Drug research for children lags behind that for adults; WHO steps in to change it

Bacterial infections, such as pneumonia, neonatal sepsis, and gastrointestinal infections, are the leading causes of death among children worldwide

Only 5 per cent of people infected with hepatitis B virus receive treatment

While 94 million people out of 292 million hepatitis B patients in 2016 were eligible for antiviral treatment, just 4.8 million got it, says a study

US sound and fury over drug prices

The US Senate is outraged by the rapacious pricing policy of drug firms but will it act to reform the system?

India, the antibiotic capital of the world

Antibiotics are often used to treat diarrhoea and upper respiratory tract infections, which can be reduced by improving sanitation and personal …

RCEP deal to make investors stronger, people weaker, says trade group

The deal will affect access to medicines and seeds by raising the standards of intellectual property rights, claims Forum of Trade Justice

Millions to die from superbug infections: report

2.4 million people could die from superbugs by 2050 if urgent action is not taken to stop antimicrobial resistance, says a report by the …

Centre yet to decide trade margin of expensive drugs despite providing assurance in 2016

Parliamentary panel expresses displeasure over Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers not fulfilling promise to cap trade profits of …

WHO sounds alarm on India-made cough syrups linked to children’s death in The Gambia 

Consuming the products leads to ‘active kidney injuries’ in children, said WHO director-general

Patients pay for high margins of pharma firms

Patients in India end up paying more for medicines and all kinds of treatment as prevailing conditions do not allow the market to function …

Child cancer drugs neither available nor accessible to the poor in Delhi

A study reveals that a lowest-paid government employee will have to spend 55 days’ wages to get a child treated for Hodgkin's lymphoma and …

Online drug sale ban: Is there a need to regulate e-pharmacies?

Following an interim ban on online sale of medicines, many questions have been raised on the need for checks and balances

Can activism check Big Pharma’s profit motives?

As prices of life-saving drugs skyrocket, people from diverse fields are getting together to fight Big Pharma

Why Modi's razzmatazz diplomacy isn't serving African interests

Missing from Modi’s foreign trips is a focus on issues most pressing for Africa’s people

After India, China rejects patent claim for hepatitis C drug Sovaldi

Activists claim that the drug was developed using previously published information and an existing compound

After cough-syrup, now eye drops: India-made solution causes 1 death, several infections in US

This could be particularly damning for India’s drug regulatory system since it is coming on the heels of cough-syrup-associated deaths in …

Indian pharma firms receive 34% of FDA warnings this year

These warnings were for misbranding, selling unapproved medicines and violating Current Good Management Practices

‘Immediate action’ needed on sub-standard drugs causing deaths: WHO

At least 300 deaths reported so far in The Gambia, Uzbekistan and Indonesia, most children

Beware of Japan's trade ambitions

Japan is pushing for higher levels of intellectual property protection that will cut access to affordable medicines

Boost to pharma production: Africa inches closer to setting up own drug regulator as member states ratify treaty

Agency will ensure drug manufacturers get approval from all African Union member states without a lengthy bureaucratic process

Lessons learnt tackling COVID-19 can be used in global AMR response: Report

Increased investment, availability and accessibility of health infrastructure and global cooperation key to tackling AMR, it says 

Effective oral drug for Hepatitis C approved by European agencies

Various patent barriers hinder its availability and affordability, especially in countries with high burden of disease

Vaccine hope

While Africa gets its first vaccine to fight malaria, India is still in the early stages of clinical trials

Medicines Pool Swirls

Drug companies are slowly joining the UN effort to offer life-saving patented medicines to poor countries but the terms are sometimes restrictive

Profits and not improving accessibility matter to Indian drug makers

FICCI conference organised to discuss access to generic medicines focuses more on increasing exports

Accident at Sainor unit in Vizag more proof of companies bypassing rules

Life-saving equipments were absent on-site though the company had approvals to show they were present