Pharma News

(1st August, 2014); There are total 968 pharmacy degree institutions (as per section 12) in India as per government updated list of May 2014 with 65,415 seats. And government is working to improve the quality of pharmacy education in India.

(31st July, 2014); Indian Patent Act does not allow patent to be granted to inventions involving new forms of a known substance unless it differs significantly in properties with regard to efficacy which is major concern for US pharma companies. This indigenous rules agitated US multinational companies for doing fruitful business in India.

(31st July, 2014); U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved EYLEA® (aflibercept) Injection for the treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema (DME). The recommended dosage of EYLEA in patients with DME is 2 milligrams (mg) every two months (8 weeks) after five initial monthly injections. Although EYLEA may be dosed as frequently as 2 mg every 4 weeks, additional efficacy was not demonstrated when EYLEA was dosed every 4 weeks compared to every 8 weeks.

(29th July, 2014); It's starting a new era for diagnosis of cancer with a single blood test which bypassing physicians to detect certain symptoms, saving time and preventing costly and unnecessary invasive procedures such as colonoscopies and biopsies. In contrast to present methodologies, it could be a useful aid for investigating patients who are suspected of having a cancer that is currently hard to diagnose.

(29th July, 2014); Looking at the current regulatory environment of clinical trial in India, it is important that all information related to 4 major domains i.e, Sponsor/ CRO, Investigator, Ethics Committee, Patient of clinical trials are captured through online in an organized manner. Hence, for ensuring transparency and faster dissemination of information about clinical trials, health ministry may start information technology (IT) enabled platform. The recommendation of such platform is provided by Prof. Ranjit Roy Chaudhary Committee.

(24th July, 2014); Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) announced in its notification that MS Programmes are not approved by the PCI either for the purpose of registration as a pharmacist under the Pharmacy Act to practice the profession OR any other purpose like teaching in approved pharmacy institutions.

(24th July, 2014); Health Ministry prohibits the manufacture, sale and distribution of fixed dose combination (FDC) of Flupenthixol and Melitracen for human use on recommendations of the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB).

(21st July, 2014); Cardiologists at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute have developed a minimally invasive gene transplant procedure that changes unspecialized heart cells into “biological pacemaker” cells that keep the heart steadily beating.

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(21st July, 2014); Novartis & Google join together to develop smart contact lens which will be useful in monitoring blood sugar level for diabetic patients and restore focusing capacity of eyes in patients with presbyopia. Alcon, eye care division of Novartis, has entered into an agreement with a division of Google Inc. to in-license its “smart lens” technology for all ocular medical uses.

(Business Wire India; 18th July, 2014); For three-year-old Sneha, life is a struggle in continuity. A patient of Thalassemia major, Sneha battles death every single day. Her parents, despite being advised to undergo medical tests to diagnose her condition when she was in her mother’s womb, chose to disregard this warning. Now, this unawareness and lack of understanding might cost them dear. Unfortunately, they lost their four-year-old son two years ago due to the same blood disorder.