Latest news with #ManishAgrawal
Business Standard
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Comviva appoints Manish Agrawal as President and Chief Operating Officer to accelerate technology transformation and delivery excellence
PRNewswire New Delhi [India], July 24: Comviva, a global leader in digital transformation solutions, specializing in customer experience management, data monetization, and digital financial services, today announced the appointment of Manish Agrawal as President and Chief Operating Officer. This strategic leadership announcement marks a significant milestone in the company's Comviva 2.0 journey, aimed at accelerating market growth, deepening customer engagement, and scaling innovation in a rapidly evolving digital ecosystem. All product units will now report into Manish. Manish will spearhead the transformation of Comviva's product portfolio by integrating AI/Agentic and next-generation technologies, while fostering stronger cross-functional synergy across product lines. He will also focus on enhancing organizational capabilities for business growth through superior customer experiences and value creation. "We are thrilled to welcome Manish to the Comviva family," said Rajesh Chandiramani, Chief Executive Officer at Comviva . "His deep industry expertise and transformative leadership will strengthen our ability to execute with agility, drive stronger cross-functional alignment, and propel our customer-centricity vision forward. I am confident that Manish's appointment will be pivotal in translating our strategic goals into impactful outcomes for our clients globally." A seasoned techno-business leader, Manish brings over 30 years of cross-industry experience spanning telecom, manufacturing, and BFSI. Over the past two decades, he has played multiple leadership roles at Tech Mahindra, including business management, technology transformation, engineering, sales, consulting, turnkey outsourcing, mergers & acquisitions, and cybersecurity. Most recently, he served as Global Practice Head - Telecom at Tech Mahindra, where he was instrumental in repositioning the company's telecom strategy, developing next-generation AI, SaaS and Data driven solutions, leading global presales for large transformation deals across the globe, and working closely with top-tier Telecom clients of Tech Mahindra to drive business outcome transformation. On his appointment, Manish Agrawal said, "I am excited to join Comviva at a transformative point to deliver credible customer experiences through its 'AI First and SaaS Ready' innovative software technology platforms and to deliver best customer experiences for our global customers. I look forward to working with Comviva senior leadership to enable our hyper growth, unlock new business transformation opportunities with the strength of our innovative technology platforms, and to deliver the world's best end customer experiences to our global clients." Comviva is strongly investing in progressing its strategic vision based on new market expansion and deeper client relationships in an accelerating digital economy. It is also focusing on uplifting organizational capability & structure and strategic partnerships as an enabler to its growth strategy. About Comviva Technologies Ltd. Comviva empowers organizations to drive transformative growth with measurable business impact. Our AI-driven digital solutions and intelligent platforms enable our customer to unlock new revenue opportunities, enhance customer experiences, and simplify operational complexities to achieve exponential success. From maximizing customer lifetime value to enabling large-scale digital transformation, Comviva is trusted by 200+ global communication service providers and enterprises to solve complex challenges and prepare for the future. With our solutions deployed across 100+ countries, Comviva has brought the benefits of digital innovation and mobility to billions worldwide. As a subsidiary of Tech Mahindra and a member of the Mahindra Group, Comviva is committed to driving growth, efficiency, and transformation for tomorrow. For more information, visit us at
Medscape
19-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
One Psilocybin Dose Eases Cancer Depression Over Long Term
A single dose of psilocybin combined with psychological support can provide lasting relief from depression and anxiety in patients with cancer. In a phase 2 clinical trial, more than half of patients reported sustained reductions in depression, and nearly half reported significant reductions in anxiety 2 years after treatment. Psilocybin is a 'potentially paradigm-shifting alternative to traditional antidepressants,' wrote the investigators, led by Manish Agrawal, MD, Sunstone Therapies, Rockville, Maryland. Sandeep Nayak, MD, medical director, Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Baltimore, who wasn't involved in the study, said that the antidepressant effects of psilocybin in patients with cancer are 'consistent' with those found in larger studies of people with depression. 'If psilocybin works for major depression in general, it's likely to work for major depression in people with cancer, even though there are, of course, unique aspects of psychological suffering with cancer,' Nayak told Medscape Medical News . He cautioned, however, that more study is needed. 'Ultimately, this data is encouraging but not a game changer,' said Nayak. 'We do need bigger studies, which are coming.' Limited Success Treating Cancer Depression Depression remains common in patients with cancer, and the typical treatment approaches — antidepressants and psychotherapy — have demonstrated limited success. Agrawal and colleagues explored the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of psilocybin-assisted group therapy in 30 patients (mean age, 58 years; 70% women; 80% White individuals) with major depressive disorder and curable or noncurable cancer. Participants received one-on-one and group therapy sessions before, during, and after receiving a single 25-mg psilocybin dose. No patients were taking an antidepressant or antipsychotic medications or using medical cannabis. Earlier results from this trial showed that, at 8 weeks posttreatment, 25 of 30 patients (80%) had a lasting response to psilocybin, with half demonstrating full remission of depressive symptoms by week 1, which lasted for at least 8 weeks. The latest findings explore depression after 2 years in the 28 patients available for follow-up (two patients died). The new 2-year data, published June 16 in the journal Cancer , highlight the durability of these effects. At 2 years, 15 patients (54%) demonstrated ongoing benefit, with a significant 15-point reduction in Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale scores, 14 of which had full remission of depressive symptoms. Psilocybin also helped relieve anxiety. At 2 months, 22 patients (79%) had a significant 17-point reduction from baseline in Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, with 13 (46%) having a sustained reduction in anxiety at 2 years (average, 13.9-point reduction from baseline). 'Impressive' Data With Caveats Nayak said the fact that 50% of patients with cancer were in remission from their depression at 2 years is 'impressive and consistent with a long-lasting antidepressant effect of psilocybin.' 'However, the study had no control group, which is a limitation in that we can't tell how much of the benefit was from the intervention vs other causes (placebo effect, depression improving on its own, social support following the trial),' he noted. 'If psilocybin receives approval for major depressive disorders, studies like this will I think spur clinical work with psilocybin and cancer,' Nayak said. So why does psilocybin relieve depression? 'There are a lot of theories,' F. Perry Wilson, MD, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, and Medscape's Impact Factor commentator, said in a recent post. Wilson noted that some researchers are using a new term — psychoplastogens — to describe drugs like psilocybin. 'The science suggests that one-time use of these agents can allow for a sudden increase in neural plasticity, allowing new neuronal connections to form where they wouldn't in other conditions, and for older connections to break down and restructure,' Wilson explained. 'If our brains are etched with the stories of our lives, if our behaviors deepen and reinforce those psychological ruts, psychoplastogens like psilocybin may loosen the soil, so to speak.' This also suggests that concomitant psychotherapy could be a critical component of psilocybin treatment for depression, he added. 'Perhaps the psilocybin shakes loose some maladaptive pathways, but putting them together in a healthy way still takes work.' Wilson said it wouldn't surprise him if this is the case, 'and it's a good reminder to those of you reading this that these drugs are not a panacea for mental health.'
