Pharma & Health News Top Stories Today – HealthCentre eyes medical tourism boost with funding support for hospitals 26/06/2026To complement the scheme, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DPIIT) plans to come out with indicative infrastructure planning standards for future-ready hospitals incorporating smart healthcare surgery enablement, Al-assisted diagnostics, digital pathology, telemedicine, and interoperable electronic medical records.State IMA says mandatory emergency care order unworkable for hospitals 26/06/2026Under the proposed CEA amendments, all private hospitals and clinics would be mandated to provide emergency treatment and stabilise patients before referring them to higher centres, regardless of the patient’s ability to pay.Fortis Hospital faces action after Delhi govt inquiry finds multiple irregularities 26/06/2026Acting on CM’s directions, a team led by central-north district magistrate S S Parihar, along with officials from the health department, MCD, fire department and other agencies, inspected the hospital Thursday.Study of gut microbiomes reveals link between low fibre intake, colorectal cancer 26/06/2026Findings published in the journal Cell Host and Microbe suggest that diet, especially consuming fibre, can influence colorectal cancer risk, progression or prevention by shaping gut microbial communities.New tool can predict TB death risk at diagnosis, says study 26/06/2026The tool, developed by researchers from the ICMR-National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), Chennai, and the Tamil Nadu TB programme, uses basic clinical measurements routinely available when a patient is diagnosed with TB. The authors say it could be useful in resource-constrained settings seeking scalable, data-driven interventions to reduce TB mortality.Centre decriminalises minor offences for Healthcare facilities 25/06/2026Under the amended framework, companies will have an opportunity of hearing before the imposition of penalties, mechanisms for recovery of penalties, and an appeal framework for aggrieved parties.India has Rs 95,000 cr addressable market for assistive tech by 2030: NCPEDP 25/06/2026A robust assistive technology ecosystem can not only improve inclusion and independence for millions of Indians but also emerge as a major driver of innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation, the experts said.Govt launches Air Suvidha 2.0 portal for mandatory Ebola screening of international travellers 25/06/2026The upgraded portal requires international passengers to submit a health self-declaration up to 24 hours before arrival in India, enabling real-time data sharing with health and immigration authorities amid the Bundibugyo/Ebola virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.Global Ebola risk 'remains low', WHO chief says 25/06/2026France on Wednesday announced its first confirmed case of Ebola identified on its territory: a doctor who had flown back from the DR Congo, which is fighting a major outbreak.Aster-Quality Care India to invest ₹1,661 cr in Kerala healthcare 25/06/2026Following the integration of Aster and QCIL in March this year, the combined healthcare network will operate 11 hospitals in Kerala with 4,575 beds. Pharma & Health NewsChemo drug supply crisis hits cancer care 05/06/2026Hospitals are reporting dwindling stocks, while patients and their families are being forced to hunt for pharmacies and distributors which have the drugs with them.Your weight-loss drugs set to become cheaper 28/02/2026India's anti-obesity market is set for a price revolution as multiple pharmaceutical companies prepare to launch affordable generic versions of blockbuster weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic following patent expiry. With over six players entering the market on day one, prices are expected to drop significantly, potentially halving the monthly cost for patients and widening access […]UK drugs giant AstraZeneca announces $15 bn investment in China 29/01/2026China is AstraZeneca's second-largest market after the United States, where the company has recently invested heavily under pressure from President Donald Trump.Yellow Fertility partners CARE IVF to expand presence in east, northeast India 14/01/2026The initiative is aimed at improving access to affordable in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) and assisted reproductive technology (ART) services, particularly in areas where patients often need to travel long distances for treatment.Novo Nordisk's US public affairs head leaves company, memo shows 06/01/2026The departure, previously unreported, sees U.S. public affairs head Jennifer Duck leave the firm. It follows a major global restructuring under CEO Mike Doustdar that includes cutting 9,000 jobs across departments and regions. One source said the memo was sent to staff late last week.Health push makes nutraceuticals India’s fastest-growing consumer segment, says Earthful 24/12/2025The company that sells nutrition supplements, is starting a community initiative focused on menopause awareness, offering stipends to women over 40 to lead conversations at the local and digital level.Alzheimer's drug hunt learns from cancer fight's multi-target playbook 12/12/2025Blood and genetic tests to accurately identify biomarkers of the disease are becoming available, but most diagnoses require a spinal tap or expensive PET scan. Not all patients are likely to benefit equally from anti-amyloid treatments.What Holds the Future of Pharma in the Middle East? 01/12/2025At the Economic Times Healthcare Leaders Summit Middle East 2025, pharmaceutical experts examined the shifting dynamics of the region’s drug market, discussing emerging trends, regulatory developments, and challenges that will shape the sector’s next phase of growth.What’s powering Mounjaro’s rise to the top of Indian drug market 04/11/2025Top officials and industry insiders attribute this ascent to a flurry of reasons – from the US drug maker’s shrewd marketing strategy and smart brand positioning as a weight-loss drug first to superior patient experience with faster and higher weight-loss efficacy and precise timing.Lilly partners with Nvidia on AI supercomputer to speed up drug development 29/10/2025Using the supercomputer, scientists at Lilly will be able to train AI models on millions of experiments to test potential medicines, expanding the scope of drug discovery efforts, the company said.Trump administration plans new probe into global drug pricing 22/10/2025The imminent investigation would consider whether U.S. trading partners are underpaying for drugs, the report said, adding that the investigation would come under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.HC bins Roche's injunction plea, allows generic version of only drug for SMA 11/10/2025Govt's one-time aid of Rs 50 lakh for patients of rare diseases was not enough to cover even a year's treatment using Roche's patented version of Risdiplam, but at Natco's price for the generic version of the drug, treatment cost could be covered for 10-16 years.CDSCO to inspect cough syrup manufacturing units 10/10/2025The WHO has, meanwhile, expressed concern regarding the regulatory gap in diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol screening for domestically marketed medicines in India.US FDA approves first treatment for rare, life-threatening disease in males 20/09/2025According to a study on the National Institutes of Health's website, as of 2020, an estimated 230 to 250 males were identified with Barth syndrome worldwide.4 dead in gas leak at pharma firm 23/08/2025Chief of Palghar district disaster management cell, Vivekanand Kadam, said that between 2.30 pm and 3 pm, gas leaked from the nitrogen reaction tank at the pharma company, seriously affecting six persons working thereUS FDA approves Gilead's twice-yearly injection for HIV prevention 19/06/2025Lenacapavir, part of a class of drugs known as capsid inhibitors, proved nearly 100% effective at preventing HIV in large trials last year, raising new hope of interrupting transmission of the virus that infects 1.3 million people a year.Weight-loss surgery more effective than drugs in real world study 18/06/2025Semaglutide is the main ingredient in Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Ozempic, while tirzepatide is the main ingredient in Eli Lilly's Zepbound and Mounjaro.Trump administration proposes cutting FDA budget by 5.5% 25/05/2025The proposed budget requested $93.8 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services - a cut of $33.3 billion, or 26.2% - from this year's budget of $127 billion, but did not mention the FDA. Makary's comments on Thursday were the first official outlining of the agency's 2026 budget request.Vertex misses quarterly results on weaker-than-expected demand for cystic fibrosis drug 06/05/2025In the first quarter ended March 31, sales of the company's older CF treatment, Trikafta, rose 2% to $2.53 billion but missed analysts' average expectation of $2.58 billion, according to LSEG data.Pharma companies must file compliance strategy 13/02/2025Small and medium manufacturers with turnover of less than ₹250 crore may seek extension of the timeline by submitting a plan of upgradation within three months from now, the drug regulatory authority said in a notification issued on Tuesday. WHO news655 million people still living without electricity underscore urgent need to deliver on universal energy access target 24/06/2026At a time when energy security and affordability have risen to the top of the development agenda, 655 million people globally still lack access to electricity, and two billion use polluting fuels and technologies for cooking putting their health and well-being at risk.WHO urges scale up of newborn screening to improve early detection and care of birth defects 23/06/2026The World Health Organization (WHO) today calls on countries to expand newborn screening for birth defects, highlighting how early detection and treatment can save lives and reduce lifelong disability for millions of children.A new WHO report, Strengthening capacity for newborn screening, diagnosis and management of birth defects, identifies newborn screening as an important opportunity to […]WHO issues comprehensive guidelines on filovirus disease, including Ebola and Marburg disease 17/06/2026As the Democratic Republic of the Congo is battling an Ebola disease outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) has released its first comprehensive guidelines for the clinical management of filovirus disease which include all types of Ebola and Marburg viruses. The new guidelines highlight the importance of early supportive care […]Open letter to leaders of G7, G20, BRICS and all nations on finalizing the WHO Pandemic Agreement’s Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing annex 15/06/2026Dear Leaders of the G7, the G20, BRICS and of all nations,We write to you together, from Geneva and from Brasília, with one shared conviction: that the world must finish what it started, and that you can help it do so.We begin not with an institution or an annex, but with a memory the whole […]Safe blood supply improves as voluntary donations exceed 85%, but many people still lack access 12/06/2026New data from the World Health Organization (WHO) show sustained progress towards safer blood supplies globally but also highlight persistent inequalities in access to safe blood and weaknesses in governance, financing and regulation of blood systems.Africa CDC and WHO launch joint continental Ebola response plan 05/06/2026The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) today launched a joint continental preparedness and response plan on the ongoing Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus. The plan aims to raise US$ 518 million to support African countries together with partners to prepare for, rapidly detect and respond […]Unsafe food causes 866 million illnesses and 1.5 million deaths annually, young children at highest risk 03/06/2026Children aged less than five years face almost three times the risk of illness from unsafe food than older children and adults, according to new estimates released today by the World Health Organization (WHO).Joint statement by the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and WHO concerning the outbreak of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus 31/05/2026The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) reaffirm their strong partnership and shared commitment to protect the health and well-being of the people of Ituri Province and the nation at large, following the joint mission to Bunia led by Dr Samuel Roger Kamba, Minister of Health, […]WHO urges governments to protect young people from addiction to tobacco and nicotine products 29/05/2026Worldwide, at least 40 million children aged 13–15 use tobacco products, and young people’s use of e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches continues to rise. In advance of World No Tobacco Day – 31 May – the World Health Organization (WHO) urges governments around the world to protect a new generation from becoming addicted to tobacco and […]Experts convened by WHO advise on candidate treatments and vaccines for Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus 28/05/2026In response to the current outbreak of Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus occurring in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with cases also reported in Uganda, WHO convened several of its expert and advisory groups. These groups assessed potential vaccines and therapeutics for both prevention and treatment of Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD).
