Medically Speaking Team

The United States has announced a financing of USD 122 million to top three Indian medical research institutes to prevent preventable epidemics, early identification of disease risks, and prompt and efficient response. The entire funding of USD 122,475,000 will be awarded over a five-year period to the three leading Indian health research institutions: the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the National Institute of Virology (NIV), and the National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE).

Announced by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday, the fund will accelerate the progress towards an India which is safe and secure from infectious disease threats through ICMR institutions’ focus on emerging and re-emerging pathogens. Prominent among these include detecting and controlling zoonotic disease outbreaks through a ‘one health’ approach; evaluating vaccine safety monitoring systems; capacitating the public health workforce in field epidemiology and outbreak response; and combating antimicrobial resistance, a media release said. CDC said ICMR is in a unique position to conduct this work, as it was originally established as an apex body for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research in India, and has taken up most of the laboratory-based surveillance of infectious diseases in recent years.

Also Read: Young men account for 60 per cent of all cardiology health queries: Practo

According to the Indian Heart Association, 50% of all heart attacks in Indian males occur before the age of 50, and 25% of all heart attacks in Indian men occur before the age of 40. The abrupt deaths of a few well-known male celebrities due to a heart attack or cardiac arrest have raised awareness and worries about heart disorders in the recent year.

Taking a closer look, Practo insights revealed a 300 per cent increase in cardiology related online consultations in men compared to last year while in-person appointments to cardiologists grew by 150 per cent for the same period.

From this, close to 60 per cent of both online and in-person cardiology related consultations were from men aged between 21 to 40. And nearly 40 per cent of all online cardiology related consults were from men living in non-metro cities.

Also Read: FDA approves first treatment for alopecia

The majority of queries were on ‘cardiac arrest’, ‘heart attack’, ‘coronary artery disease’, ‘How COVID-19 affects heart patients?” and “What are symptoms one should look out for in case of heart attacks?”

Heart health cases in India

Dr Alexander Kuruvilla, Chief Health Strategy Officer, Practo, “India is known to have the highest cases of heart disease patients in the world, and heart related issues among men have become more prevalent in the last couple of years. Heart disease is a chronic medical condition that needs meticulous management. And a patient needs to have access to all the necessary facilities to manage heart related conditions. At Practo, we are focused on improving healthcare delivery in a way that is accessible and affordable for the patients across the country so they can live healthier lives longer. And digital healthcare has provided patients with a potent solution to seek help instantly with a verified doctor 24×7.”

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The FDA has approved baricitinib as a therapy for severe alopecia areata, following extremely positive findings from trials confirming the hair regeneration potential of a popular arthritis medicine. The medicine will now be the first FDA-approved therapy for systemic treatment of the condition, and will come in the form of a daily tablet, which has shown great promise in recent Phase 3 trials.

Baricitinib is a medicine that was initially created to treat rheumatoid arthritis, but it has lately piqued the curiosity of scientists looking for remedies for another inflammatory illness known as alopecia areata. This disorder affects over 300,000 people in the United States each year and causes patchy hair loss due to immune system assaults on hair follicles. There were no FDA-approved therapies for the illness prior to today.

Scientists began looking at baricitinib’s potential to treat alopecia areata on the basis that it might disrupt the signalling pathways that damage hair follicles. Results from Phase 3 studies involving over 1,200 persons with the disease published in March revealed that almost one-third of them were able to regrow their hair by taking four-milligram capsules of baricitinib each day. Meanwhile, two-milligram dosages improved scalp hair covering in nearly a fifth of individuals.

Approval to first systematic treatment of Alopecia

The medicine, which will be offered under the brand name Olumiant by pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, has now met the FDA’s safety and effectiveness standards, allowing the agency to approve it as the first in-disease systemic therapy for alopecia areata. That is, the medicine will be accessible in 1-, 2-, and 4-milligram daily dosages based on treatment response, rather than particular sites.

“Today marks a milestone with the first-ever FDA-approved systemic treatment for alopecia areata patients, who face significant challenges every day, including limited public knowledge about the disease, a lack of treatment options and social stigma,” a daily quoted Nicole Friedland, president and chief executive officer, National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF). “The approval of Olumiant can spark hope for many patients and encourage new treatment conversations with their doctors. NAAF wants more choices for our patient community and with the approval of Olumiant, there are now new treatment expectations being established in alopecia areata care.”

Olumiant is a JAK inhibitor that operates by inhibiting the activity of one or more enzyme families. It should not be used with other JAK inhibitors. Common side effects include respiratory tract infections, headaches, acne, and weight gain, and it’s worth mentioning that 2.2 percent of individuals dropped out of the clinical trial programme owing to unpleasant occurrences.

“Access to safe and effective treatment options is crucial for the significant number of Americans affected by severe alopecia,” said Kendall Marcus, M.D., director of the Division of Dermatology and Dentistry in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “Today’s approval will help fulfill a significant unmet need for patients with severe alopecia areata.”

Also Read: NEET PG 2022: Counselling schedule to be announced soon

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On June 1, 2022, the National Board of Education (NBE) issued the NEET PG 2022 Result. The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) is presently preparing to conduct NEET PG Counselling online for 50 percent of AIQ seats in government institutions, central universities, deemed universities, ESIC, and AFMS institutes.

The NEET PG 2022 Counselling Schedule will be made available soon at www.mcc.nic.in. It should be noted that the remaining 50% of state quota seats will be filled by individual state counselling conducting agencies.

Also Read: SEC recommends India’s first indigenously developed vaccine against cervical cancer for 9 to 26-year age group

NEET PG 2022 course name and seats:

MD: 26,168
MS: 13,649
PG Diploma: 922
DNB CET: 1,388

List of documents required during NEET PG 2022 counselling process:

• NEET PG 2022 admit card
• NEET PG 2022 result
• Mark Sheets of MBBS/BDS professional examinations
• MBBS/BDS Degree Certificate
• Internship Completion Certificate
• NMC issued a registration certificate
• Date of birth proof
• Valid ID proof
• Caste certificate
• Disability Certificate

Registration at www.mcc.in

Step 1: Visit the official website of the MCC – www.mcc.nic.in

According to reports, the topic expert committee meeting scheduled today to consider Serum Institute of India’s (SII) indigenously manufactured Quadrivalent human papillomavirus (qHPV) vaccine against cervical cancer has recommended regular market authorization for males and females aged 9 to 26.

“The phase 3 data of vaccine was found satisfactory after which recommendations have been made,” sources from ANI reported.

According to the sources, SII’s Director of Government and Regulatory Affairs, Prakash Kumar Singh, applied to the Drugs Controller General of India on June 8 for market authorization of the qHPV vaccine.

Prakash Kumar Singh cited the vaccine’s antibody response against HPV types in all dosages and age groups in his submission to the DCGI.

Also Read: SEC will meet to examine India’s first indigenously made cervical cancer vaccine

“It’s expected that vaccine will be launched in the market before year-end. The qHPV will be India’s first indigenously vaccine against cervical cancer.

The Pune-based Serum Institute of India has applied for market authorisation after completing the phase 2/3 clinical trial with the support of the Department of Biotechnology to ensure its early availability in the country,” said the sources.

Cervical cancer in India

In India, 122,844 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, with 67,477 dying as a result of the disease.

The HPV vaccination lowers a woman’s chance of developing cervical cancer. Although men cannot acquire cervical cancer, the HPV vaccination may help prevent genital warts, penile cancer, anal cancer, and HPV transmission to sexual partners.

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India recorded 12,213 new Covid-19 in the past 24 hours. It was the first time in 3 months that the Covid cases crossed the 12k mark. India logged 8,641 new cases of the virus on Wednesday. Including the recent increase in cases, India’s COVID-19 cases totaled 4,32,57,730, with 58,215 active cases.

Active cases make up 0.13 percent of all cases.

Also Read: Dr Anthony Fauci, Chief Medical Officer of the US, tests positive for COVID-19

The recovery rate in the country is currently at 98.65 per cent. As many as 7,624 recoveries were recorded in the last 24 hours thereby increasing Total Recoveries to 4,26,74,712.

With 11 new deaths, the total death rate is now 5,24,803.

Covid vaccination exceed 195 cr mark

So far, 195.67 crore vaccine doses have been delivered under the countrywide immunisation push for COVID-19.

In light of the recent increase in COVID-19 cases recorded throughout the country, the Health Ministry of India asked states and union territories on June 9 to be vigilant and rigorously adhere to COVID-appropriate behaviour. Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan asked States/UTs on Thursday to increase RT-PCR testing, monitoring, clinical management, immunisation, COVID-19 procedures, and adopt prompt preventive measures in a letter. Bhushan also asked the government to use a “five-fold Strategy.”

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Dr. Antony Fauci, White House Chief Medical Advisor, tested positive with COVID-19 on Wednesday (local time).

He has been properly immunised and boosted twice. He is now suffering from minor symptoms. According to a press statement from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dr. Fauci will isolate himself and continue to work from home. US President Joe Biden’s primary medical advisor has not lately communicated with him or other senior government officials. Dr. Fauci will follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 recommendations, as well as medical advice from his physician, and will return to the NIH if he tests negative.

Also Read: WHO to decide if Monkeypox should be declared ‘Emergency of International Concern’ next week

“There may be the need for yet again another boost — in this case, a fourth-dose boost for an individual receiving the mRNA — that could be based on age, as well as underlying conditions,” Dr Fauci said during White House briefing on Wednesday (local time).

Dr. Anthony Fauci told reporters that the data demonstrating the necessity for a shot after the third dose is certainly a problem that has been extensively monitored.

President Biden’s senior medical advisor stated that COVID-19 had killed half a million people worldwide since the omicron strain of the coronavirus was discovered in November, referring to it as the “full-blown pandemic phase” of the coronavirus problem.

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Moderna Inc’s (MRNA.O) COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective for use in children aged 6 months to 17 years old, according to FDA staff reviewers on Friday, as a committee of scientists meets next week to vote on whether to recommend the regulator licence the vaccination in children.

In briefing materials released Friday evening, FDA reviewers stated that the vaccination elicited a comparable immunological response in children as it did in adults in prior studies.

“Available data support the effectiveness of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in pediatric age groups from 6 months through 17 years of age,” Reuters quoted the FDA as saying.

The FDA staff also said the vaccine generally had a similar side effect profile in children as seen in adults, although younger children had fevers more frequently.

Both of the messenger RNA-based COVID-19 vaccines made by Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech have been linked to rare instances of a type of heart inflammation called myocarditis, particularly in young men.

“Available data support the effectiveness of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in pediatric age groups from 6 months through 17 years of age,” the FDA staff said.

The FDA staff also said the vaccine generally had a similar side effect profile in children as seen in adults, although younger children had fevers more frequently.

Both of the messenger RNA-based COVID-19 vaccines made by Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech have been linked to rare instances of a type of heart inflammation called myocarditis, particularly in young men.

Panic does not function as a COVID pandemic reaction or public health response since it does not aid in data analysis; hence, panic serves no purpose, according to Dr Samiran Panda, Additional Director-General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

In an interview with ANI, Panda said, “Panic does not serve as a COVID pandemic response or public health response because a panic does not help to analyse the data or looking carefully to be so that’s why panic doesn’t serve a purpose.”

“It is about examining the data very carefully. So, if from a particular site or from a district or a few districts in the state upsurges or peak is being observed, then we need to look at the number of tests conducted in that area. The local data needs to be examined carefully for local-level decision making,” he added.

He stated, “The surge in the cases doesn’t mean it’s reported from all over the country it’s from a few districts.”

“We are talking about 7,000 cases or a little more than this across India. But that is not true, meaning it is a summation of the numbers of positive cases recorded from a few districts. So, that should not be considered as the total numbers for the country or not that the rise is happening uniformly across the country,” he further said.

He also stressed closely monitoring COVID-19 cases at the local or district level. He said, “Examining the data carefully, where can we have relevance local level or the district level every both is an important rather than extrapolating it over one state or the entire country.”

On Thursday, Union Health Ministry wrote a letter to Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Kerala to follow a five-fold strategy, COVID-19 appropriate behaviour and do adequate testing.

According to Dr Panda such initiatives plays an important role, he said, “I would say that these kinds of letters are actually a very good public health tool in terms of encouraging the local health authorities to examine the data to understand how is the disease transmission dynamic happens and also the local administration to think how to encourage people for COVID appropriate behaviour, because while the data will be examined and upsurge, the observed upsurge will be analysed.”

On the threat to the country for another variant, he said, “Threat can only be characterised once a new variant is identified. So whenever a new variant is observed, it is called a variant of interest or variant under investigation and variant concern but not every variant turned out to be a variant of concern. The Variant of concern is the term used for a variant when it gets associated with rapid spread or even the clinical severity of the disease caused by the variant of the virus is more leading to increased hospitalisation or increased requirement of oxygen or increased requirement of the ventilator. So nothing of that sort is being observed.”

“Those who are elderly and who have comorbidities, or who are suffering from let’s say, cancer or getting treated with immunosuppressive therapy, not necessarily because of COVID only but also It’s better if the special subgroups are protected against tuberculosis, air pollution or other respiratory tract infections,” said Dr Panda.
Special care needs to be taken for the elderly population, he added.

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According to a new study, people with rare diseases typically have to wait years for a thorough diagnosis, must frequently travel vast distances for specialty treatment, and suffer substantial out-of-pocket health care costs.

According to the findings of an Oregon State University research, these obstacles result in poor health-related quality of life, low patient satisfaction, and high levels of anxiety, sadness, and stigma. The continual education of medical personnel is a crucial role in tackling these difficulties, according to Kathleen Bogart, one of the primary authors and an associate professor of psychology at OSU.

“A really important area of intervention is ensuring that health care providers have a general knowledge of rare diseases,” Bogart said. “We’re not expecting them to know all 7,000 of them, but we’re expecting them to know some of what the clues are that you’re not dealing with a prevalent condition or a condition that’s easily diagnosed.”

If a doctor meets a patient who has been seeking a diagnosis for years with no success, she believes the doctor should take a new strategy, rather than sending the patient home with the conclusion that nothing can be done to help them.

Also Read: A person’s height may affect their risk for several common health conditions: Study

Rare Health Conditions

A illness is considered “rare” if there are less than 200,000 cases of it in the United States, according to the National Institutes of Health. The NIH lists roughly 7,000 diseases that fulfil this criteria, and while each condition is uncommon on its own, they impact around one in every ten Americans.

Researchers contacted 1,128 patients with rare diseases and parents of children with uncommon diseases from around the country for the study. Participants were asked about their diagnosis process, how educated they thought their medical professionals were, their own understanding about their condition, their insurance coverage, if they felt appropriately supported in their everyday lives, and what sort of stigma they faced.

A questionnaire was also added to measure patients’ health-related quality of life, with questions regarding physical function, weariness, sadness, anxiety, sleep, pain, and capacity to engage in everyday activities.

One of the most remarkable findings was the period between the beginning of symptoms and diagnosis: 16% of persons waited 10 years or more for a correct diagnosis, while 17% waited between four and nine years.

Participants also reported seeing many physicians before being diagnosed: 38 percent saw two or three providers, 24 percent saw four or five providers, and 5 percent saw more than 15 clinicians. Almost half of those polled said they had to travel more than 60 miles to get treatment for a rare ailment.

Patients rated their original physician far worse than the provider who was able to accurately identify them, frequently saying that they did not believe their initial provider was willing to explore several possible conditions or approach other clinicians for aid in diagnosing.

The research also inquired about individuals’ access to dental and mental health treatment. While the majority of respondents reported adequate medical help after getting a diagnosis, many reported insufficient dental and mental health support. Uncommon disorders sometimes need specialist dental treatment, which is difficult to come by, and mental health doctors seldom receive training on rare conditions, according to Bogart.

The research started as a cooperation with the Minnesota State Chloe Barnes Advisory Council on Rare Diseases, which was formed to focus on legislative policy addressing issues such as insurance coverage and provider education.

Bogart hopes that additional states, including Oregon, will establish rare illness councils. The council is striving to learn more about the major problems that patients with rare diseases face, as well as to provide tools for doctors to help them navigate unusual diagnosis.

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