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EDITOR'S EMULSION
Warm Greetings!
Welcome to yet another exciting month and a most pleasant Reading of our newsletter.
Please do not hesitate to mail your comments on this edition to help us further improve so please feel free to get in touch with us. You may find our previous issues on our website jagograhakjago.com or in the NEWS ARCHIVE section of every issue of The Prescription, in case you’ve missed any of them. You may also look us up on Facebook.
Stay Healthy. Stay Protected.
Pyush Misra
Editor-in-Chief
DOSE OF THE DAY
"It is important to have a large basket of vaccines as we move forward because we really don't know which one is going to be the best.It is not necessary that the first one is the best, you may have one coming later which is going to be better but it is difficult to say right now."
Mrs Renu Swarup
Secretary, Government of India
Department of Biotechnology
Ministry of Science & Technology
Sponsor
Patient Safety Capsules
Pfizer Promises Tiered Pricing For Its Covid-19 Vaccine
Mumbai, 9 Dec 2020: US drug maker Pfizer said on Tuesday it will have differential pricing for its Covid-19 vaccine as the company starts delivering millions of doses to countries where it expects to receive regulatory approval in the coming months.
WTO To Discuss India-Backed IPR Waiver On Covid-19 Drugs Today
Geneva, 10 Dec 2020: South Africa and India’s proposal to temporarily suspend intellectual property rights for Covid-related technologies will be taken up at the council for Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) of the World Trade Organisation on Thursday. The WHO has welcomed the proposal stating that the waiver would help make treatments and tests available and affordable. If no consensus is reached, the negotiations could extend to the next year. Even if it happens in the first part of next year, it could help as patent applications are still in the process of getting published.
Drug Laws & Policy Injections
Vaccine Makers Asked To Submit More DataNEW DELHI, 10 DEC 2020: The drug regulator has asked Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India (SII), which have sought emergency use authorisation (EUA) for their anti-Covid vaccines, to submit updated safety and immunogenicity data from Phase-3 trials being held in India, official sources said.
Sanitize Soap Bar Can't Be Confused With Dettol: Delhi High Court New Delhi, 8 Dec 2020: 'Sanitize’ soap bar cannot be confused with ‘Dettol’, the Delhi High Court said refusing to grant an order of temporary injunction against Dabur in a suit by Reckitt Benckiser. [RB Health (US) LLC & Anr vs Dabur]
Venus Safety And Magnum Health Hiked Prices By More Than 4 Times, Says Govt ReportMumbai, 9 Dec 2020: Maharashtra-based Venus Safety & Health Pvt Ltd and Magnum Health & Safety Pvt Ltd, hiked prices of their N95 masks by more than four times compared with last year prices reveals a government report. The committee observed that in some instances, prices of certain types of masks were increased by 437% and 575% compared to the past year.
Govt To Call Bids For Syringes This MonthNew Delhi, 7 Dec 2020: The government is likely to float a tender this month to procure as many as 480 million auto-disable syringes as it prepares for a mass covid-19 vaccination programme, two people aware of the government’s plans said.
DCGI May Await UK Nod For AstraZeneca's Covid Shot Before Approving SII VaccineNew Delhi/Mumbai, 8 DEC 2020: India’s drug regulatory physique has began reviewing the applying of Serum Institute of India (SII) looking for emergency use authorisation for its Covid jab however officers say it might wait for the UK regulator’s nod for the AstraZeneca vaccine before giving approval.
Dabur, Marico Approach ASCI Over Honey Quality ClaimsMumbai, 6 Dec 2020: FMCG firms Dabur and Marico have approached advertising regulator ASCI over claims regarding the quality of their honey brands. On Sunday, Dabur said it was filing a complaint against Marico before the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) for claiming that its Saffola Honey sample passed the NMR test.
Pharma Injections
Export Promotion Council To Boost AYUSH ExportsNew Delhi, 6 Dec 2020: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of AYUSH have decided to work together to set up an Export Promotion Council to boost AYUSH exports. This decision was taken recently in a joint review of AYUSH trade and Industry by Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry and Shri Shripad Naik, Minister of AYUSH.
SII Likely To Supply Covid Vaccine At Rs 250 A Dose To The Government: Media ReportsBENGALURU, 8 DEC 2020: Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine producer by volume, is close to signing a supply contract with the country's Central government and likely to fix prices at ₹ 250 ($3.39) per dose of the vaccine, Business Standard reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
AIIMS and WHO Teams Probing Mystery Illness HYDERABAD, 8 DEC 2020: City-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) scientists and those from AIIMS have been roped in to detect the cause of a mysterious sickness that has hit Eluru, leaving one dead and more than 450 in hospital, reports U Sudhakar Reddy.
Majority Of Drug Seizures Reported From Four States In 2019-20: DRI New Delhi, 6 Dec 2020: Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana and Tamil Nadu accounted for the majority of drug seizures during 2019-20. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence’s annual report said 72 seizures of substances covered under the Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Act were made across India.
No Shortcuts In Fast Vaccine Approval: Niti Aayog Member Pune, 6 Dec 2020: Niti Aayog member (health) Vinod Paul, who also heads the National Expert Group on Vaccine Implementation for Covid19, said the country would follow all scientific and regulatory norms once a vaccine company sought emergency use authorisation.
IPC To Sensitize Manufacturers About SAEs Mumbai, 5 Dec 2020: In order to foster the habit of reporting serious adverse events (SAEs) related to medical devices, the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) on behalf of the Materiovigilance Programme of India (MvPI) has circulated a notice on programme communication of MvPI to sensitize manufacturers about the movement of information between the key stakeholders.
Drug Dopes
No Need For Vaccines, Covid Effectively Over: Ex-Pfizer VPNew Delhi, 27 Nov 2020: While pharmaceutical major Pfizer had made headlines on the release of their Covid-19 vaccine, its former Vice President and Chief Scientist has said that there is no need for any vaccines to bring the pandemic to an end. 
Govt Never Spoke About Vaccinating The Entire Country, Says Health MinistryNew Delhi, 1 Dec 2020: The government said on Tuesday it has not talked about vaccinating the entire population of the country against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), as India reported 9,462,809 infections and 137,621 related deaths so far.
FSSAI Blocks Category 13 Related To Nutritional Use From Proprietary Food New delhi, 1 Dec 2020: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued an order for exclusion of Food Category ‘13’, related to food stuff intended for particular nutritional use, from the scope of Proprietary Foods. The order says that for Category 13, the FBOs need to apply for a product approval.
Select Patented Drugs To Be Included In India's NLEM? New Delhi, 27 Nov 2020: An intense debate is going on in India on whether patented drugs should be selected and identified for inclusion in the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) 2020, which is being finalized by the Expert Committee constituted by the Ministry of Health.
NPPA To Appoint Agency For Providing Data And Information On Pharmaceutical Products Mumbai, 27 Nov 2020: The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) will soon appoint agency for providing data and information on pharmaceutical products.
Glenmark Study Shows Favipiravir Provides Significant Benefits In COVID-19 TreatmentMumbai, 23 Nov 2020: Drug firm Glenmark Pharmaceuticals said that as per recently published data, the oral antiviral medication favipiravir was found to provide significant benefits in COVID-19 treatment including faster time to clinical cure.
National Injections
Ayush Medics Can Prescribe Only For Covid Prevention: Government NEW DELHI, 2 DEC 2020: The Union government on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that Ayurveda, unani and homoeopathy practitioners can prescribe drugs for prevention of Covid-19 by boosting immunity but cannot claim that their medicines can cure such patients.
At 1.6bn Doses, India No. 1 In Deals For Covid Vaccine: StudyNew delhi, 4 Dec 2020: As of November 30, India was leading the world in the number of “confirmed Covid-19 vaccine doses” for which orders have been placed, having “concluded contracts to get 1.6 billion doses”. The latest global vaccine procurement analysis by Duke University, which has been tracking advanced commitments between countries and vaccine developers, put the European Union second and the US third.
CCI Looks At Pharma Sector To Unlock Competition New Delhi, 3 Dec 2020: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has launched a study to identify and address anti-competitive practices in the pharmaceutical sector as the country grapples with the Covid-19 pandemic that has accelerated household spending on health care..
After Ramdev, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Launches Herbal Drug Combo To 'Prevent and Treat' Covid New Delhi, 1 Dec 2020 : After Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali, now Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Tattva has claimed to have formulated combinations of Ayurvedic and Siddha medicines that can help in prevention and treatment of Covid-19.
Health Ministry To Amend NDCT Rules For Registration Of Standalone BA Labs Mumbai, 2 Dec 2020: The Union health ministry is planning to amend the New Drugs and Clinical Trial (NDCT) Rules, 2019 for inclusion of provisions related to registration of standalone Bioanalytical (BA) laboratories.
59% Indians Sceptical About Covid-19 Vaccine, Won't Rush To Take It: Survey New Delhi, 2 Dec 2020: With chances of affordable Covid-19 vaccine likely to be available by February 2021, 59 per cent Indians divulged that they will not rush to take it, a survey revealed on Wednesday.
Global Injections
UK Investigates Possible Allergic Reactions To Covid-19 ShotLONDON, 9 DEC 2020: UK regulators say people who have a 'significant history' of allergic reactions shouldn't receive the new Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine while they investigate two adverse reactions that occurred on the first day of the country's mass vaccination program.
Pfizer's Vaccine Offers Strong Protection After First Dose?WASHINGTON, 8 DEC 2020: The coronavirus vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech provides strong protection against Covid-19 within about 10 days of the first dose, according to documents published on Tuesday by the Food and Drug Administration before a meeting of its vaccine advisory group.
Molnupiravir Blocks SARS-CoV-2 Transmission, Researchers Find
Atlanta, 3 Dec 2020: Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection with a new Investigational antiviral drug, MK-4482/EIDD-2801 or Molnupiravir, completely suppresses virus transmission within 24 hours, researchers in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University have discovered.
WHO Warns Vaccines ' Do Not Equal Zero Covid'
Geneva, 4 Dec 2020: The roll-out of vaccines to fight the Covid-19 pandemic will not by itself eliminate the deadly coronavirus, the World Health Organization said on Friday.
Scientists Develop Novel Method To Detect Single Virus Particles
TOKYO, 28 NOV 2020: Scientists have developed a new method for identifying single virus particles based on changes in electrical current when they pass through ultrasmall pores, an advance which they claim may lead to new rapid Covid-19 tests.
Europe's Drugs Watchdog Expects First Marketing Application For Coronavirus Vaccine In Days
BRUSSELS, 27 NOV 2020: Europe's drugs watchdog said on Thursday it expects to receive the first application for conditional marketing approval for a Covid-19 vaccine "in the coming days", the latest step towards making a shot available outside the United States.
PSAIIF PILL
Pfizer Seeks Emergency Use Nod In India
NEW DELHI, 6 DEC 2020: Pfizer India has become the first pharma firm to seek an emergency use authorisation from the DCGI for its Covid vaccine in India after its parent company secured such approval in the UK and Bahrain.
Covid-19 Virus Type Has Changed Since June, Says Expert
Pune, 5 Dec 2020: The scientist emeritus at the National Centre for Cell Sciences (NCCS) Dr Yogesh Shouche made a key observation on Covid-19 during a webinar on Friday.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Antibiotic Resistance Be Halted By Cholesterol-Lowering Drug ?
Washington, 2 Dec 2020: Antibiotics are essential for treating bacterial infections. But the more they are used, the more resistance occurs. A key challenge in the use of antibiotics is figuring out how to use them without promoting the evolution of resistance. Now, a study has found that an inexpensive, FDA-approved drug—the bile acid sequestrant cholestyramine—taken in conjunction with an intravenous antibiotic, allows for treatment without driving the evolution and onward transmission of resistance. Read More>>>
SUBSCRIBER'S SYMPTOM
Good Sleep, Not Popping Pills, Aids Immunity: Bengaluru Doctors
BENGALURU, 6 DEC 2020: Worries about a second wave of infections are driving up consumption of immunity boosters and pills, but doctors say a healthy diet and a good night’s sleep are the only effective methods against disease in general.
Blog Addicts
Prof. Jayant Kantilal Excellent articles being published every edition. Very enjoyable.
Ms Geetanjali Fotedar, MDIndeed a pleasure to receive the newsletter and read it. Well done.
Ms (Dr.) Malati Ganesan, MBBS
Presented very beautifully and aptly captures important developments in the Pharma space.
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