Covid-19 treatment: Sun Pharma gets DCGI approval for Nafamostat clinical trial in patients

Covid-19 treatment: Sun Pharma gets DCGI approval for Nafamostat clinical trial in patients

The Drug Controller General of India has approved Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd’s clinical trial with nafamostat mesilate in covid-19 patients.

Nafamostat is approved in Japan for improvement of acute symptoms of pancreatitis and treatment of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)

Scientists from the University of Tokyo in Japan and Leibniz Institute for Primate Research in Germany recently demonstrated that Nafamostat at very low concentrations suppresses a protein that the Covid-19 virus uses to enter human lung cells.

Dilip Shanghvi, Managing Director, Sun Pharma said, “Sun Pharma is constantly evaluating potential targets that can be explored for treating Covid-19 patients. Nafamostat has shown promising data against SARS-CoV-2 virus in in-vitro studies conducted by three independent groups of scientists in Europe, Japan and South Korea. We believe it holds promise in the treatment of Covid-19 patients

Sun Pharma is the world’s fourth largest specialty generic pharmaceutical company and India’s top pharmaceutical company.

TikTok’s rival Mitron app is a repackaged app from Pakistan

TikTok’s rival Mitron app is a repackaged app from Pakistan

According to a recent report, Mitron, which has recently going viral as the rival to the popular Chinese app TikTok, is not ‘Made in India’

Source claim that the Mitron app is actually a repackaged version of the TicTic app, created by a Pakistani company called Qboxus.

Irfan Sheikh, the founder and CEO of Qboxus, the company that made the TicTic app and that he sold the source code of the app to Mitron’s creator for $34, or approximately Rs. 2,500

The report says that the entire source code of the app, its features, and even the user interface was created by Pakistani software developer company Qboxus. Irfan Sheikh has been reported as saying that marketing the app as India-made is wrong

Launched on 11 April, the credit for developing the app was given to Shivank Agarwal, a student at IIT Roorkee. Mitron is a short video-making application that allows users to upload short videos of up to 15 seconds.

Nicotex joins hands with K’taka, Goa govts to encourage smoking cessation with NRT

Nicotex joins hands with K’taka, Goa govts to encourage smoking cessation with NRT

Bengaluru/Panaji: Nicotex, Cipla Health’s smoking cessation brand, on Saturday said it has collaborated with Karnataka and Goa governments to provide Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) to frontline workers.

“Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, smokers are at a greater risk. Our collaborations with the Health Ministry of various states are helping us to execute these operations at a much larger scale and to reach out to the masses to help them quit smoking.

“We are striving to further enhance the scale of our initiatives and are working towards partnering with other states in the days to come,” Cipla Health CEO Shivam Puri said in a statement.

To promote safe behavior, Nicotex has collaborated with the efforts of Karnataka to protect the frontline workers, who are presently engaged in field work under high vulnerability amidst the COVID-19 outbreak.

With the distribution of over 40,000 Nicotex packs to over 10,000 healthcare workers, the therapy (NRT), as per WHO, would benefit smokers, gutka and other smokeless tobacco users by reducing cravings, anxiety, irritability and other withdrawal symptoms associated with smoking cessation.

In Goa, the collaborative efforts of the state and Cipla Health have enabled various grassroot-levels health seeking measures dissuading the consumption of tobacco among its citizens.

With the launch of ”Mission Tobacco Free Goa”, the state has been working towards making two talukas tobacco-free zones while simultaneously working on having the same effect across the state. 

Trump bans entry of certain groups of Chinese students to US

Trump bans entry of certain groups of Chinese students to US

Washington: US President Donald Trump has issued a proclamation banning the entry of Chinese students and researchers having ties with the People”s Liberation Army to dismantle China”s efforts to use graduate students to acquire intellectual property and technology from America.

Trump”s announcement came amidst escalating confrontation between the US and China over trade, the origins of the novel coronavirus pandemic, Beijing”s security crackdown in Hong Kong and the communist giant”s aggressive military moves in the disputed South China Sea.

Issuing the proclamation on Friday, Trump said China is engaged in a wide-ranging and heavily resourced campaign to acquire sensitive US technologies and intellectual property to modernise its massive military — the People”s Liberation Army (PLA).

This action of China is a threat to the US” long-term economic vitality and the safety and security of the American people, he said.

Trump alleged that China uses some Chinese students, mostly postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers, to operate as non-traditional collectors of intellectual property. Therefore, Chinese postgraduate students or researchers who are or have been associated with the PLA are at high risk of being exploited or co-opted by the Chinese authorities and provide particular cause for concern.

“In light of the above, I have determined that the entry of certain” Chinese nationals “seeking to enter the US pursuant to an ”F” or ”J” visa to study or conduct research in the US would be detrimental to the interests” of America, he said.

China on Friday had termed Trump”s threat to slap sanctions on its students in America as racist, saying it is a brazen political persecution and reminiscent of the McCarthy era. McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the plan exposes a deep-rooted “Cold War” and zero-sum mentality that permeates the thinking of some Americans and warned the US not to violate the legal rights of the Chinese students in America.

While the F-1 visa is for students attending a full-time degree or academic programme at a school, college or university in the US, the J-1 visa offers cultural and educational exchange opportunities in America through programmes overseen by the US State Department. The F-1 visa is valid for as long as it takes the student to finish his or her course of study. An F-1 Visa also allows students to work on campus and in some situations even off campus.

Describing the proclamation as a good step, Congressman Mike Rogers, Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Committee, said China is committed to a long-term campaign for global technological leadership, even if it means stealing their way to the top.

China has taken concerted steps to extract the latest technologies from leading American institutions and transfer information back to China”s defense industrial base and state-run industries.

“This is a wholesale attack on American competitiveness. I commend the President for issuing this proclamation. It is a good step forward to safeguard our national security and American economic competitiveness,” he said.

Three Indian companies get licence to manufacture NASA’s coronavirus ventilators

Three Indian companies get licence to manufacture NASA’s coronavirus ventilators

Washington:  Three Indian companies have got licences from NASA to manufacture its indigenously developed ventilators for critical COVID-19 patients.

The three Indian companies are Alpha Design Technologies Pvt Ltd, Bharat Forge Ltd and Medha Servo Drives Pvt Ltd, the space organisation said in a statement on Friday.

Apart from the Indian firms, 18 other companies, including eight American and three Brazilian, have been selected to manufacture the critical breathing devices.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which is an independent agency for space research, aeronautics and related programmes in the US, developed the ventilator specifically for coronavirus patients at its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JLP) in Southern California.

The JPL engineers designed the special ventilator called VITAL in little over a month and received ‘Emergency Use Authorization’ from the Food and Drug Administration on April 30.

The VITAL (Ventilator Intervention Technology Accessible Locally) equipment uses one-seventh the parts of a traditional ventilator, relying on parts already available in supply chains, the space organisation said. This high-pressure ventilator offers a simple, affordable option for treating critical patients while freeing up traditional ventilators for those with the most severe COVID-19 symptoms. Its flexible design means it also can be modified for use in field hospitals, the NASA statement read.

“The VITAL team is very excited to see their technology licenced,” said Leon Alkalai, manager of the JPL Office of Strategic Partnerships. Our hope is to have this technology reach across the world and provide an additional source of solutions to deal with the on-going COVID-19 crisis,” he said.

NASA said VITAL was developed with input from doctors and medical device manufacturers.

COVID-19: US pharma giant seeks marketing authorisation from India for remdesivir

COVID-19: US pharma giant seeks marketing authorisation from India for remdesivir

New Delhi: A US pharmaceutical giant has applied to India’s drug regulator seeking marketing authorisation for its anti-viral drug remdesivir, which is being touted as a potential treatment for COVID-19.

Gilead Sciences, who is the patent holder of the drug, has the complete data about the pre-clinical and clinical studies for remdesivir, sources said.

“The company has applied seeking marketing authorisation for its anti-viral drug remdesivir to India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). The CDSCO will examine the application with the help of the expert committee. It will take a final decision based on the recommendations of the expert committee,” a source said.

The medicine has been issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat hospitalised coronavirus patients.

Regulatory approval under exceptional pathway was granted by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare on May 7, on the basis of clinical data from the US, sources said. On the basis of approvals granted by USFDA or any other reputed regulator, the Indian regulator can approve the drug by waiving off clinical trials in special circumstances in accordance with the provisions of the New Drug and Clinical Trial Rules 2019, a source in the know of the developments said.

This comes in the backdrop of two Indian pharmaceutical companies -Cipla and Hetero Labs, applying to the drug regulator seeking permission to manufacture and sell remdesivir in India. They have also sought a clinical trial waiver for remdesivir so that the medicine can be made available for the patients faster, an official said. Their applications are still under consideration, the official said.

MobiKwik removed from Google Play for Aarogya Setu link in app

MobiKwik removed from Google Play for Aarogya Setu link in app

Google removed MobiKwik, the digital wallet app, off the Google Play Store temporarily on Thursday. MobiKwik was penalised for showing the Aarogya Setu app link on their app.

Earlier, Google earlier in the month,warned MobiKwik to remove the Indian government’s Covid-19 contact tracing app Aarogya Setu link

But, on Thursday, Google removed the app from play store without warning, Citing violation of advertising policy.

The company’s co-founder and CEO, Bipin Preet Singh took to Twitter to raise this issue. The CEO maintained, the decision to promote the app was taken after the banking regulator, Reserve Bank of India, had asked them to do so.

However, things seem to have been resolved now after Google spoke to MobiKwik CEO Bipin Preet Singh’s team since the app is back on the store

Currently, the application is available in the Play Store which stated it was last updated on May 29, 2020.

COVID-19 crisis: Govt to ensure firms don’t get picked up at throwaway prices says FM Sitharaman

COVID-19 crisis: Govt to ensure firms don’t get picked up at throwaway prices says FM Sitharaman

New Delhi: The threat of hostile takeovers is certainly a worry and the government will ensure that Indian businesses do not get snapped up at throwaway prices, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Friday.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has hit industries across the world due to depressed demand caused by lockdowns. So, the market provides opportunities to players with deep pockets to buy companies in distress at a very cheap valuation, she said.

“That’s a reality but we have to take care that businesses which have been built by the sweat and toil of Indians, and which have had great brand value, cannot be allowed to be picked up by people who are just looking for an opportunity.

“So, that is a factor which all of us are worried about and that’s a factor on which we will certainly do something to ensure that Indian industries don’t get picked up at a throwaway price because we want them to be able to run the business once everything is normal,” Sitharaman told television channel WION in an interview.

Last month, the government decided to put restrictions on foreign direct investment (FDI) to clamp down on investors from countries like China buying Indian companies cheap.

The amendments to the FDI rules were necessitated on concerns among officials as well as businesses about possible takeover attempts at a time when share prices are down due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Top Indian-Americans who served in Obama admin endorse Biden for President

Top Indian-Americans who served in Obama admin endorse Biden for President

Washington: Over half a dozen Indian-American former senior Obama administration officials on Friday announced their endorsement of Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

Top among those include former US Ambassador to India Richard Verma; former Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal; former US Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra and former Deputy White House Cabinet Secretary Gaurav Bansal.

Kiran Ahuja, former Executive Director, White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders; Seema Nanda, former Chief of Staff, Department of Labour and Sonal Shah, former Director, White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation along with several Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) former Obama-Biden administration officials also endorsed the former US vice president.

“All of us served with Vice President Joe Biden in the Obama-Biden administration. We watched him help 20 million Americans gain health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. We watched him lift our country out of the depths of the Great Recession. And we watched him build stronger ties with our allies and stand up to our adversaries abroad,” the former officials said in a joint statement.

“Most importantly, all of us saw Joe Biden”s empathy, his decency, and his commitment to expanding opportunity for all Americans. He has a deep appreciation for the contributions of AAPI and a keen understanding of the challenges still facing the community,” they said.

“Now more than ever, we need a President who values our nation”s diversity and will fight to create a more fair and just country. That person is Joe Biden. We are proud to endorse him for President and support him in this fight to restore the soul of our nation,” they said in the statement.

Biden, 77, is the presumptive presidential nominee of the Democratic Party. He is likely to be formally nominated by the Democratic National Convention in Wisconsin in August.

He has already been endorsed by several leaders, including his one-time rivals for the Democratic nomination Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, former president Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

US to terminate ties to WHO: Trump

US to terminate ties to WHO: Trump

Washington: US President Donald Trump on Friday said that the US is terminating its relationship with the World Health Organisation as he blamed it and China for the deaths and destruction caused by the COVID-19 pandemic across the globe.

Stating that the funding of the WHO would now be diverted to other global public health organisations, Trump announced a series of decisions against China including issuing a proclamation to deny entry to certain Chinese nationals and tightening of regulations against Chinese investments in the US.

Trump also announced that the US will end special treatment of Hong Kong in response to Chinese imposition of new controls.

He said that the US will revise its travel advisory to warn of surveillance in Hong Kong.

“The world needs answers from China,” Trump said in his aggressive speech on a bright sunny day from the Rose Garden of the White House.

The president, however, did not take any questions.

For decades it has ripped off the US like no one has ever done before, he said, reiterating his charges against China.

“China not only stole intellectual property, took away billions of dollars from the US and off-shored the jobs, but also violated its commitment under the World Trade Organization,” he said, adding that it was able to get away with the theft, like no one before because of past politicians and past presidents.

China, he alleged, has unlawfully claimed territories in the Indo-Pacific, threatening freedom of navigation and international trade and broke its word to the world on ensuring the autonomy of Hong Kong.

“The United States wants an open and constructive relationship with China, but achieving this relationship requires us to vigorously defend our national interest,” he said.

Trump alleged that the Chinese government has continually violated its promises to the US and many other nations.

“These plain facts cannot be overlooked or swept aside,” he said.

Observing that the world is now suffering as a result of the malfeasance of the Chinese government, Trump reiterated that China’s cover-up of the Wuhan virus allowed the disease to spread all over the world, instigating a global pandemic that has cost more than 100,000 American lives and over one million lives worldwide.

The world needs answers from China on the virus, Trump said.

GST Council meet: Fin Min not in favour of raising rates on non-essential items

GST Council meet: Fin Min not in favour of raising rates on non-essential items

New Delhi: The finance ministry is not in favour of increasing goods and services tax rates on non-essential items in the next month’s meeting of the GST Council, despite depressed revenue collections due to the nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19.

If goods and services tax (GST) rates are increased on non-essential items, sources said it will further bring down their demand and impede the overall economic recovery.

Post the lockdown, the demand has to be induced and economic activity has to improve on all fronts, not just on essential items side, they said.

However, the decision will be taken by the GST Council headed by the finance minister, according to sources.

Rates will come up for discussion during the council meeting next month to be attended by state finance ministers, they added.

The 39th meeting of GST Council was held in March, which proposed rationalisation of taxes on many items.

The nationwide lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 for 21 days in the first leg in a bid to contain the spread of novel coronavirus. It was then extended till May 3 and then again till May 17. The fourth phase of lockdown is in place till May 31.

The lockdown has led to a major shrinkage in GST collections. The government deferred the release of April GST revenue collection data due to the lockdown.

The government had last month extended the deadline to file GST returns for March to May 5, from April 20.

As per convention, the government releases GST revenue collection number on the basis of cash collection in a particular month. However, with the situation arising out of COVID-19, the government has decided to wait till the extended deadline for filing returns before the release of the collection figure.

Sources further said that the government has not taken any call on the monetisation of deficit at this point of time to shore up its resources.

Nobody knows how this COVID-19 pandemic pans out, what shape it is going to take, what kind of impact it will have on the Indian economy, and globally also no country knows today what lies three months later, sources said.

As of now, the government has increased the borrowing limit from Rs 7.8 lakh crore to Rs 12 lakh crore, which is Rs 4.2 lakh crore higher than the Budget estimate.

The RBI’s monetisation of the fiscal deficit broadly means the central bank printing currency for the government to take care of any emergency spending and to bridge its fiscal deficit this action is resorted to under emergency situations.

Sources, however, said, there is a need to bring down cost of borrowing for the government in the given situation.

As a result of this, the government has to withdraw 7.75 per cent Savings (Taxable) Bonds scheme from the close of banking business on Thursday.

The scheme, commonly known as RBI Bonds or GOI bonds, is popular among retail investors who look for the safety of principal and a regular income. NRIs, however, are not eligible for making investments in these bonds.

On issues pertaining to labourers with regard to wages and opportunities, sources said the finance ministry has initiated talks with the Labour Ministry on job losses and salary cuts due to the lockdown.

The Labour Ministry will engage in talks with the states on the issue, they added.

Wipro appoints Thierry Delaporte as CEO and Managing Director

Wipro appoints Thierry Delaporte as CEO and Managing Director

New Delhi: IT services major Wipro on Friday, May 29 said that it has appointed Capgemini Group veteran Thierry Delaporte as its Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, effective July 6, 2020.

In January this year, the company had said its CEO and Managing Director Abidali Z Neemuchwala had decided to step down from the company. Abidali Neemuchwala will relinquish his position as CEO and MD on June 1.

Rishad Premji will oversee the day-to-day operations of the company until July 5, Wipro said in a statement.

“Until recently, Thierry Delaporte was the Chief Operating Officer of Capgemini Group and a member of its group executive board. During his 25 year career with Capgemini, he held several leadership roles,” it said.

“He also oversaw Capgemini’s India operations, and led the group’s transformation agenda, conceptualizing and driving several strategic programs across various business units,” it added.

“Thierry has an exceptional leadership track record, strong international exposure, deep strategic expertise, a unique ability to forge long-standing client relationships, and proven experience of driving transformation and managing technological disruption. We believe that Thierry is the right person to lead Wipro in its next phase of growth,” Rishad Premji, Chairman of Wipro, said.

Delaporte will be based in Paris and will report to Rishad Premji.

“I look forward to working closely with Rishad, the board, senior leadership, and the hugely talented employees of Wipro to turn a new chapter of growth and build a better tomorrow for all our stakeholders,” Delaporte said.

Delaporte began his career in 1992 as a Senior Auditor with Arthur Andersen in Paris and London. He is also the co-Founder and President of the not-for-profit Life Project 4 Youth, an organization dedicated to the professional and social integration of young adults living in impoverished regions.

Twitter again flags Trump’s tweet says it violated rules about ‘glorifying violence’

Twitter again flags Trump’s tweet says it violated rules about ‘glorifying violence’

Washington: A defiant Twitter on Friday, May 29 flagged a fresh tweet from Donald Trump for violating its rules about “glorifying violence”, hours after the US president signed an executive order aimed at stripping social media giants like Twitter and Facebook of legal immunity for the content posted by third party users.

The move came after Trump tweeted that “when the looting starts, the shooting starts” in reference to the ongoing unrest in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd, a handcuffed African American man who pleaded for air as a white police officer kneeled on his neck.

Twitter had earlier added fact-check links to two of Trump’s tweets, enraging Trump.

“These thugs are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. I just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!” Trump tweeted.

Twitter flagged the tweet, which is now only visible if one clicks on Twitter’s flag.

“This Tweet violated the Twitter rules about glorifying violence. However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public’s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible,” the social media company said.

Floyd was seen pinned down in a video by a white police officer and later died.

He could be heard screaming, “I can’t breathe,” on the video of the incident.

The video of Floyd’s death has now caused outrage in the city of Minneapolis and all over the country. Residents of the city have been protesting his death since Tuesday.

According to Twitter, it generally takes action on tweets that violate its rules.

“However, we recognize that sometimes it may be in the public interest to allow people to view Tweets that would otherwise be taken down. We consider content to be in the public interest if it directly contributes to understanding or discussion of a matter of public concern,” it said.

“At present, we limit exceptions to one critical type of public-interest content—Tweets from elected and government officials—given the significant public interest in knowing and being able to discuss their actions and statements,” it said.

“As a result, in rare instances, we may choose to leave up a Tweet from an elected or government official that would otherwise be taken down,” it said.

Trump, who has more than 80 million followers on Twitter, signed an executive order on Thursday aimed at stripping social media giants of legal immunity for the content posted by third-party users after Twitter added fact-check links to two of his tweets.

The executive order calls for new regulations, under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, to make it that social media companies that engage in censoring or any political conduct will not be able to keep their liability shield.

Twitter’s latest move can further escalate tensions between the president and social media platforms, the US media commented.

President Trump, who is seeking a second term in November, has already threatened to shut down social media platforms.

5 Effective Home remedies to treat Gingivitis

5 Effective Home remedies to treat Gingivitis

Gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease, is inflammation of the tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth and is most commonly a result of poor dental hygiene.

Gingivitis starts when food debris mixes with saliva and bacteria which, in turn, forms dental plaque that sticks to the surfaces of teeth. If dental plaque isn’t removed by brushing with toothpaste and flossing, it can become mineralized and form tartar, or calculus. Tartar is very hard, and only a professional dental cleaning can remove it.

Here are  5  effective home remedies to treat  Gingivitis

1.Salt water has disinfectant qualities and can help the body to heal. Research has shown that rinsing the mouth with a saltwater solution can relieve inflamed gums caused by gingivitis.

2.Take some raw honey on your fingertips and massage on your gums gently. Honey has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that help kill the bacteria causing bleeding gums. Make sure you apply honey on your gums regularly.

3.Turmeric is known for its healing properties. Mix turmeric and mustard oil together and massage the mixture gently on your gums.

4.Drink unsweetened  Cranberry juice on a daily  basis as it comprises phenolic acids and anthocyanins, which are known to have anti-microbial properties.

5.Oil pulling is a technique that involves swishing oil around in your mouth for 20 to 30 minutes to reduce harmful bacteria, eliminate toxins, and improve overall oral health.