Page 228 - Health Medical Pharma
New drug offers hope for diabetes-related blindness
In a major breakthrough, Australian scientists have developed a new drug that offers treatment for people suffering from diabetic retinopathy -- the main cause of blindness from diabetes.
Opt for masking for flawless skin
As much as the holiday season is all about fun and joy accompanied by overindulgence, it also means an adverse impact on the skin via the combination of alcohol, sugar and little sleep. Therefore no matter what the skin type is, it needs to be pampered and taken care of and a great fix in our busy lives is the facemask.
Potentially deadly bacterium becoming drug resistant: Study
A type of bacterium -- known to be the major cause of life-threatening infections after surgery -- is becoming increasingly dangerous due to antibiotic resistance, scientists say. Staphylococcus epidermidis is often overlooked by clinicians and scientists because it is so abundant -- found on the skin of every person. Researchers from the University of Bath in the UK warn that the threat posed by this organism should be taken more seriously and use extra precautions for those at higher risk of infection who are due to undergo surgery. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, identified a set of 61 genes that allow this normally harmless skin bacterium to cause life-threatening illness. They hope that by understanding why some strains of S epidermidis cause disease in certain circumstances, they could in the future identify which patients are most at risk of infection before undergoing surgery. Researchers took samples from patients who suffered infections following ..
Merck Foundation awarded First Lady of Central African Republic to acknowledge her efforts as 'Merck More Than a Mother' Ambassador
Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck Germany met The First Lady of Central African Republic - C.AR., H.E. MADAM BRIGITTE TOUADERA to underscore their commitment to build healthcare capacity in the country.The discussion was led by Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg Haverkamp, Chairman of the Executive Board of E. Merck KG and the Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trusteesand Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation & President, Merck More Than a Mother.Merck foundation also awarded Her Excellency to acknowledge her efforts as "Merck More Than a Mother" Ambassador in the country. During the committee meeting, many new programs were finalized and launched in partnership with the Ministry of Health of C.A.R.H.E. MADAM BRIGITTE TOUADERA, The First Lady of Central African Republic & Merck more than a Mother Ambassador emphasized, "We are very thankful to Merck Foundation for launching their programs in our country. These programs will prove very significant in creating an .
New self-powered sensor to monitor heart failure
Chinese scientists have designed an implant and self-powered sensor that can help monitor heart failure, a global public health problem in which the heart is incapable of pumping sufficient blood to meet the body's needs.
Family umbilical cord blood pool to cure a host of blood-related disorders
With growing evidence that Umbilical Cord Blood Transplant (UCBT) is one of the major treatment options for various genetic and blood-related diseases, the concept of cord blood pool banking is gradually developing in India. Doctors say that over 95 per cent of blood-related disorders can be treated using umbilical cord blood (UCB) from a donor. Keeping this in mind, a cord blood bank has introduced the first Family Umbilical Cord Blood Pool Banking concept in the country. MyCord, a vertical of CelluGen, a government-licensed cord blood bank, advocates that each UCB unit be privately banked and stored as part of a pool, thereby providing an easy access to patients to the best-matched cord blood unit. "The idea behind the 'Family Cord Blood Pool Bank' is to create a balance between insufficient cord blood units in public banks and the utility of stored blood units in pool banks for allogeneic use with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing," Lalit Jaiswal, the director of CelluGen ...
Testing for a chromosomal disorder during pregnancy is advisable (Health Notes)
It may sound like code language or a password. But no, 22q11.2 is the name of one of the most common chromosomal disorders after Down syndrome.
Objections from family, hospital delay Sikh girl's wish to donate kidney to save Muslim friend
A Sikh girl in Jammu and Kashmir wants to donate one of her kidneys to save the life of her Muslim friend suffering from organ failure, but objections by her family and a hospital here are delaying the procedure, prompting them to approach court. Manjot Singh Kohli (23), a Sikh social activist from Udhampur area of the Jammu region, has decided to donate one of her kidneys to her 22-year-old friend Samreen Akhtar, a Muslim and a resident of Rajouri district. "We have been friends for the past four years and I am emotionally attached to her. Also, it is my strong belief in humanity that is motivating me to donate my kidney," Kohli said. She said Akhtar has been involved in social activism with her for the past many years in Jammu. "But, Akhtar never told me about her illness and I came to know through a mutual friend. She has been my friend and supporter in my tough times and I decided to donate a kidney to her when she needs it," Kohli said. Akhtar said she was grateful to her friend .
Measles cases spike globally as gaps persist in vaccination coverage: WHO
The Americas, the Eastern Mediterranean region, and Europe experienced the greatest upsurges in measles cases in the year 2017 with an estimated 1,10,000 deaths related to the disease across the globe, according to a new report by World Health Organization (WHO).
WHO calls for making quality testing accessible to all
On the eve of World AIDS Day, the World Health Organisation pitched for making quality testing accessible to all to accelerate progress against HIV/AIDS. WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, Poonam Khetrapal Singh said people living with HIV (PLHIV) across the world lacked access to testing and hence, did not know their HIV status. "Lack of such testing facilities inhibits access to treatment and enhances the likelihood of AIDS-related complications and death. It also allows the virus to spread. "Ensuring all people everywhere have access to quality HIV testing and know their status is critical to preventing and controlling HIV/AIDS," she said. Singh said though in the recent years, member states have made strong progress in all aspects of HIV/AIDS prevention and control, still an estimated 3.5 million people live with the disease. Between 2010 and 2017, AIDS-related deaths declined by 40 per cent. Between 2000 and 2017, new infections were more than halved i.e. from 3,18,000 to
FSSAI launches media campaign against industrially produced trans fat
Food regulator FSSAI on Friday launched a mass media campaign to educate people about the bad effects of industrially produced trans fat. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said trans fat intake leads to more than 500,000 deaths from cardiovascular disease every year globally. Trans fats are made by adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid and increase the shelf life of foods. Trans fats are largely present in vanaspati, margarine and bakery shortenings, and can be found in baked and fried foods. Entitled 'Heart Attack Rewind', the 30-second public service announcement (PSA) will support FSSAI's campaign against trans fat. "FSSAI is committed to reducing the industrially produced trans fatty acids to less than 2 per cent by the year 2022 in a phased manner. This is in line with our objective to get Freedom from 'Trans Fat: India@75," FSSAI's CEO Pawan Agarwal said in a statement. He hoped that this media campaign will educate consumers ...
FSSAI launches campaign, calls for elimination of industrially produced trans-fat in food supply
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) launched Friday a media campaign calling for the elimination of industrially produced trans-fat in the food supply. Named "Heart Attack Rewind", the 30-second public service announcement the first mass media campaign of its kind will support FSSAI's global target of eliminating trans-fat in India by 2022, a year ahead of the global target by the World Health Organization, the FSSAI said in a statement. Globally, trans-fat intake leads to more than 500,000 deaths from cardiovascular disease every year. Trans-fat are made by adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid, and to increase the shelf life of foods, the statement said. "The FSSAI is committed to reducing the industrially produced trans fatty acids to less than 2 per cent by 2022 in a phased manner. This is in line with our objective to get Freedom from Trans Fat: India@75'," Pawan Agarwal, CEO FSSAI, said. "I am hopeful that this media campaign ...
Karna govt, Dutch join hands to launch health care pilot
The Karnataka government Friday said it has tied up with The Netherlands to launch three pilot projects in the health care sector. The projects were in the areas of geriatric, mental health and diabetes-hypertension and would be co-funded by the state and the Dutch goverments, Karnataka IT-BT adivsor Rajkumar Srivastava said here at the Bengaluru Tech Summit. Rs 60 lakh would be made available for each of the pilot projects with a matching funding by The Netherlands, he said adding they would be taken up in the first quarter of 2019. This was part of the letter of intent signed by the government in May this year with The Netherlands Enterprise Agency and the Task Force for applied research to set up a Living Lab here. The lab was aimed at improving access to affordable health care through means of eHealth and medical devices, Senior Advisor International R&D Cooperation, Life Sciences & Health, Netherlands Enterprise Agency Niels van Leeuwen said. It would provide
Future Lifestyle Fashions gets revision in credit ratings
From CRISIL and CARE
Miscarriage might be linked to heart disease risk: Study
Women who experience miscarriages or pregnancy loss and do not have children are at greater risk of cardiovascular problems such as heart disease and stroke, compared with women who have only one or two children, says a new study.
Biocon, Mylan joint product Fulphila gets approval in EU
Biotechnology major Biocon Friday said the European Commission has granted marketing authorisation to its partner Mylan for Fulphila, a biosimilar product to treat cancer. Fulphila, a biosimilar Pegfilgrastim, jointly developed by Biocon and Mylan, has been approved in European Union (EU), Biocon said in a regulatory filing. In September, European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use had issued a positive opinion recommending approval of the product which is biosimilar to Amgen's Neulasta. It is indicated for the reduction in the duration of neutropenia and the incidence of febrile neutropenia in adult patients treated with cytotoxic chemotherapy for malignancy. Biosimilar Pegfilgrastim treatment can be used to stimulate bone marrow to produce more neutrophils to fight infection in patients undergoing chemotherapy, the company said. According to IQVIA, Neulasta had sales of more than USD 450 million (Rs 3136 crore) in Europe for the 12 months ending June ..
Romania shuts hospital after babies diagnosed with superbug
Romanian health authorities on Friday temporarily closed a maternity hospital in the capital after 13 babies born there recently were diagnosed with a drug-resistant superbug. The Health Ministry said the Giulesti Maternity Hospital in Bucharest would stop admissions after the newborns were recently diagnosed with antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The Grigore Alexandru children's hospital said Thursday it was treating at least six babies born recently in Giulesti for the bug. It said the babies didn't have a fever, without providing further information on their condition. The ministry said wards would be closed for cleaning and disinfection after patients were discharged. The hospital said it had cancelled dozens of C-section operations next week. Women will have the procedure at other public hospitals in the capital. The Public Health Directorate said 11 hospital employees found to be carriers of the bacteria have been temporarily removed from the hospital to undergo ...
Babies kicking in womb create map of their bodies: Study
The kicks a mother feels from her unborn child may allow the baby to 'map' their own body and enable them to eventually explore their surroundings, according to a study. Published in the journal Scientific Reports, the study measured brainwaves produced when newborn babies kick their limbs during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Researchers from University College London (UCL) in the UK found that fast brainwaves -- a brainwave pattern typically seen in neonates -- fire in the corresponding hemisphere. For example, the movement of a baby's right hand causes brainwaves to fire immediately afterwards in the part of the left brain hemisphere that processes touch for the right hand. The size of these brainwaves is largest in premature babies, who at that age would usually still be in the womb. The findings suggest that foetal kicks in the late stages of pregnancy -- the third trimester -- help to grow areas of the brain that deal with sensory input, and are how the baby develops a sense of
Biosimilar Pegfilgrastim Co-Developed by Biocon receives approval in EU
The European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) had issued a positive opinion recommending approval of Fulphila as a biosimilar to Amgen's Neulasta, which is indicated for the reduction in the duration of neutropenia and the incidence of febrile neutropenia in adult patients treated with cytotoxic chemotherapy for malignancy, in September 2018.
Govt started world's largest healthcare insurance scheme: Pradhan
Union Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday said that the government has started the world's largest healthcare insurance scheme."Indian government has started the world's largest healthcare insurance scheme. Ayushman Yojana, popularly known as Modi Care, is an ambitious scheme. 1.5 lakh wellness centres will be built. Skilled manpower will be required for that. Skill Development Department is working on it," Pradhan told reporters.Addressing a gathering at the India Health Summit 2018, Pradhan said, "Healthcare is an issue of prime importance to the common man. Our government led by Prime Minister Modi believes that quality healthcare should be affordable and accessible to all. For the first time in the country, nearly half the population is covered under Ayushman Bharat."He further said, "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi we have launched several game-changing initiatives in the Indian healthcare sector including Ayushman Bharat, ..