Sandoz Egypt — in collaboration with the Egyptian Paediatric Association (EPA) —announced the launch of a new probiotic — microorganisms that have been shown to provide health benefits, which can also be ingested in the form of dietary supplements.
Sandoz’s new probtioic — ‘Linex’ – with Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12 supports the balance and function of useful intestinal microflora.
Experts in the field of paediatrics were invited to discuss the impact of dysbiosis on children’s health, highlighting the efficacy of the Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12 probiotic in modulating the gut microbiota by having a protective effect against diarrhoea. The supplementation with BB-12 may also increase the body’s resistance to common infections by strengthening the specific immune response to an immune challenge.
“The microbiome is made up of more than 500 different species and accounts for around 100 trillion cells, encoding 3.3m different genes. The activity and composition of the microbiota is affected by the genetic make-up, age, diet, and health status of the host. In turn, the microbiota composition and activity influence the host’s metabolism and disease development. The human large intestine is host to a wide variety of bacteria, with bifidobacteria being prominent members of this complex ecosystem that stabilises during the first two to three years,” said Dr. Sherif Aly Abd Al-Aal — the Secretary-General and Executive Director of the EPA and Professor of Paediatrics at Cairo University.
“Diarrhoea is a serious cause of infant morbidity and mortality. 10% of childhood deaths in 2015 could be attributed to diarrhoea, which translates to one childhood death every 60 seconds. Gastroenteritis is a significant cause of childhood morbidity even in the developed world. Moreover, treatment with antibiotics may cause disturbance of the gastrointestinal microbiota, leading to vomiting and diarrhoea. Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 reduces the incidence of diarrhoea and it also results in significantly fewer days of diarrhoea,” said Dr. Ahmed Badr — a Paediatrician at Cairo University’s Faculty of Medicine.
“Globally, caesarean rates have increased from 7% in 1990 to 21% in 2014, while in Egypt, the latest analysis from 2019 shows that the caesarean section rate had reached 52%,” said Dr. Ehab Khairy — Professor of Paediatrics and Head of the Paediatric Clinical Nutrition Unit at Ain Shams University.
“Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 – Linex – is one of the most documented probiotics academically. It is described in more than 300 scientific publications, 130 of which are publications on human clinical studies. Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12 also has a well-established probiotic characteristic, as it exhibits excellent gastric and bile tolerability due to its bile salt hydrolase content, which allows for a quick response to high bile salt concentrations and thus facilitates the viable passage from the small intestine to the large intestine where it has very strong mucus adherence properties,” said Dr. Peter Effat — Sandoz Egypt’s Head of Medical Affairs.
“Sandoz is a global leader in generic pharmaceuticals and biosimilars, and our purpose is to expand patient access to vital treatments at affordable costs. Our portfolio of approximately 1,000 molecules covers major therapeutic areas and we are proud to introduce Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12 probiotic – Linex — to the growing list of Sandoz products available in Egypt, helping improve the quality of life for patients — especially children,” concluded Dr. Sameh Al-Bagoury — Sandoz Egypt and Libya’s Country Head.
