Pharma News

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Opdivo (nivolumab) injection, for intravenous use, for the treatment of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients with EGFR mutation or ALK translocation should have disease progression on appropriate targeted therapy prior to receiving Opdivo. In a Phase 3 trial, CheckMate -057, Opdivo demonstrated superior overall survival (OS) in previously treated metastatic non-squamous NSCLC compared to chemotherapy, with a 27% reduction in the risk of death (hazard ratio: 0.73 [95% CI: 0.60, 0.89; p=0.0015]), based on a prespecified interim analysis.1 The median OS was 12.2 months in the Opdivo arm (95% CI: 9.7, 15.0) and 9.4 months in the docetaxel arm (95% CI: 8.0, 10.7). This approval expands Opdivo’s indication for previously treated metastatic squamous NSCLC to include the non-squamous patient population. Squamous and non-squamous NSCLC together represent approximately 85% to 90% of lung cancer cases.

(NwesVoir); India has been going through a major epidemiological transition over the past 25 years. The burden of premature death and health loss due to non-infectious conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, chronic obstructive lung disease and road traffic has increased massively, and the burden due to lower respiratory infections, tuberculosis, diarrhea and neonatal disorders still remains unacceptably high. The extent of the burden due to these major conditions is expected to vary significantly across the various population groups and the states of India. National-level estimates do not provide enough detail for targeted-action. Hence reliable sub-national estimation of disease burden in India is crucial for an informed health system response to improve population health.

First-born children run higher risk of becoming nearsighted later in life, compared with their later-born siblings, a study says.

One-year-olds who experience frequent night wakings are more likely to have difficulties concentrating and to exhibit behavioural problems at three and four years of age, says a new study.

Researchers have identified a genetic variant that regulates hundreds of genes that govern how and where women's bodies store fat, which affects their risk of developing Type-2 diabetes.

A two-day convention here of the country's anaesthesiologists has called for the community to transit to newer techniques and medications to avert problems arising out of general anaesthesia routinely administered during surgery.

 In what could lead to potential new ways of slowing the pace of ageing in humans, research have identified 238 genes that, when removed from living cells, can extend their life

Lithium, a drug used successfully for decades to treat adults with the bipolar disorder, can also be safe and effective for children suffering from the chronic brain condition marked by spontaneous, changing bouts of elation and depression, says a new study.

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New research has found that young children who are taught to reason about the mental states of others are more likely to use deception to win a reward. The findings indicate that developing "theory of mind" (ToM) -- a cognitive ability critical to many social interactions -- may enable children to engage in the sophisticated thinking necessary for intentionally deceiving another person. The study appeared in the journal Psychological Science.