Team JGJ

July 25,2024 Hyderabad: ETPharma will be hosting the second edition of the Next-Gen Lab-Con on July 26, 2024, at Le Meridien, Hyderabad. The conference aims to bring together industrial leaders to focus on the pharmaceutical landscape, which is rapidly evolving and to discuss what will be the future generation of pharma labs and their regulatory obligations. The second edition of ETPharma’s Next-Gen LabCon, themed ‘Future-Ready Labs: Analog to Digital’ will focus on the seamless progression of a product life cycle, heightened competition and building next-gen, future-ready pharma labs, which is crucial to fulfilling the demand for innovative therapies, enhancing approval rates, minimising expenses, accelerating time-to-market, and adhering to regulatory obligations. The conclave will commence with a welcome address by Vikas Dandekar, Editor, ETPharma, followed by the Chief Guest’s address on the topic ‘Navigating the future of Pharmaceutical Exports: Quality Imperatives and Global Compliance’ by Raja Bhanu, Director General, Pharmexcil. The Chief Guest’s address will be followed by a panel discussion on ‘Indian Laboratories – what does it take, to take it to a global scale?’. The panellists for the session will be Annaswamy Vaidheesh, Executive Chairperson, Suven Pharma; Dr KVS Ram Rao, CEO & Joint Managing Director, Granules India, Akhil Ravi, Chief Executive Officer, Aurigene Pharmaceutical Services, and Dr Sauri Gudlavalleti, Chief Operating Officer, Sai Lifesciences. The session will be moderated by Vikas Dandekar, Editor, ETPharma. The session on ‘Indian Laboratories – what does it take, to take it to a global scale? will be followed by a panel discussion on ‘Role of Sensors, AI, ML, RPA in Enhancing R&D Experimentation’. The panellists for the session will be Dr Mandar Ghatnekar, Global Head of IT & Digital Transformation , Biocon Biologics; Chitti Babu, Chief Information Officer (CIO), Aurobindo Pharma; Rithesh Phalaksha, Director – Leading Digital Innovation, Novartis; and Dr Sujay Rajhans, President, Head R&D, JB Pharma. The session will be moderated by Chakravarthi AVPS, Chairman, Federation of Pharma Entrepreneurs – Telangana & Andhra Pradesh, FOPE South. The panel discussion on ‘Role of Sensors, AI, ML, RPA in Enhancing R&D Experimentation’ will be followed by a case study on Gen AI by Tushar Zade, CDO & CIO, Aurigene Pharmaceuticals Services Ltd. The Gen AI case study will be followed by a panel discussion on ‘Ask the Experts- Upscaling to Electronic Batch Records: Lessons from a Pharmaceutical Manufacturer’. The panellists for the discussion include Dr Pavan Bhat, Executive Director, Natco Pharma, Sandeep Raktate, President – India & Ireland Operations, Amneal Pharmaceuticals. The session will be moderated by Vikas Dandekar, Editor, ETPharma. The ‘Ask the Experts- Upscaling to Electronic Batch Records: Lessons from a Pharmaceutical Manufacturer’ session will be followed by another panel discussion on ‘Implementing Green Chemistry Principles in CDMO Operations: A Sustainable Digital Transformation Journey’. The panellists for the dialogue include Dr Vijayavitthal T Mathad, Chief Operating Officer, CRAMSN Research Park, Dr Damodharan Muniyandi, Chief Quality Officer, Global Quality & Regulatory Affairs, Sai Life Sciences Ltd; Dr Rakeshwar Bandichhor, Vice President and Head of Chemistry, API Process R&D, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories. The moderator for the session will be Ivy Louis, Board Member, Parenteral Drug Association (PDA Inc.); Director-Vienni Training & Consulting LLP. The conference will conclude with the closing remarks by Prabhat Prakash, Senior Digital Content Producer, ETPharma. Source: Pharma

July 26,2024 London: Humanity is suffering from an “extreme heat epidemic,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Thursday, calling for action to limit the impacts of heat waves intensified by climate change. “Billions of people are facing an extreme heat epidemic — wilting under increasingly deadly heat waves, with temperatures topping 50 degrees Celsius around the world,” he said. “That’s 122 degrees Fahrenheit. And halfway to boiling.” According to the European Copernicus network , July 21, 22 and 23 were the three hottest days ever recorded worldwide, with July 22 holding the absolute record of 17.16 degrees Celsius (62.9 degrees Fahrenheit). Guterres repeated his call for humanity to fight its “addiction” to fossil fuels. “Today, our focus is on the impact of extreme heat . But let’s not forget that there are many other devastating symptoms of the climate crisis: ever-more fierce hurricanes. Floods. Droughts. Wildfires. Rising sea levels. And the list goes on,” he said. “To tackle all these symptoms, we need to fight the disease. And the disease is the madness of incinerating our only home. The disease is the addiction to fossil fuels. The disease is climate inaction,” he stressed, calling in particular on G20 countries to take action. While 2023 was the hottest year on record, and 2024 could set a new record, temperatures well above 40C (104F) are increasingly common. In the space of a year, the 50C threshold has even been exceeded in at least 10 places, from Death Valley in the United States (53.9C on July 7) to Agadir in Morocco, and also in China and India. The intense heat, often less visible than other devastating impacts of climate change such as storms or floods, is nonetheless more deadly. This “silent killer” is responsible for around 489,000 deaths per year between 2000 and 2019, compared with 16,000 deaths per year from cyclones, according to the UN’s “Call to Action” document published on Thursday. Extremely high temperatures also have an economic impact, with the UN estimating economic losses from heat stress at work will reach $2.4 trillion in 2030. According to a report by the International Labor Organisation published on Thursday, more than 70 percent of workers were exposed to excessive heat in 2020, 8.8 percent more than in 2000. “The good news is that we can save lives and we can limit its impact,” Guterres said Thursday. The UN has called for the world community to first act to protect “the most vulnerable” — including young children, the elderly and also humanity’s poorest. In this context, early warning systems should include extreme heat, warning populations of the arrival of heat waves and informing them of the precautions to take, the document says. The call to action also recommends an “increase (to) equitable access to and scale up (of) low-carbon cooling.” This would involve investing in passive cooling systems — which include climate-sensitive urban design measures, reflective surfaces and natural cooling systems — and the phase-out of climate-warming gases that are used in many cooling systems. Source: Healthworld

July 26,2024 New Delhi: The WHO Regional Director for Southeast Asia, Saima Wazed, appealed to everyone on Thursday, July 25, to save lives and prevent the heartbreak of drowning on World Drowning Prevention Day. She said, “We join the global community in observing World Drowning Prevention Day, dedicated to raising awareness and accelerating action on global drowning prevention. The World Health Assembly Resolution WHA76.18, passed in 2023, underscores the urgent need for coordinated multi-sectoral action to combat this leading cause of injury-related death and disability worldwide.” Highlighting this year’s theme, “Anyone can drown, no one should,” she said, “This year, under the overarching theme “Anyone can drown, no one should,” the World Health Organisation has chosen the slogan “Seconds can save a life.” This highlights the dual nature of drowning: it can occur in a matter of seconds yet taking a brief moment to act–whether by wearing a lifejacket, keeping watch over children while they are near water, checking the weather forecast before boating, or choosing safety over distraction–can prevent a tragedy.”. “Drowning is a sudden and silent killer, often catching victims and those around them unaware until it is too late. A few seconds may not be enough time to respond. The power is in prevention,” she added. Globally, an estimated 236,000 lives are lost to drowning every year–an average of 650 every day, or 26 every hour. This silent epidemic of preventable deaths excludes drownings related to flood disasters and water transport incidents, thus underreporting the true magnitude of the issue. She further added, “In our Southeast Asia Region, the consequences of drowning are particularly devastating. In 2019 alone, drowning claimed 70,034 lives, making it the second-highest contributor to drowning deaths worldwide after the Western Pacific Region. Most of these tragedies occur within proximity of the home, primarily due to a lack of supervision, exposure to hazardous water bodies, a lack of awareness and education, as well as poverty.”. WHO is finalising the Global Status Report on Drowning, set to be launched by the end of 2024. This report will provide updated information on the global burden of drowning and will generate key recommendations for impactful actions at global, regional, and national levels. WHO has outlined evidence-based, cost-effective, and scalable measures to prevent drowning and provided detailed guidance for their implementation. While the application of these measures will vary by context, the global drowning prevention community must remain vigilant and coherent in its efforts. “We all have a role to play in preventing drowning. Whether by raising awareness, promoting knowledge of effective solutions, collaborating on prevention plans and policies with local or national governments, volunteering with relevant organisations, or ensuring personal and family safety around water, each of us can make a difference,” she added. (ANI) Source: Healthworld

July 26,2024 New Delhi: Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel said on Friday that 37 cases of Chandipura virus have been detected across the state and the state government has taken a lot of initiatives to control the disease. He also said that about 133 cases of the Chandipura virus have been registered so far in the state. Speaking on the rising case of Chandipura virus at a press conference here, Patel said, “About 133 cases have been registered so far. Of these 37 cases are confirmed for Chandipura and the remaining cases can’t be spoken of as confirmed, as far as the symptoms are concerned. We can’t call them Acute Viral Syndrome for certain”. “Acute Viral Syndrome occurs every year but the number has gone up this year. State Government has taken a lot of initiatives for this…,” Patel added. Earlier in the month, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel reviewed the situation in the state amid the Chandipura virus and took stock of the measures taken to control the epidemic. Chandipura Virus (CHPV) is a member of Rhabdoviridae family known to cause sporadic cases and outbreaks in western, central, and southern parts of the Country, especially during the monsoon season. It is transmitted by vectors such as sand flies and ticks. It is to be noted that vector control, hygiene, and awareness are the only measures available against the disease. The disease affects mostly children under 15 years of age and can be present with a febrile illness that may in some cases result in death. Although there is no specific treatment available for CHPV and management is symptomatic, timely referral of suspected AES cases to designated facilities can improve outcomes. Since early June 2024, cases of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) have been reported in children under 15 years of age in Gujarat. (ANI) Source: Healthworld

July 26,2024 New Delhi: A total of 1,862 disease outbreaks were reported to the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme last year, with the highest number being reported from Kerala, the Lok Sabha was informed on Friday. Kerala reported 253 outbreaks followed by Karnataka at 223, Maharashtra at 208 and Madhya Pradesh at 140. Responding to a question, Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel said prevention of and preparedness against pandemics is a shared global responsibility. In order to better prepare against future pandemics or public health emergencies in the country, the Union Ministry of Health provides requisite support to states and UTs to enhance their capabilities, Patel said in a written reply. To enhance disease surveillance activities, the ministry has strengthened the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), which allows for a decentralized system of response through trained multi-disciplinary Rapid Response Team to institute requisite public health control and containment measures. The IDSP, under Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP), has also been strengthened to use advanced data modelling and data analytical tools, contains real-time data reporting, accessible at all levels, she said. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched the portal of Integrated Health Information Platform on April 5, 2021. It is designed to capture case-based data of more than 33 plus health conditions along with special surveillance of ILI/SARI, COVID-19 and Monkey Pox, she said. It provides a single operating platform of public health surveillance of the individuals at district, state and national levels. At present, all the 36 states and UTs have completely migrated to IHIP portal. In terms of laboratory strengthening, under IDSP, states have strengthened laboratories at district and state levels. Further, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has established a network of more than 150 Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratories for strengthening of nation-wide network of laboratories for timely laboratory based diagnosis of pathogens. In addition besides apex laboratory at National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune and four regional NIVs are being established in Jammu, Jabalpur, Dibrugarh and Bengaluru. The ICMR has developed two mobile BSL-3 laboratories to provide essential on-site diagnostic services during outbreaks, especially in remote areas. Further, a National Institute for One Health (NIOH) is being established at Nagpur by ICMR to undertake integrated and holistic research and development across human, animal, plant, and environmental health sectors. The IDSP is mandated with surveillance and response to outbreak prone communicable diseases. Any case of outbreak prone disease in the country is investigated as a part of outbreak investigation by rapid response teams at district, state and central level as per the need, Patel said. These RRTs recommend necessary precautions in order to prevent the spread of diseases. IDSP also performs media scanning and verification of print and electronic media to strengthen the event-based surveillance. Source: Healthworld

July 27,2024 Kozhikode: Kerala Health Minister Veena George announced that the test results of two more people for the Nipah virus have come out negative, bringing the total number of negative samples to 68. Four new admissions have been reported, with a total of five people currently undergoing treatment. There are 472 individuals on the contact list, including 220 in the high-risk category. So far, 807 people have received mental health services. Minister Veena George participated online in the Nipah review meeting held at Malappuram Collectorate. The Minister said that all individuals on the contact list must strictly follow the isolation guidelines for 21 days. Discharged patients must also adhere to isolation guidelines. Strict action will be taken against those who do not comply, the minister said. The minister also requested that people wear masks and maintain social distance. Notably, the Centre has advised immediate public health measures to be taken by the state government, such as active case searches in the family of the confirmed case, the neighbourhood, and areas with similar topography. The Centre has also advised active contact tracing (for any contacts) and strict quarantine of the contacts in the case, isolation of any suspects, and collection and transportation of samples for lab testing. It is important to note that outbreaks of Nipah Virus Disease (NiVD) have been reported in Kerala in the past, with the most recent one occurring in 2023 in the Kozhikode district. Source: Healthworld

July 27,2024 New Delhi: The National Testing Agency (NTA) Friday declared the final results of controversy-ridden NEET-UG entrance exam, declaring that 17 candidates have shared the top rank, down from 61 in the revised results, while thousands of others have seen their marks and rankings change significantly. The number of qualifying candidates and the cut-off has also seen a marginal dip. The “re-revised” results have been released three days after the Supreme Court rejected multiple petitions demanding a NEET-UG 2024 retest because of alleged paper leaks and other malpractices. The top court had, however, asked the NTA to revise the merit list in light of a controversial physics question which had two possible answers and the correct option was suggested by a three-member expert panel set up by the SC. It led to a complete reworking of NEET ranks and scores for all 2.3 million students. The scores of at least 4,20,000 students, including 44 of the 61 who achieved perfect 720, decreased by five points with the court invalidating the disputed marks they got for the Physics question. However, the exact impact on their rankings is not immediately clear. The exams was held on May 5 and the results were announced on June 4. Doubts about the sanctity of the exam arose when a total of 67 students scored a perfect 720, unprecedented in the NTA’s history. The number of candidates sharing the top rank came down to 61 after the NTA announced the revised results on July 1 after withdrawing grace marks awarded to six candidates to make up for loss of time some centres. On Friday, the NTA declared the “re-revised result” Along with a decrease in the number of toppers, the qualifying cutoffs and number of qualified candidates have also decreased in the the “re-revised” results of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG). Seventeen candidates have retained the perfect 720 marks and were declared the toppers, followed by six who scored 716, and 77 with 715 marks, which forms the cohort of top 100 candidates. Forty-four out of the 67 candidates who were earlier declared toppers, when the results were originally announced on June 4, had scored full marks because of the marks awarded for that particular physics question. The percentage of female toppers increased in the revised results from 16 per cent to 23 per cent as there are four candidates in the top 17. The percentage of female among top 100 is 22 per cent. There are four candidates from Rajasthan, three from Maharashtra, two each from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh who are among the toppers. The other six are from Kerala, Chandigarh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Bihar and West Bengal. The total number of qualified candidates stands at 13,15,853, down by 415 candidates. There are 15 states/Union Territories which registered an increase in the total number of qualified candidates. These include Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal, among others. Even though the number of qualifiers decreased marginally, with over 1.65 lakh candidates, UP has the highest numbers, followed by Maharashtra (1.42 lakh) and Rajasthan (1.21 lakh). The other two states with over 85,000 qualifiers are Karnataka (88,887) and Kerala (86,713). The revision of the results also brought down the qualifying cutoffs – for the unreserved and economically weaker section the new cutoff range is 720-162, down from 164, while for the OBC, SC, ST it is 161-127. Category-wise the number of qualifiers decreased for unreserved, EWS, and OBC, while it increased for SC and ST. In a major setback to unsuccessful aspirants of NEET-UG 2024, the Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed the pleas seeking cancellation and re-test of the controversy-ridden exam, holding that there was no evidence on record to conclude that it was “vitiated” on account of “systemic breach” of its sanctity. The verdict came as a shot in the arm for the embattled NDA government and the National Testing Agency (NTA), which were facing strong criticism and protests, on streets and in Parliament, over alleged large-scale malpractices like question paper leak, fraud and impersonation in the prestigious test held on May 5. The CBI is probing alleged irregularities in NEET-UG 2024 and has lodged six FIRs. The NEET-UG is conducted by the National Testing Agency for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions. Source: Healthworld

July 26,2024 New Delhi: Sun Pharma on Friday announced that the USFDA approved Leqselvi (deuruxolitinib) 8 mg tablets for the treatment of adults with severe alopecia areata (patchy baldness). The US regulator approval is a significant milestone for Sun Pharma which paid $576 million (Rs 4600 crore) in January 2023 to acquire Concert Pharmaceuticals to gain access to deuruxolitinib, portrayed as a “potential best-in-class” therapy. Shares of Sun Pharma rose 2.58 per cent and were trading at Rs 1708.20 at 11.10 am, the benchmark Sensex gained 0.84 per cent to 80,710.90 points. Deuruxolitinib, a twice- daily oral selective inhibitor of Janus Kinases (JAK) JAK1 and JAK2, is used for treatment of adults with moderate to severe alopecia areata,an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks hair follicles, resulting in partial or complete baldness. The disease affects up to 2.5 per cent of the US population. There are currently limited treatment options available for alopecia areata. Sun Pharma will have a five-year marketing exclusivity for the product. Abhay Gandhi, CEO, North America Business, Sun Pharma in May told ET that preparations were in full swing to commercialise the drug. Deuruxolitinib may be a huge boost to Sun Pharma’s global specialty business that crossed the $1 billion sales milestone in FY24. Jefferies’ forecasts that Deuruxolitinib can achieve sales of $765 million in the US and European markets by 2031, the research report also estimated pre-tax net present value is Rs 64 per share from the opportunity. Global specialty sales that contributed about 18 per cent of Sun Pharma revenue grew 19 per cent YoY to $ 1.04 billion in FY24. “Leqselvi offers a new and effective solution that will significantly enhance options for long-suffering patients battling severe alopecia areata and their physicians,” said Gandhi. “Our fast-growing dermatology business is excited to add this novel treatment to its portfolio,” he added. The approval is based on data from two multicenter, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 clinical trials THRIVE-AA1 and THRIVE-AA2, which enrolled a total of 1,220 patients with alopecia areata who had at least 50 per cent scalp hair loss as measured by Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) for more than six months. Data were also collected from two open-label, long-term extension trials in which patients were eligible to enroll upon completion of the 24-week trials. At study baseline, the average patient had only 13 per cent of their scalp hair coverage. “In the trials, at 24 weeks, the primary endpoint was met, with more than 30 per cent of patients taking Leqselvi (deuruxolitinib) experiencing 80 per cent or more scalp hair coverage (SALT ≤20),” the company said. “The number of patients taking LEQSELVI and achieving a SALT score of ≤20 showed a consistent upward trend with no plateau through 24 weeks. Additionally, up to 25 per cent of patients had almost all of their scalp hair back at 24 weeks,” it added. Source: Pharma

July 26,2024 London: The European Union’s drugs regulator on Friday rejected Eisai and Biogen’s breakthrough treatment for early Alzheimer’s disease, in a blow to the drugmakers as take-up in the U.S. has been slower than expected. The agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use had recommended not granting an authorization as the observed benefits did not counterbalance the risk of serious side events, especially brain swelling and bleeding or microhemorrhages. The recommendation has to be formally backed by the European Commission, which usually follows the regulator’s decision automatically. A March 21 hearing of the committee to discuss the drug was delayed due to structural changes within the agency, Eisai had said. The drug has been under review in the region since January 2023 and gained traditional approval in the U.S. last year. A treatment for Alzheimer’s disease has eluded drugmakers for decades. Another Eisai-Biogen drug called Aduhelm failed to take off in the U.S. after questions over its approval and data, and was never approved in Europe. In Europe, seven million people are living with the brain-wasting disease, and that figure is expected to double by 2050, according to Alzheimer’s Europe, a non-profit organization. The drug, lecanemab, is sold as Leqembi in the U.S. and was set to be Europe’s first drug to treat the neurodegenerative condition rather than its symptoms. Leqembi’s U.S. launch has so far been lackluster, with bottlenecks due to its requirements such as additional diagnostic tests, twice-monthly infusions and regular brain scans. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had on July 2 approved Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s drug Kisunla. Unlike Leqembi, Kinsula requires finite dosing, which allows patients to stop taking the treatment once brain scans no longer show amyloid plaques. Source: Pharma

July 26,2024 New Delhi: Viral hepatitis can lead to serious complications such as liver cirrhosis, cancer, and even death. Despite this, it remains a severely neglected public health concern in India Just recently, I was consulted on the case of a 40-year-old techie diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and a large cancerous tumour—a condition that could easily have been prevented with something as simple as early screening and accessible vaccination. With an investment of less than ₹500, these preventive measures could have spared him complications and treatment such as a liver transplant that can cost between ₹20 lakh and ₹40 lakh. This patient ignored swelling in his legs – a key sign of liver failure – for a little more than a year. But a few days ago, when he developed jaundice, he met his physician. A series of tests led us to the tumour in his liver. He had end-stage liver disease and has been waitlisted for a transplant by our medical team. The story of this patient is not new. In many cases, I meet patients for the first time when they are in the intensive care unit. Some are wheeled into the ICU in critical condition after taking treatments including herbal concoctions from quacks. There is evidence that shows how mass screening and vaccinations for hepatitis have been able to cut down on hospitalisations and deaths. World Hepatitis Day is celebrated on July 28 in honour of the birth anniversary of Dr Baruch Blumberg, who discovered the hepatitis B virus in 1967 and developed the vaccine two years later. The day is commemorated by raising awareness about viral hepatitis, a preventable and treatable disease, which causes almost 1.3 million deaths a year worldwide. Viral hepatitis, encompassing hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E, represents a significant and often overlooked public health issue in India. These diseases, which cause liver inflammation, can lead to severe complications such as liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, and death. India bears a significant burden of viral hepatitis. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), India accounts for 10 per cent -15 per cent of the global burden of hepatitis B virus infections. Hepatitis C also presents a major health concern, with an estimated 6 million to 12 million people infected. Poor sanitation, lack of awareness, and inadequate healthcare infrastructure exacerbate the problem. In Tamil Nadu, statistics say that there could be close to 1.5 per cent of people with chronic hepatitis B and 0.5 per cent with hepatitis C virus infection. The govt has launched the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme (NVHCP) to combat this issue. The programme aims to eliminate hepatitis B and C by 2030 through comprehensive prevention, diagnosis, and treatment strategies. The Tamil Nadu govt has adopted the NVHCP and has been work-ing towards elimination of this dreadful disease, but more needs to be done by the govt and the public sector. If we must achieve these goals, the govt needs to push aggressively for screening for hepatitis B and C and vaccinations against hepatitis B. In the success seen post-COVID vaccinations, several countries such as the UK have started mass vaccinations for hepatitis. We must ensure people, at least those in the 20-59 age group can get their shots, protecting them against this potentially chronic liver disease. The aim is to prevent infection among middle-aged adults with hepatitis B. With rapid lifestyle change, we are increasingly seeing how the disease is impacting people in their 40s and 50s. Mass vaccination camps are the only way we can eliminate hepatitis B in the state and across the country. The vaccine has an outstanding record of safety and effectiveness and has been used worldwide since 1982. The vaccine recommended by WHO is 95 per cent effective in preventing chronic infections from developing. Protection lasts 20 years. The disease is usually treatable, but in some cases it becomes chronic. There are different types of viral hepatitis, each with distinct modes of transmission and health impacts. Hepatitis A is primarily transmitted through the ingestion of contaminated food or water, common in regions with poor sanitation. While typically acute, it does not lead to chronic liver disease; vaccination and improved sanitation are effective preventive measures against it. Hepatitis B spreads through contact with infected body fluids such as blood and semen. It can manifest as both acute and chronic infections, posing a significant risk for liver cirrhosis and cancer. Vaccination is crucial for prevention, with mother-to-child transmission during childbirth a notable concern in India. Hepatitis C is mainly transmitted through blood-to-blood contact, often due to unsafe injection practices, unscreened blood transfusions, and sexual contact. It frequently progresses to chronic infection, causing long-term liver issues. While no vaccine exists, antiviral medications can cure more than 95 per cent of cases. Source: Healthworld