Pharma News

In a significant step toward easing the regulatory burden on India's retail pharmacy sector, the Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC) at its 68th meeting on 20 March 2026 directed a sub-committee to examine four landmark deregulation proposals. The sub-committee's findings will be placed before the DCC for final deliberation before any rule amendments are made.

Eli Lilly and Company announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Foundayo™ (orforglipron) for adults with obesity, or overweight with weight-related medical problems.

When used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, Foundayo helps individuals lose excess body weight and keep the weight off. Foundayo will be available via LillyDirect®, with prescriptions accepted immediately and shipping beginning April 6, followed shortly after by broad availability through U.S. retail pharmacies and telehealth providers.

A groundbreaking investigational therapy is offering new hope for children affected by Dravet syndrome, a severe and treatment-resistant form of epilepsy. The drug, known as zorevunersen, has demonstrated remarkable results in clinical trials, significantly reducing seizure frequency while also improving cognitive and behavioral outcomes.

SUMMARY OF THE EVENT SIMATS 
College of Pharmacy, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Chennai organized an International Webinar on “Community Connect: Pharmaceutical Care Everywhere” jointly in collaboration with Association of Community Pharmacists of India (ACPI) on March 27, 2026 (Friday) through Google Meet at 10:00 Hrs. The webinar aimed to highlight the importance of advancing global pharmaceutical care through active community engagement and collaborative practice. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Kresladi (marnetegragene autotemcel), the first gene therapy for the treatment of severe Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency Type I (LAD-I). Kresladi is indicated for the treatment of pediatric patients with severe leukocyte adhesion deficiency I (LAD-I) due to biallelic variants in ITGB2 without an available human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched sibling donor for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant.

A phase 3 clinical trial has found that finerenone, a nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, produces a significantly greater reduction in a key marker of kidney damage compared to placebo in adults with Type 1 diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD). The results were published on March 5, 2026 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

For anyone who has spent time hiking wooded trails, camping, or simply walking through tall grass, the fear of a tiny tick causing outsized harm is very real. Lyme disease has quietly become one of the most common infectious diseases in the Northern Hemisphere, and yet, for years, doctors have had no vaccine to offer patients. That may be about to change.

On March 23, 2026, Pfizer and French biotech Valneva announced results from their landmark Phase 3 VALOR trial and the numbers are genuinely encouraging.