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Awards Ceremony for the 2nd Edition of the 'Breathing is Life Scholarship'

The 2nd Edition of the 'Breathing is Life Scholarship' awards three projects that improve therapeutic adherence of patients with respiratory pathologies  

 

Press release from Chiesi Spain (Madrid, March 1, 2024)

• Biopharmaceutical company Chiesi Spain, with the support of the Lovexair Foundation, awards three projects focused on improving therapeutic adherence of patients with respiratory pathologies
• Currently, in Spain, it is estimated that 50% of patients fail to correctly adhere to the guidelines prescribed or agreed with the healthcare professional, which means that these people are exposed to complications, crises and hospitalizations.

Chiesi Spain, the subsidiary of the international biopharmaceutical company focused on the research and development of innovative treatments with the mission of improving people's quality of life, with the support of the Lovexair Foundation, announces the Three winning projects from the second edition of the 'Breathing is Life Scholarship', with prizes of 5.000 euros, 3.000 euros and 2.000 euros. The objective of this Scholarship is to recognize national, regional or local projects and initiatives that positively impact the quality of life of patients suffering from respiratory diseases, as well as family members and caregivers, through their contribution to improving the therapeutic adherence.

In the second edition of this Scholarship, the three winning applications have been: in first place, the 'Pilot study of intervention in Therapeutic Adherence in patients with non-Cystic Fibrosis bronchiectasis and aerosol antibiotics' of the Biomedical Foundation of the Hospital de la Princesa; secondly, the 'Project to improve adherence to inhaled treatment in patients with COPD in Primary Care presented by SEMG Solidarity; and in third position, the project 'Development of a home program of Ventilatory Reeducation for COPD patients in treatment with oxygen', from the association COPD Spain.

The jury of the II Edition has had the collaboration of the Dr. Vicente Plaza Moral, Director of the Pulmonology Service at the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau in Barcelona; Dr. Jesus Molina, Specialist in family and community medicine in Madrid; Daniel Truran, B Corp Ambassador; Maria del Carmen Gomez Neira, nurse in the Department of Pulmonology at the Lucus Augusti Hospital from Lugo; and Shane Fitch President of the José Saramago Lovexair.

El Dr. Vicente PlazaSays that “The proposals presented in this second edition of the Scholarships are of great interest. In accordance with the rules of the competition, those in which therapeutic adherence and the educational aspects associated with it played a key role were ultimately the winners. The three winners therefore had in common the evaluation and/or promotion of adequate therapeutic adherence to nebulizers in patients with bronchiectasis (first prize) and to inhalers in COPD (second and third prizes).”

In turn, the Dr. Jesus Molina, adds: “All the projects presented stand out for their innovative approach, their diversity and comprehensive care to improve therapeutic adherence. In all of them, they have taken into account the importance of collaboration between institutions, adaptation to individual needs and home interventions. They all reflect a promising future in the management of respiratory diseases and seek to improve the quality of life of patients.”.

At present, There are around 6 million people in Spain who suffer from chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma.(1) and COPD(2) (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and can have a significant impact on the quality of life of those who suffer from them, who often face additional challenges associated with their treatment due to lack of adherence to recommended therapeutic plans.

In Spain, it is estimated that the 50 %(3) of patients fail to correctly adhere to the guidelines prescribed or agreed with the healthcare professional, This means that people with respiratory diseases are exposed to complications, crises and hospitalisations, as well as multiple clinical and economic consequences. For this reason, Chiesi, as a company committed to people's health, promotes actions with the aim of contributing to improving the quality of life of patients and, with the second Respirar es Vida Scholarship, reaffirms its commitment to the well-being of people and to the protection and preservation of the environment.

From Biomedical Foundation of the Hospital de la Princesa, thank Chiesi “for having considered their project worthy of the first prize of the Respirar es Vida Scholarship” and, as she adds, Rosa Mª Girón Moreno, from the Cystic Fibrosis and Bronchiectasis Unit at Princesa Hospital“The granting of this scholarship will help researchers to delve deeper into the topic of adherence, a pathology that is the third most common obstructive disease after COPD and asthma.”

For its part, Antonia Ocaña Padilla, Coordinator of the respiratory working group of SEMG Catalonia, add that “With our project, we hope to empower patients through educational sessions and personalized support, promoting closer collaboration with health professionals. Winning this award represents a promotional and visibility tool, as it can help spread the word about their field of action, with the aim of increasing the participation of more volunteers.”

Likewise, in the words of Iñaki Moran, President of EPOC SPAIN, “Winning the award represents an invaluable opportunity to benefit patients. Physiotherapy, which has been shown to be essential for the proper control of this disease, allows us to offer vital support to those who struggle with COPD, improving their quality of life and well-being. This recognition encourages us to continue innovating and expanding our services to provide comprehensive care to those who need it most.”

The importance of therapeutic adherence

During the awards ceremony, a discussion was held to address the importance of therapeutic adherence and how it can be integrated into your routine, as well as the problems to be solved and possible solutions. The debate was attended by Irantzu Muerza, President of the Patients Association ASMABI EUSKADI and National Asthma Coordinator of FENAER; Javier Plaza, Community Pharmacist, and Valentin Lopez, Nurse of the Allergology service of La Paz-Carlos III University Hospital from Madrid and Rosa Siles, Advisor for the Global Innovation Network of the Lovexair Foundation. The debate was moderated by the Dr. Vicente Plaza and the Dr. Jesus Molina.

breathing is life

Through the program breathing is life, Chiesi and Lovexair Foundation They carry out training actions to improve the quality of life of people with respiratory pathologies. Since 2013, Respirar es Vida contributes to the knowledge and awareness of the population about asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), two of the most prevalent chronic respiratory diseases.

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About Chiesi Spain

Chiesi Spain is part of the Chiesi Group, an international biopharmaceutical group focused on research that develops and markets innovative therapeutic solutions in respiratory health, rare diseases, special care and consumer health (self-care). After 25 years in Spain, Chiesi Spain has a team of nearly 300 highly motivated, trained people with a consolidated track record. The company's mission is to improve people's quality of life and act responsibly towards society and the planet.

By changing its legal status to Benefit Corporation in Italy, the USA and France, Chiesi’s commitment to creating shared value for society as a whole is legally binding and fundamental to decision-making across the company. As a certified B Corp since 2019, we are part of a global community of companies that meet high standards of social and environmental impact. The company aims to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2035.

With over 85 years of experience, Chiesi is headquartered in Parma (Italy), operates in over 30 countries and has over 6.500 employees. The Group has 7 research centres in Italy, France, USA, Canada, China, UK and Sweden; 3 production sites in Italy, France and Brazil; and a commercial presence in over 100 countries worldwide.

For more information: www.chiesi.com

 

References:

ASTHMA, chronic disease; All data from: International Respiratory Coalition: Lung Facts 2023 (Asthma) Available at: https://international-respiratory-coalition.org/diseases/asthma/

COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; WHO, World Health Organization. All data from International Respiratory Coalition: Lung Facts 2023 (COPD) Available at: https://international-respiratory-coalition.org/diseases/COPD/

Sociology and Communication Office. Survey on therapeutic adherence in Spain. Spain 2016