For the first time, a key government official has said that the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus is likely behind the sudden increase in COVID cases seen in the last 4-5 days, without giving details. “We believe what we’re witnessing could be part of the global surge in cases pushed by the Omicron variant,” said […]
In one of the most eagerly awaited studies in recent months, South African scientists have established that Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine alone will not be of much use in preventing or neutralizing the new variant of COVID-19 virus, known as Omicron. The results also suggest that other vaccines — which too target only the spike protein […]
An interesting, observational study in the UK suggests that the overactive immune system associated with allergic diseases such as asthma and hay fever may have a positive side-effect in the form of greater protection from COVID-19 in the initial stages. The 10-month study, involving around 15,000 people, was carried out between May 2020 and February […]
Zydus Cadila has finally said it got Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from Indian authorities to administer ZyCoV-D — the world’s first DNA-based COVID-19 vaccine — for both adults and teenagers. This is the first time any COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for those below 18 years of age in India. The approval has been given […]
Cadila Healthcare MD Sharvil Patel said the company has started stockpiling the ZyCoV-D COVID vaccine, and is in the process of providing additional data to drug regulators and hopes to get the shot approved in one or two weeks. If approved, ZyCoV-D will become the first vaccine anywhere in the world to use DNA to […]
The government of India seems to have realized a key fact in the fight against COVID-19: Allowing the virus to circulate freely — even if it doesn’t lead to deaths — is poor strategy when it comes to controlling the pandemic. Addressing a meeting of chief ministers today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the need […]
Indian Pharmaceutical major Zydus Cadila has become the world’s first to seek approval for a DNA-based vaccine against COVID-19, with trials indicating 100% efficacy in adolescents against moderate disease after three doses. The vaccine, which is likely to be approved by Indian authorities, also promises relief for those afraid of needles, as it can be […]
Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, one of India’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturers, commercially launched 2DG COVID-19 treatment today, starting with the bigger cities. The drug, formulated by DRDO’s Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences in collaboration with Dr Reddy’s, is supposed to reduce the viral load in patients suffering from COVID-19. The drug, 2-deoxy-D-glucose, is supposed to […]
Baba Kalyani, chairman and managing director of India’s largest forging and metal components manufacturer Bharat Forge, today expressed the opinion that the current economic setback on account of the second wave of COVID-19 is of a temporary nature. “The lock down in India to curtail the spread of Covid has clearly had an impact on […]
PVR, India’s No.1 film exhibitor, said it has put on hold all construction and other capital expenditure related to new projects and screens, and issued a profit warning for the current quarter on account of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “The Company opened 13 new screens in FY’21 which were already under fit-out prior to lockdown. […]
Mumbai-based pharmaceuticals manufacturer Wockhardt officially confirmed that it is indeed in negotiations with multiple companies to explore the option of manufacturing their COVID-19 vaccines. The confirmation comes in the wake of recent media reports quoting government sources that the company had suggested to the government that it can divert some of its manufacturing capacities for […]
Inox Leisure, one of India’s top cinema chains, said it plans to add 8,850 seats across 11 new properties to its multiplex chain in the ongoing financial year, taking the total seats to 1.56 lakh by March. These 11 new properties would bump its screen count by 49 to 692. Out of the 49 new […]
Less than a month after it approved for clinical trial approval, Hyderabad-based Natco Pharma said it has begun dosing patients in its phase III clinical trial for molnupiravir, a promising candidate for treating COVID-19 that is being studied across the world. Phase III trial data can be submitted to regulatory agencies for seeking approval of […]
A week after Natco Pharma sought a compulsory license from government of India to manufacture COVID treatment drug Baricitinib, the US firm holding the rights to the drug — Eli Lilly — seems to have agreed to let several companies to manufacture and sell the drug. Baricitinib is used for treating joint inflammation in rheumatoid […]
COVID-19 season has failed to make any dent in the growth of India’s matchmaking websites such as Matrimony.com, the largest. Going by the numbers, youngsters in the country seem to be finding more time for online matching making services during the COVID-19 era than ever before. In a year when most companies have seen double-digit […]
Fitch Ratings, one of the top two credit rating agencies, said it expects the economic impact of the second wave of COVID-19 in India to be less severe than what was seen in the first wave last year. “We expect the shock to economic activity from the latest wave of the pandemic in India to […]
Blue Star, one of India’s largest refrigeration and air conditioning companies, said it is moderating the pace of execution of large contracts to keep it in sync with clients’ ability to pay, and also said the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has posed a challenge to the growth trend seen in recent months. Chief […]
Hyderabad-based Natco Pharma said it has decided to seek a compulsory license from the government of India to manufacture Baricitinib tablets to treat COVID-19 patients. Compulsory licensing is an internationally recognized patent provision under which the government of a country can give permission to a company to manufacture a patent-protected product for emergency use if […]
Faced with a supply squeeze for COVID-19 vaccines, the Kerala government has virtually stopped taking new registration COVID-19 vaccinations on the Cowin website, and is reserving most of the stocks for providing the second dose to those who have already taken the first. The state has been forced to more or less abandon the central-government’s […]
The results of a genomic analysis of the viral samples collected in Kerala around mid April has revealed that close to 40% of the cases in the state are caused by mutated SARS-CoV-2 viruses. This is the first genomic analysis of the viruses carried out in the state during the second wave. Giving out the […]
