Author: Biotech Express

Indian biotechnology and biopharmaceutical company Biological E has been selected as a recipient of mRNA technology from the World Health Organization (WHO) technology transfer hub. Bio E already manufactures a number of critical vaccines, including Corbevax, a second-generation vaccine for COVID-19. “After reviewing a number of proposals from India, WHO’s Product Development for Vaccines Advisory Committee (PDVAC) today selected the company BiologicalE (Bio E) as a recipient of mRNA technology from the WHO technology transfer hub,” the WHO said in a statement issued on Friday. “WHO and partners will work with the Indian government and Bio E to develop a…

Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd. (BSE: 500124, NSE: DRREDDY, NYSE: RDY, NSEIFSC: DRREDDY, along with its subsidiaries together referred to as “Dr. Reddy’s”) and MediCane Health Inc. (along with its subsidiaries together referred to as “MediCane”) today announced the launch of its medical cannabis product in Germany. As part of a collaboration between Dr. Reddy’s and MediCane that started in 2021, MediCane will supply the medical cannabis products to Dr. Reddy’s from its EU-GMP-certified facilities in Portugal along with providing logistical and regulatory support. As the exclusive distributor of the products in Germany, Dr. Reddy’s will provide access to MediCane’s medical…

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was left reeling on Friday after a High Court ruled that her vaccine mandate represented a “gross violation of human rights” for New Zealanders. The landmark case means that the police and NZDF cannot be fired for refusing to take the experimental vaccine. This case will be used to overthrow all of Ardern’s illegal mandates in New Zealand. Justice Francis Cooke ruled that ordering frontline police officers and Defence staff to be vaccinated or face losing their job was not a “reasonably justified” breach of the Bill of Rights. Nzherald.co.nz reports: The lawyer for…

The Union Ministry of Science and Technology’s Technology Development Board (TDB) has decided to provide financial support to a Visakhapatnam-based startup company for the development and commercialisation of a range of medical implants, robotic surgical instruments, and devices using metal injection molding (MIM) process. Dr. Srivari Chandrashekhar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, and Chairperson, TDB, said, “Currently, surgical instruments are either imported or made with casting or forging technologies and are not suitable for robotic surgical instruments or critical care surgical instruments applications. The global surgical instruments market currently comprises of only 2-3 global players, namely Johnson & Johnsons,…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced the low-risk determination for the marketing of products derived from genome-edited beef cattle. The decision is the first low risk determination for marketing of products from an intentional genomic alteration (IGA) in an animal for food use. IGA refers to changes introduced into the DNA of animals using biotechnological techniques, including genome editing. The IGA in the beef cattle led to a short-hair coat trait present in some conventionally bred cattle, known as a “slick” coat. After the FDA’s review of scientific data, the product was determined as low-risk and does not…

Prof Ashok Pandey is the top scientist who is having h-index at 117, 2nd highest in India. His major research and technological development interests are in industrial and environmental biotechnology, which span over biomass to fuels & chemicals, waste to wealth/energy, industrial enzymes, solid-state fermentation, etc. Professor Pandey is currently Distinguished Scientist at Centre for Innovation and Translational Research, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR), Lucknow, India and Honorary Executive Director at the Centre for Energy and Environmental Sustainability- India. Formerly, he was Eminent Scientist at the Center of Innovative and Applied Bioprocessing (CIAB), Mohali and Chief Scientist & Head…

One in four Australian medical researchers involved in drug trials failed to declare money they had received from pharmaceutical companies when submitting journal manuscripts, a study reports. The authors cross-checked statements on financial conflicts of interest listed by Australian authors of 120 drug trials published in the first eight months of 2020 against a database of company-made payments reported to Medicines Australia, the country’s pharmaceutical-industry association. The research, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine1 this month, is one of only a few studies outside the United States to examine discrepancies between drug-company payments made to health professionals and…

Balwani is facing multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud. He and Holmes were both charged by the government in 2018 but were given separate trials. More than two months after Elizabeth Holmes was found guilty of fraud, the trial of her business associate and one-time romantic partner Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani has finally begun. Like Holmes, Balwani faces multiple counts of fraud related to the business practices of Theranos. During opening remarks, the prosecution painted Balwani, the company’s former president, as working hand-in-hand with Holmes as the duo fed false information to investors about its proprietary blood-testing…

Criminals saw crisis as an opportunity to sell more such products, taking advantage of vulnerability of people in need, ASPA president Nakul Pasricha says. Criminals saw crisis as an opportunity to sell more such products, taking advantage of vulnerability of people in need, ASPA president Nakul Pasricha says During the COVID-19 pandemic, incidents of substandard and falsified (SF) medical products increased by almost 47% from 2020 to 2021. Trade-in pharmaceutical counterfeits during this period spiked majorly relating to COVID-19 products, including vaccines, medicines, test kits, antibiotics, face masks and sanitizers. This, according to the latest report released by the Authentication…

Since the demand for energy is increasing day by day, the governments in major countries have started to explore options other than fossil fuels and to produce energy from alternative/renewable sources. The Government of India had set an ambitious target of 175 GW renewable power installed capacity by the end of 2022. This target aims to install a total of 10 GW worth of Bioenergy capacity. Bioenergy so far is especially prominent in rural India since agricultural residues such as straw and cow dung are easily available. As per the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (“MNRE”), about 32 percent…