Brand Research Articles

Consuming Royalty

Consuming Royalty

Use of Biosimilars: A Systematic Review of Published Position Statements and Recommendations from Health Organisations and Societies.

Hesitation about using biosimilars still exists among healthcare professionals (HCPs), despite extensive experience with their use. Globally, several health organisations and societies from various specialties have issued biosimilar position statements to guide the use of biosimilars in their specialties. However, it is uncertain how similar or different their positions or recommendations are or whether these positions have evolved with the increased experience and availability of new evidence. The study aimed to describe and assess the recommendations of published position statements regarding several aspects of biosimilars across specialties and determine whether these positions have changed with the emergence of new evidence. We systematically searched for published position statements of biosimilars in online databases and included statements written in English. The search was from the inception of the databases until May 2023. Two reviewers independently extracted the data. Only position statements that included recommendations to guide the use of biosimilars in clinical practice and were issued by health organisations and societies, including expert panels, were included. We synthesised recommendations on five aspects: prescribing practice, extrapolation of indication, interchangeability, treatment initiation with biosimilars in biologic-naïve patients, and pharmacovigilance. The review included 25 papers involving eight specialties, 16 of which were from European countries, 1 from an international organisation representing 49 countries, and 6 from various countries. The papers were published between 2009 and 2020, with 19 published between 2015 and 2020. Of the five aspects of biosimilars assessed, nearly half (11 of 25) of the papers at the time they were published did not base their positions on a scientific or evidence-based approach. Only 4 of the 25 position papers were identified as revisions of their previous papers. With increasing experience in biosimilars and the emergence of new evidence, about 60% (16 of 25) of the papers contained outdated recommendations, particularly on two aspects. They were extrapolations of indications and interchangeability (including switching). The recommendations for most papers for three other aspects were still appropriate. These were prescribing biosimilars by their brand name and active ingredient, initiating treatment with biosimilars in biologic-naïve patients, and monitoring the long-term safety of biosimilars through pharmacovigilance. For four of the revised papers, their position evolved from opposing indication extrapolation for biosimilars to accepting it, while the position of two papers shifted from not recommending biosimilar switching to permitting the practice. Meanwhile, most paperswere against automatic substitution by pharmacistsbecause the evidence for this practicewas still limited. Across specialties, the variability among the position statements is seen for extrapolation of indications for biosimilars and interchangeability (including switching). This requires a revision,considering the latest evidence and growing experience with the use of biosimilars in extrapolatedindications and with switching.

The Connection between Neurophysiological Correlates of Trust and Distrust and Isolated HEXACO Dimensions.

Trust and distrust are constructs that have provoked and undergone lots of discussion in the fields of sociology and psychology. However, to our knowledge, there is little agreement about how these constructs should be treated in the future. The present study tries to help in this discussion by re-analyzing prior neurophysiological data highlighting differences between trust and distrust by connecting these data with two distinct personality dimensions. Thus, the objective was to analyze the connection between neurophysiological trust/distrust processing and distinct HEXACO personality dimensions. Differences were found in the event-related potentials (ERPs) calculated for visual presentations of political institution words and brand names, which were evaluated with respect to trust and distrust by button presses. Two time points (330 ms and 780 ms) showed brain activity differences between trust and distrust related to the two word categories at frontal electrode locations. For this study, these findings were taken and connected to HEXACO-60 personality inventory results collected from prior participants. Statistical analysis revealed a significant interaction between the ERPs and two HEXACO personality dimensions concerning trusted brands at the later time point (780 ms) at the right frontal electrode location F8. This result is taken as neurophysiological evidence that parameter values of the personality traits honesty-humility and agreeableness have an influence on brain functions related to trusted brands.

Antibiotic Dispensing Practice among Medicine Retailers of Butwal and Bhairahawa Cities: An Interventional Study

Background:: Dispensing practice is the fundamental component of the rational use of drugs. Inappropriate dispensing of drugs can lead to Adverse drug reaction (ADR), Drug interaction (DI), therapeutic failure, and increased cost of treatment. In case of antibiotic misuse, it can lead to developing an extra burden of antibiotic resistance. Objective:: The objective of this study is to determine the antibiotic dispensing practice and the impact of intervention among medicine retailers of Butwal and Bhairahawa cities of Nepal. Methods:: An interventional simulated patients survey study was conducted in two cities of Nepal from 2016-2018. A scenario of fictitious cases of common cold and running nose was simulated by two trained pharmacists in two different sites. Prior to the survey, the researcher visited selected retailers to obtain consent and demography details. About two weeks after obtaining consent, simulated patients visited the retailers. The information given by the community pharmacist was memorized and recorded in data collection form after leaving the community pharmacy. The intervention study was carried out 30 days after the simulated study survey. The educational intervention was given to the test group i.e. the community medicine retailer of Butwal. The researchers also provided a booklet to the test groups. Post-intervention simulated patient survey was conducted after 3 days of the training period. Data were entered into Microsoft Excel and SPSS for analysis. Results:: All together 64 community pharmacies were included in this study involving 32 medicine retailers from each city of Butwal and Bhairahawa. The total drugs dispensed by medicine retailers were 146 and 127 drugs in Butwal and Bhairahawa, respectively in the before-intervention studies. Similarly, about 122 and 152 drugs were dispensed by medicine retailers in Butwal and Bhairahawa after intervention studies. The average number of medicines dispensed by medicine retailers was 4.56±1.66 and 3.96±1.92 before intervention in the Butwal and Bhairahawa study sites. The average numbers of medicines dispensed by medicine retailers were 3.78±1.06 and 4.78±1.73 after intervention in the study sites of Butwal and Bhairahawa. None of the medicine retailers talked about either the brand or generic name and strength of antibiotic medicine to the simulated patient before and after intervention in both study sites. Similarly, medicine retailers informed about the frequency of dosage of antibiotic medicine to simulated patients before and after interventions in Butwal and Bhairahawa cities. However, there was no statistical significance (P=0.388) observed in Butwal City, whereas in Bhairahawa City, statistical significance (P=0.006) was observed. Conclusion:: Antibiotic dispensing without a prescription is routine. Insufficient medicine information was given to the simulated patient by the medicine retailer. Hence, we suggest meaningful implementation of policy and regular inspection to improve the situation.

To Translate or Not to Translate: The Case of Arabic and Foreign Shop Names in Saudi Arabia

The translatability of shop names constitutes a problem for translation students. To find out the status of shop name translation in Saudi Arabia, a sample of 271 shop names (clothing, accessories, beauty products, restaurants, cafes… etc.) was collected and analyzed to find out which shop names are translated, which ones are not, and which ones should be translated and to set some guidelines for shop-name translation. Results showed that 24% of the shops have pure Arabic names, 25% have international brand names (Starbucks, Burger King, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Monsoon, Zara, Sony); 39% have local English names ( أوبريشن فلافل Operation Falafel, Brand Center براند سنتر, بيبي شوب Baby Shop); and 12% mixed names (Arabic + foreign). Only 6.7% of all shop names are fully translated (العربية للعود Arabian Oud; الركن السويسري Swiss Corner; الشمس والرمال للرياضة Sun & Sand Sports; Seven Degree Café مقهى ٧ درجات); 3,3% are partially translated (Cotton Home قطن هوم; ماما بطاطا Mama Batata; JORI COFFEE الجوري كوفي) and 90% are transliterated using Arabic letters (Bershka بيرشكا , MANGO مانجو, كامايو Camaieu). Many shop names are transliterated, although they are translatable, are difficult to decode as the grapheme sequence does not fit the Arabic graphological system (Dr Nutrition دكتور نيوتريشن & Natural Touch تاتش ناتشرال). It was recommended that Franchised International brand names such as Debenhams & Samsung cannot be translated but transliterated. Some foreign shop names can be fully or partially translated rather than transliterated (Dr Nutrition< دكتور التغذية; Natural Touch< اللمسة الطبيعية; Red Sea Mall< مول البحر الأحمر). The Arabic version is for Arab shoppers who do not know English and the English version is for foreigners. Shop names containing café, chocolate, garden and others can be partially translated (Caribou Café مقهى كاريبو; Atayf Garden حديقة أطياف). French and Italian shop names should be transliterated according to their pronunciation in the source language, not in English (Parfois بارفواه, not بارفويس). The word order in compounds should be correct, and the vowels, diphthongs and consonants should be transcribed accurately. The transliteration should be consistent for all shop branches. Further recommendations are given.

Green branding: A successful digital strategy

Amid energy concerns due to the war in Europe and the reduction of energy reserves, how much are internet users and consumers positively influenced by a site with characteristics that indicate an environmentally friendly brand name? This paper presents strategies for creating an online eco-friendly brand name. In addition, with the help of an online artificial intelligence application, it examines traffic and other characteristics on business sites that adhere to some specific criteria such as eco-friendly logos, content, products and site design.

A Glimpse into the Future: Examining University of Dhaka Undergraduates Perception of the Hospitality Industry for Future Career

The main objective of this study is to acknowledge the perceptions of undergraduates on pursuing a career in the Hospitality Industry. The service industry such as hospitality industry of Bangladesh is a significant sector contributing to the economic development and have seen flourishing prosperity in recent years. The success of hospitality industries and their prestigious brand image have encouraged youth generation specially undergraduates to pursue their future career in Hospitality industry. This study basically identifies twenty variables associated with the influencing factors that may instigate undergraduates to pursue the Hospitality industry as their career choice. By a systematic analysis of twenty independent variables result shows that, six variables are statistically arrived at 1% significant level that means have significant influence on undergraduates’ perception and another eight variables are estimated as 5% of significant level. This implies that ensuring high Salary, brand names of the company, Job security, diversified working opportunity, and proper replacement polices each of the variables is positively influencing undergraduate’s preference in career choice in hospitality industry. This study concludes with few practical implications that have been extracted in the light of empirical findings to influence undergraduates’ perceptions positively towards hospitality industry.

Prescription-based cost analysis of medicines for cardiovascular risk factors at Indian Council of Medical Research-Rational Use of Medicine Centre Hospitals of India.

India has taken several initiatives to provide health care to its population while keeping the related expenditure minimum. Since cardiovascular diseases are the most prevalent chronic conditions, in the present study, we aimed to analyze the difference in prices of medicines prescribed for three cardiovascular risk factors, based on (a) listed and not listed in the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) and (b) generic and branded drugs. Outpatient prescriptions for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia were retrospectively analyzed from 12 tertiary centers. The prices of medicines prescribed were compared based on presence or absence in NLEM India-2015 and prescribing by generic versus brand name. The price was standardized and presented as average price per medicine per year for a given medicine. The results are presented in Indian rupee (INR) and as median (range). Of the 4,736 prescriptions collected, 843 contained oral antidiabetic, antihypertensive, and/or hypolipidemic medicines. The price per medicine per year for NLEM oral antidiabetics was INR 2849 (2593-3104) and for non-NLEM was INR 5343 (2964-14364). It was INR 806 (243-2132) for generic and INR 3809 (1968-14364) for branded antidiabetics. Antihypertensives and hypolipidemics followed the trend. The price of branded non-NLEM medicines was 5-22 times higher compared to generic NLEM which, for a population of 1.37 billion, would translate to a potential saving of 346.8 billion INR for statins. The variability was significant for sulfonylureas, angiotensin receptor blockers, beta-blockers, diuretics, and statins (P < 0.0001). The study highlights an urgent need for intervention to actualize the maximum benefit of government policies and minimize the out-of-pocket expenditure on medicines.

Comprehensive analysis of responses from ChatGPT to consumer inquiries regarding over-the-counter medications.

Background: The use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) applications such as ChatGPT is becoming increasingly popular. In Japan, consumers can purchase most over-the-counter (OTC) drugs without having to consult a pharmacist, so they may ask generative AI applications which OTC drugs they should purchase. This study aimed to systematically evaluate responses from ChatGPT to consumer inquiries about various OTC drugs. Methods: We selected 22 popular OTC drugs and 12 typical consumer characteristics, including physical and disease conditions and concomitant medications. We input a total of 264 questions (i. e., all combinations of drugs and characteristics) to ChatGPT in Japanese, asking whether it is safe for consumers with each characteristic to take these OTC drugs. We used the generic name for 10 of the 22 drugs and the brand name for the remaining 12. Responses were evaluated based on the following three criteria: 1) coherence between the question and response, 2) scientific correctness, and 3) appropriateness of the instructed actions. When we received a response that satisfied all three criteria, we input the exact same question on a different day to assess reproducibility. Results: The proportions of ChatGPT's answers that satisfied criteria 1, 2, and 3 were 79.5%, 54.5%, and 49.6%, respectively. However, the proportion of responses that satisfied all three criteria was only 20.8% (55/264); 61.8% (34/55) of these responses were reproduced when the same question was input again on a different day. Compared with questions using generic names, those using brand names resulted in lower coherence and scientific correctness. Among the 12 characteristics, the appropriateness of the instructed actions tended to be lower in responses to questions about driving and concomitant medications. Conclusions: Our study revealed that ChatGPT was less accurate in its responses and less consistent in its instructed actions compared with the package inserts. Our findings suggest that Japanese consumers should not consult ChatGPT regarding OTC medications, especially when using brand names.

Pharmacological Onomastics: The Case of Herbal Drugs in Ghana

The study is an exploration of the naming system in herbal medicines within the linguistic landscape in Ghana. Brand names are more than just labels. A lot of considerations go into choosing a name for a product brand. This study takes a walk into the world of pharmaceutical onomastics with 105 herbal medicines taken from the Ghanaian market. We examine the names from the perspectives of pharmacology, branding, and the interplay of marketing, socio-cultural as well as linguistic factors. The analysis revealed, first, that most of the brands deployed bilingual names, with just a few utilising monolingual names. Closely allied to this finding is the trend of encompassing the drug indications and compositions in the name. The practice of naming the drug after people, especially manufacturers, is also observed. These key findings have implications for the scholarship in onomastics, pharmacology, sociolinguistics, and further research.

Consumer Preferences for Food Logos

Consumer preference for food logos is a major area of research in the field of marketing psychology. In this study, we further explore consumer preferences for food logos across four elements--color red vs. green, complementary vs. analogous, words vs. no words, and circular vs. angular edges. Participants were given a survey of 30 questions to evaluate eight sets of logos. The results of this study suggest that logos with red as their primary color are preferred over logos where green is predominant, while logos with brand names are preferred over logos without.

Per- and Polyfluorinated Compounds in Menstrual Products and its Relationship with Natural Labeling

Per- and Polyfluorinated compounds (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals,” gain their name from their persistence in both the environment and the human body. From pots to drinking water to period products/menstrual products, PFAS are found in seemingly every product both in and out of markets, yet PFAS in period products is of particular interest within this study due to its potential for harm. Due to the permeability of the vaginal mucosa and the misleading labeling of packaging, numerous people are being exposed to these compounds unknowingly, and thus their large range of potential side effects. Alongside the lack transparency within the composition of period products and the unknowing addition of PFAS through manufacturing and a lack of oversight, labels like “natural” and “non-toxic” lose their meaning. This study is performed to heighten awareness to this issue to potentially promote change in both transparency policy with “medical devices” and consumer/brand awareness of their products. This study attempts to show the lack of relationship between labeling and PFAS detection in menstrual products through an analysis of data from a Mamvation study alongside product listings on common consumer sites. By showing the lack of relationship, this study helps initiate an important discussion that can be used to spur change within accepted systems (such as United States policy on labeling and a lack of transparency and knowledge of product production chains behind brand names.

Sustainable Beckmann Rearrangement using Bead-Milling Technology: The Route to Paracetamol.

To address the growing demand for more sustainable and greener chemistry, mechanochemical methodologies are emerging as key players. However, to date there has been little data highlighting the benefits of these rising mechanochemical technologies with regard to process scale-up activities or implementation in commercial production scale. Herein, we report the first application of bead-mill technology (Dyno®-mill) for the sustainable mechanochemical synthesis of Acetaminophen, known under the brand name Paracetamol. Using the Beckmann rearrangement, the optimized solvent-free methodology delivered a final product on a scale of several tens of grams. In comparison to current production solvent-based process, the proposed process achieves a higher yield while also allowing the removal of solvents in the chemical reaction, hereby reducing one of the extensive drivers to waste generation. The mechanochemical approach was compared to solvent-based process using a combination of green metrics and EcoScale score. The mechanochemical synthesis of paracetamol scores the highest for all the metrics over currently used solution-based processes.

Instagram Marketing Strategies on Fashion Consumer’s Purchasing Behaviour: A Literature Review Study

This literature review is an attempt to examine the impact of Instagram marketing strategies on consumer purchasing behaviour within the fashion industry. While existing studies offered insights into specific aspects such as influencer credibility and viral marketing, there was a lack of a combined framework that integrated these factors to provide analysis. The study addresses this gap by analyzing 20 research papers spanning from 2015 to 2023, sourced from academic databases and scholarly journals. Findings revealed that brand equity is a crucial determinant of consumer behaviour, alongside influencer credibility, creative brand aesthetics, and interactive features. Despite Instagram's dominance, the study also brought forward insights into how influencers are sometimes perceived as passive sources of fashion inspiration. This review thus underscores the multifaceted nature of Instagram's influence on consumer behaviour and highlights the need for further research to develop adaptive marketing strategies that can resonate across diverse consumer segments.

Aplikasi kansei engineering untuk desain kemasan kopi excelsa Wonosalam

Visual packaging attributes such as brand name, logo, color, packaging form, writing style and graphics are used for product identification and affect the buying decision (willing-to-buy). Framework systematic development of Kansei Engineering using Artificial Neural Networks, an imitation of the human brain used to modelling the learning process of customer assessments. This research aims to analyze the development of packaging designs of Excelsa Wonosalam Coffee based on Kansei Engineering. Kansei Engineering is widely used for developing product designs oriented to the Kansei (emotion) of the customer and relating them to product attributes. Data was obtained by conducting surveys of coffee customers and literature studies. The sampling technique used purposive sampling. The packaging design attributes are graphics, color and shape. The combination of Kansei Engineering and Artificial Neural Networks generate packaging design preferences obtained from the modelling of customer assessment of available attributes. Coffee packaging design preferences involve ringin contong graphic, red color, and squircle shape. These design preferences could be a consideration for coffee entrepreneurs for packaging design innovations. This research is expected to provide added value for industry and SMEs to create more attractive designs.

Features of antihypertensive therapy in the Russian population: data from the ESSE-RF3 study

Aim. To evaluate the usage of antihypertensive drugs (AHDs) and their combinations in participants aged 35 to74 years with arterial hypertension (AH) in the population-based study ESSE-RF3.Material and methods. Representative samples of the population aged 35 to 74 years from 15 regions of Russia (n=28731) with a response rate over 70% were examined in the ESSE-RF3 study. Therapy received by 9944 participants with AH (with systolic BP ≥140 mm Hg and/or diastolic BP ≥90 mm Hg, or when the subject was taking AHDs) was analyzed. Information about AHDs intake (brand name of the drug) was recorded by questionnaire and coded according to International Nonproprietary Names by classes. Statistical analysis was performed using the open-source R 4.1 environment. Comparison of discrete indicators between groups was performed using Fisher’s exact test. The significance level for all tested hypotheses was taken as.05. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of FGBI “NMRC TPM” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, each participant signed an informed consent.Results. Among the patients receiving therapy for AH, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) were used by 38.8% of participants, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) — 31.6%, betablockers (BBs) — 29.0%, сalcium channel blockers (CCBs) — 21.5%, diuretics — 18.6%, 1.1% — outdated AHDs; 8.6% — other groups of drugs. Monotherapy was used by 53.1% of patients, 33.1% of participants received two, and 13.9% received three AHDs. Among participants taking two or more AHDs (including single-pill combinations (SPC)), males most often received the combination of BB+ ACEI and females — BB+ARBs. SPC AHDs were used by 10.3% of those receiving therapy (males: 9.8%, females: 10.6%). Among SPCs, the top three combinations were CCBs + ACEIs (28%), diuretics + ACEIs (27.5%), and diuretics + ARBs (24.4%).Conclusion. The population study ESSE-RF3, based on the survey of a representative sample of the Russian population aged 35-74 years, showed that more than a half of participants with AH receiving therapy were used the monotherapy, only every tenth of those treated received SPC. The problem of insufficient patients’ literacy was indicated — about 1% of patients received outdated AGPs. In addition, 8.6% of patients used non-AHDs for the treatment of AH. For improving the control of AH treatment, it is necessary to increase the adherence of patients to the prescribed therapy and more strict adherence of doctors to the published guidelines for AH treatment.

Good vs. Bad: An Empirical Analysis of the Brand Names of Coronavirus Vaccines

Brand names are assets in marketing: a good name can help to sell products. Although research has made several recommendations on how “good” brand names should be created, the complex process is not easily adapted to every product category. Little research is done on a particular product category: the brand names of vaccines. This paper contributes to vaccine brand names in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The theoretical part of the paper first describes the characteristics of “good” and “bad” brand names, and then the focus is narrowed down to the characteristics of drug brand names and to the processes that influenced the naming of coronavirus vaccines. In the empirical part of the paper, Hungarian students perform brand recognition, recall, and association tasks connected to vaccine brand names. It will be shown that the vaccines are known by their public brand names (e.g., Pfizer) and not by their actual brand names (e.g., Comirnaty). The rating of the brand names shows that public brand names are considered to be better than the actual brand names, while brand associations collected for the actual brand names show mixed results. In the last part of the paper, theoretical implications are discussed, and recommendations for pharmaceutical companies are formulated to show what steps these companies could take to overcome the impasse between public and actual brand names.

Volunteers in bioequivalence clinical trials: premises for participation. Part 1

Clinical trials, as an integral stage of the creation of any drug, require volunteers who are ready to go through the testing stage. Clearly, participation in a trial of any drug carries certain health risks, which makes it difficult to recruit volunteers. Development companies use various methods to stimulate potential participants, including regular monitoring of health status, creation of comfortable living conditions, free treatment, financial compensation for risks, etc. Particularly relevant for manufacturing companies is the recruitment of volunteers in case of conducting a bioequivalence phase study, when an already known drug, planned for release under a different brand (name), is being tested. The article presents the results of interviews with volunteers in order to study their motivation to participate in clinical trials of the bioequivalence phase, their experience of such participation, as well as opinions regarding the organization of clinical trials in the Russian Federation. The results of the study demonstrate a high level of interest among the volunteers to regularly participate in bioequivalence studies due to their relative safety for health, as well as financial interest and comfortable organization of the trial process. The socio-demographic profile of the “bioequivalence phase volunteer” is described, and the tendency towards the formation of a community of volunteers with experience of repeated participation in clinical trials for financial reward is identified.

A Study On Factors Influencing Consumer Buying Behaviour Towards Purchase Of Smart Phones With Reference To Bengaluru

The purpose of this study is to look at the factors affecting people's decisions to buy mobile phone gadgets in Bengaluru town. To achieve the goals of the study, a sample of 100 clients was selected using a straightforward random sampling procedure. We looked at both primary and secondary data. Other considerations included Price, social class, product characteristics, brand name, durability, and after-sales services. Multiple regression analysis and correlation were used to select and evaluate the data. Analysis revealed that it was evident that consumers consider pricing to be the most significant factor among all other factors, followed by mobile phone functionality. Additionally, it served as a motivating factor in their choice to get a mobile phone. The research recommended that the smart phone vendors should take into account the following elements while comparing the possibility.

Consumption of Sustainable Denim Products: The Contribution of Blockchain Certified Eco-Labels

Consumers’ growing interest in the environmental and social impacts of products has increased demand for sustainable fashion items, particularly denim. Emerging technologies such as blockchain technology and labeling certifications have been developed to address sustainability issues by improving supply chain transparency and efficiency. This research investigates the trade-offs consumers make when purchasing sustainable denim jeans and the impact of sociodemographic factors on their decision-making process. Employing a conjoint analysis approach, four attributes were examined: price, brand name, types of materials, and eco-labeling. The results indicated that price is still the most influential factor, followed by material, brand name, and eco-label. Although eco-labeling is of little importance to consumers, it offers valuable insights for effective communication of sustainable practices. Consumers prefer denim with a blockchain eco-label, followed by a fair-trade certificate. This research enhances the understanding of consumer behavior toward sustainable consumption and offers strategic insights for denim producers and marketers.