Page 72 - Health Medical Pharma
Ghana becomes second country to launch vital malaria vaccine
Ghana on Tuesday rolled out the world's only proven malaria vaccine for infants as part of a landmark campaign against the deadly mosquito-borne disease, one week after Malawi became the first country to do so. Malaria kills hundreds of thousands of people each year, mainly in Africa, and it is hoped a vaccine will bring down the toll. Children are especially at risk, and babies were Ghana's first vaccine recipients Tuesday in the town of Cape Coast, 150 kilometres west of the capital Accra. "I hope this will help us to be able to eliminate malaria, so Ghana can be a malaria-free country," said Justice Arthur, the doctor running the clinic. The vaccines will be given to children between the ages of six months and two years, in a project run by Ghana's health ministry and the World Health Organization (WHO). "I am really hopeful that the vaccine is going to help me and my family," said Abigail Aguanyi, a woman waiting to get her child, Blessing, vaccinated. Many of her family members ..
Cancer-stricken village near nuclear test site cries for help
Close to the India-Pakistan border near Rajasthan's Pokhran lies a village named Khartoli where residents are slowly succumbing to cancer, perhaps paying the price for the two nuclear tests conducted in its vicinity. However, none of the officials concerned have so far paid attention to their health travails.
Lupin-Natco get USFDA nod to market generic hypertension drug
Drug firm Lupin, in alliance with Natco Pharma, has received approval from the US health regulator to market generic Bosentan tablets used for treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension, the Mumbai-based company said Tuesday. The approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) is for marketing Bosentan tablets in the strengths of 62.5 mg and 125 mg, Lupin said in a statement. The tablets of Lupin and Natco are generic version of Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd's Tracleer tablets in the same strengths, it added. As per IQVIA MAT March 2019 data, Bosentan tablets 62.5 mg and 125 mg had an annual sales of around USD 84.8 million in the US market, Lupin said. The tablets are indicated for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension in adults to improve exercise ability and to decrease clinical worsening. Shares of Lupin Ltd closed at Rs 867.65 per scrip on the BSE, down 0.07 per cent from its previous close.
Smartphone, AI may help detect diabetic retinopathy
Equipping a smartphone to capture retinal images and using artificial intelligence (AI) to interpret those may help overcome barriers to ophthalmic screening for people with diabetes, says a study.
Stressed during exams? Junk food may be to blame: Study
Eating a poor quality diet, including less fruits and vegetables and more fast food, is associated with increased stress during university examinations, according to a study unveiled Monday. "Stress has long been implicated in poor diet. People tend to report overeating and comfort eating foods high in fat, sugar, and calories in times of stress," said Nathalie Michels from Ghent University in Belgium. "Our findings looking at the eating habits of students during exam periods confirm this stress-induced dietary deterioration hypothesis," said Michels, who led the study being presented at the annual European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Glasgow, UK. "Our findings suggest that students have difficulties eating healthily and find themselves adopting bad eating habits, which over a few weeks can considerably affect your overall health and be difficult to change," she said in a statement. The results are based on an anonymous online survey of 232 students (aged 19-22 years) recruited from .
UK opens inquiry into tainted-blood scandal that killed 2400
A long-awaited inquiry is opening in Britain into how contaminated blood was used to treat thousands of people in the 1970s and '80s, killing at least 2,400. Thousands of hospital patients - many of them hemophiliacs - were infected with HIV or Hepatitis C through tainted blood products, largely imported from the United States. Previous investigations have been branded a whitewash by victims' campaigners. In 2017 Prime Minister Theresa May ordered a new inquiry, with the power to summon witnesses. As hearings began Tuesday, May said "today will begin a journey which will be dedicated to getting to the truth of what happened and in delivering justice to everyone involved." The inquiry, led by a retired judge, will spend months hearing from victims in London and around the country.
Genomic Quirks: The Search for Spelling Errors; One of a Kind Book on Genomics by Dr. Ramesh Hariharan
/ -- Genomic Quirks: The Search for Spelling Errors, a book authored by Dr. Ramesh Hariharan, CEO of Strand Life Sciences, was launched at Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru on 11th April 2019. The book shares real stories about instances of genomic spelling errors with serious consequences: infants passing away mysteriously, siblings with misplaced organs, several instances of vision loss in a family, hearts of sisters which failed in the prime of their youth, instance of a boy whose blood couldn't carry enough oxygen, a baby with eye cancer, middle-aged patient battling cancer and own colour blindness of the author. Each case proves to be a quest that connects the world of medical practice with that of molecular biology, powered by computer algorithms. Dr. Rajani Battu, Medical Director, Centre for Eye Genetics and Research was quoted, "The book is a must read not only for medical students but for anyone who has an interest to understand genetics. Ramesh was one of the first ...
Zinc oxide supplements may prevent fat build up in liver: IIT study
Scientists at IIT Mandi have found that zinc oxide nanoparticles can help prevent fat accumulation in the liver, a finding that may pave the way for new therapies against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Liver, the largest internal human organ, secretes bile, stores glucose in the form of glycogen, and converts vitamins, minerals and amino acids into their biologically absorbable forms. While hepatitis viral infections and alcohol-induced liver malfunctions used to be the main cause of liver diseases in the past, the dramatic shift towards sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy food habits has caused them to be outpaced by NAFLD. "NAFLD is a condition in which the body creates too much fat that gets stored in the liver cells, called steatosis, which could lead to scarring or cirrhosis, and eventual liver failure," said Prosenjit Mondal, Assistant Professor at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi. WHO reports that the number of deaths due to liver diseases in India was ...
Novel drug may treat diabetes in kids
Scientists have successfully completed clinical trials of a novel drug to treat Type 2 diabetes in children Currently only two drugs, metformin and insulin, are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes in children. By comparison, more than 30 drugs are approved to treat this form of diabetes in adults. "We've not been able to get drugs approved for children beyond metformin and insulin," said Jane Lynch, from the University of Texas in the US. "This adult diabetes medication was very effective in our trial of youth with Type 2 diabetes and was well tolerated. We urgently need other options for medical treatment of Type 2 diabetes in our youth under age 18," Lynch said in a statement. "If approved, this drug would be a fantastic new option to complement oral metformin therapy as an alternative to insulin for our youth and adolescents with Type 2 diabetes," she said. The study compared outcomes of 66 children who received liraglutide shots ...
Exam stress? Shun fast food now
Students, please take note. Increased stress during examinations is associated with eating a poor-quality diet including less fruit and vegetables and more fast food, say researchers.
Separatist leader Geelani hospitalised
Senior separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani was admitted to hospital on Tuesday following acute intestinal infection, family sources said.
Zydus receives USFDA final approval for Bosentan Tablets & Trientine Hydrochloride Capsules
Bosentan is used to treat high blood pressure in the lungs (pulmonary arterial hypertension). This condition is thought to be caused by increased levels of a certain natural substance (endothelinl). This medication blocks the effects of endothelin1, which helps lower blood pressure in the lungs, slow the worsening of symptoms from the disease and improves ability to exercise.
Civil society orgs urge Nadda to discontinue receiving donations from Johnson & Johnson
Several civil society organisations claimed that Johnson & Johnson's move of giving donations for the National Tuberculosis Control Program is aimed at inducing leniency from the government in a probe initiated against its products. They have urged Union Health Minister J P Nadda to discontinue receiving donations from the company. In a letter to Nadda, the organisations and patient groups stated that such ad-hoc donations threaten the sustainability and predictability of the government's MDR-TB treatment programme. Recently, Johnson & Johnson had announced to provide an additional 10,000 courses of tuberculosis drug bedaquiline (BDQ) to the Indian government. The pharmaceutical company had previously donated 10,000 courses of BDQ to India's TB programme in 2016, as part of a global donation programme operated in partnership with the US Agency for International Development (USAID). "The announcement of the new donation comes a full three years later in the backdrop of multiple
Paras Hospital's Orthopaedic Department Gains Recognition Worldwide
/ -- Paras HMRI Hospital, Patna achieves an AO Fellowship accreditation by Switzerland-based 'Association of Surgeons for Internal Fixation of Fracture' The hospital helped two patients suffering from walking disorders get back on their feet post surgery. These patients had given up hope after getting surgeries done at hospitals in Delhi and Lucknow The Orthopedic department at Paras HMRI Hospital, Patna has earned a worldwide reputation for quality, which is why it will now be able to offer the renowned AO fellowship to doctors from all over the world. Paras Hospital, Patna has now become the first hospital in eastern India to offer an AO Foundation course. A nod in this regard was given to the orthopedic department of the hospital by the Switzerland-based Association for the Study of Internal Fixation recently. Paras HMRI Hospital has now joined the league of India's 4 other reputed hospitals, along with AIIMS, New Delhi and Gangaram Hospital, Coimbatore in achieving the ...
Omkar Speciality Chemicals secures process patent from Indian Patent Office
The process is safe, economic and ecofriendly. With this, the number of patents granted to OSCL till date stands at 8, and addition five more patents applications filed for other products are pending for grant.
Zydus Cadila gets USFDA nod to market 2 generic drugs
Drug firm Zydus Cadila Tuesday said it has received final nod from the USFDA to market generic Bosentan tablets and Trientine Hydrochloride capsules in the US. The company has received final approval from the US heath regulator to market Bosentan tablets USP in strengths of 62.5 mg and 125 mg and Trientine Hydrochloride capsules USP in the strength of 250 mg, Zydus Cadila said in a statement. "Both products will be manufactured at the group's formulations manufacturing facility at SEZ, Ahmedabad," it added. While Bosentan tablets are generic version of Tracleer tablets, Trientine Hydrochloride capsules are generic version of Syprine capsules, Zydus Cadila said. Bosentan is used to treat high blood pressure in the lungs, it added. Trientine works by removing copper from the blood. It is used to treat Wilson's disease, a genetic metabolic defect that causes excess copper to build up in the body. It is recommended to patients who cannot take penicillamine, Zydus Cadila said. The group ...
Urine test could help prevent cervical cancer: Study
Urine testing may be as effective as the smear test at preventing cervical cancer and could significantly increase participation rates for screening, a study has found. The research, published in the journal BMJ Open, found that urine testing was just as good as the cervical smear at picking up high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus that causes cervical cancer. Researchers from the University of Manchester in the UK said a urine test could help increase the numbers of women who are screened for cervical cancer. Urine testing could have a role in the developing world, where cervical cancer is up to 15 times more common and smear testing largely non-existent. Around one in 20 women show abnormal changes which might go on to become cancer and are referred for colposcopy, where the cervix is examined under magnification, allowing abnormal areas to be seen, sampled and treated, before they ever cause cancer, researchers said. According to the team, cervical smear samples, ...
New treatment for diabetic kids shows promise
A new treatment for Type-2 diabetes in children has shown promise in a clinical trial, according to a study.
Glenmark Launches Novel, Globally-Researched Anti-diabetes Drug Remogliflozin in India
/ -- Remogliflozin is an innovative, patent-protected sodium glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor indicated in treatment of type-2 diabetes mellitus in adults SGLT2 inhibitors are cutting-edge, globally-accepted latest class of oral anti-diabetes drugs that provide glycemic control, induce weight loss and reduce cardiovascular risks Glenmark is the first company in the world to launch Remogliflozin and India is the first country to get access to this innovative drug Remogliflozin has been studied in 26 clinical trials globally, covering about 2,500 patients from various ethnicities Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (Glenmark), a research-led global integrated pharmaceutical company, today announced the launch of its novel, patent protected and globally-researched sodium glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor Remogliflozin etabonate (Remogliflozin) in India. The drug is indicated in the treatment of type-2 diabetes mellitus in adults. (Logo: ...
Surgery to improve walking ability in children with cerebral palsy: Study
A recent research has discovered a surgical procedure that can improve walking ability in children with cerebral palsy.The procedure, known as selective dorsal rhizotomy, involves cutting some of the sensory nerves from the legs as they enter the spinal cord in order to relieve stiffness, improve mobility and reduce children's pain levels.The operation is irreversible, and it had not previously been fully established whether it helped to improve children's quality of life, or what the longer-term effects were.Because of the lack of evidence of the benefits of the procedure, NHS England established an innovative study that assessed eligible children with cerebral palsy before and after the operation.Cerebral palsy is the name for a group of lifelong conditions that affect movement and coordination, caused by abnormal development or damage to the brain that occurs before, during or soon after birth.In the UK around 1,700 children, every year are born with cerebral palsy. Treatments ...