-The Indian Express Healthcare in India is a leading cause of poverty. The medical profession must own its share of the blame Earlier this month, The Lancet published a paper calling for a radical transformation of the architecture of India’s healthcare delivery system if it is to achieve the government’s vision of assuring health for all. The paper documented India’s progress on major health indicators in the past decade, but also...

-TheWire.in In a case that will once again prove that India is not out to arbitrarily purge all pharmaceutical patents, the Delhi high court has ruled in favour of Roche, a Swiss multinational. Many years ago, Roche dragged Cipla to court arguing that Cipla’s product infringed its patented anticancer drug, Erlotinib (brand name ‘Tarceva’). After a protracted legal battle fought over seven hard years, Roche finally won. But so did Cipla. Indeed,...

-The Times of India PATNA: Will Bihar be able to achieve the national target of raising gross enrolment ratio (GER) in higher education to 30% by 2020? As per indications, it seems impossible. Less than 1% of state's population is enrolled for higher education. The total number of boys and girls admitted in 250 constituent colleges and 350 affiliated colleges under 13 universities of the state is less than eight lakh against...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Over 200 cancer drugs, 186 medicines to treat cardiovascular diseases and 148 stents and cardiac implants will now be available at central government hospitals at prices 50-60% lower than the open market. The health ministry has launched a programme called AMRIT (Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment), under which the government will run pharmacy retail stores to sell medicines in hospitals like All India Institute...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: In an attempt to ease norms for testing and introduction of new medicines in the country, the government has taken steps to fast-track approvals for clinical trials as well as launch of drugs already approved in other countries. Pharmaceutical companies planning to launch new drugs already approved outside India after conducting pre-clinical or toxicological studies on animals will not be required to repeat such studies in...