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Tag: health

  • LG Chem signs deal to distribute cancer drug

    LG Chem signs deal to distribute cancer drug

    LG Chem has partnered with U.S. bio company Cue Biopharma to develop immunotherapy drugs to treat cancer, the local company announced Monday. Immunotherapy drugs help patients fight diseases like cancer by enhancing their immune system. It is a relatively unusual form of cancer therapy that differs from the conventional approach of using medication to directly fight the cancer cells inside the human body.

    Based in Boston, Cue Biopharma is a Nasdaq-listed company that specializes in developing biologics for immunotherapy. The companies will co-develop and distribute three immunotherapy drugs which were previously developed by Cue Biopharma: its lead product CUE-101, currently in the preclinical stage, and two other cancer antigens that are at an earlier stage of development.

    Cue Biopharma’s core technology is the Immuno-STAT platform that inserts information about a specific cancer cell into a T cell, a white blood cell that will then find and attack the disease. Before the platform existed, T cells had to be pulled out of the human body to have the information injected into them, but Cue Biopharma’s technology allows the process to happen internally.

    Under the agreement, LG Chem will obtain exclusive distribution rights for the three treatments in Asia once they are fully developed. Cue Biopharma will take charge of distribution in other regions.

    LG will offer a maximum of $400 million to the U.S. bio company including milestone payments given at each stage of clinical testing in the development process. Once the treatments are commercialized, Cue Biopharma will additionally receive license fees proportional to sales in the Asia region while LG, in return, will receive royalties from the Asia sales.

    This is the first time in its three decades of history in the bio pharmaceuticals industry that LG Chem has partnered with another company to work on a new drug.

    “We are very pleased to enter this strategic collaboration with Cue Biopharma; it is more than a licensing deal, it is a partnership with a shared vision and great strategic fit,” said Dr. Son Jee-woong, president of LG Chem Life Sciences.

    For Cue Biopharma, the advantage of working with LG is its experience in developing and manufacturing bio pharmaceuticals in the past as well as its business know-how in the Asia region.

    Under the partnership, LG will also conduct development in mass production and quality control methods for the immunotherapy drugs.

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  • Unmanned medical clinic opened in China

    Unmanned medical clinic opened in China

    Chinese one-stop healthcare platform Ping An Good Doctor has announced the world’s first commercially operational unmanned medical clinic. The firm’s “One-minute Clinic” has been formally unveiled in a scenic area in Wuzhen. It will provide a high-speed, convenient, one-stop-shop for medical and healthcare services for nearby residents, visitors to the scenic area and guests of the 2018 World Internet Conference.

    The clinic includes two major functional modules, an “Independent Advisory Room” and a “Smart Medicine Cabinet.” Patients consult with a cloud computing doctor in the advisory room to receive a preliminary diagnostic suggestion, and may purchase prescribed medicine from the medicine cabinet afterwards. The clinic stocks more than 100 common drugs. Unavailable medicines may be purchased online using the Ping An Good Doctor smartphone application, receiving the drug from nearby pharmacies with a one hour delivery service.

    During a one week trial, the daily average advisory volume approached 100 visitors.

    The firm plans to popularise the clinics in public areas such as pharmacies, communities, enterprises, schools, scenic areas, markets, highway service stations, and so on. Combined with Ping An Good Doctor’s offline network of 3100 new hospitals and more than 60,000 neighbourhood clinics, the clinic is expected to quickly meet real-time medical and healthcare needs of city residents.

    Ping An plans to expand to 1000 units across China by the end of the year.

    A spokesperson for Ping An Good Doctor revealed that the clinic’s AI doctor was researched and developed by a team formed from over 200 world-class artificial intelligence experts, trained using data from over 300 million visits and consultations. More than 2000 common diseases are covered by the AI’s data set.

    A back office staffed by expert physicians are engaged to verify the diagnosis and advice of the AI doctor.

    Overcrowded hospitals are part of the cause behind the present difficulty in obtaining quality healthcare in China.

    Information from a third-party research institute shows that, in 2016, including transport and waiting-in-line times, Chinese patients consume an average of three hours per medical visit, although the actual time for diagnoses averages only eight minutes per visit.

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  • Korea’s Yuhan licenses lung cancer drug

    Korea’s Yuhan licenses lung cancer drug

    Yuhan Corporation announced on Monday that it has entered into a licensing agreement with Janssen Biotech, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, to develop Lazertinib, a treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (Nsclc) that is undergoing clinical trials in Korea.

    Under the agreement, Yuhan will receive an upfront payment of $50 million and is eligible for double-digit royalties on future sales.

    It is also eligible for up to $1.255 billion in payments according to development phases.

    Going forward, Janssen will be responsible for developing the drug, manufacturing and commercialization with exclusive worldwide rights to Lazertinib excluding Korea, where the rights belong to Yuhan.

    The companies will work together on global clinical trials evaluating Lazertinib.

    Trials are expected to begin in 2019.

    “We are excited to start this collaboration and dive into advancing this treatment regimen with a focus on improving the lives of people who suffer from lung cancer,” said Lee Jung-hee, president and CEO of Yuhan, in a statement.

    The combined $1.255 billion Yuhan is set to receive from Janssen is the second-largest export contract for a single pharmaceutical product from Korea, according to people in the industry.

    Lazertinib is a potent, mutant-selective, irreversible, brain-penetrant and orally-active third-generation inhibitor for Nsclc, with the potential to be a first-line therapy.

    The compound is in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial in Korea. Interim results showed that Lazertinib inhibited robust disease activity in patients with Nsclc.

    Established in 1926, Yuhan is one of the top pharmaceutical companies in Korea in terms of market capitalization and revenue.

    Its core business consists of primary and specialty care, dietary supplements, household and animal care, and contract manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients.

    On the news of the agreement with Janssen Biotech, shares of Yuhan spiked 29.78 percent to close at 231,000 won ($205) Monday.

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  • Philip Morris International Launches Healthier Alternatives for Smokers

    Philip Morris International Launches Healthier Alternatives for Smokers

    In its passion and drive to provide better choices to people who smoke, Philip Morris International Inc. (“PMI”), the global leader in smoke-free innovation and science, has launched the next generation of IQOS. The new IQOS 3 and IQOS 3 MULTI integrate extensive consumer insights and feedback to improve design and user experience while maintaining signature taste, sensory attributes and ritual—all underpinned by strong scientific substantiation. The new versions aim to further encourage a growing number of smokers to switch, to the benefit of their health, public health and, ultimately, society.

    The new iterations were launched in Tokyo, Japan—the country considered the birthplace of IQOS. The iconic brand offers the best in taste and satisfaction in the category, and almost 6 million adult smokers have already quit cigarettes—with more than half of those in Japan.

    “Our dream was to create a better alternative for smokers, and IQOS has made this dream a reality; it’s a revolution for the 1.1 billion people who smoke,” said André Calantzopoulos, PMI’s chief executive officer. “IQOS 3 and IQOS 3 MULTI deliver significant improvement and innovation and mark another step toward convincing all men and women who would otherwise continue to smoke to switch to smoke-free alternatives. IQOS consumers know that this product changes many things in their lives—we thank them, and we thank Japan for leading this positive change.

    Behind every development at PMI is robust science. Its scientific assessment program is based on longstanding practices of the pharmaceutical industry and is in line with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance. IQOS produces an aerosol that contains on average 90 percent lower levels of harmful chemicals than cigarette smoke. The totality of PMI’s preclinical and clinical evidence indicates that switching completely to IQOS presents less risk of harm than continued smoking. Evidence also shows that IQOS does not negatively affect indoor air quality. On average, 70 to 80 percent of IQOS users have quit cigarettes, which makes IQOS the most compelling smoke-free alternative today.

    PMI has filed a Modified Risk Tobacco Product Application (MRTPA) for IQOS with the U.S. FDA, but the U.S. FDA has not yet completed its review of our data. IQOS is not for sale in the United States.

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  • WaBi Partners with the HiNounou Connected Health Platform to Empower Millions of Chinese Seniors

    WaBi Partners with the HiNounou Connected Health Platform to Empower Millions of Chinese Seniors

    Walimai, the safe-product retail channel that utilizes the WaBi token, has announced its strategic partnership and ecosystem integration with HiNounou, a connected healthcare and intelligent data platform. The partnership is set to provide millions of Chinese senior citizens with access to safe, trusted goods and services, including insurance and health products.

    The partnership merges the respective ecosystems of both parties, allowing participants of either service to use their loyalty tokens on both platforms. It also allows for Walimai cross-promotion on the HiNounou service, which targets one of Walimai’s key demographics — senior citizens. Powered by AI, IoT, blockchain, and genomics, HiNounou’s platform and ecosystem features leading insurers AXA and Ping An, who are offering their first dedicated ‘insurance as a service’ products for Chinese senior citizens.

    Current data indicates China has 1.3 billion citizens over 60, equal to 17 percent of the world’s total population. According to state projections by China’s Office of the National Working Commission on Aging, more than 25 percent of the population will be over 60 by 2030. China faces an enormous challenge in sustaining the provision of healthcare, pensions, and viable insurance, against the background of national productivity concerns and a variety of social and welfare-related issues.

    The Walimai-HiNounou alliance creates a unique, safe, and trusted environment, which gives seniors the opportunity to access a rich ecosystem of trusted services tailored to them, ensuring a healthier and more active daily life.

    “Our Walimai partnership is another important step in creating an integrated ecosystem of products and services focused on the well-being of seniors at home to live longer, healthier, and happier,” said  Charles Bark, CEO, HiNounou. “The partnership creates cross-ecosystem interactivity for the WaBi and HiNounou tokens, enabling seniors to seamlessly transact across an extensive range of trusted products and services.”

    “By linking WaBi in the HiNounou ecosystem, we can provide our selection of verifiably authentic imported goods to one of our main target consumer groups, and help improve their health,” said Alexander Busarov, CEO, Walimai and WaBi. “This is hugely empowering for the elderly. We provide easy access to products and services, stimulating both the mind and body, across a variety of activities and interests, allowing seniors to stay engaged in society and lead more rewarding lives.”

    The WaBi token can be used to acquire products and services on the HiNounou platform, customized to the needs of seniors, such as insurance, supplements, nutritious foods, wellness classes, and more. HiNounou users will also be able to use the HiNounou token to make purchases through the Walimai safe product retail channel.

    Walimai’s anti-counterfeiting technology and blockchain-based data platform ensure goods are safe and authentic, while customer data is kept secure, which helps limit fraudulent activity and reduce seniors’ exposure to unwanted risks. HiNounou leverages high-tech robotics and healthcare applications to improve the quality of life for seniors, potentially extending the working life of many elderly citizens.

    HiNounou has risen to be one of the most promising companies in the healthcare industry. Recognized for its innovation by major names such as Bayer and Intel, HiNounou technology has been showcased at events worldwide (including CES ASIA 2018 and European Economic Congress), had its CEO and founder Charles Bark named one of France’s top 3 AI entrepreneurs in China by President Emmanuel Macron, and struck partnerships with major industry names such as ZTE, AXA, and Ping An.

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  • Korean sandwich chain Isaac setting up Business in Singapore

    Korean sandwich chain Isaac setting up Business in Singapore

    Korean sandwich chain Isaac will open its first store in Singapore next month.

    Over the last 15 years, Isaac has built a network of more than 700 stores across South Korea and expanded into Taiwan, Macau and – most recently – Malaysia, where it has a store across the causeway in Johor Bahru. Now it is heading further afield, with a takeaway store planned for Plaza Singapura’s basement 2.

    Isaac serves toasts with variations including the popular Korean dish bulgogi, steak ham, chicken, double cheese potato, shrimp and ham and cheese, with prices starting at S$2.85. It also serves juices and coffees.

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  • Three hospitals to offer cheaper infant formula

    Three hospitals to offer cheaper infant formula

    Parents may soon find it cheaper to feed their newborn babies with a move by three public hospitals in Singapore to switch to cheaper milk powder. Those who feed their babies with infant formula could find their costs halved when the hospitals offer cheaper ready-to-feed (RTF) brands to infants in hospital from July 1.

    As most parents prefer to stick with the formula their infants had been fed while in hospital, this makes it easier for them to continue with the cheaper brands after their babies leave the hospital.

    The two brands to be offered by the hospitals are Nestle’s Lactogen and Danone’s Dulac. The companies clinched a tender against 10 others to supply the hospitals with RTF formula for a year from July 1, 2018, until the end of June 2019.

    The hospitals that will bulk-buy these brands are Singapore General Hospital (SGH), National University Hospital and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

    The retail prices for Lactogen and Dulac are $2.20 and $2.50 per 100g respectively, much cheaper than the six brands now used at SGH, which cost between $5 and $7.50 per 100g.

    As a result of the bulk procurement, parents would pay between $17.30 and $20.90 per kg of formula if they choose to continue with the same brands after the hospital stay, said the Health Ministry. The prices would be maintained for the duration of the contract.

    The hospitals’ move was announced yesterday by Senior Minister of State for Health Amy Khor. It comes after a furore earlier this year over the high cost of infant formula, with prices of most brands more than doubling over the past decade.

    Under the tender agreement, the retail price of the two brands would not be raised during the year specified in the tender.

    Speaking on the sidelines of a tour of SGH’s maternity and labour wards, Dr Khor said there will be significant savings for parents who need to turn to infant formula.

    Breast milk still best

    She said all infant formulas sold here provide the necessary nutrition for babies. The two that won the tender are not necessarily the cheapest, she said, as one criterion is their ability to provide RTF formula for hospital use.

    Even with cheaper formula, Dr Khor stressed that breastfeeding remains the best option for both mother and baby.

    The proportion of mothers who exclusively breastfed at the time of discharge from the three public hospitals has risen from 76 per cent in 2013 to 86 per cent today, she noted. This was largely due to greater awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding, she added.

    Associate Professor Daisy Chan, a neonatologist at SGH, said breastfeeding lowers the mother’s risk of getting breast and ovarian cancers and helps her return to her previous weight faster.

    For babies, it is the “optimal nutrition, (and ) reduces their risk of getting infections, helps them bond with their mother and is free”, she said. Prof Chan said studies also show that babies who are breastfed have slightly higher intelligence.

    But she noted that some infants do require formula, either because their mothers are not able to breastfeed or are not producing enough milk for the baby.

    SGH uses six RTF brands, which are offered on rotation to babies who need them. It charges parents a standard $1 per feed.

    Ms Nabilla Hashim, 29, whose first child, a girl, was born at SGH on Wednesday, plans to breastfeed her daughter for the first two years.

    But the bank receptionist said she may need to supplement breast milk with formula in future.

    Civil servant Teo Ee Hong, 39, who was at SGH with his wife, Ms Chin Siew Mei, 34, who is expecting their fourth child, said his children took different brands of formula, depending on what they had been given in hospital, until age three or four. He said he was not too bothered by the prices.

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  • Wearables market shifting focus away from health

    Wearables market shifting focus away from health

    Global shipment for wearables reached an all-time high of 33.9 million units in the fourth quarter of 2016, up 16.9 % from the same quarter a year earlier.

    Total shipments for the entire year reached 102.4 million devices, growing 25% compared to 2015.

    IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker, which published the figures, noted that the market is huge but the utility and necessity of the devices have been questionable. With the market just a toss between the basic wearables and the smart wearables (or those capable of running third party applications), health and fitness remain a major focus for the major brands.

    Ramon Llamas, research manager for IDC’s Wearables team, however, noted that once these devices become connected to a cellular network, the market can expect unique applications and communications capabilities to become available. “This will also solve another key issue: freeing the device from the smartphone, creating a standalone experience,” he said.

    During the quarter, Fitbit maintained its dominance, holding the top position for both the quarter and the year. However, the company also faced one of its largest declines ever as it remained heavily focused on the US, a market that is quickly approaching saturation for fitness trackers. Though the company has grown in other parts of the world, IDC said it remained challenged as low-cost competitors eat away at Fitbit’s market share.

    China’s Xiaomi has continued to relentless pursue growth and the company has stuck with a low-cost strategy and has slowly tried to veer upstream in terms of pricing by introducing new devices with heart rate monitoring and a mildly higher selling price. However, IDC believes it still lacks the expertise and brand recognition to expand beyond its native borders in China.

    Apple Watch Series 1 and Series 2 proved to be a magnificent success for the company as it was the company’s best quarter ever in the wearables market. IDC said Apple is one of the few companies that has been able to quickly refocus its watch to gain traction in the consumer market and is now introducing the smartwatch category to the commercial segment.

    Garmin, which caters to a more dedicated fitness audience, experienced a slight decline of 4% in the fourth quarter. However, many of its users began to graduate from simpler fitness trackers to more sophisticated and expensive sport watches like those offered in the Fenix line. The new Fenix 5 announced at CES 2017 also shows promise as the new smaller size will help the device appeal to a broader audience.

    Samsung rounded out the top 5 with the launch of two new models (Gear S3 Classic and Frontier) and remains the only major company offering cellular-enabled wearables. LTE connectivity has been a key differentiator for Samsung’s watches as it has helped decouple them from smartphones, but more importantly it has opened up a new channel (telcos) to help promote the Samsung watches.

    Beyond the top 5 vendors are new entrants, including fashion icons like Fossil along with their sub-brands and emerging companies like BBK and Li-Ning, that are tapping into niche segments of the wearables market. Fossil’s wearable product is a luxury/fashion device, while BBK focuses on child-monitoring devices, and Li-Ning on step-counting shoes.

    “With the entrance of multiple new vendors with strengths in different industries, the wearables market is expected to maintain a positive outlook, though much of this growth is coming from vendor push rather than consumer demand,” said Jitesh Ubrani senior research analyst for IDC Mobile Device Trackers.

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  • One of SEA’s leading banks teams up with Powerman for two duathlon events

    One of SEA’s leading banks teams up with Powerman for two duathlon events

    Maybank, South East Asia’s fourth largest bank, and Powerman Philippines, the Philippine affiliate of the International Powerman Association (IPA), are hosting two duathlon race events in the Philippines this year.

    The first race, which was held last November 20, 2016 at the SM Mall of Asia by the Bay, Anytime Fitness Powerman Philippines Asian Invitational was co-presented by Maybank. Professional duathletes Jason Loh and Su Teoh from Malaysia and Airi Sawada from Japan flew in to be part of the race’s Elite Category.

    Maybank is also the title presentor of the Powerman Philippines World Series which will be held on December 3 and 4 at the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga. Ten professional duathletes including Powerman World from all over the globe including the two-time Powerman World Champion and Powerman Philippines Ambassador Gael Le Bellec three-time and defending Powerman World Champion Emma, and defending Powerman World Champion Seppe Odeyn will fly to the Philippines for this race.

    Aside from having a Powerman Short, this event will also feature the Powerman Classic (10 km run– 60 km bike –10 km run), the Powerkids (for kids ages 6-12) and the Powerteens (for teens aged 13-19).

    The Maybank Powerman Philippines World Series is also a qualifying event for the Powerman Duathlon World Championships to be held in Zofingen, Switzerland in 2017. The event attracts a host of professional and highly competitive age-group athletes, seasoned multi-sport athletes who want to take on a different challenge, and athletes who have just started in the multi-sport category.

    “Maybank welcomes this partnership with Powerman Philippines,” according to Richard C. Lim, Executive Vice President and Head of the Retail Business Group of Maybank Philippines, Inc. “Maybank prides itself in being at the heart of the communities we are present in. Being associated with this important sporting event, with almost 3,000 participants in both races, and leveraging on this type of sports sponsorship platform can definitely help elevate our brand in the Philippines. We are excited by the fact that the biggest event, the Powerman Philippines World Series, will be held in Clark where Maybank has one of its largest branches in North Luzon, an area where we have a strong branch network, the largest of any foreign bank in the country.”

    Mr. Lim added, “Endurance sports are gaining popularity in the country and Maybank wants to capitalize on this and become associated with the positive values that sporting events promote.”

    “The inclusion of Maybank definitely adds prestige to both Powerman events this year,” says Owen Gan, President of Powerman Philippines. “Being one of the largest banks in South East Asia, Maybank will definitely help Powerman in gaining popularity in the Philippines, and eventually in the region, especially now that there are more Powerman events lined up for 2017.”

    Part of the proceeds of Powerman will go towards buying bicycles and other gear for the Batang Tri Grassroots program that supports young individuals who do not have the financial means to enter the world of multi-sports.

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  • Promotion, collaboration sought to boost tea exports

    Promotion, collaboration sought to boost tea exports

    The government should give more attention to Indonesia’s tea industry by intensifying promotional efforts and strengthening collaboration among ministries to reverse the trend of declining exports that started a few years ago, a public policy expert suggests.

    “The Trade Ministry, for example, can collaborate with Pak Arief Yahya [the tourism minister]. So while traveling overseas, they could promote Indonesian teas,” University of Indonesia’s public policy lecturer Riant Nugroho said on Monday.

    The declining tea exports, which was partly caused by there being limited land for tea plantations, could also be solved through better coordination with the Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Ministry, he added.

    “Talk to them and find out ways so they won’t use all the available area to build [the planned] Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway, for example,” he said, referring to the megaproject designed to better connect Jakarta and the capital of West Java, Indonesia’s largest tea-producing region.

    Ranked as the seventh largest tea producer in the world, Indonesia’s tea exports dropped to 62,700 tons last year from 92,000 in 2009, with the value going down to US$128 million from $171 million in the same period.

    Only 6 percent of the 62,700 tons exported last year comprised value-added processed tea.

    “Tea production in the country still faces a lot of challenges, such as the limited area for plantations, outdated machinery and low tea prices at the farm level,” said the Trade Ministry’s director general for foreign trade, Dody Edward.

    Among the largest of Indonesia’s tea export destinations are Russia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Australia and Germany.

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  • Guardian to open 30 new stores next year

    Guardian to open 30 new stores next year

    Guardian Health and Beauty (Guardian Malaysia) plans to open between 25 and 30 new stores next year as it embarks on an aggressive expansion plan to further strengthen its position in the domestic health and beauty retail market.

    Chief Executive Officer Peter J Dove said besides the new stores opening, the company would also refurbish 70 stores, as well as, close 15 existing stores which are less performing.

    At present, Guardian Malaysia has 430 outlets nationwide and commands a 30 per cent market share in the health and beauty segment.

    “Domestically, the current retail market is tough and demand is soft, so we have conducted a research and come out with a new concept, which is aligning products with shoppers’ demand, and then see the customers’ response,” Dove told Bernama after launching Guardian’s concept store in Kuala Lumpur City Centre Sunday.

    The retailers in the pharmacy and personal care sub-sector are expecting to record an 11.4 per cent growth in the third quarter of 2016.

    Guardian Malaysia also plans to implement the same concept store idea for 10 out of its 40 top stores nationwide.

    “We will also introduce and aggressively go into e-commerce next year to reach more customers,” he said, but declined to disclose the investment allocation to develop the new e-commerce platform and new concept stores.

    Meanwhile, the new concept store incorporates shopper-friendly features including a “Make Me Up” corner, which focuses on addressing the needs of shoppers, highlight the latest cosmetics products and trend, as well as, offer a semi-private area for product trials.

    Guardian Malaysia has also expanded its range of new international and local brands, as well as, spearhead the first modern trade pharmacy initiative with the listing of traditional Chinese herbal health products.

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  • Actxa named partner for Singapore fitness programme

    Actxa named partner for Singapore fitness programme

    Fitness wearables brand Actxa has been appointed as one of the official technology partners of the second National Steps Challenge (NSC) by the Singapore Health Promotion Board (HPB).

    Fuelled by the nation’s positive response to the physical activity initiative last year, the fitness wearables company has launched three new step tracker models alongside an easy trade-up programme, to help Singapore step up and out for NSC Season 2.

    Launched by HPB on 1st October 2016, NSC brings more fun and prizes in motivating the nation to step up and move about every day, anytime and anywhere. Making a welcome return from last year is the popular steps-for-rewards system, where all NSC participants will be rewarded for leading active lifestyles – the more steps taken each day, the more points earned to redeem rewards as well as lucky draw chances.

    The smart gadget used for this fun physical activity programme is the steps tracker, a pedometer-based fitness buddy designed to motivate even more Singaporeans to lead active lifestyles. A firm advocate of spurring a nation of physically active people, Actxa came on board last year to supply the wearable technology, and 2015 saw HPB handing out over 156,000 pieces of the specially produced Actxa Stride, which can still be used for the second season of NSC.

    In addition, Actxa has produced three enhanced step tracker models: Stride+, as well as the Swift and Swift+, which NSC Season 2 participants can choose to use if they are not using any of the three official trackers, including the Actxa Stride, that HPB issues. These additional models are available for trade-ups or direct purchase this year.

    “Actxa is very proud to be a Singaporean company supporting a nationwide initiative that encourages fellow Singaporeans to be active. In support of NSC, we are excited to launch a series of promotions that aim to put our fitness and activity trackers into the hands of everyone, inspiring them to lead active and healthier lives,” said Joel Chin, CEO of Actxa.

  • Packaged food in Thailand – impulse and health to drive premium segments

    Packaged food in Thailand – impulse and health to drive premium segments

    After a period in the economic doldrums, Thailand looks set to be a potential opportunity for domestic and international food manufacturers marketing premium wares. Poorna Rodrigo surveys what is driving demand for premium products in south-east Asia’s second-largest economy.

    A string of political crises may have weakened consumer spending in recent years but Thailand’s economic growth accelerated in 2015 and the country’s GDP in the first half of 2016 was faster still, suggesting south-east Asia’s second-largest economy could again present a lucrative opportunity for premium packaged food markets.

    And there is optimism among industry watchers about demand for packaged premium brands despite the possibility the wave of bomb blasts this summer could affect tourism, which is a driver in the trend of premiumisation and some concerns over the levels of household debts in Thailand.

    The appetite for packaged premium brands remains strong and is expected to grow – and trends including impulse and health are expected to be key to the development of the more premium parts of the market.

    Overall, packaged food sales (retail and foodservice including premium) soared from US$8.06bn in 2011 to US$11.07bn in 2015, according to data from UK-based market researcher Euromonitor International, with sales projected to continue to grow through 2020, albeit at a slower pace.

    The rate of growth in the sales of more upmarket products is predicted to rise, according to Yongyut Ongwattanapat, a Bangkok-based senior manager at US market research company Nielsen. “Premium food grew at four per cent, while the non-premium category grew around six per cent in 2014. Premium food sales are expected to grow around six to seven per cent within the next two years,” Ongwattanapat says.

    Reflecting the growth in the size of Thailand’s middle-class, the increase in premium goods sales is shaping Thailand’s fast moving consumer goods industry, Ongwattanapat explains. One common theme persuading consumers to pay more for premium foods is the ability of brands to “convey functional benefits” Ongwattanapat says. For example, products claiming to have lower or less sugar, high in fibre and protein, organic, and 100% juice content are becoming more appealing to Thai consumers.

    A spokesperson from Euromonitor says the urban lifestyle of many modern Thai consumers is encouraging them to spend more, despite higher living costs and debts. For example, World Bank data says out of 67.9m people overall, nearly 10m live in the capital Bangkok. New product launches are well received, as “adventurous tastes drive consumer willingness to spend on new experiences,” the spokesperson says. “Impulse and indulgent packaged food products” have been instrumental in boosting retail value sales growth, the spokesperson adds.

    Fonterra, the New Zealand dairy giant, has a growing business in Thailand, with its foodservice-oriented business, Anchor Food Professionals, central to its strategy for growth in the category. Anchor Food Professionals supplies a range of dairy products to foodservice and convenience store outlets in Thailand. That part of Fonterra’s operations in Thailand “has seen double-digit growth in the past few years”, Paul Richards, managing director of Fonterra’s branded business in the country, says. Richards points to one category benefiting from growing demand for convenience. “There’s huge potential in the premium segment of the bakery category where more Thai consumers with higher incomes demand greater variety and western-influenced options,” Richards says.

    Looking at other factors industry watchers see as driving demand for premium food, data from UK-based market intelligence firm Mintel suggests wealthier consumers are becoming more interested in ethical food. According to Mintel’s 2016 Asia and Pacific (APAC) consumer lifestyle study, this year 31% of urban Thai consumers prefer products that carry an environmental certification from a credible government or non-profit organisation, Jane Barnett, the firm’s head of insights for South Asia-Pacific  says. This means having a “stamp of approval” from a known organisation works well with consumers, Barnett says, adding this cohort of consumers is willing to pay more.

    She continues: “Forty per cent of metro Thai consumers are willing to pay a premium for products that are safe to use, such as products that have no additives and 27% would pay a premium for products that are natural for example organic or uses pure, naturally-sourced ingredients.”

    A growing fondness for healthier food is also opening doors for foreign investors: 66% of metro Thai consumers hope to achieve eating a healthier diet in 2016, according to Mintel data. Barnett believes “more opportunities for imported health foods in the market will arise”.

    According to Dee Richmond, general manager of AgriSource Company Ltd, a food and agriculture firm based in Bangkok, there is increased interest in quality from Thai food manufacturers in US pulse-based food products such as peas, beans, chickpeas and lentils

    “We have not yet seen very many new products yet, but there are a record number of research and development trials with US pulses taking place in snacks, canned foods, and other value-added products,” she says. “We are also seeing increased availability of US pulse ingredients, including pulse starch, pulse flours, and pulse protein.” Dry pulses provide a hard-to-beat nutritional profile for food processors looking for healthy ingredients, being rich in protein, soluble and insoluble fibre, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and low in fat and oil content, she adds.

    This premium health-based positioning is even extending to snacks. Bangkok-based snack maker Hanami Foods Company Ltd, a subsidiary of Friendship Company Ltd, sells the Snack Jack extruded green pea snack, while Modern Food Industries (India) Ltd, based in Thailand’s central Pathum Thani province, also produces green pea-based snacks.

    However, the growth in demand for more premium products has also seen some food companies misusing ‘premium’ labelling, forcing the Thai ministry of public health to implement additional controls, according to Siradapat Ratanakorn, a regulatory affairs consultant and food technologist at the Bangkok-based south-east Asian leading law firm Tilleke & Gibbins International.

    “If a food company wishes to claim ‘premium’ on a food label, it needs permission from the Food and Drug Agency, who decides these requests on a case-by-case basis,” Ratanakorn says. For organic products, certification from an official government agency body or approved by an authorised agency official is necessary, he adds.

    Thailand has lagged the growth of some of its neighbours in recent years but there have been signs the country’s economy is getting stronger. There are some concerns about whether Thailand’s high levels of tourism will be affected by the bomb blasts this summer, while household debts could dampen growth. But the continued growth in the country’s urban middle class looks set to drive incomes and, trends including impulse and health, could present opportunities at the more premium end of the market.

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  • Indonesia en route to popularize tropical fruit

    Indonesia en route to popularize tropical fruit

    Thousands of farmers under East Kalimantan farmers group Gapoktan find it unfortunate that people outside Indonesia are missing out on their home-grown fresh and juicy mini papayas, bananas and dragon fruits.

    So far, most of their fresh fruit products are only consumed by locals buying from nearby markets due to a lack of infrastructure, making it expensive to deliver fruit across the country, let alone export them.

    Indonesian fruit exporter EK Prima Ekspor Indonesia, a subsidiary of the United Arab Emirates’ retail giant LuLu Group International, knows firsthand how selling prices at the consumer level end up depending more on transportation costs than on production costs.

    “Transportation — from farmers to warehouses to airports and finally to the destination country — is very expensive. If our unique fruit doesn’t appeal to consumers, we could lose out to other countries, especially if they can produce similar fruit for cheaper prices,” said Irawan Santoso, head of the fruit and vegetable division of EK Prima.

    Indonesia also has mangosteens, rambutans, snake fruits, jackfruits, soursops, breadfruits, guavas and starfruits that grow in the tropical country, but they are not frequently consumed globally or even domestically.

    The government aims to boost tropical fruit production by expanding land for fruit plantations while also improving infrastructure and transportation systems to decrease high distribution costs, as part of efforts to be the biggest tropical fruit producer in Southeast Asia by 2025 and in the world by 2045.

    President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo acknowledges that this is no easy task, especially with farmers’ preferences to use land for high-yielding commodities, such as palm oil, rather than fruit, which takes time to return on investment. Poor infrastructure has also driven up logistics costs for years.

    “If we can have 14 million hectares of oil palm plantations, we should also be able to have that much land for fruit,” Jokowi said during the opening ceremony of the four-day Fruit Indonesia Festival 2016 in the Jakarta Convention Center parking lot on Thursday. The President handed out various tropical fruits to children to remind people of the “love local fruit” movement.

    “If you see a lack of supporting infrastructure that could hamper distribution, please let us know,” he told the audience consisting of scientists, fruit planters as well as local and international trade delegates.

    To expand plantations, provincial administrations have been instructed to provide local farmers with 5 to 50 ha of land for fruit planting per business unit, as part of the bigger goal to provide 400,000 ha of land in Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Sumatra.

    The program started with 100,000 ha in cooperation with state-owned companies. State plantation firms under PTPN also asked to start cultivating their under-utilized land for fruit production.

    “The state firms have been very enthusiastic to give sections of land for fruit plantations. They are used to producing palm oil, rubber, tea and other commodities but not fruit. So, a new management specializing in horticulture needs to be formed,” Bogor Agriculture Institute (IPB) rector Herry Suhardiyanto said.

    IPB is now studying a possibility to form another state company to develop horticulture based on the State-Owned Enterprises Ministry’s request.

    The business community is hopeful that the vision of becoming the world’s largest tropical fruit producer will be honored over time.

    “Let us not change the policy and vision every time we change presidents,” said Karen Tambayong, head of horticulture development with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

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  • Indonesia faces increasing senior-citizen population

    Indonesia faces increasing senior-citizen population

    Indonesia is facing the problem of a growing number of elderly people who are expected to reach over 32 million in the next two decades.

    Indonesia’s elderly in 2010 was 4.9 percent of the population, or 11,878,236 people. This number is projected to increase to 10.8 percent, or 32,112,361 people in 2035.

    Senior researcher Sukamdi of the Center for Population and Policy Studies (PSKK) of the Gadjah Mada University (UGM) said the country is actually going to face a big problem.

    “The same issue also occurs in other countries such as Japan. However, there is no awareness of the fact we have a big problem with the elderly. In my view, Indonesia has not shown a sufficient response to the problem of the elderly,” Sukamdi said on the UGM campus on Saturday.

    The data at the UGMs PSSK on Indonesias Population projections from 2010 to 2035 indicate the percentage of the elderly population will increase to 100 percent, he said.

    The postproductive age group or age older than 65 years, has now become an important issue because it could become a potential or expense in the human life cycle as a whole, according to him.

    “If in the current productive age a person, he or she, is capable of saving, then when he or she becomes older or no longer productive in terms of the economic aspect, he or she will not become a burden to the state,” he said.

    Anyone being old or being elderly will face three gaps, he said.

    First, the geographical gap, namely, the relationship or the physical encounters between parents and children, will be increasingly rare, he said.

    Second, the cultural gap, namely, the differences in perspectives and values between parents and children.

    Third is the economic gap.

    “The third gap is being faced increasingly by the elderly. We heard the news yesterday, that in Condong Catur there was an elderly person who died but it was only five days later that the family and neighbors came to know. This is just one example, but in fact there have been several similar cases,” Sukamdi said.

    Regarding the elderly, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights strives to ensure that neglected population groups are given space and weight in the human-rights agenda, and that governments take all measures required to protect and promote their human rights.

    The Indonesian government, through the Ministry of Social Affairs, has prepared the Assistance for the Elderly but for the time being it has reached only 30,000 neglected elderly.

    In November 2016 the assistance will reach 125,000 neglected elderly over 70 years by involving them in the Family Hope Program (PKH) in order to receive 200,000 rupec per month, each.

    With the Family Hope Program, the social affairs minister says the government will reach 155,000 needy elderly, although the number is still far from the overall number of neglected elderly.

    Currently, the overall number of neglected elderly is recorded at 1.8 million, and 1.6 million of whom are potentially displaced in the face of the demographic bonus, expected to lead to a positive impact on economic development and progress in the field of agriculture and industry.

    In the meantime, all Asean member countries are facing the same social issues related to the social welfare of children, the elderly and persons with disabilities.

    “The Asean countries, including Indonesia, are dealing with issues connected to the protection of children, elderly and disabled,” Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa said at the ninth Asean Regional Meeting on Development and Social Welfare in Jakarta late last month.

    Earlier, Khofifah, along with several of her counterparts from the Asean countries and China, Japan and South Korea, discussed many such social problems.

    The minister said the Asean countries are facing a variety of issues related to children, including the problem of online pornography. A proposal to stem this problem has been initiated Malaysia with a proposal.

    “There was a recommendation at a meeting about children held last June in Vietnam. Many countries are facing such problems, as also those related to protection of abandoned children,” Khofifah noted.

    She said inputs given by Asean and three Asian countries which participated in the meeting emphasized the importance of checking child trafficking and ensuring childrens education, including quality standards in early childhood education and parenting.

    Most Asean countries will have a large number of the elderly people, and, therefore, should take measures to facilitate them in their daily life, especially those who are active and productive.

    “Some programs have been carried out well in Japan, China and South Korea and will be a basis to strengthen cooperation among the Asean and the three countries on the issue,” the minister concluded.

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