Page 146 - Health Medical Pharma

Measles cases nearly doubled in 2018: WHO

A total of 229,068 cases of measles were reported in 2018, nearly double the number of infections contracted in the previous year, the WHO has said. The World Health Organization (WHO) has appealed to the Member States to close gaps in vaccine coverage. The appeal follows its previous announcement that an estimated 110,000 people died from the highly infectious but easily preventable disease in 2017. "Measles is not going anywhereIt's everyone's responsibility. For one person infected, up to nine or 10 people could catch the virus," said Katherine O'Brien, Director of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals at the WHO. In addition to being potentially fatal, measles symptoms include rashes, blindness and inflammation of the brain. The virus can be transmitted extremely easily, by coughing and sneezing, and it can also survive for hours in a droplet of water. Measles knows no "geographical or political borders", O'Brien said, noting nonetheless that since the year 2000, deaths from ...

Scientists find genetic vulnerability to menthol cigarette use

Scientists have now found a genetic variant in people of African descent that significantly increases a smoker's preference for cigarettes containing menthol, a flavour additive.According to scientists the variant of the MRGPRX4 gene is five to eight times more frequent among smokers who use menthol cigarettes than other smokers, according to an international group of researchers supported by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health.The study is the first to look across all genes to identify genetic vulnerability to menthol cigarettes. The paper was published online in the journal PLOS Genetics.According to the FDA, nearly 20 million people in the United States smoke menthol cigarettes, which are particularly popular among African-American smokers and teen smokers. In the U.S., 86 per cent of African-American smokers use menthol cigarettes, compared to less than 30 per cent of smokers of European descent. In addition, menthol cigarettes may be harder

Scientists discover key reason behind mystery of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's

Scientists at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have identified a potential explanation for the mysterious death of specific brain cells seen in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases.According to the new research, the cells may die because of naturally occurring gene variation in brain cells that were, until recently, assumed to be genetically identical.The variation, called 'somatic mosaicism,' could explain why neurons in the temporal lobe are the first to die in Alzheimer's, for example, and why dopaminergic neurons are the first to die in Parkinson's.Speaking about it, neuroscientist Michael McConnell said, "This has been a big open question in neuroscience, particularly in various neurodegenerative diseases," adding, "What is this selective vulnerability? What underlies it? And so now, with our work, the hypotheses moving forward are that it could be that different regions of the brain actually have a different garden of these [variations] in ..

Bharath Biotech to supply 2 lakh doses of typhoid vaccine to Pakistan

Indian vaccine manufacturer Bharath Biotech will ship two lakh doses of its typhoid vaccine to Pakistan, which is grappling with the outbreak of severe drug-resistant version of the disease.

Low cure rate for childhood cancer in India: Experts

Childhood cancer comprises almost 3-5 per cent of the total cancer cases in India, experts said here on Friday, expressing concern over the low cure rate due to lack of available data.

New nano-painkiller lasts longer, less addictive than opioids

Researchers have developed a new painkiller using nanoparticles that lasts longer than morphine, paving the way for intense pain treatments without the severe side effects associated with opioids.

With ovarian cancer deaths set to spike by 67%, AI to rescue: Study

With the incidence of ovarian cancer likely to increase by 55 per cent in another 15 years or so, researchers have created an artificial intelligence (AI) software to help best treat ovarian cancer that will pave the way for personalised medicine and expedite relief, a new study says.

Jailed Nawaz Sharif shifted to hospital for cardiac treatment

Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who is serving a seven-year sentence in a corruption case, was on Friday shifted to a leading hospital here for cardiac treatment. Sharif, 69, was brought to the Jinnah Hospital from the high security the Kot Lakhpat jai. The Punjab home department has declared the private ward of the hospital a "sub-jail" for the duration of Sharif's stay there, officials said. The ousted premier was shifted back to jail on February 7 after undergoing treatment for six days at the Services Hospital where a multi-disciplinary medical board examined him and unanimously opined that he needs some kind of cardiac intervention. Subsequently, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party supremo's personal physician Adnan Khan had requested the Punjab government to provide round-the-clock expert cardiac care to Sharif at a facility where cardiology intervention and multidisciplinary backup would be available. Accepting the request, the Punjab Home Department ...

Sharif shifted to hospital in Lahore from jail

Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who is serving a seven-year imprisonment in a corruption case, has been shifted to a hospital in Lahore from the Kot Lakhpat jail here for cardiac treatment. Sharif, 69, was brought to the Jinnah Hospital from the jail in high security. The Punjab home department has declared the private ward of Jinnah Hospital a "sub-jail" for the duration of Sharif's stay there. The ousted premier was shifted back to jail on February 7 after having a six-day treatment at Services Hospital where a multi-disciplinary medical board examined him and unanimously opined that he needs some kind of cardiac intervention. Subsequently, the PML-N supremo's personal physician Adnan Khan had requested the Punjab government to provide round-the-clock expert cardiac care to Sharif at a facility where cardiology intervention and multidisciplinary backup would be available. Entertaining the request, the Punjab Home Department accorded sanction for "shifting of ...

Man's obsession with porn may hamper partner's health

Women, take note! If your man is obsessed with watching pornography then there are high chances that you may suffer from an eating disorder, a new study suggests.

New bile acid blood test to predict risk of stillbirth

A simple blood test could be a better way to measure the risk of stillbirth for women with a common liver disorder, say researchers.

Bharat Biotech to acquire rabies vaccine maker Chiron Behring

Bharat Biotech on Friday announced that it has signed an agreement with GlaxoSmithKline Asia to acquire Chiron Behring Vaccines, which would make it the largest manufacturer of rabies vaccine in the world.

Immersive VR therapy may help kids overcome autism phobias

Exposing children and adults with autism to immersive virtual reality (VR) can help alleviate their fears and phobias, say researchers.

Sleep apnoea patients with excess daytime sleepiness at greater CVD risk: Study

Adults with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), who experience excessive sleepiness while awake are at greater risk for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) than those who do not experience such symptoms, says a new study.

Lupin launches seizures drug in US

Drug firm Lupin Friday said it has launched generic Clobazam oral suspension, used for treatment of seizures associated with a severe form of epilepsy, in the US market. The company has launched its Clobazam oral suspension 2.5mg/mL after having received approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) earlier, Lupin said in a statement. The product is the generic version of Lundbeck Pharmaceuticals LLC's Onfi Oral Suspension, 2.5mg/mL, it added. As per IQVIA MAT December 2018 data, Clobazam oral suspension 2.5mg/mL had annual sales of USD 253 million in the US, Lupin said. "It is indicated for the adjunctive treatment of seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) in patients 2 years of age or older," the company added. Shares of Lupin Ltd closed at Rs 775.80 per scrip on BSE, down 4.32 per cent.

Brain function of 'night owls' different from 'larks': Study

'Night owls' -- people who go to bed and get up later -- have fundamental differences in their brain function compared to 'morning larks', which may put constraints on their normal working day, a study has found. Researchers at the University of Birmingham in the UK and colleagues found that individuals whose internal body clock dictates that they go to bed and wake up very late have lower resting brain connectivity in many of the brain regions that are linked to the maintenance of consciousness. This lower brain connectivity was associated with poorer attention, slower reactions and increased sleepiness throughout the hours of a typical working day, according to the study published in the journal SLEEP. It is already known that there are huge negative health consequences for night shift workers due to the constant disruption to sleep and body clocks, said researchers, including those from the University of Surrey in the UK and the University of Campinas in Brazil. However, ...

Bharat Biotech set to acquire Chiron Behring Vaccines

:City-based vaccine- manufacturer Bharat Biotech Friday signed an agreement to acquire Chiron Behring Vaccines, Ankleshwar, Gujarat, from GlaxoSmithKline-Asia for an undisclosed amount. According to chairman and managing director of Bharat Biotech Krishna Ella, Chiron Behring makes rabies vaccine and has an installed capacity of 15 million doses per annum. "This acquisition is strategic in helping us enhance our opportunities to achieve greater scale in tackling public health problems," he said. Bharat Biotechwouldstrengthen its product portfolio and increase product availability to meet the growing demand for the vaccine, Ella told reporters here. Bharat Biotech currently has rabies vaccine- manufacturing capacity of 10 million doses per annum. With the acquisition, the total capacity would go upto 25 million making it the largest manufacturer of rabies vaccine in the world, he said. Quoting WHO reports, Ella said rabies claims lives of over 55,000 people each year ...

Study finds 'old' sperm produces healthier offspring

A new research finds that sperm that live longer before fertilising an egg produce healthier offspring.The study was conducted by researchers from the University of East Anglia and Uppsala University in Sweden and shows that longer-lived sperm in an ejaculate of a zebrafish male produce offspring with longer and healthier lifespans - who in turn produce more and healthier offspring themselves - than the shorter-lived sperm in the same ejaculate.Study experts say the findings may have important implications for human reproduction and fertility, particularly in the context of assisted fertilisation technologies.Speaking about it, lead researcher Dr Simone Immler, from UEA's School of Biological Sciences, said, "One male produces thousands to millions of sperm in a single ejaculate but only very few end up fertilizing an egg."Immler further added, "The sperm within an ejaculate vary not only in their shape and performance, but also in the genetic material that each of them carries. Until

Immune stimulant molecule shown to prevent cancer: Study

Scientists say they have identified a molecule that stimulates the immune system and may protect against the development of multiple types of cancer. The recombinant protein molecule SA-4-1BBL has been used to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of cancer vaccines with success in pre-clinical animal models, said researchers from the University of Louisville in the US. It accomplishes this by boosting the effectiveness of CD8+ T cells, adaptive immune cells trained to target the tumour for destruction, according to the study published in the journal Cancer Research. When the researchers treated normal healthy mice with SA-4-1BBL alone, the mice were protected when the they later exposed them to different types of tumour cells. "The novelty we are reporting is the ability of this molecule to generate an immune response that patrols the body for the presence of rare tumour cells and to eliminate cancer before it takes hold in the body," said Haval Shirwan, a professor at the University of ..

Diet drinks may be linked with strokes among post-menopausal women

It turns out that drinking multiple diet drinks daily may not be a very good idea for post menopausal women. A new study finds that it is associated with an increased risk of having a stroke caused by a blocked artery.The study was published in Stroke, a journal of the American Heart Association.The study is one of the first to look at the association between drinking artificially sweetened beverage and the risk of specific types of stroke in a large, racially diverse group of post-menopausal women.Compared with women who consumed diet drinks less than once a week or not at all, women who consumed two or more artificially sweetened beverages per day were:23 per cent more likely to have a stroke;31 per cent more likely to have a clot-caused (ischemic) stroke;29 er cent more likely to develop heart disease (fatal or non-fatal heart attack); and16 per cent more likely to die from any cause.Furthermore, researchers found risks were higher for certain women. Heavy intake of diet drinks, ...