Pharma & Health News Top Stories Today – HealthIndia outnumbers global average in reducing Infant Mortality; TB incidence down by 17%: Health Ministry 22/01/2025Highlighting the achievements of the National Health Mission (NHM), the Health Ministry stated, "The Under-5 Mortality Rate (U5MR) has decreased by 75 per cent from 45 per 1,000 live births in 2014 to 32 in 2020, which is significantly higher than the global reduction of 60 per cent since 1990."Belgian court throws out Covid vaccine case against EU chief 22/01/2025Another source close to the case confirmed to AFP that the Liege appeals court "declared inadmissible" a set of complaints brought in 2023 by Belgian former lobbyist Frederic Baldan, as he could not prove suffering "personal harm".Oracle's Larry Ellison says AI-driven cancer vaccine could be coming soon as Donald Trump announces a $500 billion investment 22/01/2025Ellison explained that tiny tumour fragments can circulate in a person’s blood, allowing for the possibility of early cancer detection through blood tests. AI could be used to analyze these tests and identify cancer early on. Once the cancerous tumour is gene-sequenced, an individualized vaccine could be created for each patient. Using AI, the mRNA […]"Common factor in all deaths is involvement of the brain, damage to nervous system": Principal of GMC Rajouri on 'mysterious illness' 22/01/2025According to Dr Amarjeet Singh Bhatia, Principal of Government Medical College Rajouri, a common factor among the deaths is the involvement of the brain and damage to the nervous system.Pune records 22 suspected cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome; samples sent for testing 22/01/2025According to doctors, Guillain-Barre syndrome is a rare condition that causes sudden numbness and muscle weakness, with symptoms like severe weakness in the limbs."Surprising": Doctors' association FORDA after RG Kar convict gets life term 21/01/2025Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday expressed dissatisfaction over the court giving life imprisonment to the convict in the RG Kar hospital rape-murder case and said if the case had been with Kolkata Police, they would have ensured a death penalty.New case of mpox detected in England, risk to population 'remains low' 21/01/2025Clade Ib mpox has been circulating in several African countries in recent months and imported cases have been detected in a number of countries, including India, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Sweden and the United States.RG Kar case: Judge flags ‘several lapses’, asks CP to address ‘illegal acts’ 21/01/2025Judge Anirban Das highlighted Monday in his judgment several lapses and directed the police commissioner to address the “illegal acts” of his officers.No closure: ‘Reclaim the Night’ protesters on RG Kar ruling 21/01/2025Doctors said that given the Kolkaka court’s verdict, they already knew convict Sanjay Roy would either be sentenced to death or life imprisonment but what disheartened them was that a crime, which had evoked spontaneous protests across the globe, was termed “not rarest of rare”.All 6 HMPV patients discharged, no active case in Gujarat; Officials 21/01/2025The first case was recorded in the state on January 6 when a 2-month-old boy from neighbouring Rajasthan was detected with HMPV here, he said. 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 $1.8 bln in Ireland sites to scale up Alzheimer's, obesity drug production 12/09/2024In the U.S., Lilly quickly built a market share of around 40% since launching Zepbound in December. Analysts believe that as Lilly increases its manufacturing capacity, the market could be roughly split 50-50 between Lilly and Novo Nordisk by the end of this year.US FDA expands J&J's psoriasis drug for inflammatory bowel disease 12/09/2024J&J has been betting on Tremfya, as its other blockbuster drug for psoriasis and ulcerative colitis, Stelara, is looking at a patent cliff - which occurs when a company loses its patent protection, allowing cheaper biosimilars to enter the market. WHO newsWHO comments on United States’ announcement of intent to withdraw 21/01/2025The World Health Organization regrets the announcement that the United States of America intends to withdraw from the organization.The ceasefire in Gaza brings hope, but immense challenges lie ahead to restore the health system 19/01/2025The World Health Organization (WHO) welcomes the Gaza ceasefire, hostage and prisoner release deal, which brings hope for millions of people whose lives have been ravaged by the conflict. The health challenges ahead are immense. The entire population of Gaza has faced multiple displacements. More than 46 600 people have been killed and over 110 […]WHO launches US$ 1.5 billion Health Emergency Appeal to tackle unprecedented global health crises 16/01/2025Conflict, climate change, epidemics, and displacement are converging to create an unparalleled global health crisis, with 305 million people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance in 2025. In response, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for US$ 1.5 billion for its 2025 Health Emergency Appeal (HEA), to support life-saving health interventions worldwide.The appeal, launched […]WHO prequalifies diagnostic test to support safer administration of P. vivax malaria treatments 08/01/2025On 18 December 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) prequalified the first diagnostic test for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency which can help to safely deliver WHO-recommended treatments to prevent relapse of Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax) infection.The prequalification of this G6PD diagnostic test marks a significant milestone in facilitating safe and effective P. vivax malaria treatment, […]Milestone: COVID-19 five years ago 30/12/2024Five years ago on 31 December 2019, WHO’s Country Office in China picked up a media statement by the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission from their website on cases of ‘viral pneumonia’ in Wuhan, China. In the weeks, months and years that unfolded after that, COVID-19 came to shape our lives and our world. At WHO, we went […]Kamal Adwan Hospital out of service following a raid yesterday and repeated attacks since October 27/12/2024WHO is appalled by yesterday’s raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital, which put the last major health facility in North Gaza out of service. The systematic dismantling of the health system and a siege for over 80 days on North Gaza puts the lives of the 75,000 Palestinians remaining in the area at risk.Initial reports indicate […]Statement by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General on the attack on the Sana'a airport, Yemen 26/12/2024Our mission to negotiate the release of the United Nations staff detainees and to assess the health and humanitarian situation in Yemen concluded today. We continue to call for the detainees' immediate release. As we were about to board our flight from Sana’a, about three hours ago (around 5 pm local time), the airport came […]Luxembourg and WHO sign two strategic agreements 23/12/2024A Strategic Partnership Framework (SPF) with the Ministry of Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs and multiyear agreement with the Ministry of Health and Social Safety was signed on 20 December 2024. By signing two new partnership agreements, Luxembourg reaffirmed its continued support for WHO to fulfill a shared mission to promote, provide and protect health.Statement on the antigen composition of COVID-19 vaccines 23/12/2024Key points: Vaccination remains an important public health countermeasure against COVID-19. As per the WHO Director General’s standing recommendations for COVID-19, Member States are recommended to continue to offer COVID-19 vaccination based on the recommendations of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE).SARS-CoV-2 continues to circulate and evolve with important genetic and […]Lebanon: soaring needs for trauma treatment and rehabilitation 19/12/2024The ceasefire and the cessation of hostilities took effect on 27 November, offering temporary relief for the millions of civilians caught in the conflict in Lebanon. But Lebanon’s suffering did not end amid staggering unmet health needs. Bordering Syria and Israel, Lebanon’s overburdened health system is reeling from the impacts of an economic crisis, political […]
