Latest news with #Safdar
Express Tribune
20-05-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
'Targeted policies key to tackling air pollution'
Lahore consistently ranks among the worst cities in the world for air pollution. AFP A recent study conducted by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) — Air Pollution's Deadly Impact on Health in Pakistan: A Deep Dive into PM2.5 Levels in Peshawar and Islamabad — reveals that only through targeted policies, robust data collection, and public health initiatives can Pakistan hope to reduce the burden of air pollution and safeguard the health of its citizens. A comprehensive study led by Dr Razia Safdar, the Senior Policy Advisor at the Centre for Health Policy & Innovation, has quantified the health impacts of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) on the residents of these cities. Air pollution is taking a heavy toll on public health in Pakistan, new research shows alarming health risks in the country's two major urban centres, Islamabad and Peshawar. The findings from this study, which utilised the WHO's AirQ+ tool to estimate health endpoints, highlight the stark reality of air pollution's impact on life expectancy, mortality rates, and the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). "PM2.5, airborne particles less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter, are the most hazardous form of air pollution due to their ability to penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, causing severe health issues," the report said. In Pakistan, which ranks among the top five countries with the worst air quality, cities like Peshawar and Islamabad are experiencing significant public health risks. The country's average Air Quality Index (AQI) in 2023 was 160, with PM2.5 levels 14.7 times higher than the World Health Organisation's (WHO) recommended limits. Dr Safdar's report emphasises the urgency of addressing the critical health impacts associated with prolonged exposure to such high pollution levels. According to the study, air pollution in Pakistan contributes to approximately 256,000 premature deaths annually and reduces life expectancy by nearly four years. Among the most affected are vulnerable populations, including children, the elderly, pregnant women, and individuals with pre-existing conditions like asthma and ischemic heart disease. The research specifically focused on two of Pakistan's urban powerhouses Islamabad, the capital, and Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Express Tribune
13-05-2025
- Express Tribune
Noor Mukadam's killer claims insanity
The Supreme Court adjourned hearing Zahir Jaffer's appeal against his death sentence in the Noor Mukadam murder case until May 19 on the request of Jaffer's lawyer. A three-member SC regular bench headed by Justice Hashim Kakar and comprising Justices Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Ali Baqar Najafi on Tuesday took up the high profile murder case that shocked the nation in June 2021. Defence counsel Salman Safdar and prosecution lawyer Shah Khawar were present during the proceedings. Safdar requested additional time to submit further documents, arguing that those documents could significantly affect the outcome of the case. He maintained that Jaffer suffers from mental illness, a defence, which, according to him, had been overlooked by both the trial and high courts. "No medical board has ever been constituted to evaluate the accused's mental health," Safdar told the bench, adding that prior Supreme Court judgments on the matter had also been ignored. Justice Kakar questioned the justification for an adjournment, noting that both legal teams were in attendance. "In our court, a case is only delayed if the judge or a lawyer dies," he remarked, criticizing the frequency of avoidable delays. Justice Najafi asked whether the issue of mental illness had been raised during earlier proceedings. When Safdar confirmed that it had not been given adequate consideration, Justice Kakar observed that the point could still be argued without requiring a new application. Prosecutor Shah Khawar opposed the adjournment, but Justice Najafi advised him to respond only after the defence formally submits its application. The court directed both parties to return fully prepared for the next hearing scheduled for May 19. Noor Mukadam, 27, was found murdered with her head detached from her body at Jaffer's residence in Islamabad's upscale Sector F-7/4 on July 20, 2021. A first information report (FIR) was registered later the same day against Zahir Jaffer, who was arrested at the site of the murder. In February 2022, a district and sessions judge convicted Jaffer of murdering Mukadam, sentencing him to death along with 25 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs200,000. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on March 14, 2023 upheld the death sentence of Jaffer and also converted his 25- year jail term into another death penalty in a rape case.
South China Morning Post
19-04-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Mob in Pakistan beats to death man from persecuted minority
A mob beat to death a member of Pakistan's persecuted Ahmadiyya minority on Friday after hundreds of radical Islamists surrounded their place of worship in the port city of Karachi, police said. Advertisement A mob, many from the anti-blasphemy political group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), stormed through narrow streets of Saddar neighbourhood chanting slogans, enraged that Ahmadis were allegedly offering Friday prayers. 'One member of the community was killed after the mob identified him as an Ahmadi. They attacked him with sticks and bricks,' Muhammad Safdar, a senior local police official in the port city of Karachi where the incident happened. 'The mob included members of several religious parties,' he said. Safdar said police took around 25 Ahmadis into custody for their safety. Advertisement An AFP journalist at the scene saw a prison van escorted by police vehicles take the Ahmadi men away, after negotiating with the 600-strong chanting mob.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
FBI gives new warning about fake weight loss drugs being sold in Georgia
The FBI is warning consumers to stay away from counterfeit weight loss drugs, saying they can cause serious disorders and even death. Channel 2 investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln learned some of these unlawful drugs may have no weight loss medication in them at all, or a dangerous amount. 'We're seeing people go online and buy counterfeit pens,' said Shabbir Safdar, with Partnership for Safe Medicines. [READ: FDA, doctors warn about compounded Ozempic. What we found at metro weight loss clinics] That's why the FBI is sending a stern warning to consumers to avoid fraudulent compounded weight loss drugs. The federal agency's new alert is about counterfeit drugs claiming to have semaglutide — the key ingredient in weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. 'We're seeing multiple kinds of counterfeits,' Safdar said. TRENDING STORIES: Be weather aware: Severe storms likely this weekend with potential for large hail, tornadoes Julie Chrisley wants her sentence vacated - again - and wants new a judge 1-year-old hit by car, killed in Paulding County Safdar said pharmacies make compounded weight loss medication by combining two or more drugs. But the FBI said some of the compounded forms contain zero weight loss medication or a dangerous amount. 'The FDA has warned a number of compounding pharmacies are actually doing compounding with starting ingredients that are not approved,' Safdar said. The FBI said that's the case for a southern-based medical spa and weight loss clinic that sold their own weight loss medication. Investigators discovered the drugs sold were compounded in Georgia and the compound mixture has an animal-grade semaglutide with Vitamin B12, which is in violation with FDA regulations. The FBI said fraudulent versions of these drugs can come with significant health problems like gastrointestinal, nervous system, cardiac, psychiatric disorders, and in some cases death. Safdar and the FBI said you should avoid too good to be true prices, unlicensed providers, and online offers 'A safe pharmacy for an American, is licensed by your state board of pharmacy. And if you're not getting it from there, it's just not safe,' Safdar said.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Hims & Hers Super Bowl controversy: What the ad left out about its 'alternative' weight-loss drugs
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A Super Bowl commercial put out by the telehealth company Hims & Hers is drawing heat from critics who say the company's promotion of its weight-loss drugs misled consumers by leaving out key information. At the center of the controversy are so-called compounded medications, which aren't regulated in the same way as brand-name or generic drugs are and aren't formally approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In an ad spot that positioned Hims & Hers against "Big Pharma" and a system "leaving Americans sick and stuck," the company advertised itself as a service offering inexpensive GLP-1 agonists or semaglutides — the class of medications that includes Ozempic and Wegovy. The brand-name versions of these medications are FDA-approved to manage Type 2 diabetes and obesity, as well as related conditions like cardiovascular disease. Hims & Hers offers compounded versions of these drugs, which are not FDA-approved. Related: Ozempic-like meds linked to higher risk of pancreatitis, 'stomach paralysis' than other weight-loss drugs It took an eagle eye to spot that disclaimer on the Hims & Hers ad, however, as it was printed in small white font on a gray background. The ad also did not follow a practice required for FDA-approved medications, which is listing possible side effects of the drugs and contraindications — meaning medical conditions or treatments that might prevent a person from using the drug safely. That's a problem, according to critics. "By mass marketing and mass producing compound medications, we are devolving the safety of our drug supply," said Shabbir Imber Safdar, the executive director of the Partnership for Safe Medicines, a nonprofit coalition of stakeholders in the drug supply chain, from manufacturers to wholesalers to patient advocates. "We're not having a debate about it, and we're not even educating Americans about it." It's a common misconception that what clinics like Hims & Hers sell — at a fraction of the cost of branded pharmaceuticals — are generic versions of drugs. But compounded medications aren't generics, which must be manufactured with the same ingredients and by the same processes as brand-name pharmaceuticals. Instead, compounded drugs are manufactured with the same active ingredients as generics and brand-names, but without the same regulations to control their production and labeling. There are two places where compounded medications are made. The first is in small or neighborhood pharmacies, where pharmacists can customize small batches of drugs for patients with special needs. This is why compounded medications exist, Safdar told Live Science: A pharmacist may need to make a medication that is in shortage, or might need to somehow modify the "official" version of the drug. For example, they might make a liquid version of a drug only available in pill form for a patient who can't swallow pills, or they might replace a non-active ingredient for a patient with an allergy to it. These pharmacies are regulated under state pharmacy boards. Compounded drugs can also be made in what are called bulk outsourcing facilities, some of which are very large. These facilities are inspected by the FDA for safety, and manufacturers must buy their ingredients from FDA-approved suppliers. But the resulting drugs and the process by which they are made aren't clinically tested, which is why the resulting drugs are not FDA-approved. They are also not subject to the same supply-chain tracking as FDA-approved drugs are. Any FDA-approved medicine, whether generic or branded, has a unique serial number that links it back to its manufacturer. Compounded medicines don't fall under this requirement. "A big problem, if a compounding facility makes you a drug that was prescribed by a doctor you've never met in person, is you're now holding a vial you're expected to inject into yourself and there's actually no way to know where it came from," Safdar said. If there's a problem, it's more difficult to pinpoint who's liable, and more challenging to investigate if more users of the drug might be impacted. Track-and-trace also prevents counterfeit drugs from entering the system. Looser labeling requirements for compounded versions of GLP-1s can also lead to confusion about dosage, according to an FDA alert issued in July 2024. The agency had received reports of patients being hospitalized after accidental dosing errors with compounded weight-loss drugs. There have also been alarms about compounding pharmacies using different versions of the active ingredients in these medications, leading to adverse events. Compounded medications have led to tragedy before. In 2012, unsanitary conditions at a compounding pharmacy caused a 20-state outbreak of fungal meningitis that killed 64 people and infected nearly 800 others. Related: Childhood obesity should be treated early and aggressively, new guidelines say. Is that safe? Hims & Hers uses compounded semaglutide only from FDA-regulated bulk outsourcing facilities, said Dr. Craig Primack, the company's senior vice president of weight loss. Patients can check the testing related to their batch of medication on the company's app, Primack told Live Science. This testing covers bacterial and viral contamination, impurities, and whether the concentration of the drug is correct. Primack said that because Hims & Hers is not a drug manufacturer, the company is not subject to the FDA's doctrine of fair balance, which requires that product advertisements include information about risks and side effects alongside benefits. Patients get that information during the consultation and prescription process, he said. However, the idea that providers of compounded medications don't have to list side effects or risks has gotten pushback from Senators Riachard Durbin (D-IL) and Roger Marshall (R-KS). They wrote a letter to the FDA Friday (Feb. 7) expressing concern that the lack of fair balance is a loophole for those selling compounded medications. RELATED STORIES –Ozempic-style drugs tied to more than 60 health benefits and risks in biggest study-of-its-kind –Ozempic-like drugs may treat alcohol addiction –Fat cells have a 'memory' of obesity "To the extent this falls within a regulatory loophole for the FDA's authorities, we plan to soon introduce bipartisan legislation to close this gap," Durbin and Marshall wrote. Companies like Hims & Hers are allowed to offer compounded versions of Ozempic and Wegovy because the brand-name drugs are in shortage and have been for years. For consumers, it's an appealing option: The company offers brand-name Ozempic for $1,799 a month, out of pocket, while their compounded semaglutide starts at just $165 a month. But compounding was never meant to provide a cheaper, mass-market version of FDA-approved medications, Safdar said. Nor were patients ever meant to have to navigate the difference, he emphasized. "We need compounding," Safdar said. "But the rules were designed [the way they were] because no one ever thought we would have wide-scale usage of these medications." The Hims & Hers Super Bowl commercial signals a potential shift in this status quo — one that may soon get its moment for debate if Durbin and Marshall's bill moves forward.
