Patna, May 21 (IANS) Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav launched a scathing attack on Bihar’s Health Minister Mangal Pandey, criticising him for deteriorating condition of the state’s healthcare system following a shocking incident where a patient’s hand was gnawed by rats in Nalanda Medical College and Hospital.

Tejashwi took strong exception to the incident and challenged Pandey to a public debate on the state of healthcare in Bihar.“Just arrange the stage and mic, and inform me a day in advance. I’ll come and expose how little work has actually been done,” said Tejashwi Yadav while speaking to the media persons in Patna on Wednesday.Tejashwi accused the Health Minister of being completely disconnected from the system.“He never visits hospitals, not even for surprise checks. When I was Deputy Chief Minister, we launched Mission 60 days, conducted inspections, and took action against over 700 negligent doctors,” Yadav said.He cited poor conditions in medical colleges in Muzaffarpur, Madhepura, and Purnea, saying they reflect the complete breakdown of governance in the health sector.“Hospital beds are being sold by mafias, and the health minister of Bihar is clueless,” he added.Tejashwi Yadav also targeted Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, accusing him of being detached and ineffective.“He is in an unconscious state. His officials occasionally take him to inspect construction sites in Patna, but beyond that, he is unaware of what’s happening – be it poverty, unemployment, law and order, or the crumbling health system,” Yadav said.Awadesh Prasad, a disabled person from Nalanda, was admitted to the NMCH on Saturday and underwent surgery. His fingers were bitten by rats post-surgery when he was sleeping on the hospital bed in the early hours of Sunday.The rat bite incident has triggered widespread outrage and renewed scrutiny of Bihar’s public hospitals.–IANSajk/dan

Mumbai, May 21 (IANS) Mankind Pharma on Wednesday reported a 10.7 per cent year-on-year (YoY) decline in net profit to Rs 420.8 crore for the quarter ended March 2025 (Q4 FY25), down from Rs 471.2 crore in the same quarter last fiscal.The drop in profit came even as the company delivered strong revenue growth and continued its expansion in chronic therapies and consumer healthcare.The company’s revenue for the March quarter rose sharply by 27.1 per cent to Rs 3,079.4 crore, driven by consistent growth in chronic segments, rising demand in its consumer healthcare portfolio, and the integration of Bharat Serums and Vaccines (BSV), which Mankind acquired to strengthen its presence in gynaecology and super-specialty therapies.While the company’s EBITDA grew 16.5 per cent to Rs 683.2 crore during the quarter, its margins declined.The EBITDA margin dropped to 22.2 per cent from 24.2 per cent a year earlier period. This margin pressure was largely due to integration costs and ongoing regulatory challenges in the acute therapy segment.For the full financial year FY25, Mankind reported total revenue of Rs 12,207 crore, up 19 per cent from the previous fiscal year (FY24).Domestic sales contributed Rs 10,675 crore, while exports saw a sharp rise of 88 per cent, reaching Rs 1,532 crore.Adjusted EBITDA margin for the year stood at 25.9 per cent.Mankind Pharma Vice Chairman and Managing Director Rajeev Juneja said the fourth quarter showed continued strong performance in chronic therapies, growing momentum in the consumer health segment, and successful progress in integrating BSV.He described FY25 as a transformative year for the company, laying a foundation for long-term sustainable growth.Mankind also retained its position as the top pharmaceutical company in India by prescription count for the eighth year in a row.Its consumer brands, such as Manforce, Gas-O-Fast, and HealthOK, saw double-digit growth.Shares of Mankind Pharma ended slightly lower at Rs 2,533.05 on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), down 0.69 per cent.–IANSpk/vd

Islamabad, May 21 (IANS) Pakistan has reported two additional cases of polio, following recent detection of the virus in two children from the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the Ministry of National Health Services said in a statement on Wednesday.

According to the ministry, the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad confirmed the presence of the polio virus in stool samples collected from the affected children in Lakki Marwat and Bannu districts.With the latest detections, the total number of polio cases in KP has risen to five this year, bringing the national tally to 10 in 2025.The ministry said that while high-quality nationwide polio vaccination campaigns have been conducted, some regions still face tough challenges, particularly in KP.Restricted access and difficulties in conducting house-to-house vaccinations have hampered efforts, leaving thousands of children at risk of exposure to the poliovirus due to missed vaccination opportunities.The ministry announced that the third nationwide polio vaccination campaign of 2025 will begin on May 26 to address this. The campaign aims to immunize children under the age of five across 159 districts, including high-risk areas in KP.Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world where wild poliovirus remains endemic. Polio workers have frequently been targeted in attacks, particularly in the northwest and southwest regions.One of the reasons for the presence of the virus is the refusal of the majority of the people to have their children vaccinated. Polio health workers have been victims of targetted killings and attacks by militant groups, who have opposed anti-polio campaigns in the country.Last month, two health workers affiliated with Pakistan’s anti-polio campaign were abducted by unidentified gunmen in the country’s northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.The incident occurred in the Kulachi area of Dera Ismail Khan district, where armed men intercepted a passenger bus en route to Dera Ismail Khan and forcibly took the two workers to an unknown location, a local police official said.The victims were returning from official duties related to the country’s polio eradication campaign, police said.–IANSint/as

Bhopal, May 21 (IANS) In a bid to create awareness about tuberculosis among the people and intensify its fight against the traditional disease, the Madhya Pradesh government launched the ‘Ni-Kshay’ campaign on Wednesday.

The campaign was launched in the presence of Governor Mangubhai Patel and Chief Minister Mohan Yadav at Sandipani Auditorium in Raj Bhavan.Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla, who holds the portfolio of the state’s Health and Family Welfare, was also present on the occasion.Addressing the launch of the 100-day campaign, Governor Patel emphasised the importance of infection control and timely, complete medication in TB elimination efforts.He also acknowledged the challenges of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and appreciated the government’s launch of the Healthy Liver Mission, encouraging people to adopt a healthy lifestyle and undergo simple liver check-ups.The Governor also praised the efforts of the Madhya Pradesh government for making over 5,000 villages TB-free through conducting the ‘Ni-Kshay Camp Campaign’ previously.He said these accomplishments are the result of excellent teamwork and planning.However, he also warned that incomplete TB treatment can lead to drug resistance, complicating treatment and increasing transmission.Chief Minister Mohan Yadav stated that the Indian cultural philosophy has always valued “excellent health as the highest happiness.”Yadav remarked that ancient texts like Patanjali’s works and the Gheranda Samhita provide principles for maintaining a healthy body.Quoting Indian scriptures, he said just as ripe fruit completes its life, a person too should fulfil their life journey in health.He praised the Governor’s sensitivity towards public health and reiterated the state government’s commitment to making Madhya Pradesh TB-free by 2028, with focused efforts at every level.Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla informed that Madhya Pradesh was the only state honoured by the Central government for the 100-day campaign.He informed that under the ‘Nirogi Kaya’ (Healthy Body) campaign, health screenings of 9 million people were conducted for diseases like diabetes, blood pressure, and fatty liver.–IANSpd/dan

Hazaribagh, May 21 (IANS) At least 17 school children sustained injuries after a pickup van transporting them plunged into a pond in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh district on Wednesday afternoon, officials said.According to local sources, the van was returning to the children’s village after school when the accident occurred near Khutra village in the Ichak police station area. The vehicle, reportedly speeding, lost control while negotiating a sharp turn and veered off the narrow road, falling into a pond approximately 15 feet deep.Upon hearing the crash, area residents rushed to the scene and began rescue efforts.The police and district administration arrived shortly after being alerted.Working together, the locals and officials managed to pull the children and the driver out of the submerged vehicle.A crane was later used to retrieve the van from the pond.Fortunately, the van did not sink into the deeper section of the pond, which could have led to a far more tragic outcome.All injured children were initially taken to a nearby hospital by ambulance. While most were discharged after receiving first aid, four children with serious injuries were referred to Sheikh Bhikhari Memorial Medical College and Hospital in Hazaribagh for advanced treatment. Their condition is reported to be critical.Family members of the injured children rushed to the site upon receiving news of the accident.Several locals and relatives have alleged that the driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. They also criticised the lack of safety infrastructure, particularly the absence of a guard wall along the narrow and accident-prone stretch of road.Ichak police station in-charge, Santosh Kumar, said that a medical examination of the driver is underway. Authorities are also verifying the vehicle’s documents and the driver’s license. “If the driver is found to be intoxicated, strict legal action will be taken,” he said.–IANSsnc/skp/vd

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) The health of adolescents is at a tipping point, with more than 46 crore adolescents globally estimated to be obese and face several health and mental disorders by 2030, according to an analysis published by the Lancet Commission on Wednesday.In the second analysis on adolescent health and well-being since 2016, the Commission estimates that by 2030, one-third of adolescents in high-income countries in Latin America, and the Middle East will be overweight, underscoring the shortcomings in combating adolescent obesity.The analysis, based on data from the 2021 Global Burden of Disease study, projects that 46.4 crore (or 464 million) adolescents globally will be overweight or obese by 2030 — 143 million more than in 2015.There will still be over 1 billion of the world’s adolescents (aged 10–24 years) living in countries where preventable and treatable health problems like HIV/AIDS, early pregnancy, unsafe sex, depression, poor nutrition and injury collectively threaten the health and well-being of adolescents.Notably, in 2030, 4.2 crore years of healthy life will be lost to mental disorders or suicide (20 lakh more than in 2015).”The health and well-being of adolescents worldwide is at a tipping point, with mixed progress observed over the past three decades,” said Commission co-chair, Professor Sarah Baird, from George Washington University in the US.”While tobacco and alcohol use has declined and participation in secondary and tertiary education has increased, overweight and obesity have risen by up to eight-fold in some countries in Africa and Asia over the past three decades, and there is a growing burden of poor adolescent mental health globally,” she added.Further, the Commission also identified several significant new threats to adolescent health such as climate change and the shift toward a more digital world.Today’s adolescents are the first generation who will live their entire lives with the average annual global temperature that has consistently been 0.5 degrees Celsius higher than pre-industrial levels.And by 2100, 1.9 billion adolescents will live in a world that is expected to warm to around 2.8 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times, bringing catastrophic risks to their health such as heat-related illnesses, reduction in food and water quality and availability, and a rise in mental health conditions related to climate events.The projections suggest that, without political will, policy initiatives, and financial investments, there will still be more than 1 billion adolescents living in multi-burden countries in 2030.Baird urged for increasingly “investing in the health and well-being of young people” to safeguard the “collective future”.–IANSrvt/

Ranchi, May 21 (IANS) Maoist commander Gautam Yadav, who was injured in a recent police encounter in Jharkhand and had been on the run since then, was arrested from a hospital in Varanasi, officials said on Wednesday.According to Palamu Superintendent of Police Rishma Rameshan, Gautam Yadav had checked into the hospital under a false identity, registering himself as Mithilesh Yadav to avoid detection.He was undergoing treatment for a gunshot wound to the abdomen sustained during an encounter with security forces in Palamu district on May 15.Yadav, a zonal commander of the banned Maoist outfit Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC), was injured during a fierce gun battle between TSPC cadres and police in the forests of Baskatiya under the Manatu police station limits.Multiple rounds were exchanged in the encounter, following which Yadav fled in an injured condition, reportedly aided by a relative.The Maoists had gathered in the area to plan a major operation, according to police.Following the encounter, a search operation led to the recovery of AK-47 cartridges and other incriminating material from the site.An FIR was later lodged against 13 Maoists, including commanders Yadav and Shashikant Ganjhu. Ganjhu carries a Rs 10 lakh bounty on his head.Police sources said it was Ganjhu who arranged for Yadav’s treatment in Varanasi.Acting on intelligence inputs, Palamu SP Rameshan constituted a special investigation team led by ASP Rakesh Singh and it raided the Varanasi hospital and took Yadav into custody.Yadav will be produced in a Varanasi court and brought to Palamu once his medical condition stabilises.The development came on a day when security forces killed 27 Maoists in the Abujhmad forest of Chhattisgarh. Union Home Minister Amit Shah lauded the operation, calling it a “landmark achievement in the battle to eliminate Naxalism (Maoism)”.–IANSsnc/skp/vd

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) Age-related decline in the immune system can have a measurable impact on CAR-T cell therapy — one of the most advanced forms of cancer immunotherapy, according to a study.CAR-T therapy works by engineering a patient’s T cells to recognise and destroy cancer cells.The study led by Swiss researchers found that CAR-T cells from aged mice had poor mitochondrial function, lower “stemness,” and reduced antitumour activity.It was due to a drop in levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) — a molecule essential for cellular energy and metabolism of mitochondria, said the team from the University of Lausanne (UNIL), the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) and the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL).”CAR-T cells from older individuals are metabolically impaired and significantly less effective. What’s exciting is that we were able to rejuvenate these aged cells by restoring their NAD levels — reviving their antitumour function in preclinical models,” said Dr. Helen Carrasco Hope.”Our findings strengthen the growing recognition that ageing fundamentally reshapes immune cell function and metabolism.”They highlight the urgent need to model age more accurately in preclinical studies so that therapies are developed with the real-world cancer population in mind — where most patients are older adults,” Hope said.For the study, published in the journal Nature Cancer, the team used NAD-boosting compounds currently under clinical investigation for other conditions, demonstrating that this approach is translatable and potentially applicable in humans.”This is a major step toward personalised and age-conscious immunotherapy,” said senior author Dr. Nicola Vannini.”By correcting age-related metabolic defects, we could improve outcomes for a large segment of cancer patients.”The study adds to a growing body of work showing that age is not just a chronological number, but a biological factor that can shape therapy response.The researchers called for age to be systematically considered in the development and evaluation of cell-based immunotherapies.–IANSrvt/

Seoul, May 21 (IANS) The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently conducting an on-site inspection of Samsung Biologics’ production facilities in South Korea, industry sources said Wednesday.According to the sources, the FDA launched the inspection at the company’s facilities in Songdo, west of Seoul, and is scheduled to continue through Tuesday, Yonhap news agency reported.Samsung Biologics is South Korea’s largest bio-company and a major global contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO).FDA officials reportedly visited the company’s third and fourth plants Monday to review operations and safety protocols.A Samsung Biologics official said the visit is part of the FDA’s regular inspection.Samsung Biologics has advised employees to exercise discretion during the inspection period, including mandatory use of personal protective equipment. It also emphasised professional conduct and communication among employees.A Samsung Biologics official declined to provide specifics but stated that the inspection is unrelated to the FDA’s ongoing pilot program for unannounced foreign facility inspections.According to the Korea Biotechnology Industry Organisation, the FDA has announced a plan to expand unannounced inspections of foreign manufacturing facilities that produce medical products and food.The initiative is based on a pilot program currently being tested in India and China and aims to subject overseas facilities to the same level of regulatory oversight as US manufacturers.Meanwhile, in a survey carried out by the Korea Biotechnology Industry Organisation, more than seven out of 10 South Korean biotech companies are facing financial difficulties, Yonhap reported.According to the survey, nearly four in 10 biotech companies in the country have considered selling their business.About 74 per cent of chief executive officers (CEOs) and executives of 136 local biotech companies reported unstable funding conditions.In addition, 76 per cent said their research and development (R&D) schedules have been disrupted due to funding challenges.Based on the survey, the bio-organisation proposed 10 policy recommendations to the government aimed at strengthening the country’s biotech ecosystem.These include fostering startups, expanding research and development support, encouraging investment, creating a large-scale commercialisation fund, and easing financial regulations.–IANSrvt/

Seoul, May 21 (IANS) Celltrion, a leading South Korean biopharmaceutical company, on Wednesday said it expects limited impact from recent US policy developments stemming from a drug pricing executive order signed by President Donald Trump.Last week, Trump announced an executive order introducing a most-favoured nation (MFN) pricing model, intended to align US drug prices with the lowest prices paid by peer nations, Yonhap news agency reported.The US Department of Health and Human Services released follow-up details on Tuesday, setting the MFN target price at the lowest drug price found in an Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) country with a gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of at least 60 percent of that of the United States.”This announcement targets high-cost medicines,” Celltrion said.”The impact on Celltrion’s products is expected to be limited, as biosimilars, already available at lower prices and helping reduce drug costs through competition, are not included in the scope of this measure,” the company added.It said the MFN pricing rule will provide an opportunity for biosimilars in the long run as it helps the US drug market become more competitive.Under the current US pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) system, original biologic drugs are typically given priority in formularies, limiting biosimilar adoption.Celltrion noted that its autoimmune disease treatment, Remsima SC, is unlikely to fall under the MFN pricing rule, as it is classified as an original biologic in the US but a biosimilar in other countries, while the MFN pricing model seeks to compare the US price of an original drug with its overseas price.The company pledged to respond swiftly to global regulatory shifts while continuing to grow its business.In 2024, Celltrion posted 3.56 trillion won ($2.57 billion) in sales.–IANSrvt/