PHARMA LITERATI

While internships are an important experience for pharmacy students, not every opportunity is equal. Some do a wonderful job of preparing students, and others leave something to be desired. Here are a five factors to consider when evaluating a potential internship. 1. Review deadlines and requirements Different pharmacy internships have different deadlines and requirements. Some internships have a certain year or major they’re looking for. Read the website closely to understand if you have fulfilled all the requirements, and heed warning, sometimes different sections of the website offer slightly different information. If you’re confused, give them a call! 2. Start your internship search early There are many perks of starting your internship search early. The earlier you start your internship search, the more time you have to ask coordinators questions and receive responses before submitting applications. For internships that allow hands-on clinical experience or shadowing, y...

A Colored SEM image of nanorobots coated in hybrid platelet/red blood cell membranes. Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed tiny ultrasound-powered robots that can swim through blood, removing harmful bacteria along with the toxins they produce. These proof-of-concept nanorobots could one day offer a safe and efficient way to detoxify and decontaminate biological fluids. Researchers built the nanorobots by coating gold nanowires with a hybrid of platelet and  red blood cell  membranes. This hybrid cell  membrane  coating allows the nanorobots to perform the tasks of two different  cells  at once—platelets, which bind pathogens like MRSA bacteria (an antibiotic-resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus), and red  blood  cells, which absorb and neutralize the toxins produced by these bacteria. The gold body of the nanorobots responds to ultrasound, which gives them the ability to swim around rapidly without c...

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security have published a new report, “The Characteristics of Pandemic Pathogens," on the traits of microorganisms with high pandemic potential. They say it establishes a framework for identifying naturally occurring microorganisms that pose a global catastrophic biological risk (GCBR) and makes broad recommendations for improving GCBR preparedness efforts. GCBRs are events in which biological agents could lead to a sudden, extraordinary, widespread disaster beyond the collective capability of national and international governments and the private sector to control. No exhaustive catalogue of GCBR culprits exists, leaving the health security community to rely on historical examples (e.g., 1918 Spanish flu pandemic) to guide their preparedness priorities, according to the authors of the report.  "Health security preparedness needs to be adaptable to new threats and not exclusively wedded to historical notions," ...

The current understanding of limb and lung development in humans does not capture the full picture of the process, according to research.  An international group of clinicians and researchers from Singapore, Turkey, France, Portugal and India, studied five families with either limb malformations, or tetra-amelia syndrome that is characterised by the absence of lungs and all four limbs. They found that mutations in the RSPO2 gene lead to incomplete limb development. Until now, the RSPO proteins were believed to only work with their receptors called LGRs. Together, RSPO and LGRs were thought to allow limb formation by blocking two key enzymes ZNRF3 and RNF43. Or so we thought. The team then studied mice lacking all three LGRs required for RSPO2's function, and found that contrary to what was expected they still developed limbs and lungs normally. This indicates that RSPO2 does not need LGRs—disproving the established understanding of how this is happening. ...

Being under ever-increasing pressure to compete in a challenging economic and technological environment, pharmaceutical and biotech companies must continually innovate in their R&D programmes to stay ahead of the game. External innovations come in different forms and originate in different places -- from university labs, to privately held venture capital-backed startups and contract research organizations (CROs). Let’s get to reviewing some of the most influential research trends which will be “hot” in 2018 and beyond, and summarize some of the key players driving innovations. Last year BioPharmaTrend summarized several important trends affecting biopharmaceutical industry, namely: an advancement of various aspects of gene editing technologies (mainly, CRISPR/Cas9); a fascinating growth in the area of immuno-oncology (CAR-T cells); an increasing focus on microbiome research; a deepening interest in precision medicine; some important advances in antibiotics discovery;...

Samples collected from bats in Kerala’s Kozhikode and Malappuram districts, where 12 people have died of Nipah infection, have tested negative for the virus, according to a report submitted by a central medical team to the Health Ministry today. The report has ruled out bats and pigs as the primary source of the Nipah outbreak, a Health Ministry official said. The medical team is now looking into other possible reasons behind the outbreak following the report findings. A total of 21 samples, including that from seven species of bats, two species of pigs, one bovine and one caprine, were sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal and the National Institute of Virology in Pune. “These included the samples of the bats which were found in the well in a house in Kerala’s Perambra from where the initial death was reported. They have tested negative for the Nipah virus,” the official said. Samples from humans suspected of contracting Nipah...

Eli Lilly is buying ARMO BioSciences in a deal valued at around $1.6 billion, to ramp up its immune-oncology pipeline. Under the deal, Lilly will pay $50 per share for ARMO in an all-cash transaction, securing itself access to the firm’s lead immuno-oncology asset, pegilodecakin, which is being studied in multiple tumour types. The drug is a PEGylated IL-10 which has shown clinical benefit as a single agent, and in combination with both chemotherapy and checkpoint inhibitor therapy, across several tumor types. Pegilodecakin is currently being studied in a Phase III clinical trial in pancreatic cancer, as well as earlier-Phase trials in lung and renal cell cancer, melanoma and others. ARMO also has a number of other immuno-oncology product candidates in various stages of pre-clinical development. " The acquisition of ARMO BioSciences adds a promising next generation clinical immunotherapy asset to Lilly's portfolio of innovative oncology medicines ,” note...

Source: https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/from-old-behemoth-lipitor-to-new-king-humira-u-s-best-selling-drugs-over-25-years

Patients who go off opioid painkillers face excruciating withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, nausea, vomiting, insomnia, muscle aches and more. Now, thanks to an FDA approval for US WorldMeds' Lucemyra, they'll have the first drug designed to fight those symptoms. Lucemyra won its FDA nod on Wednesday based on two trials showing that the drug reduced severe withdrawal symptoms better than placebo. Plus, more patients in the Lucemyra arm completed a seven-day opioid discontinuation treatment. Used for more than two decades in the U.K., the oral drug isn't meant to treat opioid addiction or curb drug cravings. But it can be used as part of a long-term plan for quitting the powerful painkillers and staying opioid-free long-term, the FDA said. For instance, Lucemyra could be a springboard into a long-term medication-assisted addiction therapy such as Vivitrol (naltrexone), an Alkermes drug that blocks the effects of opioids on the brai...

Team Pharma Literati would like to thank Dr. Rashmi Trivedi from S. K. Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, Kamptee for the videos for our readers. The videos are available on our youtube channel and facebook page. Tablet excipients: Youtube:             https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3LI9VbxRqs Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/100508776966456/videos/vb.100508776966456/625001164517212/?type=2&theater Outlook of drug discovery: Youtube:             https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXB5BOrKKVA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/100508776966456/videos/vb.100508776966456/625031057847556/?type=2&theater

Pune-based Serum Institute of India has said that it may look at evaluating a candidate vaccine to combat Nipah virus, and that can be rolled out in three to four years if the country decided to develop the preventive on a priority. However, the institute clarified that the government hasn’t asked Serum to develop a vaccine yet. Rajeev Dhere, executive director at the Serum Institute of India, said: “If the nation decides that it is a priority to develop a vaccine to combat Nipah virus, Serum may look at evaluating a candidate vaccine. It can be rolled out in three to four years, which is the normal development and licensing period, if considered on fast track.”  Even as the government machinery is busy trying to contain the spread of the Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala, there is no vaccine yet to fight the disease. Attempts are being made to prevent the infection of Nipah virus by containing the epidemic in a restricted area. Going by human vulnerability, the virus is a co...

Companies marketing medicines in India will soon be as liable as the manufacturers for any violations of drug regulations that could lead to spurious or substandard medicines. The move is expected to check lapses in quality of medicines consumed by patients in the country, according to persons aware of the development.  The Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) last week approved a proposal to amend the Drugs & Cosmetics Act to make pharmaceutical marketing firms liable for  any contraventions of the regulations, a senior government official told ET on condition of anonymity.   This would allow the country’s drug regulator to penalise firms marketing medicines in cases where the medicines are found to have violated the regulations, the official said. This includes punishment like 3-5 years imprisonment for medicines flagged by regulators as not of standard quality or life imprisonment in cases where they are found spurious, the official added. DTAB’s ...

We take this opportunity to welcome Ms. Deepali Shedge, a second year B. Pharmacy student of Mumbai University. Deepali belongs to India's first "Village of Books", Bhilar in Satara district of Maharashtra. She is a born enthusiast and really passionate about life.  She has appeared for 4th Semester exams recently and wishes to pursue her higher studies abroad. Her area of interest is market research.  We wish her all the best for her new inning as a blogger.

Pharma Innovation Yatra   was launched in the month of January 2017. We had ASSOCHAM as a partner for few programs from January to April 2018. We are re-launching the program again from this month. A session was carried out at Dr. L. H. Hiranandani College of Pharmacy, Ulhasnagar on 21 st May 2018. Students of 2 nd year and 3 rd year attended the session. We have reached total 23 programs till date in the series. 1. Vivekanand Education Society’s College of Pharmacy. Website: https://ves.ac.in/pharmacy/ University: University of Mumbai. Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra. 2. M. C. E. Society’s Allana College of Pharmacy. Website: http://www.allanacollegeofpharmacy.org/ University: Savitribai Phule Pune University. Location: Pune, Maharashtra. 3. SVKM’s Dr. Bhanuben Nanavati College of Pharmacy. Website: http://www.bnc...