Latest news with #PankajMohan
India Today
9 hours ago
- Health
- India Today
MBBS doctor, posing as cardiologist, performs over 50 surgeries at Haryana hospital
An MBBS-qualified doctor allegedly posed as a cardiologist and performed more than 50 heart surgeries in over eight months at a government hospital in Haryana's Faridabad here using the registration number of a practising cardiologist, police said on matter came to light when a patient approached the real doctor, prompting an enquiry. Despite having an MBBS degree, Dr Pankaj Mohan Sharma was not authorised to carry out critical cardiac procedures, police said, adding that several patients developed complications and some even FIR has been registered against the management of the heart care centre in Badshah Khan Civil Hospital at the Faridabad NIT police station and further investigation is underway, a senior police officer said. According to police, Sharma was hired by Mediterina Hospital, which runs the heart centre at the civil hospital under a public-private partnership, in July last allegedly impersonated cardiologist Dr Pankaj Mohan by using his registration number (2456) instead of his own MBBS registration number (28482). Sharma's prescriptions also carried a forged stamp identifying him as a cardiologist with a DNB (Cardiology) degree, they April 11, advocate and social activist Sanjay Gupta also filed a complaint against the accused, alleging that he had obtained additional qualifications using forged said Sharma served at the centre from July 2024 to February 2025. When questions were raised about his credentials, he stopped reporting to Dr. Pankaj Mohan subsequently filed a complaint with the Indian Medical Association and sent a legal notice to Sharma in January, they officials have not disclosed the total number of patients treated or operated upon by Sharma, but relatives of some patients who died after his treatment have raised Ram, a resident of Palwal district, alleged that his father died a day after undergoing stent implantation by Sharma on January contacted, Chief Medical Officer Dr Jayant Ahuja declined to comment but Heart Centre Chairman Dr. Pratap Kumar said Sharma failed to produce valid documents when asked, following which his services were said a detailed investigation is underway and action will be taken as per the Watch
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Health
- Time of India
Fake cardiologist performs 50 surgeries at Faridabad hospital using stolen identity
A doctor with only an MBBS degree allegedly posed as a cardiologist and conducted over 50 heart procedures in eight months at Badshah Khan Civil Hospital in Faridabad. The doctor, identified as Pankaj Mohan Sharma , used a fake identity and forged qualifications while working at the heart care centre operated by Mediterina Hospital under a public-private partnership, a TOI report stated. Complaint leads to investigation The matter came to light when Sanjay Gupta, a lawyer and social activist, lodged a complaint at NIT Faridabad police station on April 11. Citing sources, Gupta alleged that Sharma had acquired additional medical degrees using forged documents. Preliminary police investigation found that Sharma used the National Medical Commission (NMC) registration number 2456, which belongs to a registered cardiologist named Dr Pankaj Mohan. Sharma's actual registration number is 28482 and only qualifies him as a general physician. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top 5 Dividend Stocks for May 2025 Seeking Alpha Read Now Hospital employed him despite doubts Dr Sharma joined Mediterina Hospital in July last year. Despite being unqualified for cardiac care, he performed several procedures at the heart centre. His prescriptions falsely displayed credentials such as an MD and DNB ( cardiology ). He also used a stamp identifying himself as a cardiologist. 'The hospital management continued to employ an unqualified and fraudulent doctor who lacks any degree or recognised specialisation in cardiology. Dr Sharma falsely claimed qualifications of MD and DNB (cardiology), which are entirely fraudulent,' said lawyer Gupta. Live Events Real doctor files complaint Dr Pankaj Mohan, whose identity was misused, filed a complaint with the Indian Medical Association in January. He also sent a legal notice to Dr Sharma. In February, Sharma abruptly stopped visiting the hospital after being asked to produce his medical certificates. 'Many patients began enquiring about him and eventually visited the real Dr Pankaj Mohan. When Dr Mohan clarified that he had never worked at the heart centre, the allegations strengthened,' a doctor at Badshah Khan said. False name on social media Dr Sharma maintained a Facebook profile under the name 'Kshitiz Mohan' and was listed as the director of a film production company, further casting doubt on his medical background. Hospital removes doctor Dr M Pratap Kumar, CMD of Mediterina Hospital and head of the heart centre at Badshah Khan, confirmed that Sharma had been terminated. 'He applied through formal HR channels as a general physician. We always had suspicion about his DM (cardiology) degree and acted on it,' said Dr Kumar. The investigation is ongoing. (The article orignially appeared in TOI)
Time of India
a day ago
- Health
- Time of India
This fake cardiologist performed 50-plus heart surgeries at Faridabad hospital in 7 months
Faridabad: An MBBS doctor masquerading as a cardiologist performed more than 50 heart procedures over seven months before his fraudulent practice was discovered. Though a qualified doctor, Pankaj Mohan Sharma put countless lives at risk at a heartcare centre in Badshah Khan civil hospital because he was not authorised to perform critical cardiac surgeries. Dr Sharma came under cops' scanner when Sanjay Gupta — a lawyer and social activist — lodged a complaint at NIT Faridabad police station on April 11, quoting sources to allege he bagged additional degrees based on forged documents. Preliminary probe revealed that the accused had been operating under a stolen identity, misappropriating national medical commission's registration number assigned to Dr Pankaj Mohan, a legitimate cardiologist practising in the city. Police said Dr Sharma was hired in July last year by Mediterina Hospital, which runs the heartcare centre at Badshah Khan on a public-private partnership mode. "The hospital management continued to employ an unqualified and fraudulent doctor who lacks any degree or recognised specialisation in cardiology. Dr Sharma falsely claimed qualifications of MD and DNB (cardiology), which are entirely fraudulent," said lawyer Gupta. After coming to know about the fraud, Dr Mohan lodged a complaint with IMA in Jan this year, alleging illegal use of his credentials by the other doctor. He also slapped a legal notice on Dr Sharma. What raised eyebrows was that Dr Sharma suddenly stopped attending the centre in Feb after being asked to produce his medical degree. "Many patients began enquiring about him and eventually visited the real Dr Pankaj Mohan. When Dr Mohan clarified that he had never worked at the heart centre, the allegations strengthened," said a doctor at Badshah Khan. Adding another layer to the deception, Dr Sharma maintained a Facebook profile under the name 'Kshitiz Mohan' and was listed as the director of a film production firm, raising more questions on his medical credentials. Dr M Pratap Kumar, CMD of Mediterina Hospital who also heads the heart centre at Badshah Khan, confirmed that Dr Sharma had been removed. "He applied through formal HR channels as a general physician. We always had suspicion about his DM (cardiology) degree and acted on it," he said. "We have sought details related to the doctor from the CMO. We want to know how he was recruited as he served in the civil hospital for months. We are, however, yet to get any record. Only after we have all the details, we will initiate legal action," said Yashpal, a spokesperson for police. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Eid wishes , messages , and quotes !
Associated Press
19-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Sonnet BioTherapeutics Receives Notice of Allowance for U.S. Patent Covering Composition of Matter of Specific Amino Acid Substitutions of its IL-18 Binding Protein Resistant Variant Protein
Company advancing development of its modified version of Interleukin-18 (IL-18 Binding Protein Resistant or IL-18 BPR) that exhibits wild-type binding to the IL-18 receptor (IL-18Rc), coupled with undetectable binding to the inhibitory IL-18 Binding Protein (IL-18BP) thus making IL-18 BPR more effective in vitro Sonnet's variant human IL-18 BPR is a key cytokine which comprises substitutions at the following amino acid positions: Y1, M51, M60, S105 and D110, relative to human wildtype IL-18 Patent opens up potential licensing opportunities for rights to IL-18 BPR independent of Sonnet's F H AB platform patent estate Management releases 'What This Means' segment discussing the allowed patent; Access here PRINCETON, N.J., March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sonnet BioTherapeutics Holdings, Inc. (the 'Company' or 'Sonnet') (NASDAQ: SONN), a clinical-stage company developing targeted immunotherapeutic drugs, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a Notice of Allowance to the Company for a second patent in the IL-18 variant protein field which discloses the amino acid sequence of its variant human IL-18BPR protein. The allowed patent claims cover variant human IL-18 (hIL-18) proteins, including but not limited to hIL-18 proteins having amino acid substitutions at the following positions: Y1W, Y1K, M51Y, M51S, M60W, S105E, and D110Y, relative to human wildtype IL-18. Additionally, the Company announced the release of a Virtual Investor 'What This Means' segment to discuss the allowed patent, which is now available here. 'I believe that Sonnet has become of one of the few companies that hold proprietary rights to IL-18BPR which could be a highly valuable cytokine for cancer patients. This patent covers the composition of matter of the amino acid sequence of our human IL-18BPR variant protein which bolsters our intellectual property position and provides further validation to our approach that when IL-18BPR is synergistically combined with IL-12, we believe we will have the potential to develop an important therapeutic asset for oncology and cell-based therapy. Additionally, we feel that this patent enables us to explore opportunities for IL-18BPR to be licensed independent of our FHAB platform. We continue to believe that novel bifunctional molecules such as SON-1411, when combined with our proprietary FHAB platform, have the potential to demonstrate improved tumor targeting, extended half-life and an enhanced therapeutic window,' said Pankaj Mohan, Ph.D., Sonnet Founder and Chief Executive Officer. Sonnet previously reported the generation of two novel drug candidates, SON-1411 (IL18BPR-FHAB-IL12) and SON-1400 (IL18BPR-FHAB), each containing a variant version of recombinant human interleukin-18 (IL-18BPR). SON-1411 is a proprietary bifunctional fusion protein consisting of IL-18BPR combined with single-chain wild-type IL-12, linked to Sonnet's Fully Human Albumin Binding (FHAB®) platform while SON-1400 is a monofunctional fusion protein comprising the same IL-18BPR domain linked to the FHAB. FHAB extends the half-life and biological activity of linked molecules by binding native albumin in the serum and targets the tumor microenvironment (TME) through high affinity binding to glycoprotein 60 (gp60) and the Secreted Protein Acidic and Rich in Cysteine (SPARC). 'SON-1411 (IL18BPR-FHAB-IL12) is a bifunctional combination of IL-12 and the FHAB domain with a human variant of human interleukin-18 ('IL-18BPR'), which was modified to resist an inhibitory interaction with IL-18 binding protein (IL-18BP). IL-18 is involved in activating both innate and adaptive immune responses; however, IL-18 clinical therapies have been hampered by a lack of efficacy due to the inhibitory activity of the IL-18BP,' commented John Cini, Ph.D., Sonnet Chief Scientific Officer. About SON-1411 SON-1411 is a candidate immunotherapeutic recombinant drug that is closely related to and will replace SON-1410, which links an unmodified single-chain human IL18 and an unmodified IL-12 with the albumin-binding domain of the single-chain antibody fragment A10m3. The only difference between SON-1410 and SON-1411 is that in the latter, the IL-18 domain has been modified via mutagenesis to retain wildtype binding to the IL-18 receptor (IL-18 Rc) while inhibiting or abolishing binding to the IL-18 binding protein (IL-18 BP). The A10m3 scFv was selected to bind both at normal pH, as well as at the acidic pH that is typically found in the TME. The FHAB technology targets tumor and lymphatic tissue, providing a mechanism for dose sparing and an opportunity to improve the safety and efficacy profile of IL-18 and IL-12, as well as a variety of potent immunomodulators that can be added using the platform. Interleukin-12 can orchestrate a robust immune response to many cancers and pathogens. Given the types of proteins induced in the TME, such as SPARC and gp60, several types of cancer such as non-small cell lung cancer, melanoma, head and neck cancer, sarcoma, and some gynecological cancers are particularly relevant for this approach. SON-1411 is designed to deliver IL-18BPR and IL-12 to local tumor tissue, turning 'cold' tumors 'hot' by stimulating IFNγ, which activates innate and adaptive immune cell responses and increases the production of Programed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) on tumor cells. About Sonnet BioTherapeutics Holdings, Inc. Sonnet is an oncology-focused biotechnology company with a proprietary platform for developing targeted biologic drugs with single or bifunctional action. Known as FHAB (Fully Human Albumin-Binding), the technology utilizes a fully human single chain antibody fragment (scFv) that binds to and 'hitch-hikes' on human serum albumin (HSA) for transport to target tissues. Sonnet's FHAB was designed to specifically target tumor and lymphatic tissue, with an improved therapeutic window for optimizing the safety and efficacy of immune modulating biologic drugs. FHAB platform is the foundation of a modular, plug-and-play construct for potentiating a range of large molecule therapeutic classes, including cytokines, peptides, antibodies, and vaccines. Sonnet's lead program, SON-1010, or IL-12-FHAB, is in development for the treatment of advanced solid tumors, certain types of sarcoma, and platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC). SON-1010 is being evaluated in an ongoing Phase 1/2a study through a Master Clinical Trial and Supply Agreement with Roche in combination with atezolizumab (Tecentriq®) for the treatment of PROC. The Company is also evaluating its second product candidate, SON-1210, an IL12-FHAB-IL15 bifunctional for solid tumors, in collaboration with the Innovative Immuno-Oncology Consortium (IIOC), and plans to commence an investigator-initiated and funded Phase 1/2a study for the treatment of locally-advanced or metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The Company's SON-080 program is a low dose of rhIL-6 in development for Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN) and Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (DPN). SON-080 demonstrated encouraging results in a Phase 1b/2a clinical trial, being well tolerated with no evidence of a pro-inflammatory cytokine response. In October 2024, Sonnet announced a license agreement with Alkem Laboratories, Inc. who will assume responsibility for advancing development of the SON-080 program into a Phase 2 study in DPN in India. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, as amended, including those relating to the impact of the second patent in the IL-18 variant protein field, outcome of the Company's clinical trials, the Company's cash runway, the Company's product development, clinical and regulatory timelines, market opportunity, competitive position, possible or assumed future results of operations, business strategies, potential growth opportunities and other statements that are predictive in nature. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the industry and markets in which we operate and management's current beliefs and assumptions. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking expressions, including, but not limited to, 'expect,' 'anticipate,' 'intend,' 'plan,' 'believe,' 'estimate,' 'potential, 'predict,' 'project,' 'should,' 'would' and similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. These statements relate to future events or our financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include those set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. 908-824-0775
