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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
Claims such as ranking 1st in the state or in India, receiving an award for being the most trusted or award of excellence, listed in some book of world records etc. makes consumers believe that the product/service is recognized and trustworthy, whereas in some cases this may not be true. The guidelines are a step towards ensuring that advertisers are cognizant of the serious impact of deceptive advertising and hence make responsible claims when referring to awards and rankings in their advertisements.
Rohit Gupta,
Chairman
ASCI (Advertising Standards Council of India)
Sponsor
PSM India Capsules
Pharma Cos May Face ₹ 10-Lakh Penalty, 2-Year Jail Term For Deceptive Drug Ads
New Delhi, 14 Jan 2020: Pharmaceutical companies or anybody involved in exaggerating how well their drugs work will face exemplary penalty and imprisonment, according to the proposed amendments to the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.
Modi Meets Chiefs Of Top Pharma Companies
NEW DELHI, 14 JAN 2020: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 1 met chiefs of top pharma companies, hospitals and medical device makers to deliberate on issues and future roadmap for progress. The meeting comes amid concerns related to unpredictable regulatory environment impacting growth and unethical manufacturing and marketing practices maligning the image of local pharmaceutical and healthcare industry.
Drug Laws & Policy Injections
MoH To Sensitises Manufacturers On Uploading Data On Sugam Portal For Effective ComplianceMumbai, 21 Jan 2020: The Union health ministry will be organizing various workshops this year to sensitise drug and medical device manufacturers to upload details on Sugam portal for effective compliance, timely approvals on licensing and renewals.
Kerala DC Directs Ayurveda Wing To Test Quality Of All Out-Of-State Preparations And Cosmetics Marketed In The State Chennai, 21 Jan 2020: In the wake of reports of substandard out-of-state herbal and natural products flooding the market in the state, the Kerala state drugs controller has given directions to the Ayurveda drugs control wing under him to test all ayurvedic preparations, cosmetic products and fragrances coming from other states to Kerala’s medicinal market and verify their claims of quality and safety.
US Pharma Cos Get More FDA ‘Warnings’ Than Indian FirmsMumbai, 20 Jan 2020: The Indian pharma industry, which is rapped for poor manufacturing practices globally, seems to be cleaning up its act, at least in relative terms. American drug firms were issued 54 warning letters by the USFDA, while India — which had the distinction of getting most warning letters — stood second with 17 such notices in the year ended September (US financial year). China ranked third with 14 warning letters (see graphic).
IDMA Urges Environment Ministry To Remove The Clause Of Obtaining ‘No Increase In Pollution Load’ Certificate From State PCBsMumbai, 20 Jan 2020: Hailing ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEF&CC)'s initiative to amend their November 2018 notification, which permitted product change without fresh environment clearance (EC) as long as there was no increase in pollution load, the Indian Drug Manufacturers’ Association (IDMA) has urged the ministry to further simplify procedure for product change for bulk drug by removing need to obtain a ‘no increase in pollution load’ certificate from the concerned state pollution control board (PCB) for any expansion.
IPC Asks Healthcare Professionals To Monitor ADRs Associated With 5 Suspected DrugsMumbai, 20 Jan 2020: The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) which is the National Coordination Centre (NCC) for Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI) has directed healthcare professionals and patients across the country to report adverse events associated with five suspected drugs – levamisole, cephalosporin, cilostazole, cetirizine and clozapine.
Cross- Examination Need Not Be Restricted To What The Witness Has Stated In His Examination-In-Chief : Bombay HCMumbai, 18 Jan 2020: The Single Bench of the Bombay High Court, Justice Vibha Kankanwadi said that in certain cases the cross examination cannot be limited to the contents of the examination-in-chief. The court said it may go beyond examination-in-chief as the purpose of the cross-examination is to test the veracity or impeach the credit of the witnesses.
Pharma Injections
Delay In Notification Of E-Pharmacy Rules Causing Concern In The Sector: FICCINew Delhi, 17 Jan 2020: The delay in notification of e-pharmacy draft rules is causing anxiety among stakeholders involved in digital health ecosystem, industry body Ficci said on Thursday. There is no violation of any existing act and rules in current e-pharmacy model. However, there are certain difficulties that the sector has been facing towards ease of doing business due to regulatory uncertainty, Ficci said in a statement.
Drug Still Under Lens, But 4 Docs Give It Clean ChitBengaluru, 17 Jan 2020: At a time when pharma companies in western countries are withdrawing supply of ranitidine, a heartburn drug, five doctors attended a press conference called by JB Ch-emicals and Pharmaceutical here on Thursday to declare the drug as ‘absolutely’ safe and that there were no effective alternatives to it.
PMP Set To Promote Domestic Production Of Medical Devices NEW DELHI, 16 JAN 2020: In a bid to build a robust indigenous medical device manufacturing ecosystem in India, the government is all set to initiate a phased manufacturing programme (PMP) to promote domestic production of medical devices, close on the heels of an earlier scheme initiated for mobile manufacturing in India that successfully helped in nudging companies to move towards manufacturing from imports, people in the know told ET.
Gujarat Leads In Collection And Analysis Of Drug Samples Mumbai, 16 Jan 2020: Gujarat has been leading in the country in terms of collection and analysis of drug samples as part of its ongoing crackdown on spurious drugs through its post-marketing surveillance programme. It tested 13,616 samples last year which is the highest in the country.
Govt May Impose Anti-Dumping Duty On A Chinese Ciprofloxacin Hydrochloride New Delhi, 14 Jan 2020: The government may impose anti-dumping duty on a Chinese medicine used to treat different kind of bacterial infections with a view to guard domestic players from cheap imports.
Telangana HC Raps State Govt For Vague, False Affidavit On Food Safety Violations HYDERABAD, 12 JAN 2020: Terming the affidavits filed by the officials as vague and false about steps taken to check food safety violations and use of carbide for artificial ripening of fruits, a division bench of the Telangana High Court has directed the State Special Chief Secretary, Medical and Health, to file a detailed affidavit informing the number of criminal cases registered against erring fruit traders, pendency of cases, number of acquittals etc.
Drug Dopes
After Price Cap, Local Stent Makers Capture 60% Of MarketNEW DELHI, 13 JAN 2020: Stringent price caps on cardiac stents imposed by the government have substantially changed the market dynamics in the last three years. Improved affordability of stents has resulted in a 30-40% increase in usage and local manufacturers have gained market share at the expense of imports with a jump in volume to over 60% from 35% in 2016-17, industry data showed. 
Viagra Racket Busted, Two Operators Of Of Bogus Call Centre ArrestedMumbai, 20 Jan 2020: An organised smuggling syndicate that was supplying controlled stimulating drugs like Viagra — a drug used to treat impotence in men — to consumers in the United States (US) under the guise of a call centre at Marol-Maroshi in Andheri (east), has been busted by the Mumbai crime branch.
Five Persons Hospitalised After Taking Fake Drugs Kollam, 20 Jan 2020: After scores across Kollam were hospitalised with symptoms of fever, swelling in the body and itchiness over the last few months, the Kerala police are on the lookout for a quack who reportedly sold counterfeit drugs to these persons.
2 Held With 1200 Corex Bottles Srinagar, 18 Jan 2020: Police Friday arrested duo in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district and recovered hundreds of bottles of cough syrup, Corex, from them. Police said Manzoor Ahmed Shah and Shahid Shafi were selling the drugs in Argam Bandipora from past many months. They said 1200 Corex bottles were recovered from their possession. The cough syrup is used by youth as a replacement for alcohol.
2 Held For Stealing & Selling Blood Pouch At SMS Hospital Jaipur, 22 Jan 2020: Two youths were arrested for allegedly stealing a blood pouch from an attendant who had collected it for his patient from the blood bank at Sawai Man Singh Hospital on Tuesday morning.
State Cannot Act As Private Litigant: Supreme CourtNew Delhi, 25 Jan 2020: The Supreme Court has observed that the State, which is the largest litigant, stands in a category apart, having a constitutional duty to assist the court in the dispensation of justice and cannot behave like a private litigant, relying on abstract theories on the burden of proof.
National Injections
DoP To Create Pharma Bureau To Facilitate Ease Of Doing Business Through Single Window Clearance Mumbai, 21 Jan 2020: In order to facilitate ease of doing business in the Indian pharma industry, the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) is in the process of creating a Pharma Bureau to allay concerns of the investors both local and foreign who have to approach multiple agencies under the Central Government for setting up manufacturing facilities in India.
NCB Busts Psychotropic Medicines Racket, Seizes Over 7 Lakh Tablets, InjectionsNew Delhi, 20 Jan 2020: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has unearthed an inter-state racket of psychotropic medicine traffickers with the seizure of over 7 lakh tablets and more than 1,400 vials of injection and bottles of cough syrup, officials said on Sunday.
Medical Devices Manufacturing Park To Come Up In Rajkot Rajkot, 19 Jan 2020: A medical devices manufacturing park will be developed in Rajkot with the financial assistance from the Central government, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announced while launching a new estate of the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) in Rajkot on Friday.
Siemens Unveils Medical Manufacturing Centre BENGALURU, 17 JAN 2020: Medical technology company Siemens Healthineers has started its first manufacturing facility in Bengaluru, which will complement its existing R&D centre. The unit, built with an investment of Rs 20 crore, adds to other similar facilities in Germany, China, Japan, US and Brazil.
Biocon Plans To Halve Insulin Prices BENGALURU, 17 JAN 2020: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, chairperson and managing director of Biocon, said the company will cut the price of insulin to less than 10 cents (Rs 7) per day from about Rs 14 in low and middle-income countries to make it affordable. This is compared to the $5 retail price in the US.
New Tech May Make Angioplasty Easier, Safer New Delhi, 17 Jan 2020: For patients with a blocked artery, involving heavily calcified blood vessels, a new technology introduced in India recently promises to make angioplasty much easier. It involves ablating the calcium deposition in the artery using sonic waves before putting a stent for improved blood flow.
Global Injections
Bacteria In Household Dust Can Spread Superbug Genes: StudyLos Angeles, 26 Jan 2020: Bacteria living in household dust can spread genes that provide antibiotics countering ability to others, according to a study which may lead to new interventions to tackle drug resistance in microbes.
Intentional Use Of Fentanyl On Rise: StudyToronto [Canada], 25 Jan 2020: The use of fentanyl by the people who suffer from a drug habit has witnessed a twofold increase since the year 2015, says a latest research.
1,06,459 Samples Analysed For Food Safety In 2018-19
New Delhi, 25 Jan 2020: The country’s food regulator, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), on 25 November 2019, released the data on enforcement efforts by the states and union territories. This includes samples analysed, non-conforming samples, cases launched, convictions and penalties by the states and union territories during 2018-19, and also trends over the past three years.
Scientists Unveil Drug-Duo To Fight Off Cancer
Texas, 24 Jan 2020: Scientists have figured out a combination of two drugs that show promise in halting the proliferation of cancer cells that harbour a specific gene mutation.
Amazon Pharmacy May Expand To UK, Canada, Aus: Report
San Francisco, 23 Jan 2020: Amazon is looking to expanding its prescription drug delivery business likely to be called Amazon Pharmacy, to countries like the UK, Canada and Australia. The e-commerce titan has applied for a trademark on the name "Amazon Pharmacy" in Canada, the UK and Australia, according to CNBC.
Pharma Firms Not Making Enough Progress Against Superbugs: Report
LONDON, 21 JAN 2020 : Drug companies are not making progress against the spread of antibiotic resistance at a scale and speed great enough to tackle the global health threat posed by superbugs, a key benchmark analysis found on Tuesday.
PSM PILL
Partnership For Safe Medicines Statement On Proposed Regulations To Import Prescription Medicines From Canada
Washington, D.C. (December 18, 2019) : Shabbir Safdar, executive director of the Partnership for Safe Medicines, released the following statement in response to today’s announcement by the Trump Administration and the proposed regulations to allow importation of prescription medicines
New Jersey Enacts Increased Penalties For Counterfeit Drug Crimes
January 21, 2020 : The Governor of New Jersey has just signed A-5037, a new law designed to increase penalties for counterfeit drug crimes committed in the state, reports the New Jersey Patch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Tiny Organs Grown In Lab Produce Real Snake Venom ?
Scientists in London have created small organs in the laboratory which can be used to mass produce natural snake venom. In the study published in the journal Cell, the researchers described how they created organoids of the venom glands of the Cape coral snake, which is endemic to parts of southern Africa. If the method could be commercialised, it would be much more efficient than the way venom is currently produced — by raising snakes on farms and milking their glands, the researchers said. Read More>>>
SUBSCRIBER'S SYMPTOM
IIT Kharagpur Researchers Develop Low-Cost Compact Disc For Blood Test In Rural Areas
Kharagpur, 25 Jan 2020: Compact Discs may be outdated for our laptops but IIT Kharagpur researchers have redefined the use of these devices for low-cost medical diagnosis in rural areas. Researchers from IIT Kharagpur led by Professor Suman Chakraborty from the Department of Mechanical Engineering have recently innovated a simple low-cost motorized spinning disc based kit to perform Complete Blood Count (CBC).
Blog Addicts
Dr. Harish Tripathi, MBBS "The Prescription" helps give me my monthly dose of current pharma news which I eagerly look forward to in order to keep myself abreast as a more aware reader. Keep up the good work.
Ms Susheela Singh, ProfessionalWant to commend the PSM India publication team for all the good work they do in bringing out this bi-monthly newsletter. Well done.
Mr Ramamurthy Iyer, Pharma Expert
Very beautifully and aptly captures important news in the Pharma domain. Excellent work.
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