Page 636 - Health Medical Pharma
Ablynx soars after rejects Novo Nordisk's $3.1 billion biotech bid
COPENHAGEN/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Denmark's Novo Nordisk, the world's biggest insulin maker, went public with a 2.6 billion euro ($3.1 billion) bid for Belgian biotech group Ablynx on Monday, seeking a new source of growth by bolstering its treatments for rare blood disorders.
Undiagnosed hookworm could lead to huge blood loss: experts
Hookworm manifestation in the body if not diagnosed timely, could lead to their multiplication and "immense blood loss" and complications, according to medical experts. City-based Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH) today said the behaviour was observed during the case study of a 14-year-old boy, who was "referred to the centre about six months ago, with two episodes of passage of blood in stool". He was suffering from iron deficiency for the last two years and was being supported with repeated blood transfusion, the hospital said in a statement. "The boy had received 50 units (22 litres) of blood in transfusion in the last two years. His diagnosis could not be established in spite of various repeated tests including esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), colonoscopy and radiographic studies of intestines done earlier and at our centre also, which were normal," it said. "His haemoglobin was low at 5.86 unit," according to Dr Anil Arora, Chairperson, Department of Gastroenterology ..
Ablynx shares soar after rejects Novo Nordisk's $3.1 bln bid
COPENHAGEN/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Denmark's Novo Nordisk, the world's biggest insulin maker, went public with a 2.6 billion euro ($3.1 billion) bid for Belgian biotech group Ablynx on Monday as it seeks a new source of growth by bolstering its treatments for rare blood disorders.
HP to bring law to make prescription of generic drugs
Himachal Pradesh Health Minister Vipin Parmar today said the government would soon bring a law to make prescription of generic drugs mandatory in state-run health facilities. He said this while meeting a delegation of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) at Nanao near here. "Himachal Pradesh will become the first state to bring out such bill. It is the priority of the government to provide qualitative as well as the best medical facilities to the public," Pramar said. Instructions have already been given to government doctors to prescribe generic drugs and those medicines which are available at no cost, he said. If some other medicine is being prescribed, the doctor has to state a reason on the prescription, the minister said. He appealed to the IMA to cooperate in this regard and give suggestions to further improve it.
Conjoined Gaza twins separated in 'successful' Saudi op
Conjoined twin girls born in the blockaded Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip were separated in "successful" surgery in Riyadh today, the state-run Saudi Press Agency said in a statement. Dr Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabiah, who headed the team that operated on Farah and Haneen at the King Abdullah Specialist Children's Hospital, "affirmed the success of the separation surgery", SPA said. The operation began today morning, and involved nine stages of anaesthesia and the separation of multiple organs, including the liver, as well as restoring organs in Haneen. The news comes months after a doctor and family member of the twins pleaded from Gaza that they be allowed to go abroad for the complex surgery. Allam Abu Hamda, head of the neonatal unit at Gaza's Shifa Hospital, told AFP in October the girls were born joined at the stomach and pelvis and that the complicated condition could not be dealt with in the enclave. Israel has maintained a blockade of the enclave for a .
Boy, whose 22 litres blood was sucked by hookworms, cured
In a rare case, a 14-year-old boy, whose 22 litres of blood was sucked by hookworms in his small intestine since the last two years, was cured through a deworming therapy at a city hospital here.
Sanofi and Regeneron boost investment in cancer drug cemiplimab
PARIS (Reuters) - France's Sanofi and U.S Regeneron said on Monday they would inject an additional $1 billion in the development of cemiplimab, an antibody that could, if successful, be used to treat a wide range of cancers.
Woman dies after surgery; kin blame hospital for negligence
Relatives of a 56-year-old woman who died after surgery at a city hospital have approached the Maharashtra Medical Council, claiming she died due to "gross negligence" of the hospital. They said the hospital convinced them that the patient needed to undergo a new and expensive heart valve procedure, claiming it was "200 per cent safe". "My mother-in-law Manju Bafna died a fortnight ago after being discharged from the hospital while still in coma," said Sanjay Bharkatia. The family then lodged a complaint with the Council as the "unprofessional attitude and gross medical negligence" on part of hospital cost her life, he said. Doctors at the hospital had assured the family members that it would be "200 per cent safe" for the patient to undergo the newly-introduced the Transcatheter aortic valve implantation procedure, he said. "They told me that my mother-in-law would be able to go home within five-six days after the surgery which was performed on October 25. She was ...
New recipe for origin of life on Earth found
A team led by an Indian-origin researcher has developed a "fascinating" new theory for how life on Earth may have begun. Their experiments demonstrate that key chemical reactions that support life today could have been carried out with ingredients likely present on the planet four billion years ago. "This was a black box for us," said Ramanarayanan Krishnamurthy, associate professor at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) in the US. "But if you focus on the chemistry, the questions of origins of life become less daunting," said Krishnamurthy, senior author of the study published in the journal Nature Communications. Krishnamurthy and his colleagues focused on a series of chemical reactions that make up what researchers refer to as the citric acid cycle. Every aerobic organism, from flamingoes to fungi, relies on the citric acid cycle to release stored energy in cells. The study outlines how two non-biological cycles - called the HKG cycle and the malonate cycle - could
Novo Nordisk's $3.1 billion Ablynx bid rejected by Belgian biotech
COPENHAGEN/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Denmark's Novo Nordisk, the world's biggest maker of insulin, went public with a 2.6 billion euro ($3.1 billion) bid for Belgian biotech group Ablynx on Monday as it seeks to bolster its treatments for rare blood disorders.
China grappling with winter flu epidemic
China is grappling with a severe winter flu epidemic, so much so, that hospitals flooded with patient waiting for treatment.Patients has are reportedly tense and worried over the delay in receiving treatment.The National Health and Family Planning Commission of China has reported that the number of winter flu cases is higher than in previous years.The number of death cases is incalculable as observed by the state-run media the Global TimesDue to inadequate medical facilities in small cities and villages, patients from small cities and villages outnumber city patients.Zhang Miao, 34-year-old from a Chinese village camping at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital's corridor for three days was quoted by the Global Times as saying that, the medical facilities in her village are inadequate and thus spending around 18,000 Yuan (USD 2,771) for her treatment was worth it.
Woman approaches Bombay HC for terminating 28-week pregnancy
A woman pleading the Bombay High Court to allow her to terminate her 28-week pregnancy on grounds that the foetus has grave medical abnormalities has caught the court in a fix. The woman, from Mumbai, and her husband have argued that not only will the child be born with abnormalities and face consequent difficulties, but forcing the woman to continue with the pregnancy will also cause her trauma and affect her "mental health". A bench of justices R M Borde and Rajesh Ketkar are now in a quandary. The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act has provisions to allow a woman to terminate her pregnancy even if it has gone beyond the permissible 20-week period if the pregnancy and child-birth poses a threat to the woman's physical health or life, the Act does not deal with the mental health of the woman. It has no provision to deal with foetal abnormalities either. The MTP Act permits abortions after consultation with one doctor up to 12 weeks. Between 12 to 20 weeks, medical ...
Regular exercise can reverse age-related heart damage
Exercising four to five times a week can reverse damage to sedentary, ageing hearts and help prevent risk of future heart failure, a study has found. To reap the most benefit, the exercise regimen should begin by late middle age (before 65) when the heart apparently retains some plasticity and ability to remodel itself, researchers said. Exercise needs to be performed four to five times a week. Two to three times a week is not enough, researchers said. "Based on a series of studies performed by our team over the past five years, this 'dose' of exercise has become my prescription for life," said Benjamin Levine, from University of Texas in the US. "I think people should be able to do this as part of their personal hygiene - just like brushing your teeth and taking a shower," Levine said. The regimen included exercising four to five times a week, generally in 30-minute sessions, plus warmup and cool- down. The more than 50 participants in the study were divided into two ...
'Repeated influenza vaccination may reduce flu severity'
Repeated vaccination for influenza may reduce the severity of the virus and hospital admissions in older adults, a study has found. Researchers in Spain looked at the effect of repeated influenza vaccinations in the current and three previous seasons in people aged 65 years and older admitted to 20 Spanish hospitals in 2013/14 and 2014/15. They found that repeated influenza vaccination was twice as effective in preventing severe influenza in people admitted to hospital for the virus, compared with nonsevere cases. This effect was consistent regardless of flu season, virus subtypes or age of patient, researchers said. "Repeated vaccination for influenza was highly effective in preventing severe and fatal infection caused by influenza in older adults," said Itziar Casado from Instituto de Salud Publica de Navarra in Spain. The study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal adds to findings from previous research that shows influenza vaccination reduces severity
Saili Tea Estate in Jalpaiguri suspends operation
The management of Saili tea garden in Jalpaiguri district today put up a suspension of work notice citing low production. Tea garden workers found the notice pasted on the main gate when they reported for work today. Around 1,500 workers are employed in the garden. The tea garden owner could not be contacted. However, CITU leader Zia-ul-Alam said the state government and the Centre should take the initiative to protect the interest of workers during the pruning season. Tea production remains closed during the pruning season from December to February. "A meeting should have been organised between the management and the workers on this matter," he said. Trinamool Congress MLA of Mal(ST), Bulu Chik Baraik, who visited the garden today, said it was a temporary setback and the tea estate would open soon.
Repeated vaccination cuts influenza risk in older adults
Older adults, who are more prone to catching flu, can reduce the risk by going through repeated influenza vaccinations, says new research.
Proper exercise may reverse damage to ageing heart
If done enough and properly, exercise may reverse damage to sedentary, ageing hearts, say researchers, adding that it may also help prevent risk of heart failure in future.