Monthly Archives: June 2020

KIMS doctors taste success with plasma therapy

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The medical team that performed plasma therapy. | Photo Credit: Kiran Bakale
The medical team that performed plasma therapy. | Photo Credit: Kiran Bakale

COVID-19 patient’s condition had turned to normal from critical

In a first, the doctors of Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences and Hospital (KIMS) have tasted success with plasma therapy on a COVID-19 patient in Hubballi.

Director of KIMS Ramalingappa Antaratani and Medical Superintendent Arunkumar C. told presspersons in Hubballi on Tuesday that the patient’s condition had turned to normal from critical.

Dr. Ramalingappa said that the 65-year-old male patient (P-2170) was on oxygen support when they began plasma therapy on May 28. “We counselled the other COVID patients who have been discharged from the hospital. A 63-year-old male from Hubballi (P-373) agreed to donate plasma for treatment. We took the help of Dr. RB Patil Cancer Institute at Navanagar, Hubballi, for extraction of plasma. Subsequently 200ml of plasma was given twice to the patient and he started showing signs of recovery.”

The patient responded well to the therapy and his condition had improved drastically.

To a query, Dr. Ramalingappa clarified that plasma therapy was not the first line of treatment and would be given to only specific cases of moderate to severe symptoms. The doctors were contemplating to administer the same on severe cases from other districts. “But we need donors and that’s why we are trying to counsel the cured patients.”

He clarified that regular observation would be done of both the donor and receiver.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Corresondent / Hubballi – June 02nd, 2020

Coronavirus lockdown: Quick-thinking cop helps save migrants during thunderstorm

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RaviKumarConstableBF02jun2020

Quick thinking and timely action by a police constable helped save the lives of nearly 200 migrant workers stuck inside the Palace Grounds last week.

Authorities had put up about 180 people — migrant workers and their family members, including small children — at Nalapad Pavilion, a wedding venue inside the sprawling Palace Grounds in northern Bengaluru. It was a temporary arrangement until the railways arranged trains to take them home.

The venue is a large, closed shed with a steel fabrication roof. On May 29, as a fierce thundershower trampled Bengaluru, it also brought down a part of the fabrication roof, trapping many workers inside, including women and small children.

Ravikumar G N, a constable from the Shivajinagar women’s police station, who was posted at the venue, quickly rescued those trapped inside. He also stopped many workers from going into the collapsed shed to salvage their belongings. When some workers took shelter outside, a few trees got uprooted.

The constable quickly moved all of them to a safer place within the venue and called the police control room for reinforcements. No one was hurt.  Recognising his work, the police top brass decided to felicitate him. Accordingly, a ceremony was held on Sunday where Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao presented him with a cash reward of Rs 10,000 and a letter of appreciation.

A native of Davangere, Ravikumar is an MBA graduate and had topped Kuvempu University in 2016. He taught at a college as a guest lecturer for two years before joining the police in 2019.

“I saw what prayers meant to them when the roof collapsed,” he said. “I also panicked initially but somehow gathered the courage and joined hands with the workers. I’m happy that I could uphold the dignity of my job.”

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Cities> Life in Bengaluru / by Umesh R Yadav  DHNS, Bengaluru – June 01st, 2020

Biocon’s partner Mylan receives favourable ruling for device in U.S.

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Clears hurdle for patenting Biocon’s Insulin Glargine.

Biocon Ltd. today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Appeal Board (PTAB) ruled in favour of Mylan, Biocon’s partner in inter-partes review (IPR) proceedings, finding all challenged claims of Sanofi’s Lantus SoloSTAR device patents unpatentable. The PTAB found three claims of patent unpatentable, and two claims to be patentable. However, Mylan and Biocon previously obtained a covenant not to sue from Sanofi on the patent and therefore this ruling does not impact Biocon and Mylan’s ability to commercialise Semglee (Insulin Glargine) upon final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The PTAB also found Sanofi’s proposed amended claims for the ‘486 and ‘844 patents unpatentable. Dr. Christiane Hamacher, CEO and Managing Director, Biocon Biologics, said, “We are extremely pleased with the U.S. PTAB’s ruling in favour of our partner Mylan for four device patents of Sanofi’s Lantus SoloSTAR. This strengthens our resolve to provide high-quality, affordable Insulin Glargine to diabetic patients in the U.S. and generate savings for their healthcare system. Our partner’s New Drug Application (NDA) for Semglee is under active review by the U.S. FDA and this favourable ruling further clears the path for the anticipated launch of our Glargine in the U.S. in mid-CY20..”

Last month, the PTAB held the sole challenged claim of another Lantus SoloSTAR device patent as unpatentable and in March, Mylan and Biocon announced that a U.S. court found the asserted claims of the ‘844 patent not infringed by Mylan’s Insulin Glargine product and invalid for lack of written description. Sanofi’s formulation patents were previously affirmed to be invalid by the Federal Circuit.

“The positive IPR developments are greatly encouraging as we believe greater competition in the U.S. insulins market will help rationalise the cost of therapy and generate savings for the healthcare system. Once approved and commercialized, our co-developed Semglee will expand access to insulin therapy. Lantus is a long-acting insulin used to treat adults with type-2 diabetes and adults and pediatric patients with type-1 diabetes for the control of high blood sugar. Our partner, Mylan’s New Drug Application (NDA) is under active review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.”

Sanofi sells the product in vials (Lantus) and as a disposable injection pen (Lantus SoloSTAR®). Sanofi’s total IQVIA sales for the 12 months ending March 31, 2020, were approximately $1.71 billion for Lantus 100 Units/mL and about $4.32 billion for Lantus SoloSTAR.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Business> Industry / by Special Correspondent / Bengaluru – June 01st, 2020