PHARMA LITERATI

·       Diagnosis can be done within 30 minutes of blood sample collection, bands   detected within 10 minutes of application ·         Haemophilia A and VWD are the most common bleeding disorders Topics Haemophilia A The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has developed an affordable test kit for diagnosing common blood disorders such as severe Haemophilia A and Von Willebrand disease (VWD). The cost-effective point-of-care (POC) rapid diagnostic test kit developed by the ICMR-National Institute of Immunohaematology, Mumbai, is the world’s first POC test for specific diagnosis of any common bleeding disorder. It costs less than ₹50, while other existing diagnostic kits cost between₹4,000 and ₹10,000, the ICMR said on Tuesday. Haemophilia A and VWD are the most common bleeding disorders. Globally, the incidence of Haemophilia A is 1 per 10,000 male births, and that of VWD is around 1% of the g...

The Central government has constituted a high-level inter-departmental committee (IDC) to monitor and co-ordinate research undertaken by various public sector organisations and institutes in the pharmaceutical sector. The move follows the recommendation of the parliamentary standing committee on chemicals and fertilisers. Currently, pharmaceutical research in India is spread over a large number of ministries and departments. In its report, the parliamentary panel chaired by Lok Sabha member Anandrao Adsul had stressed the need for an IDC to ensure effectiveness and transparency in research activities. The IDC, headed by the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) secretary , includes representatives of health and Ayush ministries, departments of health research, science and technology and biotechnology, Indian Council for Medical Research and Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. “ The scattered pharmaceutical research involves lot of overlapping and duplication of pro...

The group is likely to prioritize a list of diseases that a larger working group, comprising of representation from the drug regulator and pharmaceutical firms, will focus on before the next meeting. A joint working group (JWG) formed under the aegis of the Indian Council of Medical Research and Sun Pharmaceuticals Ltd, along with experts from International Centre For Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology and All India Institute of Medical Sciences , is planning to propose an overhaul for the drug regulatory system, vaccine development and clinical trials in the country. The initial ideas mooted for updating the drug regulatory system include political support for the Drug Controller General of India’s regulatory framework, making public the decision for rejection or approval of a drug, maintaining timelines for regulatory approvals, regulatory control on data quality and appointment of specialized reviewers of drug process approval. The meeting, conducted on Thursday, ...

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has issued the draft "National Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical and Health Research involving Human Participants, 2016'' which will make specific provisions to meet ethical challenges posed by newer scientific advances. The guidelines are divided in various sections to cover a range of topics and attempts to address the emerging ethical concerns related to biomedical and health research.  The guidelines have been drafted by Expert Subcommittees working under the dynamic leadership of an Advisory Committee chaired by Dr Vasantha Muthuswamy.  The ICMR has invited suggestions/feedback from all interested stakeholders till 15th September, 2016. These guidelines are applicable to all biomedical, socio-behavioural and health research conducted in India involving human participants, their biological material and data. The purpose of such research should be directed towards enhancing knowledge about the human condition in rel...