| |SEPTEMBER 20269IONIS WINS FDA APPROVAL FOR FIRST ALEXANDER DISEASE TREATMENTNOVARTIS MS PILL: HOW DOES RHAPSIDO AVOID LIVER TOXICITY?GSK PUSHES MRNA FLU VACCINE INTO CRUCIAL LATE-STAGE TRIAL16.9 MILLION BY 2036: WHY INDIA NEEDS A DEMENTIA CARE ECOSYSTEM NOWAS SWINE FLU CASES CLIMB, UP MAKES GOVT HOSPITAL TESTING FREEMEDICINE OVERPRICING IN INDIA: WHY COMPANIES REJECT NPPA'S PROPOSALIonis wins FDA approval for the first Alexander disease treatment, delivering a landmark option for a rare genetic brain disorder that until now had none. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared Ionis Pharmaceuticals' injectable therapy zilganersen, branded Zanvastro, for adults and pediatric patients.The condition damages the brain's white matter and often begins in early childhood, causing problems with movement, speech and swallowing. It affects fewer than 1,000 people in the United States. Emily Freilich, director of the FDA's neurology division that reviews treatments for rare genetic and neuromuscular diseases, calls the approval a landmark moment for the community. POThe Novartis MS Pill, Rhapsido (remibrutinib), has cleared a major Phase 3 hurdle in relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS). But the headline comes with an important clinical caveat. The Novartis MS pill significantly reduced annualized relapse rates (ARR) and MRI brain lesions compared with Sanofi's Aubagio (teriflunomide). Yet the early disability-progression data were more nuanced. The results came from the REMODEL-1 and REMODEL-2 Phase 3 trials, which enrolled about 2,000 people with RMS. Novartis said the trials met their primary endpoint and showed superiority on key secondary measures, including MRI lesion reduction. POGSK is pushing its flu vaccine candidate into a crucial late-stage trial. The company plans to start a Phase III trial in September 2026. The move follows positive Phase II results for its mRNA flu vaccine candidate. The vaccine produced stronger immune responses than standard-dose vaccines in younger adults. It also performed better than high-dose vaccines in older adults.The candidate is designed to target two major surface proteins of influenza viruses. These are haemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Most existing flu vaccines mainly target HA. GSK's approach also targets NA. The company believes this could improve protection and reduce the severity and spread of flu. POIndia faces a sharp rise in dementia that could leave 16.9 million seniors living with the condition by 2036. Tata Trusts warns that the country must move beyond early detection and build a stronger, more collaborative dementia care ecosystem now.As the population ages, the gap between need and available services will widen unless healthcare providers, families, communities and policymakers act together. A 2023 AIIMS-USC study shows the numbers could nearly double earlier than expected. This analysis examines the scale of the challenge, the limits of current infrastructure and the steps required to create a connected system of care. POSwine flu cases climb across Uttar Pradesh as the state moves to make government hospital testing free. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directs free Influenza-A (H1N1) testing at every government health facility and orders stronger surveillance in districts that report higher numbers. The step aims to remove cost barriers, speed up identification and keep treatment focused on those who need it most. Officials also tighten rules for private facilities and prepare hospitals with medicines, isolation space and clear referral pathways. This analysis examines the scale of the current situation, the measures the government has ordered and the guidance issued for patients and families. POMedicine overpricing in India has triggered a sharp clash between drug makers and the pricing regulator. Companies reject the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority's proposal that would place sole legal responsibility for overpricing on manufacturers while shielding retail chemists, hospitals and nursing homes.Industry groups argue that the move upends the existing balance under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order and creates an unreasonable burden on compliant producers. Retailers, by contrast, welcome the protection. This analysis examines the proposal, the legal arguments manufacturers raise, and the wider cost pressures that shape the dispute. PO
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