PHARMA LITERATI

The economic times reports about the possibility of large-scale CT exemption for Dengue vaccine.  As India reported a record number of dengue cases during the year, the health ministry is exploring the possibilities to accelerate the marketing authorisation for a preventive vaccine, health industry sources said. Dengvaxia , the brand name of the vaccine developed by Sanofi Pasteur, a unit of French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi, is being examined by the Indian drug regulatory agency for exemption from large-scale clinical trials on patients, the sources said. If cleared, the step may eventually pave the way for its availability via the wide government distribution system and private channels. Sanofi filed for the approval of the vaccine in India last month citing widespread prevalence and the high number of dengue cases seen in India, an industry source told ET. This month, Mexico's Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks became the first drug regula...

2015 brought a plenty of significant steps forward in the field of health sowing seeds for major developments to unfold in 2016. From dengue virus ravaging Delhi to Ebola being declared an international health emergency, experts had to tackle a variety of medical challenges. Let's browse through some important ones:   Delhi in grip of worst dengue crisis since 1996 Delhi grappled with its worst dengue crisis in five years. Dengue is the most common mosquito-borne viral disease of humans that in recent years has become a major international public health concern. The number of cases almost touched 10, 000 this year. A breather came after a Bengaluru-based lab came up with a tablet to treat the dreaded vector-borne disease. The firm, Micro Labs Ltd launched a botanical pill 'Caripill' that helps to increase the platelet count in dengue patients. Also recently, the first-ever vaccine against dengue fever, which affects up to 400 million people per year, has...

Times of India reports that Asia's largest vaccine maker, Pune-based Serum Institute will develop a biologic drug to treat all four strains of the dengue virus, and is in the process of applying to the Ministry of Science and Technology for a "fast-track approval" to roll-out the treatment in the country. Serum, which has tied up with US-based biotechnology company Visterra to use its technology to develop the monoclonal antibody, hopes to commercialize the treatment within 12-18 months of getting the regulatory approvals, Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla told TOI. The biologic treatment (monoclonal anti-body) once rolled out will be given as an injection to cure dengue, and cost between Rs 5,000-10,000 for a single dose. Only one dose will be required. While Serum's biologic drug could become one of the first treatments to roll out, other biggies like Sanofi and Novartis are also in the race to launch a vaccine may happen over the next few years. If t...

At present, there is no specific approved vaccine or therapy to prevent dengue fever. But now a Bengaluru-based lab has come up with a tablet to treat the dreaded vector-borne disease. Bengaluru-based Micro Labs Ltd has recently launched a botanical pill 'Caripill' that helps to increase the platelet count in dengue patients. The drug, which has been approved by the scientific and regulatory authority, is made from Carica Papaya leaf extract and reportedly does not have any side-effects. The pill has been proven to be safe and effective in about one lakh patients across the country. The lab claims that the drug, which underwent clinical trials on 250 patients, has shown positive results with a dramatic decrease in the haemorrhage condition. Besides, none of the patients had to undergo blood transfusion so far. It is believed that Caripill is the first drug to be backed by adequate scientific data to increase the platelet count in dengue cases. Since the...