Mundipharma Bolsters Support for Doctors on Front Line of Respiratory Health Efforts

SINGAPORE, May 28, 2015 -- Mundipharma today announced a research grant and renewed sponsorship of the International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG) as part of its expanded support for primary care respiratory physicians in Singapore and the region. The announcement was made in conjunction with the start of the IPCRG Scientific Meeting in Singapore from 28 - 30 May 2015, the first to be held in Asia.

New findings from a recent regional survey called REALISETM Asia were also released, demonstrating that 80% of asthma patients in Singapore (and a similar proportion in the region) visited primary care physicians for their treatment, rather than respiratory specialists. The study also found that, despite regular check-ups and strong relationships, patients and doctors often had widely differing understandings of what constitutes optimal asthma management.

"Our research has shown that doctors overestimate the level of asthma control among their patients while patients have a different understanding of optimal asthma control," said Dr Tan Tze Lee, Adjunct Assistant Professor at National University Hospital & General Practitioner, The Edinburgh Clinic and a member of the REALISETM Asia Steering Committee. "This suggests that patients are often unaware of the seriousness of their symptoms, and that doctors are not picking this up during consultation."

Dr Tan is also Chairman of IPCRG Singapore and welcomes the additional support for primary care physicians, adding, "We are grateful for companies like Mundipharma who recognise the importance of the primary care team, such as family doctors and general practitioners, in bringing about better respiratory health."

To raise awareness of the need for better patient-physician interactions across Asia, major findings from REALISETM Asia Phase II will be presented in two abstracts at the IPCRG Scientific Meeting in Singapore by international respiratory expert Professor David Price. In addition, a Mundipharma respiratory care research grant will be awarded to the most innovative research proposal at the meeting. Six teams from around the region are vying for the grant and will be coached by research experts from IPCRG on best practices for clinical research.

Mundipharma has been a strong supporter of real world applications for clinical research over the recent years. A past Mundipharma grant resulted in IPCRG's FRESH AIR Uganda project, which enabled primary care physicians in the African country to significantly reduce the burdens of tobacco dependence and chronic respiratory disease. From the REALISE™ Asia findings, Mundipharma is also supporting the development of a "profiling tool" that will help doctors better understand their patients, and tailor their communication approach to different patient types. Mundipharma is working together with Professor David Price and the Respiratory Effectiveness Group for development of this tool.

"We are dedicated to improving respiratory health by providing safe and effective medicines to patients and through our partnerships with physicians on the forefront of the fight against respiratory disease. We are proud to be able to support the IPCRG in its work," said Raman Singh, President, Mundipharma Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and North Africa.

About REALISETM Asia

The REALISETM Asia, REcognise Asthma and LInk to Symptoms and Experiences, survey, sponsored by Mundipharma Pharmaceuticals Pte Ltd and developed in partnership with asthma experts, is a survey of asthma patients and physicians in Asia which aimed to assess patient attitudes and behaviours towards their disease. The survey was conducted with 2,467 people with asthma aged 18-50, and 375 doctors across 8 Asian countries. This includes 200 patients and 30 doctors from Singapore. In order to take part in the survey, respondents must have received at least two prescriptions for their asthma in the past two years and also had to be active on social media.

About Mundipharma

The Mundipharma network of independent associated companies consists of privately owned companies and joint ventures covering the world's pharmaceutical markets. These companies are committed to bringing to patients the benefits of pioneering treatment options in the core therapy areas of oncology, pain, respiratory and rheumatoid arthritis.http://www.mundipharma.com.sg/

About IPCRG

The International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG) is a clinically-led charitable organisation with the prime mission of carrying out and promoting research into the care, treatment and prevention of respiratory diseases in the community. Through our network of over 125,000 primary care professionals, we make available the results of research for patient benefits. The IPCRG Scientific Meeting in Singapore is the first in Asia and is suitable for anyone wishing to know more about research in real life, community and general practice/family medicine settings.