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The COVID-19 shot, which Oxford University researchers and AstraZeneca Plc jointly developed, suffered a setback on Tuesday when first tests on humans did not yield the anticipated protection levels. In the trial, which was in the first of usually three phases of clinical testing, only a small percentage of individuals experienced an antibody response in the respiratory mucous membranes, according to a statement released on Tuesday by the University of Oxford. Additionally, the blood immune response was less strong than the one from a vaccine shot in the arm. Nasal spray vaccines against the coronavirus have received a lot of attention from researchers around the world because the approach is thought to have the potential to prevent infection as well as disease because it may elicit an immune response directly in the airways, where the virus enters the body. The procedure would also be less painful and more controllable than injections. Products that are administered via the airways have previously received regulatory approval in China and India. The COVID-19 nasal spray vaccine from Bharat Biotech was approved by the Indian Health Minister last month, and the inhaled COVID-19 vaccine from CanSino Biologics Inc. was given emergency permission by China’s drug regulator last month. While the results of Bharat’s trial have not yet been released, CanSino claims that studies show that their vaccine, administered using a nebulizer device, can develop robust immunity to successfully contain the infection. Twelve volunteers who had previously completed a conventional two-dose immunisation course by injection were also enrolled in the British trial together with 30 previously unvaccinated people. According to Sandy Douglas, main investigator of the experiment at Oxford University’s Jenner Institute, “The nasal spray did not perform as well in this study as we had hoped.” “We believe that delivery of vaccines to the nose and lungs remains a promising approach, but this study suggests there are likely to be challenged in making nasal sprays a reliable option,” she continued. According to the statement, no significant adverse events or safety issues were reported throughout the trial, which was funded by AstraZeneca.  

The government of Maharashtra will soon begin providing Khilkhilat Ambulance services for infants, according to Mangal Prabhat Lodha, a cabinet minister for the state. According to Lodha, these ambulances are specifically made to deliver the mother and the newborn child to their houses. “On the line of Gujarat government, Maharashtra government to also start Khilkhilat Ambulance services for newly born baby, these ambulances are specially designed to drop the mother and the newborn child at their home.” said Lodha, who also serves as the Minister of Women and Child Development in Maharashtra. This ambulance would have a distinctive siren-like Khilkhilat, and Lodha continued, “Usually, we see newborn babies start crying by hearing the sound of an ambulance siren. Initially, we are planning to bring it to suburban Mumbai at five places and after seeing the response will decide to launch it completely.” “These Khilkhilat ambulances will be designed by keeping in the minds little babies and the main motive behind this is to give happiness to the family and babies as it’s a special moment for the family to have a new baby as a new member in the family,” he concluded. Mangal Prabhat Lodha is also the guardian minister for Mumbai suburban district. A safe return home is the goal of the Khilkhilat service, which is free for mothers and infants. The project, Vatsalaya, situated in Maharasthra, was inspired by the initiative, which was launched in Gujarat in September 2012. The Khilkhilat ambulances include a nutrition kit for the newborn kid, a schedule of vaccinations to be administered at particular intervals, and details about the government hospitals nearby.

The first malaria vaccine made in India that was developed by researchers at the University of Oxford and produced by Serum Institute has been approved for sale to the UK, according to official sources, who spoke on Thursday. Two lakh doses of the vaccine may be sent, according to authorization from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). According to official sources quoted by PTI, Prakash Kumar Singh, director of government and regulatory affairs at Serum Institute of India (SII), applied to DCGI on September 27 to request authorization to export the malaria vaccine. “SII has developed the vaccine against malaria under leadership of our CEO Dr Adar C Poonawalla. We have been relentlessly working to make available made-in-India and world-class vaccines against malaria to our country and world at large,” an official source quoted Singh as having said in the application. At the moment, GSK is the manufacturer of the sole malaria vaccine that is accessible worldwide. According to the sources, the SII and the Jenner Institute of the University of Oxford worked together in 2020 to manufacture and develop the malaria vaccine for mass distribution. The vaccine trial results in Nanoro, Burkina Faso, which involved 409 children, showed that three initial doses followed by a booster after a year provided up to 80% protection against the disease, they stated. Trials in advanced stages are currently being conducted in African nations by the SII and Oxford University.

In accordance with an order from the Department of Personnel and Training, Dr. M Srinivas, Dean of the ESIC Hospital and Medical College in Hyderabad, has been named Director of AIIMS Delhi. The appointment of Dr. Srinivas to the position of Director at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), according to an order dated September 9. According to the position description, the appointment is “for a term of five years beginning on the date of assumption of charge of the post, or until achieving the age of 65 years, or until further orders, whichever is the earliest.” “Ex-post facto approval for continuation of Dr. Randeep Guleria as Director AIIMS, New Delhi w.e.f. March 25, 2022 for six months, or till joining of the new Director, whichever is earlier,” it stated further. The 23rd of September will mark the end of Dr. Guleria’s second extension as Director of AIIMS Delhi. Before moving to Hyderabad in 2016 to work at ESIC Hospital and Medical College, Dr. Srinivas was a professor in the AIIMS Delhi Department of Pediatric Surgery. Source: PTI

Manish Sisodia, deputy chief minister, New Delhi, stated on Monday that the 11 new hospitals will improve Delhi’s healthcare system and aid in effectively responding to situations like the Covid pandemic. There will be 10,000 more hospital beds in Delhi’s government-run hospitals due to the development of eleven new hospitals. In a review meeting with PWD and health department representatives, Sisodia went over the status of the construction works. The deputy chief minister gave instructions to staff to finish all building projects on schedule and to guarantee that quality standards are upheld. Officials stated during the conference that the majority of the hospitals’ construction will be finished by the end of this year, while the remaining hospitals’ construction will be finished by mid-2023. Sisodia stated that out of the 11 hospitals, four will have a bed capacity of 3,237 and seven semi-permanent ICU hospitals will have a bed capacity of 6,838. These new hospitals will strengthen Delhi’s health infrastructure and enable millions of Delhiites to get top-notch medical services, according to the minister. “These will prove to be helpful in fighting situations like the COVID pandemic and emergency cases efficiently,” he added. The Delhi government is building seven new intensive care units (ICU) hospitals throughout the capital to handle emergency and critical situations. According to officials, these hospitals will have a total bed capacity of 6,838 and be semi-permanent. With a capacity of 336 ICU beds, the new ICU hospital being developed in Sarita vihar will offer cutting-edge amenities, including a high-capacity waiting area, registration room, electric room, staff room, emergency room, nurse station, and fire control room on the first floor. Sisodia looked into the progress of the mohalla clinics during the meeting. According to officials, 12 new mohalla clinics in various parts of Delhi are ready. 52 mohalla clinics are currently being built, in addition to this, in full force. According to Sisodia, these clinics should open as soon as possible so that locals may access healthcare services. The minister said that more than 500 mohalla clinics, where 70,000 people receive care each day, have been established by the government in various parts of Delhi.

There are currently 273 cases of swine flu in the state. 95 individuals are being treated right now, and others have been released. Worst hit is the capital city with 156 positive patients, followed by Durg with 28 and Bilaspur with 13, Rajnandgaon with 11, Dhamtari and Raigarh each with eight patients, Bastar with seven, Balodabazar with six, Mahasamund with four, Kanker, Gariyaband, and Janjgir-champa each with three patients, Mungeli, Sarguja, Dantewada, and Korba with two each, and Balo In light of the fact that the epidemic is still having a negative impact on people’s life, experts advise taking preventative measures including social isolation, wearing masks, especially in public areas, and avoiding crowds. They also recommended seeking medical attention right away if someone has a fever of more than 101 degrees for more than three days, as well as other symptoms like a sore throat, shortness of breath, a runny or plugged nose, or fatigue.

From September 17 to October 1, which is National Voluntary Blood Donation Day, the Union Health Ministry will launch a massive blood donation campaign called “Raktdan Amrit Mahotsav.” According to an official source, the mega drive intends to surpass the existing global record for the greatest blood donation in a single day on September 17 by collecting 1.5 lakh units of blood on that day. The birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi falls on September 17. India now has a blood storage capacity of about 1.5 lakh units. However, if the number of participants exceeds that, blood won’t be drawn, but the participant will still receive a certificate of participation. On the Aarogya Setu portal, under the “Raktdaan Amrit Mahotsav” initiative, registrations for voluntary blood donation have already started. This initiative urges individuals to donate blood and support the prime minister’s humanitarian objective. An official stated that the goal of the campaign is to raise awareness of the importance of routine uncompensated blood donation as well as to guarantee that all people have access to, and can afford, blood and its components. There is currently a huge disparity between the supply and demand for blood. Data from 2021 shows that for every 1.25 crore units available, there were 1.46 units in demand. The Aarogya Setu App users’ data will be accessible to blood banks and other organisations organising the drive via the web portal e-RaktKosh, the source claims. According to the source, 1,78,443 TB patients and 1667 Nikshay Mitras (donors) have so far signed up for the Nikshay Mitra initiative, which the President launched on September 9. According to him, the Health Ministry is executing the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, which provides community support for TB patients, in order to effectively engage the community in the effort to eradicate TB. Cooperative societies, corporations, elected officials, individuals, institutions, non-governmental organisations, political parties, and partners who can support by adopting the health facilities in the state, district, block, and peripheral health care facilities are included in Nikshay Mitra (Donor) for this programme. The funding will be available for no less than one year and no more than three years. The Nikshay Mitra will offer the program’s patients nutritional assistance, as well as vocational and diagnostic support.

Scientists at the Inter-University Accelerator Centre (IUAC) in New Delhi, under the leadership of Prof. Avinash Chandra Pandey, the center’s director and an adjunct professor at Allahabad University, have made a significant advancement by creating the nation’s first superconducting magnet system for use in whole-body clinical MRI machines. At the moment, India is entirely dependent on expensive imports of MRI machines. The IUAC has developed a 1. 5 Tesla (T) superconducting MRI magnet system, which is like the heart of the MRI machine.  India will be able to develop cheaper homegrown MRI machines as a result, and it will enter a selective group of nations that manufacture these devices. The majority of MRI machines are currently exported from China to India. By providing precise contrast resolution in each imaging direction, the MRI machine is used to take images of any body part for disease detection. “This is nothing less than India making its own cryogenic engine, or state-of-the art weaponry. Having our own indigenous MRI machine would not only cut the cost of the equipment but will also provide access to this vital diagnostic technique to those who today cannot afford the same because of its high cost,” according to eminent radiologist Dr. Harsh Mahajan, recipient of the Padma Shri award. Source: TNN

Lenalidomide capsules, a generic version of the popular multiple myeloma drug Revlimid, have been introduced to the US market, according to pharma giant Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, which on Wednesday informed the stock markets. According to Dr. Reddy’s, with this volume-restricted launch, two (2.5 mg and 20 mg) out of the six strengths it has introduced for the medicine in the US market are qualified for first to market, 180 days of generic drug exclusivity. The company launched the cancer medication in the US in the following strengths: 2.5 mg, 5 mg, and 10 mg, each in a bottle count size of 28 capsules; 15 mg, 20 mg, and 25 mg, each in a bottle count size of 21. In September 2020, Dr. Reddy’s and Celgene, a fully owned subsidiary of BMS, reached a patent settlement for Revlimid, a drug with annual sales of around $12.80 billion USD. In settlement of all unresolved claims in its litigation, “Celgene agreed to provide Dr Reddy’s a licence to sell volume limited amounts of generic lenalidomide capsules in the US,” Dr Reddy’s stated.