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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
“In our Consumer Affairs Department, there is BIS which makes standards for 25,000 products. Now we have a new law. Its rules and regulations are in the last stage. When our goods reach abroad, they are checked, but when their goods come to India, there is no strict quality control. Once the regulations are strictly implemented, sub-standard goods will stop coming in”
Shri Ram Vilas Paswan
Hon'ble Cabinet Minister of Consumer Affairs
Government of India
Sponsor
Patient Safety Capsules
Govt To Curb Pharma Imports From China
NEW DELHI, 23 JUNE 2020: The government plans to tighten the regulatory noose around pharmaceuticals imports from China through stricter scrutiny of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), key starting materials (KSMs) for medicines and medical equipments.
ICMR Invites Applications To Validate Rapid Antigen Test For Covid-19
New Delhi, 25 June 2020: The Indian Council of Medical Research on Thursday invited applications for validation of rapid antigen detection tests for Covid-19. So far, it has validated and approved only one rapid antigen detection assay from SD Biosensor.
Drug Laws & Policy Injections
FSSAI Urged To Promote Plant-Based Food As Immunity BuilderCHENNAI, 22 JUNE 2020: The Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO) has urged Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to promote plant-based food as an immunity builder and to seek food hygiene and safety guidelines for meat shops and slaughterhouses during the Covid-19 pandemic.
CDSCO Asks Industry To Submit Suggestions On Doping Drug Labels MUMBAI, 25 JUNE 2020: The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has asked the pharma stakeholders to submit their suggestions on doping drug (performance-enhancing drugs) labels. It has also stressed that the suggestions should be made after taking visually impaired persons into consideration and should be user friendly.
‘EBloodServices’ Mobile App Launched By Dr. Harsh VardhanNew Delhi, 25 June 2020: Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare launched the ‘eBloodServices’ mobile App developed by The Indian Red Cross Society (ICRS), here today, through a video conferencing. The Union Health Minister is also the Chairman of Indian Red Cross Society.
NPPA Directs Manufacturers, Importers To Submit MRP Of Medical N-95 MasksMumbai, 25 June 2020: The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has directed all the manufacturers and importers of medical N-95 masks to submit maximum retail price (MRP) of medical N-95 masks.
Development Of Bulk Drug, Medical Device Parks To Cut India'S Dependency On Imports: GowdaNew Delhi, 24 June 2020: The development of bulk drug and medical device parks will help in bringing down India''s dependency on imports and making the country emerge as a major pharma exporter, the Centre said on Wednesday.
Govt Relaxes Manufacturing Norms For PPE MakersNew Delhi, 24 June 2020: The government has relaxed norms of having in-house testing for three kinds of Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs) to promote the supply of quality gears during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, according to an official order. The norms have been relaxed for Filter Half Masks to Protect against particles of Class FFP2 as per IS 9473:2002, Surgical Face Masks as per IS 16289:2014 and Eye Protectors as per IS 5983:1980 by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
Pharma Injections
Pharma Exports Up 19% In MayHyderabad, 23 June 2020: After a lull during the lockdown in March-April, exports of drugs and Pharmaceuticals surged 19 per cent in May. According to data from the Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council (Pharmaexcil) and the Ministry of Commerce, drug and pharma exports in May rose to ₹14,959 crore, from ₹11,758 crore in the same month last year.
Maharashtra: Distilleries Get FDA Nod To Keep Making Sanitisers Till DecemberMUMBAI, 23 JUNE 2020: Around 108 distilleries in the state that had got a special nod to manufacture hand sanitizers at the start of the pandemic in March have been allowed to continue till December. Foreseeing rise in demand for sanitizers after the lockdown is relaxed, the state FDA last week extended licences till December 31.
Haryana Disinfectant Unit Raid Triggers Controversy Gurugram, 24 June 2020: The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) and Ayush Department of Haryana are in blame game over a raid conducted by the former on Tuesday at a disinfectant manufacturing unit in Gurugram.
Haryana Proposes Parks For Bulk Drugs, Medical Devices, Electronics CHANDIGARH, 22 JUNE 2020: In line with the Union government’s plan to give a fillip to local manufacturing, Haryana has planned three major projects — a bulk drug park in Panipat, a medical device park in Karnal and an electronics park in Sohna. The Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) will develop these sites.
Export Of 5 Million PPE Suits A Month On Cards New Delhi, 23 June 2020: The Centre is likely to allow the export of nearly five million personal protective equipment (PPE) suits a month, officials aware of the matter said, as India moves from not making enough suits to making more than it needs, and global demand remains strong.
HC Rejects Plea On Integrated Medicine Chennai, 20 June 2020: The Madras High Court has refused to direct the State government to amend Tamil Nadu Clinical Establishments (Regulations) Rules of 2018 and permit registration of even those clinical establishments where integrated medicine could be practised by combining any one of the systems of Indian medicine with allopathy.
Drug Dopes
Substandard Hand Sanitisers Sold In Punjab: FDA ReportCHANDIGARH, 25 JUNE 2020: Quality tests conducted by the food and drug administration (FDA) Punjab have revealed that substandard alcoholbased hand sanitisers are being sold in Punjab markets. This, at a time when the state is seeing a big spike in cases every day. 
Haryana FDA Officials Seize Disinfectant Sprays Worth Rs18 LakhGurugram, 24 June 2020: The Food and Drug Authority (FDA) seized a huge consignment of disinfectant sprays — estimated to be worth over Rs 18 lakh — from an unlicensed manufacturer in Sector 35 on Tuesday evening. The spray was allegedly being manufactured illegally as ‘ayurvedic proprietary medicine’ without a valid drug licence. Most of the stock seized was to be delivered in daily need stores across the city, said FDA officials.
Telangana: Five Under Graft Lens Over Hand Sanitiser Licence HYDERABAD, 22 JUNE 2020: A deputy director (incharge joint director and licensing authority) and four inspectors of Drugs Control Administration (DCA) have been shunted out following corruption charges. These officers were reportedly collecting Rs 4 lakh to Rs 5 lakh for issuing a licence to manufacture hand sanitisers though the licence fee prescribed by the government is just Rs 7,500.
Imported IVDs Should Be Used By Institutions For Research Purposes Only: DCGI Mumbai, 23 June 2020: The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has clarified that imported in vitro diagnostics (IVDs) shall be used by Indian research institutions for academic research purpose only and not for any diagnosis or therapeutic purpose in diagnostic labs and hospitals.
User-Friendly PPEs To Hit Market Soon VISAKHAPATNAM, 20 JUNE 2020: User-friendly personal protective equipments (PPEs) approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) are expected to hit the market within a month as the National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) has issued licence to five MSMEs for commercial production of the safety gears.
Kolhan Faces Shortage Of Anti-Snake Venom DrugJamshedpur, 23 June 2020: Health centres in Kolhan division are facing a shortage of snake venom drugs as the region is reporting a large number of snake bite cases with the onset monsoon. In the last fortnight, seven cases of snake bites were reported from Kolhan — four from West Singhbhum and three from East Singhbhum. Two people have also died in Kolhan recently after being bitten by snakes.
National Injections
FSSAI Directs Authorities To Strictly Implement RDA For Health Supplements New Delhi, 22 June 2020: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed the Central and state licensing authorities to strictly implement the limitation with respect to Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) prescribed by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) for nutrients while granting licences to the FBOs for products such as health supplements and nutraceuticals governed under Section 22 of the FSS Act.
Cipla Launches Remdesivir Under Brand Name CIPREMINew Delhi, 22 June 2020: Homegrown pharma major Cipla Ltd announced the launch of its generic version of remdesivir, which has been authorised for emergency use in treatment of COVID-19 patients by the USFDA, under its brand name Cipremi. The USFDA had issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to Gilead Sciences Inc for emergency use of remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
Suppliers Hiking Prices Of Chinese Raw Materials After Galwan Clash Dehradun, 20 June 2020: Amid calls of ‘Boycott China’ after the killing of 20 Indian Army soldiers in Galwan Valley near Line of Actual Control (LAC) on June 15, price of raw material for the pharmaceutical industry has increased by upto 30% in the last four days, which could eventually result in costlier medicines, claimed pharmaceutical sector industry owners in Uttarakhand.
Coronavirus May Infect Respiratory Centre Of Brain, Suggests Research New Delhi, 19 Jun 2020: A team of researchers at CSIR - Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB), Kolkata has explored the neuro-invasive potential of COVID-19 and suggested that the virus may infect the respiratory centre of the brain, a statement said.
ICMR Sets Up 11 Teams To Monitor Antigen Tests NEW DELHI, 20 JUNE 2020: India’s top health research body has constituted 11 teams to monitor antigen tests being carried out in the national capital, where there’s been a surge in Covid-19 cases.
Glenmark Launches Favipiravir: Medics Say 'No Magic Bullet' For COVID But Will Help Amid Rising Cases NEW DELHI, 20 JUNE 2020: As Glenmark Pharmaceuticals launched antiviral drug Favipiravir for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 cases, medical experts on Saturday cautioned against seeing it as a "magic bullet" to treat the deadly virus but said it will be helpful as it can be orally administered and reduce viral load.
Global Injections
Consortium Formed To Assess Safety Of Covid-19 VaccinesScotland, 22 June 2020: The Consortium for Monitoring the Safety and Effectiveness of Covid-19 Vaccines has been formed by the Drug Safety Research Unit (DSRU) in Southampton..
Follow CDC Guidance For COVID-Infected EmployeesMaryland, 19 June 2020: A new guidance from the US Food and Drug Administration clarifies how manufacturers of drugs and biological products should address COVID-19 infection in their employees.
Ramdev Ayurvedic ‘Corona Kit’: No Govt Nod, Trials That Used Allopathic Drugs
New Delhi, 25 June 2020: A day after Ramdev launched an ayurvedic ‘Corona Kit’ claiming it cured Covid-19, serious questions have emerged over the business practices of Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, the FMCG company that markets Patanjali brand products and Divya Pharmacy, the unit producing the medicines.
Hong Kong Doctor Jailed For Selling Fake Gardasil 9 Vaccine
Hong Kong, 12 June 2020: A Hong Kong doctor has been jailed for four months after 76 boxes of counterfeit Merck & Co human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine worth around HK$ 174,800 ($23,000) were discovered in his clinic.
Sampling Study Raises Red Flags For Antibiotics Sold In Kenya
Nairobi, 17 June 2020: A study of antibiotic formulations sold in pharmacies in Nairobi county, Kenya, has found that almost 38 per cent of samples failed to meet standards laid out in the US Pharmacopoeia (USP), making them substandard and potentially counterfeit.
Steroid Should Be Kept For Serious Coronavirus Cases, WHO Says
LONDON/GENEVA, 18 JUNE 2020: A cheap steroid that can help save the lives of patients with severe COVID-19 should be reserved for serious cases in which it has been shown to provide benefits, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday.
PSAIIF PILL
India Must Manufacture More APIs Locally, Depend Less On China: Experts
NEW DELHI, 18 JUNE 2020: Experts from India’s drug industry say there needs to be a bigger push to make active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) locally and reduce dependence on China. The main concerns are rising costs of APIs and drug safety.
CDSCO To Replace Words ‘Chemists & Druggists’ With ‘Pharmacists’
Bengaluru, 19 June 2020: The Central Drugs and Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) has prepared a draft notification replacing the words ‘chemists and druggists’ with ‘pharmacists’. The move comes in following several requests to this effect from Karnataka State Registered Pharmacists Association (KSRPA). The draft notification is currently pending with the ministry of health and family welfare. The replacement of the words chemists and druggists with pharmacist will be in Rule 65 (15)(b) of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945.
Frequently Asked Questions
Rashes Or Eczema? It’s Probably Your Sanitiser
New Delhi, 22 June 2020: The sanitiser and the hand wash became mainstays of daily lives when the Covid-19 outbreak began. But excessive caution has led to another problem — skin problem. Doctors across NCR say cases of allergies, rashes and contact dermatitis have gone up because of overuse of sanitiser and soap.. Read More>>>
SUBSCRIBER'S SYMPTOM
Drugs Worth Crores Seized In Delhi Godown, 1 Arrested
New Delhi, 19 June 2020: Psychotropic substances worth around Rs two crores were seized in a godown here after the arrest of a 29-year-old man, the police said on Friday. The arrested man was identified as Shrawan Kumar, a resident of West Delhi''s Kirti Nagar area.
Blog Addicts
Mr Prakash Diwan, MD It is always a great pleasure reading the articles published in this newsletter. Keeping the reader engrossed with current pertinent topics is really welcoming.
Ms Jasmine Singh, IT ProfessionalAlways look forward to the newsletter editions every month for an interesting read. Great work !.
Ms Meera Jain, Professional
"The Prescription" is a much awaited dose for my monthly consumption of important pharma developments and news. Well done!
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