Happy New Year

I am going back to home town today and there will be no posting at least for one week. I hereby reach all my chinese reader and those who celebrate Chinese New Year

Happy New Year

Outdated UTM: Cinnamon available for sales in Amazon.com

On 6 January 2006 The Star headlines : Sweet hopes for diabetics. The Star reported that A three-year study carried out by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in Skudai has confirmed previous findings that cinnamon has the potential to lower sugar levels.

The Star further reported that : "Dr Mohammad Roji said UTM would conduct further studies next year, which would cover tests on animals and metabolic profiling for diabetic patients before cinnamon can be validated as a health food supplement for diabetes. "

While UTM still want to validated cinnamon as a health food supplement for diabetes. Cinnamon is available for sales in Amazon.com if you search diabetes or cinnamon at Amazon.com website.





Other food supplement for diabetes included INS's Insupro, which produces from bitter gourd.



Another food supplement is product by Taiwan Maxluck Biotechnology Corporation. Which is colostrums GTF milk (milk produce life for animals)powder comprises Trivalent Chromiumns, some minerals, amino acids and vitamin.

Update: There is more than one diabete supplement that produced from bitter gourd available for sales in pharmacy. Thus, all product from INS has competitors


Technorati Tag: Biotechnology pharmaceutical Diabetes cinnamon Malaysia food supplement Health & wellness

Paul & Joe cosmetic?!

Founder: Sophine Albou, fashion Designer,



I never heard of Paul & Joe cosmetic before, until I come across a blog post by fashion Asia. Wow, people are looking for the brand. Not bad.

However, the company was set up by a fashion designer Sophine Albou and their first product in 1995 is menswear rather than cosmetic, second product line : womenswear launch only in 1997. Then only diversified to cosmetic product.

Name after the founder Sophine Albou two sons, call Paul & Joe .

In Malaysia, you can find Paul & Joe in Isetan Lot 10, Metrojaya Mid-valley and KLCC.

It look like in cosmetic, market not only dominate by industrial giant like Loreal. There is a market for niche designer brand, like Paul & Joe and Shu Uemura.

Tag: Cosmetic : Beauty :Malaysia: Health & wellness Paul & Joe

Good news again : Gene linked to type 2 diabetes discovered

In less than two weeks after Universiti Teknologi Malaysia announced it research result on finding of type 2 diabetes. A news with title: Scientist find gene linked to type-two diabetes published on the star today. However, the news never indicated how long it take to commercialize the finding. The most apparent product now for type two diabetes is still from Taiwan.





Excerpt: Scientist find gene linked to type-two diabetes

WASHINGTON (AFP) - A team of scientists has discovered a gene variant with the closest link to type-two diabetes of any such genes found to date, the scientists said in a research report.

Presence of the variant in test groups with type-two diabetes, the most common form of the disease, suggests that the variant accounts for about 20 percent of all cases, Kari Stefansson, senior author on the study, said in a statement.

People with one copy of the specific variant have about a 45 percent higher chance of coming down with diabetes than those without, and those with two copies are 141 percent more likely to be struck by the disease, according to the study, to be published Monday in the online edition of Nature Genetics.

"This is a milestone in human genetics. A common gene variant conferring elevated risk of (type-two diabetes) has been earnestly sought by the genetics community for many years," said Stefansson, who is also chief executive of Decode Genetics, a biopharmaceutical company which sponsored the research.

The discovery could allow scientists to develop a test to diagnose the risk of type-two diabetes in patients, Stefansson said.

Diabetes is a chronic condition in which the body does not produce adequate insulin -- type one -- or it cannot properly make use of the insulin it does produce -- type two.

According to the World Health Organization, close to 200 million people worldwide have diabetes, a number expected to rise to 366 million by 2030 due to changing diets, urbanization, and an aging population.

In the Pacific region, the Middle East and other high-diabetes regions, up to 25 percent of adult deaths are due to the disease, WHO said. It is an important cause of blindness, kidney failure and amputations, and is also linked to cardiovascular disease.

The researchers first isolated the gene variant while studying 2,000 diabetes and control patients in Iceland. They found one occurance of the specific gene variant in 50 percent more diabetes sufferers than in those free of the disease.

They then replicated the findings in tests on people in Denmark and the United States.

"This discovery sheds new light on the biological causes of the disease," Stefansson said.

"Importantly, virtually all of this risk can be captured by looking at a single-letter change in DNA - ideal for the development of a genetic test for assessing individual risk and developing more personalized and effective prevention strategies.

"This is also an exciting starting point for the discovery of new drugs, and we are actively pursuing the development of both diagnostic and therapeutic products to better prevent and treat" type-two diabetes, he said.

Technorati Tag: Biotechnology pharmaceutical Diabetes Malaysia food supplement Health & wellness

New products to boost Amway sales

Amway (M) Holdings Bhd will launch new products and begin marketing promotions to increase sales this year, said managing director Low Han Kee.

The company expected demand to remain sluggish owing to the global slowdown resulting from continuing high oil prices and prevailing weak consumer sentiment, he said in a statement.

“Some new products will be brought in, especially for the anniversary celebration. Together with the branding campaigns for Nutrilite and Artistry, we hope to create greater awareness and recall our food supplements as well as skincare and cosmetic brands,” he said. The company celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad (Amway) has at Mid 2005 kicked off a brand-building campaign to increase the level of awareness and recognition for its prestige skin care and cosmetics brand, ARTISTRYTM. The company is planning to invest up to RM8 million in advertising and promotions over a three-year period starting from its current financial year ending August 2005 to elevate recognition of its ARTISTRYTM skin care and cosmetics brand amongst Malaysian women.

The ARTISTRYTM brand is one of five core business lines in Amway's stable of meaningfully differentiated products. ARTISTRYTM was first introduced in the United States in 1968 and is sold exclusively through Amway distributors. In Malaysia, ARTISTRYTM was one of Amway's pioneer brands when the company was established in 1976.

The brand offers a range of high quality, technologically advanced skincare products and contemporary colour cosmetics. These products are manufactured by Access Business Group LLC, Amway Corporation's sister company, the parent company of Amway. Today, ARTISTRYTM is available in more than 80 countries and territories where Amway operates.

According to Low Han Kee, Amway's Managing Director: "ARTISTRYTM has been part of the Amway range of products for as long as the Amway name has been in Malaysia since 1976. Over the years, we have built a strong and loyal base of distributors and customers who have been spreading the ARTISTRYTM appeal through word of mouth and personal testimonies. Clearly, Amway distributors became the driving force behind the sale of ARTISTRYTM."

In explaining the rationale behind the unprecedented brand building campaign, Low added that he believes that the timing is right to raise ARTISTRYTM's profile to create greater awareness for the brand.

"Our objective is to make ARTISTRYTM a well-known skin care and cosmetics brand amongst Malaysians and to make the brand's efficacy and qualities the catalyst for more women to embrace the brand," continued Low.

The brand building campaign kicks off with the high-profile sponsorship of a critically-acclaimed contemporary dance musical called Wild Zebra. The Shanghai-based troupe of 80 dancers will be holding 11 performances from 29 July 2005 to 3 August 2005 at Istana Budaya, Kuala Lumpur.

"The sponsorship of Wild Zebra will be the launch pad for the campaign which will subsequently see the rollout of an integrated promotional effort incorporating advertising, editorial and public relations for the ARTISTRYTM brand," explained Low.

The investment behind ARTISTRYTM also reflects the direct selling leader's commitment to supporting the retailing efforts of its 161,000 strong core distributor force. This campaign follows in the footsteps of the brand building campaign for Nutrilite, launched in May 2004 involving an investment of RM10 million for over three fiscal years beginning fiscal year 2004.

Financially, Amway beat its RM500mil sales target a year in advance, posting revenues of RM507.03mil for the year ended Aug 31, up 11.1% on RM456.4mil in 2004. Pre-tax profit also increased by 1.3% to RM73.29mil in 2005.

ARTISTRYTM is the prestige range of facial skincare and colour cosmetics sold through Amway's direct selling model in more than 80 countries and territories worldwide. ARTISTRYTM's performance-driven products are founded on leading-edge technology, feature functional ingredients and provide measurable benefits. All ARTISTRYTM products are dermatologically and allergy tested making them safe for all skin types.

Low credited last year's growth to initiatives launched a few years ago, such as the introduction new products and promotions, enhanced sales incentive and non-cash awards programmes to boost distributor productivity.

“Distributor productivity had increased for the sixth consecutive year by about 8% against the previous year. I believe there is room for growth as the per capita income of Malaysians is on the rise.

“As a result, growing distributor productivity will continue to be the key driver of our sales growth,” he added.

Last year, Amway unveiled 14 new core line products and revisions, which contributed about 3% to total sales.

Low said the company planned to add more distributors to improve sales.

Tag: Cosmetic : Beauty :Malaysia: Health & wellness

Diabetes Can Kill More People Than Bird Flu, Says Expert

By D. Arul Rajoo

BANGKOK, Oct 24 (Bernama) -- Governments across the region may be rushing to contain the spread of bird flu virus but a health expert warn a much greater health concern that can cost Asian economies up to US$500 million in the next decade is being overlooked.

International Diabetes Institute Director Prof Paul Zimmet said diabetes was far more certain than bird flu to prematurely claim millions of lives.

Similarly, diabetes-related deaths in Asia over the next few decades would dwarf those caused by HIV/AIDS, he said.

"It is not the bird flu or HIV/AIDS, but it is the killer disease (diabetes) that we are not prepared for, with the potential to claim millions of lives," he said in a text released in conjunction with the Sixth International Diabetes Federation conference for Asia being held here.

Zimmet said the public cannot be blamed for thinking bird flu would be the major threat for Asia in the coming decades due to wide publicity, huge response from world leaders and scientists.

"After all, an Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) meeting has been called to focus on bird flu, scientists are fretting over a bird flu vaccine, and Asian bird flu casualties are being cited as early signs of potential pandemic," he said.

Zimmet said diabetes posed more direct threat to human population and cited the World Health Organisation's (WHO) recent report that chronic diseases, dominated by diabetes, now cause twice the number of deaths than infections diseases (including HIV), maternal/pre-natal conditions, and nutritional deficiencies combined.He said in the next decade, the number of global lives claimed by diabetes was set to grow by a quarter, driven by rising obesity and inactivity."It could cause the first life expectancy reduction in more than 200 years. And nowhere is the problem more serious than in Asia," said Zimmet, who is also Head of WHO's Collaborating Centre for the Epidemiology of Diabetes.

Zimmet said there are now 90 million people with diabetes in Asia and it is home to four of the world's five largest diabetic population -- India (33 million), China (23 million), Pakistan (nine million) and Japan (seven million).

Globally, WHO estimates the diabetes population would grow to more than 200 million in 2010 and 330 million in 2025, said Zimmet, who warned that 60 per cent of global diabetes cases would be in Asia in less than a decade."

Asia should be in a state of panic. While diabetes can be treated, with limited access to treatments a majority of diabetics will die prematurely."

There is often a misconception that diabetes is not lethal, with deaths often attributed to complications rather than the disease itself," he said.

Zimmet said diabetes puts people at risk of many diseases and premature death as it causes damage to many body tissues and progresses to stroke, heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, susceptibility to serious infections and amputations due to loss of circulation.

One of the major factors that saw diabetes increasing in Asia is progressive westernisation or "Coca-Colonisation" of its countries that has seen the adoption of fatty food diets and sedentary lifestyles, he said.

"Disturbingly, the non-insulin dependant variety of diabetes (type 2) with typical onset in late adulthood in most parts of the world, is surfacing in children in Asia," he said.

With scare health resources, Zimmet said Asia was ill-prepared to tackle diabetes effectively and was likely to be distracted by more immediate threats such as bird flu.

Zimmet said there was no doubt that if bird flu was serious enough to warrant an APEC meeting later this year, a similar meeting on diabetes was long overdue.-- BERNAMA


Technorati Tag: Biotechnology pharmaceutical Diabetes Malaysia food supplement Health & wellness

Beauty saloon shifted focus to rectifying underwear

I was outstation to Ipoh on Tuesday and Wednesday. I find a trend among beauty saloon in Ipoh, Penang and Klang that they have shifted their core business.

Beauty saloon business at the above location has been saturated and too competitive. Business not very good due to stiff competition. Price and margin has come down drastically and it is very difficult to make money and very difficult to recruit skillful staff and they tend to open their own saloon after they learn the trade.

A lot of beauty saloon has shift their focus to "retifying underwear". "Retifying underwear" is a type of "Retifying Lingerie" for slimming and enhance body figure. The product cost 4 figure each. Thus margin is good.

However, such a high cost do not deter lady to buy it. Ladies that do not satisfied with their body figure would buy one to try it. After they try it. They find their boy friend, husband, partner discover they are much prettier than before. It wouldn't take long they would buy a second one so that they able to change and wash their first one.

Later, their lady friend also find they are more attractive and ask what is the secret. Then, they would refer their friend to buy one. This lead to great demand of such product.

There is a rumor saying that they are a few beauty saloon in Ipoh, Penang and Klang invested RM50 thousand to buy the product as a stock. Within a month of their purchase. Value of RM50 thousand stock has been finished selling. If the margin is only 10% only. They earn RM5,000 gross. I know they definitely earn more than 10%! This cause a lot of beauty saloon owner devote their time to this kind of business rather than their own saloon business which is quiet recently.

All the product are imported from China which has low production cost.

The product was initially introduce to Malaysia on direct selling or multilevel marketing basis. First company is Lumimi call reshaping lingerie. Later, another direct selling or multilevel marketing company Elken also join the bandwagon call Foundation Lingerie. Now, the market was fload with a product call Lightness from Qianying International Co. Ltd. This is a Hong Kong company combine with technology from Japan with low cost factory in China. This company is on distributor basis rather than Direct Selling and Multilevel marketing basis. Thus, distributor do not have problem with constantly changing commission calculation basis by Direct Selling or Multilevel Marketing company or face a problem of unreasonable upline in direct selling or multilevel marketing company. The company slogan " A revolutionarily undergarment, the myth of body shape changing come true"

Local lingerie producer like Audrey ,Caely Holding Bhd should venture into such lucrative market. Despite our manufacturing cost is higher compare with China. Margin for such product is so good that company might earn lesser margin compare with manufacturer of China but there is still a lucrative margin to be earn.

Other non manufacturing distributor listed on Bursa Malaysia included Warisan TC Holdings Bhd which distribute Wacoal brand from Japan. Another company is Greatpac Group

Tag: Beauty :Malaysia: Health & wellness

Good news for diabetics!

Today's front page of The Star title "Sweet hopes-Kayu manis has positive effects on Type 2 diabetics " bring the goods news for Type 2 diabetics.

This provide a threat to the existing product that claim to be able to help Type 2 diabetics.

However, the report stated that UTM would conduct further studies next year, which would cover tests on animals and metabolic profiling for diabetic patients before cinnamon can be validated as a health food supplement for diabetes.

Thus, The existing product in the market could still penetrate the market while waiting for the new product to conduct further study.

Excerpt:

MUAR: Good news for diabetics. A three-year study carried out by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in Skudai has confirmed previous findings that cinnamon has the potential to lower sugar levels.

UTM research and development manager Prof Dr Mohammad Roji Sarmidi said yesterday their research showed that the spice, known as kayu manis locally, has positive effects on the disease, especially Type II diabetes.

Type II diabetes causes cells to lose their ability to respond to insulin, the hormone that tells the body to remove excess glucose from the bloodstream. This condition usually develops in people in their middle age and prematurely kills an estimated 100 million of the world’s population every year.

Dr Mohammad Roji said herbalists all over the world had used cinnamon in the treatment of diarrhoea and arthritis, as cinnamon extract was found to improve blood circulation, heal wounds, reduce pain spasm and prevent ulcer and allergies.

“In the last decade, laboratory studies have also revealed that cinnamon extract mimicked insulin action in the cells,” he said.

Insulin regulates glucose metabolism, helping body cells to convert glucose to energy and keep blood sugar levels normal.

“Studies by the Agriculture Research Service in the United States have also found that certain substances in cinnamon helps cells become more responsive to insulin,” he added.

Cinnamon is an ingredient used in cooking, and in cakes, pastries and beverages like coffee and tea.

Dr Mohammad Roji said UTM would conduct further studies next year, which would cover tests on animals and metabolic profiling for diabetic patients before cinnamon can be validated as a health food supplement for diabetes.

Update : Outdated UTM: Cinnamon available for sales in Amazon.com

Technorati Tag: Biotechnology pharmaceutical Diabetes cinnamon Malaysia food supplement Health & wellness

Alliance Cosmetic Group promote Slikygirl on The Sun

At the end of 2004, Revlon released a wraparound ad in a daily newspaper. The ad featured all four Revlon beauties and made a nice cover for the Dec 31 issue of the Sun. Talk about ending the year in style!

At the end of 2005, Alliance Cosmetic Group, sole distributor of Revlon in Malaysia, put up another nice cover advertisement for Dec 31,2005 issue of The Sun. However, this time not Revlon, but their inhouse brand Silkygirl instead.

At the back of the cover of The Sun. It stated :

2006
A Juicier Revelation
catch the sun 3rd Janauary 2006

In 2004, its “Bellisimo” campaign starring all four Revlon spokeswomen: Halle, Julianne, Eva and Jaime.

If you have missed the campaign, it’s actually a four-part story that captures [beautifully] a moment in each of the women’s lives featuring one of their favourite Revlon products [but of course]. Each woman receives a message and goes on a journey to anywhere from a bookstore to a flower market or even to a hotel suite. Each story highlights the signature beauty of each of these women, as well as the selling point of their product. For example, the Colorstay Overtime Lipcolor on Halle’s luscious lips doesn’t come off on her cup.

The tone and grading of the cinematography and the mesmerising soundtrack featuring vocals by San Ilya is the perfect combination to draw you into the worlds of these four beautiful women; to make you want to feel the way they do — confident, sexy and wonderful.

At the end of 2004, as the said campaign came to an end. The ad featured all four Revlon beauties and made a nice cover for the Dec 31 issue of theSun.

“I had been thinking about it before, and then the tsunami tragedy happened. I wasn’t sure if I should do it. Then I thought about it and figured that it would do more good than harm. For one, it was a beautiful, colourful campaign and it would be sure to spread some cheer during that time — the end of a not-so-good year and the beginning of a better one. People were picking up the papers to keep up with the sad news, so we thought perhaps a change of cover might do them well,” explains Tan, MD of Alliance Cosmetic Group. “It was more a corporate exercise than a branding one because we had our other products in the inlay such as Silky and Wet ‘n’ Wild. This was to thank everyone who had contributed to and supported our brands. We delivered copies to our key customers and our trade partners were very impressed with it. It felt like we owned half theSun for a day!”

It might be such a pleasant experience that inspires him to do it again this time. If you missed the Dec 31,2005 issue of The Sun. Do not miss the Jan 3, 2006 issue!

Tag: Cosmetic : Beauty :Malaysia: Health & wellness

Top 10 event in Beauty Biotech industry for Year 2005

1. Kanebo delisted by Tokyo Stock Exchange

2. Koa acquired Kenebo for USD2.4billion

3. Estee Lauder launch Tom Ford collection

4. Bond girl Michelle Yeoh become spoke person of Loreal

5. Malaysian's student won first in Asia and third in world at L’Oréal Brandstorm 2005 competition in Paris

Loh Kok Hin, Tan Hui Woon and Jessica Lim from University Technologi Malaysia won third prize in WORLD at L’Oréal Brandstorm, an annual marketing competition for business students around the world.

6. Malaysian government's launched National Biotechnology Policy (NBP).

7. University of Malaya immunologist and dengue fever researcher Wong Sook-San received inaugural University of Melbourne Prime Minister of Malaysia Scholarship




8. Revlon distributor in Malaysia Alliance Cosmetic launch in house brand Silkygirl

9. Bodyshop's franchise in Malaysia fall in the hand of Azman Yahya

10. China cosmetic boom


Tag: Cosmetic : Beauty :Malaysia: Health & wellness Biotechnology