Even a Piece of the Unknown must be overcome in ResearchZentiva ČR 2008 Company DayCytostatic Drugs Agents against Cancer

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Excellent Results were achieved in Nine Months of the Year

Pharmaceutical Mosaic

Ready to the crucial jump to sink into the Japanese arms, Ranbaxy had forgotten how important it was to maintain basic vi-

tal functions and has got into large problems in America being so important for it. Distribution of more than thirty products has been suspended because of non-adherence to rules of the good manufacturing practice in two factories in India.

Another biosimilar (filgrastime) – a drug aga-inst neutropenia – has been approved in Europe. Teva, Ratiopharm and CT are

based on one development. At the same time, the resistance to intentional prescribing biologi-cal originals and biosimilars seems to weaken. The resistance proceeded primarily from Amgen owing to a loss of their epoetin position due to an influence of generics launched onto the German market at the beginning of the year.

The Olympic Games against humanity. It mi-ght be a really attractive newspaper hea-ding. Nevertheless, a curious situation with

a similar outcome has occurred in South Afri-ca where fall-outs of deliveries of pharmaceuti-cal substances from China associated with the Games induced serious disorders on the local market. Numerous chemical factories surroun-ding Peking had been closed by China to „cle-an-up” the air and to improve the reputation of the country.

Monoclonal antibodies are facing a clear future not only in the treatment of nume-rous malignancies, but also rheumatic

diseases. The latest novelty applies to successful clinical trials with canakinumab (Novartis) for the treatment of both rheumatic arthritis and some rarer, nevertheless, devastating pediatric forms of autoimmunity inflammatory diseases. In some cases the control of the disease was reached for as long as ninety days after one injection.

Another star-like antibody – denosumab (Amgen) – can serve as an example for the treatment of osteoporosis. If alendronate in

a single dose per six months has been replaced by it, the efficacy of the treatment has been im-proved in comparison with patients continuing in alendronate therapy further on.

Finally, a very effective inhalation corticoid for the treatment of asthma – ciclesonide – has appeared also on the market in Ameri-

ca. It is sold there by Sepracor in Nycomed licen-se. Ciclesonide is being successfully marketed in more than thirty countries of the world.

Roman LapkaIntellectual Property Director

The successful integration of our Turkish company and the emphasis on effec-

tiveness resulted in elevation of profit at the end of September, amounting to

2,361.2 million of CZK. The results have confirmed that the Management meets

their crucial goals, i.e. the growth of sales and the enhancement of profitabili-

ty. The overall sales increased by 17.7 % in nine months, with Eczacibasi-Zentiva

contributing most of all to such outcome. Based on its economic results for the

first nine months, Zentiva has confirmed its directing towards fulfillment of goals

as set up for the whole 2008.

Apart from others, the following was presented by Jiří Michal, the Chairman of

the Board and the C.E.O., at the press conference held on Monday November

10th: „The results published by us show that when the exchange rate is con-

stant we are achieving the growth of sales as expected and we manage to en-

hance the effectiveness of significantly extended undertaking activities. In Tur-

key, we are going on in integration of the company Eczacibasi-Zentiva and we

think that this market will contribute to our growth in next years. In the Czech

Republic, our sales were under the pressure owing to the introduction of man-

datory fees at physicians and per a prescription; in Romania, we have managed

to make our organization slimmer. The present development gives evidence

about the potential of the expanded and balanced structure of Zentiva – the ex-

tended regional operation has brought us an access to a higher number of pa-

tients. I am convinced that our potential to cope with rather complex economic

conditions facing us is good.”

Jozef Belčík, the new Director General of Zentiva a.s. in the Czech Republic,

was introduced to journalists at the Press Conference. He informed that the pri-

ority of Zentiva would consist in providing its customers with complex treatment

in a particular therapeutic sphere, i.e. in a switch from the product management

to the portfolio management. The goal will encompass offering the complex so-

lution to pharmacists and physicians. In this context, Zentiva has an advantage

of knowledge of regions onto which it will still focus; more intensive collabora-

tion with regional hospitals is reckoned with, too. Although it is crucial for Zenti-

va to meet needs of regions, the patient should remain the most important for it.

See the web column regarding facts written about us in order to learn what was

written about the Press Conference by media.

Martin Fuk

Zleva: V. Kudynová, J. Belčík, J. Michal

Obsah

Qalt 177Zentiva Company Periodical, issued monthly (except for July), volume XVII, number 177Editorial Board: Eva Balónová, Monika Fialová, Sylvie Hájková Wagnerová, Hana Chromková, Věra Kudynová, Alexandra Morávková, Radvan Palyza, Josef Pavel, Miroslav Strižinec, Václav Tomášek, Jaromír Vích, Petra Víková; Technical cooperation: Jarmila Ničová;Editorial Office Address: Zentiva, a. s., redakce časopisu Qalt, U Kabelovny 130, 102 37 Praha 10, e-mail: Josef.Pavel@zentiva.cz, Alexandra.Moravkova@zentiva.sk;Design and Production: Boomerang Publishing, s. r. o.; Print: VČT; ProSignum T – Advertising Company;Number of copies: 1400 pcs. (CZ), 1000 pcs. (SK); Closing date of the issue: 10. October 2008Cover: Technology PTLF Zentiva Czech Republic

Data are valid as to the date of the closure. Changes in data presented or printing errors are reserved.

interview 2

Even a Piece of the Unknown must be overcome in Researchfrom Zentiva life 4

Zentiva ČR 2008 Company Dayfrom Zentiva life 6

Psychology is my AssistantPeople 8

Inquiryfrom Zentiva life 9

Waste ManagementWritten about us 10

A Day with…12

... Kader ÇömlekçiMix 14

The Olympic Games in Soul a Bombastic Event and Unforgettable Experiences…News 16

Cytostatic Drugs Agents against Cancerfrom Zentiva life 18

The Visual Style of Zentiva One name, one brand, one visual style...hobby 20

Shi-take Mushrooms searching their Way to our Kitchensmix 22

IBALGIN decorating Ears of the popular Zuzana Norisova

2Jan Šotola, the R&D Director, was interviewed to inform us about the Research and Development management in our international company.

6How it is possible to grow up in the position of one of the most successful Zentiva representatives can be learnt from Jana Hrádelová.

18The visual style of Zentiva and what is important in it is being described in greater detail by Karel Navrátil, the Corporate Identity Manager.

4Zentiva ČR 2008 Company Day will be recalled through our photo-reportage.

9A Waste-Management serial consisting of several parts has been commenced in this Qalt issue.

Even a Piece of the Unknown must be overcome in Research

The success of the whole pharmaceutical

firm is usually preceded by the

success in the field of research and

development. And thus we called on

Jan Šotola, the R&D Director, and asked

him again over some time to know how Zentiva Research and Development had been doing in

previous months and what was new in this

field.

It is relatively long ago we were speaking with you on Qalt pages last time. The first question is thus evident – what is new in your Research and Development Unit?I will start with my statement that this year is extraordinarily suc-cessful for us. After not quite a good start, first more signifi-cant successes were achieved in the course of the spring pe-riod, and this trend is still con-tinuing. So far, eight bioequiva-lence studies and a therapeu-tic one have been successfully completed. This fact allows us to hope it is not just a change but an outcome of certain organiza-tional and process changes and, above all, changes in the way of thinking and communication of people recorded by me all over the Unit in recent time.

Can you describe the above mentioned studies in great-er detail?Generally, bioequivalence stud-ies are devised to demonstrate equivalence of drugs being de-veloped as compared to an orig-inal product by means of the so called pharmacokinetic study when the drug is administered to volunteers and concentrations of active ingredients or contents of metabolites are measured in their blood. Generally speaking, the studies applied to drugs be-longing to our strong spheres such as the cardiovascular sphere, central nervous sys-tem, gastroenterology and urol-ogy. At present, all these prod-ucts are at various stages of the process of marketing authoriza-tion or preparation of marketing authorization dossiers. The ther-apeutic study which is – on the contrary – the so called pharma-codynamic one and is to find out

effects of the drug on the organ-ism of patients has been suc-cessfully carried out in the new pharmaceutical form of Ibalgin.

Does it mean an end for the popular pink tablets?Certainly not! Only a tablet with a quickly soluble salt of ibupro-fen has been developed by us. The tablet is coated, and hence the bitter taste of ibuprofen is sufficiently masked, of course. The quick effect of the given dosage form has been demon-strated on a sample of several hundreds of patients to whom a wisdom tooth was extracted and to whom also the original drug resp. placebo were given apart from our product. But I am pro-viding much too details, aren’t I.

You have mentioned an un-doubted success of the re-search; does it mean that more than expected has been managed?It is a success because we have met the plan. In our research and development, success can be spoken about when the plan is being completely fulfilled or at least met in the majority of cases because in vitro behavior of sub-stances, i.e. in laboratory condi-tions, does not provide a reliable answer to the question of its be-havior in vivo, i.e. in the human organism. There is always some-thing unknown between these to types of behavior and it must be overcome in a hope we have done everything we could and in a hope to be lucky a little bit. And maybe that was just miss-ing to us at the commencement of the year.

I suppose that much time has been devoted in your Unit to an establishment of

collaboration with enterpris-es in Turkey. How the com-munication is today running between Czech, Slovak and Turkish development workers?Primarily, I wish to remind that three of the products in which the aforesaid bioequivalence study was carried out come from Eczacibaşi developmen-tal laboratories, which is to say that the ability of our colleagues in Turkey to develop and pass products meeting European standards and marketing author-ization requirements has been confirmed. We started to meet sometimes in the middle of last year, getting acquainted with one another, going through indi-vidual projects and seeking for common language when solv-ing them. Thereafter, we have agreed upon utilization of the joint information system and monitoring of projects, reach-ing thus gradually a very good standard of the communica-tion. Today, we meet once in two months in Turkey with an aim to discuss what is new and how to proceed.

Is there anything you would like to add?I would like to add that also chemistry in Turkey is doing very well. This year, the manufacture of one chemical substance has been switched to Turkey and the work on another such switch is ongoing. Although patent-pro-tected in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia, the given sub-stance may be manufactured in Turkey already now, it may be offered to patent-free territo-ries and, besides that, it can be used for preparation of our prop-er pharmaceutical form. It is an-other evidence of our bilaterally beneficial collaboration.

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At high noon, the event was opened by Marek Eben who em-ployed his intelligently humorous manner to remind the guests that it was not a routine prac-tice in our country to work in a company which could afford to organize such an event as the Company Day in the ceremonial premises of the Prague Castle, on top of it - at a considerably unstable economic situation. The opening of the event by Marek Eben was followed by words of the Chairman of the Board and the C.E.O. Jiří Michal.In his short speech, Jiří Michal

summarized chang-es through which

Zentiva has gone since the recent Company Day in Prague Cas-tle. Two integra-

tions were made by Zentiva in the past

five years – one with the Romani-

an compa-ny Sicomed and one with the

Turkish firm Eczacibaşi. Zen-

tiva turnover has elevat-ed almost four times,

and thanks to its su-pranational structure, the company is not

endangered by potential abnor-malities of individual markets. After Mr. Michal’s speech, Zen-tiva ČR Personalities for 2008 were announced. Our col-leagues who were granted the Zentiva Personality award are being introduced to you at an-other section of this Qalt issue. The cultural part included the Barocco Sempre Giovane or-chestra for guests of the Com-pany Day. The orchestra along with the violinist V. Hudeček and the pianist J. Pěchočová per-formed several nice composi-tions of famous Italian masters.After an interval, during which a faultlessly prepared rout could be enjoyed by guests of the Company Day, the attention of those present was attracted by performance of the „Children Opera Prague” ensemble.The ensemble offered several pieces of Jaroslav Křička work. The absolute engagement of children members of the ensem-ble together with their profes-sional performance was appre-ciated by enthusiastic and thun-derous applause of listeners and the audience. The Zentiva ČR 2008 Company Day was ended by the final rout and, without exaggeration, it can be stated that all those present were leaving the event satisfied.

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Zentiva ČR 2008 Company Day

After five years, the Spanish Hall

(Španělský sál) and adjacent premises

of the Prague Castle were again crowded

up with employees of Zentiva, a.s., ČR, and

Zentiva Group, a.s., on the occasion of the Zentiva Company Day

in 2008.

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The Spanish Hall was crowded up already long before the opening of the event.

The Chairman of the Board Jiří Michal informed guests of the Company Day about recent five years of the company and about an envisaged development of the company.

Zentiva ČR 2008 Personalities

Václav Hudeček excelled with the Barocco Sempre Giovane Orchestra in the cultural part of the event.

Handing the award to Mrs. Makalova, one of Zentiva 2008 Personalities

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Psychology is my Assistant

Only little was missing for Jana

Hrádelová to become a physician. At the end, however, she

decided to study pedagogy and

psychology; and after her graduation from the University in Nitra she joined

our company in 2001 as a Business

Representative. The firm has thus

acquired one of the most capable and

most successful representatives.

I promote seasonal medicamentsHer working results are self-ex-planatory. Already five times in series she gained an appraisal in the form of the so called Os-cars and was declared an out-standing representative of Zen-tiva. The evaluations encom-passed parameters such as e.g. sales of drugs being promoted by her, their share on the mar-ket, or a comparison of sales in two subsequent cycles. Nev-ertheless, the beginnings of Jana Hrádelová in the firm were not quite simple as she recalls: „My attitude to the profession of a physician was always very friendly; I even used to dream of becoming a doctor of medicine, best of all a pediatrician. And thus when my friend, active also in the pharmaceutical business, was describing her work after studies, I got an idea the profes-sion of a medical representative has been tailored just to me,” re-minds today Jana Hrádelová and continues: „Until now I remem-ber my first steps in the firm, first knocking on the doors of out-patient cabinets. My beginnings apply to the sphere of the so called seasonal drugs such as e.g. antibiotics or antihistaminic drugs. And I admit this category of drugs was not very amusing for me from the very beginning. But everything has been over-come by the atmosphere of an excellent team I was working in.” And thus, when Jana Hrádelová recalls her beginnings, she does not forget to thank all her col-leagues and, mainly, superiors

who were introducing her in the firm and who have managed to warm her up to the work of the medical representative. At the end she has remained faithful to the sphere of seasonal drugs and achieves excellent results in the sale of these drugs on a long-term basis.

My knowledge of psychol-ogy helps meAnyway, her recipe how to be successful is relatively simple according to her: „Each and any success at work is, in my opin-ion, an outcome of a good supe-rior and the family background. Our profession means often a work beyond working hours, and thus an understanding fam-ily is a precondition of success-ful coping with the work,” says Jana Hrádelová; however, at the same time, she admits that cer-tain abilities must be inherent to the person: „On the other hand side, the ability to communicate with physicians must be given – as for myself, I make use of my knowledge of psychology, be-ing able to be empathic, esti-mating how to meet his/her de-mands.” She does not perceive physicians as mere business partners, but as individuals in whom the good inside must be developed. During her work, Jana Hrádelová does not make only regular and repeated visits at physicians at their workplaces. She tries to spend the maximum time with them on any suitable occa-sion: „Also contacts with phy-sicians on informal occasions

such as e.g. various seminars or special forums are impor-tant for the success of a medical representative.”

The physician must trust usJana Hrádelová has been ac-tive in the company for seven years already, being in charge of the same region, Nové Zám-ky and Nitra, for four years. No substantial changes have tak-en place for that time in terms of physicians: „It is important in this work that the doctor knows well and believes his/her represent-ative. Of course, also a negative aspect is involved because anal-ogously with my good knowl-edge of the physician there is his/her good knowledge of me and they may try to play various tricks with me. And my challenge is to cope with them,” says Jana Hrádelová while smiling. Accord-ing to her, tiny differences exist between physicians of various specializations. While gastroen-terologists or pediatricians are very communicable, specialists in allergology are not so easy-going in terms of her work. Just in these weeks Jana Hrádelová is to cope with a challenge of her visits in a new region of Lev-ice: „Of course, there is a differ-ent atmosphere because I am a new representative here. Nev-ertheless my credo is that when the work is commenced vigor-ously and with an engagement, success will be reached at the end. And mainly – I am not afraid of anything,” concludes Jana Hrádelová.

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Jana Hrádelová

Best of all, she likes to

relax when spending her

leisure time actively. But

unfortunately she does

not have much of such

time.

There is always what

to do around the fami-

ly house. And thus Mrs.

Hrádelová manages to

go for a trip into the na-

ture or to a gym only

from time to time. And

when there is still some

leisure time she likes

to read an interesting

book.

Anketa

The word ecology has been used more and more frequently and

in various contexts in recent years. Also

waste sorting can be one of possible

contributions to the environmental

protection. Therefore, our

November Opinion Poll was focused on

collection of data informing about how

environmentally conscious employees

of our company are. The result was very

positive.

Do you sort the waste at home?

Jiří SlavíkSecurity WorkerYes, I do. It is being spoken about all the time. However there are not so many possibilities. Anyway, it can be done somehow. I sort the was-te even in my weekend cottage.

Jiří RudolfManufacture of TLF (Liquid Pharmaceuti-cal Forms)I sort; containers are in the vicinity of our house.

Lenka StárkováCanteenI sort wastes both at work and at home. We have a container for paper waste and for plastic flas-ks. At home we have containers just in front of the house.

Markéta HudkováTESTWe sort not only at work but also at home.

Yvona KocourkováPLF 1 (Solid Pharmaceutical Forms) – Weighing PremisesWe sort at home. Containers are right in front of our house. Unfortunately, they are often overfilled.

Jan HoraúdržbaOf course, I do. I think that there is a space for an improvement even in the framework of our company.

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Waste ManagementAny of us has to cope

with wastes daily both at home and

at work. The typical question used by our

famous writer Neruda „Where with it?”

is still topical. And therefore let us repeat

the major principles of waste management

in our company.

Wastes of all three physical sta-tes – i.e. gaseous, liquid and so-lid – originate as a consequen-ce of our manufacturing as well as non-manufacturing activities. Hence, to start with, there is a brief piece of information as re-gards these groups.

Gaseous emissions are dischar-ged into the external environ-ment from chemical and phar-maceutical processes, from the waste incineration plant and the boiler house and they must meet rigorous emission limits. Also dust particles might be dis-charged in the air but various fil-ters are used for their captu-re. Absorption (rinsing) columns are used for capturing gase-ous harmful substances (for acid emissions, organic solvents so-luble in water) as well as adsorp-tion equipment (capture of harm-ful substances, primarily of sol-vents non-miscible with water, on activated charcoal).

Liquid wastes should be divided into wastes that must be incine-rated and/or further treated and into waste water. The waste wa-ter is further classified into three groups, and namely technolo-gical waste water (washing and rinsing water from manufactu-ring processes), sewage water and rain water. While the sewage and rain waters are released by us into the municipal sewerage

drains directly, the technologi-cal waste water must be treated to be clean and to meet require-ments and limits of the Canaliza-tion Rules for the Capital of Pra-gue. The technological waste water is released into the chemi-cal drainage and is re-treated in our proper sewage water treat-ment plant. In addition to it, the manufacture of products con-taining highly efficient substan-ces (HPD) has its own pre-treat-ment equipment for removal of hormonal remnants. In the ma-nufacture of ointments and sup-positories, a fat arrester is loca-ted designed for removal of fatty portions which would cause pro-blems on further treatment in the waste water treatment plant.

Solid waste is classified as was-tes with dangerous characte-ristics and wastes without dan-gerous characteristics, so cal-led other wastes. The majority of waste without dangerous chara-cteristics can be repeatedly uti-lized as a material – this applies to the waste glassware, metals, plastics and paper. Numerous ri-gorous requirements apply to handling wastes with dangerous characteristics starting from the-ir gathering and labeling, throu-gh requirements as regards their disposal – up to maintenance of thorough filing and documenta-tion. Dangerous wastes are inci-nerated in our waste incineration

plant or they are deposited onto dumps of dangerous wastes or passed to authorized compa-nies for further processing or treatment.

Wastes according to ways of management - 2007

Classification of wastes according to categories (in tons per year)

Incineration Material utilization Transfer to an authorized entity

– others Transfer to an authorized entity

– ash Transfer to an authorized entity –

sludge incineration

46 %

28 %

18 %

6 %

2 %

1500

2005 2006 2007

1200

900

300

0

600

Hazardous wastes Other wastes

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Brussels: Sanofi must add information regarding Zentiva takeoverThe information received by the Euro-pean Commission regarding the French Sanofi Aventis plan for takeover of the Czech pharmaceutical number one Zenti-va is incomplete. The European Commis-sion speaker informed that the two firms must submit the relevant notification once again. Brussels must investigate whether the transaction is in compliance with an-timonopoly rules. As soon as new docu-ments are provided to the Commission by the two firms, a new deadline will be de-termined for the opinion regarding the giv-en transaction from the point of view of economic competition, said the speaker.Hospodářské noviny, 6. 10. 2008

Belviport in Zentiva has made the situation more difficult for SanofiThe company Belviport Trading has en-hanced its share in the Czech pharma-ceutical company Zentiva, making thus the situation more difficult for the French concern Sanofi that wishes to take over the control pack of Zentiva. Belviport Trading, being owned by a narrow group of anonymous persons, has enhanced its share in Zentiva to 10.06 % from its orig-inal 6.08 %.The notification that the Belviport inter-est in Zentiva raised appeared one day after the second largest Zentiva share-holder, the PPF Financial Group togeth-er with its joint venture – Italian Generali – had elevated their share in Zentiva from 19.23 % up to 21.59 %. The French con-cern Sanofi-Aventis offered 1150 CZK per one share, valuating thus Zentiva 43.86 milliard CZK. The acquisition would fa-cilitate Sanofi to have a higher share on the market with generic and nonpropri-etary drugs, which is a field experienc-ing boom in developing markets. Sa-nofi can be successful with its bid only in case it manages to acquire more than 50 %. Analysts have commented that an achievement of the acquisition objective by Sanofi is being complicated by oth-er Zentiva shareholders enhancing their shares. „Thus Sanofi is about to be in a situation when it will be difficult to ob-tain more than the 50-percent interest,” claimed Petr Bartek, an analyst of Česká spořitelna. Zdravotnícke noviny, 9. 10. 2008

Zentiva has raised its sales by one fifthThe pharmaceutical company Zentiva has raised its net sales for the first nine months of this year by 18 per cent up to approximately 13 milliard of CZK in com-parison with the previous year. „Much progress has been made in Turkey again, with our undertaking in Romania being also much better as for its condition, and our sales in Russia continue to exhibit a very good growth rate. These achieve-ments help us to surmount and overcome the anticipated decrease of sales as re-corded in the Czech Republic,” commented Jiří Michal, the C.E.O. of the company.Hospodárske noviny, 23. 10. 2008

The sale in Russia helped ZentivaThe net profit of the pharmaceutical company Zentiva increased almost by three per cent, amounting to 1.09 milliard of CZK, for the first nine months of the year as compared with the previous year. This result was also based on consolidation of Eczacibasi-Zentiva acquired in Turkey. „Proceeding from published results, I am convinced that Zentiva will meet its objectives for this year,” said the C.E.O. of the company Jiří Michal. Higher earnings were achieved by the firm in Russia, in the Ukraine as well as in Bulgaria. In the Czech Republic, sales were affected by intro-duction of mandatory fees in the healthcare system. The operation earnings exhib-ited 61 per cent increase and were affected by reduction of the value of the long-terms assets at an amount of 194 million of CZK.Hospodárske noviny, 11. 11. 2008

The PPF has raised its share in Zentiva by 2.67 per centThe PPF Financial Group has raised its voting rights share in Zentiva up to 24.26 per cent from previous 21.59 per cent. It was confirmed yesterday, without any oth-er commentary, by PPF speaker Jiří Hájek. The PPF Financial Group is the second largest shareholder of Zentiva and one of the two persons interested in acquiring the above-half share in it. Also the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi Avent-is tries to achieve the control over the Czech pharmaceutical number one, with the former possessing now 24.9 per cent of the firm. The company Belviport Trading is the third largest shareholder with its 10.06 per cent interest.Hospodářské noviny, 24. 10. 2008

Zentiva earned more than expectedThis country’s pharmaceutical number one Zentiva earned 1.09 milliard of CZK in the three quarters of the year, i.e. 2.7 per cent more as compared with the same pe-riod of the preceding year. The stronger CZK and also a steep enhancement of tax-ation costs have intensified problems of the firm that receives the majority of earn-ings from abroad. Despite this fact, Zentiva has surprised analysts by its almost half enhancement of the operational profit amounting to 2.17 milliard of CZK. »The market orientates primarily on the operational level« says the Cyrrus analyst Karel Potměšil. Also the C.E.O. of the company Jiří Michal confirmed yesterday his expec-tations of 2% growth of net earnings for the whole year. »I am convinced that Zen-tiva will meet the goals as set up for 2008« says Michal. Until September, the total earnings of Zentiva increased by 17.7 per cent, amounting to 13.09 milliard of CZK. The Turkish subsidiary, being included by Zentiva into its economic results only starting from last July, has substantially contributed to the outcome. Zentiva has been experiencing life which bustles with activities in recent months. The French company Sanofi-Aventis wishes Zentiva takeover, offering 1150 CZK per one share. The takeover bid is valid by November 28th; nevertheless, Sanofi will purchase the share only in case it will finally acquire at least one half of Zentiva. So far, Sanofi – holding now not the whole 25 per cent in Zentiva – can reckon certainly with rough-ly six per cent of securities belonging to the company management. Thus it must get another roughly 20 per cent on the market. Yesterday, Michal recommended the shareholders again to sell their shares to Sanofi. »The Board is still convinced of the enhanced offer being in the best interest of shareholders and all other persons in-volved in Zentiva company,« claims Michal. The offer made by Sanofi is conditioned also by the consent from antimonopoly authorities. Should it be delayed, Sanofi would probably apply for prolongation of validity of the bid.Hospodářské noviny, 11. 11. 2008

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Last week the HR Manager 2008 award was won by Petr Pokorný, Zen-tiva HR Director. There were two types of criteria for obtaining the award – to implement modern trends in HR per-sonnel practice and, at the same time, to exhibit excellent results. * HN: I know you from conferenc-es. Always when much-too-theoret-ic discussions about personnel man-agement occur, you »bring« the issue down to the earth and are amusing…I try to be realistic and make use of the common sense. Because I know that it is usually based on much experi-ence from practice. I want to be natu-ral and not to bother the audience with theories. * HN: Today, the talent management has been spoken about at the meet-ing. Nevertheless, you were drawing attention to the fact of a necessity to appreciate also the common »water carriers«. Why?I wanted to say that it was necessary to motivate also people who work well but do not have such a high potential of development as the talents. But the firm cannot do without them. Try to im-agine a gifted cyclist at contests. What would he achieve without his support-ive team? He would not probably go far without water carriers. For instance I do not like to work alone. I rather en-joy when I can develop people around me. During the fifteen years I worked in three firms. I met excellent teams but the truth is that each of them was quite different. Now I have many young people around me. Their poten-tial is huge - nevertheless their experi-ence is minimal. * HN: You are middle-aged. You can be close to everybody in the team…I think it is an ideal age for the man-ager. I became a member of the Board shortly after my thirty. Such was the time. Having today’s experience I won-der how courageous I was at that time. Today I have both experience and suf-ficient energy to motivate the others. * HN: What is the most useful?I always let people do the work requir-ing always a little bit more responsibil-ity they manage to carry. I bear the risk they can make a tiny mistake, some partners can a sort of raise their eye-brows from time to time indicating it is not exactly »that«. But this is the only way how to develop employees. I offer them an opportunity to grown on tasks which can shift them further. * HN: Is there anything facilitating the HR expert to be perceived seriously by the management?I started in HR in 1993. I say of myself to be rather a »business type« than the

traditional HR expert in the sphere of human resources. At the beginning of this career I was responsible also for other matters than HR alone, for in-stance logistics, services and adminis-tration. For many years, I was a mem-ber of the company Board. I am not a type of the person who gets engaged in HR after having studied andragogy. Such people have a difficult position to assert themselves in business. May-be, my successfulness is given just be such experience from the business. * HN: You have altered your job re-cently. What was your challenge when joining Zentiva?I am not very fond of mere maintaining a peaceful condition in the enterprise. And Zentiva I joined has grown four times in recent years thanks to acqui-sitions of foreign companies. It need-ed to transform the organizational and managerial structure so that to com-ply with standards of the internation-al corporate management. Setting of the efficient organizational structure was necessary not only in the Prague headquarters but practically in all cru-cial countries. In five of the largest countries also C.E.O. were changed. * HN: Zentiva undergoes compre-hensive changes continuously. Aren’t they too much for you?I must know the objective of the given change. It must not be a change just for a change. I love situations when something is altering but I do not want to say that I would do it just because of my loving changes. So far, the objec-tive has been understandable for Zen-tiva. At this stage it was necessary to achieve a transparent organizational structure, performance-oriented, and to be attractive for potential further in-vestors. Our changes are based on the reasonable development, and that is what we try to explain to our employ-ees, too. * HN: Do you have to modify your style of management according to the nature of the firm?I am said to be a good number two. Shortly, a good business partner for a key manager! An impulse for changes in Zentiva comes from the chief execu-tive officer Jiří Michal who has a clear vision. I am only the »small drive« im-plementing the change in the practice.* HN: Was your previous experience helpful to you in Zentiva?Certainly, I have got acquainted with all levels through which the human re-source manager can go. I was a local manager in the company Barum Con-tinental, but it was in an internation-al global firm operating in one hun-dred and ten countries of the world and having one hundred and for-ty thousand workers. I was responsi-ble for one large area. That is where I drew up much experience as regards concern functioning from downwards. My experience is also based on that obtained in Hartmann-Rico where I was responsible for the Central and

Eastern European region. My posi-tion within the company hierarchy was somewhere in the middle. * HN: For how many people are you the superior?Zentiva has six thousand employees. I am responsible for the management of HR and services, which represents roughly two hundred people.* HN: One of first challenges imposed on you as the HR Director was to set up the system of remuneration...I joined Zentiva in the period when the company was not meeting market ex-pectations for various reasons. One of possibilities allowing a change con-sisted in interlinking the system of re-muneration with key parameters of performance. I think that we man-aged to orientate key managers onto correct parameters. We have started at the top management and intend to achieve better interconnection of the performance and remuneration in oth-er workers, too. Otherwise, we have above-average wages as well as ben-efits in comparison with the market. It is a good basis because when these basic matters are not set up correctly, people quit to other companies. In ad-dition, we continuously try to establish good corporate culture for our employ-ees to feel well at work. We are a sta-ble company with low fluctuation rate. Higher fluctuation is evident only in traders, which is given by the fact that we alone are aiming at changes. * HN: There is a lack of people in firms...Zentiva is a very stable firm; we man-age to keep our employees. * HN: Have you ever experienced your batteries growing discharged and your team not doing well? What were you then doing?Of course, I have. One of reasons of my leaving Barum was I was not on very good terms with one of key man-agers. There were three pillars in the company, with two of them (the man-ufacturing and financial parts) being OK. But the business boss would not communicate on friendly terms at all. And it was one of reasons why I pre-ferred to leave. * HN: Should the courage to decide in time and not to lose time belong to the professional skills and capabilities of the Manager?Yes, I think it does. I am not the type who likes to sit in the »golden cage«. I can have good conditions, living on behalf of the firm and traveling around to attend conferences. If I know, how-ever, I am not able to move the thinks, it is better to quit. When I am satisfied I learn this fact by my absolute non-perceiving headhunters who keep on phoning to me.Hospodářské noviny, 20. 10. 2008

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Kader Çömlekçi acquired her “Master of Pharmacy” degree in the pharmaceutical technolo-gy specialization at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University in Mar-maris, and continued her stud-ies of chemistry at the reputable Middle-East Technical Universi-ty (METU). There she graduated with excellent results and took the seventh position among stu-dents of this institution. In the course of studies she focused on the organic chemistry. „I started with my pharmaceutical studies already when working in Eczacıbaşı. Therefore, I was making all my laboratory studies associated with thesis on week-ends. That was a difficult pe-riod, nevertheless at the same time it was an exciting work be-cause I could participate in sci-entific studies. I published then my results in one internationally recognized scientific periodical. I admit that it does raise your self-confidence when seeing your own name in such a peri-odical,” recalls Kader today.

It is now already twelve years she is active in Eczacibasi. Nowadays, she works on a for-mulation of generic medicinal

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A Day with…... Kader Çömlekçi

People in the vicinity of Kader Çömlekçi

know about their colleague that she does not leave an

uncompleted work. And when necessary,

she stays at the firm till midnight.

During her leisure time she devotes to painting and music, likes to wear colors and is perceived by

those around her as an optimistic and

positively tuned person who solves

even potentially problematic matters

at work in a calm and friendly manner.

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Kader Çömlekçi heads directly her five colleagues in the Formulation Department, collaborating tightly also with other colleagues from different departments, primarily with developmental analytics specialists. The creative approach is considered important by her: „The creativity and innovation are important; one must be able to view thinks in a way different from the others. And hence a new way - a new formulation - can be found.”

If Kader has no appointments, she works together with her collea-gues – e.g. on evaluation of data for individual studies, performance of tests, or planning other procedures. By the way, she admits that people around her consider her a sort of a workaholic: „Sometimes I do not manage to finish by six o’clock, and thus I continue – either at work or at home. I do not like to leave an unaccomplished work.”

In research and

development we

must be able to

have another view

of matters than the

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In Prague at the Charles Bridge: Traveling ranks among big hobbies of Kader Çömlekçi. She visited also Prague in past. „Most of all I enjoy to learn new cultures, people and their customs,” comments Kader her hobby.

products and their manufac-turing process, primarily that of solid pharmaceutical forms. She coordinates and controls all steps within the process of for-mulation in local as well as glo-bal projects and is responsi-ble for studies within the devel-opment of drugs and for plan-ning of necessary sources – in-ternally as well as externally – associated with the formulation development.

Kader starts her working day with a cup of herb tea after which she feels – as she says – fresh and full of energy. “In the morning I try to start up with a smile and with a positive ener-gy. Then I usually skim through the specialized literature and scientific periodicals in order to “be in” as for new technol-ogies and events in the world, and then I already start planning my schedule. I list individual ac-tivities according to priorities,” describes Kader her usual day and goes on: “I think that I am known as a very organized per-son, I like to manage things in time, still before deadline.

Kader emphasizes that also the fact she works in the health-care area is important for her: „I am glad I can work in the sphere serving and aiding hu-man health. I try to do my work as good as possible, to get im-proved and learn new things and share them with my col-leagues,” concludes Kader Çömlekçi.

Kader’s colleagues like her very much for her positive attitude to life thanks to which she is able to cope with problems at work and to solve them with calm and from a bird’s eye view. She is always ready to share her experience, being convinced that the shared experience is always the most valuable.

I like colors not only on the paperKader Çömlekçi might find her place also in the column where we present colleagues with in-teresting hobbies. Since she devotes to singing and paint-ing, particularly to watercolor painting that she studied as an arbitrary subject even during her university studies. „I have had even an opportunity to in-troduce my works at three ex-hibitions in Ankara. It was an essential moment for me be-cause it meant a shift from the amateur position to the profes-sional one. I continue my stud-ies, I relax while painting, get-ting charged with a positive en-ergy,” says Kader about her hobby and adds that she likes colors both on the paper and – let us say – on clothing and/or walls and furniture. Kader is also an Art Lovers Social Club member and annually she per-forms along with her friends at a concert in Lüleburgaz where she usually has her solo per-formance. „I like jazz music and I like to listen to it and sing it. Jazz sound has much more charm as compared with other styles,” stresses Kader her spe-cial liking for the jazz. Howev-er, it is not by far only the art fill-ing her leisure time. Kader also likes to travel very much and will not omit any monument or a reputable place of sightsee-ing. „Best of all I like to get ac-quainted with other cultures, people and their customs.” Be-sides work, also the family is important for Kader. She re-calls her father very often: „My daddy died three years ago and I miss him still very much. He has taught me many things – also how to be strong in the business world, but not only that. And he taught me to have another angle of view of things than the others have.”

The Olympic Games in Soul a Bombastic Event and Unforgettable Experiences…

This time, it was not necessary to go far

for an interesting interview about

Olympic Games. Since Alexander Marček, Zentiva

Corporate Finance Director, has shared

his experiences with us after short

persuading. He swum for the national

representation team of Czechoslovakia in 1988 at the Olympic

Games in Soul.

How did you get to swimming, as a matter of fact, and what was your route to the top-per-formance sport?From my childhood, I wanted to be an ice-hockey player. But they did not accept such small boys aged five to six years yet at that time. I was a very vivid child, and thus my daddy made me to swim. I was approximately in the second form and swimming was not very amusing for me. I knew how to swim from my four years of age and intended just to im-prove in it before our holiday at the sea. However, then I got a new trainer, changed my tech-nique and when in the third form I was already the first or the sec-ond in the category of pupils in Slovakia. Hard daily trainings started, and later on I trained even every morning from six to eight o’clock. Thanks to my re-sults, a special scheme was agreed for me at school starting from the first year of the second-ary school (Gymnasium) when I devoted already seriously to swimming.

But you probably enjoyed it at that time; it was not just a will of your parents, was it …You are right. In addition, at that time I was happy to leave my parents for a whole week-end to participate in contests, or for a couple of weeks of a train-ing camp. Sometimes I used to happen not to be at home for as long as four months in the year. I liked traveling a lot; I had a feeling of something extraor-dinary because I used to vis-it also western countries, which was not common at that time.

I trained roughly eleven times weekly, including Saturdays, and managed to get into the nation-al representation team. I was among the first ones to be nomi-nated for the Olympic Games.

How old were you at that time?I know this very well. I celebrated my twentieth birthday in Soul.

The Olympic Games took pla-ce during “PERESTROYKA” and “GLASNOST”, i.e. the RE-ORIENTATION and PUBLICI-TY ongoing in Russia, shortly before the fall of the Iron Cur-tain, in addition to it - right af-ter the Olympic Games in Los Angeles where sportsmen from the Eastern Block were missing. How did you perceive the atmosphere?It is as you say. It was the first out of the series of large bombastic Olympic Games where the whole world met as a matter of fact. I was enthusiastic that I could see the organization of such a large event. I remember that we went to the other end of Soul for train-ing. They took us by bus, with two policemen on motorbikes in front of us. And we went through Soul smoothly without an inter-ruption. There must have been hundreds of such teams. One had also a possibility to meet known personalities, to see oth-er sports, too. It is already a long time ago and I do not remember all the details, but I remember I went to root for athletes.

How successful were you at the Olympic Games?I finished at the fifteenth position

in my discipline of 200 m breast-stroke, which was a sort of dis-appointment for me because I did not manage to replicate my best performance from previous contests. But such is the sport; sometimes you are favored, sometimes not.

What was then?I swam up to 1993. In Soul I got acquainted with people from the American University Swim-ming and already at that time I was offered to study in the USA. Of course, there was no official platform for collaboration be-tween the then Czechoslovakia and the USA within which I could accept the offer on a legal ba-sis. I slowly started to think how to get abroad in any other way. And just at that moment the so-cial change took place. In Jan-uary 1990, I was already aiming to California where I studied for four years and trained along with a number of excellent swimmers, including Matt Biondi, the eight-fold medal-holder from Soul.

Have you visited any other Olympics - although as a member of an audience?No. In terms of Olympic Games, I think TV is excellent, although there can be a problem with the time shift. I like to watch Olym-pic Games and feel their atmos-phere. I always experience ten-sion as if being there back again. However, it is not about my re-calling the history but general-ly about my feeling the sporting spirit and adrenalin accompa-nying the Olympic Games con-tests. And by far not only in case of swimming! I also like to follow

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fates of sportsmen. People do not realize at all what luck it is to reach the top in the giant com-petition. They do not see what all must be exerted into the per-formance by sportsmen, re-gardless of the outcome. Let me mention, for instance, my daughter who plays basketball. She was complying of bad per-formance of her basketball team. We exchanged our opinions be-cause I do not like when some-body is condemning sportsmen who had been working very hard to be good. Anyway, I do not want to say that one should not set up high goals. It is like with the business plan. It must also be a bit of ambitious, it should provoke.

And what about you and your swimming today?I go in for all sports perhaps, but not swimming. The recreation swimming is, all of a sudden, boring after the many-year hunt-ing for each second.

Being no professional, I have a feeling that borders of the performance are being shif-ted higher and higher at eve-ry Olympic Games, which ap-plies especially to swimming. Why is it so? Mainly an improvement of the technique plays role, but also al-terations of rules. Just in Soul, an excitement was caused by a new rule according to which the back-stroke swimmers did not have to

swim on the surface. Hence, it happened that the hundred-me-ter swimmers ruffled through fifty meters under the water, emerg-ing just before their turn, and then disappeared again under the water. Also the equipment plays its role. Analogously as the pole vault is not jumped with bamboo equipment any more, swimmers have today swimming suits with better hydrodynamic properties, too. However the ex-ample of the American swimmer Michael Phelps, who has entered the history today by his winning as many as eight gold medals, confirms the rule that the tech-nique is helpful, but the victory is being achieved primarily thanks to the talent.

XXIV. letní olympijské hry

They were held in the

period from Septem-

ber 17th to October 2nd

1988 in Soul, South Ko-

rea. 8465 sportsmen from

159 countries took part

in them. Contests cove-

red 263 disciplines of 27

sports. The organizing

town had been selected

in 1981 and it was pre-

ferred over another town

showing its interest - the

Japanese Nagoya. The

golden medals for Cze-

choslovakia were son by

the tennis player Miloslav

Mečíř, the walker Jozef

Pribilinec, and the sport

shooter Miroslav Varga.

An example of previous media from 1988

Alexander Marček in 2008

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Primarily, cancer is a disease of a genetic origin. Changes in the cell which finally lead to oc-currence of a malignant tumor are always a consequence of changes, mutations of DNA of certain genes. Multiple studies have confirmed an influence of changes in the environment and lifestyle on occurrence of some types of cancer. Chemical con-tamination of the environment (chemical substances – carcin-ogens) or higher ionizing radia-tion, irrelevant impact of ultravi-olet radiation (physical carcino-gens), can induce a malignancy. Further known factors of devel-opment of some types of cancer include viruses or microbial tox-ins (biological carcinogens).Therapy focused onto the treat-ment, prolongation of the life and improvement of the quality of life in patients with a malignancy, but also the supportive care, are tools by which the load repre-sented by the malignancy can be reduced. Early diagnosing and treatment of tumors by means of screening is an efficient way how to treat, or at least, alleviate this disease. A surgical removal of the tumor, chemotherapy and radiation therapy rank among the most frequently used methods of can-cer therapy. In the past, the surgical interven-tion predominated in the therapy of cancer. Gradually, with new knowledge appearing, also other methods of therapy have been implemented - such as chemo-therapy, hormonal therapy, im-munotherapy, radiotherapy and their mutual combining. While surgery and radiotherapy act on a local basis (with a par-ticular localized tumor being re-moved or a preferably defined locality being irradiated), chemo-therapeutic drugs are often used

on a general basis – hence, not only tumor but also other cells are affected by the drugs. The research into pharmaceu-tical forms of chemotherapeu-tic drugs is aimed at a target-ed delivery, i.e. transportation, of drugs to the affected desti-nation. And thus it is possible to enhance the efficacy of the treat-ment on the one hand side, and on the other – to reduce side ef-fects. Although all forms are covered by the list of pharma-ceutical forms of cancerostatic agents authorized for marketing, injections and infusions are the most numerous group, followed by tablets and capsules. Special formulations and techniques are used for types of tumors which are difficult to reach, particular-ly tumors of the brain. Methods of the targeted transport of the drug based on micro- and na-noparticles prepared from pol-ymers or lipids (liposomes) are being developed for these pur-poses. Paclitaxel administered as an injection for the treatment of several types of cancer can serve as an example. Since Pa-clitaxel is very sparingly soluble in aqueous solutions, injectable solutions contain excipients, be-sides the active ingredient, with such excipients enhancing the solubility of Paclitaxel. The desir-able solubility has been achieved nevertheless undesirable side effects have become more inten-sive. However, Paclitaxel can be formulated as bound to proteins inherent to the human organism, the whole complex is modified to have particles sized 50–200 nm (for comparison, the human hair is sized about 100.000 nm = 0.1 mm) and it is prepared in an in-jectable dosage form with an ad-vantage of quicker administra-tion (30 min v. 3 h of the old for-mulation) and exhibits lower side

effects. Water-insoluble formu-lation of camptothecine is other example as a complex with spe-cial silica gel in the form of nano-particles transporting the active ingredient to tumor cells.Chemotherapy is a treatment of the tumor by means of drugs with an aim to destruct tumor cells. However, the problem con-sists in a metabolic difference of tumor cells from healthy ones. Chemotherapy destructs not only tumor cells, but also healthy cells, especially those quick-ly growing such as cells of bone marrow, digestive tract and roots of hair. Advantage is that these cells possess a high ability of self-recovery and, therefore, the majority of adverse drug reac-tions are only temporary. Ow-ing to a reduction of blood cell counts, but also owing to dam-age of mucous membranes by chemotherapy, the risk of infec-tious complications increases. A decrease of blood platelets en-hances an aptitude to bleeding. Besides bodily changes, also a certain degree of changes in the emotional sphere is experienced by the majority of patients. On the one hand side, it is caused

Cytostatic DrugsAgents against Cancer

Cancer, affecting people irrespective

of their origin, age or position in

society, is a group of approximately

200 diseases which inflict various organs

of the human body. The incidence of cancer grows in

absolute numbers and represents the second

most frequent cause of mortality, right

after cardiovascular diseases; in terms of

the total European population, some kind

of cancer is reported in each third person

during the life. While in 2005, cancer was a cause of 28.0 % of the overall mortality

in the ČR, the statistic forecast of WHO for

2030 envisages a growth up to 30.1 %.

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directly by the chemotherapy through an influence on mood or hormonal levels, and on the oth-er hand side – indirectly through fatigue. Nevertheless, new drugs appear which act on tumor cells in a targeted way and are able to differentiate cancerous cells from healthy ones – e.g. on the basis of external signs. Sub-stances used in chemothera-py are toxic as a rule and ade-quate safety measures for their handling should be developed (avoidance of contact, ventila-tion, or wastes disposal).The onset of modern chem-otherapy dates back to 1940 when the cytotoxic effect of yperite (the warfare substance used in the WWI) was discov-ered. This discovery motivated the preparation of a series of N-yperite analogues. Shortly after the World War II, an influence of folic acid onto leukemia was re-vealed, which has reflected in the development of folic acid an-tagonists, represented today by methotrexate for example. It was followed by an era of purine an-alogues culminating in the de-velopment of 6-mercaptopurine as an active ingredient against

leukemia. In the sixties, an effect of bisin-dole alkaloids from Catharanthus roseus on division of tumor cells conditioned by an ability of such substances to reduce polymer-ization of microtubules was dis-covered. Until present days, vin-blastine, vincristine, vindesine and vinorelbine are used from this group of substances.A breakthrough in the anti-tu-mor therapy was caused by uti-lization of combinations of can-cerostatic agents – e.g. meth-otrexate, vincristine, 6-mercap-topurine and prednisone – in the treatment of acute lymphoblast-ic leukemia in children. Not only the combination of chemothera-peutic agents, but also the com-bination of a surgical removal of the tumor with a subsequent so called adjuvant (auxiliary, sup-portive) treatment using chem-ical substances such as e.g. 5-fluorouracilom plays its role in the fight against cancer.A broad spectrum of studies investigating effects of natu-ral substances on tumor mod-els resulted in discoveries of nu-merous substances of a vegeta-ble origin (taxanes /Taxol/, col-chicine, podophylotoxin, camp-tothecine), or of a microbial ori-gin (mitomycins, bleomycin, ac-tinomycins). Many of these sub-stances were samples for syn-thetic adjustments of the mole-cules, resp. for the development of new groups of synthetic anti-tumor substances. Today the at-tention has shifted also towards the study of substances from sea plants, microorganisms and lower animal species. By chance, an effect of platinum compounds on cell propagation was discovered when studying an influence of the electric field on growth of bacteria, which was a step towards utilization of

platinum complexes (Cisplatin, Carboplatin, Oxaliplatin) for the treatment of tumors. The period of 1970–1990 meant a study of inhibitors of topoi-somerase II, an enzyme signifi-cant for the DNA synthesis. This period has enriched the spec-trum of anti-tumor substances by anthracyclines (Doxorubicin, Daunorubicin, and Adriamycin). A molecular and genetic ap-proach to studies of cell biol-ogy has revealed signalization bonds regulating the cellular ac-tivity such as division, growth, survival and spontaneous disap-pearance (apoptosis) of cells. It has been ascertained that many such bonds are altered in tumor cells. Targeted influencing such signal paths, primarily those typ-ical for tumor cells, has been uti-lized for the development of new chemotherapeutic agents. The development of kinase inhibi-tors is an example of implemen-tation of this principle. Imatinib (Gleevec) has shown to be effec-tive in inhibiting the activity of the specific kinase BCR-ABL func-tioning in case of chronic myelo-genic leukemia. Imatinib has be-come a basis of a group of sub-stances identified as tinibs (Ge-fitinib, Erlotinib, and Lapatinib) affecting normal cells only at a small extent under a simulta-neous specific effect on tumor malignancies. Monoclonal antibodies form a special group of anti-tumor sub-stances. The immune system re-sponds to ambient stimuli on the basis of distinction between substances inherent to the or-ganism and foreign ones. Tu-mor cells alone are not targeted by the immune system because they are considered proper cells. However tumor cells are abnor-mal, many of them discharge un-usual substances – antigens.

Some tumor cells have specific receptors on their surface, with such receptors being very rare in normal cells or occurring only at certain stages of the develop-ment of the organism, while oth-er ones activate mechanisms causing unregulated growth and propagation of cells (a malig-nant process). Monoclonal an-tibodies which are of a protein character (MAB – an abbrevi-ation of the English expression Monoclonal antibodies) are in-struments of the immunity sys-tem which are able to distinguish foreign antigens and stimulate the proper immunity system for their removal. The technology of preparation of MAB selective to antigens present on the surface of tumor cells has yielded anoth-er turn in the treatment of can-cer. And many such substances are used in practice – e.g. Alem-tuzumab, Cetuximab, Rituximab, or Trastuzumab.

PrognosisIn recent years, the number of cases of cancer has been in-creasing nevertheless the growth rate of new cases is decreas-ing thanks to investments into re-search, prophylaxis and screen-ing. A good piece of news also is that cancer today does not have to be necessarily a lethal disease – at least not always. In compar-ison with previous years, the life of patients has been successful-ly prolonged and symptoms have been significantly reduced as well as undesirable effects of cancer alone and its treatment. Despite these positive results, the risk as-sociated with cancer is high due to resistance or due to relaps-es of the disease, and its is nec-essary to make more efforts fo-cused on achieving the most ef-ficient prophylaxis and therapeu-tic strategy.

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The Visual Style of ZentivaOne name, one brand, one visual style...

In the introduction, let us impose a question what the visual style

of Zentiva is as a matter of fact. What

can be imagined under the term?

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A situation known from our eve-ryday life, from the childhood, can provide a simple parallel. Knocking of shoes of a person known to us very well! You are able to realize a close person ac-cording to the rhythm, strength, alternation of steps, and loudne-ss. You have an auditory trace of the person’s gait deep imprinted and recorded in your brain. Similarly it is also with the vi-sual style of the company which is becoming, in an ideal case, a sort of a visual code helping to identify the subject immediately.Zentiva logo is the foundation stone of the visual style of the company. Its characteristics and genesis were described in the October Qalt. The unique com-bination of blue and green co-lors, being harmonically supple-mented with white color, is de-rived from the logo. The color code is used in another charac-teristic element of the visual sty-le – in the system of strips. The graphic manual divides them into two formats, of which each has another way of utilization. The first format, described in the manual as static strips, is used especially in company printed materials such as headed pa-pers, visiting cards, firm templa-tes and e.g. also company fol-ders and notepads. The second format, dynamic strips, is used due to its dynamic character particularly in commu-nication materials, posters, in-vitation cards, announcements and advertising.In terms of utilization, this format possesses a much higher crea-tive potential, but it is also much more difficult to use it correctly. Numerous advertising studies

apply this format „literally” ac-cording to the codified form as presented in the graphic ma-nual. It is, however, mere basic guidance with which it is possi-ble to work further because of the fact that this form provides a much larger space for imaginati-on. It is important to maintain the dynamic character of the system of strips. The strips can be ap-plied using various techniques as documented by illustrations attached. The use of the company typefa-ce is another important element in the mosaic of the visual style of the company. The system of strips always con-tains the main information – the slogan – applied in the dominant blue strip that is almost always twice as thick as the supple-menting green strip, with sup-plementary information, suppor-ting the main – striking – state-ment, being inscribed into the green strip. The whole system is embed-ded into a precise proportional scheme which proceeds from an ideal proportional form of the so called golden section. So to say a small code of the master Le-onardo! Some proportional re-lationships have been alrea-dy verified by histo-ry and there is no-thing to change in their prin-ciples. They have been taken from the nature or from the outer spa-ce the mathe-matic precision and principle are

a certain guarantee of the main-tenance of balance of forces. In the conclusion I would like to present an example of a genial-ly simple application of the visual style in the Absolut brand.The DNA information of their vi-sual style – the unique silhouette of their product – is sought all around (in the nature, town, macro-world, micro-world…). No other complicated details, sim-plicity alone, perfectly communi-cated and provoking the powers of imagination of a potential cus-tomer ………..Scientists who are engaged in cognitive processes estimate that more than one half of capa-city of the brain is reserved for the visual system which is evi-dence of how important the vi-sual representation of the brand is. Therefore, the aim of our ef-forts is to communicate in a uni-form manner, to use the same vi-sual code, to transmit the same signal which can be immedia-tely and unambiguously identi-fied by the Zentiva customer at once on the basis of the recolle-ction reflex.

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Ladislav Lauko has liked mush-rooms since his childhood: „Ever since I was a child I liked to go to woods to collect mushrooms, and I also like to eat them,” con-firms Ladislav Lauko and contin-ues: „Therefore, no wonder, we decided with my brother, some-times in 1989, to build up the so called meadow-mushroom-plant in premises of the former brick-works in the vicinity of town and to cultivate the mushrooms there for sale. Later on, we were not profitable any more as the pur-chase price of meadow mush-rooms was stagnating, with in-dividual inputs becoming more and more expensive at the same time. And thus we switched to another type of production, this time already with my wife. We started to cultivate not only oyster mushrooms in the giv-en premises but also Japanese shi-take mushrooms which are not very well known in our coun-try so far.”

The premises where Ladis-lav Lauko cultivates the mush-rooms have been adjusted spe-cifically for the given purpose. Temperature and humidity must be maintained on roughly eighty square meters, and also suit-able lighting must be ensured. It is also necessary to main-tain cleanness there in order to prevent potential spread-ing of diseases affecting mush-rooms. „Besides sales of mush-rooms, we offer also the inoc-ulation stock for mushrooms to grow. It consists in cereal grains

which are subject to sterilization at 130 degrees of Celsius and, thereafter, the mycelium should be inoculated onto them. The grains then grow around the mycelium and should be trans-ferred into a prepared substrate which is colonized by them. It is similar to vegetable cultivation. While seeds should be placed into the soil in case of vege-tables, in case of mushrooms special inoculation stock should be added to the substrate,” ex-plains Ladislav Lauko the proc-ess of substrate preparation in a simplified manner.

Demanding is particularly the cultivation of shi-take mush-rooms practiced by Ladislav Lauko as the only one cultivator in Slovakia so far. „It took me al-most three years to master the technology of substrate prepa-ration. Contrast to oyster mush-rooms, which start to produce as quickly as three weeks af-ter setting, shi-take mushrooms need three months.

Although the shi-take mush-rooms have not won their po-sition in the Central-European cuisine, Ladislav Lauko believes that they will be commonly seen on shopping shelves within sev-eral years, analogously as they are seen already today in coun-tries of Western Europe. „The shi-take mushrooms are char-acterized by a very interest-ing garlic-onion taste which is markedly different from oth-er currently used mushrooms.

That is also why they can be used at a lower amount for fla-voring meals,” says Ladis-lav Lauko and adds: „People in Hlohovec have already learnt to buy them, and we supply them also to Bratislava and to some business networks. We are a sort of pioneers as a mat-ter of fact. Nevertheless I think that within several years the shi-take mushrooms will be a com-mon culinary delight used in our kitchens.”

The Czechs and Slovaks are said to be the nation

of mushroom pickers. Ladislav

Lauko, who works as an operational

technologists in Hlohovec plant,

collects mushrooms not only in woods but,

along with his wife, he is also engaged

in commercial cultivation of oyster mushrooms and the

Japanese mushrooms called shi-take. You

will learn more about his unusual hobby

in the following contribution.

Several dozens of excellent and healthy meals can be prepared using the oyster mushroom.

Ladislav Lauko in his „mushroom” farm

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Shi-take Mushrooms searching their Way to our Kitchens

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Shi-take

The oyster mushroom and

shi-take, the „mushroom

from the oak“, rank among

wood decay fungi with an

aromatic taste which are

utilized especially in Asian

cuisine. Contrast to oth-

er common mushrooms,

the shi-take contains high

quantities of proteins, glu-

cans, vitamin B12 and en-

riched ions and minerals.

People in Eastern Asia be-

lieve in the healing force

of mushrooms and have a

number of proverbs such

as for instance: Eat dai-

ly at least one shi-take for

your long and healthy life.

The given two types of

mushrooms can be pre-

pared as common forest

mushrooms. The “roast

meat on shi-take” is the

most favorite recipe of

Ladislav Lauko. It is as fol-

lows: Spread cut mush-

rooms into the baking

dish and then place into

the oven. Roast the meat

covered for the first hour,

thereafter finish uncovered

and pour periodically with

the roasted sauce. If need

be, add some water.

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IBALGIN decorating Ears of the popular Zuzana

Zuzana Norisová, one of the most popular actresses and singers in the Czech Republic, is famous not only for her dancing in the TV Star Dance and many roles, but also for her unusual combinations of accessories. A Super Daily photographer caught her at the pre-miere of the musical Adéla ještě nevečeřela (Adele has not had her dinner yet) with an untraditional decoration of her ears. Show Busi-ness stars are ready to pull on anything in order to attract, but IBAL-GIN jewelry is an actual designer’s discovery „One never knows when the tablets will be needed, many a time IBALGIN is better in the morning than an English breakfast,” claimed the singer yester-day absolutely seriously.Zentiva reckons with the manufacture of IBALGIN primarily for hi-therto undiagnosed problems. For the time being, neither the Ad-vertisement Act nor the Drug Act forbids utilization of the popu-lar pink tablets for artificial purposes. Therefore, creative ladies may decide to select their necks instead of handbags for urgent availa-bility, wearing the tablets as a necklace and/or bracelet. „It is a pink luck,” said Pavlína Wolfová, a popular moderator on the other day, carrying her favored drug in a distinguished manner in her handbag so far.

Martin Fuk

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