Dismissing a pre-grant opposition filed by Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), the Indian Patent Office has granted a patent application filed by Hyderabad-based biotechnology firm Bharat Biotech International Ltd for its single dose conjugate vaccine Typbar-TCV, for typhoid fever among children and adults. Typbar TCV is the only approved vaccine for children and infants less than two years of age as well as adult, and the first typhoid conjugate vaccine in the world which has been pre-qualified by World Health Organisation (WHO), claims the company.

TMT Law Practice has underscored the need for making the Unified Code for Pharma Marketing Practices (UCPMP) mandatory and penalizing the violators. The Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA), 1988 should be amended to include commercial bribery between two private entities. Benefits provided to health care providers (HCPS) like cash, gifts, travel, speaker fees and sponsorships should be prohibited with criminal liability. Following the move by the Union government to appoint a high-level Committee to examine the marketing practices of pharmaceutical companies, Sanjay Kumar, partner TMT Law Practice said that even the National Medical Commission (NMC), the erstwhile Medical Council of India (MCI) rules should have penal consequences for accepting any cash or kind by doctors whether in public or private service.

The Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) has received a patent approval from the Indian Patent Office for its application for improved process for production of monoclonal antibody for rabies vaccine with improved potency in a review petition, after it was rejected through an order on July 27, 2021.The company filed a patent application on September 26, 2015, for improved feeding strategies and purification processes for monoclonal antibody production, for an invention which provides a method for manufacturing a rabies monoclonal antibody (HuMab 17C7).

The 9th World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) & Arogya Expo, billed as the biggest event in traditional wellness system, will be held in Panaji, the capital city of Goa from December 8-11, seeking to give a transformational push to Ayurveda to bring it into global focus.Another objective of the event, being held in Goa for the first time, is to create an accessible and affordable healthcare system that is in harmony with modern medicine practices.‘Ayurveda for One Health’ is the focal theme of the event this year at Kala Academy, being organised by World Ayurveda Foundation, an initiative of Vijnana Bharati.

India has an edge in chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy in terms of cost and positive patient outcome compared to US and Europe where the fee is exorbitant. Currently, CAR-T is free of cost in India because of a major ongoing phase III clinical trial, said Dr. Sharat Damodar, chairman, oncology services & oncology collegium, clinical director, MSMC, sr. consultant & head of adult haematology & bone marrow transplant unit, Narayana Health City. In fact, CAR-T cell therapy began a decade ago in the US and has proven to be advantageous for patients who relapse following leukaemia or lymphoma treatment.