Chain Drug Review, July 8, 2019

Chain Drug Review July 8 2019 35 Personal Care Report Parasites Lice products are reformulated and modernized NEW YORK Some 6 million to 12 million lice infestations occur yearly in the U S among children ages 3 to 11 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC In the U S head lice infestations are most common among children of these ages and they are also prevalent in others living in the same household as infected children because lice infestations can spread so easily The most common symptom of lice which are usually found on the scalp is itching caused by an allergic reaction to louse saliva according to the Mayo Clinic Though lice on the scalp might be visible they are difficult to spot because they are so tiny and move very quickly Lice eggs or nits stick to hair shafts and incubating nits may be difficult to see because they are even tinier than lice Combing through the hair with a lice comb or nitpicking is one way to treat lice along with various over the counter and prescription remedies For some infected children lice irritation is mild for others a more bothersome rash could develop Excessive scratching can lead to a bacterial infection which can cause swollen lymph glands and red tender skin that might have crusting and oozing The adult louse is no bigger than a sesame seed and is grayish white or tan Nymphs are smaller and become adult lice one to two weeks after they hatch If head lice are not treated this process repeats itself about every three weeks Most lice feed on blood several times a day and they can survive up to two days off the scalp More often than not lice are spread through person to person contact Contrary to popular belief dogs cats and other pets do not play a role in the transmission of human lice according to the Mayo Clinic Lice cannot hop or fly they travel by crawling which explains why close contact with an infected person is responsible for the spread of lice Unless the infestation is heavy its more common to see nits in a childs hair than it is to see live lice crawling on the scalp Lice eggs hatch one to two weeks after theyre laid After hatching the shell that is left behind looks white or clear and stays firmly attached to the hair shaft This is when its easiest to spot them as the hair is growing longer and the egg shell is moving away from the scalp With so many infestations yearly in the U S and some 350 million spent per year to treat them there are enormous business opportunities in the lice treatment space especially as lice become more resistant to popular O T C brands according to Lice Clinics of America LCA the largest network of urgent care clinics for lice treatment which also provides lice removal solutions To making combing more effective as a lice treatment some conditioning products are formulated to make the hair easier to comb in order to find the tiny parasites and their eggs But while combing can help rid the scalp of lice it requires a lot of time and effort And while combing may remove lice it doesnt kill them When all other treatments fail doctors can prescribe medications to get rid of an infestation Recently LCA reported that its clinics in North Carolina and South Carolina saw increases of 92 in lice activity this spring This data was gathered and compared from the organizations bookings and treatments in March 2018 and March 2019 Lice Clinics of America has a unique opportunity to gather its data to help identify trends We believe we can attribute the increase in lice infestation bookings and treatments in our clinics to three things said LCA chief executive officer Claire Roberts First its a fact that many over the counter products are no longer effective in treating the super lice of today so people are seeking professional help Second there is a true lack of understanding by the public on the life cycle of lice and how they spread And third people are becoming increasingly aware of the more effective technologically advanced treatment methods offered by Lice Clinics of America Lice are highly contagious CDC states Head to head contact with an already infected person is the most common way to get head lice Head to head contact is common during play at school at home and elsewhere such as sports activities the playground slumber parties and camps There was also a 93 increase in lice activity this spring reported by a group of New Jersey lice clinics according to LCA Meredith Croy owner of Lice Clinics of America New Jersey said lice have built up a resistance to O T C remedies making them stronger and tougher to treat at home She said children are walking around with active infestations widening the window for lice to spread The group said its statistic of a 93 increase was based on bookings and treatments in March 2018 compared to March 2019 The New Jersey based group owns three locations in the Garden State as well as one in Pennsylvania Croy also said theres a large increase in lice activity when families get together especially in the summertime and around any holiday when people are in close contact especially with children who might be infected The biggest telltale sign of lice is the nit which is a little smaller than a sesame seed and has a shine The nit is very well glued to the hair shaft Croy said Dandruff will move if a person nudges it gently with a finger but a lice nit will stay put The key to identifying lice early is to check heads frequently Croy said Since O T C remedies are not as effective as they once were more parents are opting for combing out the lice nits which Croy said is a futile method of treatment because if a parent misses just one nit the lice cycle starts up all over again She said Continued on page 36 Abbott provides expertise funding for anti malaria initiative ABBOTT PARK Ill Earlier this year Abbott announced its support of a partnership between the government of the eastern Indian state of Odisha and Malaria No More which provides technology expertise and funding support to advance efforts to end malaria in the state The partnership builds on Odishas success in significantly driving down malaria cases and deaths in the last year With a population of nearly 42 million people Odisha accounted for about 40 of Indias malaria burden In support of Indias 2015 commitment to be malaria free by 2030 the government of Odisha has prioritized malaria control and elimination In collaboration with Malaria No More and the government of Odisha Abbott is supplying 1 million rapid diagnostic tests RDTs and technical expertise to strengthen Odishas malaria detection and surveillance system In addition Abbott is providing 750000 over three years to Malaria No More to back its work with the Odisha government to define and support a comprehensive state malaria elimination strategy that can be used as a model for other states to follow According to the recent World Health Organization WHO World Malaria Report 2018 India with a population of 13 billion people has the fourth highest malaria burden in the world and of the 11 highest burden countries it was the only one to have reported a reduction in malaria cases 24 between 2016 and 2017 In 2017 India launched its five year National Strategic Plan for Malaria Elimination which shifts focus from malaria control to elimination and provides a road map with targets to end malaria in 571 of Indias 678 districts by 2022 Indias recent progress was largely due to substantial reductions in malaria cases in Odisha Through persistent efforts and innovative approaches Odisha achieved an 80 reduction in cases in less than one year Odishas success is due to innovative approaches such as training 47000 accredited social health activists ASHAs to reach its most vulnerable citizens with rapid diagnostic tests and other life saving malaria interventions in areas where most cases are found Eliminating malaria will require more robust and accurate data Rapid diagnostic tests are the frontline first step of data collection that can provide baseline information for Odishas malaria surveillance system With strategic use of data health officials can make better decisions about where to deploy the most effective malaria control tools Abbott is committed to supporting the partnership to help end malaria including sharing our life changing technologies that can detect malaria said Damian Halloran vice president of infectious disease for emerging markets at Abbott The government of Odisha deserves enormous credit for its commitment to the fight against this deadly disease Together with Malaria No More were looking forward to advancing this important work and to further building out Odishas surveillance and data collection capacity The 1 million rapid diagnostic tests donated by Abbott will be the antigen based SD Bioline Malaria Ag P f P v a screening test for the detection of Plasmodium falciparum P f and Plasmodium vivax P v parasites in human whole blood Expanding access to diagnostics and treatment strengthening data collection distributing 11 million bed nets and improving health care worker skills propelled Odishas fight against malaria in 2017 The governments DAMaN initiative which stands for Durgama Anchalare Malaria Nirakaran or Malaria Control in Inaccessible Areas included village wide testing for malaria using RDTs and treatment campaigns along with malnutrition care and other services to substantially reduce parasite levels before the monsoon season caused mosquitoes and malaria to proliferate To increase the impact of Odishas success model in August 2018 Malaria No More entered into an agreement with the government of Odisha to provide technical assistance to the Odisha Vector Borne Disease Control Program VBDCP and support overall strategy development Malaria No More is working with Odishas VBDCP to strengthen malaria surveillance and reporting improve data driven decision making and enhance private health sector reporting of malaria and create compelling health education and behavior change campaigns Malaria No More is also helping the government to engage a range of private sector technical academic and media partners to support Odishas drive toward malaria elimination Malaria No More is proud to support the government of Odisha in its ambition to end malaria said Martin Edlund chief executive officer of Malaria No More We are starting to bring on board key partners like Abbott to support expansion of Odishas innovative strategies and to build their capacities particularly in the areas of improving data and surveillance to have even greater impact moving forward Supporting Odishas work will continue to fuel Indias goal to eliminate malaria by 2030