PHARMA LITERATI

Suggesting sweeping reforms to promote the quality of research in India, a UGC panel has recommended that publication of research material in “predatory” journals or presentations in conferences organised by their publishers should not be considered for academic credit in any form. They include selection, confirmation, promotion, appraisal, and award of scholarships and degrees, the panel has suggested. The committee, which submitted its 14-page report to the UGC recently, has also recommended changes in PhD and MPhil programmes, including a new board for social sciences research. The four-member committee — headed by P Balram, former director of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru — was formed by the UGC late last year after The Indian Express published a series of investigative reports on how India has emerged as one of the biggest markets for “predatory” publishers of substandard research journals. The reports showed how over 300 “predatory” publishers b...

As the cost and use of pharmaceuticals is now on the front page of newspapers and a top priority for employers, government, and individuals, some people think that this is a new phenomenon. However, drug costs have been discussed and analyzed for decades. As you plan for 2020 and beyond, here are some key questions to consider: 1. Who is the customer for pharmaceuticals and pharmacy services? The customer is changing from a physician-centric to a patient-centric world.  2. What are appropriate pharmaceutical pricing strategies? Employers are questioning the value of new drug treatments and their price. As patients pay more of the cost of these expensive therapies, drug companies are trying to develop value-based contracting ties to outcomes to address the cost problem. Drug companies are also launching more “specialty drugs” that are covered under the medical benefit, so these drugs cannot be managed. The current conversation around the future of rebates is inte...

Global pharmaceutical sales are predicted to reach $1567.80 billion by 2023 and based on the launch of new technologies and the approval of the first cell and gene therapies the estimate in prescription drug sales in is $1.18 trillion.In addition, China’s biopharmaceutical sales grew almost 25% annually from $9.4 billion from 2012 to 2016 and if it continues to grow at the expected rate, the sales volume will be $48.8 billion by 2021. Here are six pharmacy and retail trends to expect in 2020. 1. 360 degree supply chain “Today, the supply chain has evolved into a critical component of a company’s ability to satisfy customers, drive profitable growth and deliver new innovations to the market.” Allan Dow, president of Logility. Having a 360 degree supply chain will be the way forward for retailers to lower prices and open up a channel of dialogue with suppliers - showing the process from initial materials used to the end product delivery. German pharm...

Source: AICTE%20Brochure%20&%20Registration%20Form%2027.11.19.pdf

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today granted accelerated approval to Vyondys 53 (golodirsen) injection to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients who have a confirmed mutation of the dystrophin gene that is amenable to exon 53 skipping. It is estimated that about 8 percent of patients with DMD have this mutation. " The FDA recognises the urgent need for new medical treatments for serious neurological disorders and we have a long-standing commitment to working with researchers, drug companies and patients to facilitate the development and approval of treatments for rare diseases. With today's accelerated approval, patients with Duchenne - a rare and devastating disease - who have a confirmed mutation of the dystrophin gene amenable to exon 53 skipping will now have available the first treatment targeted specifically for this disease subtype ," said Billy Dunn, M.D., acting director of the Office of Neuroscience in the FDA's Centre for Drug Evaluat...

Ratings agency ICRA said the Indian pharmaceutical industry is expected to grow around 10-12 per cent between FY2019 and FY2022 while maintaining a stable outlook on the sector. ICRA cited abating headwinds from pricing pressure in the US (which is the largest regulated market), stable growth for the Indian market driven by increasing health care spending and better accessibility as likely key growth drivers for the Indian pharma companies, coupled with comfortable balance sheet structure It, however, said increased cost related to regulatory compliances, especially for the US market, price controls across markets and mandatory genericisation for Indian market remained key risks. " The domestic pharmaceutical industry has gained adequate scale and generic drug development capabilities over a decade of growth which will keep them in good stead to capture bigger opportunities, especially in the speciality/niche segments in the regulated market ," ICRA said in a statem...

A new “smart needle” has been developed by scientists to detect cancerous tissue using light. The researchers, funded by The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)’s Invention for Innovation programme, created a technology dubbed the “smart needle”, a probe that can identify cancerous tissues or cells “almost instantly.” The probe works by using a technique called “Raman spectroscopy”, which consists of shining a low power laser onto tissue and measuring the light reflected back. So far the probe has been tested on 68 patient samples in the laboratory, showing it can differentiate between healthy and cancerous tissue. Made up of fibre-optics encased within a fine needle, the probe can look for cancer under the skin’s surface in areas such as the neck. Healthy tissue gives a different signature of reflected light from cancerous tissue, and research shows it is possible to detect a “fingerprint” of the disease that can be used to spot cancerous tissue in a few second...

Coffee can help reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes - but only filtered coffee, rather than boiled coffee. New research from Chalmers University of Technology and Umeå University, both in Sweden, show that the choice of preparation method influences the health effects of coffee. Many previous studies have shown a connection between high coffee intake and a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Now, a study from Chalmers University of Technology and Umeå University, offers new insight into this connection, using a novel method to help differentiate between the effects of filtered coffee and boiled coffee. " We have identified specific molecules - 'biomarkers' - in the blood of those taking part in the study, which indicate the intake of different sorts of coffee. These biomarkers are then used for analysis when calculating type 2 diabetes risk. Our results now clearly show that filtered coffee has a positive effect in terms of reducing the risk of d...

There is some good news for the over 72 million diabetics in India, with a cheaper version of a blockbuster drug hitting the market on December 10. The domestic pharmaceutical market is abuzz with news of over 15-20 companies launching generic versions of the widely-prescribed anti-diabetic drug Vildagliptin , with its price expected to crash by half. The potential of more affordable diabetic care comes in the wake of Swiss major Novartis-owned Vildagliptin losing patent on Monday — a development closely watched for months. Dozens of companies have readied plans to get a slice of the action in the growing Rs 14,000-crore diabetes therapy market, with the number of players expected to cross 50 soon. With the drug’s patent expiry, the price may drop to Rs 6 per tablet over the next few months, from the existing Rs 20-25 each. What makes the patent expiry significant for Indian pharma is that Vildagliptin is the first among the gliptins, a relatively new class of oral diabetes ...

After the 12 subject specific mock tests for GPAT 2020, Pharma Literati is pleased to announce 7 full syllabus mock tests for the GPAT 2020 aspirants. Write an email to  pharmaliterati @gmail.com  to participate.

The success of MNCs in terms of their growth rate in the last 18 months. This has to be attributed to the regulatory regime change that has happened in India, says  Amit Rajan , MD,  Prosfora Technologies . Excerpts from an interview with ET NOW . Do you think it is a given that Indians will consume more medicines and MNC companies which have a niche presence in diabetes or vaccine or for that matter thyroid, will continue to grow at inflation plus 5%? Yes, look at the success of MNCs in terms of their growth rate in the last 18 months. This has to be attributed to the regulatory regime change that has happened in India and unlike our own India Inc, which has a problem with the government, MNCs pharma companies to thank the Indian Government. Let me give you three-four regulatory changes that have helped: A) There is s olid patent protection . There is respect for patent now and the courts are not listening. After 2014, there is not a single compulsory licensing t...

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