While recent reports from the European regulatory agency show that Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 shot may be linked to rare blood clotting events, researchers are exploring causes that might be leading to the clotting side effects in these people.

New reports on a plausible link between AstraZeneca’s COVID vaccine and rare blood clotting issues in adults have prompted the Indian government to investigate on the case as the country is now counting on vaccinations to help contain its recent surge in COVID-19 cases.

Zydus Cadila has received USFDA approval for marketing its generic ibrutinib capsules. The drug is available in 70 mg and 140 mg.

Treatment with high-frequency spinal cord stimulation when added to conventional medical management could help in pain relief and improvements in quality of life among patients with refractory peripheral diabetic neuropathy, finds a new study published in JAMA Neurology.

Impelsys Inc., a global market leader in delivering impactful and adaptable online learning solutions, has announced that its online medical professional training platform iPC Health has partnered with RCNi to bring to India a continuing professional development (CPD) Programme for Nurses.

A new once-weekly insulin injection showed similar efficacy and safety and a lower rate of low blood sugar episodes when compared with a daily insulin, according to a phase 2 clinical trial.

Following the detection of a possible link with the Oxford-AstraZeneca  COVID-19 jab and rare blood clots in adults in the UK, the university has decided to halt the trial which was being carried out in children.

India again reported above 1 lakh COVID-19 cases reaching 1,15,262 on Tuesday. The new infections pushed the total case tally of the nation to 12,799,746.

Early treatment with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections may slow diabetic retinopathy, according to results from a recent intermediate study published in JAMA Ophthalmology. However, the treatment’s effect on vision, including changes in visual acuity and vision loss,  was similar to standard treatment which usually begins only after the onset of late disease.

Components of calcium channels play a decisive role in the formation of excitatory synapses, according to the findings of researchers from the Mental Health & Neuroscience research programme at the Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences in Krems, Austria (KL Krems).

CEPI, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, launched a call for proposals to develop broadly protective SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and broadly protective Betacoronavirus vaccines.

The National Institutes of Health has initiated the phase 1 trial of a new investigational vaccine known as mRNA-1273.351 designed to protect against the B.1.351 SARS-CoV-2 variant first identified in South Africa.

The daily COVID-19 cases in India soared past 1 lakh reaching 1,03,794 on Sunday. The new infections pushed the total case tally of the nation to 12,587,921.

TechInvention Lifecare India has joined hands with biopharmaceutical company Eubiologics, South Korea, to launch Euvichol-Plus, a cost-effective oral cholera vaccine available in low density polyethylene (LDPE) unidose pack.

India recorded the highest spike of COVID-19 cases this year at 89,129 and 714 related deaths, on Friday. The surge is the highest since 20 September 2020 when 92,605 cases were reported.

India recorded a spike of 53,237 new COVID-19 incidences on Tuesday, pushing the total case tally of the nation to 12,148,599. While the overall number of recoveries have reached 11,432,077 the death toll increased to 162,502.

India recorded a spike of 68,206 new COVID-19 incidences on Sunday, pushing the total case tally of the nation to 12.039,210. 

India recorded a spike of 62,276 new COVID-19 incidences on Friday, pushing the total case tally of the nation to 11,908,373. While the overall number of recoveries have reached 11,292,849 the death toll increased to 161,275.

India recorded a spike of 59,069 new COVID-19 incidences on Thursday, pushing the total case tally of the nation to 11,846,082. While the overall number of recoveries have reached 11,262,503 the death toll increased to 160,983. The active caseload now crossed 4 lakh mark reaching 417,813, according to the data from the union health ministry.

The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics (INSACOG) recently detected a new “double mutant” variant of the COVID-19 causing coronavirus in the nation. Officials are checking if the new variant, where two mutations rise together in the same virus, maybe more infectious or less affected by vaccines.

India recorded a massive new spike in daily COVID-19 incidences on Wednesday, as the cases crossed 50,000 mark reaching 53,419.

Patients waiting for elective surgery should get COVID-19 vaccines ahead of the general population potentially helping to avoid thousands of post-operative deaths linked to the virus, according to a new global study conducted by the University of Birmingham.

India recorded 47,262 fresh COVID-19 cases on Tuesday taking the nationwide tally to 11,734,058, according to the union health ministry data. The death toll has reached 160,441 with 275 more people succumbing to the disease on the day

India registered 40,715 fresh COVID-19 infections on Monday taking the tally to 11,686,796, according to the union health ministry data. The number of active infections remained above three-lakh mark reaching 334,646.

India recorded over 2.6 lakh fresh COVID-19 cases in the past week (March 15-21). The nation reported new incidences reaching 47,009 on Sunday. With this, the total tally of cases went up to 1,16,45,719, while the active caseload comprised 3,31,671 cases, according to the union health ministry data.

India witnessed a new spike in COVID-19 incidences after registering 40,906 new cases on Friday. The total tally of cases went up to 11,554,895, while active caseload comprised 285,449 cases, according to the union health ministry data.

Estonia-based e-health innovator company, Viveo Health, recently joined hands with Voll Sante, a functional foods firm based in Mumbai, to promote nutritional and physical therapy in India.

Nine of the countries which represent 60% of the global TB burden saw more than a 20% decline in diagnosis and treatment of TB infections in 2020, according to the data shared by the Stop TB Partnership.

India witnessed yet another fresh spike in COVID-19 incidences after registering 39,643 new cases on Thursday. The total tally of cases went up to 11,513,945, while active caseload comprised 2,68,338 cases, according to the union health ministry data.

The Apollo Hospital, Chennai had recently successfully completed four back-to-back MitraClip procedures in a single day, achieving a milestone that is first in the Asian continent, according to a press release.

ResMed has launched “onesleeptest”, a new at-home sleep test by Ectosense, in India, in conjunction with World Sleep Day on March 19, to help patients and physicians diagnose people suffering from undiagnosed sleep apnea.

Marking one of the highest COVID-19 spikes in 2021, India reported 35,871 new incidences on Wednesday, March 17. With the new cases, the total COVID-19 infection tally rose to 11,474,605, while the active infections totalled 249,197 cases.

India recorded a new spike of COVID-19 incidences reaching 28,903 on Tuesday. The total tally of cases went up to 11,438,464, while active caseload comprised 231,335 cases, according to the union health ministry data. The death count increased to 159,079 with 187 daily new fatalities.

India recorded a total of 24,437 new COVID-19 infections on Monday. The total tally of cases went up to 11,409,595, while active caseload comprised 220,401 cases, according to the union health ministry data.

India recorded 26,291 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday taking the country’s infection tally to 11,3,85,339, according to union health ministry data.

India recorded a total of 24,845 new COVID-19 infections on Friday. The total tally of cases went up to 11,333,491, while the active caseload comprised 199,022 cases, according to the union health ministry data.

CEPI, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, launched a US$3.5bn plan to reduce or even eliminate the future risk of pandemics and epidemics, potentially averting millions of deaths, and trillions of dollars in economic damage.

India recorded a total of 23,285 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday. The recovery rate has increased to 96.86 per cent, the data stated.

The Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) and the American Cancer Society (ACS) has joined hands to expand the cancer access partnership (CAP) to enhance access to lifesaving cancer treatments in low- and middle-income countries in Asia and Africa.

The drug controller of India (DCGI) has approved osimertinib (Tagrisso) for adjuvant treatment in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations, announced Astra Zeneca.

India reported 21,814 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday pushing the total confirmed case tally of the nation to 11,284,311. The active infections went up to 1,85,665.

L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) Network Eye Banks has hit another milestone by providing 40% of the corneas distributed throughout India for sight-restoring corneal transplant surgeries last year.

India reported 16,846 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday. With this, the total caseload of the nation rose to 11,261,470 of which active cases totalled 1,81,143.

India reported 15,388 new COVID-19 cases on Monday pushing the total confirmed case tally of the nation to 11,244,624. The active infections went up to 184,555.

India added 18,650 fresh COVID-19  cases on Sunday. With this, the total confirmed case tally rose to 11,229,398. The active cases registered an increase reaching 184,523.

India reported 18,292 fresh coronavirus cases on Friday. The total confirmed case tally has climbed to 11,191,864, while the number of active cases totalled 177,389.

Upping the ante against the move to promote “mixopathy” and allow ayurvedic practitioners to perform surgeries, Indian Medical Association (IMA), the largest body of practitioners of modern medicine in the country, has launched a massive campaign to counter the move.

India reported 16,838 fresh coronavirus cases on Thursday. The total case tally has climbed to 11,173,761, while the number of recoveries has surged to 10,839,894, according to data updated by the union health ministry

Apollo Speciality Hospitals recently performed a successful management of severe multiple traumatic injuries on a 20 year old man who accidentally fell from the 17th floor of a construction site.

Injecting a newly developed formulation of radioactive bone cement into bone could provide support and local irradiation for tumours, according to a study led by University of California, Irvine researchers.

Dozee has announced the launch of Dozee Pro, a contactless vitals monitor for hospitals. The new AI-powered triaging system is designed to convert any bed into a step-down ICU in under 2 minutes and enable remote monitoring of patients outside of the ICU, according to the company.

India reported a spike of 17,425 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday. The new incidences pushed the national case tally to 11,156,748.

India’s Bharat Biotech, the maker of the whole virion inactivated COVID-19 vaccine–COVAXIN, announced its first interim analysis of BBV152, the vaccine fully developed and manufactured in India, on Wednesday (3rd March).

Estonia-based digital health firm Viveo Health, has recently been selected for the Mastercard Lighthouse MASSIV program, as the company aims to offer affordable healthcare to 1 billion people by 2025.

India reported 14,997 fresh COVID-19 cases on Tuesday. With this, the case tally went up to 1,11, 39,516, according to the health ministry data

India has entered the next phase of the vaccination drive for the age-appropriate population of people above 60 years of age and those over 45 years with comorbidities against COVID-19 on March 1.

India reported 12,286 fresh coronavirus cases on Monday pushing the tally to 1,11,24,527. The total active infections now stand at 1,65,207.

India, on Sunday, registered 15,616 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking its total confirmed caseload to 11,112,056.

India registered over 16,488 fresh COVID-19 cases on Friday. With this, India’s caseload has risen to 1,10,79,979. The active case count has further increased to 1,59,590, which comprises 1.44% of the total infections, according to the latest union health ministry data.

Tata STRIVE and Wipro GE Healthcare has joined hands to skill youth for jobs in the healthcare sector over a period of three years. The partnership aims to address the increasing demand for allied healthcare professionals (AHPs) who could make a significant contribution to the healthcare delivery system.

India recorded over 16,577 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday. The death toll has increased to 1,56,825 with 120 new fatalities, according to the data from the union health ministry.

Apollo Hospitals, Chennai recently performed a fast track total knee replacement surgery on a 66-year-old lady who was diagnosed with severe grade 4 osteoarthritis of knee joint with associated deformity.

India reported 16,738 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday. The total active infections across the country now stand around 1,51,708 while the overall confirmed cases totalled 11,046,914, according to the data from the union health ministry.

India reported 13,742 fresh COVID -19 cases on Tuesday. The total confirmed cases have climbed to 1,10,30,176, while the number of recoveries surged to 1,07,26,702, according to the union health ministry

India recorded 10,584 fresh cases on Monday, pushing its overall confirmed case tally to 1,10,16,434. Meanwhile, the active cases went past the 1.5 lakh mark again after a gap of 17 days, according to union health ministry data on the day.

Combination therapy of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and lenvatinib (Lenvima)  demonstrated a significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival in first-line advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients, according to results from the phase III CLEAR study.

The Apollo Hospitals Group has recently joined hands with the Anatomiz3D Medtech Pvt Ltd, to establish hospital 3D-printing labs in India for three dimensional printed implants that would enable doctors to visualise and print implants for complicated cases

The Kochi-based Pharma Research company PNB Vesper life science Pvt has reportedly completed the phase IIb clinical trials of its proprietary drug, PNB-001 (GPP-Baladol), on COVID-19 patients.

India reported 13,979 new COVID-19 incidences on Sunday. The total confirmed cases have risen to 1,10,05,071, while the active infections remained at 1,47,100. The nation saw 9,476 recoveries and 79 deaths from the infection in the past 24 hours. The total recoveries have surged to 1,06,97,014, while the death toll went up to 1,56,418.

The Hyderabad- based multi-speciality tertiary care center, Global Hospitals recently performed haploidentical stem cell transplant on an eight years old child suffering from acute leukaemia.

India reported 13,993 new COVID-19 cases on Friday pushing the nation’s total caseload to 1,09,77,387. The active infections stood at 1,40,066 lakhs. The overall recoveries have risen to 1,06,75,882, after recording 9,962 discharges in the past 24 hours. The death toll has risen to 1,56,240 after reporting 90 new fatalities.

India’s tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 1,09,63,394 with 13,193 new incidences reported on Thursday. The recoveries have surged to 1,06,67,741 and the total fatalities increased to 1,56,111, according to the union health ministry data.The active infections stood at 1,36,632.

India reported 12,881 new COVID-19 incidences on Wednesday. The total caseload has risen to 1,09,50,201. The total number of active infections remained at 1,37,342.

The global Biotechnology and Life Sciences forum, BioAsia, organised by the Government of Telangana, has announced that the Genome Valley Excellence Award for the year 2021 will be presented to Bharat Biotech International for its breakthrough, pioneering research, development and commercialization of vaccines including Covaxin.

Once weekly administration of the type-2 diabetes drug semaglutide (Ozempic) was linked to a sustained, clinically relevant reduction in body weight in obese adult participants in the STEP 1 clinical trial, according to the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, US.

With 11,610 fresh cases, India’s COVID-19 tally has climbed to 1,09,37,320 on Tuesday, according to the union health ministry. The number of recoveries has surged to 1,06,44,858 taking the recovery rate to 97.33%. The active cases stood at 1,36,549.

A team of doctors at Fortis Hospital, Noida recently performed a lifesaving brain surgery using ‘clipping technique’ on a 50 years old woman who had a brain haemorrhage caused by a burst of an aneurysm in the brain.

AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine has been granted Emergency Use Listing (EUL) by the World Health Organization (WHO) for active immunisation to prevent COVID-19 in individuals 18 years of age and older, including those over 65.

India’s COVID-19 case tally rose to 1,09,25,710 with 9,121 new infections reported on Monday, according to the union health ministry data. The active cases declined to 1,34,033 as the recoveries increased to 1,06,30,892. The death count rose to 1,55,813 with 81 daily new fatalities. As many as 11,576 patients were discharged on the day.

Apollo Cancer Centres at Theynampet has recently performed a new minimally invasive procedure of tubeless video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).

The US FDA has approved trilaciclib (Cosela) for reducing the frequency of chemotherapy-related bone marrow suppression in adults with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, announced the G1 Therapeutics.

India reported 11,431 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday. The country also saw 9,267 discharges and 87 deaths on the day. The total confirmed cases have reached 1,09,16,172 while the active infections now stand at 1,36,800. The overall recoveries reported so far have reached 1,06,19,083, and the death toll has mounted to 1,55,764.

With 12,143 new infections reported on Friday, India’s tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 1,08,92,746. The active cases stood at 1,36,571 which account for 1.25 per cent of the total cases. The total recoveries crossed 1.06 crore, to reach 1,06,00,625, taking the recovery rate to 97.32 per cent according to union health ministry data. The total deaths due to the pandemic has reached 1,55,550 with 103 new fatalities.

India reported 9,353 new COVID-19 incidences on Thursday, pushing the total case tally to 1,08,80,413. The active infections stood at 1,33,086. The recoveries rose to 1,05,87,351 with 15,722 new discharges, pushing the national recovery rate to 97.32 per cent, according to union health ministry data.

One out of every four oncologists is willing to include palliative care services within their treatment protocols, according to a survey finding conducted online with 200 oncologists across India in early January 2021.

India reported 12,539 new COVID-19 incidences on Wednesday. With this, the total caseload of the state has climbed to 1,08,71,060. The number of recoveries has surged to 1,05,71,629, after recording 11,796 discharges in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said on Thursday.

India reported 11,067 positive COVID-19 cases on Tuesday. With this, the total caseload has escalated to 1,08,58,371, of which the active cases remained at 1,41,511. As many as 13,087 discharges and 94 deaths from the infection were reported in the last 24 hours, according to the union ministry of health. The total recoveries have reached 1,05,61,608 and the death toll went up to 1,55,280 till now.India has been recording less than 150 daily COVID-19 deaths since January 30.

India reported 8,689 new COVID-19 infections pushing the case tally to 1,08,47,790. The active infections stood at 1,41,118, as of now. With 13,575 new discharges, the total recoveries have escalated to 1,05,46,905. As many as 77 deaths took the total fatalities to 1,55,195.

AstraZeneca India has received marketing authorisation for their anti-diabetic drug dapagliflozin, in India for the treatment of patients of chronic kidney disease (CKD) up to stage III.  

The US FDA has recently approved tepotinib (Tepmetko) for the treatment of adults with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harbouring mesenchymal–epithelial transition exon 14 (METex14) skipping alterations.

Indian Medical Association (IMA), the largest body of allopathic practitioners in the country, has come out in support of the government’s COVID-19 vaccination drive and requested all its 3.5 lakhs members to get vaccinated voluntarily.

India reported 12,401 new COVID-19 incidences on Thursday. The total active infections stood at 1,48,750 while the overall positive cases recorded so far has elevated to 1,08,03,533. The total recoveries have reached 1,04,95,401, with 15,888 of them getting discharged yesterday. With 120 recent deaths, the total fatalities have climbed to 1,54,862.

Clinical trials testing a broadly neutralising antibody VRC01 have come out with the finding that the single agent could not significantly stall the transmission of HIV.

Initial signs of a recurrence of glioblastomas could be detected more than six months earlier than otherwise possible using standard clinical methods, according to a study by researchers from Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences in Krems.

India reported 12,916 new COVID-19 incidences on Wednesday. The total case tally has now reached 1,07,91,123. The active infections stood at 1,52,360. As many as 17,808 patients got discharged in the past day taking the total recoveries to 1,04,79,508. With 107 recent deaths, the total fatalities climbed to 1,54,742, till now.

The Bengaluru-based Neuome Technologies has announced the development and launch of Nemo, an ambient air quality monitoring device for detecting SARS-CoV-2.

Early integration of palliative care can improve the quality of life of cancer patients and their families, experts said.

One in two residents in Delhi has been exposed to the coronavirus and developed antibodies for the infection, according to the fifth serological survey conducted by the Delhi government. The city is now inching towards herd immunity, but people should not let their guard down, stated the Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain. However, people should still take vaccines as it will provide a better immune response against the virus and also continue to take all precautions.

India, on Tuesday, reported 11,039 new COVID-19 incidences. With this, the total case tally has risen to 1,07,78,206, of which 1,57,355 are active infections. The total recoveries have reached 1,04,61,706, with 14,256 new discharges recorded yesterday. As many as 113 deaths took the total fatalities to 1,54,635.

India recorded 8,635 new cases of coronavirus disease in the last 24 hours, according to the union health ministry. With this, the nationwide tally reached 1,07,67,206. The active cases stood at 1,60,728. The total recoveries have reached 1,04,47,450 with 13,443 new discharges reported in the past day. With 94 recent deaths, the total fatalities have reached 1,54,522.

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitaraman announced a total additional spend of Rs 2.23 lakh crore on “healthcare and well being” as part of Union Budget 2021, including Rs 35,000 crore for COVID-19 vaccine development and inoculation. 

India reported 11,427 new coronavirus cases on Sunday pushing the nation’s tally to 1,07,57,610. While the number of people who have recuperated from the disease has surged to 1,04,34,983, according to the union health ministry data. The COVID-19 active cases remained below 2 lakh at 1,68,235. The national recovery rate surged to 97%. The death toll increased to 1,54,392 with 118 daily new fatalities. The COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.44%. The health ministry stressed that more than 70% of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.

India witnessed 13,053 fresh cases of COVID-19 on Friday. The total number of active cases in the country has fallen to 1,67,316, while the caseload tally stands at 1,07,34,026. With 14,872 new discharges recorded yesterday, the total recoveries have escalated to 1,04,08,034, till now. Meanwhile, the death toll has reached 1,54,184, with 137 recent deaths.

India saw 18,910 fresh COVID-19 infections on Thursday pushing its cumulative caseload to 1,07,20,971. The total active infections now stand at 1,69,284. With 20,315 new discharges recorded on the day the total recoveries have risen to 1,03,93,162. The death toll has mounted to 1,54,047, with 162 new fatalities.

India reported a total of 11,556 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday. The total caseload of the country now stands at 1,07,02,031, of which 1,70,856 are active infections. The total number of recoveries have reached 1,03,72,818, till now, of which 14,261 discharges were recorded yesterday. With 123 new fatalities, the death toll escalated to 1,53,885.

The Breast International Group (BIG), a not-for-profit organisation for academic breast cancer research groups from around the world, is paving the way towards more personalised treatment of breast cancer with its large network of over 50 academic breast cancer research groups.

India’s COVID-19 tally mounted to 1,06,90,279 with 12,689 new cases on Tuesday. As many as 1,03,59,305 people have recuperated from the infection so far pushing the national recovery rate to 96.91 per cent, according to the union health ministry’s data. As many as 13,021 recoveries and 127 fatalities were recorded during the day. The active infections stood at 1,73,731. The death toll has mounted to 1,53,751 till now. The COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.44 per cent.

India saw 13,232 new COVID19 cases on Sunday. The total caseload of the state stood at 1,06,68,674 of which 1,81,480 were active infections. As many as 13,148 recoveries and 131 deaths were reported on the day. The total recoveries have reached 1,03,29,244 and the fatalities have reached 1,53,508.

India added 14,545 fresh COVID-19 cases on Friday, taking the cumulative case burden to 1,06,40,544, the health ministry’s data showed. The number of active infections stood below 2 lakhs at 1,82,831. The overall recoveries have reached 1,03,00,063, with 17,166 individuals getting cured/discharged yesterday. The nation recorded as many as 153 fatalities on the day taking the overall fatalities to 1,53,221.

India reported 14,472 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday. The total caseload has risen to 1,06,26,200 so far, with active infections at 1,85,826. The nation recorded 17,726 recoveries, and 161 deaths on the day taking the total recoveries and fatalities to 1,02,82,889 and 1,53,067 respectively.

A Texas-based firm, Seno Medical has recently received the US FDA approval for its new opto-acoustic imaging device named Imagio that could help physicians identify whether breast lesions are benign or malignant. According to the company, this non-invasive and radiation-free technology will help to reduce the number of biopsies that have to be performed.

India has reported over 15,270 new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday taking the cumulative caseload to 1,06,11,719. The active infections remained below 2 lakhs at 1,89,245. As many as 20,071 recoveries and 152 deaths due to the pandemic were recorded yesterday. The total number of recoveries have reached 1,02,65,163 while the death toll mounted to 1,52,906.

Johnson & Johnson’s subcutaneous formulation of the monoclonal antibody daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj (Darzalex Faspro) received the US FDA approval to treat light chain (AL) amyloidosis, a rare and often fatal blood cell disorder. The drug has been approved for use in combination with bortezomib, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone.

India recorded 13,780 fresh cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday. The cumulative caseload has now risen to 1,05,96,442, of which 1,94,201 are active cases. As many as 17,229 recoveries were recorded on the day taking the total recoveries to 1,02,45,092 till now. With 161 recent deaths, the overall fatalities due to the pandemic in the nation have now reached 1,52,754.

India reported 9,972 new COVID-19 cases on Monday taking the cumulative case tally to 1,05,82,647. The active caseload went below 2 lakh and stood at 1,97,818, seeing 1,02,27,852 recoveries and 1,52,593 deaths so far. The nation recorded 17,116 recoveries and 137 deaths on the past day.

A phase II trial of a novel drug, dexpramipexole, showed positive top-line results in patients with moderate-to-severe eosinophilic asthma, announced Knopp Biosciences.
 

Even as India has initiated the COVID-19 vaccination, 13,962 new positive incidences were reported on Sunday. The cumulative case tally now stands at 1,05,72,672, of which 2,05,109 are active cases. The nation reported a total of 14,513 recoveries and 145 fatalities on the past day. With this, the total recoveries and death toll reported till now has elevated to 1,02,10,697 and 1,52,456 respectively.

Parexel and Signify Health have announced a strategic collaboration to bring in new solutions to promote access and inclusion of more diverse and traditionally underrepresented population in clinical trials.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has given nod to conduct phase 3 clinical trial of Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate, Sputnik V, in India, according to Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories.

India recorded 15,151 new COVID-19 infections on Friday. The cumulative confirmed cases have now risen to 1,05,43,659, of which 2,08,261 are active infections. The nation also recorded 16,801 recoveries and 176 deaths on the day taking the total recoveries and fatalities to 1,01,78,883 and 1,52,130 respectively.

The European Commission has approved baloxavir marboxil, sold under the brand name Xofluza, for the treatment of uncomplicated influenza in patients aged 12 years and above, announced Roche.

DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences has launched Howaru Calm, a probiotic aimed at helping reduce stress. The company said that Howaru Calm’s featured strain – Lactobacillus paracasei Lpc-37, was scrupulously tested to ensure its quality, efficacy and performance.

An investigational antibody donanemab, significantly slowed reduction of cognition and daily function in early Alzheimer’s disease in the phase 2 trial, according to a press release from Eli Lilly and Company.

Equilibrium in public and private health services, increased access and affordability and close looped solutions for healthcare waste are some of the most important and immediate requirements to mitigate the risks associated with COVID-19 pandemic worldwide.

India reported 15,677 new COVID-19 incidences on Thursday, pushing the cumulative case tally of the nation to 1,05,28,508. With 1,01,62,082 recoveries and 1,51,954 fatalities reported from the infection so far, the active cases have declined to 2,10,106. The nation registered 15,848 recoveries and 189 deaths in the past 24 hours. With 19 new deaths, the total fatalities have risen to 3,392.

OncoLab Diagnostics GmbH now offers tests combining PCR and immunofluorescence staining for faster and easier identification of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) for blood-based biopsy tests (BBB).

Bharat Biotech has started the supply of its COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin across India. The first batch of the indigenous vaccines has been  dispatched from Hyderabad to 11 cities.

India registered 17,015 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours pushing the case tally to 1,05,12,831. As many as 17,797 cured/discharged cases were reported in the past day taking the total recoveries to 1,01,46,254. The death toll has risen to 1,51,765 with 201 new fatalities reported on Wednesday. The active cases have declined to 2,10,459, as of now. The total number of persons found to be positive with the new UK-variant COVID-19 stands at 102, said the Health Ministry.

Nephrolithiasis (kidney stone) is highly prevalent among patients with metabolic syndrome, finds a recent hospital-based study published in the Journal of the Association of Physicians of India.

India reported 12,584 new cases, lowest since June 17 on Monday, according to the union health ministry’s data. The total case tally has risen to 1,04,79,913, while the active cases continued to decline with an increasing number of recoveries. The active caseload now stood at 2,13,503. The nation recorded 18,578 discharges in the last day taking the total recoveries to 1,01,10,710. With 166 new deaths, the total fatalities have reached 1,51,364.

A phase 3 clinical trial of extended-release subcutaneous risperidone injection (TV-46000/mdc-IRM) developed by Teva Pharmaceuticals and MedinCell recently reported positive results in treating patients with schizophrenia.  Data from the study showed that patients who received the treatment had a statistically significant delay in time to relapse as compared to placebo.

India reported 16,311 new COVID-19 cases and 161 deaths in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) said on Monday. With the addition of fresh infections, the overall cases in the country reached 1,04,66,595 including 2,22,526 active cases. After 19,299 discharges in the last 24 hours, the cumulative recoveries reached 1,00,92,909. The death toll climbed to 1,51,160.

The precision oncology start-up company 4basecare has joined hands with the Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC) – Tata Memorial Centre for a new artificial intelligence-driven clinical interpretation platform, ClinOme.  

The UK’s regulatory authority has approved Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for use in the country.

With 18,453 fresh COVID -19 cases reported on Friday, India’s total case tally took to 10,432,526. The active cases now stand at 2,21,447, as the overall recoveries have surged to 1,00,55,935, with 19,242 individuals getting discharged on Friday. The death toll has mounted to 1,50,835 with 229 new deaths from the infection.

India recorded 18,094 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, pushing the case tally to 1,04,14,044, according to data from the union health ministry. The total number of recoveries reported have reached 1,00,36,722 with 20,532 among them being discharged on Thursday. The total deaths from the pandemic have reached 1,50,606 with 233 fatalities recorded yesterday. With this, the overall active cases in the country now stand at 2,22,416.

The US FDA has recently approved relugolix (Orgovyx) as the first oral androgen deprivation therapy for adults with advanced prostate cancer, announced Myovant Sciences.

India reported 20,460 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, taking the overall case tally to 1,03,95,938, the health ministry’s data showed. The active infections stood at 2,25,120 after recording 19,662 new recoveries and 221 deaths taking the total recoveries and fatalities in the nation to 1,00,16,163 and 1,50,372 respectively. The total number of people who have tested positive for the new UK strain of the coronavirus in the country now stands at 73, according to the health ministry.

Even as the union government is considering granting emergency approval for COVID-19 vaccines, the Maharashtra chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has urged the government to test the vaccines widely before giving its approval.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has given approval to the Oxford/AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, and to the indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in the country.

India reported 16,678 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, pushing the overall caseload to 1,03,41,291, the health ministry’s data showed.

The dry run for COVID-19 vaccination across all states has been initiated today on Jan 2 as India gears up for the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine in the country. The dry run is proposed to be conducted in all state capitals in at least 3 session sites.

India reported 19,078 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 1,03,06,490, according to data from the union ministry of health and family welfare. As many as 224 lives were lost to the infection in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 1,49,218. The active cases stand at 2,50,183 while the total recoveries have reached 99,06,387.

The American biotech firm Novavax has initiated a phase III study of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, NVX-CoV2373, in the US and Mexico.

The union health ministry has announced that a dry run will be conducted by all the state and union territory governments on January 2 with the objective of preparing for the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccine across India.

India recorded 21,944 fresh COVID-19 infections and 299 related deaths in the last 24 hours. With the fresh cases, the nation’s tally has surged to 1,02,67,283 of which the total active cases add up to 2,55,898, according to data from the union health ministry. As many as 98,59,762 infected individuals have been recuperated from the infection so far, with 26,406 of them getting discharged on Wednesday. The death toll due to the pandemic has soared to 1,48,774 in the nation so far.

Oxford’s COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for emergency use in the UK, announced Astra Zeneca.

India has reported 14 fresh cases of new coronavirus mutant strain, initially identified in the UK, which adds up to 20 such cases in the country so far, confirmed the health ministry on Wednesday morning

India reported 16,072 fresh COVID cases, 24,822 recoveries and 250 deaths in the last 24 hours. The overall case tally of the nation stands at 1,02,24,797, of which 2,67,017 are active cases under treatment. 

With 20,333 fresh cases reported in the last 24 hours, the total caseload of the nation added up to 1,02,08,725, according to data from the Union Health Ministry. The number of active cases declined to 2,76,028 with 97,81,945 recoveries and 1,47,940 deaths reported so far due to the pandemic. As many as 21,097 were reported as cured while 281 lost lives to the infection on Sunday.

The apex medical regulator, the National Medical Commission has recently announced relaxations on the requirement of the postgraduate thesis, in the light of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Lexington based biotech firm, Aldeyra Therapeutics has commenced phase II study of its reactive aldehyde species (RASP) inhibitor, ADX-629, for treating COVID-19, atopic asthma and psoriasis.

Eli Lilly is set to launch a new pragmatic study of its drug candidate, bamlanivimab (LY-CoV555) in high-risk patients with COVID-19 in New Mexico.

The number of daily deaths reported due to the pandemic in India fell below 300 on Friday, for the first time since June 9, and stood at 251. The total fatalities have reached 1,47,379 as of now. The overall COVID-19 incidences recorded in India has surged to 1,01,69,818 with 22,350 new infections reported in the past 24 hours. The overall active infections stood at 2,80,274 in the nation. With 22,184 patients getting discharged the total recoveries climbed to 97,39,382.

CureVac has initiated a phase III clinical trial of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, CVnCoV, in healthcare workers at the University Medical Center Mainz, Germany. The study aims to analyse the safety and immunogenicity of CVnCoV given as a two-dose schedule of 12µg.

India recorded 23,444 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, taking the total caseload to 1,01,47,468. Less than 2.8 lakh of these are active cases, the health ministry said. A total of 1,47,092 people have died of the coronavirus in the country, with 336 of those deaths coming in the last 24 hours, the data showed.

India’s COVID-19 caseload rose to 1,01,24,024 with 24,716 new infections reported in the past 24 hours. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 96,92,643 and the active infection remained below 3 lakh at 2,81,844, according to the Union Health Ministry. The death count increased to 1,46,791 with 315 new fatalities. The national recovery rate stands at 95.69 per cent, while the COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.45 per cent.

India reported 23,950 fresh cases in the past 24 hours taking the total case count to 1,00,99,308. The total recoveries have gone up to 96,63,382 with 26,895 new recoveries recorded on Wednesday. There are 2,87,432 active COVID-19 cases in the country. With 333 recent deaths reported the total fatalities have risen to 1,46,476.

The biopharma company, Boehringer Ingelheim, have initiated phase I/IIa clinical investigation of novel SARS-CoV-2 neutralising antibody, BI 767551. The study aims to provide the innovative SARS-CoV-2 neutralising antibody by combining a systemic with an inhaled route of administration.

AstraZeneca’s benralizumab (Fasenra) solution has received authorisation from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for treating severe asthma patients.

The new coronavirus strain, dubbed VUI-202012/01 (first variant under investigation in December 2020), recently spotted in the UK is said to be 70 per cent more infectious and the variant “was out of control”, said the Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

India has recorded 1,00,56,248 confirmed COVID-19 cases, after reporting 24,589 new incidences in the past 24 hours. A total of 1,45,843 deaths and 96,06,111 cases of recoveries have been registered so far from the pandemic. As many as 25,709 recoveries and 330 deaths from the infection were reported on the previous day.There are 3,02,343 active cases as of now.

Oxford’s two full-dose regimes of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate showed better immune response compared to a full-dose followed by a half-dose booster, said the university, quoting data from new phase I/II clinical trials.

The digital health tech company Watch Your Health in association with Madhavbaug, a multidisciplinary cardiac care clinic and hospital chain in India, have launched phygital healthcare platform.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in India crossed the 10 million mark (1 crore) on December 18, 2020. In the last 24 hours, 26,991 fresh infections took India’s COVID tally to 1,00,04,825, as per the official data. 347 deaths linked to the infection were recorded, taking the tally to 1,45,136.

The France-based biotech company Valneva has launched the phase I/II VLA2001-201 clinical study of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, VLA2001.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given its nod to Moderna’s vaccine as the country’s second COVID-19 vaccine after that of Pfizer/BioNTech’s jab. The approval came on Friday, December 18, about a week after approving Pfizer’s vaccine which is now being distributed in the country.

The preliminary results from a preclinical study using a new chemical entity, opaganib, showed a reduction of thrombosis (blood clotting) in animal models with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), announced the Israel-based biopharmaceutical company, RedHill Biopharma. ARDS-induced thrombosis may happen in up to one-third of COVID-19 patients needing ICU admission and is a major cause of death.

India recorded 22,890 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, taking the total caseload to over 99,79,00 lakh. Up to 338 more deaths were reported in this time, taking total fatality to 1,44,789 till now. Over 31,087 recovered since yesterday, taking the overall figure to 95,20,827. The number of fresh infections is 4.6 per cent down since Thursday.

India may have missed about 90 infections for every detected COVID-19 case until November, according to an analysis by a committee formed by the Department of Science and Technology.

Canada’s FSD Pharma has initiated its phase IIa clinical trial of FSD201 or ultramicronized palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) for treating hospitalised patients with COVID-19 .

A new digital health passport known as ‘V-Health Passport’ has been launched by the UK-based cyber technology firm VST Enterprises (VSTE) that can validate an individual’s identity, authenticate their COVID-19 test result and vaccination or immunisation details through a secure app.

The checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab (Keytruda, Merck) with chemotherapy showed an improved overall survival (OS) in patients with previously untreated advanced oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), oesophagal adenocarcinoma (EAC) or esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma (EGJ).

Followed by the approval of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the US. drug firm Pfizer and its German partner BioNTec, Saudi Arabia has now announced a three-phase vaccination programme and has begun registering citizens and foreign residents.

India’s active COVID-19 cases tailed off to reach 3,30,395 as on Tuesday. With the recent positively tested cases at 26,251, the overall confirmed covid incidences in the nation have risen to 99,32,908. While 383 fatalities took the death toll to 1,44,130. As many as 33,853 patients were reported as recovered yesterday taking the total recoveries to 94,55,793 in the country so far. The national recovery rate has further escalated to 95.12 per cent, according to the Union health ministry.

Doctors at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi recently encountered multiple cases of a lethal invasive fungal infection known as mucormycosis in recovering coronavirus patients due to which nearly half of them lost their eyesight, the authorities claimed.

The biopharmaceutical company CureVac has begun a phase 2b/3 clinical trial of its mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate CVnCoV. The study plans to enroll around 36,500 participants from Europe and Latin America.

India reported 22,065 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, the lowest one-day figure in since July 7, pushing the total COVID-19 caseload to reach 99,06,657.354 deaths in the last 24 hours have pushed the total death count to 1,43,709. Over 94.22 lakh people in the country have recovered since the beginning of the pandemic. The active cases under treatment stand at 3,38,403.

India reported 27,071 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. The country’s total cases reached 98,84,100 and the number of active cases declined to 3,52,586, according to the data from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) released on Monday morning.

Apollo Speciality Hospitals Vanagaram, has organized a mass roadshow across the Tamil Nadu to create Evoking awareness about the importance of time in the management of stroke, between 12th to 15th December.

The multi-super speciality hospital Medanta has launched a new eClinic and Nursing Unit at Uppal Southend, Sector 49, Gurugram, to promote and improve remote consultations.

Patients treated with a high dose of the human monoclonal antibody fasinumab showed improved chronic lower back pain and restored normal functioning in patients, according to data published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

A combinational therapy including naxitamab-gqgk (Danyelza) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) has been approved by the US FDA for patients aged 1 year and older with relapsed or refractory high-risk neuroblastoma in the bone or bone marrow demonstrating a response or stable disease after prior therapy.

Oxford’s COVID-19 vaccine will be combined with human adenoviral vector type Ad26 component of Russia’s Sputnik V jab in the new clinical trials to study the possibility of boosting their vaccine’s efficacy, according to a release issued by the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF). The trial is set to initiate by the end of 2020.

Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine gets green light from USFDA for emergency use authorisation for inoculation in people aged 16 years and older. Healthcare workers and elderly people in long-term care facilities are expected to be the main recipients of the first round of 2.9 million doses, said the U.S government.

India reported 30,006 fresh COVID-19 infections, 33,494 recoveries and 442 deaths in the past 24 hours. With the new cases the total case tally of the nation has surpassed 9.8 million to reach 98,26,775 and the number of active cases dipped to 3,59,819. The number of total recoveries has reached 93,24,328, till now.

An association of leading Asian oncologists in partnership with AstraZeneca, recently conducted the New Normal, Same Cancer campaign, to empower patients to access cancer services without delay.

The COVID-19 case tally in India has risen to 97,96,770, with 29,398 new cases reported on Thursday. The death toll has risen to 1,42,186 seeing 411 new deaths. The total recovered cases have reached 92,90,834 with 37,610 patients getting cured yesterday.

Apollo Hospitals, Chennai has recently performed a corrective procedure called arthroscopic discoid meniscus saucerization and repair on a 7-year-old girl who was affected by discoid lateral meniscal tear, a rare abnormal condition in children.

India’s total confirmed cases have risen to 97,67,640 with 31,623 new infections reported in the last 24 hours. Total active cases stood at 3,70,786. As many as 37,680 new patients were recovered during the day. The death toll mounted to 1,41,810 with 412 new deaths.

Hyderabad-based vaccine and pharmaceutical firm Biological E. (BE) has recently signed a pact with the Ohio State Innovation Foundation (OSIF), USA, under which the latter will be licensing novel live attenuated recombinant measles virus vectored vaccine candidates against SARS-CoV-2 exclusively to the company.

India’s COVID-19 caseload has now reached 97,35,975 with 32,061 new incidences reported in the past 24 hours. The active cases stood at 3,77,327 as of now. As many as 36,546 patients showed recovery from the infection yesterday taking the overall recoveries to 92,14,815. With 402 recent deaths, the total fatalities due to the pandemic have risen to 1,41,398.

Interim analysis of the phase III programme conducted by Oxford University with its COVID-19 vaccine candidate AZD1222 showed that the vaccine is effective at preventing COVID-19, with no severe cases and no hospitalisations more than 21 days after the first injection.

Starting within a week to 10 days, the new FNCAS9 Editor-Limited Uniform Detection Assay or Feluda paper strip test will be incorporated for COVID-19 testing in the national capital, according to officials.

L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) and the Madurai-based Aravind Eye Care Systems will share the prestigious ‘The Greenberg Prize – End Blindness 2020’ in the ‘Outstanding Achievement Prize’ category, for their contributions to eliminate blindness.

India’s daily COVID-19 cases dipped below 27K to reach 26,207 on Monday. This was the lowest number of new cases recorded in a single day since July 8, when the count was 25,641. The total number of fatalities stood at 1,40,996 with 389 new deaths

Two out of every five people with disability (42.5%) reported that lockdown had made it difficult for them to access routine medical care, found a recent survey conducted by CBM India, a leading organisation in disability-inclusive development, in collaboration with IIPH Hyderabad and Humanity & Inclusion.

India’s COVID-19 case tally rose to 96,77,381 with 32,852 new infections in the last 24 hours. The new cases fell this week by around 16% from the previous week, reports TOI. With this, the weekly count of cases is now down by nearly two-thirds (62%) from its peak in September 6-13. The total active cases stand at 3,95,636

The health department of the southern Indian state of Kerala has decided to set up specialized clinics to ensure follow-up treatment to people who recovered from COVID-19.

Participants in HIV prevention trials feel good when helping others, found a NIAID-funded HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) cross-protocol analysis.

India’s total COVID-19 case tally rose to 95,71,559 with 36,594 new infections in last 24 hours. While the death toll mounted to 1,39,188 with 540 new deaths. Total active cases stand at 4,16,082.

AstraZeneca has launched a phase IIb clinical trial of the investigational antisense agent, ION449 (AZD8233), in patients with dyslipidemia.

India reported 35,506 fresh COVID-19 cases pushing the cumulative case tally to 95,35,234. The number of active infections stood at 4,21,604 with 40,908 people getting cured/discharged yesterday and 526 succumbing to the infection. The overall recoveries have reached 89,72,711 while the deaths have escalated to 1,38,686.

India saw 36,456 fresh COVID-19 infections on Tuesday. The cumulative case tally now stands at 94,99,710 with 4,27,524 active infections. As many as 43,203 recoveries were reported during the day taking the overall recoveries to 89,31,798. With 500 new deaths the fatalities rose to 1,38,159.

The US FDA has recently approved lonafarnib (Zokinvy) as the first-ever treatment for progeria, a rare and fatal paediatric disease, characterized by dramatic, rapid ageing beginning in childhood.

India reported 39,036 new COVID-19 incidences with Kerala an Himachal Pradesh record ing a higher number of fresh SARS-CoV-2 infections on Sunday.

The Indian generic pharmaceutical company Hetero has joined hands with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) to produce over 100 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V in India through the company’s biologics arm Hetero Biopharma.

India reported 41,353 new COVID-19 incidences on Saturday pushing the case tally to 93,51,224. The death toll climbed to 1,36,238 with 486 new fatalities. Of the total caseload, the overall active cases remained at 4,53,960 as of now. Meanwhile, the number of people who have recuperated from the virus infection has reached 87,58,886 with 41,177 patients getting recovered yesterday.

Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) has recently set up a dedicated COVID-19 testing zone inside the airport for domestic passengers without COVID negative certificates arriving from Delhi, Goa, Gujarat and Rajasthan.

India reported 43,174 new COVID-19 incidences on Thursday pushing the case tally to 93,09,871. Of the total caseload, the overall active cases remained at 4,54,279 as of now. Meanwhile, the number of people who have recuperated from the virus infection has reached 87,17,709 with 39,723 patients getting recovered yesterday. The death toll climbed to 1,35,752 with 491 new fatalities.

India reported 44,699 new COVID-19 incidences on Wednesday pushing the case tally to 92,66,697. Of the total caseload, the overall active cases remained at 4,51,351 as of now. Meanwhile, the number of people who have recuperated from the virus infection has reached 86,77,986 with 36,582 patients getting recovered yesterday. The death toll climbed to 1,35,261with 518 new fatalities.

Apollo Hospitals, Bangalore, has launched India’s first-of-a-kind knee replacement programme that harnesses advanced robotic technology to offer specialized partial and total knee replacement care while addressing the risks pertaining to the current COVID-19 situation.

A nine-year-old boy from Maharashtra who suffered from severe abdominal pain post-COVID-19 was diagnosed with thrombosis and massive gangrene in his small intestine, which was recently successfully transplanted at the Jupiter Hospital, Thane.

The Tony Blair Institute (TBI) and Oracle have brought the new cloud technology, Oracle Health Management System, to Africa to digitize and unify national health data starting with the management of vaccinations and to handle public health programmes.

India reported 44,245 new COVID-19 incidences on Tuesday pushing the case tally to 91,77,753. Of the total caseload, the overall active cases remained at 4,43,765 as of now

The interim data analysis of phase-3 data of Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 candidate vaccine (ChAdOx1 nCoV-2019) showed higher efficacy in preventing COVID-19 disease, according to Oxford University press release.

Nationally, coronavirus cases are growing at a daily rate of 0.45 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry.

The Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) in Spain recently gave nod to the  Johnson & Johnson (J&J) unit Janssen to initiate the company’s phase 3 trial of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate Ad26COV2 in the country.

India’s COVID-19 caseload went past 9.1 million to reach 91,40,312 on Sunday. The nation reported 44,404 new COVID-19 incidences, and the overall active cases totalled to 4,43,033 as of now.

The Sasakawa-India Leprosy Foundation (S-ILF), an organisation dedicated to the social and economic empowerment of persons affected by leprosy and their families, granted scholarships to 40 meritorious students from leprosy background, as part of its 14th Foundation Day. 

India reported 46,288 new COVID-19 infections on Friday. The new incidences took the nation’s case tally to 90,50,613.

The US based biotech company BioAegis Therapeutics, expands phase 2 trial of recombinant human plasma gelsolin (rhu-pGSN) for the treatment of lung injury in patients with severe COVID-19, to additional sites in Europe.

Bharat Biotech has launched the phase 3 trials of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, Covaxin, in India. The trial will be conducted in partnership with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

India reported 46,185 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday. The new incidences took the nation’s case tally to 90,04,325.

India reported 45,369 fresh COVID-19 cases on Wednesday pushing the overall confirmed cases in the country to 89,58,143.

Roche Products (India) Pvt has launched FoundationOne Liquid CDx, a pan-tumour liquid biopsy test for patients with solid tumours in India.

India reported 38,478 new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday. The new incidences took the nation’s case tally to 89,12,704.

India witnessed a dip in the daily number of fresh COVID-19 cases on Monday. With the new incidences at 28,555, the case tally of the nation rose to 88,74,172.

Heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular incidents can be cut by 20 to 40 per cent through the use of a polypill which combines three blood pressure and one lipid-lowering medications taken alone or with aspirin, finds The International Polycap Study 3 (TIPS-3).

The Indian government will provide Rs 900 crore to the Department of Biotechnology for the Covid Suraksha Mission, as part of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat 3.0’, announced the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

India’s COVID-19 caseload went past 8.8 million to reach 88,45,617 on Sunday. The nation reported 30,681 new COVID-19 incidences, and the overall active cases totalled to 4,65,579 as of now.

India reported 44,619 fresh COVID-19 cases on Friday pushing the overall confirmed cases in the country to 87,73,243.

Owing to the hefty cold chain requirements for vaccine storage, Pfizer is developing options to roll out its COVID vaccine in powder format which may be available next year, reports said.

India reported 44,546 fresh COVID-19 cases on Thursday pushing the overall confirmed cases in the country to 87,28,585.

India reported 48,285 fresh COVID-19 cases on Wednesday pushing the overall confirmed cases in the country to 86,84,039.

India reported 44,724 fresh COVID-19 cases on Tuesday. The new cases took the overall confirmed cases in the country to 86,35,754, of which 4,94,415 are active infections as of now.

AstraZeneca and Merck have recently received the European Commission approval for its poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP)-inhibitor olaparib (Lynparza) for prostate cancer and ovarian cancer treatments in the European Union (EU).

The US drugmaker Pfizer with its German biotech partner BioNTech SE has released first promising interim analysis data from a large-scale phase 3 clinical trial of their coronavirus vaccine candidate BNT162b2 claiming more than 90 per cent efficacy in preventing COVID-19.

India reported 37,164 new COVID-19 cases on Monday. The overall reported infections in the country stood at 85,91,075 as of now.

Bangladesh-based drugmaker Beximco Pharma has signed a pact with the Serum Institute of India (SII) to acquire 30 million doses of the potential COVID-19 vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca.

They were supposed to be further proof that India is inching closer towards herd immunity against COVID-19, but the results of India’s latest serosurveys have turned out to be anything but. Serosurveillance, considered the gold standard for measuring population immunity arising out of past infection or vaccination, can provide crucial insights into progression of a […]

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is set to resume its UK-based RECOVERY trial for analysing its REGN-COV2 antibody cocktail treatment trials in hospitalised patients with COVID-19, notified the independent data monitoring committee (DMC).

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is set to resume its UK-based RECOVERY trial for analysing its REGN-COV2 antibody cocktail treatment trials in hospitalised patients with COVID-19, notified the independent data monitoring committee (DMC).

India reported 49,851 new COVID-19 cases on Friday pushing the cumulative caseload to 84,60,885. The total active infections add up to 5,14,901.

The slowdown in the ongoing phase 3 clinical trials has caused AstraZeneca to deliver far fewer doses than promised by year-end, according to the company officials.

Benralizumab (Fasenra; AstraZeneca) can eliminate or reduce oral corticosteroid (OCS) use in the majority of patients with severe eosinophilic asthma, reveals findings from PONENTE Phase IIIb trial.

Five senior scientists from L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) have been listed among the top Indian researchers in a database of 100,000 scientists worldwide, created by Stanford University scientists.

A new bioelectronic patch that can be directly placed on to the heart could soon be used to deliver a precise recording of electrophysiological activity, temperature, heartbeat and other indicators.

If the pricing and distribution of vaccines against COVID-19 were to be based exclusively on traditional market principles, rich countries and members of the upper class would be protected earlier than poorer ones, further intensifying global and social inequality, according to a new study published by the Head of the Institute for Business Ethics and Sustainable Strategy (IBES) at FHWien der WKW (University of Applied Sciences for Management & Communication) in Austria.

India reported 47,628 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday pushing the cumulative caseload to 84,11,034. The total active infections add up to 5,19,507.

The Brazilian Health Surveillance Agency Anvisa has given nod to resume the clinical trial of Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) experimental COVID-19 vaccine in the country.

The South-Africa based drug firm Aspen Pharmacare has signed a preliminary agreement with two Johnson & Johnson (J&J) subsidiaries for the technical transfer and proposed commercial manufacture of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate Ad26.COV2-S.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University created a new intestinal parasite-inspired microdevice that can latch itself into mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract and deliver drugs gradually over time.

India’s new medical education regulator, the National Medical Commission (NMC), has recently released its first major regulations for MBBS admissions and establishment of medical colleges, entitled “Minimum Requirements For Annual MBBS Admissions Regulations (2020)”, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The US Biotech firm Moderna is planning for the global launch of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate mRNA-1273, announced the company.

Apollo Hospitals Group has recently announced the partnership with India Medtronic Private Limited, to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) for advanced stroke management in India for the first time.

India reported 48,117 fresh COVID-19 positive incidences on Friday pushing farther the cumulative caseload to 81,36,166

The medical diagnostic firm Genbody Inc. has recently received nod from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to supply its COVID-19 antigen test kit “Genbody COVID-19 AG”in India. The company will be distributing the test kits in India by partnering with the Mumbai-based Vishat Diagnostics.

World Stroke Day is observed on October 29 to underscore the serious nature and high rates of stroke, raise awareness of the prevention and treatment of the condition and ensure better care and support for survivors. 

An engineered phage endolysin could offer a therapy for recurrent bacterial vaginosis (BV), a disease for which no effective treatment option exists, according to a study.

A specific mutation to the microtubule affinity regulating kinase 4 (MARK4) enzyme could change the properties of the protein tau present in the human brain cells leading to Alzheimer’s disease, find the researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University, Japan.

The AI-based breast cancer screening company Niramai Health Analytix has tied up with the Dr Ambadi’s Calicut Centre for Surgery (CCS) located at Metromed Hospital, to offer contactless, privacy-sensitive, breast cancer screening services to customers.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has submitted applications to the World Health Organization (WHO) for Emergency Use Listing and prequalification of the country’s very first registered COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V.

India reported 42,784 fresh COVID-19 positive incidences on Tuesday pushing farther the cumulative caseload to 79,88,853.

University of Oxford’s leading COVID-19 experimental vaccine produced similar immunogenicity responses in both old and young adults with lower adverse responses among the elderly, said the AstraZeneca Plc .

India witnessed a huge dip in its fresh COVID-19 cases with only 36,000 cases reported on Monday.

India reported 45,065 fresh incidences of COVID-19 on Sunday.

Roxadustat lowered the adverse cardiovascular events in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients with anaemia, according to data recently presented at American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Kidney Week.

India reported 50,224 fresh COVID-19 positive incidences on Saturday pushing farther the cumulative caseload to 78,63,892.

Bharat Biotech has received approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for conducting phase III clinical trials of its COVID-19 vaccine- Covaxin.

The US. FDA has recently approved the antiviral drug remdesivir (Veklury) for use in adult and paediatric patients 12 years of age and older and weighing at least 40 kilograms (about 88 pounds) for the treatment of COVID-19 requiring hospitalisation.

Moderna has finished enrolling about 30,000 participants for the late-stage trial of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate mRNA-1273, announced the US-based biotech company.

The FDA has recently approved the investigational new drug (IND) application for ADI-001, an allogeneic gamma delta (γδ) T cell therapy for the treatment of for B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), announced the biotechnology company Adicet.

The US FDA has authorised to resume the clinical trial of Oxford’s COVID-19 vaccine on Friday, according to AstraZeneca

Researchers from the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam, have recently identified what seems to be a previously overlooked set of salivary glands in the upper part of the throat. The discovery suggests the first set of new salivary glands in about 300 years.

Although COVID-19 was primarily considered as a respiratory infection, experts around the world have been recently evidencing cases that show the virus can infiltrate the eyes.

Researchers from the Institute of Process Engineering (IPE) of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University have developed a new precise therapeutic vaccine against leukaemia by co-encapsulated a new epitope peptide and PD-1 antibody using polylactic acid (PLA) microcapsules.

The Serum Institute of India (SII), along with the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), a non-profit scientific research organisation, has signed a pact with Merck to develop SARS-CoV-2 neutralising monoclonal antibodies (mAbs).

The healthcare diagnostics service provider DoctorC witnessed a five times growth in their home services provided across Hyderabad, Chennai & Bangalore in the past 5 months serving over 50,000 families, the company said.

Phase 3 studies on the Oxford’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate would continue in Brazil despite the death of a volunteer who had participated in the vaccine trial, informed the Brazilian health authority Anvisa.

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi has recently reported a new case of brain damage related to COVID-19 in India in a 11-year-old girl for the first time.

In a major breakthrough study, researchers from the University of Bristol has unveiled that unlike other coronaviruses the SARS-CoV-2 virus attacks by recognising a protein called neuropilin-1 on the surface of human cells that make it highly infectious.

Drug firm Cipla has launched a generic version of the nintedanib drug used for the treatment of Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) under the brand name Nintib in India.

The National Institutes of Health has launched an adaptive phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of three immune modulator drugs to help with cytokine storm in hospitalised adults with COVID-19.

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has recently approved $12 billion for developing countries to finance the purchase and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines,

Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech may soon be able to initiate late-stage clinical trials of the intranasal vaccine for coronavirus once the regulatory approval is in place, said Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan.

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Medicine has recently identified that blocking a complement protein in the immune system pathway during the SARS- CoV-2 infection could prevent immune reaction leading to organ damage.

Apollo Hospitals recently announced that it is prepared to administer one million COVID-19 vaccines per day once it becomes available, to help in safe and orderly delivery of the doses across the population of over 1.3 billion in India.

The digital health venture KareXpert has launched a new integrated, cloud-based platform with built-in electronic health records (EHR) in India, that will enable hospitals to go paperless.

The use of epidural analgesia for vaginal delivery in mothers may be associated with an increased risk of autism in children, according to a recent study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.

Russian authorities have recently given regulatory approval to its second coronavirus vaccine dubbed EpiVacCorona after early-stage studies, revealed Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.

A COVID -19 vaccine candidate named BBIBP-CorV developed by the Chinese researchers has recently been reported safe and to elicit immune response when tested in a small early-phase human trial, according to study published in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

The antiviral drug remdesivir (Gilead Sciences) had little or no effect on the COVID-19 patients’ length of hospital stay or chances of survival, according to a recent clinical trial conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The late-stage clinical trials of the monoclonal antibody therapy (mAb) bamlanivimab (LYCoV555) for COVID-19 conducted by the US pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly has been recently halted by the health regulators over potential safety concerns.

The neurovascular thrombectomy devices market in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 6% between 2020 and 2025, says GlobalData.

India remains on track to become a major centre for clinical trials and should be routinely considered by international sponsors for global use of immune oncology (IO) therapies including immune checkpoint inhibitors in clinical care and clinical trials for solid tumours trials, highlights a recent IQVIA report.

Aster DM Healthcare has recently been honoured with two prestigious awards for its corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability efforts as well as for its contributions towards tackling the COVID – 19 pandemic in the Middle East and North Africa by The Dubai Chamber and the Arabia CSR Network.

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals has launched the generic version of nintedanib capsules under the brand name Nindanib for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis in India.

Johnson & Johnson has temporarily paused its clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccine candidate due to an unexplained illness in a study participant.

India Medtronic Private Limited has recently announced the launch of its new Azure pacemaker that can communicate directly with smartphones and tablets of the patient.

The European Commission (EC) has recently approved an Advance Purchase Agreement in which the Janssen Pharmaceuticals will supply 200 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate to the EU member states following approval or authorization from regulators, announced Johnson & Johnson.

The National Testing Agency will declare the results of the National Entrance cum Eligibility Test (NEET) 2020 on October 16, according to the Supreme court.

As the countries worldwide are in a race to secure coronavirus vaccine supplies, the Mexican government recently announced that it has paid USD 159.88 million to the World Health Organization (WHO) to secure access to COVID-19 vaccines through the agency’s COVAX facility.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has requested the Indian biotechnology company Bharat Biotech to submit the complete safety and immunogenicity data of the ongoing phase-2 clinical trial of its novel coronavirus vaccine candidate ‘Covaxin’ before proceeding to the next phase.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus can survive on human skin for a much longer duration if left untouched compared to flu viruses extending up to nine hours, a new study from Japan revealed.

The drug firm Zydus Cadila has recently launched new pressurised metered dose inhaler (pMDI) (Forglyn) for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in India.

Kerala state minister of Health and Family Welfare, K. K. Shailaja, who was among the few world leaders invited to speak on the occasion of the United Nation’s Public Service Day in June honouring her efforts to tackle the coronavirus pandemic in the Indian State, suggested a separate body under the state government to promote the medical value travel in the state.

The Future Generali India Insurance Company Limited (FGII) is set to launch an online mental health assessment test – Total Health Score which will be live from October 10, 2020, on the sidelines of World Mental Health Day.

The US Food and Drug Administration has given approval to ivacaftor (Kalydeco) for treatment of cystic fibrosis in infants aged four months to less than six months who have at least one mutation in their cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene.The US Food and Drug Administration has given approval to ivacaftor (Kalydeco) for treatment of cystic fibrosis in infants aged four months to less than six months who have at least one mutation in their cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has given nod for initiating the phase-1 human clinical trial for a new “antisera” as a potential treatment for COVID-19, announced the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), officials.

Marinomed Biotech AG, a Vienna-based biopharmaceutical company, is developing a treatment for autoimmune gastritis together with the Medical University of Vienna.

Over 38,000 gynaecologists across India have recently pledged to take Hb test as part of the ‘More Than Bara’ initiative by the Federation of gynaecologist & Obstetrician Society of India ( FOGSI) & Emcure Pharmaceuticals focusing towards Anemia Free India.

Drug firm Zydus Healthcare has launched a generic version of the anti-diabetic dapagliflozin tablets under the brand name Dapaglyn in India.

The 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is awarded to Harvey J Alter, Michael Houghton and Charles M Rice for the discovery of hepatitis C virus.

Apollo Hospitals, Chennai has recently launched the first advanced cardiac diagnostic equipment Aquilion One Prism 640-slice CT Scanner in India.

Indian Medical Association (IMA), the largest body of allopathic practitioners in the country, claimed that no country has lost as many doctors and healthcare workers to the pandemic as India.

The scientific community looked on with awe as cases of reinfection of SARS-CoV-2 started trickling in by late August.

Southern India has seen the highest uptake of telemedicine by doctors with 62% adoption rate, finds a joint study conducted by SMSRC-Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management.

Combinational therapy with nivolumab plus ipilimumab was recently approved by the US FDA for the treatment of adults with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma.

EMA’s human medicines committee (CHMP) has started the first ‘rolling review’ by evaluating the first batch of nonclinical data of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca in collaboration with the University of Oxford.

Sanofi Pasteur, India, has launched a 4-in-1 booster vaccine DTaP-IPV (Tetraxim) indicated against – Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus and Polio, to be administered to preschoolers in India.

Age and body mass index are among the factors that have a significant impact on the clinical course of a particular type of brain tumour, known as pilocytic astrocytoma, in adult patients, according to the findings of a new study.

The Health and Family Welfare Ministry of Kerala secured a United Nations award on for its “outstanding contribution” towards the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases.

India reported 80,500 positive COVID19 cases on Tuesday taking the country’s caseload to 62,23,519. Of these, 9,40,473 are active cases, and the total recoveries have reached 51,84,634, as per the compiled data by the Union Health Ministry.

The USFDA has recently approved mepolizumab (Nucala) for treatment of hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) in adults and children aged 12 years and older.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has recently announced that the country would supply 25 million doses of the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine to Nepal via Trinity Pharmaceuticals.

A new nasal spray dubbed INNA-051 has shown to significantly mitigate SARS-CoV-2 virus levels in the nose and throat by up to 96% in an animal-based study, announced Australian biotech company Ena Respiratory.

The Union health ministry has notified the National Medical Commission (NMC) as regulatory body of medical education and practice in India following the abolishing of Medical Council of India (MCI)

Metformin, the first-line treatment for most cases of type 2 diabetes was found to be associated with slowing the cognitive decline, according to a recent observational study published in the journal Diabetes Care.

The National Medical Commission, formerly known as Medical Council of India, has given recognition to MD course in Laboratory Medicine by its inclusion in the Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2000.

Wipro GE Healthcare in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has launched an advanced center for innovation and research at the IISc campus in Bangalore.

India reported 85,919 fresh COVID-19 cases and 1,144 deaths on Thursday. With this, the COVID caseload in the country has crossed the 58 lakh mark to reach 5,816,103

The outcomes of COVID-19 infection may be worse among patients with inflammatory arthritis receiving glucocorticoids, but not in those receiving anti-cytokine therapy, find researchers from the New York University School of Medicine.

The Board of Governors in supersession of the Medical Council of India (MCI BoG) has recently considered the proposal for starting standalone PG Courses in private hospitals without having pre-requisite of an MBBS program, in a major step to boost the private medical education sector to produce more specialists in the country.

Presence of enlarged perivascular spaces within the basal ganglia among patients taking oral anticoagulants may be a new risk factor for intracranial haemorrhage (ICH), according to a statistical analysis of the CROMIS-2 (AF) study.

The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has recently approved India’s first Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) coronavirus test known as ‘Feluda’, announced the Tata Sons.

The Infectious Diseases Society of America (ISDA) has recently launched a new COVID-19 Real-Time Learning Network microsite for frontline clinicians with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The information provided on the website is curated by a multidisciplinary team of experts with the goal to help clinicians from a variety of disciplines […]

Eltrombopag appeared to be safe and improve response rates when added to standard immunosuppressive therapy among transplant-ineligible patients with severe aplastic anaemia, according to results from the international, open-label, phase 3 RACE trial.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has recently signed a pact with the Dr. Reddy’s laboratory, India for the manufacture and distribution of over 100 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine named Sputnik V developed by Russia.

Miglustat may stabilise the problems of swallowing ability that occur in children and adolescents with Niemann-Pick type C1 (NPC1), a rare and ultimately fatal neurological disease, according to a recent study published in JAMA Neurology.

The Metropolis Healthcare Ltd has recently begun testing for COVID-19 at its lab in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

Following reports that elective surgeries being deferred or cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic, the orthopedic devices market has been highly affected. Against this backdrop, the global orthopedic procedures are set to decrease by over 20% over the course of this whole year, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

The Indian healthcare industry needs to shift from traditional in-person doctor patient interaction to digitally enabled remote consultations, states the recently released study by EY titled, “Healthcare goes mobile: Evolution of teleconsultation and e-pharmacy in new Normal.”

The severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may be associated with the thinning of the superotemporal retinal nerve fibre layer, found recent research published in the Journal of Glaucoma

An experimental probiotic skin therapy for eczema utilising Roseomonas mucosa strains was found to safely reduce disease severity by modifying the skin microbiome in children as young as 3 years of age, a National Institutes of Health study has found.

Metformin may increase the risk for moderate anaemia among adults with type 2 diabetes, according to the findings of a study published in the journal Diabetes Care.

Azacitidine tablets (Onureg) recently received the US FDA nod for treatment of patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) who achieved first complete remission (CR) or CR with incomplete blood count recovery (CRi) after intensive induction chemotherapy and are not able to complete intensive curative therapy.

The U.S. FDA has recently approved pralsetinib (Gavreto) for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic rearranged during transfection (RET) fusion-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Topical minoxidil has been found associated with improvements in persistent radiation-induced alopecia (pRIA) among patients treated for central nervous system or head and neck sarcomas, according to a recent study published in JAMA Dermatology.

WHO has updated the guidelines on the use of steroids in COVID-19 patients as an expert panel strongly recommended using systemic glucocorticosteroids for severely and critically ill patients.

Finally, researchers from South Korea seem to have come up with some convincing evidence to one of the most controversial questions pertaining to the spread of SARS-CoV-2: whether an asymptomatic patient can transmit the virus to another individual.

Global drug maker Abbott said on Wednesday (02/09) that it has received approval from the Drugs Controller General of India for its Ivabradine, once-a-day formulation.

Transoral robotic surgery may improve long-term survival outcomes compared with nonrobotic surgery for patients with early-stage oropharyngeal cancer, according to research published in JAMA Oncology.

A new closed-loop control system (also known as artificial pancreas) was found to be safe and effective at managing glucose levels in the blood of children as young as age six with type 1 diabetes, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The National Institutes of Health has launched a study to track the prevalence and impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection among approximately 16,000 pregnant women in seven low and middle-income countries including Guatemala, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia.

Cilofexor plus firsocostat contributed to a higher rate of fibrosis improvement without worsening of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and reduced progression to cirrhosis in patients with liver fibrosis, according to research presented at The Digital International Liver Congress.

The non-steroidal topical cream benvitimod (Tapinarof) showed positive results in treating plaque psoriasis in two parallel phase 3 clinical trials, announced Dermavant Sciences.

Dapagliflozin (Farxiga), reduced the worsening of renal function or risk of cardiovascular (CV) or renal death by 39% compared to placebo in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), at stages 2-4 and elevated urinary albumin excretion. announced AstraZeneca India based on phase 3 DAPA-CKD study

iPC Health, a comprehensive learning, training and skill development platform for healthcare professionals, has welcomed KIMSHEALTH Group to its rapidly growing user network, getting closer to its 100-hospital milestone.

Medical technology leader Medtronic is significantly scaling up its research and development centre— Medtronic Engineering & Innovation Centre (MEIC)— in Hyderabad to the ranks of a global enterprise centre of excellence.

Cysteamine ophthalmic solution (0.37%) (Cystadrops) has recently been approved by the US FDA for the treatment of ocular manifestations of cystinosis, announced the company Recordati Rare Diseases.

The use of reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) may be a beneficial therapy in patients older than 60 years with chronic rotator cuff tears (RCT) without glenohumeral arthritis, suggest researchers at Boston University College of Medicine.

Gurgaon-based biotechnology company Premas Biotech has announced that their new triple-antigen COVID-19 vaccine candidate, PRAK-03202, showed to induce neutralizing immune response against SARS-CoV2 when tested in the mice models.

The use of multifocal contact lenses in children may reduce the worsening of myopia or nearsightedness, finds a recent study conducted by the NIH. Compared with single vision contact lenses, multifocal lenses slowed myopia progression by about 43% over three years, according to a study published in the journal JAMA.

MedGenome, a leading genomic diagnostics, research and data company based in Foster City, CA and Bangalore, India, today announced that it has formed a strategic discovery collaboration focused on novel discoveries in Parkinson’s Disease (“PD”) with Denali Therapeutics.

A team of scientists from leading genetic research-and-data-based diagnostic company MedGenome India and US, along with an international team of researchers from institutions in the US, India, South Korea, Chile and Australia, has reported sequencing and analysis of over 150 gallbladder cancer (GBC) samples.

Opioid use among women trying to conceive may be associated with a lower chance of pregnancy, suggests a National Institutes of Health study.

Metropolis Healthcare has recently started testing for COVID-19 in the state of Kerala. The NABL accredited lab located in Kochi has been approved by the ICMR in conducting COVID-19 testing using TrueNat technology.

Flyte, a non-invasive, intravaginal home-use device has recently received the U.S FDA approval for the treatment of women with stress urinary incontinence in patients aged ≥21 years, announced Pelvital.

Screening for Barrett’s oesophagus should be considered in patients who underwent sleeve gastrectomy even in the absence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms postoperatively, suggests researchers from the University of Florida. The study has been published in the journal Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

GERD, is a digestive disorder that affects the lower oesophagal sphincter (LES), the ring of muscle between the oesophagus and stomach. This is a chronic disease that occurs when stomach acid or bile flows into the food pipe and irritates the lining. Acid reflux and heartburn more than twice a week may indicate GERD. Barrett’s oesophagus is most often diagnosed in people with long-term GERD. It usually occurs as a result of repeated exposure to stomach acid often resulting in frequent heartburn and chest pain, although many people will have no symptoms.

Sleeve gastrectomy (SG), also called as vertical sleeve gastrectomy, is a surgical weight-loss procedure in which the stomach is reduced to about 15% of its original size, by surgical removal of a large portion of the stomach along the greater curvature resulting in a sleeve or tube-like structure.

The research revealed that patients who underwent oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) after sleeve gastrectomy experienced a high prevalence of Barrett’s oesophagus (BE).

EGD is a procedure during which a small flexible endoscope is introduced through the mouth or, with smaller-calibre endoscopes, through the nose and advanced through the pharynx, oesophagus, stomach, and duodenum.

The study evaluated data of patients who had EGD after SG. The primary outcome was the prevalence of BE in these patients. The final analysis of 10 different studies showed 680 patients who had EGD 6 months to 10 years after SG. The pooled prevalence of BE was 11.6%. On logistic meta-regression analysis, there was no significant association between BE and the prevalence of postoperative GERD although there was a linear relationship between the time of postoperative EGD and the rate of esophagitis. The risk of osophagitis increased by 13% each year after SG.

“There was no correlation with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms. Most cases were observed after 3 years of follow-up.” pointed out the researchers.

“The elevated risk of BE due to [sleeve gastrectomy] should be discussed with patients at the time of surgical referral,” the researchers wrote. “Patients at increased risk of BE should be given the option to have an alternative procedure.”, they added.

Preterm birth may be an independent risk factor for early mortality in women, suggest a recent observational study published in the journal BMJ.

Pallium India, an organisation working to integrate palliative care with health care, will be conducting virtual events this month to facilitate a discussion to encourage more conversations amongst families about making appropriate choices on death and grieving in the coronavirus pandemic scenario.

Diabetes increases the risk of kidney cancer in postmenopausal non-obese women, find a recent analysis from the Iowa Women’s Health Study (IWHS). The results are published online in journal Maturitas.

Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) may increase the risk of developing dementia, found researchers from the Department of Family Medicine, University College of Medicine, Korea. The findings have been published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology.

Viltolarsen (Viltepso) has recently received the US FDA approval as a targeted treatment for patients with a rare Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) mutation, announced NS Pharma.

Patients with sarcoidosis may have an increased risk of heart failure and other adverse outcomes, including all-cause mortality, according to an observational study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Variations in kinesin-like protein KIF3A gene could increase the risk for atopic dermatitis, found a recent study published in the Nature Communications.

Satralizumab-mwge (Enspryng) has received the US FDA approval for the treatment of adults with anti-aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody-positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), announced Genentech.

India saw the highest single-day rise in COVID-19 cases on Saturday with 67,103 fresh infections being reported on the day. The total caseload of the country has now risen to 25,90,572.

India reported 65,002 fresh COVID-19 cases and 996 fatalities on Friday. With this, the caseload of the nation has now risen to 2,526,192, which include 6,68,220 active cases and 1,808,936 recoveries.

Debio 1143, an oral first-in-class inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) antagonist was found to significantly improve the overall survival (OS) when combined with chemo-radiation therapy (CRT) in patients with high-risk locally advanced squamous cell cancer of the head and neck (LA-SCCHN), announced the global biopharmaceutical company, Debiopharm.

Mental stress may lead to activation of the inferior frontal lobe in the brain leading to angina in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), find researchers from Emory University, Atlanta.

It has been an unprecedented medical crisis, the number of COVID-19 cases recorded worldwide has passed the 18 million mark and understandably, there is great amount of fear and anxiety. Yet, we must be hopeful, as scientists are working against the clock at an indescribable pace, to develop a vaccine.

India saw an unprecedented surge in the number of fresh COVID-19 cases and deaths due to infection on Thursday.

MedGenome Labs, leading genomics research and clinical data-driven diagnostics company, in collaboration with experts from Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and others, conducted a first-ever study on Indian population that validates a novel ‘CAD-PRS’ (coronary artery disease-genome-wide polygenic risk score) to precisely predict the risk of developing a coronary artery disease/myocardial infarction (MI) using a person’s genetic makeup.

The US biotechnology company Verve Therapeutics presented a new preclinical proof-of-concept data on successful use of base editing to turn off a gene in the liver and thereby lower blood levels of either LDL cholesterol or triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, two factors leading to coronary atherosclerosis.

Oliceridine (Olinvyk), a first-in-class intravenous (IV) analgesic has recently received the US FDA approval for management of moderate to severe acute pain in adults.

Russia plans to register the world’s first vaccine against SARS CoV-2 infection on August 12, according to agency reports quoting Deputy Health Minister Oleg Gridnev.

India registered 53,601 new COVID positive cases on Monday. The country, which has been registering more number of new cases than the two most affected countries such as the US and Brazil in the last one week, has so far reported 2,268,675 positive cases in all.

An adenoviral serotype 5 (Ad5) vectored COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by the Chinese researchers is set to enter phase 3 clinical trial in Saudi Aradia, announced CanSino Biologics.

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have developed a microfluidic device that could help preserve and detect the presence of thin membrane protrusions called “microtentacles” on breast cancer cells which can help image non-adherent cells to detect whether a tumour is likely to spread.

The US FDA has recently approved Guardant360 CDx assay to identify metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who carry specific epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutations, making them eligible for treatment with osimertinib (Tagrisso).

A large clinical trial, evaluating the safety and efficacy of a combinatorial treatment consisting of the antiviral remdesivir plus the immunomodulator interferon beta-1a in patients with COVID-19 has begun, announced the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Esketamine (Spravato) CIII nasal spray has recently received US FDA approval for use in conjunction with an oral antidepressant in adults for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), announced the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies.

Medical device company Trivitron Healthcare has recently announced its collaboration with Anatomage Inc, to distribute virtual anatomy dissection table for medical education for scholars, researchers, medical & healthcare students in South and West regions in India.

Belantamab mafodotin (Blenrep) has been recently approved by the US FDA as a fourth-line therapy in treating adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, announced GlaxoSmithKline.

Zydus Cadila has launched phase II clinical trials of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, ZyCoV-D, following its successful results from phase I study where the vaccine was found to be safe and well-tolerated in healthy participants.

With an effort to ensure that knowledge of sports science is applied to train athletes even at the grassroot level, Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NSNIS), Patiala, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Center for Sports Science (CSS) of Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (SRIHER), Chennai, to jointly conduct six- month certificate courses in sports science subjects.

Pretomanid has been granted a conditional marketing authorisation by the European Commission (EC) for treating highly drug-resistant forms of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB).

Children aged younger than 5 years may carry 10-fold to 100-fold greater amount of SARS-CoV-2 in the upper respiratory tract compared to those aged 5 to 17 years and adults (18 to 65), finds a recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics .

Valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement (AVR) was linked to more heart failure (HF) hospitalisations and permanent pacemaker implantation, according to the study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The US FDA has approved cannabidiol (Epidiolex) for the treatment of seizures associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) in patients one year of age and older.

Indian drugmaker Wockhardt has announced that the company has entered into an agreement with the UK government to provide ‘fill and finish services’ to accelerate COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing and supply in Britain.

The US FDA has approved an expanded indication for ustekinumab (Stelara) for the treatment of paediatric patients (6-11 years of age) with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis (PsO), announced Janssen Pharmaceuticals.

The presence of a specific form of tau protein in blood could help in early detection of amyloid plaque formation in the brain leading to Alzheimer’s disease, according to recent research published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

Tocilizumab was found ineffective in its first phase 3 trial in treatment of adults hospitalised with severe COVID-19–associated pneumonia reported Genentech.

The global human and veterinary healthcare company Boehringer Ingelheim has recently launched NexGard (afoxolaner) and Broadline (fipronil, (s)-methoprene, eprinomectin, praziquantel) in India intended for the comprehensive parasite treatment for dogs and cats respectively.

The FDA has recently approved atezolizumab (Tecentriq) plus cobimetinib (Cotellic) and vemurafenib (Zelboraf) for the treatment of patients with BRAF V600-positive advanced melanoma, announced Roche.

Passive stretching helps improve blood flow by making it easier for arteries to dilate and decreasing their stiffness, reveals a recent study published in The Journal of Physiology.

The US FDA has recently approved tafasitamab-cxix (Monjuvi) in combination with lenalidomide (Revlimid) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

Hetero Pharmaceuticals has launched the generic version of antiviral drug favipiravir under the brand name ‘Favivir’ to treat mild to moderate COVID-19.

India saw a spike of 52,123 new COVID cases on Wednesday taking the total number of confirmed cases to 15,837,92

Moderna Therapeutics has announced that the company has launched a phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of the mRNA-1273 investigational COVID-19 vaccine to prevent symptomatic coronavirus disease in adults.

Roche Diagnostics India announced the company has launched its first high throughput, fully integrated laboratory automation system Cobas 8800 and Cobas 6800 in India to aid with SARS CoV-2 diagnostic testing.

Two doses of the mRNA-1273 vaccine candidate has shown to prevent COVID-19 induced robust immune responses and rapidly control the coronavirus in the upper and lower airways of rhesus macaques exposed to SARS-CoV-2, report scientists from the National Institutes of Health.

Oxytocin could be a potential new therapeutic option for cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, suggests a team of scientists from the Tokyo University of Science

Vishat Diagnostics recently received approval from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for supplying COVID-19 rapid testing antigen kit manufactured by Coris BioConcept.

The Kerala State government has recently issued an order fixing rates for COVID-19 treatment at private hospitals in connection with the increasing numbers of daily COVID-19 positive cases being reported in the state.

L-type calcium channel blockers (LCCBs) may harm the heart as much as help it and may lead to greater risk for heart failure, finds researchers at Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine. The team pointed out that the drug may cause the same type of vascular damage they are intended to prevent.

India is set to launch three new high-throughput rapid COVID-19 testing facilities across 3 different cities in the country.

The spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from Wuhan in China has caused significant mortality and morbidity.

As antibody testing becomes more common, new studies have been released including one showing that some patients from Wuhan infected by COVID-19 did not develop antibodies as well as another tracking rapid loss of antibodies in both asymptomatic and symptomatic cases.

A new mRNA vaccine candidate for COVID-19, mRNA-1273, developed by US Biotech major Moderna Inc, was found to induce immune response against the SARS-CoV-2 in all healthy participants involved in the study, revealed the findings published online in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The India-based digital platform for cancer care, Onco.com has recently announced that the company received global recognition for its advanced technology platform “Online Cancer Patient Assistance Pathway” (OCPAP).

Dr M I Sahadulla-led KIMS Healthcare Management Ltd unveiled its new brand identity and logo in a virtual launch event on Wednesday (July 15).

Scientists at John Hopkins successfully delivered gene therapy using nanoparticles to treat blinding retinal disease in rodents. The study is published online in the journal Science Advances.

Women with a history of miscarriage or subfertility are more likely to have subclinical hypothyroidism, finds a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Birmingham, UK.

Gilead Sciences has initiated a phase Ia clinical trial of an inhaled nebulised version of the remdesivir to treat COVID-19 patients whose infection has not progressed to hospitalisation.

The biopharmaceutical company Osmotica Pharmaceuticals plc, announced that the company received the US FDA approval for oxymetazoline hydrochloride ophthalmic solution 0.1% (Upneeq) for treatment against acquired blepharoptosis or ptosis in adults.

Neurological complications of COVID-19 can include delirium, brain inflammation, stroke and nerve damage, finds a new University College London (UCL) and UCLH-led study that is now published in the journal Brain.

Loyal Textile Mills Limited launched the Viral Sheild, a new line of reusable Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), masks and protective clothing range with anti-microbial activity, particularly against SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Takeda India announced the launch of vedolizumab (Kynteles) for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s Disease (CD).

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved ViiV Healthcare’s fostemsavir (Rukobia), as a new type of oral antiretroviral medication for adults living with drug-resistant HIV-1 infection.

A Vitamin K analogue could be utilised as a potential treatment for the medication-resistant seizures caused by mitochondrial dysfunction, reveals a new study published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

The biopharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca Pharma India Limited announced that the company has received marketing approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for dapagliflozin (Forxiga) for the treatment of adult patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

The US Food and Drug Administration has warned the general public and healthcare professionals against serious toxicity in sanitiser products containing methanol.

Generic drug maker Emcure Pharmaceuticals has launched India’s first generic version of sucroferric oxyhydroxide indicated for the control of increased serum phosphorus levels in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on dialysis.

The Hyderabad-based biotechnology firm Bharat Biotech has received the nod from the Drug Controller General of India for conducting phase I and II human clinical trials for India’s first COVID -19 vaccine candidate, code-named as COVAXIN.

Delhi is preparing to set up its first plasma bank intended for the treatment of COVID-19 patients, announced the State Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday.

Swiss-hygiene technology provider Livinguard Technologies has rolled out the world’s first virus deactivating face mask in India. The anti-microbial mask that claimed to be effective in not only giving protection from the virus but also help destroying SARS CoV2.

Continued spike in daily new cases—at 18,552 in the last 24 hours– has taken the Indian COVID-19 tally 5,08,953 as on Friday.

As India currently witnesses a constantly rising COVID-19 related deaths due to development of severe respiratory illness, especially in high-risk patients, early detection of such risks has been proved quite supportive in managing critically ill patients.

India registered another record single-day spike of 17,296 in new COVID cases over the last 24 hours. With this, the total confirmed cases in the country crossed 4.9 lakh mark to reach 4,90,401 as on Friday morning

Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has recently fabricated a new removable bioadhesive tape that allows surgeons to seal internal wounds and tears of organs as a replacement for sutures.

With more than 16,968 new infection positives reported in the last 24 hours, India’s total number of COVID-19 cases reached 4,73 lakh so far.

Microorganisms on the tongue could help diagnose heart failure, suggests a recent study conducted by the researchers from Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine.

India registered 15,372 new positive COVID cases on Sunday taking the total case load to 4,26,397.

Indian drugmakers Cipla and Hetero Drugs have received an emergency marketing approval for the antiviral remdesivir for the treatment of severe Covid-19 patients from the drug controller of India.

India registered a new record of 15,413 COVID cases on Saturday, taking the total confirmed cases in the country to 4,40,461.

The India-based pharmaceutical firm Glenmark received the DCGI nod to launch favipiravir for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 patients in the country, the company announced.

India witnessed yet another new spike in the number of COVID infections on Friday. With 14,516 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, the total confirmed cases in the country rose to 3,95,048.

The antiviral drug umifenovir will soon enter phase 3 clinical trials for evaluation of its safety and efficacy in Indian patients against COVID-19.

India saw a spike of 13,586 new cases in the past 24 hours, shifting the single-day growth trajectory from the so far seen 12,000 cases to close to 14000 cases in India.

In light of the repeated findings from the hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) arm of the Solidarity trial showing no significant reduction in COVID-19 mortality rates, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has decided to halt the testing of the HCQ drug in COVID patients.

India witnessed a record spike in new COVID-19 positive cases and deaths in the last 24 hours. With 12,881 new cases the total SARS CoV-2 infection cases in India has risen to 3,66,946 till Wednesday night

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has recently approved a rapid antigen detection assay for the diagnosis of COVID-19 using nasal samples. Developed by SD Biosensor, Standard Q COVID-19 Ag detection kit is a rapid chromatographic immunoassay for the qualitative detection of specific antigens to SARS-CoV-2.

India registered 10,974 new cases in the past 24 hours taking the COVID-19 tally to over 3.5 lakh Wednesday morning.

In India, the mortality risk of heart failure (HF) patients is about 17% for a 90-day duration which is higher than the fatality risk associated with cancer, revealed the first National Heart Failure Registry (NHFR) which was released on Monday.

Females may have a relatively higher risk of COVID-19 mortality when compared to males in India, finds a recent study published in the Journal of Global Health Science.

With 11500 new cases reported in the last 24 hours, India’s COVID toll reached 3,43,091 Tuesday morning. The country remained in the exponential growth trajectory with more than 11,000 new infection cases for the third day in a row.

With over 11,500 cases reported in the last 24 hours, the COVID -19 numbers in India on Monday rose to 3,32,920.

Marinomed Biotech AG is entering the Italian market for cold remedies, biopharmaceutical company said in a statement.This market is the third largest of its kind in Europe. Marinomed’s new marketing partner Fidia Farmaceutici Spa is set to offer Carragelose-based nasal sprays on the Italian market as of autumn 2020. Oral products such as throat sprays […]

With 11,929 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, the COVID tally of India rose to 3,21,375 on Sunday, according to data from the State Health Departments.

ViiV Healthcare received US FDA approval for its dispersible tablet formulation of the antiretroviral drug dolutegravir (Tivicay PD) as a tailored approach to the treatment of paediatric patients with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection.

With a spike of over 11,458 cases on Friday, India’s COVID-19 tally surpassed the three-lakh mark already.

Vidofludimus calcium (IMU-838), an oral, selective immune modulator has received a nod from the US FDA for entering phase 2 clinical trial for treating COVID-19, Immunic announced.