn more about your legal rights.

source: cooneyconway.com

Talc is a common ingredient in many everyday products, but as a number of recent lawsuits have brought to light, it may also contain trace amounts of asbestos, a material whose airborne fibers can scar lungs and cause cancer.
Talc is used in everything from makeup to baby powder. It’s even used as a food additive. But it is also sometimes interlaced with asbestos. Although asbestos is known to be dangerous—and known to be found in cosmetic talc— the US Food and Drug Administration has allowed the industry to monitor itself in its use of talc in cosmetics, despite concerns about its toxicity. Manufacturers say they test their talc for asbestos and only use talc that is proven to be asbestos-free. But some experts say that the outdated tests being used can’t detect the low levels of asbestos that may be present and can still be dangerous.
Government documents show that FDA officials first discussed the issue in 1976 but decided to allow the industry to test its own products. Proposals for the FDA to run the tests came up again in 1994 and 2001, but to no avail.
Asbestos was a common material used in buildings, toys, and various products until the mid-1970s, when its toxicity was recognized and its use became more limited. But it is still not entirely out of manufacturing in the US. Recent tests run by the non-profit Environmental Working Group found asbestos in four brands of crayons and toy crime-scene kits, it recently reported.
Asbestos exposure can cause a very aggressive form of cancer called mesothelioma. In the US, about 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year, says the American Cancer Society. If you believe you or someone you care about has been exposed to asbestos, contact Cooney & Conway, a law firm specializing in mesothelioma, to learn more about your legal rights.
- See more at: http://www.cooneyconway.com/blog/talc-common-ingredient-baby-powder-and-makeup-contains-stray-asbestos#sthash.xk9wtQnv.dpuf