Medical Health Center

Summer Allergies Cause Sinus Sufferers To Miss Out On Work Or Social Activities

While summer is the time of year people like to spend most of their day outside, summer allergens keep many sinus sufferers from enjoying activities such as barbequing, hanging out at the pool and spending time in the park, to name a few.

In fact, a new survey of more than 1,000 consumers shows that one-third of sinus sufferers say they miss or cut short social outings or business engagements because of their symptoms. With ragweed season right around the corner, sinus problems will flare for the millions of Americans suffering with seasonal allergies. But, surprisingly, the majority of allergy sufferers (64%) do not do anything to relieve their symptoms, according to the survey. The reason may be that more than two out of five sinus sufferers say their sinus or allergy medication does not work.

However, there is the option of saline nasal wash, which is a physician-recommended, natural technique that relieves sinus symptoms by gently rinsing away allergens and excessive mucus that can lead to irritation and infection. One person who knows how much sinus problems can impact their livelihood and quality of life is Mandy-Rae Cruickshank, a seven time world-record holding freediver, who is also a chronic sinus sufferer.

“I have always struggled with sinus issues, which creates a challenge since I dive nearly everyday. It also affected my social life outside of competitive freediving,” says Mandy-Rae. “When I discovered Sinus Rinse, a saline nasal wash in a squeeze bottle, I was amazed by how well it works to relieve my symptoms so I can enjoy my career as well as other outdoor activities.”

Saline nasal wash is a clinically proven technique to alleviate allergy and sinus symptoms. A recent study shows more than a 50% reduction in symptoms by users of NeilMed’s Sinus Rinse. Additionally, daily saline nasal rinsing improves sinus-related quality of life and decreases medication use such as antibiotics in patients with frequent sinusitis, according to another study.

“The nose is one of the body’s filters so cleansing the nasal passages of dust and allergens that cause inflammation is crucial for good respiratory health,” says Jay Youngerman, MD of North Shore Hospital at Plainview and Long Island ENT Associates. “While most people think of allergies as an inconvenience, symptoms can worsen leading to an infection or sinusitis. Simple preventive methods such as saline nasal wash in a squeeze bottle can be used daily over the long term to reduce or alleviate sinus symptoms.”

More Survey Findings

• Consumers are exposed to summertime allergens frequently. Americans spend an average of nearly four hours each day outside in the summer; more than a quarter report spending six or more hours outdoors.

• Allergies are a chronic problem. About half of Americans do not know that outdoor allergies can plague sinus sufferers year-round.
• Nearly one in five consumers experience constant sinus problems. More men (41%) than women (32%) say they rarely or never treat their symptoms.
• Saline nasal rinse can easily be added to the hygiene routine everyday. Americans spend an average of nine minutes on daily cleanliness regimens like brushing teeth, washing face and protecting skin so why not - in less time than that - wash your nasal passages.

About the Survey Methodology

This telephone survey was conducted by Opinion Research Corporation’s CARAVAN® among a national probability sample of 1,004 adults comprised of 500 men and 504 women who are 18 years of age and older and live in private households in the continental United States. Interviewing for this CARAVAN® survey was completed during the period of June 6 to 9, 2008. The survey was sponsored by NeilMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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About Mandy-Rae Cruickshank

Mandy-Rae Cruickshank is a world-record holder for professional freediving, also known as competitive apnea, a sport in which competitors attempt to swim great distances or depths on a single breath without assistance of an underwater breathing device. Mandy-Rae began freediving in 2000 and by year’s end, placed third in her first Association for the International Development of Apnea (AIDA) team competition. Since then, Mandy-Rae has captured seven world records.

About Allergies and Sinusitis

Allergies, medically known as allergic rhinitis, describe a variety of symptoms resulting from the body’s reaction to foreign substances. When people suffering from allergies are exposed to a normally harmless substance, the immune system triggers an elevated response as if the substance were harmful which results in allergic rhinitis or sinusitis. Known allergens are pollen, grass, molds, dust or environmental pollutants, smoking and smog. Allergies can either be a chronic condition experienced throughout the year or triggered seasonally by exposure to allergens that are present at particular times of the year.

Sinusitis is an inflammation of the mucosa of various sinuses, which are located in and around the nasal passages. Causes of sinusitis are cold viruses, allergens, bacterial or fungal infections, smoking, nasal polyps, nasal septum deviation and severe acid reflux. Symptoms of sinusitis include nasal congestion, runny nose, nasal discharge, pain in jaw, loss of sense of smell and taste, headache, nighttime cough, persistent fatigue and fever.

About Sinus Rinse™ Kit

Sinus Rinse™ is a natural and therapeutic technique to soothe and treat most allergy- and sinus-related symptoms, both chronic and seasonal. Sinus Rinse™ is an easy-to-use, squeeze-bottle system to rinse nasal passages and relieve irritation and symptoms. It has been clinically shown to treat and soothe sinus symptoms caused by allergens: runny nose, sinus pressure, headaches, congestion, sneezing, and nasal irritation.

Sinus Rinse™ is used worldwide by millions of consumers and is available over-the-counter at 55,000 pharmacies and drug stores in the United States and 11 countries worldwide. National chain drug stores that carry Sinus Rinse™ include CVS, Duane Reade, Longs, Rite Aid, Walgreens and Wal-Mart, among others.

About NeilMed

NeilMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a physician-founded and family owned business that invents and manufactures products to relieve nasal and sinus symptoms. NeilMed is the world’s category leader for saline nasal irrigation products, according to A.C. Nielsen data. The company was founded by Ketan C. Mehta, MD, president, and his wife Nina Mehta, chief executive officer. Dr. Mehta is a lung specialist and practicing physician with a medical practice in Santa Rosa, Calif. For more information, visit http://www.neilmed.com/.

Source:
NeilMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Unexpected Benefit Of Allergies

Long-suffering victims of allergies such as asthma and hay fever might enjoy a surprise benefit, according to research led by the University of New South Wales (UNSW).

In a paper presented at an international symposium in Sydney, the researchers show that people with one of these atopic diseases are up to 25 percent less likely to get the most common type of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL).

The InterLymph Symposium is co-hosted by the Leukaemia Foundation, the Cancer Institute NSW, UNSW and the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research.

The more atopic diseases the individual has, the less likely they are to succumb to NHL. If an individual has three of these conditions, they are 40 percent less likely to get NHL.

Having had asthma and hay fever for a long time, also appears to be of greater benefit.

The result is significant given that the incidence of NHL in developed countries has escalated dramatically in the past 50 years. It is three times more prevalent now than it was in 1950, making it the sixth most common cause of cancer death in Australia, yet the cause of most cases remains unknown.

“This was a surprise result,” said the lead author, Dr Claire Vajdic. “The only known strong risk factors for NHL are immune deficiency and certain infections. This occurs in people with uncontrolled HIV infection, and those who have had a solid organ transplant.

“So we thought other forms of immune dysregulation such as atopic diseases - including hayfever, asthma and food allergies - might relate to the development of lymphoma. It was therefore intuitive to think that these conditions would increase the risk, but in fact, they do the reverse,” she said.

The research found that risk was reduced in B-cell NHL only. This is the most common type of NHL.

“While the relevant biological mechanisms are not yet known, the pooled data indicate that chronic and multiple atopic conditions impart the greatest reduction in risk,” said Dr Vajdic. “Investigation of the genetic and environmental factors underlying atopy and the apparent inverse effect of atopy on NHL risk will inform our understanding of the complex biological pathways that may be involved.”

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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The research involved a pooled analysis of data from 13 case-control studies involving 13,535 NHL cases and 16,388 control participants, funded by the Leukaemia Foundation.

Source: Susi Hamilton
University of New South Wales

GA2LEN Researchers Follow European Olympic Athletes To Beijing To Assess Diagnosis Rates Of Asthma And Allergies

GA2LEN centres will be following athletes selected for the Olympic Games 2008 to assess the prevalence and diagnosis rates of asthma and allergies among top athletes in summer sports.

This study is the first pan-European study on allergy and asthma in athletes, designed as part of GA2LEN joint research activities on sports and allergic diseases.

It was initiated in Norway on request of the National Olympic Committee, to follow athletes and provide optimal care if needed. The scientists were also interested in learning more about the effect of air quality and pollution on the athletes.

Objective & Expected Outcome

The scientists are looking to substantiate a number of information, including

- Specify the prevalence of asthma, exercise induced asthma and other allergic diseases among European athletes qualified for the Beijing Olympics
- Assess the impact of environmental pollution on asthma symptoms and lung function, identify athletes who may develop symptoms

Sport, asthma and allergic diseases

It is suspected that physical activity may trigger symptoms both in allergic athletes and in non-professional exercisers. In endurance sports, higher levels of asthma may be due to the prolonged periods with highly increased ventilation and the duration of high level physical activity performed. The highly increased ventilation of endurance top athletes is adequate and in relationship to the demands of their exercising body. This is different to the hyperventilation asthma patients can experience: an increase ventilation out of relationship to the demand.

Different types of sport and prevalence

Up to 20 percent of summer sports athletes have asthma. Endurance sports in particular such as runners, swimmers, and cyclists have been reported to have a higher prevalence.

Background document on the Ga2len Olympic Study

http://www.ga2len.net

Respiratory Symptoms Among Bakers’ Apprentices: Are There Mechanisms Other Than Allergy?

It has previously been claimed that working as a baker involves, as a consequence, a great risk of evolving allergy and respiratory symptoms. The basis for this assumption was based on cross-sectional studies.

In this study, undertaken by Tina Skjodt (Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark) and her team, bakers’ apprentices were followed prospectively for three years to determine the sequence by which allergy, asthma and allergic rhinitis evolved. An extensive panel of common and occupational allergens was used for regular testing.

Surprisingly, only a few bakers’ apprentices became sensitised to occupational allergens, whereas the occurrence of new respiratory symptoms was high. The development of new symptoms was associated with the duration of exposure. Thus, the study points toward mechanisms other than allergy as being responsible for respiratory symptoms among bakers’ apprentices.

Title of Original Article
The incidence of respiratory symptoms and sensitisation in baker apprentices
European Respiratory Journal (Erj), Vol. 32, No 2

The European Respiratory Journal is the peer-reviewed scientific publication of the European Respiratory Society (more than 8,000specialists in lung diseases and respiratory medicine in Europe, the United States and Australia).

European Respiratory Journal

Novel Study Finds Proton Channels Inhibit The Release Of Histamine During Allergic Reactions

Inhibiting the proton currents in basophils, a rare type of white blood cell, can stop the release of histamine and could provide a new target for allergy and asthma drugs according to a new study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and the Johns Hopkins Asthma and Allergy Center in Baltimore. The research is published in the August 5th issue the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

When allergens enter the body, they can be recognized by IgE antibodies bound to basophils, causing these white blood cells to release the inflammatory chemical histamine. Histamine causes several allergic symptoms, including airway constriction in the lungs, severe itching, hives and swelling, and is a major cause of asthma.

Basophils are among several cell types that express unique ion channels called voltage-gated proton channels. Ion channels open and close providing gates for ions, or charged electrical particles, to enter or leave cells. This in turn controls the function of the cell. Voltage-gated proton channels only allow protons to leave cells and seem to be designed to rapidly and efficiently force acid from cells.

Previously the function of the proton channels in basophils was unknown. Researchers at Rush have determined these channels are important in the process of histamine release.

“Our research shows that proton channels in basophils respond vigorously to agents that elicit histamine release,” said Thomas DeCoursey, PhD, professor of molecular biophysics and physiology at Rush. “We also determined that histamine was inhibited by zinc at concentrations that inhibit proton currents, consistent with the idea that proton channel activity is linked to basophil activation.”

According to DeCoursey, this research points to a new target for drug developers. Prevent the channel from working and that would stop the release of histamine. Currently, the most potent inhibitor is zinc, but zinc is toxic in high concentrations and the body regulates zinc levels very closely. The goal is to develop a more selective inhibitor of the proton channel that would bind to it and prevent its activity without doing harm.

“It is exciting to discover a novel function for proton channels,” said DeCoursey. “We believe this research could lead to new approaches to reduce the potentially deadly consequences of asthma and allergic reactions.”

Rush University Medical Center
1700 W Van Buren, Ste. 250
Chicago, IL 60012
United States
http://www.rush.edu

FDA To Recommend That Doctors Conduct Genetic Screening Before Prescribing Antiretroviral Abacavir To Reduce Allergic Reactions

FDA on Thursday is expected to issue an advisory that urges physicians to conduct genetic testing before prescribing GlaxoSmithKline’s antiretroviral drug abacavir to reduce allergic reactions in people taking the drug, the New York Times reports. The recommendation to conduct genetic screenings will be included in a black box warning on the drug’s label.

HIV-positive people who have a certain variation in an immune system gene should not take abacavir because they have a higher risk of a severe allergic reaction to the drug, according to FDA. A GSK-sponsored study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in February, found that genetic screening prior to prescribing abacavir could reduce the incidence of suspected hypersensitivity reactions from 7.8% to 3.4%. Symptoms of the reaction include fever, rash, nausea and breathing difficulties. Based on the data, it was estimated that about 61% of people with the genetic variant could experience a severe allergic reaction to abacavir, compared with 4% of people without the variant.

In addition, abacavir’s revised label will mention a study that found an increased incidence of heart attacks among people taking the drug, the Times reports. The label also will mention that GSK conducted its own review by pooling the results of numerous clinical trials and found no increased risk of heart attack. The new label will say that although the data on the increased risk of heart attack is “inconclusive,” doctors still should be cautious in prescribing the drug (Pollack, New York Times, 7/24).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

© 2008 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Allergic Rhinitis Diagnosis And Treatment: New Guidelines For Primary Care Professionals

Two complementary guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of allergic rhinitis are published in the August issue of the Allergy journal. These guidelines are the result of a close cooperation between scientists, primary care professionals, and patients’ organisations. GA2LEN, Global Allergy and Asthma European Network contributed to the guidelines representing European research in the field.

Allergic rhinitis is one of the most common chronic diseases with over 600 million people affected worldwide. More than 200 million of them also suffer from concomitant asthma. However, allergic rhinitis is generally under-diagnosed and under-treated.

Prof. Jean Bousquet, GA2LEN Vice-President and Chairman of ARIA, Allergic Rhinitis and Its Impact on Asthma, stresses that “neither allergic nor non-allergic rhinitis are trivial disorders. They significantly impair patients’ daily quality of life, school and work performance. Moreover, people with allergic rhinitis have a greater risk to develop asthma and many patients with rhinitis already have asthma as well. Although patients come with a complaint about their nose, asthma too must be checked by the doctor.”

Dr. Chris van Weel, from WONCA, adds “The majority of patients who seek medical advice are seen in primary care practices. General practitioners therefore have a central role to play in the adequate diagnosis and treatment of allergic rhinitis. These two short publications intend to support primary care physicians in their diagnostic and facilitate doctors’ assessment of the disease and medication choices.” In the accompanying editorial, he expends on the central role of primary care in the diagnosis, treatment and management of allergic rhinitis.

The guidelines review best practices worldwide, based on current state-of-the-art research. They propose practical questionnaires for history taking, which is at the core of diagnosis, including advice on how to differentiate allergic rhinitis from other common diseases such as the common cold and non-allergic rhinitis.

Classifications will allow doctors to assess the severity of the disease and the impact on the patients’ quality of life. Primary care professionals will also find a list of ‘red flags’ suggesting that urgent referral is need and a glossary of rhinitis medications.

These guidelines complement GA2LEN’s campaign ‘Does rhinitis lead to asthma?’, launched in 2007

GA2LEN
GA2LEN Dissemination
Rue du Luxembourg 22-24
1000 Brussels
http://www.ga2len.net

Wanted: 15-year-olds With Asthma To Join New Team, Asthma UK Scotland

Asthma UK Scotland is looking for 15-year-olds across Scotland with asthma to act as ambassadors for the charity and encourage other youngsters to lead a full and active lifestyle.

One 15-year-old from each of Scotland’s 14 health board areas will be chosen to co-ordinate innovative activities - in their school, sports club or church - for other children and young people with the condition, including an event to celebrate World Asthma Day in May 2009.

The successful candidates will receive training and support from Asthma UK Scotland throughout the project and will be guests of honour at a party to mark the charity’s 15th Birthday, at Murrayfield Stadium in September.

Shona Haslam, Asthma UK Scotland’s National Director, said: ‘Scotland has one of the highest rates of childhood asthma in the world and what better way to help address that than to encourage young people with asthma to raise awareness of the condition.

‘We have recently been running focus groups with young people across the country and one thing we have consistently heard is they appreciate being able to talk to other youngsters with asthma who understand what it is like, for example, to be bullied because they can’t take part in PE. By working with young people themselves, one of the messages we want to get across - to people with asthma but also their teachers or coaches - is that exercise is good for all children and young people - as long as they receive the right support.’

The party is being supported by Scottish Rugby. Dominic McKay, Scottish Rugby’s Director of Communications and Public Affairs, said: ‘We are delighted to be working with Asthma UK Scotland. As many sportsmen and women have shown, having asthma is no barrier to making it to the top in any sport and we hope this event will encourage even more young people to lead an active lifestyle.’

The party will also feature an address by Shona Robison MSP, Minister for Public Health, and a performance by new Scottish singing star Kevin J Maclean.

Maclean, who has just released his first single and is currently on a nationwide tour, is also going to be working with Asthma UK Scotland. When he was seven, a severe asthma attack left him in hospital for four weeks but this didn’t stop him pursuing his singing dream - and this is the message he wants to get across to others with the condition.

Maclean said: ‘I am very excited to be working with Asthma UK Scotland and hope I can not only raise awareness of the condition but inspire anyone with asthma to achieve their potential.’

If you were born in 1993 and have asthma, or know someone who is eligible, and want more details on how to be an ambassador for Asthma UK Scotland, please contact Gordon Brown, Asthma UK Scotland’s Public Affairs and Communications Manager on 0131 226 2544 or email gbrown@asthma.org.uk

Asthma UK Scotland is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of the 390,000 people in Scotland whose lives are affected by asthma.

www.asthma.org.uk

Clinical Trial For The Treatment Of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Begins At Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center

Anadis Ltd (ASX:ANX; OTC:ANDIY), a biopharmaceutical company focused on research, development and production of immune milk (colostrum)-derived polyclonal antibodies and other proteins to address major diseases, today announces the initiation of a clinical trial with top clinical scientists at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center in Israel. The clinical trial will explore the efficacy of a formulation developed by Anadis to address the symptoms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), a serious chronic condition effecting millions of persons annually.

About 4 million people worldwide suffer from Inflammatory Bowel Disease, split roughly evenly between the two manifestations of the disease: Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). IBD is a relapsing / remitting chronic disease with gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhoea, rectal bleeding and abdominal pain.

The study is led by a leading Israeli Gastroenterologist, Professor Zamir Halpern, Deputy Director of Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and Chief of the Center’s Gastroenterology Institute, and by Professor Nachum Vaisman, Head of the Unit of Clinical Nutrition.

The first patients have already been recruited and have entered the trial which is expected be completed during 2009. The trial is designed as an open study being run to confirm and expand upon human clinical data obtained from a pilot study at St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne, which ended recently. Anadis intends to launch its colostrum-derived product as a medical food or nutritional immediately following the Tel Aviv trial. Anadis will meet all regulatory requirements during the conduct of the trial itself.

In addition to the initiation of this IBD study, Anadis recently announced being awarded a VISTECH grant for another study, also to be conducted at Tel Aviv Souraski Medical Center, towards the development and commercialization of a product to address cancer-related mucositis. See “Anadis Awarded VISTECH grant for Clinical Trial of Polyclonal Antibodies for the Treatment of Cancer Related Mucositis” - Tuesday 1 July 2008.”

Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (TASMC) is one of the largest hospitals in Israel with 1100 beds and is responsible for providing specialty care to the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. It is a teaching and research center affiliated with the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Dr Oren Fuerst, VP Business development of Anadis stated, “This is another illustration of the successful collaboration between Anadis and the researchers at TASMC. The leveraging of Australian manufacturing and core research, with research and clinical studies in Israel will allow us to bring products to market faster and at lower costs than otherwise. Our current plans calls for commercialization of both the IBD and the mucositis products within less than 2 years, addressing two major gastrointestinal diseases using our core platform.”

Source
Anadis Limited
http://www.anadis.com

First AbD Serotec Generated Hucal Antibodies Distributed As Part Of Clinical Diagnostic Kits For Autoimmune Diseases By Phadia

MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX) announced today that Phadia AB, a world leader in autoimmunity and allergy testing, has implemented a series of HuCAL-based recombinant antibodies in its marketed autoimmune tests Varelisa(TM) and EliA(TM). Thereby Phadia becomes the first diagnostic company to introduce recombinant antibodies in an autoimmune screening platform. AbD Serotec, MorphoSys’s division for research and diagnostic antibodies, receives license fees and will continuously supply Phadia with recombinant antibody material. Further financial details were not disclosed.

Phadia and AbD Serotec began collaborating in September 2005, bringing together Phadia’s expertise in the development, manufacturing and marketing of complete blood test systems and AbD Serotec’s leading recombinant antibody technology HuCAL. AbD Serotec has generated a series of recombinant antibodies in the IgA, IgM and IgG1 format, which Phadia will implement in its marketed autoimmune tests Varelisa(TM), a classical ELISA microtiter platform, and the fully automated system for the measurement of autoantibodies EliA(TM). The set of recombinant HuCAL antibodies provided by AbD Serotec act as recombinant control antibodies and replace human serum to standardize autoimmune assays.

Autoimmune diseases include juvenile diabetes, various forms of rheumatism, hepatitis, thyroiditis and a variety of skin diseases. An early diagnosis can improve the treatment options and increase the quality of life for patients significantly. However, since the early symptoms, especially of systemic autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid disorders, can be very diffuse, several years can pass from the onset of the disease until a correct diagnosis is made. New easy-to-use and cost-effective diagnostic methods could shorten the time-to-diagnosis and subsequent treatment.

“Phadia has a long track record in using advanced techniques such as recombinant gene technology to produce a wide range of precise and reliable diagnostic tests for autoimmune diseases,” commented Stefan Eschbach, Vice President of Phadia. “The use of recombinant control antibodies was shown to increase the accuracy and reproducibility of diagnostic tests. AbD Serotec’s ability to generate these highly-specific recombinant antibodies in various formats using the HuCAL technology has been extremely helpful in this regard.”

“Today’s news marks the first market entry of a clinical diagnostic kit comprising a HuCAL antibody,” commented Dr. Simon Moroney, Chief Executive Officer of MorphoSys. “This development is a significant step forwards for recombinant antibody technology in the diagnostics field, and a major operational milestone for our AbD unit.”

About MorphoSys:

MorphoSys is a publicly traded biotechnology company focused on the generation of fully human antibodies as a means to discover and develop innovative antibody-based drugs against life-threatening diseases. MorphoSys’s goal is to establish HuCAL as the technology of choice for antibody generation in research, diagnostics and therapeutic applications. The Company currently has therapeutic and research alliances with the majority of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies including Boehringer Ingelheim, Centocor/Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, Pfizer and Roche. Within these partnerships, more than 50 therapeutic antibody programs are ongoing in which MorphoSys participates through exclusive license and milestones payments as well as royalties on any end products. Additionally, MorphoSys is active in the antibody research market through its AbD Serotec business unit. The business unit has operations in Germany (Munich), the U.S. (Raleigh, NC) and U.K. (Oxford). For further information please visit www.morphosys.com

HuCAL and HuCAL GOLD are registered trademarks of MorphoSys AG

About Phadia:

Phadia develops, manufactures and markets complete blood test systems to support the clinical diagnosis and monitoring of allergy, asthma and autoimmune diseases. Besides strategic management, administration and business development, the international centre in Uppsala incorporates extensive research and development facilities, a production plant and a distribution system operating cost-effectively around the clock. In Freiburg, Germany, a second centre develops and supports diagnostic tests for autoimmune diseases. Some 98% of production is exported to more than 3000 laboratories in 60 countries. Supplying seven out of ten allergy laboratory tests worldwide, the company has remained the world leader in its field for more than 25 years.