As a pharmaceutical brand, Pharex has always been synonymous with high-quality products that are trusted by medical professionals. It was incorporated in 1973 as a subsidiary of Pascual Laboratories, growing into a popular unibrand portfolio that carried affordable generic medicines ranging from antibiotics to its popular Vitamin B Complex supplement that were trusted by doctors for their efficacy and the preferred choice of Filipino patients for their affordability.
With the acquisition of Pharex HealthCorp by Unilab in June 2016, the trusted name in pharmaceutical products brand brings its expertise and experience in serving the healthcare needs of the Filipino by adding high-quality wellness supplements that are backed by scientific research.
These days, the word wellness is overused by an industry that is hawking food supplements that are claimed to cure many ailments. The challenge with this is that many of the claims are unsubstantiated, and the supplements themselves did not undergo any rigorous heavy metal or microbial tests.
With its line of Integraid® products, Pharex seeks to address this gap in the wellness area by providing a safe and effective line of nutraceuticals that are anchored on science and therefore accepted by integrative medicine doctors.
“We will not discontinue our lines of Pharex medicines that are still being prescribed by our doctors. We will simply be including in our portfolio wellness products that are going to complement our pharmaceuticals,” explains Pharex President Tomas Luke “Beau” Agana III.
A legacy of trust
There are 10 products in the Pharex Integraid® portfolio which cover a wide range of pharmaceutical-quality standardized supplements for healthcare management. The products include Curcumin Phytosome, which provides support in managing general inflammation; Reservatrol for cardiovascular health; Cinnamon Extract for support in blood glucose metabolism; Sytrinol for support of cholesterol regulation, and Acetyl L-Carnitine + Alpha
Lipoic Acid as support to alleviate neuropathic pain, and Bromelain provides support for dyspeptic symptoms.
Aside from products addressing medical conditions, it has products that also address other healthcare needs: Astaxanthin provides support for skin anti-aging; L-Theanine for support in managing anxiety; Slumber with Seditol offer support for restful sleep; and Holy Basil, which provides the body support in preventing stress-related ailments.
The inclusion of these in their product line-up is backed by Pharex’s heritage in the pharmaceutical industry.
“For example, some of our strengths are our anti-hypertensive, anti-diabetes, and pain management products. We are going to build on that base, and have supplements that will complement the treatments that are prescribed by the doctors who have trusted our products for a long time. Now, they will be able to talk to their patients about our pharmaceutical-quality supplements that can be taken in conjunction with their regular treatments,” Agana explains. “With these Pharex products, doctors can address the preventive and curative aspects of good health.”
The doctors’ trust has been built through the years is the base on which the new wellness products will be anchored. Agana shares, “Doctors can continue to trust that Pharex products have undergone testing, and with Unilab, which is the leading pharmaceutical company in the country as our principal, we bring into it the quality assurance that comes with the brand.”
Safety and quality assured
The Integraid® line is different from others in the market today because it is backed by research, and not just unsubstantiated anecdotal claims. The products in the IntegrAid® line are manufactured by USDA-certified organic sources.
“These products have undergone safety and quality tests, including tests for microbial contamination, pesticide residues, heavy metals, and the presence of mold, both from the source companies and in our plant in the Philippines. These dual tests ensure the high quality and safety of the products,” explains Pharex medical director Dr. Nancy Bermal.
Efficacy-wise, Bermal says that they look at published clinical trials and other technical literature about the ingredients in the Integraid® products before they promote it to the doctors and the consumers. “It could be a small study and not a large clinical trial, but it should be able to show that the product is safe and that it does its work. These are what we, through our representatives, will be able to show the doctors.”
Bermal says, “One good thing about IntegrAid® by Pharex is that it doesn’t seek to replace any medical health treatment; but rather aims to complement it. Pharex will be in the forefront of educating our doctors about science-based food supplements and how they can complement the treatment regimen that doctors prescribe to their patients. That’s why it’s also important for patients and consumers to inform their doctors about any food supplement they are taking.”
The future of wellness
Agana says that the pharmaceutical industry has evolved, where patients are more involved in their healthcare regimen. “They are now more informed about options, so the doctors must do their research about supplementary products as well because their patients will continue to ask about them.”
As Pharex continues to partner with healthcare professionals and tries to increase awareness of the value of preventive medicine, it makes available safe, effective, and high-quality products from organic sources that are backed by real science. The Pharex Integraid® line of products are now available at Mercury Drug and other major drug stores. For more information about the products, visit www.pharexhealth.com.