Page 3 - Drugs

Soon, 300 drug formulations to have mandatory bar codes on packages

To curb the menace of spurious medicines, the government is finalising the process of mandating pharmaceutical companies to print bar code on the packages of 300 drug formulations so that information such as manufacturing licence and batch number can be accessed upon scanning. The amendments to Drugs and Cosmetic Rules, 1945 which, once approved, will come into force from May next year. "A sizable of the drugs mentioned in the list are mostly bought over the counter exposing people to the possibility of consuming counterfeit medicines. This amendment aims to prevent supply of fake medicines and ensure improvement in public healthcare," an official source told PTI. "A bar code or QR code will authenticate whether a particular drug is original or not," the official added. The Union health ministry had issued a draft gazette notification regarding the same in June seeking comments and feedback from the public. Based on the comments and further deliberations, the ministry is in the ..

Europe approves world's first one-dose drug to protect babies against RSV

The European Commission has authorised the world's first one-dose drug against a respiratory virus that sickens millions of babies and children globally every year. In a statement on Friday, drugmakers Sanofi and AstraZeneca said the European Commission had given the green light to nirsevimab, a laboratory-developed antibody designed to protect infants during their first exposure to RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, a highly contagious common infection that infects nearly all babies by age 2. At the moment, babies at high risk of the disease can be given monthly shots to protect them during RSV season. In September, the European Medicines Agency recommended that nirsevimab, sold as Beyfortus, be authorised based on advanced research that showed the drug reduced the chances that babies with RSV needed medical attention and appeared to be safe, compared to infants who got a dummy treatment. The drug is given in a single injection. We are excited about the opportunity to expand ...

Yes, I was addicted to cocaine: Wasim Akram makes shocking revelation

Former Pakistan captain and legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram has revealed that he was addicted to cocaine after the end of his playing career but quit following the death of his first wife.

Hong Kong customs seize record meth haul worth $140 million: Official

Hong Kong customs seized 1.8 metric tonnes (2 tonnes) of liquid methamphetamine in the city's biggest-ever meth bust, authorities said Saturday. The drugs, which were seized October 23, had been concealed in bottles labelled as coconut water in a cargo shipment that arrived in Hong Kong by sea, according to a government statement. The haul is estimated to be worth 1.1 billion Hong Kong dollars (USD 140 million). Authorities found that 1,800 bottles out of the total 7,700 bottles contained liquid meth. The bust is the largest on record among meth cases in terms of the amount and market value. Authorities are still investigating the case, and no arrests have been made. The stash of drugs were bound for Australia, and had been shipped from Mexico via Hong Kong, according to authorities who spoke Saturday at a news conference. In Australia, the market value of the drugs could reach about HK dollar 8 billion (USD 1 billion). The cargo had raised suspicion as it was unusually large f

NCB files charge-sheet against Bharti Singh, her husband in 2020 drug case

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has filed a charge-sheet against comedian Bharti Singh, her husband Haarsh Limbachiyaa and a drug peddler in connection with a 2020 drug case, a senior official said on Saturday. The charge-sheet, which runs into around 1,200 pages, was submitted by the NCB in a court here recently, he said. The couple was arrested by the anti-drug agency in November 2020 following the seizure of ganja (cannabis) at their residence in suburban Andheri, the official said. Both the accused were booked under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, including section 8 (c) (possession of drugs) and 27 (consumption of drugs), he said. During the investigation, the NCB team had arrested one more person who had played a role in the supply of the banned drug, he said. Accordingly, the NCB team investigated the case and submitted the charge-sheet a few weeks ago, he said. The couple was granted bail after two days of custody on a bon

Drug smuggling through darknet, cryptocurrencies increased, says Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that there has been an increase in drug smuggling through the darknet and cryptocurrencies, which is also responsible for terrorism.

India's opioid fix: The growing drug menace, heroin seizures in India

The number of cannabis users stood at 31 million in India

Advisory board urges ban on codeine cough drugs, regulator to take call

Codeine formulations constitute 8% of cough and cold market; pharma industry asks govt not to ban a 'safe' medicine for abuse by some

25,000 kgs narcotics seized by NCB to be destroyed in presence of Amit Shah

About 25,000 kgs of drugs, seized as part of a massive drive carried out by the Narcotics Control Bureau, will be destroyed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah here on Saturday, officials said. Shah will also chair a regional meeting on 'Drug Trafficking and National Security' here to discuss drug scenario in the northeastern region and ways to mitigate it. Chief ministers and DGPs of all northeastern states will participate the meeting. About 11,000 kg of narcotic substances will be destroyed by the NCB here on Saturday. Additionally, approximately 13,675 kg of confiscated narcotics (heroin, ganja, codeine cough syrup, narcotic pills) will be destroyed by Assam (2,531 kg) and Tripura (11,144 kg), an official said, adding approximately 25,000 kg of drugs will be destroyed. Exhibiting the commitment of the Narendra Modi government to make the society drugs-free, the NCB, which functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs, is running a special mission from June 1 to des

NCB seizes mephedrone worth nearly Rs 120 cr from Mumbai, Gujarat; 6 held

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has seized 60 kg mephedrone drug worth more than Rs 120 crore from Mumbai and Gujarat and arrested six persons, including a former Air India pilot, a senior official said on Friday. The action was taken based on specific information received by the Naval Intelligence unit at Jamnagar in Gujarat, said Sanjay Singh, Deputy Director General of the NCB in a press briefing here. "Following the tip-off, the officials from the NCB headquarters in Delhi and its Mumbai zonal unit conducted a raid at Jamnagar on October 3 and seized 10 kg mephedrone," he said. The NCB team had arrested one person from Jamnagar and three more were held from Mumbai in this connection, Singh added. "On Thursday, the NCB team raided a godown located on S B Road in Fort area of south Mumbai and seized 50 mephedrone," he said. After that, the anti-drug agency arrested two persons, including the kingpin of the cartel, he said, adding that one of the accused, Sohail Gafar Mahida,

Joe Biden pardons thousands convicted of marijuana possession in US

Taking executive action to change United States policy on marijuana, US President Joe Biden has announced a sweeping pardon for thousands of people convicted of drug possession under federal laws

Glenmark launches drug to treat patients with insulin-resistant diabetes

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals on Thursday said it has launched Thiazolidinedione Lobeglitazone in the country for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults. The Mumbai-based drug firm has launched the medication under the brand name LOBG and is priced at around Rs 10 per tablet. Indians have a high prevalence of insulin resistance and that makes LOBG an appealing treatment option in managing uncontrolled Type 2 diabetes among insulin-resistant diabetic patients, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals said in a statement. The company had received approval from the Indian drug regulator, Drug Controller General of India, for manufacturing and marketing Lobeglitazone, based on a randomised, double-blind Phase 3 clinical trial conducted on adult Type 2 diabetic patients, aged 18 years and older. "As per the International Diabetes Federation, diabetes affects 74 million adults in India, of which, around 40 per cent of them seem to be insulin-resistant... "We are proud to introduce LOBG; an innovative an

DRI arrests person with 16 kg heroin worth Rs 80 crore at Mumbai airport

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested a person with drugs at Mumbai International Airport and recovered 16 kg of high-quality heroin drugs, said DRI on Wednesday

Coronavirus formation modelled for first time, may lead to effective drugs

For the first time, scientists have successfully modelled the formation of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, a key step towards developing effective drugs for the deadly disease. The research, published in the journal Viruses, offers an overall understanding of the assembly and formation of SARS-CoV-2 from its constituent components. "Understanding viral assembly has always been a key step leading to therapeutic strategies," said Roya Zandi, a professor at the University of California in the US. "Numerous experiments and simulations of viruses such as HIV and hepatitis B virus have had a remarkable impact on elucidating their assembly and providing means to combat them. Even the simplest questions regarding the formation of SARS-CoV-2 remain unanswered," Zandi said. Zandi explained that a critical step in the life cycle of any virus is the packaging of its genome into new virions or virus particles. This is an especially challenging task for coronaviruses, like SARS-CoV-2

Centre looking to phase out codeine-based cough syrups, select FDCs

The industry is divided on the issue of phasing out codeine-based cough syrups, which are used by many as intoxicants

9 arrested after Kerala police bust rave party, seize drugs from Wayanad

Kerala Police has arrested nine persons in connection with the seizure of banned drugs from a resort at Pulpally in Wayanad district. Acting on a tip-off, police late on Sunday busted a rave party and took into custody all those who were participating. Sources said narcotic drugs including hashish oil were seized from the accused, all belonging to Vadakara in Kozhikode district. They have been charged under various sections of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. The Wayanad police had earlier also busted rave parties held in remote location resorts in the hilly district. In an incident in January, a notorious criminal was also arrested during a raid in a resort in Padinjarethara near Kalpetta.

Gurugram police arrest Afghan national, aide with drugs worth crores

ACP Manoj Kumar told IANS that the accused have been identified as Nisaar Ahmed, an Afghan national, and Afitikul Sheikh, a resident of West Bengal

Researchers in US develop drug that marks cancer cells for elimination

The new therapy, described Sept. 12 in Cell Cancer, pulls a mutated version of the protein KRAS to the surface of cancer cells, where the drug-KRAS complex acts as an "eat me" flag

What is the National List of Essential Medicines?

Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya released the National List of Essential Medicines 2022, with 384 medicines. Why does the govt come out with this list? Which medicines made it to the list?

Zenara Pharma launches nirmatrelvir, ritonavir tablets for Covid patients

Zenara Pharma on Friday announced the launch of nirmatrelvir and ritonavir tablets in a combination pack to be used as a treatment option for patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms of COVID-19. The company received approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) to manufacture and market this product last month, Zenara Pharma said in a statement. The drug will be sold under the brand name 'Paxzen' and is priced at Rs 5,200 per pack containing 20 tablets of nirmatrelvir 150 mg and 10 tablets of ritonavir 100 mg, which is equivalent to one full course of treatment for a patient, it added. It will be manufactured at Zenara's USFDA and EU-approved facility in Hyderabad, the company said. "Our product Paxzen has been proven equivalent to Paxlovid through a bioequivalence study, based on which we have received the approval from the regulatory authorities," Zenara Pharma co-founder and Managing Director, Jagadeesh Babu Rangisetty said. The USFDA had approved Paxlov