Monday, September 30, 2013

LIF might produce biogenerics


     Last month an important agreement of “Mutual collaboration and assistance” was signed between LIF SE and Zelltek SA.
     Zelltek SA produces active biopharmaceutical ingredients in a production site located at the Parque Tecnológico Litoral Centro (Santa Fe). 
    Due to this agreement, LIF will be able to produce biogenerics as Erythropoietin, Interferon and Filgrastim. Thus, LIF would add a new products line in its portfolio which so far only includes medicines for primary healthcare.
     At the beginning, these biogenerics will be delivered by the Health Ministry of Santa Fe. But then, they will be available for other public health systems.
     Through this project, LIF‘s idea is to sell this products at almost cost price.
     Anemia, Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia, Hairy Cell Leukemia, Chronic Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, Multiple Sclerosis, Leukapheresis and Neutropenia are some diseases which require these biogenerics as part of their treatment.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

LIF participated in a seminar for public laboratories

     The seminar took place in the Auditorium of CEMAR* in Rosario and it was organized by the National Health Ministry and the LEM SE**.
     Staff members of different public laboratories such as LIF SE, San Francisco’s Town Hall Laboratory, Pilot Plant of the Pharmacy School – UNR and LEM SE attended this seminar.
     Dr. Jorge Zarzur (Executive Director of the National Program of Public Production of Medicines, Vaccines and Medical Devices), Dra. Gabriela Quintanilla (Rosario’s Health Secretary), Dr. Esteban Serra (Dean of Biochemistry and Pharmacy School - UNR) and Dr. Juan D’Aloisio (LEM’s Board of Director) welcomed the attendees.
     The course included a regulatory update for the pharmaceutical industry about cleaning validation and bioequivalence. 
     LIF’s staff members: Ph. Guillermo Cleti, Ph. Cecilia Selis, Ph. Rosana Mandrile, Bioch. Silvina Mugni, Eng. Mara Perezlindo, Bioch. Lisandro Zilli, Téc. Sebastián Reimondo, Lic. Rita Kappes, Téc. Matías Olivera, Téc. Sebastián Cabanellas and Tech. Víctor Nonino participated in the seminar. 
     *CEMAR: Centro de especialidades médicas ambulatorias de Rosario. It’s the Rosario’s outpatient medical specialties centre. 
     **LEM SE: Laboratorio de Especialidades Medicinales, Sociedad del Estado. It is the Rosario’s city hall public laboratory.

Friday, September 20, 2013

LIF will produce hypertonic saline for cystic fibrosis

    
      LIF will produce the first ampoules of Hypertonic Saline (7% x 5 ml) to use in people with cystic fibrosis (CF).
     CF is a genetic disorder that affects the lung, pancreas, intestine and liver. It’s a chronic and progressive illness.
     Difficulty breathing is the most serious symptom and results from frequent lung infections, which are treated with antibiotics and other medicines. 
     Hypertonic Saline (HS) is inhaled by patients used through a nebulizer machine. Although this medicine does not cure CF, it helps patients improve their quality of life.
     Every day patients with CF need HS to help liquefy their lung secretions. This involves a high treatment cost for them.
     Around 200 people have this illness in Santa Fe province.
     The Health Ministry of Santa Fe will deliver free HS in the different hospitals throughout the province.
     LIF will produce HS together with the LH UNC*.

(*) LH UNC: Laboratorio de Hemoderivados de la Universidad Nacional de Córdoba is the laboratory of the National University of Córdoba, which is specialized in blood medicines production.

Saturday, September 7, 2013

LIF participated in The Public Health Seminar

     LIF participated in the III Congreso Provincial de Salud Pública y XIII Congreso Municipal de Salud*.
     The main topic was “Health as principle of universality”.
     Antonio Bonfatti (Santa Fe’s Governor), Mónica Fein (Rosario’s Mayor), Miguel Cappiello (Santa Fe’s Health Minister) and Leonardo Caruana (Rosario’s Health Secretary) welcomed the people who attended to the seminar.
     This activity took place on August 29th and 30th at the “Centro Cultural Roberto Fontanarrosa” in Rosario.
     More than 2600 people of different places of Santa Fe province participated in the seven lectures and 30 workshops. Most of these people were public health workers (physicians, nurses, pharmacists, public servants and health administrators). 
     About 20 national and international consultants gave the different lectures.
     There was a place called “The Health Square” where LIF had a stand together with the Laboratorio de Especialidades Medicinales (LEM)**. 
     The LIF’s Board of Director Guillermo Cleti and LIF’s Staff Members: Edgardo Ramírez, Melina Uriarte, Paula Vignolo and José Berardo worked at LIF’s stand where they gave institutional information about the Laboratory. 
     Roberto Ganin, LIF’s General Manager, gave a workshop called: “LIF: an integrative tool for the Public Healthcare”.

(*) III Congreso Provincial de Salud Pública y XIII Congreso Municipal de Salud is an annual seminar organized by the Santa Fe’s Health Ministry together with the Rosario’s Health Secretary.
(**) LEM is the Rosario’s city hall public laboratory.