Medicine

New study links paracetamol to several side effects among senior citizens

Paracetamol, a common over-the-counter medication, may increase the risk of gastrointestinal, heart- and kidney-related complications among adults aged 65 and above, a new study has found. Taken commonly for treating mild-to-moderate fever, paracetamol is also the first drug recommended for treating osteoarthritis -- a chronic condition causing pain, stiffness and swelling in the joints due to wear-and-tear -- as it is considered effective, relatively safe and accessible. However, some studies have provided evidence to contest the effectiveness of paracetamol in relieving pain while others have shown increased risks of gastrointestinal side effects, such as ulcers and bleeding, from prolonged use. The latest study, conducted by researchers from the University of Nottingham, UK, found that paracetamol use was linked to a 24 per cent and 36 per cent increase in risk of peptic ulcer bleeding (bleeding due to ulcer in the digestive tract) and lower gastrointestinal bleeding, ...

Indian pharma market registers over 5% growth in Sept 2024: Pharmarack

This comes even as the IPM registered a negative unit growth of -2.3 per cent, with only anti-diabetic and urology therapy segments recording significant unit growth of 3.1 per cent and 5.4 per cent

India's medicine exports to US, Italy on the rise: Commerce ministry

With the government focusing on boosting domestic manufacturing of pharmaceutical products, India's medicine and antibiotics exports have started gaining significant market share in the US. According to the commerce ministry data, India is the third largest import source of 'medicine put up for retail sale' for the US. The top two are Ireland and Switzerland. In 2023, the country exported these medicines worth USD 9 billion as against 7.33 billion in 2022. With this increase in the shipments, India's share went up to 13.1 per cent in 2023 from 10.08 per cent in 2022. Share of the top exporter Ireland fell to 13.85 per cent in 2023 from 17.18 per cent in 2022 because its sales in the US went down to USD 9.5 billion in 2023 from USD 12.5 billion in 2022. The second biggest exporter Switzerland also saw its share decline to 13.7 per cent last year from 17.4 per cent in 2022. Similarly, India has increased its share among exporters of antibiotics in the Italian market. It is ranked 10

Alembic Pharma gets approval from US FDA to market generic medication

Alembic Pharmaceuticals on Tuesday said it has received approval from the US health regulator to market a generic product indicated for prophylaxis of deep vein thrombosis. The company has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to market Dabigatran Etexilate Capsules (110 mg), the drug firm said in a regulatory filing. Dabigatran Etexilate Capsules are indicated for prophylaxis of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism following hip replacement surgery. The approved product is therapeutically equivalent to Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc's Pradaxa Capsules (110 mg). The company said it now has a cumulative total of 211 ANDA (abbreviated new drug application) approvals from the USFDA. Shares of the company on Tuesday closed 3.17 per cent down at Rs 1,076 apiece on the BSE.

Doctors not mandated to inform patients on drug side effects: Delhi HC

Delhi High Court dismissed a public interest litigation that sought to enforce the compulsory disclosure of drug side effects by doctors to the patients

World Homeopathy Day 2024: All about Homoeopathy and its benefits

The target of homoeopathy is to address and to give therapy the whole of an individual, including their character, way of life, hereditary predispositions, and disease history

Uttar Pradesh government eyes 10-12% share in India's pharma sector

UP has signed memorandums of understanding with more than 80 CSIR and DRDO labs for research and development on affordable drugs

Cipla introduces drone-powered critical medicine delivery in Himachal

Drug major Cipla on Tuesday said it has introduced drone-powered deliveries of critical medicines for hospitals and pharmacies in Himachal Pradesh in partnership with Sky Air Mobility. The Mumbai-based firm aims to deliver medicines for cardiac, respiratory and other essential chronic therapies as part of the initiative. The use of drones will support on-time deliveries of the company's medicines to chemists and clinics in remote areas while minimising risks such as delays, temperature excursions affecting cold chain products, and roadside accidents, Cipla said in a statement. "As we accelerate our digital agenda across all functions, implementing drone-powered distribution enhances our supply chain resilience, strengthens connects with channel partners, helps us stay future ready and maintain reliable, prompt delivery of our trusted high-quality drugs to stockists and patients in the region," Cipla Global Supply Chain Head Swapn Malpani said. The drug firm said it also aims to sca

Celebrating India's emergence as a global leader in traditional medicine

Collaboration with WHO in establishing the Global Centre for Traditional Medicine underscores the country's commitment to traditional medicine

Abbott India recalls batches of Antacid Digene gel

In its letter, the DCGI warned that Digene may be unsafe and its use may result in adverse reaction

NMC fixes cap for undergrad seats in medical colleges set up from 2024-25

Medical colleges established from 2024-25 academic session onwards shall have a maximum of 150 undergraduate seats provided the institute follows the ratio of 100 MBBS seats for 10 lakh population in that state. Colleges seeking increased number of seats cannot exceed 150 MBBS students from 2024-25, the National Medical Commission (NMC) said in its newly-issued "Guidelines for Under Graduate Courses under Establishment of New Medical Institutions, Starting of New Medical Courses, Increase of Seats for Existing Courses and Assessment and Rating Regulations, 2023". Any additional permitted seat quota for admissions shall be within the number of seats granted for admission to that college, the guidelines notified on August 16 stated. With the exception that colleges who have applied for academic year 2023-24 for increased seats but failed to get the same, can ask for the same number (totalling 200 or 250) that was in their previous application for one time in the year 2024-25 only. Af

Summit on traditional medicine to be held alongside G20 health meet in Guj

A global summit on traditional medicine organised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) will focus on the role of age-old medical practices in addressing health challenges and driving progress in sustainable development, and will be held alongside the August 17 to 19 health ministerial meeting of G20 in Gandhinagar, officials said on Wednesday. The first-of-its kind summit, which will take place on August 17-18 in the Gujarat capital, has been co-hosted by the Union Ministry of Ayush (Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy). A government-funded event on medical travel will also be held as part of the three-day meeting of G20 health ministers in Gandhinagar, said the officials. India currently holds the presidency of the G20, or Group of Twenty, an intergovernmental forum of the world's major developed and developing economies. "An event planned under the Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (based in Gujarat's Jamnagar) will be the first-of-its-kind and .

Delhi govt asks pharmacists to not sell painkillers without prescription

The Department of Drugs Control has advised chemists to avoid over-the-counter sale of NSAIDs such as aspirin, ibuprofen and diclofenac with immediate effect until further notice

World Homeopathy Day 2023: History, Importance, Theme of this year

Homoeopathy is a 200-year-old and another form of medicine that claims to boost the body's ability to heal itself and stimulate a healing response

Medicines should be sold under supervision of pharmacists in medical stores

India's drug regulator DCGI has written to drug controllers of all states and Union territories and the Pharmacy Council of India asking them to ensure that pharmacists are physically present in retail medical stores and that medicines are sold under their direct supervision. In a letter, Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi sought strict implementation of section 42 (a) of the Pharmacy Act 1947 and Rules 65 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1945 in retail pharmacies. Ensure that pharmacists are physically present in the retail pharmacies/medical stores, and that medicines are sold/dispensed under their direct supervision. Ensure that no prescription medicine is sold/dispensed from the retail medicines shop without a proper and valid prescription," the DCGI said in the letter sent on March 9. The drug regulator referred to a letter from Suresh Khanna, National General Secretary, IPA, Mumbai which highlighted issues pertaining to implementation of Section

DCGI asks drug manufacturers not to use propylene glycol by Delhi firm

India's drug regulator has directed drug manufacturers not to use propylene glycol supplied by a Delhi-based company which provided the ingredient to Marion Biotech, whose cough syrups were alleged to have led to the deaths of children in Uzbekistan. Maya Chemtech India Pvt. Ltd. supplied propylene glycol used in Marion Biotech's cough syrups that were found to be "not of standard quality", according to the regulator. Three employees of Marion Biotech were arrested on charges of manufacture and sale of adulterated drugs. Also, the drugs inspector from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) North Zone last week issued a notice to the pharmaceutical firm asking it to stop the sale and distribution of the drug concerned, stating that the sample was found to be "not of standard quality". Uzbekistan alleged in December last year that several children died after consuming Marion Biotech's cough syrups, which it claimed were contaminated with unacceptable amounts of ethyl

The electrome syndrome

Sally Adee has written an absorbing and fast-paced account of a field of research that could thus herald a whole new era of paradigm-shifting medicine

Govt to organise 'Chintan Shivir' with focus on drug quality regulation

New Delhi [India], February 24 (ANI): Union Health and family welfare Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya will chair a two-day 'Chintan Shivir' at Telangana's Hyderabad with a focus on Drug Quality Regulation and Enforcement."Eminent speakers along with Domain experts from government, industry fora, startups, and academia will be participating," official sources told ANI.The Chintan Shivir will be held for two days from February 26- 27, 2023 at Shanti Vanam in Hyderabad.Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Bhagwant Khuba, Minister of State for Chemicals & Fertilizers along with Dr V K Paul, Member (Health) NITI Aayog will attend the meeting. Senior officials including Union Secretary (Health), Secretary (AYUSH), Secretary (Pharmaceuticals), DGHS along with representatives from National Health Authority, NPPA, CDSCO, NIB, Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission, NIPERs, State functionaries and officials including ACS/Principal Secretary will be present ..

Medicine sale by dealers to retailers hit Rs 1.40 trn in Apr-Dec: Mandaviya

The total sale of medicines by stockists/dealers to retailers in India stood at over Rs 1.40 lakh crore during the April-December period, Rajya Sabha was informed on Tuesday. In a written reply to a query, Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers Mansukh Mandaviya laid a statement on the table of the Upper House stating no separate data is, however, maintained regarding consumption of generic medicines in the country. During the April-December 2022 period, the total sales of medicines by stockists or dealers to retailers was at Rs 1,40,865.31 crore. In 2021-2022, it was at Rs 1,69,234.82 crore while the same stood at Rs 1,47,586.41 crore in 2020-2021, as per the statement. The Department of Pharmaceuticals has taken various steps for increasing the production of drugs in the country and encourage domestic manufacturing of pharmaceutical drugs, including PLI scheme for manufacturing of critical Key Starting Materials (KSMs)/ Drug Intermediates (DIs)/ Active Pharmaceutical ...

After Gambia, now Uzbekistan alleges Indian cold drug killed its children

Noida-based Marion Biotech's Dok-1 Max anti-cold medicine under scanner after the Central Asian nation blames it for 18 deaths