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Prevention is better than cure
Patients who have already suffered one heart attack can take the active substance acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) for effective prevention of a subsequent attack. “Low-dose ASA taken on a daily basis prevents blood platelets from adhering and clumping, thereby avoiding the formation of blood clots,” comments Dr. Gisela Latta. And she should know. Gisela Latta is not only a doctor; experts consider her to be the top person to contact about anything to do with the active ingredient in Aspirin.
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| Every minute counts for a heart attack victim. Fast help often determines whether the patient will be able to lead an independent life later. |
That’s hardly surprising since she has spent the last 16 years of her career as a Medical Information Manager at Bayer HealthCare and knows everything there is to know about the drug product that started life in 1899 as a treatment for rheumatism and today is synonymous with pain relief around the world. “Reports of new uses for the active ingredient appear on an almost daily basis,” Dr. Latta says. In addition to the established indications of pain and inflammation, ASA is also used to help prevent myocardial infarction and stroke when taken under the care and direction of a physician.
Formulation experts at Bayer HealthCare played a major role in developing this preventive medicine. They created a tablet that is resistant to gastric juice and does not disintegrate until it reaches the intestine. Dr. Latta comments: “The expertise of these people has enabled us to develop a number of new delivery forms for Aspirin over the years.” For Dr. Gisela Latta this all goes to show that the research carried out by Bayer HealthCare is just as effective at refining existing products as it is at developing new drugs.
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