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BIAL Foundation marks its 25th anniversary with an itinerant exhibition
To mark this occasion, the Foundation organizes the itinerant exhibition BIAL Foundation - 25 Years, which discloses the work developed on the study and scientific research of the human being during the last two decades.
BIAL has two new board members
José Almeida Bastos and Richard Pilnik integrate the Board of Directors of the biggest pharmaceutical company in Portugal José Almeida Bastos is now part of BIAL’s Executive Committee and responsible for both national and international commercial operations. Richard Pilnik has a 35 year career in the health sector, and is now non-executive member of BIAL’s Board of Directors. According to António Portela, CEO of BIAL, “it is an honor to have José Almeida Bastos and Richard Pilnik onboard. With their wide experience, they will endow the company with a more prepared structure to deal with upcoming challenges within the strategic lines we have defined, the research and development of new medicines, consolidated in an international scale. The Board of Directors of BIAL consists of 8 members: Luís Portela (Chairman), António Portela (CEO), Richard Pilnik (Non-Executive), Isabel Morgado, José Redondo, Miguel Portela, Patrício Soares da Silva and José Almeida Bastos.
“Prémio BIAL de Medicina Clínica 2018” distinguishes works about Gastric Cancer, Familial Hypercholesterolaemia and OCD
100.000 EUROS TO AWARD CLINICAL PRACTICE ATTRIBUTED BY THE BIAL FOUNDATION Mário Dinis Ribeiro is the winner of “Prémio BIAL de Medicina Clínica 2018” Mário Dinis Ribeiro – "Cancro Gástrico Em Portugal - Como reduzir a mortalidade por cancro gástrico em Portugal" - the winner of the "Prémio BIAL de Medicina Clínica 2018", with a "guide" to reduce gastric cancer deaths in Portugal, one of the deadliest in the country.
Prémio BIAL de Medicina Clínica 2018 distinguishes works about Gastric Cancer, Familial Hypercholesterolaemia and OCD
BIAL FOUNDATION AWARDS CLINICAL RESEARCH ON GASTRIC CANCER IN PORTUGAL WITH A €100,000 PRIZE Mário Dinis-Ribeiro wins the 2018 BIAL Award in Biomedicine Commendations for research in Familial Hypercholesterolemia and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Mário Dinis-Ribeiro, Head of the Gastroenterology Service at the Portuguese Institute of Oncology of Porto and full professor at the College of Medicine of the University of Porto, won the 2018 BIAL Award in Biomedicine with the following study “Cancro Gástrico em Portugal - Como reduzir a mortalidade por cancro gástrico em Portugal” (Gastric Cancer in Portugal - How to reduce gastric cancer mortality in Portugal). The award-winning study followed, between 2005 and 2017, approx. 400 patients with malignant or premalignant gastric lesions. The approach used by Dinis-Ribeiro made it possible to define new guidelines for the detection and treatment of gastric cancer, one of the deadliest in Portugal, mainly due to late diagnosis and its high lethality. The performance of endoscopies enabled the removal of lesions in a minimally invasive manner, with a success rate (complication-free) of 80 to 85%. Among the patients included in the sample, the mortality rate was only 1% and never due to complications related to gastric cancer. Mário Dinis-Ribeiro highlights the role of endoscopy in the early detection of gastric cancer or cancer precursor lesions, which can replace surgery in many cases. Recommendations inherent to the main risk factors associated with gastric cancer are also explained in this paper: Helicobacter pylori infection and wrong dietary habits, as well as the intake of high amounts of salt and tobacco smoking.Mário Dinis-Ribeiro explains, “The results allow us to draw two types of conclusions and approaches to prevent and treat gastric cancer. First, at the prevention level, it is very important to alert the population to risk factors such as tobacco smoking and salt intake. Secondly, if we want to reduce the prevalence of gastric cancer, we must focus on the early treatment of lesions through upper endoscopy and prevent them from evolving.” The President of the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and President of the Portuguese Society of Digestive Endoscopy highlights “The recommendation for gastric cancer screening must be a consideration of foremost importance, and according to the cost-effective ratio analysis, we advise patients to undergo an endoscopy procedure, simultaneously with colonoscopy. When the patient is screened for colorectal cancer, they should undergo endoscopy and thus be also screened for gastric cancer”. Currently, the only recommended screening for the digestive tract is colorectal cancer from the age of 50. Mário Dinis-Ribeiro concludes with a call to “The role of healthcare decision makers in considering gastric adenocarcinoma in the health agenda of Portugal”.
#SpreadingtheLight – International Epilepsy Day
BIAL MARKS THE DAY AND SPREADS THE LIGHT ON THE DISEASE The 11th February is the International Epilepsy Day and at BIAL we will dedicate the week to the disease and to the people who suffer from it, as it is the most common serious neurological condition, affecting around 50 million people worldwide.
BIAL is one of 100 best companies to work for in Portugal
Survey promoted by EXAME Magazine: “Best Companies to Work 2018” “Ethics and Business”, “Corporate Responsibility” and “Motivation & Expectations” are some of the indicators with the highest level of satisfaction. The 2018 edition considered several business areas and companies of different sizes. With over 9 decades of existence, BIAL offers a well-established Research & Development project. Would you like to work with us?
BIAL Foundation launch new nobel-style award in biomedicine
Worth €300,000, the new award will recognise high quality, scientifically relevant research in the biomedical field published as of 1st January 2010. The award will be granted bi-annually from 2019 onwards. The BIAL Foundation was created in Portugal in 1994, to foster scientific study through a series of awards and grants. Since its establishment, the Foundation has recognised nearly 100 written works through its awards programme and supported 614 projects through its grants.
Adverse Drug Reaction Awareness campaign
#medsafetyweek is celebrated by 32 regulatory agencies worldwide Did you know that reporting side effects helps the safe use of medicines for everyone, leading to new health warnings addressed to patients and to summaries of product characteristics’ revision? The 2018 Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) Awareness week is specially addressed to reporting side effects in children and pregnant women. If you’re a mother, or if you’re pregnant, be aware and follow your doctor’s recommendations: take your medicine in the right dose, and as instructed.
Early diagnosis is the key message for World COPD Day
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease affects around 250 million people worldwide according to the WHO Numbers from the World Health Organization (WHO) may be scary but leave no doubt: 250 million people worldwide suffer from COPD, a respiratory disease which has high levels of death and underdiagnosed cases. COPD does not have a cure, but treatment can relief symptoms, improve quality of life and reduce risk of death. Early diagnosis is crucial, that’s why the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) theme for 2018 is “Never too early, never too late”.