medical industry information

Investigators from Catalonia reported in the Journal of Hepatology that survival rate among hepatitis C virus (HCV) positive patients undertaking liver transplant have significantly risen after the administration of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). DAAs also lead to a fall in the number of people with HCV requiring a liver transplant. The authors note,  “Although not unexpected considering the efficacy of these drugs, our findings suggest for the first time that the main problem of LT [liver transplant] programmes around the world, hepatitis C recurrence, will no longer impact on patient and graft survival. These results support and recognize those public health programmes that have permitted widespread access to DAA to hepatitis C patients with advanced liver disease, and encourage the policies aimed to expand the access to all patients with HCV infection.” DAAs have transformed the management and prognosis of chronic HCV infection in patients. The therapy can attain cure r...

Hepatitis is transmitted very fast could lead to life-threatening conditions. Hepatitis B, C and D are caused due to contact with infected body fluids. Hepatitis A and E are caused due to consumption of contaminated water and food. Other causes include eating raw shellfish or raw oysters. To help speed up the recovery period, patients should avoid certain foods. 1. Processed food items should be avoided completely as they are devoid of nutrients. Even processed bread, cheese and especially fast food dishes should be avoided since they can hamper recovery times. 2. Healthy oils should be used instead of hydrogenated oils. Foods rich in saturated fats or trans-fats should be completely avoided. 3. Sugar intake should be limited to the minimum level. It is recommended to avoid artificial sweeteners and fruits juices. When infected with hepatitis, the liver struggles to digest sugar component. 4. Hepatitis inhibits the liver from properly processing iron which can ...

The CQC rated the South Doc Services Limited as ‘outstanding’ in a report on 11 July. The service operates virtual primary care services for the MyHealthcare GP federation, functioning at several hubs across Birmingham with more than 47 GP practices under its umbrella catering to around 300,000 registered patients. The report praised how the  “service used technology to improve treatment and to support patients’ independence”. Each of its practice has complete access to the Virtual Centre, based at West Heath Medical Centre, inspected by the CQC in April 2018. The digital service is available throughout the week for patients to book telephonic or video consultations with a GP, a nurse or a prescribing pharmacist. It also includes an app for patients and a prescription ordering department (POD) accessible over the telephone. The CQC also commended the provider’s MyHealthcare Patient App, which offers chronic diseases and lifestyle management. The app stores patients’ reco...

Spero Therapeutics granted $15.7 million for research on SPR994, its oral carbapenem-class candidate, to study the drug’s efficacy against biological threats like anthrax, plague and melioidosis as a part of an interagency collaboration. The funds' provider, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, promised an additional grant of $28.5 million over five years to support the antibiotic developer’s clinical development of SPR994 in complicated urinary tract infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria. Moreover, the Defence Threat Reduction Agency promised a preliminary $1.25 million to fund the nonclinical aspects of the project, with up to $8.75 million in milestone payments. The Cambridge, Massachusetts based Spero revealed in a  statement  that federal agencies plan to provide a total of $54.2 million in funding for the clinical development and biodefense assessments of SPR994, subject to options by BARDA and other milestones. Tebipenem, an active i...

Global healthcare is being led by the  US with China  following close behind. Europe is simply being a spectator to the developments that are unfolding on a global level. The views were expressed by Roche CEO Severin Schwan at the “Entrepreneurship in Healthcare Powering Innovation” in Dublin, a European Healthcare Distribution Association (GIRP) initiative. Europe was criticized for its lack of efforts in expediting healthcare innovation in comparison to the speedy efforts of the US and China. With the establishment of a clear regulatory framework, the US has provided for a sustained roadmap for the rollout of new startup companies in the field. China is fast catching up with the US in this aspect. Europe will be facing increasing difficulties in catching up with the rest of the world in implementing innovative healthcare systems on account of fragmented data. The commitment of the Chinese to innovation is complete. They have evolved a long-term strategy for growth...

Boehringer Ingelheim is expanding its $77 million contract biologics China plant, making a notable bet that the kind of contract services it offers elsewhere will be a big draw to China too. This week, Boehringer Ingelheim BioXcellence said it has opened a new isolator-based fill-finish line at its commercial manufacturing unit in Shanghai, called OASIS which is in full compliance with the GMP operations for aseptic filling of liquids in vials. As a result of its new line, Boehringer now offers manufacturing of drug substances, drug products and all corresponding quality control and assurance activities at the one facility in China. Boehringer set foot in China in 1994 to build its biologics manufacturing plant and now employs over 3,500 people. The company’s decision to establish a biologics contract manufacturing operation in China was based on the country’s ever-growing population and their increased interest in new medicines.  As a result, the  $77 million facil...

It is positive news for the public that China is observing faster price cuts on oncology drugs. This major incident has taken place due to turmoil over a movie which revealed smugglers who were sneaking cheaper generic drugs into the country. This resulted in big pharma therapeutic drugs being targeted for cuts. The newly formed health insurance administration in China intend to deepen discounts on cancer drugs which were already on its National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) based on public bidding and procurement based on cancer therapies. In the meantime, officials will start enlisting negotiations for treatments which were not included on the coverage list. A novel dimension on cancer costs was declared in a government press conference, right before the removal of import tariffs and decreased import value-added tax to 3% on all commonly available cancer therapies. The Chinese government hopes that the drug companies will keep this decision in mind when fixing prices on the...