Category: Medicine

From near bankruptcy to blockbuster drug: How Khorakiwala turned around Wockhardt

Habil Khorakiwala, founder and chairman, WockhardtSynopsisWockhardt’s Habil Khorakiwala has seen the most harrowing days. From…

Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro: Are GLP-1 drugs weight loss wonders or health gamble?

India, home to the world’s largest low- and middle-income (LMIC) population, is now facing a…

As Novo Nordisk scales back, Eris and Biocon Biologics hit the sweet spot in India’s insulin market

“It is a small emergency,” says Amit Bakshi, chairman of Ahmedabad-based drugmaker Eris Lifesciences. He…

India has a major health insurance headache

It is important for state-run health insurance to ensure more hospitals join to provide a…

How a genome map can help India fight cancer better

Genetic structure could hold some answers to the vexed issue of cancer. A reference set…

What’s making GBS nerve disorder go viral in Pune

Getty ImagesGuillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) test, a rare disorder where the body’s immune system damages nerveSynopsisGuillain-Barré…

This Ichnos Glenmark drug promises to BEAT cancer, affordably. Can it challenge Big Pharma?

Cyril Konto, CEO, Ichnos Glenmark Innovation and Glenn Saldhana, CMD, Glenmark Pharma; image credit: Glenmark.SynopsisThe…

Can Cipla make inhaled insulin a successful option for diabetes patients?

Umang Vohra, Global CEO, Cipla. Will Cipla’s big bet work?; image credit: Company.SynopsisMillions of diabetes…

PE firms in pink of health on improving returns from hospital investments.

Private equity investors have been investing large sums of money in hospitals. Certain types of…

Can herbs, starvation cure cancer? Sidhu flicks row, gets caught by Twitterati

Navjot Singh Sidhu with wife Navjot Kaur SidhuSynopsisNavjot Singh Sidhu claimed his wife’s advanced-stage cancer…

These bugs are killing 5 million every year, yet doctors have few options to fight them

Doctors are grappling with a raft of unsparing hospital-acquired superbugs broadly known as anti-microbial resistance…

Sun Pharma’s new drug to take on Pfizer, Eli Lilly is having a bad hair day.

SynopsisLast year, Sun Pharma infused over INR4,688 crore to buy US-based Concert Pharma. That deal…

India must protect doctors. They are scarce, and it takes years to train one.

Getty ImagesKolkata woman PGT doctor rape-murder: Junior doctors hold protest in state-run hospitalsSynopsisThe tragic case…

Mpox virus is back. Is vaccine maker Serum Institute ready?

Mpox is the latest scare word ripping through the world. The pressing questions are: Is…

What the headlong fall of 23andMe signals for India’s genetic-testing market

Collage by Manali GhoshSynopsis23andMe, a pioneer in genetic testing, struggles to maintain its early success.…

How rising awareness about infertility is making IVF a USD4.6 billion opportunity

Infertility, once shrouded in cultural taboos and superstition, has emerged as a critical health issue…

Affordability is critical when it comes to patient care: GE HealthCare’s Sarawate

Chaitanya Sarawate, president and CEO of GE HealthCare South Asia and managing director of Wipro…

Sun Pharma, Torrent, Alkem under lens for inferior medicines. It points to a leaky supply chain.

In the crosshairs of the latest controversy on whether a drug is spurious or “not…

The dark reality of melatonin behind India’s USD289 million wild chase for good sleep

We all know about ‘city that never sleeps’. Now, move over to a ‘world that…

How fake drugs, Jan Aushadhi push are eating away the profits of top pharma companies

Is the pharma market, which is currently at INR2.17 lakh crore (USD25.8 billion), getting too…

Why leading doctors, scientists pin hope on green jackfruit to fight fatty liver and cancer

Visualisation by Sadhana Saxena via AiSynopsisA recent animal study has proven green jackfruit flour’s potency…

This Ranjan Pai investment opens the door to a USD30 billion opportunity

Ranjan Pai is among India’s most influential investors. So, when he makes a move into…

What an Indian pharma giant’s new drug find can gain the world’s obesity fight

Dilip Shanghvi , founder, chairman and managing director, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited.SynopsisSelling weight-loss drugs is…

This is the lady responsible for helping improve USD50 billion Indian pharma’s quality

Sarah McMullen, USFDA India directorSynopsisIn the past, many within the Indian pharma industry looked at…

Why Mankind, Dr Reddy’s and PE firms are so interested in low-profile BSV

Image credit: Compiled by Manali Ghosh via AISynopsisAdvent controlled-BSV has charted an exceptional turnaround over…

Cracking DaVinci: How this Indian doctor’s Mantra is revolutionising robotic surgeries

Sudhir Srivastava (centre) with his expanding team at SS Innovations; image credit: SS InnovationsSynopsisIn an…

Say cheese! A drug to regrow teeth is in clinical trials

Japanese researchers are soon embarking on human clinical trials for a medicine that will help…

How a 2012 bet supercharged Sun Pharma

Shares of Sun Pharmaceuticals, India's largest drug manufacturer, gained more than 50% over the last…

J-Labs: For scientific breakthroughs, India needs its own J-Labs…or lose the race

Credit: illustration by Sadhana Saxena via AiSynopsisSomething as cool as a J-Labs can be a…

Prostate cancer: what the blue ribbon needs to unlearn from the pink ribbon

As per a recent report in The Lancet, the incidence of prostate cancer is expected…

Guns, tinctures, and a brave excise official’s lonely fight with Narcos North India

Rakesh Singh took on the tincture syndicate in Agra during his tenure as excise inspector…

Decades late, these set of basic rules for Indian pharma can save lives

Offer Exclusively For YouSave up to Rs. 700/-ON ET PRIME MEMBERSHIPAvail OfferOffer Exclusively For YouGet…

How this Advent PE-backed Indian firm is prepping to take on Chinese big pharma

Illustration by Sadhana Saxena via AI.SynopsisAdvent, which merged Suven Pharma with Cohance Lifesciences in February,…

How this Indian state is showing the way to treat cancer patients

SynopsisWith an alarming rise in cancer diagnosis rate in India, especially among the younger cohort,…

Many new mothers face this problem that plucks the joy out of giving birth.

An overlooked mental health challenge faced by new mothers. A powerful new drug could be…

No free gifts to doctors, but UCPMP is not effective

Getty ImagesSynopsisThe new government notice tries to prevent the pharmaceutical companies from inducing doctors to…

Remembering Novartis’ Ranjit Shahani: The pharma titan who walked a tightrope for India

Ranjit Shahani, former chief of NovartisSynopsisRanjit Shahani will be remembered for his astute leadership and…

Kotdwar to Hyderabad: How a fake-drugs racket in Uttarakhand with roots in south India was busted.

Officials from enforcement agencies with the accused charged with making and supplying spurious drugs; image…

AI can bring transformational medicines; India has incredible talent pool: Bristol Myers CEO

Chris Boerner, Global CEO, Bristol Myers Squibb; image credit: BMSSynopsis“We are building to be one…

Chronic Lyme and other pathogens: Tackling long-haul diseases.

As long-haul infections continue to surge, and climate change pushes ticks into new habitats, finding…

Once dumped by investors, Orchid Pharma blooms in glory with first novel antibiotic drug

Getty ImagesSynopsisOrchid Pharma had outlicensed its experimental antibiotic drug to Allecra Therapeutics of Germany. After…

A new lease of life: How India’s first CAR-T cell therapy is helping patients battle cancer.

The ImmunoACT team that worked on India's first approved CAR-T therapy NexCAR 19; image courtesy:…

An army of 12,000 medical reps: How Rajeev Juneja flexed Mankind to the pharma top order

Rajeev Juneja, vice-chairman and managing director, Mankind Pharma; image credit: CompanySynopsisWhile Ramesh Juneja has led…

Ka-Ching: How global drug makers are riding on luck in their pursuit of blockbuster drugs, vaccines

Illustration by Sadhana Saxena via AISynopsisThe recent successes of leading pharmaceutical products show that drug…

We do a few things, but those few things must be the best in the world: Novo Nordisk’s top exec

Maziar Mike Doustdar, executive VP, Novo Nordisk; image credit: CompanySynopsisNovo Nordisk, the most valuable pharmaceutical…

Fixing India’s broken healthcare infra at the bottom, Ujala Cygnus is a rare example

India’s smaller cities and hinterland remain a neglected lot even as five-star specialty hospitals flourish…

MSD: As MSD puts iconic Januvia and Janumet up for sale, India’s diabetes-drugs market goes into churn

A sharp surge in the number of diabetes patients, 77 million and counting, has turned…

China Covid: Why China’s zero-Covid-19 policy went awry, whereas India fared better against a tenacious virus

Epidemic control workers wear PPE as they wait to remove medical waste from apartments where…

Piramal Pharma Stock: Piramal Pharma expects healthy growth in its key businesses. But does it cure the debt ailment?

Nandini Piramal, chairperson, Piramal Pharma; image courtesy of Piramal Pharma.SynopsisPiramal Pharma’s management is optimistic that…

India pharma industry: From whistleblower, Dinesh Thakur’s long road to reforming India’s pharma industry

His name splits the Indian drug industry down the middle. Dinesh Thakur is either admired…

Debt-hobbled Glenmark is looking to boost earnings. Execution will be key to winning back investors.

Glenn Saldanha, managing director and CEO, Glenmark pharmaceuticals; image credit: AgenciesSynopsisCoping with a tough US…

High risk of adverse reaction to two diabetes drugs: Doctors advise caution; will patients be safe?

Canadian physician William Osler is said to have once remarked that medicine is a science…

Sun Pharma: Why Sun Pharma is shelling out USD576 million on a hair-loss drug to fire its specialty-drugs game

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries is scaling new heights. After a setback in the US generic-drugs business,…

Rajendra Badwe: How Rajendra Badwe is making cancer treatment affordable by repurposing easily available drugs

Dr. Rajendra Achyut Badwe, Director, Tata Memorial Center.SynopsisBadwe, director of Mumbai’s Tata Memorial Centre, has…

e-pharmacies: Government glare on e-pharmacies of Amazon, Reliance, Tata et al. after nudge from chemists

The convenience of ordering medicines online has attracted millions, especially the elderly. While it may…

Carrying organs to blood samples, drones can change healthcare. But not before limitations are fixed.

Technicians fly a drone to deliver medical supplies during testing at Gauribidanur, near Banglore.SynopsisThe use…

Silent epidemic: the health catastrophe India is not talking about, and why that should change

“I feel exhausted all the time.” Cheryl (name changed on the condition of anonymity), a…

From ‘facilitator’ to ‘regulator’: How Rajeev Raghuvanshi is fixing the gaps in pharma industry

Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, the Drug Controller General of India; image credit: Vikas DandekarSynopsisThe pharmaceutical industry,…

Why New Delhi needs to mount an India-driven global health-diplomacy push, and what it needs to do

Workers unload cartons of a Covid-19 coronavirus vaccine being delivered from India to MyanmarSynopsisThe pandemic…

With data, we want to boost genomics, personalised medicines, manufacturing: WEF health chief

Shyam Bishen, chief of health and healthcare division, World Economic Forum; image credit: TwitterSynopsisThe scars…

Low-quality drugs are posing a risk to India’s global image. Can Rajeev Raghuvanshi fix the faults?

SynopsisAt a conference last year, India’s new drug controller general Rajeev Raghuvanshi, who was then…

obesity: Tale of two anti-obesity drugs for diabetics: Does the euphoria signal an end to the chronic disease?

For most diabetics, an age-old challenge has been the inability to lose weight despite workouts.…

Redcliffe Labs is taking on incumbents like Dr Lal PathLabs. But is it biting more than it can chew?

Dheeraj Jain, founder and MD, Redcliffe Labs; image credit: Redcliffe Labs SynopsisHaving set itself a…

Data-integrity woes have come back to haunt Indian pharma. How can it deal with the USFDA’s glare?

Regulatory lapses have been hurting the industry since long. In several instances earlier, such issues…

Mankind Pharma IPO: Mankind Pharma IPO: Reasonably priced, investors may join the company on its ‘Bharat-to-India’ quest

Rajeev Juneja, Vice Chairman & Managing Director at Mankind Pharma Ltd. image courtesy: company.SynopsisAdopting a…

Dilip Jose: Manipal Health has set its sights on the top spot. Can it get there amid the intense competition?

Dilip Jose, Managing Director and CEO at Manipal HospitalsSynopsisOf late, Manipal Health has been focusing…

Lifesaver to litigant: how a Covid-19 drug drove a wedge between Max Healthcare and Novacare

SynopsisRonapreve came as a boon at the peak of the Delta wave in 2021. But…

WHO: WHO just removed Covid-19’s emergency tag. That doesn’t mark the end of the virus or the pandemic.

Concept by Vikas Dandekar and Muhabit ul haq.SynopsisThe World Health Organization has lifted the emergency…

sexual healh: How digital healthcare startups are helping Indians break the taboo of sexual disorders

Getty ImagesSynopsisDiscussing sexual disorders is no longer a taboo. Young Indians are leading the way…

Antimicrobial resistance: Would you drink a vial of virus? That could be your best bet against antimicrobial resistance

SynopsisPhages — microscopic viruses that infect bacteria — were discovered over a 100 years ago,…

diabetes: A ticking blood-sugar bomb: As diabetes snares more Indians, it is turning into an economic risk

SynopsisA recent study found that 101 million Indians are living with diabetes. From 70 million…

PharmEasy has skipped the growth pill for profitability. This may lead to side effects

Healthtech company PharmEasy seems to finally be able to hold its head above water. The…

How a scientist at Enzene is rethinking manufacturing to make anti-cancer drugs affordable in India

Himanshu Gadgil, CEO, Enzene Biosciences; Enzene Biosciences in Pune; image credit: EnzeneSynopsisAnti-cancer drugs are beyond…

India Diabetes: Curbing the surge of diabetes in India needs collaborative effort: Novo Nordisk CEO

Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen, global CEO, Novo Nordisk; image credit: CompanySynopsisLars Fruergaard Jørgensen, the CEO of…

eGenesis plans to transplant gene-edited pig hearts into human babies by next year

By Jessica Hamzelou The baby baboon is wearing a mesh gown and appears to be…

cipla: Leap of faith: how Cipla veteran Nikhil Chopra got JB Pharma out of the woods, on to a growth path

Nikhil Chopra, CEO, JB Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Image credit: Special ArrangementSynopsisWhen PE firm KKR…

Cipla in talks for a private-equity deal? Here’s what could be on the mind of founder Yusuf Hamied.

Friends, I represent the Third World. I represent the needs and aspirations of the Third…

cipla: Why Hamied family’s exit would mark the end of an era for Cipla and millions of patients

YK Hamied, non-executive chairman, CiplaSynopsisCipla may be privately owned, but effectively it has been a…

apollo: Apollo Hospitals: all bulked up for its next phase of expansion,yet conservative on acquisitions

Apollo Hospital in Mumbai, India.SynopsisStrong financial and operational performance marked the last five years, a…

Cipla takeover: Torrent Pharma is gearing up to take over Cipla. Here’s why it’s a tightrope walk.

SynopsisIf Torrent Pharma were to acquire Cipla, which is 2.5 times its size in sales,…

syngene: Syngene gets booster dose of sky-high valuation, but investors cautiously upbeat on stock

Contract research and manufacturing company Syngene International has had a fabulous run this year. Its…

Disease X: Battling deadly Disease X: here’s a checklist to prep India for logistics, operations, and finance

Health workers wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) take part in a mock drill to check…

healthcare: Not ‘arms and legs’, healthcare companies are using AI to make ‘brains’: health-tech expert Yan Chow

Yan Chow, global healthcare leader, Automation AnywhereSynopsisThe healthcare industry is on the verge of a…

us shark tank: Selling cut-price generics, Mark Cuban is shaking up US pharma. Can Indian drug makers benefit?

Getty ImagesMark Cuban.SynopsisMost of the large Indian pharma companies earn a big chunk of their…

Ayurvedic: Ayurvedic herbs are unsafe; Homeopathy is a classical quackery: Liverdoc Cyriac Abby Philips

Cyriac Abby Philips, popular on X as Liverdoc, has waged an unyielding battle against alternative…

iit: How IIT Madras’s cutting-edge research on the human brain can help treat Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

Prof. Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam(extreme right) with his team of senior scientists; image credit: IIT MadrasSynopsisUsing indigenous…

Cyriac Abby Philips: Intermittent fasting has benefits in diabetes, but is overrated like fad diets: Liverdoc Philips

Liver specialist Cyriac Abby Philips says there are no approved medicines for treating NASH or…

usfda: Closer USFDA lens will keep Indian pharma edgy, but companies now better placed to handle the glare

Three months ago, Robert M Califf, commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA)…

weight loss: Planning a ‘skinny jab’? The truth behind miracle weight-loss drugs

Cui Xiaotian, Zhao Jinzhao, Zhou Xinda, Hua Ang, Chengxi, Tan Chen, and Han Wei Liu…

narayana hrudayalaya: Narayana Hrudayalaya’s shares are on a growth beat. What’s driving the hospital chain’s optimism?

SynopsisImproving financials of hospital chains, future growth prospects of the sector itself have attracted investors…

copd: Silent killer: India gasps for breath as COPD spreads to rural areas, affects non-smokers.

Getty ImagesSynopsisThe irreversible lung disease is affecting a large part of India’s population, especially the…