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Prémio BIAL de Medicina Clínica 2018 distinguishes works about Gastric Cancer, Familial Hypercholesterolaemia and OCD
BIAL FOUNDATION AWARDS CLINICAL RESEARCH ON GASTRIC CANCER IN PORTUGAL WITH A €100,000 PRIZE Mário Dinis-Ribeiro wins the 2018 BIAL Award in Biomedicine Commendations for research in Familial Hypercholesterolemia and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Mário Dinis-Ribeiro, Head of the Gastroenterology Service at the Portuguese Institute of Oncology of Porto and full professor at the College of Medicine of the University of Porto, won the 2018 BIAL Award in Biomedicine with the following study “Cancro Gástrico em Portugal - Como reduzir a mortalidade por cancro gástrico em Portugal” (Gastric Cancer in Portugal - How to reduce gastric cancer mortality in Portugal). The award-winning study followed, between 2005 and 2017, approx. 400 patients with malignant or premalignant gastric lesions. The approach used by Dinis-Ribeiro made it possible to define new guidelines for the detection and treatment of gastric cancer, one of the deadliest in Portugal, mainly due to late diagnosis and its high lethality. The performance of endoscopies enabled the removal of lesions in a minimally invasive manner, with a success rate (complication-free) of 80 to 85%. Among the patients included in the sample, the mortality rate was only 1% and never due to complications related to gastric cancer. Mário Dinis-Ribeiro highlights the role of endoscopy in the early detection of gastric cancer or cancer precursor lesions, which can replace surgery in many cases. Recommendations inherent to the main risk factors associated with gastric cancer are also explained in this paper: Helicobacter pylori infection and wrong dietary habits, as well as the intake of high amounts of salt and tobacco smoking.Mário Dinis-Ribeiro explains, “The results allow us to draw two types of conclusions and approaches to prevent and treat gastric cancer. First, at the prevention level, it is very important to alert the population to risk factors such as tobacco smoking and salt intake. Secondly, if we want to reduce the prevalence of gastric cancer, we must focus on the early treatment of lesions through upper endoscopy and prevent them from evolving.” The President of the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and President of the Portuguese Society of Digestive Endoscopy highlights “The recommendation for gastric cancer screening must be a consideration of foremost importance, and according to the cost-effective ratio analysis, we advise patients to undergo an endoscopy procedure, simultaneously with colonoscopy. When the patient is screened for colorectal cancer, they should undergo endoscopy and thus be also screened for gastric cancer”. Currently, the only recommended screening for the digestive tract is colorectal cancer from the age of 50. Mário Dinis-Ribeiro concludes with a call to “The role of healthcare decision makers in considering gastric adenocarcinoma in the health agenda of Portugal”.
#SpreadingtheLight – International Epilepsy Day
BIAL MARKS THE DAY AND SPREADS THE LIGHT ON THE DISEASE The 11th February is the International Epilepsy Day and at BIAL we will dedicate the week to the disease and to the people who suffer from it, as it is the most common serious neurological condition, affecting around 50 million people worldwide.
BIAL is one of 100 best companies to work for in Portugal
Survey promoted by EXAME Magazine: “Best Companies to Work 2018” “Ethics and Business”, “Corporate Responsibility” and “Motivation & Expectations” are some of the indicators with the highest level of satisfaction. The 2018 edition considered several business areas and companies of different sizes. With over 9 decades of existence, BIAL offers a well-established Research & Development project. Would you like to work with us?
BIAL Foundation launch new nobel-style award in biomedicine
Worth €300,000, the new award will recognise high quality, scientifically relevant research in the biomedical field published as of 1st January 2010. The award will be granted bi-annually from 2019 onwards. The BIAL Foundation was created in Portugal in 1994, to foster scientific study through a series of awards and grants. Since its establishment, the Foundation has recognised nearly 100 written works through its awards programme and supported 614 projects through its grants.
Adverse Drug Reaction Awareness campaign
#medsafetyweek is celebrated by 32 regulatory agencies worldwide Did you know that reporting side effects helps the safe use of medicines for everyone, leading to new health warnings addressed to patients and to summaries of product characteristics’ revision? The 2018 Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) Awareness week is specially addressed to reporting side effects in children and pregnant women. If you’re a mother, or if you’re pregnant, be aware and follow your doctor’s recommendations: take your medicine in the right dose, and as instructed.
Early diagnosis is the key message for World COPD Day
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease affects around 250 million people worldwide according to the WHO Numbers from the World Health Organization (WHO) may be scary but leave no doubt: 250 million people worldwide suffer from COPD, a respiratory disease which has high levels of death and underdiagnosed cases. COPD does not have a cure, but treatment can relief symptoms, improve quality of life and reduce risk of death. Early diagnosis is crucial, that’s why the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) theme for 2018 is “Never too early, never too late”.
BIAL at the International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders 2018
The event took place in Hong Kong, China, from October 5th-9th 2018 BIAL was the major sponsor of the International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders, the annual meeting of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society (MDS), featuring a Symposium and the presentation of 11 posters on opicapone, the second medicine of BIAL’s own research and development for Parkinson's Disease. The Satellite Symposium on the theme “Targeting COMT as the levodopa add-on treatment for Parkinson’s Disease” took place on the 6th October, with 380 attendees. It included an expert panel, chaired by Professor Werner Poewe (Innsbruck, Austria) and composed by Professor Matthew Stern (Philadelphia, USA); Professor Olivier Rascol (Toulouse, France) and Professor Daniela Berg (Kiel, Germany).
BIAL was distinguished with DIT Business Awards
British Government awards the Portuguese investment in the UK BIAL was one of companies distinguished with the DIT Business Awards, an initiative of the British Government which rewards the Portuguese investment in the UK and also the investment made by British companies in Portugal. BIAL was awarded in the "International Expansion" category. Last October 3rd, the British Government honored 15 Portuguese companies which invest in the UK, and 12 British companies which successfully develop their activity in the Portuguese market.
"THERE'S NO RIGHT RHYTHM FOR LIFE"
PEOPLE WITH PARKINSON'S DANCE TO THEIR OWN RHYTHM TO PROMOTE TOLERANCE BIAL launches video for World Parkinson's Day BIAL invited award-winning north-American Parkinson’s movement coach and choreographer Pamela Quinn to work with people with Parkinson Disease (PD) and create a video for World Parkinson’s Day, on April 11th, focused on mutual respect – and proving in the meantime that people with Parkinson’s can truly be inspiring. People have different rhythms: some are faster, some are slower. But who’s to say which one is correct? In a perfect world, everyone respects each other. But in this fast-paced world we live in, that isn’t always the case for thousands of people with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) all around the world, who sometimes just need an extra couple of minutes to perform daily tasks.