BIOCON IN PACT WITH US FIRM FOR DIABETES DRUG DEVELOPMENT

BIOCON has invigorated its diabetics drug development drive by teaming up with US based biopharma player Amylin Pharmaceuticals. The companies have entered into an exclusive co-development and marketing partnership for a peptide hybrid or phybrid. This phybrid will combine properties of two peptides - essentially small proteins - into one molecule to treat diabetes. ?For instance, this bifunctionality could lower glucose levels as well as induce weight loss.
"Against using single properties on their own, this technology is likely to give a differentiated clinical outcome by enabling the interplay of two peptides with dual benefits (like lower sugar level and weight loss)," COO of Biocon Arun Chandavarkar, told Economic Times.

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NOVARTIS GETS NOD FOR HUMAN TRIALS OF "H1 N1" VACCINE IN INDIA

SWISS drug firm Novartis has received the government's nod to start human trails for its wine flu vaccine in India after it has shown strong immune response in 80% of the subjects who were administered one dose in experiments conducted in the UK.
However, the government has said that it would not place any orders for the vaccine till the experiments are successful in at least 600-800 people in India, health ministry secretary and director general of Indian Council of Medical Research, Vishwa Mohan Katoch said. Since swine flu was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in June, Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies have been racing to get their vaccines ready in a bid to check the outbreak.
Novartis' newly developed vaccine, to be called Celtura, against influenza A H1N1 (swine flu) has shown effective result during a pilot test conducted on 100 healthy volunteers aged between 18 and 50. Trial leader Dr Iain Stephenson said, "The clinical trial of Novartis MF59-adjuvanted cell -based H1N1 vaccine indicates that the swine flu vaccine elicits a strong immune response and is well-tolerated. The results showed that the serum antibody responses were highest among subjects who received two doses of the vaccine. However, a single vaccine may be sufficient to protect against H1N1".
The trails have a significance for India as it is one of the vaccines being eyed by India to be given to healthcare and emergency workers around January next year.
Novartis is presently carrying out global trails of this vaccine in more than 6,000 adults and children around the world, a company statement said.
Last week, the health ministry had decided to let GlaxoSmithKline conduct human trials of its swine flu vaccine. The Anglo-American drug maker, however, had replied to the ministry saying the government will have to place a certain order for the vaccine with the company before it starts human trails in India, director-general health services (DGHS) Dr RK Srivastava told ET. However, the government has been very categorical saying that before placing orders for any import of vaccines, the vaccines will have to undergo safety and efficacy trials on the Indian population before being introduced in the countrey.
"Such clauses are not acceptable, these can be virtual orders which are temporary. Real orders will be placed only once we are ensured of the safety and immunogenicity of these vaccines on Indian population," Mr Katoch said.

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