Apollo Hospitals launches new initiative in critical care Last Updated: Thursday, August 28, 2014

Hyderabad: Apollo Hospitals Wednesday launched 'eACCESS', a new initiative in the delivery of critical care services.

It can help a critical care team housed at a command centre to complement the physical activities that happen within an ICU and ensure that patients are monitored continuously on a 24x7 basis, the hospital management said.

This initiative in collaboration with Philips leverages the capabilities of various technologies including two-way audiovisual communication, equipment data interface and novel representation of clinical data in various formats.

Through the eACCESS, one intensivist will be able to monitor 40-50 patients and help the care team onsite to take relevant actions in real-time to prevent complications.

The technology was launched by Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on the occasion of the 26th anniversary of Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad

He asked the hospital to scale up its services by building more facilities in view of the increasing population of Hyderabad.

Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister T. Rajaiah requested Apollo to conduct health awareness programmes for people in villages.

Apollo Hospitals chairman Prathap Reddy said the group has always been in the lead to bring within the reach of people the latest technology available anywhere in the world.

He said they would shortly bring the latest robotic spine surgery from Israel.

Apollo joint managing director Sangita Reddy said through technologies like eACCESS, the hospital can multiply its reach many times.

http://zeenews.india.com/news/health/health-news/apollo-hospitals-launches-new-initiative-in-critical-care_1461380.html

24x7 chest pain helpline launched - The Hindu

24x7 chest pain helpline launched - The Hindu

Radiation treatment of eye cancers using iodine-125 - The Hindu

Radiation treatment of eye cancers using iodine-125 - The Hindu

MMC to soon release new physician friendly model prescription format for Maharashtra Shardul Nautiyal, Mumbai Wednesday, August 27, 2014,

A new revised model prescription format will soon be released by Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) in a couple of months time. Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made the first attempt to to launch a model prescription format February this year to have a uniform prescription practice in the state. MMC has consulted the Medical Council of India (MCI) on the nuances of the new format which would be less tedious and time consuming for the physician. A decision to release the format and the plan for its effective implementation is scheduled to be discussed in the Council's meeting next month. Informs Dr Shivkumar Utture, executive committee member, MMC, "The format would be released across Maharashtra and the physicians would not find any difficulty in adopting it." Talking about the salient features of the format, he elaborates that the physician has to see around 120 patients on a daily basis. Writing a prescription which may take 10 minutes is not feasible. "The prescription likely to be circulated would carry details like the name, qualification and registration of the doctor. It would also be mandatory to mention dosage of the medicine based on the age and weight of the person, which is an important prerequisite in any physician's prescription," he concluded. The new model prescription format would be an answer to the practical difficulties faced by physicians in implementing FDA's model prescription format like writing the names of the medicines in capital letters, patient's address, specifying doctor's qualification and registration number in addition to giving generic drug names. Dr Utture further elaborates,"Details like writing patient's address and name in a floating population like Dharavi in Mumbai is really not feasible. Maharashtra FDA has done an excellent job in coming out with the format as it will stall quackery but it needs to be made simpler and physician friendly." As per the FDA format, it is statutory requirement to mention name of the prescriber on cash or credit memo of the drugs under Rule 65(3) and authenticate prescription. Therefore, the prescription shall bear doctor’s full name as mentioned in her or his registration certificate. To know competency and genuineness of prescriber, the prescription shall bear doctor’s primary qualification such as MBBS or BAMS followed by subsequent qualifications. Prescription shall bear the registration number of doctor’s registration with their respective council. The registration number should be prefixed with letters indicating the council in which doctor has registered her or his name. "MMC model prescription format aims at having simpler and more practical prescriptions for the patient, pharmacist and doctor in the near future. It is tough for doctors who have to write prescriptions every five minutes to follow the FDA model," an MMC official said. The FDA format also states that it is statutory requirement to mention the address of the prescriber on the cash or credit memo of the drugs under Rule 65 (3) and the patient and pharmacist should know where the prescriber is practicing and, therefore, prescription shall bear complete address of clinic or hospital where the prescriber is practicing. The prescription shall have telephone number and e-mail address of prescriber. As per the Rule 65 (10) prescription shall be dated and prescription shall specify the name and address of the person for whose treatment it is given or name and address of the owner of the animal if the drug is meant for veterinary use. The Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulation, 2002 under Indian Medical Council Act 1956 under Code of Medical Ethics at 1.5 prescribes as “Every physician should as far as possible prescribe drugs with generic names and he or she shall ensure that there is a rational prescription and rational use of drugs”. Therefore, prescription shall bear the name of medicine as generic name. The name of medicine should be in capital letters in legible manner. If the prescriber is not sure about generic name he shall add following instructions on the prescription above her or his signature. “Or any other cheaper generic medicine as per choice of patient.” Prescription shall invariably bear strength of the medicine. Eg. paracetamol tablets 500 mg., amoxycillin capsules 250 mg and shall also bear a proper dosage form of medicine prescribed. eg. tablets, capsules, syrups, creams etc.

Telegana govt cancels affiliations of 85 pharmacy colleges for violating AICTE norms A Raju, Hyderabad Wednesday, August 27, 2014,

The state government of Telangana has cancelled the affiliations of 85 pharmacy colleges for violating AICTE norms. In a recently conducted inspection by Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU), it is found that out of 146 pharmacy colleges in the state only 61 colleges were fit for renewal of affiliation while 85 others were found grossly violating the norms of All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE). In the inspections, the team of officials from JNTU found that almost all the 85 pharmacy colleges were not having adequate qualified faculty, no proper lab facilities, no toilets, no staff rooms, no proper books in the library, no conference halls etc. Only 61 colleges were found adhering to all the stipulated norms and they were renewed affiliation for the current academic year and allowed to participate in the first phase web counselling, while the remaining were barred. With this decision of the state government, all the 85 pharmacy colleges in the state are left out of in the first phase of ‘Eamcet’ counselling for fresh intake of admission for the academic year 2014-15. Having learned this, the consortium of professional colleges association approached the high court for interim relief and seeking stay on the government’s orders. The petitioner colleges termed the action of the JNTU as arbitrary. They argued that disaffiliating the pharmacy colleges on the ground of lack of basic amenities in accordance with the norms of the varsity as well as the state government was unjust as they were not given enough time to install the same. The counsels representing these colleges urged the court to direct the authorities to include them in the web counselling as they would be put to irreparable losses otherwise. The action of the varsity in disaffiliating the colleges without giving an opportunity to them was illegal. However justice A Rajasheker Reddy who heard the petitioners denied to grant the stay and posted the final hearing on Monday. When contacted N. Gautam Rao, Chairman of Telangana Professional Colleges Association,  said, “Today the High Court had given a favourable verdict in favour of colleges and has allowed us to participate in the second phase counselling, provided we fulfil the requirements as stipulated by the AICTE norms. We have agreed for this and would take all the necessary steps to fullfill the norms at the earliest by second phase counselling.” If the colleges do not fullfill the norms by the beginning of second phase counselling, they will have zero admissions and 9000 pharmacy seats will go waste for the present academic year. One has to wait and see as to what decision will the state government will take as the high court order clearly mentions that only those colleges full filling the norms will be included in the counselling by next phase. In view of this situation all the 85 pharmacy colleges will either have to full fill the norms or exit from admission process, opined a source from JNTU. http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=83756&sid=1

Kerala govt takes steps to set up separate dept for Ayush, appoints additional secretary Peethaambaran Kunnathoor, Chennai Wednesday, August 27, 2014,

In a move to focus on promotion and development of Indian traditional medicines, especially Ayurveda, the health ministry of Kerala has decided to set up a separate department for Ayush systems. The director of state NRHM wing, Dr K Beena has been made additional secretary to commence the preliminary work for the formation of the department. The government’s decision has come in the wake of incessant efforts exerted by the Ayurveda Medical Association of India (AMAI) for the purpose for years. AMAI has welcomed the decision of the government and cancelled the agitation they planned from next week. According to government sources, though all the groundwork for creation of the department is on, the blueprint doesn’t include an independent drugs control administration for Ayurveda which is still under the control of the allopathy DCA. With the department commencing operation, various health developmental schemes being introduced by central Ayush department can be implemented in Kerala and the state will be able to get more funds from centre, observed Dr Rejith Anand, general secretary of the Ayurveda Medical Association. He said once the department is in force, Kerala will become the 13th state in the country with separate department for Ayush. According to him, the creation of a new department for Ayush within the health ministry reflects a genuine determination on the part of the government to develop Ayurveda system. He said the creation of the department will redress the problems faced by the Ayurveda sector presently. Though Kerala is the hub of Ayurveda, the promotional schemes for the system are very weak and no development is taken place in the field at present. The stakeholders now hope that on formation of the department, it will push up the research activities, drug production, Ayurveda tourism and encourage cultivation of medicinal plants.

http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=83755&sid=1

Polycom sees great potential for videoconferencing in healthcare in India Nandita Vijay, Bengaluru Wednesday, August 27, 2014,

The US based company, Polycom, views impediment to healthcare delivery in India is driven primarily by the skewed distribution of doctors in rural-urban areas. The country needs adequate bandwidth to provide high level interactions. The company sees the need to work with government of India to develop a telehealth friendly environment where doctors will also be incentivized to use different delivery models that benefit patients and the overall healthcare system. The company which is a global leader in video and voice tele-presence solutions leads the industry with the ability to get full HD 720P 30 fps with as little as 512 kbps. It would be keen to work with medical associations to establish by-laws for validating the use of this technology to provide services to populations across India that never had them before. “We also see an imprecise distribution of healthcare professionals where 33 per cent of government doctors in India are in rural areas catering to 70 per cent of the population residing in semi urban regions. Therefore videoconferencing and further more telemedicine are a critical components to bridge the gap, Ron Emerson RN BSN, Global Director, Solutions Market Development, Healthcare, Polycom told Pharmabiz. Videoconferencing enables efficient access to not just for telemedicine, but for medical education and administrative purposes, he added. The US based company sets its eyes on the emerging markets beginning with Middle East North Africa(MENA) region where currently videoconferencing is very mature where it is a tool of choice to efficient healthcare delivery, he said. Also, in the US, interactive telemedicine is also growing at a significant rate. Quoting a report of the ‘Top 10 healthcare trends, Emerson said that telehealth market which registered earnings to the tune of $240 million in 2013 is expected to touch to $1.9 billion by 2018, representing an annual growth rate of 56 per cent. For Polycom, India is on its radar to drive much of its growth. An ageing population and mal-distribution of healthcare providers could make hospitals look at telemedicine as an ideal delivery model. “With regard to telehealth, the country has an opportunity to control the challenges of geography by using videoconferencing. There are countries that are far advanced in the delivery of telemedicine and those who have not scratched the surface yet,” said Emerson. Therefore India is crucial in the company’s business development plan. The country has the key demographics and geography to maximize videoconferencing benefits. A visible trend is the integration of videoconferencing in the workflow of other applications. For instance,  video as part of the patient electronic health record or picture archiving and communication system (PACS) movement to the desktop and mobility; cloud based video solutions, he said. http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=83754&sid=1

DCGI renames new drug advisory committees as subject expert committees Ramesh Shankar, Mumbai Tuesday, August 26, 2014,

As per the recommendations of the Prof Ranjit Roy Choudhury committee, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has renamed new drug advisory committees (NDACs) as subject expert committees (SECs).   Prof Ranjit Roy Choudhury committee was constituted by the Union health ministry last year to formulate policy, guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for approval of new drugs including biologicals, clinical trials, banning of drugs and to formulate guidelines and SOPs on the functioning of new drug advisory committees (NDACs).  The committee submitted its recommendations to the ministry late last year. As per the action on the committee recommendations, all the 12 NDACs will be renamed as subject expert committees (SECs). The members for their meetings will be drawn randomly from a large pool of experts.  Applications of clinical trials and new drugs will initially be evaluated by the SECs and their recommendations will be reviewed by Technical Review Committee (TRC). The TRC is proposed to be constituted under DGHS consisting of experts from each areas like clinical pharmacology, regulatory clinical toxicology/pathology, medicinal/pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacy and immunology including clinicians, basic scientists, involved in drug development and subjects specialists (drug indication-wise). CDSCO will grant approval of clinical trials and new drugs based on the recommendations of TRC. “Henceforth, in all correspondence related to evaluation of application of clinical trials, new drugs, etc, the term subject expert committees (SEC) should be used in place of NDAC”, the DCGI in his directive said. Earlier, in its report the Prof Ranjit Roy Choudhury committee noted that, interaction with the pharmaceutical industry and NGOs highlighted that there are a plethora of NDACs-- 12 in all, advising the DCGI on new chemical entities (NCEs)/new biological entities (NBEs), new generic drugs and similar biologic approvals. Each committee consists of 10 to 15 subject-specialty experts having little experience of regulatory data review; some committees have even not met for over a year. Further, a committee sometimes does not take a decision if just one or two members do not attend the meeting.  On the other hand, sometimes decisions are taken when only two members are present. There is therefore a significant slowdown in consideration of applications and grant of approval for different phases of clinical trials or marketing and manufacture of new generic drugs, similar biologics or NCEs/NBEs. This concern of the entire pharmaceutical industry appears genuine. Delay in approvals was also highlighted by the Parliamentary Committee and hence needs immediate redressal. This committee feels that it is essential to clear pharmaceuticals applications speedily to maintain vibrancy and the global impact of this Rs.1200 billion industry. It is therefore proposed to constitute one broad expertise-based Technical Review Committee instead of the existing 12 NDACs to ensure speedy clearance of applications without compromising on quality of data and rules and regulations.  http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=83742&sid=1

REVISED NORMS FOR ISSUE OF PATENTS P A Francis Wednesday, August 27, 2014,

The Section 3(d) of the amended Indian Patent Act of 2005 is a key safeguard against ever greening of a drug patent by the inventor companies by making some incremental changes to the original molecule. This section is specifically included in the Patent Act considering the practice of making minor modifications to the patented molecule by the MNCs to perpetuate the exclusive marketing rights of products after the expiry of patent. By obtaining patent rights the pharma companies can have a monopoly for that product and sell at very high prices. In spite of having this section, the Patent Offices in the country continue to receive hundreds of patent applications for products with no new therapeutic properties. As the global pharmaceutical industry is turning less and less innovative and is struggling to get new molecules, multinational corporations tend to re-jigger the same old drugs with the hope of getting new product patents. Novartis’ attempt to obtain patent for its cancer drug, Glivec, in India is well known. The company wanted a patent for Glivec, which is regarded just an incremental innovation of a known molecule. The patent office rejected the company’s application for the product in January 2006 but it moved the Madras High Court, IPAB and later the Supreme Court. Finally, the Supreme Court last year upheld the decision of Indian patent office of not granting the patent. In 2009, the Patent Office rejected patent application of Pfizer for its drug, Caduet, a therapeutic combination of amlodipine and atorvastatin. The decision against Caduet, a combination of Pfizer's Norvasc (amlodipine besylate) and Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium), is in favour of a pre-grant opposition filed by Torrent. The decision of Patent Controller of India to release a set of revised draft guidelines last week for examination of patent applications for pharmaceuticals in this context is a step in the right direction. These guidelines could help the examiners and the controllers of the patent offices in achieving uniform standards of patent examination and grant of patents. On Section 3(d) of the Patent Act, the revised guidelines make clear that the mere discovery of a new form of a known substance which does not result in the enhancement of the known efficacy of that substance or the mere discovery of any new property or new use for a known substance are not patentable. On Section 3(c), it explains that the mere discovery of a scientific principle or formulation of an abstract theory or discovery of any living thing or non-living substance occurring in nature is also not patentable inventions within the meaning of the Act. It is quite possible that international pharmaceutical companies may continue to try to get patents for worthless products in future as well and that calls for extreme vigilance on the part of patent offices in the country so as to not to issue any frivolous patents by default. Periodic review of the Patent Act and incorporation of necessary provisions are therefore necessary to ensure protection to the people from high drug prices and for maintaining steady growth of the pharmaceutical industry of the country.

http://www.pharmabiz.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?aid=83764&sid=3

Insulin intake increases diabetics’ risk of obesity — By FPJ Bureau, August 27, 2014

Washington : A new research has revealed that high insulin levels contribute to obesity and its complications and this finding may have important implications when treating diabetes, says ANI.

Researchers from University of Texas, who made the discovery by studying mice engineered to lack receptors for a hormone called glucagon, which spurs the liver’s production of glucose into the bloodstream and thus maintains the fuel supply for the brain.

The study displayed that insulin blocked the secretion of glucagon, opposed glucagon action on the liver, and instructed the body to take up glucose from the blood, hence, Type 2 diabetics could not respond properly to insulin and had uncontrolled glucagon production, thereby causing their livers to overproduce glucose, contributing to high blood-sugar levels.

Corresponding author Dr. Michael Roth said that they found that mice lacking the receptor for glucagon could not get fat unless they were given the high levels of insulin found in mice (and humans) that had type 2 diabetes, which suggested that the high levels of insulin found in those who develop insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes fostered processes that led to obesity.

The work is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

http://freepressjournal.in/insulin-intake-increases-diabetics-risk-of-obesity/

Why children crave sugar - The Hindu

Why children crave sugar - The Hindu

Indian-origin scientist finds way to develop better drugs Last Updated: Tuesday, August 26, 2014

New York:  An Indian-origin researcher at Michigan Technological University has deciphered how Glycoconjugates - biomolecules that hold sugars in the body like scaffolds for reacting with other molecules - can lead to new and better drugs.

Glycoconjugates are found naturally in the body, but they are also an important class of drugs that include anything from cancer treatments to vaccines.

"We had always thought that all the biological function resides in the sugar. People did not appreciate that the scaffolds were active," said Tarun Dam, a principal investigator of the mechanistic glycobiology lab at Michigan Tech.

To determine if the scaffold had a role to play in biological reactions, Dam and his team built and tested two types of glycoconjugate molecules.

They had the same sugars and virtually identical shapes but were comprised of different scaffolds - one made of protein and the other a synthetic.

The scientists then tested how the different glycoconjugates reacted with biomolecules called lectins.

Lectins play an important role in numerous biological processes and are a target for many glycoconjugate drugs.

If the scaffolds had been inert, the reactions would have been identical.

However, the sugars on the protein scaffold reacted with the lectins differently.

"If the scaffolds are different, they can cause my drug to work one way and your drug to work another way, even though they have similar epitopes [sugars]. Tweaking the scaffold can change the drug's function," Dam explained.

The discovery opens up new avenues for research, in particular the development of more and better pharmaceuticals, said the study published in the journal Biochemistry.

http://zeenews.india.com/news/health/health-news/indian-origin-scientist-finds-way-to-develop-better-drugs_1460753.html

20 new cancer treatment centres across India: Harsh Vardhan By IANS |Posted 26-Aug-2014

Indore: The government will set up 20 new advanced cancer treatment facilities across India over the next few years to meet the rising burden of the disease, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said here Tuesday. He said that for Madhya Pradesh, the central government has planned a new State Cancer Institute (SCI), along with two Tertiary Care Cancer Centres (TCCC). - See more at: http://www.mid-day.com/articles/20-new-cancer-treatment-centres-across-india-harsh-vardhan/15558188#sthash.R9vZlqNd.dpuf

"Annually 11 lakh new cases of cancer are detected in India. Of them, about 6.06 percent are in Madhya Pradesh," Harsh Vardhan told the media here. The minister was speaking at the inauguration of an indigenously developed Linear Accelerator at the Indian Institute of Head and Neck Oncology, a project of the Indore Cancer Foundation Charitable Trust. He said the three facilities planned for Madhya Pradesh will be set up at the Vidisha district hospital, GR Medical College in Gwalior, and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College in Jabalpur. The first two will be TCCCs while the one at Jabalpur will be an SCI. "Each 50-bedded TCCC will be part of an existing government hospital with well-equipped and functional departments of medicine, surgery, gynaecology, ENT, pathology and radiology. "The union health ministry will provide one-time support of up to Rs.45 crore to each TCCC, including up to 30 percent for construction and renovation," he added. Harsh Vardhan said the government will also set up 20 SCIs across the country. "The total cost of each will be Rs.120 crore, of which the central government will contribute 75 percent. In all, 50 such institutes are planned in the country over the long term," he said. "Each SCI will be the apex institution in the state for cancer-related activities. It will provide outreach services, diagnosis and referral treatment, develop treatment protocols and increase the human resource availability," he said. - See more at: http://www.mid-day.com/articles/20-new-cancer-treatment-centres-across-india-harsh-vardhan/15558188#sthash.R9vZlqNd.dpuf

http://www.mid-day.com/articles/20-new-cancer-treatment-centres-across-india-harsh-vardhan/15558188

Ebola vaccine using Immunovaccine’s DepoVax proves highly efficacious in non-human primate study Tuesday, August 26, 2014,

Immunovaccine Inc., a clinical stage vaccine company, announced positive results for a vaccine formulated in its DepoVax technology in an Ebola virus challenge study performed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In a preliminary study using cynomolgus monkeys, which are particularly sensitive to the Ebola virus, all vaccinated subjects survived exposure to a lethal dose of the wild type Zaire strain of the virus.  All unvaccinated control animals succumbed to the disease. In this study four cynomolgus macaque subjects received two doses of the DepoVax-formulated vaccine, one at study initiation and a second on Day 56. They were then challenged on day 70 with a lethal dose of the wild type Zaire strain of the Ebola virus. The Zaire strain is believed to be the most lethal among Ebola viruses and is responsible for the current Ebola virus outbreak.  More than two weeks following exposure to the virus, all vaccinated subjects were alive with no disease symptoms.  The two control animals in this study succumbed to the infection within seven days. This study, conducted under NIAID’s preclinical services programme (HHSN272201200003I/ HHSN27200008, HHSN272201000006I/ HHSN27200007), was designed to identify favorable vaccine candidates for further study. Based on this high efficacy observed in cynomolgus macaques, Immunovaccine is exploring a potential development programme for an Ebola virus vaccine with various organizations. “While the DepoVax technology is actively being developed for various infectious disease applications, this is the first time we have tested the platform as an enabling technology for an Ebola vaccine,” stated Marc Mansour, chief executive officer of Immunovaccine.  “These preliminary results are encouraging and support the continued evaluation of an Ebola vaccine in DepoVax, potentially leading to a clinical study.” The decision to test DepoVax for Ebola virus was prompted by the positive results produced previously with an anthrax vaccine under the same preclinical services programme offered by NIAID. The ongoing anthrax studies with NIAID are intended to evaluate the potential of DepoVax to enable rapid protection against anthrax with a single dose. Independently, Immunovaccine is also preparing for a clinical trial with a DepoVax-based vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) planned for 2014. DepoVax is a patented formulation that provides controlled and prolonged exposure of antigens plus adjuvant to the immune system, resulting in a strong, specific and sustained immune response with the potential for single-dose effectiveness.  The DepoVax platform is flexible and can be used with a broad range of target antigens for preventative or therapeutic applications.  The technology is designed to be commercially scalable, with the potential for years of shelf life stability. Immunovaccine Inc. develops cancer immunotherapies and infectious disease vaccines based on the company’s DepoVax platform, a patented formulation that provides controlled and prolonged exposure of antigens and adjuvant to the immune system.  http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=83751&sid=2

CIDSS planning measures to check hospital acquired infection with no drugs in pipeline Nandita Vijay, Bengaluru Monday, August 25, 2014,

Clinical Infectious Disease Study Society (CIDSS) is planning to put in place a process to identify number of infections spreading from patients in hospitals to the community.  The move is to ensure that there is an effective system in place to keep tabs on infection spread. This would also help the CIDSS to formulate measures which are cost effective and be scaled up quickly when infection threats occur. Concerned about methods to put up with the India’s increasing threat of anti microbial resistance going by the poor hygiene practices maintained at hospitals in the country, the Society sees serious implications ensuing from anti microbial resistance with no drugs in the pipeline. While in the operation theatres, there is a reasonably seamless process of ensuring cleanliness, the wards are not up to the mark despite terminal cleaning process which takes place in a few medical centres. India continues to report high incidence of infectious diseases and multi drug resistance, which medical specialists need to face up to, noted CIDSS. Highlighting the challenges for medical experts to tackle such fatal conditions in the absence of drugs, the three day annual conference of the Clinical Infectious Disease Study Society held from August 22 to 24 in Bengaluru had medical experts mandate adoption of a stringent a hygiene practice protocol. There is need for a sound ‘infection spread’ precaution. According to Dr George K Varghese, organizing chairman, Fourth Annual conference of the Clinical Infectious Disease Study Society, medical specialists need to reason and discuss extensively before prescribing anti virals, anti fungals to prevent the threat of a multi drug resistance. Dr. Varghese in his presentation on infection control in India called upon the need for 'antibiotic stewardship'. He pointed out that such issues were easy to discuss but difficult to put into practice. “India has one of the highest number of gram negative resistance cases globally. There are no major drugs in the pipeline and healthcare personnel panic when SARS and H1N1 cases throng their hospitals. The Indian healthcare providers are equally concerned on the infectious which spread from hospital environment to communities at large which are increasing incidence of multi drug resistance, extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis. Particularly, TB is a constant threat and the disadvantage of this condition is that it manifest unlike H1N1 and this is cause for concern in hospitals,” said Dr. Verghese. There are several challenges in India like for instance poor sanitation which leads to increase in water borne diseases like typhoid and hepatitis A. Such infectious spread because of environment contamination, drug use in animal husbandry particularly poultry and farming bee-keeping for honey further augment chances of MDR, pointed out Dr. Verghese. Therefore CIDSS dreads anti microbial resistance with no drugs in the pipeline and are keen device to cost-effective measures to keep tab on infection spread.  http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=83715&sid=1

GPMA, IPA join hands to sensitise industry on MHRA's data integrity requirements Our Bureau, Mumbai Monday, August 25, 2014,

With a view to sensitise the industry about the intricacies of data integrity and to enable them to handle the process more efficiently, the Goa Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association (GPMA) in association with Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA) Goa State branch is organising a one-day event on data integrity on September 8, 2014, in Goa. Rachel Carmichael, good manufacturing/distribution practice (GMDP) inspector from the UK's MHRA will be giving expert views on the same to help the industry in its transition. As per the MHRA, from the start of 2014 all the pharmaceutical manufacturers, importers and contract laboratories, as part of their self-inspection programme, must review the effectiveness of their governance systems to ensure data integrity and traceability, in accordance with Chapter 9 of EU GMP. It is also expected that in addition to having their own governance systems, companies outsourcing activities should verify the adequacy of comparable systems at the contract acceptor. Through this one-day event, the IPA and the GPMA hope to sensitise the pharma companies about the same and highlight them about companies’ ability to demonstrate the integrity and security of laboratory data, records, results and information are prerequisites for any successful inspection of any GMP regulated quality control laboratory. The event will focus on elucidating the industry members as well as the regulators from India as well as Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on the issues that the industry is facing due to lack of clarity while dealing with data integrity. While simultaneously, experts from the drug regulatory department will help the industry in understanding and getting a clear resolution on this topic. Salim Veljee, director of the Directorate of Food and Drug Administration Goa who is also the president of IPA, Goa State Branch will also be present at the event along with Suresh Kamath, president of GPMA and associate vice president of Unichem Laboratories and other industry stalwarts. http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=83714&sid=1

Maha FDA orders stop use of cefotaxime injection following death of a patient Shardul Nautiyal, Mumbai Monday, August 25, 2014,

Following the death of 47-year-old Saira Shaikh hours after suffering from adverse drug reaction (ADR) in civic run Kurla Bhabha Hospital, FDA officials have instructed stockists and hospitals to stop use of cefotaxime injection manufactured under the brand name, Sanocef, by Sanjivini Parenteral Drugs, Navi Mumbai. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials seized treatment records of the deceased who died within 24 hours of having taken the antibiotic jab of Schedule H1 drugs - cefotaxime and ceftriaxone. However, state FDA says death could not yet be directly linked to a drug reaction for which samples of cefotaxime, ceftriaxone and water for sterility have been drawn for investigation and analysis. Says a senior FDA official, "We are investigating the samples for carrying microbiology and sterility tests. Over 50, 000 samples have already been distributed to 14 hospitals in the city and no such drug reaction has been reported as yet. The incidents of an adverse drug reaction were reported only in the female ward of the civic run Bhabha Hospital and no adverse reaction has been observed in patients of gents ward. It will take around 14 days to arrive at a conclusion whether it is a clear case related adverse drug reaction." Based on the scientific literature available, pharma expert Dr Bijoy Panda explains that the drug injected should be checked for degradation, the allergic history for the penicillins and cephalosporins of the dead patient should be cross verified. Ceftriaxone is the common drug which is associated with adverse drug reactions. Many of the reactions subside after the discontinuation of the drug. "Fatal events have been reported where ceftriaxone is administered to the patient who had a previous history of allergic reactions to ceftriaxone, penicillin or both. Ceftriaxone induced hepatic or renal injury and death is very rare, but few have been reported till date," he adds. "The manufacturing units of drug cefotaxime in Navi Mumbai have been inspected and an email has been sent to the drug controller in Himachal Pradesh to investigate the case from their end," the FDA official explains.  The death of woman, which came a fortnight after 18 children in Bhiwandi in Maharashtra had a similar reaction to one of the drugs - cefotaxime. Most of the women admitted to the Kurla hospital were undergoing treatment for fever, typhoid, malaria and other seasonal ailments. The adverse effects started soon after they were injected with cefotaxime and ceftriaxone, antibiotics commonly used for bacterial infections. Meanwhile, a three member expert committee consisting of a microbiologist, a clinical pharmacologist and a physician has been constituted to investigate the cause of ADR. The other inquiry committee under Dr Vidya Thakur, who is in charge of BMC peripheral hospitals in eastern suburbs, will check whether drugs were administered correctly. Sanjivini Parenteral Limited, through an official statement, explained, "However, the use of the batch (of medicines) will be stopped as a precautionary measure until the investigation is complete. We here by assure you that the products manufactured are of standard quality." FDA officials have instructed stockists and hospitals to stop use of over thousand vials of ceftriaxone injection (batch number 314-331) manufactured under the brand name, Sefxim, by Zee Labs, Himachal Pradesh, and sterile water for injection (batch number 3WT-259) manufactured by Parenteral Drugs Limited, Baddi, Himachal Pradesh, until the investigation is completed. India lacks a mechanism to report and monitor adverse drug reactions (ADR) as is followed globally. Prevention of incorrect use of medicines and awareness amongst the patients and pharmacist community is the need of the hour. Around 30 lakh people in India are impacted by ADR and over four crore globally. Solution to the problem lies in avoiding self medication and strict implementation of the law by the regulatory agency as ADR is the fourth largest killer in the world.

http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=83716&sid=1

Argentina govt allows imports formulations from India, becomes 27th country to export Suja Nair Shirodkar, Mumbai Monday, August 25, 2014,

Argentinian government issued a notification permitting import of generic formulations from Indian pharmaceutical exporters. With this India becomes the 27th country to supply generic formulations to Argentina, a highly regulated market, further establishing India's expertise in this field and proving the capabilities of Indian manufacturers as a supplier of high quality raw materials at the global platform. For the last 15 years, Argentina imported generic formulations from only 26 countries, listed with them and this move comes as an outcome of the huge effort put by the commerce ministry who had been successful in projecting the qualities of the Indian formulators. Dr P V Appaji, director general of Pharmexcil, the commerce ministry have been ardently pushing for this matter on behalf of the industry with the Argentinian government, by sending delegates from the ministry and industry to pursue this matter at the earnest with their Argentinian counterparts. “This comes as a huge relief to the scores of domestics formulation manufacturers, who had been unable to export to Argentina due to their market policy that did not allow Indian manufacturer's to export to the country. This landmark decision opens up new business avenues for the Indian formulation  manufacturers, who till now have been unable to explore the market. We are very happy with the outcome and will keep on positively working for the industry to further explore business opportunity for them.,” said Dr Appaji, who has been closely associated with this cause. With this inclusion India becomes the part of the countries included in the annexure 2, which includes other 13 countries, allowed to export to Argentina. In other words any company with WHO GMP certificate i.e. the COPP from these 14 countries can export to Argentina. While the other set of 13 countries belong to the regulated market and are allowed to export to Argentine on the GMP certificate issued by their regulators like MHRA, US FDA etc. Interestingly, in spite of having no permission to import formulations from India, API are permitted to be imported from India.  http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=83717&sid=1

NPPA issues draft Internal Guidelines for dealing with cases of price revision under Para 19 of DPCO, 2013 Ramesh Shankar, Mumbai Monday, August 25, 2014,

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has issued draft Internal Guidelines for dealing with cases of price revision under Para 19 of DPCO, 2013. As per the draft guidelines, the price revision under para 19 shall be initiated only if the weighted average price of any API used in scheduled formulations based on the immediate last six months purchases goes up by more than 25 per cent as compared to previous six months.  The concerned company/companies having market share more than 50 per cent may submit relevant purchase data to NPPA duly supported with evidences for revision of ceiling price, clearly demonstrating the impact of increase in price of API on the ceiling prices of the scheduled formulation with specified dosage and strength. The NPPA shall examine the request/submission of the company and suitable recommendations will be given for price revision based on the formula,  Increase in CP=(R2-R1)xDCxCF where R1 will be weighted average price of API based on six month purchases made prior to last six months; R2 will be the weighted average price of API based on purchases made during last six months; DC will be per unit drug content as per label and the CF will be conversion factor for API, if any. The NPPA will give suitable recommendations for price revision provided that increase in CP should not be more than twice of the increase worked out for annual increase in WPI, as applicable; and where increase in ceiling price works out more than twice of the increase worked out for annual increase in WPI, the increase shall be  examined on case to case basis, as deemed appropriate. According to the draft guidelines, the ceiling price so fixed shall remain valid for a period of one year from the date of notification after which annual price increase not exceeding WPI increase will be permissible as per provision of DPCO, 2013. After revision of ceiling price, the concerned manufacturer, importer or marketer shall submit quarterly return along with documentary evidences in respect of purchases of API.  If the concerned company/companies fails to submit quarterly return or fails to satisfy NPPA for non-submission of quarterly return, NPPA may review the case for withdrawal of notification even within a period of one year, as per the NPPA's new draft guidelines for dealing with cases of price revision under Para 19 of DPCO, 2013. The NPPA has invited comments from the stakeholders and industry associations within a period of three weeks. http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=83718&sid=1

India to have diagnostic labs in all 160 medical colleges by year end to test infectious diseases: Dr VM Katoch Nandita Vijay, Bengaluru Tuesday, August 26, 2014,

Union government is working on a plan to strengthen diagnostic infrastructure with the setting up of laboratories in each of the 160 medical colleges in the country. While 120 labs are already functional, 40 more are approved and these are in the process of getting established and soon commissioned , said Dr VM Katoch, Secretary, Department of Health Research and director general Indian Council of Medical Research. The 160 labs will now ensure early detection of infectious diseases and enable pathologists to identify the virus/bacteria allowing physicians to administer the right drug, thus preventing multi drug resistance(MDR) in the patient population, he added. “India now needs to create its own research data on containing drug resistance. Healthcare providers will now need to network with the National Centre for Disease Control to research on the epidemiology of communicable diseases. There are ample government grants spanning from CSIR, Department of Biotechnology and ICMR among others which should help kick off interdisciplinary research projects to come up with evidence-based practices to contain gram negative infections. There are over 15 institutions engaged in research of fatal infections which could be prevented and better managed. We now need to consolidate the action, said Dr Katoch in his key note address on India’s response to multi drug resistance at the 4th Annual Conference of The Clinical Infectious Disease Society in Bengaluru. The country has been able to contain epidemics but the management of infectious diseases has been chaotic. “However, in the last few months, we have a seen a growing awareness among the physicians to see that they are able to tackle the infectious diseases early because the ground realities are different. The medical experts are looking for affordable, acceptable and optimal easy-to-handle systems to control infections and prevent MDR”, he noted. Pandemic of H1N1 in 2009 has been brought under control which proves Indian physician capability in alleviating viral infection. A network of labs supported the recovery from this flu strain proving that faster detection had led to early therapy administration. Therefore these 160 labs across medical colleges in the nook and corner of the country would further fortify expertise. While the country is reporting near eradication of leprosy, the concern is now on the increasing incidence of tuberculosis reporting a 12-15 per cent rise in MDR annually. This is where physicians need to be a part of scene to ensure patients sustain the drug regime, he said. The prevalence of naturally resistant bacteria in the environment was a global phenomenon. The critical components to keep infections at bay is to ensure adequate sanitation. Therefore, the Union government is on the right track insisting to tackle the appalling sanitation and call to implement good hygienic practices. This will see the existing departments of hospital infection across healthcare space to work to control fatalities from MDR, said Dr. Katoch.  http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=83738&sid=1

'Govt should integrate all streams under Ayush and rename it as Dept of Indian Traditional Medicines' Peethaambaran Kunnathoor, Chennai Tuesday, August 26, 2014,

For the promotion and popularization of Indian traditional medicines worldwide, the Union government should take steps to integrate the Ayush streams and rename the department of Ayush as department of ‘Indian Traditional Medicines’ (ITM), Dr Arul Amuthan, an ethnopharmacologist from Manipal Medical College suggested to the Union health ministry. Dr Arul Amuthan, observes that the Ayush degree holders (BAMS, BSMS, BUMS, BNYS and BHMS) are practicing various streams of traditional medicines irrespective of their qualifications. Therefore it is necessary to integrate all the streams (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) and branded as one. The department of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy (ISM&H) was created in March,1995, but re-named it as department of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (Ayush) in November, 2003 with a view to providing focused attention to development of education & research in these systems. Dr Amuthan, who is supporting the research work in the Centre for Traditional Medicines & Research (CTMR) in Chennai, says that the current Indian healthcare scenario is moving towards the concept of an integrative medical management of diseases where the traditional remedial methods/drugs are combined with the modern systems. This will help the patients receive drugs or remedial measures from different systems of medicines for one disease. But, before initiating this integration of modern and traditional systems, the various traditional medical systems should be integrated first and made it as one system. At present, the government provides healthcare by using western medical systems throughout India. Additionally it promotes the country’s own traditional healing methods which are not handled alike and are not balancing. For example, in north-eastern states, none of the Ayush systems is followed by the people there. Measures are needed to make all citizens in the country avail the benefit of all the systems. His observation is that if a modern medical practitioner is intending to refer his patient to Ayush systems, he gets confused as to which system the patient should be guided. The department of Ayush should give a clear idea on this problem. Though there are many physicians available with BAMS, BSMS, BUMS, BNYS and BHMS, these degrees make huge confusion among allopathic practitioners, hence they reject the systems. This problem can be solved by integrating the Indian traditional medical systems. “When we have a common degree and common practice of Indian traditional medicine, then it would be easy to popularize our heritage worldwide and easily to integrate it with modern (allopathy) system. Then Indian citizens will get equal opportunity to enjoy our ancient healthcare heritage, and all other medical systems will have equal chances to serve public”, said the lecturer.  http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=83739&sid=1

MSPC anticipates 17000 registrations this year due to enforcement of Pharmacy Act Shardul Nautiyal, Mumbai Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Maharashtra State Pharmacy Council (MSPC) is anticipating to register around 17,000 pharmacists this year as compared to 12,000 new registrations last year due to growing compliance levels in community pharmacy. MSPC is close to registering 300 plus registrations every day. Previous records reveal that only 5000 registrations were done in the year 2004 which rose to around 10,000 in the year 2011- 12.

MSPC has till date done 1,57,406 registrations of which 1,44,439 are active. Records reveal that 409 registrations have expired, 2,098 pharmacists have migrated to other states and 1,285 have gone overseas. Approximately 1,30,000 renewals have been done with approximately 12,000 new registrations coupled with 332 cancellations.

An official says, "Due to compulsion of having a pharmacist in each medical store as enforced by Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last year, pharmacists are getting jobs at stores which is one of the motivating factors for increase in registrations. 

As per provisions of Section 32(2) of the Pharmacy Act- 1948, registration is granted to eligible students by MSPC office. Accordingly applications of students who pass diploma or degree from an institute approved by Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) under Section 12 of the Pharmacy Act are accepted.

An MSPC official explains, "Some of the applicants are also Registered Pharmacists of other states who seek transfer to Maharashtra after fulfilling the requisite rules under the Act. In such cases, letter is sent to the institute for confirming qualification of the concerned applicant. When it is confirmed that the applicant is a Registered Pharmacist of the respective state council, letter is sent to them for seeking No Objection Certificate (NOC) confirming details of the candidate like his name, registration number, qualification on which he is registered, date of birth etc."

Pharmacy Act also empowers MSPC to take action like issuing warning letters to temporarily and permanently canceling registrations against pharmacists for professional misconduct. MSPC Executive Committee has quasi judicial powers to take action against the offending pharmacists as per section 36 of the Pharmacy Act, 1948 based on the Executive Committee meeting held twice a year. Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has referred 212 cases of professional misconduct of pharmacists till date to the Maharashtra State Pharmacy Council for appropriate action.     

As per FDA records, around 11 pharmacists have been booked under section 416 for impersonation, 420 for cheating and 199 for violating the affidavit of oath (false statement made in any declaration which is by law receivable as evidence).

The State FDA has come across rampant violation of D&C Act last year also as several chemist shops in the state despite their licenses being cancelled were found to be operating and dispensing drugs without a pharmacist. 

http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=83740&sid=1

Commerce ministry sets up ICC within CDSCO to address issues of exporters Suja Nair Shirodkar, Mumbai Tuesday, August 26, 2014, 08:00 Hrs [IST]

The commerce ministry established an International Co-operation Cell (ICC) within the office of the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to address export related queries more efficiently. Through this initiative, the commerce ministry hopes to boost the confidence of the exporters further with a single window for better delivery of services through a systematic and organised network specifically for exports.

ICC, an initiative of the commerce ministry is designed to aid exporters address issues on a fast track basis so that the long delays in addressing regulatory issues do not affect the exports. The cell is headed by Dr A Chandra Sekhara Rao, deputy drugs controller (India) comprising of ten members which includes drug inspectors and ADC's who have been selected to exclusively deal with all the exports related issues, while also attending to the queries of the commerce ministry.

Dr P V Appaji, director general of Pharmexcil informed that commerce ministry have been working very hard to enhance and provide a conducive environment to bolster exports from the country and this step is to meant to ease up the procedural delay faced by many exporters and build confidence among the exporters. He further stressed that the Cell's main responsibilities will be to handle not only quality issues relating to exports but also domestics regulatory issues faced by the exporters as well.

“The commerce ministry has been working very hard to set up this cell and the response that we have received till now have been tremendous. Setting up of ICC is turning out to be a major plus point for the us, as the commerce ministry is able to gauge and analyse the exporters issues on an immediate basis now. Commerce ministry is working very closely with CDSCO to address any issues relating to the quality parameters raised by the exporters, so that the Indian pharma exports do not have to get bogged because of the long regulatory delay,” informed Dr P V Appaji, director general of Pharmexcil.

It is understood that the ICC will be having a monthly review meeting as well with the commerce ministry to clarify and provide a detailed data on the issues referred to them while deliberating and brainstorming important industry matters and solutions.

http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=83741&sid=1

DCGI renames new drug advisory committees as subject expert committees Ramesh Shankar, Mumbai Tuesday, August 26, 2014, 08:00 Hrs [IST]

As per the recommendations of the Prof Ranjit Roy Choudhury committee, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has renamed new drug advisory committees (NDACs) as subject expert committees (SECs).   Prof Ranjit Roy Choudhury committee was constituted by the Union health ministry last year to formulate policy, guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for approval of new drugs including biologicals, clinical trials, banning of drugs and to formulate guidelines and SOPs on the functioning of new drug advisory committees (NDACs).  The committee submitted its recommendations to the ministry late last year. As per the action on the committee recommendations, all the 12 NDACs will be renamed as subject expert committees (SECs). The members for their meetings will be drawn randomly from a large pool of experts.  Applications of clinical trials and new drugs will initially be evaluated by the SECs and their recommendations will be reviewed by Technical Review Committee (TRC). The TRC is proposed to be constituted under DGHS consisting of experts from each areas like clinical pharmacology, regulatory clinical toxicology/pathology, medicinal/pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacy and immunology including clinicians, basic scientists, involved in drug development and subjects specialists (drug indication-wise). CDSCO will grant approval of clinical trials and new drugs based on the recommendations of TRC. “Henceforth, in all correspondence related to evaluation of application of clinical trials, new drugs, etc, the term subject expert committees (SEC) should be used in place of NDAC”, the DCGI in his directive said. Earlier, in its report the Prof Ranjit Roy Choudhury committee noted that, interaction with the pharmaceutical industry and NGOs highlighted that there are a plethora of NDACs-- 12 in all, advising the DCGI on new chemical entities (NCEs)/new biological entities (NBEs), new generic drugs and similar biologic approvals. Each committee consists of 10 to 15 subject-specialty experts having little experience of regulatory data review; some committees have even not met for over a year. Further, a committee sometimes does not take a decision if just one or two members do not attend the meeting.  On the other hand, sometimes decisions are taken when only two members are present. There is therefore a significant slowdown in consideration of applications and grant of approval for different phases of clinical trials or marketing and manufacture of new generic drugs, similar biologics or NCEs/NBEs. This concern of the entire pharmaceutical industry appears genuine. Delay in approvals was also highlighted by the Parliamentary Committee and hence needs immediate redressal. This committee feels that it is essential to clear pharmaceuticals applications speedily to maintain vibrancy and the global impact of this Rs.1200 billion industry. It is therefore proposed to constitute one broad expertise-based Technical Review Committee instead of the existing 12 NDACs to ensure speedy clearance of applications without compromising on quality of data and rules and regulations.  http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=83742&sid=1

Aging may be linked to diet, new study suggests TNN | Aug 25, 2014

NEW DELHI: Can diets increase immunity among the elderly, thus preventing diseases and slowing down the inevitable process of aging? New research shows that this is possible because some of the key chemicals that cause decline of immunity with age can be blocked with proper nutrition. 

Two new studies by researchers from University College London (UCL) have demonstrated how interplay between nutrition, metabolism and immunity is involved in the process of aging. These studies, supported by UK's Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), could help to enhance our immunity to disease through dietary intervention and help make existing immune system therapies more effective. 

Professor Arne Akbar's group at UCL had previously shown that aging in immune system cells known as 'T lymphocytes' was controlled by a molecule called 'p38 MAPK' that acts as a brake to prevent certain cellular functions. They found that this braking action could be reversed by using a p38 MAPK inhibitor, suggesting the possibility of rejuvenating old T cells using drug treatment. 

In a new study published in Nature Immunology, the group shows that p38 MAPK is activated by low nutrient levels, coupled with signals associated with age, or senescence, within the cell. 

It has been suspected for a long time that nutrition, metabolism and immunity are linked and this paper provides a prototype mechanism of how nutrient and senescence signals converge to regulate the function of T lymphocytes. 

The study also suggests that the function of old T lymphocytes could be reconstituted by blocking one of several molecules involved in the process. The research was conducted at UCL alongside colleagues from Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain. 

The second paper, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, showed that blocking p38 MAPK boosted the fitness of cells that had shown signs of ageing; improving the function of mitochondria (the cellular batteries) and enhancing their ability to divide. Extra energy for the cell to divide was generated by the recycling of intracellular molecules, a process known as autophagy. This highlights the existence of a common signalling pathway in old/senescent T lymphocytes that controls their immune function as well as metabolism, further underscoring the intimate association between ageing and metabolism of T lymphocytes. 

This study was conducted by researchers from UCL, Cancer Research UK, University of Oxford and University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy. 

Professor Arne Akbar said: "Our life expectancy at birth is now twice as long as it was 150 years ago and our lifespan is on the increase. Healthcare costs associated with ageing are immense and there will be an increasing number of older people in our population who will have a lower quality of life due in part to immune decline. It is therefore essential to understand reasons why immunity decreases and whether it is possible to counteract some of these changes. 

"An important question is whether this knowledge can be used to enhance immunity during aging. Many drug companies have already developed p38 inhibitors in attempts to treat inflammatory diseases. One new possibility for their use is that these compounds could be used to enhance immunity in older subjects. Another possibility is that dietary instead of drug intervention could be used to enhance immunity, since metabolism and senescence are two sides of the same coin."

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/Aging-may-be-linked-to-diet-new-study-suggests/articleshow/40865306.cms