Generic cosmetics just as good as branded ones

Generic cosmetics just as good as branded ones
Genentech to make anti-blindness drug in S?pore

BERGHEIM, Germany (March 29, 2007): Generic cosmetic products bought in
the chemist or supermarket achieve the same standards of quality as branded
products, according to a comparison test in the German magazine Shampoos, Cremes
& Co.


?You can't buy any bad cosmetics,? says cosmetics expert Alexandra Heil from
Bergheim near Cologne.


No-name cosmetic products are cheaper because manufacturers save money by not
spending any money on advertising.


Another reason for their low price is that most generic cosmetics contain none
of the ingredients that have been developed at a high cost by the big brands.


?But you cannot say that no-name articles are better in general,? says Heil. To
do that, you have to compare the generic product with a branded article.


Information about the product?s contents can be found on the back of the
packaging by reading what is known as the INCI description of the contents.


However, consumers will have to take a deeper and more technical interest in the
subject if they want to understand the labelling system.


?Consumers should give priority to checking whether the contents-description
actually lives up to what is inside the cosmetic,? advises Heil.


The same rule applies to cosmetics as foodstuffs: the most important ingredients
are always listed at the top.


People looking for cosmetics that are kinder to the skin and healthier should
try no-name products, according to Heil. ?Their affectivity is another matter,
though,? she says.


By doing without certain ingredients, the generic products do not foam so easily
or they don?t leave the skin as soft as the branded shampoos or cremes. ? dpa



Genentech to make anti-blindness drug in S?pore

SINGAPORE (March 29, 2007): Biotechnology giant Genentech plans to invest US$140
million in a plant here to produce an anti-blindness drug for the world market.


Genentech executive vice president Patrick Yang said yesterday that the
city-state will be a key part of the company?s global supply network.


The drug Lucentis is an injection made from culturing E.colibacteria. It was
approved in June 2006 by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat
age-related macular degeneration, an eye condition that leads to blindness.



Construction of the Genentech facility will start in the second quarter.


The Singapore plant, the company?s first in Asia, will employ 100 people.


Genentech became the world?s first biotech firm when it was founded in 1976.


?Eventually, we hope to attract Genentech to look at building capabilities here
in research,? said Phil Yeo, chairman of the Agency for Science, Technology and
Research. - dpa


Updated: 02:09PM Thu, 29 Mar 2007

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