Biocon Biologics gets UK MHRA nod for biosimilars Vevzuo, Evfraxy
Biocon Biologics Ltd has achieved a significant milestone. It has secured marketing authorizations in the UK for Vevzuo and Evfraxy. These are biosimilars of Denosumab. Vevzuo addresses skeletal events in adults with advanced malignancies. Evfraxy treats osteoporosis and bone loss. This approval follows a similar authorization from the European Commission. It allows commercialization across the EU and EEA.
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The Hindu
3 days ago
- The Hindu
Danish PM says Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has become a ‘problem'
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Indian Express
08-08-2025
- Indian Express
COMBAT dengue: India-EU science alliance takes aim at dengue in global health push
Dengue fever affects nearly 400 million people annually, with India among the countries most severely impacted. Now, as part of the India-EU partnership under the Horizon Europe program, the COMBAT dengue initiative will soon be launched to tackle the world's most rapidly spreading viral infection. This project brings together top researchers, clinicians, and technologists across both continents. The Swedish Karolinska Institute in Stockholm coordinates the COMBAT research initiative. The acronym stands for 'Advancing Pandemic Preparedness Innovative Multidisciplinary Strategies for COMBATing Severe Dengue'. Dr Ujjwal Neogi, Project Coordinator, Karolinska Institute, told The Indian Express, 'Infectious diseases don't respect borders. The aim is to uncover the underlying mechanisms of severe dengue and reduce the disease burden. This can be done through innovation, precision medicine, and translational research, which will contribute to saving lives, protecting the brain, and strengthening preparedness for future outbreaks.' 'It is not just a response to dengue, but also a critical advancement in global health, integrating fundamental science with clinical and societal applications,' Dr Neogi further said. Scientists involved in the project said that while dengue fever has primarily occurred in tropical and subtropical regions, the risk of contracting the disease is also rising in Europe due to climate change. At present, India bears a significant share of the dengue burden, and as per data from the National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases Control, close to 12 lakh lab-confirmed dengue cases and over 1,650 deaths have been reported since 2019 till March this year. However, experts like Dr Swarup Sarkar of the World Health Organization, who is advising the COMBAT project, said that the dengue problem is compounded by underreporting in India and other South Asian countries. 'Pending vaccine trial results and good clinical protocols, there is a need for biomarkers to identify potential severe cases that would be helpful to reduce adverse outcomes due to dengue,' Dr Sarkar said. Led by Prof Arindam Maitra, National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, Kalyani, West Bengal, clinical samples will be collected from Artemis Hospital and Max Hospital in New Delhi, and Kasturba Medical College Hospital in Mangaluru. Scientists said that these sites, located in regions with high dengue prevalence, are central to generating critical scientific insights that will not only strengthen India's outbreak response capabilities but also contribute to global knowledge alongside cohorts in Guatemala. They also said that the data and findings will support the European Union's efforts to enhance pandemic preparedness against emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Scientists said what sets COMBAT apart is its integration of high-end, innovative, and affordable technologies seldom seen in virus research. The project employs brain organoids, miniature, lab-grown human brain-like tissues, to investigate how dengue invades the nervous system. Advanced super-resolution and photonic microscopy allow scientists to visualise the virus in action within living cells, while artificial intelligence sifts through complex patient data to discover biomarkers that could predict severe disease outcomes. The approach is a fusion of virology, physics, engineering, and data science, emblematic of the EU-India strategy to position science at the crossroads of innovation and accessibility, according to scientists. They also noted that COMBAT dengue also comes at a vital moment in India-EU relations, following the renewal of the Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement until 2030. Though dengue is the immediate target, the platform being developed has wider ambitions. The technologies and workflows created under COMBAT – from multi-modal imaging to AI-integrated biological pipelines – are designed to be rapidly adaptable to other pathogens. Anuradha Mascarenhas is a journalist with The Indian Express and is based in Pune. A senior editor, Anuradha writes on health, research developments in the field of science and environment and takes keen interest in covering women's issues. With a career spanning over 25 years, Anuradha has also led teams and often coordinated the edition. ... Read More
Time of India
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- Time of India
Doctors fight vaccine mistrust as Romania hit by measles outbreak
Răuceşti: When epidemiologist Daniela Gafita makes her rounds in the remote villages of northeastern Romania to educate communities about the risks of measles, she frequently encounters parents who hesitate to have their children vaccinated. With measles cases in Europe hitting a 25-year high last year, Romania was the country most affected: it recorded 13,000 of the approximately 18,000 cases registered between June 2024 and May 2025 in the European Economic Area, which includes EU members as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. But the disease has also re-emerged globally, with the United States confronting its worst epidemic in 30 years, in part fuelled by anti-vaccine misinformation that has been circulating on social media since the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite widespread vaccine scepticism in Romania, Gafita and her colleagues from the local health department are undeterred in their mission to spread the immunisation message. "We are trying to recover little by little what we lost" in the past decades when the situation was still at bay, said the 52-year-old. Romania has the EU's lowest vaccination rate at 62 percent, a far cry from the 95 percent the World Health Organization (WHO) says is needed for effective control. - Irrational fear - But it's a fight on many fronts, due not only to poverty but also poor access to health care and persistent rumours that vaccination causes autism. "I heard the vaccine is dangerous," said a woman, who declined to give her name, in the village of Raucesti. Elena Armenia, who also lives in the village of 7,500 people, told AFP that she did not want her youngest child to be vaccinated after reading "about a link to autism" online, a misconception that has been refuted by the scientific community. "Fear crept into my mind and I can't shake it off," said the 34-year-old. Her neighbours' children recently ended up in hospital after contracting measles, a contagious disease that causes fever, respiratory symptoms and a rash -- but can also lead to pneumonia, brain inflammation and even death. Romania reported eight fatalities from measles between June 2024 to May 2025. In July, a child died in Britain, with three deaths being recorded in the United States this year. Family doctor Monica Apostol told AFP that she was less optimistic than some of her colleagues about Romania's vaccination rate being boosted soon. "I'm hitting a brick wall," she said about her many conversations with parents. - Far-right anti-vaxers - Several factors have contributed to lower vaccination rates and subsequently to the resurgence of measles in Romania, where jabs are offered for free but are not mandatory. Millions of Romanians, including many health professionals, left the country after the end of communism in 1989. Moreover, the country has seen periods of vaccine shortages, but also an underfunded healthcare system and an increasing lack of trust in authorities. During the Covid pandemic, public figures in Romania but also worldwide began launching or endorsing anti-vaccination campaigns, with US President Donald Trump appointing Robert F. Kennedy Jr as health secretary despite his support of anti-vaccine conspiracy theories. Romania's far right also seized on anger over strict pandemic measures and started promoting anti-vaccine beliefs. Far-right leader George Simion, who topped the first round of the presidential election in May before losing in the second round, has said that parents should have the freedom to decide whether to have their children vaccinated or not. Pro-European President Nicusor Dan recently called on authorities to redouble their efforts to "regain people's trust", and combat a deluge of conspiracy theories and fake news that has eroded confidence. "The recent elections have shown that misinformation campaigns are conducted in a highly professional manner," said Gindrovel Dumitra, coordinator for vaccinations at one of Romania's main doctors' associations. Faced with a situation that is "out of control", his colleague Gafita advocates for tougher nationwide rules, including the need for children to be vaccinated to be able to attend school. "Even if such measures are unpopular and contrary to what many people want," she said.
