Frequently asked questions

Q: I was using Enterofuryl Stop anti-diarrhoea capsules and read in the leaflet that the capsules contained gelatine. Can you tell me the origin of the gelatine?
- A: In all our products, gelatine is exclusively of bovine origin. Gelatine is a transparent colourless and odourless solid protein manufactured by partial hydrolysis of organic collagen. It forms a semi-solid colloidal gel when water is added. Gelatine is widely used and the total annual gelatine manufacture in the world is around 300,000 tonnes. In pharmacy, it is used in the manufacture of pharmaceutical capsules; in cosmetics, it is added to skin rejuvenation and wrinkle removal products. As a dietary supplement, it is used in gelled and rubber products and for foam in some types of biscuits, cakes and similar products. In the food industry, it is used for water binding in cans and instant soups and for the manufacture of marmalade, sour cream, yoghurt, ice-cream and fruit juices as well as other products. It is also available in the form of granulated powder for household use. Gelatine has been classified into additives and coded E 441. The most frequently used term on product labels is gelatine or gelling agent, but with no details or origin. Usually, the manufacturer will identify the origin in response to an enquiry. Gelatine is usually extracted from the connective tissue of pigs, bovines or fish. Most manufacturers use pork gelatine since it is much cheaper. Generally, there is a trend among manufacturers to avoid using substances of animal origin in medicines. However, there are situations where the nature of a product, its quality and safety, exclude the possibility of using substances of non-animal origin. Bosnalijek uses gelatine in the manufacture of capsules: solid oral pharmaceutical forms. It can also be present in other forms to keep the medicine solid or to thicken the liquid, but not as an active substance.
Q: For how long is taking the Royal Jelly product recommended?
- A: There is no definitive period for taking the Royal Jelly preparation. When it comes to dietary supplements, an empirical recommendation is to take these preparations for a certain period (1-3 months) and then make a break of the same duration. It is recommended for Royal Jelly to alternate one-month periods between taking the product and pausing. However, information from expert literature does not exclude longer periods of intake without any breaks. For example, a study that included healthy volunteers showed that a daily dose of 3,000 mg of Royal Jelly over a 6-month period of regular ingestion led to an improvement in red blood cell production, improved blood sugar metabolism and mental health (Morita H., Effect of Royal Jelly Ingestion for Six Months on Healthy Volunteers, Nutr J., 2012; 11:77). Another study, which included 12-year old children who were active in sport (football), showed that after uninterrupted ingestion of Royal Jelly for two months, the children had higher average values in measured height, weight, muscle and bone components and lower average values of fat component (Joksimović, A. et al., Royal Jelly as a Supplement for Young Football Players, Sport Science, 2, 2009; 1: 62-67).
Q: I have been using Royal Jelly and I would like to know how it boosts immunity?
- A: Among dietary supplements, Royal Jelly takes a special place in strengthening impaired immunity. The best known protein in Royal Jelly for boosting the immune system is royalisin, discovered by Japanese scientists in 2010. The presence of royalisin, with the addition of the protein complex called Major Royal Jelly Proteins (MJRP), serves the fight disease and allergies and destroys bacteria. The Major Royal Jelly Proteins (MJRP) comprise 80 to 90 per cent of the total proteins in Royal Jelly. They are unique and can only be produced by bees. The Major Royal Jelly Protein complex showed particular capacity in building immune cells and suppressing allergic reactions. A queen bee has a stronger immunity and a much longer life cycle than other bees in a hive. This is due to the fact that the queen bee feeds exclusively on royal jelly, unlike worker bees and drones who do not use royal jelly as food. Royal jelly cannot be industrially produced and it is often said that royal jelly is one of the best kept secrets of nature. Royal Jelly® products contain natural royal jelly in lyophilized form, which allows for longer shelf life and easier storage.
  
  Royal jelly increases resistance to diseases, prevents infection, facilitates faster recovery after serious diseases, reduces fatigue and boosts mental and physical abilities (improves strength, stamina and vitality), reduces the pains of old age and slows down the ageing process. In one word, royal jelly improves general health.
  
  Royal jelly is used most frequently and successfully in therapies for diseases and conditions with complex impairment of regeneration mechanisms and normal tonus.
  
  The biological effects of royal jelly in relieving health problems in humans have been known for thousands of years in the traditional medicines of eastern cultures. Scientific information to date indicates more and more that royal jelly is a harmless natural stimulant that affects regeneration mechanisms through nervous, humoral and immune systems and thereby maintaining the health balance.
  
  All Royal Jelly® dietary supplements contain royal jelly as a monocomponent or in combination with ginseng or L-carnitine.
Q: Are generic medicines ‘copies’ of original medicines?
- A: A generic medicine is not a ‘copy’ of the original medicine. A generic medicine is a pharmaceutical product identical or equivalent to the referential original medicine. It is manufactured in compliance with the highest standards of the pharmaceutical industry and legal regulations. Unlike generic medicines, copied medicines are counterfeits of the original medicine and therefore their manufacture does not comply with the legal regulations. A copied medicine, unlike the original controlled generic medicine, can only be found on the markets of countries with either no patent protection for active pharmaceutical substances or with poor and insufficient protection. A copied medicine can be found on such markets either concurrently with the original medicine or immediately after. It is often of the same or a slightly lower price than the price of the original medicine. As the copy is not manufactured in compliance with the legal regulations, it is usually of inferior quality.
Q: May Lysobact products be taken concurrently with antibiotics?
- A: Yes. It is even recommended to take Lysobact® products during an antibiotic treatment of an inflammation of laryngeal mucosa (sore throat) and oral cavity.
  
  All Lysobact® products contain the active substance lysozyme. Lysozyme is an enzybiotic protein of natural origin that performs numerous beneficial functions in the human body: it has an antimicrobial effect (against bacteria, viruses and fungi), reduces inflammation of oral and laryngeal mucosa (incites beneficial and reduces harmful or excessive immune responses), prevents the formation of free radicals – acts as an antioxidant –, protects mucosa by boosting its non-specific resistance to infections, and prevents an imbalance in normal mouth bacterial flora.
  
  Lysozyme acts against bacteria by causing the death of bacterial cells and when taken in combination with antibiotics intensifies their effect against bacteria. Therefore, application of Lysobact® products during antibiotic therapies is safe and contributes to a more effective treatment.
Q: I often hear or read the term ‘generic medicine’. Can you provide an explanation?
- A: A generic medicine can be defined as a pharmaceutical product with expired patent rights of the first manufacturer. As of the expiry of the patent protection of a medicine, any other medicine manufacturer may manufacture it freely as a generic replacement product for the original medicine. This is provided they comply with the standards of good manufacturing and good clinical practice.
  
  A generic medicine, through its qualitative and quantitative content of active substance, is identical to the referential original product. It is subject to the same manufacturing standards, has the same pharmaceutical form and safety profile and is applied identically, with the same indications and under the same adjusted instructions. Standards for quality assessment for the original and generic medicine are also the same. It is said that a quality generic medicine is bioequivalent and identical to the original product.
  
  Generic medicines have to undergo the same registration procedure as the original medicines. The only difference is that this procedure is shorter since manufacturers of generic medicines are not required to repeat other comprehensive and long preclinical and clinical trials. This is because, from a clinical standpoint, such a repetition would be unnecessary since a generic medicine contains the active substance whose efficacy and safety have already been confirmed, not only in pre-registration trials, but also through years of application by patients after the registration. This is sufficient reason for the lower and more affordable price of a generic medicine. Marketing of a generic medicine entails a significant drop in price compared to the original medicine; it is important that the competitive price of a generic medicine is several times lower than the price of the original medicine.
  
  Differences between a generic and the original medicine from the first impression of consumers are mainly based on different pharmaceutical forms (tablet colour and taste, different excipients) and packaging. In reality, there is no objective scientific evidence of the inferiority of generic medicines that have undergone the usual registration procedure compared to the original medicines.
  
  It is therefore understandable that for the past two or three decades there has been a trend of continuous increase in the use of generic medicines in all well organised countries in the world. For example, the share of prescribed generic medicines on the total market in the USA is more than 80 per cent.

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novembar 21. 2024 |

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