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Philips unveils its latest addition (UltraFill) to its COPD treatment product portfolio at Medica 2010

Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI), has announced its partnership with GOLD on World COPD Day 2010, taking place on November 17, 2010. World COPD Day is an annual global event that aims to improve awareness and care of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), the world’s fourth-leading killer.

The GOLD initiative was launched in 1997 in collaboration with a number of health bodies including the World Health Organization. GOLD works with health care professionals and public health officials around the world to raise awareness of COPD as a public health problem and to decrease morbidity and mortality from COPD through the implementation and evaluation of effective programs for diagnosis and management. Philips shares with GOLD a commitment to improve COPD patients’ access to treatment throughout the world. Philips will become an active member of the GOLD initiative by sponsoring and contributing to education of primary care physicians and patients.

Brent Shafer, Executive Vice President Home Healthcare Solutions for Philips Healthcare commented: “Philips is proud to partner with GOLD – we hope the partnership will provide a mutual platform for both organizations to continue to improve the access to treatment for COPD patients around the world. We are committed to continuing to provide a complete range of solutions from drug delivery, oxygen therapy and ventilation to optimize the management of COPD patients.”

“According to the World Health Organization, COPD afflicts some 50 million people around the world, and kills nearly 3 million every year. In addition, COPD is greatly under-diagnosed, with recent studies indicating that 25% to 50% of people with clinically significant COPD don’t know they have the disease.”

As part of this pledge to provide innovative solutions, Philips recently unveiled the new UltraFill home oxygen filling system in the US that allows respiratory patients a simpler way to manage their home oxygen system. The new system combines a stationary oxygen concentrator, 200 bar cylinder filling station, and long-lasting dispensing cylinders to cost-effectively meet the needs of a wide range of oxygen patients including those who are highly active or require continuous flow oxygen. The UltraFill home oxygen filling system will be available soon in Europe.

In patients suffering from COPD the airways of the lungs become narrowed which causes a limitation of the flow of air to and from the lungs and shortness of breath. In the initial phase of the disease, patients mostly suffer from breathlessness during physical effort, but as the disease progresses breathlessness also occurs during everyday activities.

“Lifestyle management plays an important role in the treatment of the condition; however it is vital to provide COPD sufferers with comprehensive treatment options. In addition to the UltraFill oxygen filling systems, Philips provides a range of other devices which can be used to optimise drug delivery in COPD patients, from valved holding chambers for use with Metered Dose Inhalers (pMDI) to table top and portable compressor nebuliser systems. Philips also offers a complete range of oxygen concentrators for the treatment of COPD patients: the EverFlo stationary concentrator and EverGo portable concentrator for mobile patients, and home ventilators with the BiPAP Series for the most severe patients”, concluded Samuel Nebiolo, Senior Global Product Manager, Oxygen Therapy.

You can also visit us at Medica 2010 in the Exhibition Area, at the Philips booth number #10 - A21, A22 and C23.

Source: Philips Healthcare