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Starpharma Holdings Limited has announced that it has entered into a new DEP® partnership with Chase Sun Pharmaceuticals to produce numerous DEP® nanoparticle formulations for an anti-infective drug. The deal also includes the possibility of carrying out additional DEP® programs, which may extend beyond anti-infective therapeutic areas.

Starpharma is an ASX 300 organization and a global pioneer in the production of dendrimer products for medicinal, life sciences and other applications. The company, headquartered in Melbourne in Australia, produces dendrimers that can be used to improve the properties of other drugs. The process is defined as drug delivery; the reason behind this is it seeks to ensure that a drug is delivered to the right area of the body at the correct time. This drug delivery technology is known as DEP®.

Earlier in September 2013, Starpharma Holdings Ltd and Gowan Company LLC had announced their partnership using Starpharma's Priostar® dendrimer technology in crop protection formulations. Starpharma’s Priostar® dendrimers were evaluated as and believed to be potential enhancements for certain Gowan products intended for high value markets under this deal. Now, with the help of their latest collaboration, Starpharma would be producing DEP® nanoparticle formulations for an anti-infective product for Chase Sun. They aim to boost its efficiency while also extending its medical value at the same time. Furthermore, under this deal Chase Sun will fund all activities and their associated expenses with the further advancement of any DEP® product. It is also reported that if in the future Chase Sun decides to market any of the subsequent DEP® products, a licensing deal specific to this technology would be signed with Starpharma. Chase Sun is China's top pharmaceutical firm which is focused on R&D and the marketing of healthcare goods. In addition, it operates in one of the largest markets in the world and has more than 60,000 employees.

The Starpharma CEO, Dr Jackie Fairley, stated in his comments that the company was delighted to enter in this new DEP® partnership with Chase Sun. Furthermore, he stated that this agreement highlights the broad applicability of the DEP® framework and will help DEP® expand its market potential in the anti-infectious environment.

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The Russian President Vladimir Putin has launched a coronavirus vaccine amid the global race to develop and distribute it. The world’s first vaccine comes even with the final stages of clinical trials to test efficiency and safety still going on.

The announcement came in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic that has infected more than 20 million people and killed around 0.75 million people all over the world. It has also resulted in crippling world economies.

The Russian vaccine has been developed by the Gamaleya Institute in Moscow. The vaccine uses two strains of adenovirus that is known to cause mild cold in humans. Adenovirus vaccine is under trial in many other countries as well. The strains are genetically modified which can cause infected cells to create proteins from the spike of the coronavirus. This is a similar approach to a vaccine under development by AstraZeneca and Oxford University.

As per reports, Russia has dubbed the newly created vaccine “Sputnik V” after its Soviet satellite. Kirill Dmitriev, who is the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, an organization responsible for financing the vaccine project, announced that the Phase 3 trials would start by Wednesday. This means that mass production can be expected from September. He also mentioned that around 20 countries have already pre-ordered more than a billion doses.

Putin thanked everyone who has worked on the vaccine’s development and mentioned that this is a very important step for the world. He also hopes that the country’s research body should start the mass production of the vaccine very soon.

When talking about the vaccine, Putin mentions that it works effectively, helps build strong immunity, and has passed all the needed checks. He also added that one of his two daughters have received a shot of the vaccine and is doing well.

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“Tulsi and Pipper (kali mirch) key to the approach of tackling Covid and the advisories of Ministry of AYUSH, Govt. of India needs to be updated as more research takes place in this area”, says Prof (Dr.) R K Goyal, Vice Chancellor, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University (DPSRU).

PHD Chamber, AYUSH Committee organized second series of the webinar on Ayurveda Rasayana-Immunomodulators in Restoring Holistic Health, Series- II on 6th August 2020.

The eminent panellists were Professor (Dr.) R.K. Goyal, Vice Chancellor, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University (DPSRU), Dr. Pradeep Dua, Scientist- ‘C’ Medical Equipment and Hospital Planning Department (MHD), Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Dr. Gopesh Mangal, Associate Professor, PG Dept. of Panchkarma National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur and Dr. Rakhi Mehra, Prof. & HOD, Shalya Tantra, Dr. Anar Singh Ayurvedic Medical College & Hosptial.

The webinar was grace by the presence of Mr. Pradeep Multani Vice President, PHD Chamber, Mr. Arvind Varchaswi, Chairman, AYUSH Committee and Mr. Saurabh Sanyal, Secretary General, PHD Chamber.

Mr. Pradeep Multani in his presidential address welcomes all the eminent panellists and mentioned that the role of immunomodulators in modern medicine is yet to be fully appreciated or perceived as our understanding of immune system is changing at a rapid pace. He said that Immunomodulators are considered now as one of the most potent tools in the management of health and disease by modern medicine. The role of immunomodulators in modern medicine is yet to be fully appreciated or perceived as our understanding of immune system is changing at a rapid pace.

Mr. Arvind Varchaswi in his industry remarks mentioned about how the entire AYUSH system has grown very rapidly during last few years. He also talked about the role of mental and physical health and how the AYUSH system of medicine played a very significant role in getting the recognition in the world. He also talked about the various new opportunity emerging towards the traditional system of medicine.

Professor (Dr.) R.K. Goyal, Vice Chancellor, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University (DPSRU) thanked all the panellist for joining the today’s webinar on Ayurveda Rasayana-Immunomodulators and shared a presentation with everyone about the overall benefits from these Immunomodultors and how these could be useful in building up the immunity. He also explained the immense mechanism and significant role of Rasayana-Immunomodulators in Restoring Holistic Health. Dr. Goyal also talked about the Target immune cells and their significant roles and functions.

Dr. Pradeep Dua, Scientist- ‘C’ Medical Equipment and Hospital Planning Department (MHD), Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) also shared a presentation about Severe acute respiratory syndrome and common symptoms related to       COVID-19. Dr.Dua also highligthed about the following guidlines issued by Ministry of AYUSH, Govt. of India to tackle the ongoing pandemic. He also explained about the classification of Rasayanas in Ayurveda and how Yoga plays an important role in improving body flexibility & relieves mental stress.

Dr. Dua also talked about the concept of Immunity in Ayurveda and said how Ministry of AYUSH, Govt. of India has immensely worked on the AYUSH system and there is phenomenal growth in terms of AYUSH Practitioners, adding Govt. Hospitals, Ayurveda colleges and private manufacturing units.

Dr. Rakhi Mehra, Prof. & HOD, Shalya Tantra, Dr. Anar Singh Ayurvedic Medical College & Hosptial thanked all the panellist and delegates for joining today’s webinar. Dr. Mehra told about the radiation exposure and AYUSH system of medicine. She talked about the natural remedies like ginger, Chyavanprashand and luke warm water and use of Indian herbs like haldi and other ingredients could be very beneficial in increasing the immmunity of an individual to fight against any disease. She also talked about one should follow a holistic approach and explained the role of Ayurveda Rasayana-Immunomodulators in enhancing immunity.

Dr. Gopesh Mangal, Associate Professor, PG Dept. of Panchkarma National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur also shared a brief presentation about how to boost immunity with certain other factors. Dr. Mangal also explained the concept of Ritu Shodhan and how these could be useful in detoxification of Tissues and hep in preventing from various diseases. He also explained about the Panchkarma treatment as a part of Dincharya and shared the various benefits from the panchkarma treatment. Dr. Mangal explained the concept of Abhyanga  and how this massage therapy slows down the Aging process and beneficial for the skin. He also shared the role and function of these Immunomodulators to help in increasing the overall immunity in the body.

Mr. Saurabh Sanyal, Secretary General, PHD Chamber gave a vote of thanks by thanking all the Panelist and delegates for joining today’s webinar. He said the today’s webinar focusses on Ayurveda Rasayana-Immunomodulators and how these could be beneficial in developing Immunity.

The session was moderated by Mr. Vivek Seigell, Principal Director, PHD Chamber. The webinar was sponsored by Multani Pharmaceuticals Ltd and was attended by more than 150 delegates.

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The CEO & Chief Architect of Dokat, Inc, Ram Chella led a team to devise a fully Made in India Deep UV-C Air Sanitizer called as ‘Dokat Air’. This product has better germ-killing efficiency than any air purifier in the market because of its ‘Deep UV germicidal irradiation technology’ that helps to make indoors safer for people by killing disease-causing germs from the air.

It's a patent-pending novel product that can sanitize 1000-cubic feet of air within 15 minutes killing 99.99% germs. It's capable of killing various kinds of bacteria, viruses & molds like SARS, MERS, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 & Influenza Virus. The UV-C ray penetrates the cell of the micro-organisms and kills them by breaking their DNA. Having met international regulatory standards like ISO 9000:2015, FCC (US standard for electronic products) and European CE, this product helps in giving us an effective and efficient disinfecting solution to face the ongoing pandemic along with other numerous airborne diseases. This product is different from the regular air purifiers as it kills various kinds of disease-causing micro-organisms while filtering the air too. Regular air purifiers do not kill germs this well, instead, increases the germs’ spread. Here, comes the need for such a device that can sanitize the air while filtering pollutants along with.

Dokat-Air’s 100% UV leak proof ‘Germ Squash’ chamber uses the most effective broad-spectrum UV-C light and when the air passes through, it gives an optimal flow with maximum germicidal exposure, therefore making it better than the traditional  UV-C technology.

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New research conducted by scientists from various US based universities like Harvard University, University of Nebraska Medical Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign concluded that SARS-CoV-2 (novel coronavirus) RNA exists in respired aerosols less than 5 μm in diameter; that aerosols containing SARS-CoV-2 RNA exist in particle modes that are produced  during respiration, vocalization, and coughing.

This study sought to characterize the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in particles consistent with the potential to result in aerosol transmission between patients. Although not all particles measured by the Aerodynamic Particle Sizer Spectrometer (APS) may be attributable to patient extrusions, increases in particle count while measurements were being taken using the APS were anecdotally observed to occur when patients were talking and coughing.

The aerosol modes observed in this study were compared to those from previous observations of human aerosol production during respiratory activities. The small aerosol mode, with a mean diameter between 0.64 and 0.80, is consistent with particles found in exhaled breath in previous studies. This mode of aerosol was observed in all manner of human respiration including breathing, vocalization and coughing and has been attributed to particles produced deep in the bronchial region, referred to as the Bronchiolar Fluid Film Burst (BFFB) mechanisms. Particles in the larger modes observed in this study are more consistent with those produced in the larynx during vocalization and coughing.

As per this finding, observation of fine mode aerosol particles containing infectious SARS-CoV-2 particles leads to several general observations about the potential transmission of SARS-CoV-2. The results of this study, along with the evidence of the stability of SARS-CoV-2 in aerosol and that SARS-CoV-2 infects respiratory tissue provide indications that SARS-CoV-2 may be transmitted via the airborne route.

The results were published in medRxiv on 21st July, 2020.

This study supports the use of efficient respiratory protection and airborne isolation precautions  to protect from exposure to fine SARS-CoV-2 aerosol when interacting with infected  individuals, regardless of symptoms or medical procedure being performed.

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Caption : A) Arsenic Trioxide (ATO) reduces the clonogenic capacity of medulloblastoma (MB) cell lines of the SHH subgroup (DAOY: TP53 c.725G>T; UW402: TP53 c.464C>A and ONS-76: TP53 wild type). B) Clonogenic assay images for UW402 MB cell line (from the left to the right: control, ATO at 0,5 and 1 μM) after 48hs of treatment. Credit : Paulo Henrique dos Santos Klinger

Researchers affiliated with the University of Sao Paulo’s Ribeirao Preto Medical School (FMRP-USP) in Brazil have demonstrated the potential of a leukemia drug, arsenic trioxide, to treat medulloblastoma, a type of brain cancer most common in children. When they tested arsenic trioxide on cells taken from one of the most aggressive subgroups of this type of tumor, they obtained promising results in terms of tumor cell death. The drug also made the tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy.

“Twelve medulloblastoma subgroups are currently recognized according to their molecular characteristics, which also indicate the prognosis. One of the subgroups with the worst prognosis is known as SHH. This tumor has a somatic mutation in gene TP53, and it’s treated with chemical and radiation therapy,” said Paulo Henrique dos Santos Klinger, first author of the article, written as part of his master’s research at FMRP-USP, and supported with a scholarship from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq).

The study was part of the project “Interactions between emerging therapeutic targets and developmental pathways associated with tumorigenesis: emphasis on pediatric malignancies”, which is led by Luiz Gonzaga Tone, a professor at FMRP-USP.

“The project focuses on an in-depth investigation of dysregulation of the signaling pathways that control normal embryonic development and its link to the onset and progression of pediatric cancer,” Tone said.

Radiotherapy can have severe adverse effects on a child’s brain, causing cognitive, endocrine and motor problems. Hence, the importance of developing therapeutic strategies that reduce or eliminate the need for radiation is important.

In the study, the researchers selected different SHH tumor cell lines and tested different doses of arsenic trioxide, a medication used to treat acute myeloid leukemia. They also tested different doses of radiation in conjunction with the administration of the drug.

On its own, arsenic trioxide proved capable of killing tumor cells and preventing the formation of new tumor cell colonies. The effects were enhanced when the drug was combined with radiation therapy. The drug was not found to be significantly toxic when applied to healthy cells.

Moreover, arsenic trioxide alone could be used to treat pediatric medulloblastoma patients as old as three years, possibly in conjunction with the chemotherapy drugs typically used to treat this type of cancer. Children in this age group with brain cancer cannot be treated with radiation therapy since it may cause irreversible damage to the central nervous system.

Mutation
The drug was chosen because it is a well-known blocker of the SHH signaling pathway in leukemia. The SHH pathway is essential to human embryonic development and is deactivated when embryogenesis is complete. If the pathway is reactivated for some reason, which are currently unknown, then cancer can develop, including some types of skin cancer and various types of leukemia and medulloblastoma.

“Another advantage of arsenic trioxide is its capacity to cross the blood-brain barrier, which protects the central nervous system from circulating toxins or pathogens. Previous studies showed this penetration to be reasonable in medulloblastoma,” said Elvis Terci Valera, last author of the published paper. Valera is an attending physician at the teaching hospital (Hospital das Clínicas) operated by FMRP-USP and a professor at the institution’s child health program.

The prognosis for SHH-type medulloblastomas is typically intermediate, with 50% of patients responding well to treatment. However, the prognosis is worse when a somatic mutation occurs in TP53 because this gene plays a key role in cell division control via the SHH pathway and can counteract alterations that can lead to cancer.

“The germline mutation of this gene points to Li-Fraumeni syndrome, characterized by several clinical factors but generally involving the loss of function of TP53 and increasing the likelihood of various types of tumors,” Klinger said.

Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) confers an inherited familial predisposition to a range of cancers. In children, it entails an augmented risk of the occurrence of medulloblastomas, especially those of the SHH subgroup.

The researchers now plan to test the drug in animal models to determine whether the results are the same as those of the cell experiments. If they are the same, then the treatment may subsequently tested in humans.

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Mylan, a global pharmaceutical company announced the commercial launch of its Remdesivir under the brand name DESREM™ in India to address urgent, unmet needs amid the evolving coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The drug is approved for the treatment of suspected or laboratory confirmed incidences of COVID-19 in adults and children hospitalized with severe presentations of the disease. The company also launched a 24/7 helpline where patients and healthcare practitioners can access information about Mylan’s Remdesivir and its availability.

Mylan released the first batch of its generic Remdesivir (DESREM™) and will continue to increase its supply across the country in the wake of the rising demand for the drug.

Mylan will manufacture DESREM™ in its state-of-the-art injectable facility in Bangalore, which will work to service the demand in India and other export markets where Mylan has received a license from Gilead for the commercialization of Remdesivir. The previously announced agreement between Mylan and Gilead is part of a long-standing history between the two organizations to tackle key public health issues in India and around the world, beginning with expanding access to high quality, affordable HIV/AIDS antiretrovirals and now extending its partnership to include COVID-19 treatments.

President, India and Emerging Markets, Rakesh Bamzai said: “In the wake of increasing cases of COVID-19 across India, Mylan remains committed to continue its efforts in the fight against the pandemic. With the launch of DESREM™ and our national 24/7 COVID-19 helpline, we aim to enhance access to this critical medicine, used for treating adults and children with severe presentations of Covid-19. At Mylan, we believe we have a responsibility to help make the world a better place and the entire team at Mylan has stepped up in this time of need to serve patients and deliver better health for a better world.”

Mylan is committed to continue doing its part in support of public health needs as the situation around COVID-19 continues to evolve. Mylan’s priorities remain protecting the health and safety of its workforce, continuing to produce critically needed medicines, deploying our resources and expertise in the fight against COVID-19 through potential prevention and treatment efforts, and supporting the communities in which we operate.

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Indian institute of Technology (IIT) Madras researchers have shown that the active principle from turmeric that is curcumin can enhance cancer cell death caused by a protein called ‘TRAIL.’ They performed studies using isolated leukaemia cells from cancer patients and found that non-toxic concentrations of curcumin can significantly increase the efficiency of TRAIL-induced cell death.

There have been considerable efforts in developing therapeutic agents that trigger self-death of cells that malfunction. Apoptotic death or programmed death such destruction of cancer cells could prevent the spread of the disease. One such agent that can trigger self-destruction that has been found promising is a protein called ‘TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand’ (TRAIL). Its ability to selectively kill cancer cells by ‘apoptosis’ has resulted in a number of preclinical studies being carried out all over the world.

In cancer treatment, it is important to induce death of the cancer cells preferentially without extensive damage to healthy cells in the body. Apoptosis is generally preferred over the more aggressive and premature ‘necrosis’ for killing cancer cells because it releases fewer cellular components that trigger inflammation than the latter.

Elaborating on this research and its impact, Prof. Rama Shanker Verma, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Department of Biotechnology, IIT Madras, said, “Despite strong anti-tumor activity of TRAIL in pre-clinical studies, clinical trials results have hitherto been unsatisfactory because cancer cells seem to acquire resistance against TRAIL upon long-term exposure. Thus, the next round of research has been to find chemicals that can reverse resistance and increase sensitivity of cancer cells to TRAIL.”

Several studies have focused on natural compounds that could significantly enhance TRAIL-mediated apoptosis at non-toxic concentrations. The IIT Madras team chose curcumin, the yellow part of the common turmeric that is used in daily cooking, as a sensitizer of TRAIL-resistant cancer cells to apoptosis.

Curcumin is already known to be a potent anti-cancer agent because of its ability to inhibit carcinogenesis and induce apoptosis in various cancer cells. Its function as a sensitizer to TRAIL has been shown in cases of prostate cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer and malignant glioma.

Curcumin is already known to be a potent anti-cancer agent because of its ability to inhibit carcinogenesis and induce apoptosis in various cancer cells.

The IIT Madras Research Team showed that treating leukaemia (blood/bone-marrow cancer) cells with curcumin sensitises the cells to TRAIL and results in more efficient cell death.

“Our findings clearly show that even small concentration of curcumin could potentially enhance the sensitiveness of leukemic cells to TRAIL,” said the researchers.

The IIT Madras Researchers are, however, cautious in extrapolating the results. While the reactions have been carried out in vitro, i.e., with isolated cells outside the human body, ‘in a test tube’, it is unclear if the same results can be obtained in vivo, i.e., inside the body. This doubt arises because curcumin is known to be poorly absorbed into the blood from the gut and its bioavailability for therapeutic purposes is generally poor. Bioavailability is basically the proportion of a drug or other substance which enters the circulation when introduced into the body and so is able to have an active effect.

But the researchers are hopeful that this difficulty will be circumvented soon. There are many studies ongoing around the world to increase the bioavailability of curcumin.

“Compounds such as quercetin found in onions, green tea etc., and piperazine, found in black and green pepper, have been shown by a few researchers to enhance absorption of curcumin by the body,” added Prof Verma.

There are no confirmatory evidences yet, but such research, combined with observations made by the IIT Madras team, can unleash newer effective and safe therapies for cancer.

This research was led by Prof. Rama Shanker Verma, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Department of Biotechnology, IIT Madras. The paper was co-authored by Ms. Sridevi Surapally, Ms. Madhumathi Jayaprakasam and Prof. Verma. The results of this work were recently published in the journal Pharmacological Reports.

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