Page 71 - Health Medical Pharma
Natco Pharma & its alliance partner LUPIN receive FDA approval for generic Bosentan tablets
On 2 May 2019
In a first, a drone delivers kidney to a transplant patient
A kidney patient, who waited eight long years for a donor, was able to finally undergo a transplant. Thanks to a drone which ensured the organ was carried in the minimum time possible.In a successful attempt at enhanced organ transportation, the drone carried the organ in a 2.7-mile test flight that lasted 10 minutes from Baltimore's St. Agnes Hospital to the University of Maryland (UMD) medical center, Engadget reports. The kidney was then successfully transplanted to a 44-year-old woman from Baltimore.The project demonstrates the potential of unmanned aircraft systems for providing organ deliveries in cases when it is faster, safer, and easily available than traditional transport methods..
Drug designed to treat impotence can treat heart failure: Study
A drug used to treat erectile dysfunction (inability to get and keep an erection firm to have sexual intercourse) can slow down or even reverse the progression of heart failure, claim researchers.According to the study published in the Journal of Scientific Reports, most current treatments are ineffective. However, the current study conducted on a sheep is claimed to be a breakthrough in the treatment of heart disease.The lead author professor Andrew Trafford argues the effect is likely to be shown in humans as well.Heart failure is a devastating condition, occurring when the heart is too weak to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. It also causes a build-up of fluid that backs up into the lungs, resulting in breathlessness as well as fluid retention, resulting in swelling of different parts of the body."This discovery is an important advance in a devastating condition which causes misery for thousands of people across the UK and beyond," said Professor Trafford.We do have ...
Wife of PM's younger brother dead
Wife of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's younger brother Prahlad Modi, Bhagwatiben died Wednesday at hospital here in Gujarat due to various ailments. She was 55. "Bhagwatiben had chronic diabetes since many years. She was also suffering from various ailments related to heart and kidney. She died at civil hospital during treatment," said hospital superintendent M M Prabhakar. Prahlad Modi is the president of Gujarat Fair Price Shop Owners Association.
New type of dementia identified
Scientists have identified a new type of dementia which has symptoms similar to Alzheimer's disease, but affects the brain differently. The researchers defined diagnostic criteria and other guidelines for advancing future research into this newly-named dementia, called LATE. In the past, using the terms "Alzheimer's disease" and "dementia" interchangeably was common. According to Nina Silverberg, director of the Alzheimer's Disease Centers Program at UK National Institute on Aging (NIA), many of the people who enrolled in clinical trials for Alzheimer's drugs likely did not have amyloid -- the sticky substance that gums up neurons and interferes with thinking -- in their brains. "Recent research and clinical trials in Alzheimer's disease have taught us two things: First, not all of the people we thought had Alzheimer's have it; second, it is very important to understand the other contributors to dementia," Silverberg said in a statement. For years, members of the scientific community .
Jammu University, CSIR-IMTECH sign MoU for research collaboration
The University of Jammu and the CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Chandigarh, have signed a memorandum of understanding for research collaboration. The memorandum was signed by director of CSIR-IMTECH Dr Anil Koul and vice-chancellor of Jammu University Professor Manoj Dhar. Professor Dhar said the collaboration would help build a globally competitive academic and research environment at the varsity. He said the broad framework of the partnership was to conduct joint research projects in medicinal chemistry, material science, molecular biology and bioinformatics disciplines.
Quitting cigarettes may cut bladder cancer risk in women: Study
Quitting cigarette smoking may significantly reduce the risk of bladder cancer in postmenopausal women, a study has found. According to the study published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, the most significant reduction in risk occurred in the first 10 years after quitting, with a modest but continued decline in later years. Although bladder cancer is a fairly rare cancer type, representing an estimated 4.6 per cent of new cancer cases in 2019, it is the most common malignancy of the urinary system, with high recurrence rate and significant mortality, said Yueyao Li, a PhD candidate at Indiana University in the US. "Smoking is a well-established risk factor for bladder cancer, but findings on the relationship between duration of smoking cessation and the reduction in bladder cancer risk are inconsistent," Li said in a statement. She added that while bladder cancer is more common in men, women often have worse outcomes, even when diagnosed at similar stages. In this study, ...
J-K: 2 persons injured after fiddling with explosive substance
Two persons sustained minor injuries due to an explosive substance which went off when they were apparently fiddling with it in their neighbourhood at Damhal area of Kulgam in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday.The individuals have been identified as Shahid and Ikhlaq.Both the injured persons were shifted to a hospital for immediate medical treatment, the police said in a statement."Both are stated to be stable and Ikhlaq was discharged after preliminary medical treatment while Shahid is undergoing treatment," the police added.An investigation has been initiated into the matter.
Sleep, exercise affect new mothers and fathers differently
While sleep and exercise are vital to the well being of a new parent, a recent study suggests that the activities affect new moms differently than new dads.As part of the study, researchers looked at the daily lives of new parents and they found that, in general, adding physical activity and more sleep to their day lead to better personal well-being, a better couple relationship and more closeness with their baby.However, fathers who slept more on average than other fathers reported lower overall well-being and less closeness with their partner and child. In contrast, mothers who slept more on average than other mothers reported greater well-being.Additionally, the researchers found that on days when fathers exercised more than usual, there was a lower likelihood of an argument between the couple. But, on days when mothers exercised more than usual, there was a higher chance of an argument.The team of researchers suggested that these differences may be due to mothers often being seen .
Aussie scientists find antidote for deadly box jellyfish sting
Australian researchers believe they have found an antidote to a sting from the world's most venomous creature, the much-feared box jellyfish. Researchers at the University of Sydney had been investigating how the venom is so deadly that one box jellyfish can kill 60 people. The team noticed the venom needs cholesterol to kill human cells and decided to test whether existing drugs could stop it. "Since there are lots of drugs available that target cholesterol" the team tried one out, said lead author Raymond Lau. "It worked," he said. "It's a molecular antidote." Running tests using human cells and mice, the team found it could stop tissue scarring and pain associated with the sting as long as the medicine was injected within 15 minutes. Stings from box jellyfish -- which can be smaller than a fingernail or up to three metres long depending on the species -- can cause acute muscular pain, violent vomiting, feelings of "impending doom", hair that stands on end, strokes, heart failure ...
Chatterbox parents may boost kid's intelligence
Young children who have talkative parents, and hear a lot of adult speech tend to develop better cognitive skills than their peers, a study has found. The study, led by researchers at the University of York in the UK, identified a link between kids who heard high quantities of adult speech and their nonverbal abilities such as reasoning, numeracy and shape awareness. The researchers gained unprecedented insight into the secret lives of pre-schoolers by fitting tiny audio recorders into the clothing of children aged two to four. The experiences of 107 children and their interactions with parents and other caregivers were recorded in the home environment over three days for up to 16 hours per day. Parents were also asked to complete activities with their children -- involving drawing, copying and matching tasks -- designed to test their child's cognitive skills. "Using the audio recorders allowed us to study real-life interactions between young children and their families in an ...
Cocaine, pesticides polluting rivers in UK: Study
A diverse array of chemicals, including illicit drugs such as cocaine and pesticides, pollute water bodies and aquatic animals in the UK, a study has found. For the first time, researchers from the King's College London and the University of Suffolk in the UK, looked at the exposure of wildlife, such as the freshwater shrimp Gammarus pulex, to different micropollutants. The team collected samples from five catchment areas, and 15 different sites across the county of Suffolk. Cocaine was found in all samples tested, and other illicit drugs such as ketamine, pesticides and pharmaceuticals were also widespread in the shrimp that were collected. Consumer products, medicines and drugs can end up in rivers after use and comprise thousands of different chemicals which have the potential to cause environmental harm. "Although concentrations were low, we were able to identify compounds that might be of concern to the environment and crucially, which might pose a risk to wildlife," said Thomas .
Quitting smoking cuts bladder cancer risk in women
Quitting smoking can reduce the risk of bladder cancer in older women, says a study, adding that the most significant reduction in risk occurred in the first 10 years after quitting.
Stress in the womb lead to mental resilience later in life?
Like other animals, humans can be prepared via epigenetic changes to face the environment their mother experienced during pregnancy, a recent study suggests.A new human study shows that in high-violence communities where children experience prenatal stress, psychiatric problems appear to be less frequent - and a different, potentially protective, the pattern of epigenetic changes emerges."In animals, under some circumstances, exposure of pregnant mothers to predators leads to behavioural and molecular changes in the offspring, that are beneficial in predator-rich environments but not otherwise. A similar relationship between prenatal and postnatal stress may help us explain why some individuals develop psychiatric problems while others seem resilient," explained Daniel Natt, lead author of the study.The team of researchers hypothesised that in high-violence communities, stress during pregnancy will have different consequences than what has been reported in studies of less violent ...
Eating more rice could be protective against obesity: Study
Obesity levels are substantially lower in countries that consume high amounts of rice, while counties with lower average rice intake have higher obesity levels, recent findings suggest.The link between rice intake and obesity persisted even after taking into account other lifestyle and socioeconomic risk factors including total energy consumption, education, smoking, gross domestic product per capita, and health expenditure.The researchers estimate that even a modest increase in average rice consumption could reduce the worldwide prevalence of obesity by 1%."The observed associations suggest that the obesity rate is low in countries that eat rice as a staple food. Therefore, Japanese food or an Asian-food-style diet based on rice may help prevent obesity. Given the rising levels of obesity worldwide, eating more rice should be recommended to protect against obesity even in western countries," said Tomoko Imai, lead researcher of the study discussed in European Congress on Obesity ...
Right combination of diet and bacteria limits cancer progression: Study
While fibre-rich diets are an effective means of cancer prevention, their possible roles in cancer progression and treatment remains poorly understood. According to recent findings, the right combination of diet and bacteria limits cancer progression.The diet of a person can have significant effects on the gut microbiome, i.e. the populations of microorganisms such as bacteria which live in the human gut. It is well recognised that dietary habits through complex metabolic interactions contribute to cancer prevention. More specifically, diets rich in fibre reduce the risk of developing specific cancers such as colorectal cancer.The team of researchers found that a combination of prebiotics, such as dietary fibre, and probiotics, i.e. specific beneficial bacteria, reduces the expression of pro-carcinogenic and drug resistance genes. The combination leads to metabolic changes that affect the growth of cancer cells and may help treat diseases such as CRC.In order to study ...
Suspended Gorakhpur doctor demands CBI inquiry into death of children
Alleging "targeted victimisation", Dr Kafeel Khan, who was suspended following the deaths of over 60 children at Gorakhpur's BRD Hospital in 2017, Tuesday demanded CBI probe into the tragedy. Khan, who was in Bihar for his "health for all" campaign, alleged that he has been made a scapegoat in the incident which occurred because of shortage of oxygen cylinder supply caused by non-payment of dues to the supplier. "I demand CBI inquiry into the deaths and also that the trial be transferred outside Uttar Pradesh. Those responsible for the tragedy including top health department officials and the minister concerned, are going about scot free and even heading the departmental inquiry which has been going on for the past 18 months," he told reporters here. During his visit to the state, he also campaigned for CPI candidate Kanhaiya Kumar in Begusarai. Khan, whose brother last year survived bullet injuries in an attack by unidentified assailants in Gorakhpur, also deplored the "insensitive ..
Sangram Chaudhary appointed new MD of Mother Dairy
The Board of Directors of Mother Dairy Fruit and Vegetable on Tuesday appointed Sangram Chaudhary as the company's new MD. Chaudhary would take charge from May 1.
J&J hip implants: Drug regulator orders compensation for 2 more patients
The country's drug regulator has directed pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson to pay compensation to two more patients who received faulty hip implants made by the firm, a senior health ministry official said Tuesday. The official said the both the patients are from Uttar Pradesh and the J&J has been asked to give them Rs 90.26 lakh and Rs 1.01 crore. With these two cases, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has so far ordered compensation to four patients, based on the recommendations of the Cental Expert Committee and the state-level committee. Earlier, the regulator had directed Johnson & Johnson to pay compensation to one patient each in Mumbai (in March) and Delhi (April). The CDSCO has directed the compensation to be paid within 30 days from the date of receipt of the order. In November last year, the Union Health Ministry approved a formula for determination of compensation for patients who had received, prior to August 2010, ASR hip ...
Nasscom, GE Healthcare partner to bring digital healthcare solutions to the market
IT industry body Nasscom Tuesday said it has partnered with GE Healthcare to bring bring digital healthcare solutions to the market. "The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) through its Center of Excellence-Internet of Things (CoE-IoT) announced a strategic partnership with GE Healthcare. "The partnership is intended to flourish the start-up ecosystem in the country and work with them to bring digital healthcare solutions to the market," Nasscom said in a statement. Nasscom CoE-IoT is an innovation hub for start-ups that provides a platform for collaborative innovation. "We are committed to drive digital adoption in India but we know that we can't do it alone. We need an ecosystem of partners with whom we can work to supplement the work already underway at our research centers. This partnership with NASSCOM CoE-IoT will help us bring to market solutions that improve people's lives," Dileep Mangsuli, chief technology officer, GE Healthcare South Asia ...