Health

Seoul, Oct 10 (IANS) South Korean biopharmaceutical company Celltrion on Friday said its biosimilar for eye diseases has received approval for sale in the US.The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Eydenzelt, Celltrion's biosimilar referencing Eylea, for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration and other ophthalmic conditions, the company said, in a statement, Yonhap news agency reported.Both the Eydenzelt injection and Eydenzelt prefilled syringe (PFS) formulations have been approved, it added.The global market for Eylea, developed in the United States, was valued at 13.33 trillion won (US$9.52 billion) last year, with the US sales alone reaching 8.36 trillion won, according to the company."Timely access to effective therapies is essential for individuals affec...

New Delhi, Oct 10 (IANS) Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Friday urged the need to prioritise our emotional and mental well-being and to open conversation about mental health.World Mental Health Day is observed every year on October 10 to raise awareness of mental health issues and to mobilise efforts in support of mental health.“Today, we observe World Mental Health Day, which reminds us to prioritise our emotional and mental well-being. This day gives us an opportunity to raise awareness and encourage open conversations about mental health,” Nadda said, in a post shared on the social media platform X.Based on this year's theme, the Health Minister urged boosting mental health in times of humanitarian emergencies. He also called for increasing timely access to mental health services for ...

New Delhi, Oct 10 (IANS) Behavioural therapies may be effective for treating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) -- an intestinal disorder causing pain in the stomach -- according to a study on Friday.IBS affects around 5 per cent of people worldwide and is characterised by abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits.There is no cure, and treatments such as diet changes and medications often only provide partial relief of symptoms; therefore, medical guidelines also recommend considering behavioural therapies.The study, published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology, showed that brain-gut behaviour therapies, including forms of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and gut-directed hypnotherapy (GDH), can be effective.“The study highlights the potential of brain-gut behavioural therapie...

New Delhi, Oct 9 (IANS) UK’s Imperial College London on Thursday announced a partnership with Science Gallery Bengaluru (SGB) to drive the exchange of talent and knowledge and boost innovation between the two countries.Through the new partnership, the two organisations plan to co-develop cutting-edge open research facilities on-site at SGB, boost UK-India and global talent exchange through a joint fellowship, and explore public engagement, research, and education collaborations based on shared expertise and facilities.By joining forces, the two organisations will train the innovators of the future and cultivate the next generation of talent.The partnership was announced as part of the trade meeting between India and the UK, with Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer arriving in India for a...

New Delhi, Oct 9 (IANS) The Union government has released the Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV FC) health sector grant amounting to over Rs 151 crore for improving rural diagnostic infrastructure in West Bengal, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj said on Thursday.The grant is under the component “Support for Diagnostic Infrastructure to the Primary Healthcare Facilities for the Sub-Centres (for Rural)” for the year 2024-25.“This grant supports the healthy panchayat vision under localisation of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs), promoting health and well-being for all through local governance. It also helps to strengthen the goal of “Viksit Bharat @2047 through Healthy Panchayats,” fostering resilient and sustainable rural communities,” the Ministry said.“The XV Finance Commission (XV FC)...

New Delhi, Oct 9 (IANS) Nearly 1 billion people in low-and middle-income countries are living with avoidable vision loss, according to a new report on World Sight Day on Thursday.The report by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) showed that most of this can be solved with some of the cheapest interventions: cataract surgery and glasses. IAPB works closely with the United Nations to work for eye care.The report, launched during the UN General Assembly, showed how India can benefit from prioritising eye health, urging everyone to love their eyes by getting an eye test.It noted that around 70 crore people in India are living with preventable sight loss, which affects employment, education, income and caregiving responsibilities.It suggested six simple, cost-effe...

New Delhi, Oct 9 (IANS) The Union government is focused on boosting comprehensive healthcare in the country with early detection and better access, said Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Thursday.Speaking at the two-day FICCI HEAL 2025 event here, the health minister highlighted the change in healthcare policy in the country in the last decade.The Union Minister said that India developed a new health policy in 2017 after waiting since 1998, when it was last developed.“Previously, we were thinking in terms of only curative health care. It was in 2017 that we started thinking about comprehensive health care. We need preventive health care and early detection. So, with this, we developed a comprehensive health policy,” Nadda said.“Under the comprehensive health policy, we developed preventive...

New Delhi, Oct 9 (IANS) Timely screening of eyes, a healthy diet, and control of screen time is important to prevent vision-related problems, said Union Health Minister JP Nadda on World Sight Day on Thursday.World Sight Day is held on the second Thursday of October, to raise awareness about blindness and vision impairment.The theme this year is "Love Your Eyes". It focuses on self-care for vision, promoting regular eye checkups and preventive eye health practices to ensure access to quality eye care for everyone.“World Sight Day gives us a platform to raise awareness about the importance of good eye health and regular check-ups. Timely eye screening, a healthy diet, and protective habits can help prevent vision problems,” Nadda shared in a post on the social media platform X.“This year’s ...

New Delhi, Oct 9 (IANS) Poor air quality may not just be choking your lungs, it can also attack joints, leading to severe rheumatoid arthritis, experts said here on Thursday.Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, especially the joints, causing persistent pain, swelling, stiffness, and disability.Traditionally linked to genetics and immune system dysfunction, RA is now increasingly being associated with environmental triggers like air pollution.Recent studies in Europe, China, and now India suggest that exposure to PM2.5 -- the dangerous fine particulate matter that penetrates deep into the lungs -- may be linked not only to heart and lung diseases but also to autoimmune disorders like RA.“We are observing a rise...

New Delhi, Oct 9 (IANS) Scientists have developed a new device that may help identify tuberculosis DNA from exhaled air -- known as aerosols.Tuberculosis is an airborne disease that is often diagnosed by analysing sputum -- mucus coughed up from the lungs. However, not all patients are able to produce sputum, which makes detection more difficult.Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden tested whether DNA from the tuberculosis bacterium could be detected in exhaled air."It is promising that we can detect infectious tuberculosis directly in the air, especially in settings where sputum samples are difficult to obtain," said Jay Achar, researcher in the Department of Global Public Health at Karolinska Institutet.The study, published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases, was conducted at pri...