Author: Biotech Express

The Vision of the Department of Pharmaceuticals is to promote Indian pharma sector as the global leader for quality medicines and to ensure availability, accessibility and affordability of drugs and medical devices in the country. One of the measures to achieve the vision is to concentrate on Research & Development and innovation. In order to achieve the same, the Department, amongst various other measures, has set up seven National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs) as institutes of national importance all across the country for imparting quality education and conducting high-end research. NIPERs have recently launched a common Research…

As reported by Indian Express The Civil Registration System (CRS) data for 2020 includes a key metric that shows how difficult it was for people to access health facilities during the pandemic: over 45 per cent of all recorded deaths that year happened in the absence of medical attention, the highest percentage ever. The data also show a sharp decline in deaths recorded in hospitals and other medical facilities in 2020. For several months in 2020, when the pandemic first gripped the world, non-Covid medical services were suspended or operating thinly in India, with 80 to 100 per cent of…

India’s main opposition Congress party on Friday demanded a hefty rise in compensation for the families of those who died of COVID-19, after the World Health Organization estimated the country’s toll was nearly 10 times the reported figure. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has rejected the WHO estimate released on Thursday that 4.7 million people died in India as a result of the pandemic until last year, when hospitals ran out of oxygen and beds due to a record wave driven by the Delta variant. India has reported only 524,002 COVID-19 deaths – the most after the United States and…

Redcliffe Lifetech (Redcliffe) has raised $61 million in Series B funding. Led by LeapFrog Investments (LeapFrog), the round saw participation from Healthquad, Schroders, LC Nueva, Growth Spark Ventures and existing investors Chiratae Ventures and Alkemi Venture Partners. While O3 capital acted as financial advisor on the transaction. Preventative medicine helps to empower the average Indian with the information they need to take charge of their health and wellbeing, Dheeraj Jain, founder, Redcliffe Lifetech, said. “Redcliffe has built a one-stop diagnostic shop offering a wide selection of tests to choose from and delivering care closer to the customer. This investment will…

A new study outlines the use of a specially created enzyme variant that vastly reduces the time it takes to break down the components of plastics. We could even use the enzyme variant to clean up sites contaminated by plastic pollution, say the team that developed it. In tests, products made from the polymer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were broken down in a week and, in some cases, 24 hours – these are products that can take centuries to degrade properly in natural conditions. “The possibilities are endless across industries to leverage this leading-edge recycling process,” says chemical engineer Hal Alper…

Indian branded formulations manufacturing company Eris Lifesciences announced the acquisition of 100 per cent stake in Mumbai-based dermatology focused domestic formulations company Oaknet Healthcare on Tuesday. In a BSE filing on Wednesday, the company stated that the acquisition will be done for a total consideration of Rs 650 crore. Oaknet had a revenue base of Rs 195 crore in FY22. Eris stated in the filing that Oaknet’s dermatology and women’s health portfolio will add to their range of offerings. The company added that Eris’ Specialty Franchise will get a significant impetus with this acquisition as the company will now be…

According to an article by The Wire Science, it says yes the government has lied to court and provided a detailed analysis with the facts which are discussed here. The petitioner, Jacob Puliyel, a paediatrician and former member of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI), had contended, among other things, that the government’s decisions to approve various vaccines hadn’t been transparent and that “relevant data is not always placed before” NTAGI. In his petition, Puliyel had cited the example of The Wire Science’s report on Corbevax that revealed that the government had cleared the vaccine’s use among those…

A journal has retracted a 2021 paper claiming that vitamin D “significantly reduced the inflammatory markers associated with COVID-19 without any side effects” following criticism that led them to “no longer have confidence in the conclusions.” The paper “Impact of daily high dose oral vitamin D therapy on the inflammatory markers in patients with COVID 19 disease,” appeared in Scientific Reports, a Springer Nature journal, on May 20, 2021. The paper earned a correction on August 30, and has been cited 29 times, according to Clarivate Analytics’ Web of Science. The editors said that “the Editorial Board Member indicates that…

A 3D printed polymer glove that can allow an attendant of a stroke victim to conduct daily physiotherapy sessions at home for months, is the latest innovation from Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, which is teaming up with the Manipal group forfor clinical trials. The scientists who developed the physiotherapy gloves said similar wearable devices could be made for any limb, depending on the requirements of a paralytic patient. A physiotherapist or a family member can operate it by either wearing an identical device or using a smartphone application. “The biggest advantage is that a physiotherapist can measure the muscle…

Plants can’t speak up when they are thirsty. And visual signs, such as shriveling or browning leaves, don’t start until most of their water is gone. To detect water loss earlier, researchers have created a wearable sensor for plant leaves. The system wirelessly transmits data to a smartphone app, allowing for remote management of drought stress in gardens and crops. Newer wearable devices are more than simple step-counters. Some smart watches now monitor the electrical activity of the wearer’s heart with electrodes that sit against the skin. And because many devices can wirelessly share the data that are collected, physicians…