April 2015

Oncolytics Biotech Inc., a biotechnology company concentrated on the development of oncolytic viruses as potential cancer therapeutics. Company has presented an application to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for REOLYSIN to get Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of gastric cancer.

Health ministry to amend Form 12-B of D&C Rules; Form 12-B of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules is  for giving permission for import of small quantities of drugs for personal use. The Union health ministry will soon amend Rules in this regard.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is ordering stricter warnings and contraindications for the anemia drug “Feraheme”. It could cause potentially life-threatening allergic reactions. The drug — approved for use only in adults with chronic kidney disease who have iron-deficiency anemia — has been contraindicated also in patients with known hypersensitivity to ferumoxytol or any of its components or a history of allergic reaction to any intravenous iron product. Health care professionals should strictly follow the recommendations mentioned in the drug label. Patients should immediately call doctor if there is breathing problems, low blood pressure, lightheadedness, dizziness, swelling, a rash, or itching during or after Feraheme administration.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the Gastric Emptying Breath Test (GEBT), a new non-invasive test for the treatment of delayed gastric emptying, known as gastroparesis. Gastroparesis is a condition in which your stomach cannot empty itself of food in a normal fashion. It is caused by damage to the vagus nerve, which regulates the digestive system. A damaged vagus nerve prevents the muscles in the stomach and intestine from functioning, preventing food from moving through the digestive system properly. If this left untreated, gastroparesis can lead to problems such as severe dehydration due to persistent vomiting, difficulty managing blood sugar levels in people with diabetes, and malnutrition due to poor absorption of nutrients or a low caloric intake.