Rx – Recipere
“Effective planning and strategic management has enabled India to keep its cases per million at 7,078 against the global average of 8,883. The fatality rate is 1.45 per cent, well below the global average of 2.29 per cent. It is expected that the vaccine will be available in the coming few weeks and the vaccination process will kickstart in India as soon as it is approved by the regulatory agency concerned. With stringent oversight, we are ensuring that there is no compromise on the scientific and regulatory norms, stretching from the safety of the trials to the efficacy of the vaccines.”
Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Health Minister, Government of India
WHO reveals leading causes of death and disability worldwide: 2000-2019
Noncommunicable diseases now make up 7 of the world’s top 10 causes of death, according to WHO’s 2019 Global Health Estimates. This is an increase from 4 of the 10 leading causes in 2000. The new data cover the period from 2000 to 2019 inclusive. “These new estimates are another reminder that we need to rapidly step up prevention, diagnosis and treatment of noncommunicable diseases,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO.
Alembic Pharma gets USFDA nod for bipolar disorder drug
In a regulatory filing, Alembic Pharmaceuticals said it has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for its abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) for Asenapine Sublingual Tablets in the strengths of 5 mg and 10 mg. The approved product is indicated for treatment of bipolar disorder. Asenapine is an antipsychotic drug indicated for bipolar I disorder as adjunctive treatment to lithium or valproate in adults. Alembic had previously received tentative approval for this ANDA.
CSIR plans clinical trials of antiviral Molnupiravir
A new drug called Molnupiravir has been shown to stop the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in 24 hours. Results of the research by scientists at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, have been published in the journal Nature Microbiology. Researchers at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) are holding discussions to initiate clinical trials of new oral drug Molnupiravir. In a statement about the new research on the drug, Richard Plemper, professor at Georgia State University, said, “This is the first demonstration of an orally available drug to rapidly block SARS-CoV-2 transmission.”
