Page 380 - Health Medical Pharma
Over 1,000 genes linked to educational attainment identified
An international team of scientists has identified nearly 1,300 genetic variants associated with how much education someone may complete.
Sun Pharma launches generic Glumetza tablets in US
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries today said one of its wholly owned subsidiaries has launched generic metformin hydrochloride extended release tablets, used for glycemic control, in the US market. The tablets have been launched in the strengths of 500 mg and 1000 mg, it said in a filing to BSE. The tablets are generic versions of Santarus Inc's Glumetza HCl extended release tablets in the same strengths, it added. "The addressable market size is approximately USD 443 million for the 12 months ending April 2018, as per IQVIA," Sun Pharma said. The tablets are used to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes. The Sun Pharma stock was trading 0.24 per cent down at Rs 561.15 in the afternoon on BSE.
IIPH-H working on drone delivery system for medical products
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Public Health, Hyderabad (IIPH-H) are working on a drone delivery system for medical products which is expected to be time and cost effective compared to transportation by road. The Digital Drone based Real Time Advanced Medical Modular logistics system (2 DREAM) model envisages delivering medical products to the point of need or utilisation on a drone, Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator- Health Informatics, IIPH, Suresh Munuswamy told PTI. The medical products include blood samples, vaccines, medicines, he said. Munuswamy said the institute is working on developing the design of the drone (suitable for the purpose), the specifications, including the distance the drone is supposed to travel, and the approximate size of the payload (of the drone) i.e carrying capacity of the drone. "(We are working on) One is coming out with specifications, second is working on the design part, third is looking for partners who actually ...
Tiny robot can detect drug-resistant TB within an hour
Scientists have created a microscopic robot that can quickly identify whether a tuberculosis patient is resistant to the basic, first-line drugs prescribed to fight the potentially deadly disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) calls tuberculosis drug resistance "a formidable obstacle" to treatment and prevention of a disease that killed 240,000 people in 2016. The technology, developed by researchers at the Brock University in Canada, builds on an earlier version of the microscopic robot - called the three-dimensional DNA nanomachine - created in 2016 to detect diseases in a blood sample within 30 minutes. The team re-designed the nanomachine so that it could uncover mutations in the genes found in the bacteria that causes tuberculosis. The nanomachine holds the potential to determine, within one hour, whether or not tuberculosis bacteria contain the genetic mutations that make them resistant to the basic, first-line drugs prescribed to fight tuberculosis. According to WHO, ...
'New blood test could help diagnose brain injury'
A novel blood test may help doctors determine if people who have experienced a blow to the head could have a traumatic brain injury such as bleeding or bruising, according to a study. The test called Banyan Brain Trauma Indicator, described in The Lancet Neurology journal, aids in the evaluation of patients with a suspected traumatic brain injury or concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury. Physicians have relied on subjective markers - mainly patient-reported symptoms such as headaches, nausea, or light sensitivity - to make an educated "guess" on which individuals have brain trauma and require a head CT scan, said researchers at the University of Rochester in the US. Particularly among athletes who may hide symptoms in order to keep playing, a subjective assessment is not always reliable. The new test provides an objective indicator of injury that can potentially be obtained quickly and easily in busy emergency departments. In February, the US Food and Drug ...
Eye drops with turmeric extracts may help treat glaucoma
A derivative of turmeric could be used in eye drops to treat the early stages of glaucoma - one of the leading causes of blindness, a study has found. Researchers from the Imperial College London and University College London in the UK delivers curcumin, extracted from the yellow spice turmeric, directly to the back of the eye using eye drops, overcoming the challenge of curcumin's poor solubility. The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, showed that the eye drops can reduce the loss of retinal cells in rats, which is known to be an early sign of glaucoma. They are also investigating how the eye drops could be used as a diagnostic tool for a range of conditions. "Curcumin is an exciting compound that has shown promise at detecting and treating the neurodegeneration implicated in numerous eye and brain conditions from glaucoma to Alzheimer's disease, so being able to administer it easily in eye drops may end up helping millions of people," said Francesca Cordeiro, a ...
Intractable hiccups associated with medical conditions
Hiccups typically occur between four to sixty times in a minute. Acute hiccups are common which start without any specific reason and go away in a few minutes. They often can be stopped by holding the breath or breathing into a paper bag.Everyone gets hiccups, but some people suffer intractable hiccups that last longer than a month, according to two Loyola Medicine neurologists.Chief neurology resident, Stasia Rouse and Assistant professor Matthew Wodziak said, "Intractable hiccups can occur more often than we realize and present to multiple medical disciplines."Persistent hiccups (lasting longer than two days) and intractable hiccups (lasting longer than a month) generally are associated with underlying medical conditions.They interfere with eating, socializing and sleeping and can significantly impair a patient's quality of life.The researchers described a hiccup as an involuntary, spasmodic contraction of the diaphragm and sometimes the intercostal muscles (tiny muscles between the
Risk stages for children with chronic kidney disease uncovered
Although a prognostic guide to kidney diseases exists for adults, the first tool specific to children has now been uncovered.Experts in pediatric kidney disease have published a new staging system to help doctors better predict the length of time until a child with chronic kidney disease (CKD) will need to undergo a kidney transplant or start receiving dialysis.Study leader Susan L. Furth said, "We designed a clinically useful, data-driven tool for doctors and nurses to advise parents and plan treatment, based on when a child's kidney disease is likely to progress to the need for transplant or dialysis."Healthcare providers currently rely mainly on their own clinical experience to estimate when their patients' condition will progress to end-stage renal disease.The researchers drew on two large multicenter study consortia of children with chronic kidney disease. The Chronic Kidney Disease in Children (CKid) study gathered data on 891 patients from North American centers.The study team .
Blood tests can predict treatment for advanced prostate cancer
A blood test can predict optimal treatment for advanced prostate cancer, a recent study has found.An international collaborative study between Lawson Health Research Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the Royal Marsden and Epic Sciences is one of the first to demonstrate that a blood test can predict how patients with advanced prostate cancer will respond to specific treatments, leading to improved survival.The study used a liquid biopsy test developed by molecular diagnostics company Epic Sciences that examines circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in blood samples from patients with advanced prostate cancer.The test identifies whether or not a patient's CTCs contain a protein called AR-V7 in the cell's nucleus. The research team set out to determine whether the presence of this protein predicted which treatment would best prolong a patient's life.Scientist Dr. Alison Allan said, "The study focused on a critical decision point when patients and their oncologists are ...
Spain's Catalonia in raw milk controversy
Catalonia is in the eye of the storm again, but not for its independence drive. This time, the controversy is all about... raw milk. The Spanish region's decision last Thursday to allow the sale of unpasteurised cow's milk directly from producers to consumers after it was banned 28 years ago has caused alarm due to the potential health risks involved. Spanish media has published article after article outlining the bacteria-induced danger, health experts have come out against it and the issue has gone viral on Twitter, echoing similar vivid debates in countries such as the United States. Catalonia's food and agriculture regional minister Teresa Jorda argues raw milk has "spectacular" health properties and is safe due to the "technological improvements in farming equipment" and strict hygiene standards. "There is the same level of danger as opening the fridge, grabbing a chicken thigh which has been there for four weeks and eating it," she told Catalonia's RAC1 radio on Sunday. But ...
15 detained in China vaccine scandal
Chinese authorities have arrested 15 people including the chairwoman of a rabies vaccine producer under fire for fraudulent quality control in the country's latest drug-safety scandal. News that pharmaceutical manufacturer Changchun Changsheng Biotechnology had fabricated records and was ordered to cease production of rabies vaccines has revived deep consumer unease over product safety in the country, fuelled by recurring scandals over the years. Authorities in the northeastern city of Changchun, where the company is based, have arrested 15 people including the company's chairwoman on "suspicion of criminal offences", city police announced late on Tuesday. The announcement did not give the chairwoman's full name but she has previously been identified as Gao Junfang. The affair has shattered already fragile trust in regulators and spotlighted the frustrations of China's increasingly sophisticated consumers, who took to social media en masse to vent their anger over the case. The China .
LVAD allows Delhi man suffering end-stage heart failure to undergo transplant
A 41-year-old man from Delhi, who had reached end-stage heart failure, got a new lease of life after undergoing a successful transplant surgery at a city hospital, where he was kept on a high-end device till the organ was received. Shubhankar Dhar Choudhary was brought to the private hospital in south Delhi "on a ventilator" in February 2015 and within a few days, was put on an LVAD (left ventricular assist device) as his condition had worsened, doctors said. LVAD is a pump that is used for patients who have reached end-stage of heart failure. It is inserted inside the patient with thin wire emerging out of the body linked to a power source outside. "The patient had suffered from multiple episodes in 2013 like arrythmia, vomiting, severe perspiration and dizziness and was given a pacemaker. In 2015, he was brought to Max Saket," a spokesperson of the hospital said. Choudhary and 71-year old R P Garg, whom the hospital claims to be the "first receiver of Heart Mate III LVAD implant in .
2 children die in Gujarat, probe ordered
Two children have died in Gujarat due to unknown reasons, prompting a government enquiry to ascertain whether the deaths are linked to the Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccination for which a drive is underway, an official said today. While the families of the deceased alleged that the deaths occurred due to "adverse reactions" caused by the vaccination, the Health officials ruled it out. The deceased were identified as Dimple Maheswari (13) and Mukesh Ninama (7) who hailed from Kutch and Aravlli districts respectively. The Health Department has ordered a probe into the death of Dimple Maheshwari in Khirsara village, a senior officer said even as he ruled out any connection between the vaccination and the death of the girl. According to the police, Maheshwari suddenly collapsed at her house this morning. She was rushed to a health centre in Naliya town, where doctors declared her brought dead, a Kothara police official said. The police have registered a case of accidental ...
Home minister visits AIIMS to enquire about Vajpayee's health condition
Home Minister Rajnath Singh today visited AIIMS to enquire about the health condition of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who is undergoing treatment at the premier institute. Singh reached AIIMS around 7.30 and left around 8.20 pm, according to a source. Vajpayee was admitted to the hospital on June 11 with a kidney tract infection, chest congestion, urinary tract infection and urine output on the lower side. The 93-year-old BJP leader, a diabetic, has one functional kidney. He had suffered a stroke in 2009 that weakened his cognitive abilities. Subsequently, he developed dementia.
2 kids die during Guj vaccination drive
At least two children have died in the last three days during the Gujarat government's ongoing Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccination drive. The family members of the deceased have blamed the "adverse reactions" caused by the vaccination as the reason behind the deaths. As many as 30 children in Bhiloda taluka in tribal-dominated Arvalli district had taken ill after receiving the MR vaccine, a health official said today. The deceased were identified as Dimple Maheswari (13) and Mukesh Ninama (7) who hailed from Kutch and Aravlli districts, respectively. The Health Department has ordered a probe into the death of Dimple Maheshwari in Khirsara village, a senior officer said even as he ruled out any connection between vaccination and the death of the girl. According to police, Maheshwari suddenly collapsed at her house this morning. She was rushed to a health centre in Naliya town, where doctors declared her brought dead, a Kothara police official said. The police have registered a case of ...
USAID, DHFL sign $10 mn loan guarantee for health SMEs
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) and Dewan Housing Finance Corp Ltd (DHFL) on Tuesday signed a $10 million loan guarantee agreement which will benefit small and medium enterprises operating in the healthcare sector in Tier II and III cities in India, officials said.
Cardiac care to be taken to rural Goa: Rane
The Goa government will take cardiac health care to remote villages in the state through its newly launched ambulance service, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said today in the Legislative Assembly. He said well-equipped cardiac ambulances with doctors on board have been launched to ensure critical health care services reach the poorest of the poor. "It is difficult to provide cardiac care to every periphery. We have put cardiac ambulances in rural areas," the minister said. He said doctors in state-run Primary and Community Health Centres have also been trained to thrombolyse patients who suffer cardiac problem. Thrombolysis is a treatment to dissolve dangerous clots in blood vessels, improve blood flow, and prevent damage to tissues and organs. It is often used as an emergency treatment to dissolve blood clots that form in arteries feeding the heart and brain -- the main cause of heart attacks and ischemic strokes. Rane said the launch of cardiac ambulances will save ...
Health services in MP affected as 1,200 junior doctors resign
Health services in Madhya Pradesh were affected today as around 1,200 junior doctors at five government hospitals in the state resigned to protest the "expulsion" of five of their colleagues in Gwalior. Junior doctors in government-run hospitals across the state launched an indefinite strike yesterday to press for their various demands, including a hike in stipend. However, five of the protesting doctors in Gwalior were expelled by the authorities yesterday. There are five government hospital-cum-medical colleges across Madhya Pradesh. They are in Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore, Jabalpur and Rewa. "Around 1,200 junior doctors from the five government hospital-cum-medical colleges in the state resigned en masse to protest the expulsion of five of our colleagues by the state government," president of Junior Doctors Association in Madhya Pradesh, Dr Sachet Saxena told PTI. He accused the government of treating the junior doctors as its "servants". "The government has clamped Essential Services .
Cancer care centre at Ambala Cantt to benefit 50 lakh people: Min
Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij said today that the first government 'Cancer Care Centre' to be set up at the Civil Hospital in Ambala Cantonment would benefit around 50 lakh people of the nearby areas. Speaking after laying the foundation stone of this centre at Ambala Cantt, Vij said the construction work will be completed by February 2019. "The four-storey building would be constructed at a cost of Rs 56 crore by the HLL Enterprise of Union Health Ministry and the agency had started the construction work from today. The centre would have all the facilities for cancer patients, including radiography and surgery," he said. The minister said the number of cancer patients was rising alarmingly day by day. Refuting allegations that only Ambala is being developed in terms of health benefits, Vij said all the existing hospitals in other cities of the state are also being renovated. "More efforts have been made by the present government as compared to the previous government for the ...
Singapore may use drones to deliver medicine, for security
Drones could be used across hi-tech Singapore to deliver life-saving medical supplies to a patient during an emergency or to respond to a security breach under a new system in development, a private consortium said today. Future Flight Consortium, a 13-member group, said it had been chosen by the country's civil aviation authority and transport ministry to develop the drone programme. Its uses could include transporting blood samples, delivering emergency medical supplies and responding to security incidents across the city-state, it said in a statement. Tiny Singapore, with a population of 5.6 million, is ultra-modern, well-ordered and tightly regulated -- factors seen to improve the scheme's chance of working. The drones would be operated remotely by pilots at an operations centre and be able to travel relatively long distances across the city-state. This is in contrast to their recreational counterparts -- whose use is permitted in Singapore -- which can travel only short ...