Tag: health

  • AirAsia’s new platform for medical services

    AirAsia’s new platform for medical services

    Karen Chan, chief executive officer of AirAsia.com said the digital platform is aimed at making it as seamless as possible for everyone from the initial consultation to post-treatment services. “Healthcare is essential, and its affordability and accessibility should be a right for everyone. We want to help facilitate that. AirAsia Health is where healthcare meets travel, complemented by the strength of our ecosystem encompassing travel logistics such as flights, accommodation and mobility options, enhancing the convenience factor for any medical traveller’s end-to-end journey,” she said.

    Furthermore, AirAsia Health will partner with reputable medical providers and hospitals.

    To kickstart the launch, it is offering booking for Covid-19 RT PCR tests on its platform, provided by its medical partners from Lifecare Diagnostic Medical Centre and Sunway Medical Centre.

  • Dairy Farm sells Rose Pharmacy chain to Robinson Retail

    Dairy Farm sells Rose Pharmacy chain to Robinson Retail

    Listed Robinsons Retail Holdings reported on Friday that it acquired local drugstore chain Rose Pharmacy Inc. through its subsidiary South Star Drug Inc.

    In a disclosure, the Gokongwei-led retailer said South Star Drug and Dairy Farm International Holdings Inc. subsidiary Mulgrave Corp. B.V. (MCBV) signed a share purchase agreement to buy Rose Pharmacy.

    Dairy Farm acquired a 49-percent share in Rose Pharmacy in 2015 before increasing it to 100 percent in November 2018.

    “I am delighted that Rose Pharmacy will be part of our portfolio as it takes us back to our hometown in Cebu, where my father and JG Summit Holdings and RRHI founder John Gokongwei Jr. started as an entrepreneur. Mr. John also admired Rose Pharmacy for its strong brand reputation in the Visayas and Mindanao,” Robinsons Retail President and Chief Executive Officer Robina Gokongwei-Pe said in the disclosure.

    “The deal also further bolsters our strategic partnership with Dairy Farm to strengthen our position in Philippine multiformat retailing. We first worked with Dairy Farm for the acquisition of Rustan Supercenters Inc. in 2018, which deepened our footprint in the premium supermarket space. Our acquisition of Rose Pharmacy yet again offers ripe opportunities for innovation through strategic synergies,” she added.

    Rose Pharmacy was established as a family-run drugstore in Cebu City in 1952. It generated P9 billion in net sales last year and has over 300 branches in the Visayas and Mindanao.

    “Rose Pharmacy is a very strategic addition to our drugstore portfolio with its highly regarded brand in VisMin and complementary network to South Star Drug’s strong presence in Luzon and Metro Manila,” South Star Drug Managing Director David Goh said.

    “Together, we can leverage our scale and synergies to drive wider product assortment, better customer service and offer greater value to our customers across Philippines when they need it most,” he added.

  • Popeyes may immediately stop all operations in South Korea

    Popeyes may immediately stop all operations in South Korea

    American fast-food chain Popeyes said it is to withdraw business from South Korea, however, the local franchisee TS Corporation has denied the report.

    According to The Korea Times, reports of the exit began when a memo was written by a Popeyes’ employee headed “Popeyes brand will no longer pursue business in Korea as of November” went viral on social media. The employee’s memo went into detail, to the point of stating that the chain’s Gwangjin-gu branch would be the last to close before the brand ceases its operations in South Korea.

    A spokesperson from TS Corporation confirmed that some of the restaurants will shut down – but not all of them. The person didn’t share any further information except to state that the company will continue to operate the brand there.

    The struggling fast-food chain has been attempting to turn its fortunes around for two years, however, the process has not gone smoothly.

    Having entered South Korea with TS Food & System in 1993, the company recorded an impaired equity ratio of 40 percent, and last year it was in negative equity.

    Local media said Popeyes has recently been in negotiations with another operator to increase the brand’s value. That company is believed to be SPC Group, which operates Shake Shack and Eggslut in the country, but that has not been confirmed.

  • Siam Piwat opens Ecotopia, Asia’s first eco-lifestyle destination

    Siam Piwat opens Ecotopia, Asia’s first eco-lifestyle destination

    Siam Piwat has unveiled Ecotopia in Bangkok, which it claims to be Asia’s first eco-lifestyle destination.

    Located at Siam Discovery, the store occupies 2000sqm and features more than 300 brands of eco-friendly and health-oriented products. Ecotopia houses eight different zones.

    A Hygienic zone offers a selection of household products made from natural and biodegradable materials, while the Zero Waste zone is a refiller where customers can take their own containers to refill everyday products or food items.

    Air-purifying plants and gardening tools can be found in a Green zone, while a Healthy zone offers organic food and a Beautiful zone a selection of chemical-free skincare and personal-care products.

    The Up-cycled zone displays products with renewed value through recycling, while a Stylish Zone features fashion items made from organic cotton and fabric scraps, and a clothing swap corner where pre-owned clothes can be exchanged for new garments.

    Finally, a Kind Zone highlights local handicrafts made from natural materials that help generate incomes for local communities.

    At Ecotopia, visitors can join regular eco-friendly workshops to learn how to turn waste into creative art or develop organic gardening skills.

  • AS Watson opens MoneyBack online venture for all retailers and restaurants

    AS Watson opens MoneyBack online venture for all retailers and restaurants

    Health and beauty retailer AS Watson has opened up its Moneyback loyalty program to help retailers in Hong Kong promote their businesses for free in preparation for an easing in the coronavirus pandemic.

    “The pandemic has hit every community hard in many aspects, and it is extremely challenging for retailers,” said AS Watson (Asia & Europe) CEO Malina Ngai. “AS Watson is deeply rooted in Hong Kong for 180 years, we have been through many crises of different nature with the community. We know difficult days will pass, hence we should proactively plan ahead.”

    The group’s loyalty program, which partners with 130 offline and online retailers, has an active member base of 3.7 million people, roughly half of Hong Kong’s population.

    Small and large retailers are now being encouraged by the firm to register for the program free of charge. Participating merchants will receive free promotional opportunities, including the provision of free Watson face masks as shopping rewards.

  • Nike E-commerce sales soar during coronavirus crisis

    Nike E-commerce sales soar during coronavirus crisis

    Nike online sales soared 36 percent in the February quarter, compensating in part for a slump in sales across Mainland China which was in lockdown for much of January and February due to the coronavirus outbreak.

    The strength of online sales gave the retail giant a buffer from stalling brick-and-mortar sales, but it is not just in China that the effect is obvious.

    In an earnings call, Nike EVP and CFO Andy Campion said online sales in every global market grew in excess of 30 percent for both its core brand and sister brand Converse in the three months to February 28. That fuelled growth in both quarterly sales and earnings greater than the company expected.

    “From a digital capability perspective, the investments we’ve made to-date are now proving to be the foundation for our resilience amid challenges and they will be strengths as we emerge,” said Campion.

    “We are still in the early innings of Nike’s digital transformation, but the capabilities we’ve already been building for the future are proving to be the strongest pillars within our business today.

    “These are times in which strong brands get stronger and we’re confident that Nike will come back stronger than ever.”

    Campion told analysts that following its China experience, the company is now seeing similar trends play out in other markets where government lockdowns are resulting in shopping malls and stores being closed to help stem the spread of the virus. Now, consumers are shopping online instead.

    Nike is responding to the digital uptake by using tools that dynamically model demand, planning, allocation and pricing and using its app and membership program to reach out to consumers and encourage them to be active at home, while in lockdown. Those mediums are also offering products and services specifically targeted to various groups of consumers or individuals.

  • Twitter to verify health experts with priority

    Twitter to verify health experts with priority

    Twitter is taking another step in fighting misinformation and highlighting credible sources of info about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The company explained in a tweet that it is “working with global public health authorities to identify experts” and get them verified as soon as possible. The Twitter verification label signifies that a profile is authentic, trusted, and a source of truth for an individual, business or organization.

    In the past, the process of verification was under attack for giving the blue label to radical groups and individuals. The verification program was suspended in 2017 after it verified the organizer of white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia and afterward the CEO Jack Dorsey called it “broken”. In the current situation, however, the blue badge can help people discern valid information in the high tide of rumors and speculation moving along with the viral wave.

    According to Twitter, the company has already verified hundreds of accounts but apparently there’s more to be done. In a message to health experts, Twitter explained that it will give priority to “accounts that have an email address associated with an authoritative organization or institution”, and added a link to the “How to update your email address” tutorial on Twitter’s help center.

    The company is working on a public-accessible form to help health experts apply directly for verification. “We’ll likely share a link to an intake form soon for experts to fill out to request verification”, commented Twitter product lead Kayvon Beykpour. Other tech companies offered help in providing fast and reliable information about the health situation as well. Facebook opened its Messenger app to developers to help build new messaging solutions for reporting coronavirus-related info. WhatsApp announced that it is opening an information hub in partnership with the WHO, UNICEF, and UNDP.

  • KT and Samsung to develop 5G-powered medical service

    KT and Samsung to develop 5G-powered medical service

    KT Corporation, along with Samsung Medical Center (SMC), has announced the launch of a 5G-enabled medical service as an initial step to set up a 5G-based smart hospital. The pilot project, which is developed by the Seoul-based South Korean telecom giant, developed service environments in operating and proton therapy rooms and performed a test operation.

    Based on the results from the pilot, both KT, formerly Korea Telecom, and SMC are planning to continue the development of smart patient care and 5G-powered new medical practices and better the hospital operational efficiency. Park In-Young, vice president of KT’s ICT convergence business department, said: “KT, in partnership with the Samsung Medical Center, is pioneering innovative medical services for the new 5G era. We will continue to further refine 5G-powered medical technology by applying VR and AR technologies for real-time education.”

    In the coming years, 5G-enabled medical services would, in theory, speed up surgery and other treatment processes by allowing uninterrupted access to surgeons that will help them obtain pathological data that is critical in determining the serious conditions of patients. The network would also provide quick access to CT and MRI data on proton therapy.

    Last September, KT entered into roaming agreements with Italy’s TIM, Switzerland’s Sunrise, and Finland’s Elisa, allowing the company’s 5G subscribers to use the 5G networks provided by the three European operators. The Korean operator has standing agreements with operators in 185 countries for 3G and LTE roaming and now is extending those contracts to 5G as soon as 5G services go live in those countries.

    According to reports from the South Korean Ministry of Science and ICT, the country hit the milestone of four million 5G subscribers last December. As of October, the Ministry reported 3.98 million 5G subscribers in the country and in September, it said that 516,000 more people subscribed to the 5G services.

  • Lotte Duty Free to build Sydney CBD flagship

    Lotte Duty Free to build Sydney CBD flagship

    Lotte Duty-Free is to open a flagship store in Sydney’s CBD early next year, planning to tap into the 4 million visitors to the city each year.

    The three-level 3000sqm store will be built by Mirvac on a prime site at the corner of Pitt and Market Streets. It will stock beauty and skincare brands, a prestige-watch boutique, fine and rare liquor and wine shopping experience, and a number of VIP services including concierge and limousine transfers to Sydney’s top hotels and dining.

    The store is Lotte Duty-Free’s first ground-up build in Australia and follows the acquisition of JR Duty-Free in 2018 and the subsequent opening of its first airport store, in Brisbane.

    Lotte Duty-Free Oceania CEO Stephen Timms said the downtown Sydney site is in the heart of the city’s luxury-retail precinct

    “We couldn’t have asked for a more premium location to showcase our quality curated offer.”

    Last year Timms said that the business was looking to lead the duty-free market in Australia by 2023, and is forecasting over AU$280 million (US$188 million)  revenue in its first year in the region.

    “Travel retail is a unique sector. No other industry has such a divisive target audience, which provides both possibilities and challenges,” Timms said.

    “It’s crucial to have an understanding of the types of people who are traveling through a region – their nationalities, their shopping motivations and the special occasions they celebrate in order to generate strong and targeted sales.”

  • Japanese drug stores Matsumotokiyoshi and Cocokara Fine joined forces

    Japanese drug stores Matsumotokiyoshi and Cocokara Fine joined forces

    Japanese pharmacy chains Matsumotokiyoshi and Cocokara Fine are entering into a merger.

    Under the terms of the new agreement – if approved by the boards of both sides – shares in the two firms will be transferred to a new business entity, with the transaction expected to be completed by October next year

    The company that emerges from the new deal will lead the health and beauty market, with 3000 outlets trading at around ¥1 trillion (US$9.2 billion).

    Cocokara was previously courted for a merger by Sugi Holdings, although the firm ultimately decided to partner with Matsumotokiyoshi.

  • Health and wellness is driving wearable-technology growth in fashion

    Health and wellness is driving wearable-technology growth in fashion

    Wearable technology has come a long way from the original clunky smartwatch, with innovation has taken a giant leap forward in the last five years.

    And health and wellness have become a key driver of this trend, says GlobalData.

    Clothes containing technology is becoming a reality as brands such as Levi Strauss join smaller brands and start-ups in trying to create items consumers will integrate into their lives.

    Michelle Russell, the apparel correspondent at GlobalData, says wearable technology as a category is starting to be taken a lot more seriously in fashion, particularly given the phenomenal growth of athleisure, which has almost created a nice segue for firms looking to enter the category with a focus on health and wellness.

    The world’s biggest tech conference, CES 2020, opened in Las Vegas last week, showcasing some of the latest innovations in this area.

    The Skin Connected Health & Wellness System by Myant allows the continuous monitoring of health and wellness measures – such as heart rate, stress, temperature, activity and sleep stage, and provides advice on how to improve. Users can also share this information with family, friends and healthcare providers.

    Also on show at CES 2020, the e-skin Sleep & Lounge apparel by Xenoma is designed for monitoring the health of elderly people, analyzing the wearer’s sleep condition. The technology also enables everyday monitoring of users’ behavior and fall detection.

    Meanwhile, FootWare, developed by TacSense, claims to be the world’s first-ever health-tracking smart shoe that is able to measure heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, emotion, stress level, and moving pattern.

    “In a decade it may well become the norm for our everyday jackets or pullovers to monitor our health, but for that to happen, companies need to get consumers properly onboard through involvement and addressing poor understanding,” says Russell. “Increased investment is also key to the category’s development.

    “Wearable technology in fashion is certainly heading in the right direction but it seems there is still some way to go before it becomes totally accessible. It is still a niche product and cost could be a major factor for consumers. Sustainability will also be key.”

  • Ebos confident about future growth

    Ebos confident about future growth

    Christchurch-based pharmacy and animal healthcare firm said it is confident it will see a significant increase in earnings in FY20 after reporting a less than stellar result for the year ending June.

    Company chief executive John Cullity said 2019 was a year of high activity and strategically important for the group, as it set the foundation for the next wave of growth.

    “The group continues to operate in highly competitive markets and this year was no exception,” Cullity said. “We have withstood the changing market dynamics and competitive pressures and delivered both solid underlying earnings growth and another strong cash result.”

    Ebos has posted an increase in annual net profit to $137.7 million from the $137.3 million on the previous year while sales fell 0.8 per cent to $6.93 billion, reflecting lower hepatitis C medicine sales in Australia and the impact of reform of Australia’s pharmaceutical benefits scheme. The two combined have caused reduced revenue by $425 million.

    The company posted a 5.2 per cent increase in its underlying profit.

    A loss on the sale of surplus property, transition costs for new major warehouses and transaction costs all had a $6.7 million one-off impact on the bottom line.

    Ebos spent $93.6 million on acquisitions and raised $175 million in fresh capital during the year.

    “We commenced operations in two brand new facilities in Brisbane and Sydney providing further warehouse capacity,” Cullity said.

    “We also moved to 100 per cent ownership of TerryWhite Chemmart, signed the Chemist Warehouse Group pharmaceutical contract and retained Blooms The Chemist, one of our largest independent pharmacy group customers. These were all great outcomes for our Community Pharmacy division.”

    The group’s healthcare segment generated a 4.6 per cent increase in underlying EBITDA for the year, underpinned by solid growth from their Australian business unit. In Australia, healthcare revenue declined by 3.5 per cent to $183 million, however excluding the impact of the reduction in hepatitis C sales and the impact of PBS price reforms, revenue growth increased 5.2 per cent.

    The company said the New Zealand healthcare segment delivered earnings in line with last year, with revenue growth of 8.7 per cent largely offset by higher labour and freight costs in our wholesale businesses.

    Revenue growth in community pharmacy, excluding the impact of lower Hepatitis C sales and PBS reforms, rose 3.0 per cent.

    Ebos has also announced Mark Waller will retire as director and company chair at the end of the annual meeting scheduled for October 15.

    Waller, who joined Ebos in March 1984 as chief financial officer before assuming the position of executive officer in 1987, led the group on an ambitious yet disciplined growth strategy, overseeing many successful mergers and acquisitions, including the purchase of Symbion in 2013 for $1.1 billion.

    According to the company, under Waller’s leadership, Ebos grew to become the largest trans-Tasman healthcare and animal care company with revenues in excess of $6 billion.

    After handing over the reins as CEO in 2014, Waller remained on the board before assuming the position of chairman in 2015.

  • Apple’s healthcare unit needs to see a doctor

    Apple’s healthcare unit needs to see a doctor

    Earlier this year, Apple CEO Tim Cook said healthcare would be “Apple’s greatest contribution to mankind.” It appears that Apple is having problems with this unit after a number of members have left the team. Citing eight sources said to be familiar with the situation, CNBC says that there is tension in the company’s healthcare division and the group is essentially without direction after a series of changes at the top of the unit.

    The report says that while some employees have done well, others feel stifled and closed in, unable to get the team to work on their ideas. Part of the problem is getting the unit to agree on a direction to take. Half of the eight sources say that employees wanted Apple to take on some of the larger problems that the healthcare system faces today such as medical devices, telemedicine, health payments and the treatments of chronic disease. Apple, notes the report, has instead focused on creating features for its devices that focus on wellness and prevention for healthy people. The latter end of the healthcare industry is considered to be less risky and less regulated. Despite the issues inside the group, all eight sources agreed that healthcare remains a “strategic priority” for the company.

    Apple’s healthcare features are found mainly on the Apple Watch. The heart rate monitor has saved a number of lives, and the Series 4 model added an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor that looks for abnormal heartbeats. The latter has also been a lifesaver and other watches, like the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2, also is equipped with an ECG feature. We do have to point out that it will remain disabled on the Galaxy Watch Active 2 until it receives FDA approval, expected sometime during the first half of next year. Apple’s Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams is in charge of the healthcare team, and reportedly it was his idea to add sensors and algorithms to the Apple Watch once it became apparent that the device would not be a big seller as a fashion accessory.

    The company is reportedly working on a way for diabetics to measure their blood glucose levels using the Apple Watch, without having to draw blood. Currently, diabetics who depend on insulin prick themselves to draw a small drop of blood that is tested on a glucometer. This is a huge market because a new test strip is required for each test and insulin-dependent diabetics need to test themselves three or more times a day. If Apple can develop such a technology, it could take Apple’s healthcare initiative and the Apple Watch into uncharted territory. The Apple Watch happens to be the world’s top-selling smartwatch and anchors a wearables unit that saw revenue for the fiscal third quarter soar from $3.73 billion in 2018 to $5.53 billion this year. That was a 48.3% year-over-year gain.

    Earlier this year, Apple sent out a survey to check on the morale of employees in its healthcare unit. When the survey indicated that employees were not happy, Williams spoke with a number of employees to let them know that he was still committed to the business. But the executive also wears many hats at Apple and as COO he is responsible for overseeing Apple’s operations and its vast supply chain. Thus, the healthcare group might not have his full attention at times.

    Some of the sources say that Apple needs to be less secretive with its work in the $3.5 trillion healthcare industry. The company is traditionally tight-lipped about its projects, but that doesn’t fly in the world of medicine where clinical studies and published research play a big role.

  • Apple issues statement regarding third-party battery replacements for iPhones

    Apple issues statement regarding third-party battery replacements for iPhones

    The folks over at iFixit discovered that Apple introduced a software lock in iOS, which will prevent iPhone users from checking the health of the battery if it was replaced by an unauthorized third-party.

    Instead of showing them the health of the iPhone battery, a message would pop up that would inform them that such information is not available: “Unable to verify this iPhone has a genuine Apple battery. Health information not available for this battery.”

    Moreover, the message would pop up even if the battery would be replaced with a genuine one from another iPhone, and the reason is that the chip used in newer iPhone batteries includes an authentication feature that stores the info for pairing the battery to the phone’s logic board.

    There were so many iPhone users who voiced their disappointment about Apple’s approach that the company felt the need to issue a statement on the matter to iMore, which you can read below:

    We take the safety of our customers very seriously and want to make sure any battery replacement is done properly. There are now over 1,800 Apple authorized service providers across the United States so our customers have even more convenient access to quality repairs.Last year we introduced a new feature to notify customers if we were unable to verify that a new, genuine battery was installed by a certified technician following Apple repair processes. This information is there to help protect our customers from damaged, poor quality, or used batteries which can lead to safety or performance issues. This notification does not impact the customer’s ability to use the phone after an unauthorized repair.

    Obviously, that doesn’t solve the “issue,” but at least it sheds some light on the reasoning behind Apple’s decision to include a locking software for third-party iPhone battery replacements. Many will not like it, while others will feel Apple’s explanation is enough to quench any fears they might have had.

  • Apple’s mobile devices can help diagnose a serious health issue

    Apple’s mobile devices can help diagnose a serious health issue

    With Apple working hard to come up with more health-related features for its products, drugmaker Eli Lilly announced last week that certain Apple products can help spot people with dementia. Early results from a test showed that devices including the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, in combination with certain apps and the Beddit sleep monitoring device, can reveal whether a person has “mild Alzheimer’s disease dementia” and “mild cognitive impairment” (MCI). The study was conducted by Apple, Lilly and health care company Evidation Health on 113 people age 60 to 75 over a period of 12 weeks.

    Those participating in the study were asked to answer a pair of one-question surveys each day. They also were asked to perform certain tasks on an app such as tapping on a circle as fast as possible and dragging on screen an object with a certain shape to another object. Other tests were performed on the participant’s ability to type and read. The results of the study were presented at the Association for Computing Machinery’s KDD conference in Anchorage and found that those with symptoms of dementia tended to type at a slower rate of speed than others, and sent fewer text messages over a set period time.

    16TB of data were collected from the participants, and the study showed that Apple devices and certain apps can help monitor symptoms of those diagnosed with MCI or mild Alzheimer’s disease dementia; detect cognitive changes that could point to MCI; test the effectiveness of treatment and therapies; and speed up the development of therapies to produce more accurate diagnostic tools.

    Over the past few years, we’ve seen how data and insights derived from wearables and mobile consumer devices have enabled people living with health conditions, along with their clinicians, to better monitor their health. We know that insight from smart devices and digital applications can lead to improved health outcomes, but we don’t yet know how those resources can be used to identify and accelerate diagnoses. The results of the trial set the groundwork for future research that may be able to help identify people with neurodegenerative conditions earlier than ever before.”-Nikki Marinsek, Ph.D., first author and data scientist, Evidation Health

    “Lilly has been leading the fight against Alzheimer’s disease for more than 30 years, and we’re broadening the application of digital health to identify tools that may improve the lives of people with chronic conditions and diseases. While further research is needed, the study findings provide important insight into the potential benefits of wearable devices in identifying chronic health conditions such as MCI, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia. These findings could inform subsequent research that may eventually lead to early screening or detection tools for neurodegenerative conditions.”-Divakar Ramakrishnan, Ph.D., chief digital officer, Eli Lilly ”

    Apple has already demonstrated that it can integrate life-saving health tools in the Apple Watch; the heart-rate monitor has already saved a number of lives and the breakout feature on the Apple Watch series 4 is the electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor. The latter detects abnormal heartbeats indicative of Atrial fibrillation, which can lead to blood clots, heart failure, strokes, and death. This life-saving feature has become so popular that Samsung is including it on the Galaxy Active Watch 2. However, as it did with Apple’s ECG sensor, the FDA needs to greenlight the one on Sammy’s phone. As a result, the ECG sensor will be disabled on the new Tizen-powered timepiece until sometime during the first half of next year.

    Apple released a very brief statement related to the release of the study. Myoung Cha, Apple’s Head of Health Strategic Partnerships, said, “We are excited to work alongside Lilly and Evidation in supporting the research community, as they seek to discover digital biomarkers of cognitive impairment.”