September 2015

Pfizer, a Rs. 1,800 crore plus Indian subsidiary of Pfizer Inc. USA, has entered into a business transfer agreement for the transfer of the company’s business at the Thane plant to Vidhi Research and Development LLP for Rs. 178 crore. Upon the conclusion of the BTA, all current workmen at the plant shall be transferred to the buyer so as to facilitate manufacturing operations.

GE Healthcare, the $18 billion healthcare technology division of GE, created a new business unit, Sustainable Healthcare Solutions (SHS), that will develop high-value, low-cost technologies and healthcare delivery solutions across multiple care settings.

New study revealed that  there is a clear link between kidney stones in children and thickened or hardened arteries. The study is published in the Journal of Pediatrics.

Akorn, Inc., a leading specialty pharmaceutical company, has launched doxercalciferol injection solution, 4 mcg/2 ml in 2ml single-use vials. Akorn's product is therapeutically equivalent to Hectorol injection, marketed by Genzyme Corporation.

A panel of experts from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Medical Devices Advisory Committee discussed considerations to help ensure the continued safe and appropriate use of Essure® permanent birth control. While there was agreement among the Panel members that Essure is an important contraceptive option, the Panel provided input and guidance for the FDA and Bayer to consider. Based on information presented during this meeting, the Advisory Panel discussed a number of considerations including clinical research, patient education and counseling. The Panel also discussed training and certification of physicians; and post-procedural patient management including removal of the device.

The euphoric feeling that gives runners a motivational boost in the middle of their workout is in part modulated by the satiety hormone leptin, a new study has found. The study at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM) shows that the "runner's high" phenomenon is caused by dopamine, an important neurotransmitter for motivation. "We discovered that the rewarding effects of endurance activity are modulated by leptin, a key hormone in metabolism.