Pharma & Health News Top Stories Today – HealthElon Musk's Neuralink receives Canadian approval for brain chip trial 21/11/2024The brain chip startup said the Canadian study aims to assess the safety and initial functionality of its implant which enables people with quadriplegia, or paralysis of all four limbs, to control external devices with their thoughts.About 18% of deaths in 2019 attributable to air pollution: ICMR study 21/11/2024According to an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) study, air pollution caused 11.5% of the total DALYs (Disability Adjusted Life Year) in India. DALYs are the years lost to hindrance caused by a particular disease. One DALY represents one year.Govt working to ensure people with Intellectual disabilities get due medical care: Union Health Minister JP Nadda 20/11/2024He said that in order to ensure that the people of IDD get due medical care, skills of the healthcare professionals needs to be upgraded so that they are not only competent in feeding physical symptoms, but also skilled in addressing specific needs of individuals with IDD.At AIIMS Delhi, patients stare at 3-year waitlist for MRI scan 20/11/2024Each day, about 15,000 patients visit the outpatient department at AIIMS. Of these, roughly 10% require diagnostic imaging procedures, such as ultrasound, X-ray and MRI scans. The waiting period for these procedures varies significantly, with numerous patients receiving appointment dates ranging from six months to three years ahead.Delhi pollution: AAP govt directs hospitals to set up special teams for respiratory cases 20/11/2024The Delhi Health Department also asked the hospitals to monitor and report daily cases of respiratory ailments, including both outpatient (OPD) and inpatient (IPD) cases, and to promptly flag any unusual increase in the number of cases, it said.Covid shots: Parents seek vaccine courts to ensure 'swift' justice 20/11/2024According to them, the current system of computing adverse events following immunisation is "flawed." "We need a total revamp of this and need an active, transparent and accountable AEFI system," said Venugopalan Govindan from Tamil Nadu, who lost his daughter after getting the shot.Masks make a comeback as bad air level hits upper end, doctors warn of health risks 19/11/2024The deteriorating air quality has led to widespread health concerns across age groups. Many in the city are facing difficulty in breathing, apart from eye irritation, throat discomfort, headaches, exhaustion and skin problems due to the contaminated atmosphere.Delhi air pollution crisis: Exposure to even one hour of toxic smog may cost you 19/11/2024Even one hour of exposure to high levels of particulate pollutants, warn medical experts, can trigger immediate negative health impacts. When these particles enter the respiratory system, they can cause inflammation in the lungs, leading to reduced lung functionality and heightened airway resistance within a brief timeframe.Is getting faster medical test results with Elon Musk's AI bot Grok safe? Doctors warn 'buyer beware' 19/11/2024Musk urged users to “try submitting x-ray, PET, MRI, or other medical images to Grok for analysis,” adding that the tool “is already quite accurate and will become extremely good.” Many users responded, sharing Grok’s feedback on brain scans, fractures, and more. “Had it check out my brain tumor, not bad at all,” one user […]Heart beats after 120 minutes following eCPR procedure, first-of-its-kind in AIIMS Bhubaneswar 19/11/2024The eCPR procedure revived the young soldier even after his heart had stopped beating for nearly 1.5 hours. This groundbreaking initiative in Odisha highlights the power of medical innovation and the unwavering dedication of healthcare professionals. Pharma & Health NewsEylea offers equivalent efficacy with fewer injections for wet AMD, DME management: Dr Ashish Gawde 18/10/2024The most pressing challenges include the financial and emotional burdens associated with frequent, long-term treatments for conditions such as Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) and Wet Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD).TIFR study uses psychedelic drug to trace neuron that can reduce anxiety 06/10/2024A team at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai have steered a first-of-its-kind study to come out of India, using a psychedelic to identify a neuron that can activate the ventral hippocampus in the brain—which processes emotional information and regulates stress—in a manner that could alleviate anxiety.ICMR to study efficacy of Metformin, Inositol in PCOS treatment 06/10/2024The ICMR has recently invited expression of interest (EOI): "To undertake a multi-centric randomised controlled trial for evaluating the efficacy of Metformin vs Inositol to improve fertility and birth outcomes among PCOS women".Alembic Pharma gets USFDA nod for generic medication 03/10/2024The approved ANDA is therapeutically equivalent to GlaxoSmithKline LLC's Lamictal XR extended-release tablets in strength of 200 mg, 250 mg, and 300 mg, it added.US CDC warns of overdose risk from fake prescription medicines online 03/10/2024The counterfeit pills sold through illegal internet-based pharmacies frequently contain fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is the leading cause of drug overdoses in the United States, the health agency said.PM Modi to inaugurate Penicillin-G plant in Andhra Pradesh, reviving India's antibiotic production 22/09/2024The Penicillin-G (Pen-G) facility, located in a SEZ at Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh, has a production capacity of 15,000 tonne per annum and also 1.8 lakh tonne of glucose, while 6-Amino Penicillanic Acid plant has a capacity to produce 3,600 tonne annually, the drug maker had earlier said in a statement.Bone marrow cancer drug shows success in treatment of blood disorder, finds study 20/09/2024The New England Journal of Medicine published the trial results, which show that patients with HHT who were administered the medication, pomalidomide, had a significant decrease in the intensity of nosebleeds, required fewer blood transfusions and iron infusions than HHT frequently requires, and had a better quality of life.US Senator Sanders says generic drugmakers could sell Ozempic for less than $100/month 18/09/2024Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Jorgensen is set to testify before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), which Sanders chairs, in a hearing next week focusing on U.S. prices for its widely popular Ozempic and weight-loss drug Wegovy.ICMR partners with industry leaders for groundbreaking First-in-Human Phase-1 clinical trials 14/09/2024ICMR will engage in collaborative research on a small molecule for multiple myeloma with Aurigene Oncology Limited, partner with Indian Immunologicals Limited for the development of a Zika vaccine, coordinate a seasonal influenza virus vaccine trial with Mynvax Private Limited, and advance CAR-T cell therapy for a new indication of chronic lymphocytic leukemia in collaboration […]Fulcrum stock slumps after muscle disorder drug fails in late-stage study 13/09/2024FSHD is a genetic disorder that causes muscle weakness and wasting in the face, shoulder blades and upper arms. The estimated prevalence of the disease is about 4 cases per 100,000 individuals, according to the Muscle Dystrophy Association.Zenas BioPharma raises $225 mln in US IPO 13/09/2024The Waltham, Massachusetts-based company, which was incorporated in 2019, plans to use the IPO proceeds to advance the clinical development of obexelimab and prepare for its potential launch in the United States and Europe, pending approval.Moderna lays out plan to slice research and development spending 13/09/2024Moderna developed the Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine, and regulators approved this year its vaccine for RSV or respiratory syncytial virus. The company also has a combination flu/COVID vaccine and an RSV vaccine for high-risk younger adults that it expects to submit to regulators in 2024.Bavarian Nordic sees potential to ramp up mpox vaccine capacity 13/09/2024 Bavarian Nordic said on Thursday it could supply 13 million doses of its mpox vaccine by the end of 2025, up from a previous forecast of 10 million doses, and is exploring options to significantly expand its capacity.Neurocrine halts development of schizophrenia drug as trial fails 13/09/2024The company said the drug, luvadaxistat, did not replicate the results from a previous mid-stage trial that showed improved cognitive performance, due to a large variability in the cognitive measures across the patients and a potential imbalance in their baseline characteristics.Alkem joins $3 bn race for JB Chem as Torrent pauses talks 13/09/2024After the acquisition, KKR appointed Cipla veteran Nikhil Chopra in October 2020 as JB’s chief executive. He put the Mumbai-based drugmaker on an accelerated growth path, making four acquisitions and investing $200 million in the last four years along with a fresh go to-market strategy involving therapy diversification, raising the productivity of medical representatives, optimising […]Panacea Biotec gets $20 million loan from US government for hexavalent vaccine capacity expansion 13/09/2024Panacea Biotec has secured a $20 million long-term loan from the US International Development Finance Corporation to expand its hexavalent vaccine production. This funding will help the company meet global demand for childhood immunization, supplying vaccines to UN agencies. The hexavalent vaccine, EasySix, protects against six diseases and is expected to see significant demand growth […]Moderna forecasts lower sales next year, shares near four-year low 12/09/2024Its cost savings would include a cut of $1.1 billion from research and development from 2026, with most of the actions in 2027. "I hope you can see...why we're daunted by the commercial challenge of launching all those products really just in the next three years, and that causes us to want to actually start […]Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw calls for innovation-driven value creation in India's biotech sector 12/09/2024Mazumdar-Shaw called for a shift in focus toward value creation through innovation. "India ranks 14th in terms of value in the global pharma landscape. We need to invest in R&D and foster a culture of intellectual property to capture greater value," she said.Eli Lilly invests $1.8 bln in Ireland sites to scale up Alzheimer's, obesity drug production 12/09/2024In the U.S., Lilly quickly built a market share of around 40% since launching Zepbound in December. Analysts believe that as Lilly increases its manufacturing capacity, the market could be roughly split 50-50 between Lilly and Novo Nordisk by the end of this year.US FDA expands J&J's psoriasis drug for inflammatory bowel disease 12/09/2024J&J has been betting on Tremfya, as its other blockbuster drug for psoriasis and ulcerative colitis, Stelara, is looking at a patent cliff - which occurs when a company loses its patent protection, allowing cheaper biosimilars to enter the market. WHO newsWHO Investment Round: culminating moment at G20 Summit as leaders pledge 19/11/2024The first-ever Investment Round of the World Health Organization (WHO) reached a culminating moment during the G20 Leaders' Summit today in Rio de Janeiro, chaired by the President of Brazil, H.E. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Heads of state and government at the G20 voiced strong support for a sustainably funded WHO, additional financial pledges were […]WHO adds LC16m8 mpox vaccine to Emergency Use Listing 19/11/2024The World Health Organization (WHO) has granted Emergency Use Listing (EUL) for the LC16m8 mpox vaccine, making it the second mpox vaccine to be supported by WHO following the Director-General’s declaration of an mpox public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on 14 August 2024.This decision is expected to facilitate increased and timely access to […]WHO and partners rally cervical cancer elimination efforts 16/11/2024As world leaders arrive in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the G20 Summit this weekend, the city’s iconic Christ the Redeemer statue will be illuminated in the colour teal. The Brazilian advocates behind this effort are among many around the globe joining the World Health Organization (WHO) to mobilize efforts on a worldwide “Day of […]Measles cases surge worldwide, infecting 10.3 million people in 2023 14/11/2024Worldwide, there were an estimated 10.3 million cases of measles in 2023, a 20% increase from 2022, according to new estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Inadequate immunization coverage globally is driving the surge in cases.Measles is preventable with two doses of measles vaccine; […]Urgent action needed as global diabetes cases increase four-fold over past decades 13/11/2024The number of adults living with diabetes worldwide has surpassed 800 million, more than quadrupling since 1990, according to new data released in The Lancet on World Diabetes Day. The analysis, conducted by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), highlights the scale of the diabetes epidemic and […]IsDB joins efforts with WHO and development partners to promote health impact investment 12/11/2024The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) announced today an important grant allocation of US$ 10 million to WHO to implement the Health Impact Investment Platform (HIIP).WHO demands urgent integration of health in climate negotiations ahead of COP29 07/11/2024Ahead of the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference in Baku (COP29), the World Health Organization (WHO) calls for an end to reliance on fossil fuels and advocates for people-centred adaptation and resilience.Launching the COP29 special report on climate and health and a technical guidance on Healthy Nationally Determined Contributions, WHO urges world leaders at COP29 […]Countries pledge to act on childhood violence affecting some 1 billion children 07/11/2024More than 100 governments today made historic commitments to end childhood violence, including nine pledging to ban corporal punishment – an issue that affects 3 out of every 5 children regularly in their homes. These commitments were made at a landmark event in Bogotá, Colombia, where government delegations are set to agree on a new […]Second round of polio campaign in Gaza completed amid ongoing conflict and attacks: UNICEF and WHO 06/11/2024The second round of the polio vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip was completed yesterday, with an overall 556 774 children under the age of 10 being vaccinated with a second dose of polio vaccine, and 448 425 children between 2- to 10-years-old receiving vitamin A, following the three phases conducted in the last weeks. Administrative data […]Vaccine doses allocated to 9 African countries hardest hit by mpox surge 06/11/2024The Access and Allocation Mechanism (AAM) for mpox has allocated an initial 899 000 vaccine doses for 9 countries across the African region that are hit hard by the current mpox surge. In collaboration with affected countries and donors, this decision aims to ensure that the limited doses are used effectively and fairly, with the overall […]
