Public Goods for Health is a concept which is very much a focus of WHO

From Director General (DG), Indian Council of Medical research (ICMR) and Secretary, Department of Health Research, Dr Soumya Swaminathan went to Geneva in October 2017 to take over as the Deputy Director General (DDG) of Programmes at the World Health Organisation (WHO), to be the first Indian to hold this position. Exactly a year back, in March 2019, she took over as the WHO’s first Chief Scientist, a new position heading a division created as a part of sweeping reforms at WHO to have an explicit focus on science. A year after taking over the new and important position at an international level that is expected to create a foundation for a new department, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan spoke to Milind Kokje, chief editor, BioSpectrum while she was in Chennai, India recently about her new role, its responsibilities and other health related issues. Edited excerpts;

We secure approvals – US FDA and CE marking before the end of 2020

Incorporated in early 2018, Pune, India based health tech startup In-Med Prognostics has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) based brain health diagnostic and prognostic tool called NeuroShield, which is one-of-its-kind in India. It is a cloud-based clinical decision support tool for neurological disorders. The tool utilizes three dimensional (3D) based magnetic resonance images to their full potential by extracting data and providing volumetric analysis for the brain and its various structures. The analysis of NeuroShield enables actionable, quantitative, objective decision making to the neuro-physicians for differential diagnosis. To gather more information on this innovative product, BioSpectrum spoke to Dr Latha Poonamallee, Cofounder & Chairperson, In-Med Prognostics, Pune in India. Edited Excerpts;

CELEBRATING WOMANHOOD ON EQUAL NOTE

As nations around the world celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, with the theme #EachforEqual, the number of companies that have had women in a leadership role continues to expand. But the list is still relatively short, and even when women have made it to power, they have rarely led for a long time. Globally women at leadership position are very less and only 4.9 per cent of Fortune 500 companies have women at leadership position.

Exciting time for digital health players

Digital Health has gained much importance, development and investment in the last decade. The year 2019, continued the strong upward trend in health innovation funding. With $13.7 billion in total funding across 727 deals, and was the second most-funded year ever, according to Startup Health. Boasting three out of 2019’s top 10 most-funded cities, China cemented its place as a hub for health innovation, and is positioned for continued growth. The last decade saw the emergence of telemedicine, Big Data, disruption in consumer wellness and healthcare, etc. As the digital health industry matures, there will be new challenges pertaining to data privacy, regulations, digital medicines, etc. Let’s look at the possibilities for digital health in the coming decade.

Eppendorf is investing disproportionately in expansion of its global locations, particularly in Asia

Hamburg based Eppendorf AG on December 6, 2019 has appointed Eva van Pelt, currently Chief Commercial Officer, and Dr. Peter Fruhstorfer, currently Head of Business Area Sample Handling, as Co-Chief Executive Officers of Eppendorf AG. Both will succeed Thomas Bachmann, the former President & CEO of Eppendorf AG, who has already left the company. Eppendorf, founded in Hamburg, Germany in 1945, has more than 3,300 employees worldwide. The company has subsidiaries in 26 countries and is represented in all important markets by distributors. In an interaction with BioSpectrum Eva van Pelt shared her new role and plans for next five years. Edited excerpts;

CCPA and pharma marketers

The CCPA, what it entails, how pharma marketers might be affected, and what they can do to prepare for the law’s 2020 implementation.

More biotech companies moving into ASX 200

More biotech companies are moving into the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) 200, with two new companies recently joining the list: PolyNovo (PNV) and Avita Medical (AVH). This movement demonstrates the healthy biotech pipeline in Australia, with more small to medium enterprises (SMEs) progressing through as the life sciences sector grows and matures.

“We started with making an impact with ANT surgical robotics to optimise procedures in medical industry”

Share your experience of winning APAC MedTech innovator award.

India has potential to emerge world leader in Biotechnology: Dr Harsh Vardhan

“India has the potential to emerge as the world’s top industry destination in biotechnology sector.

“We are planning FDA submission for our clinical tool in early 2020”

Share your experience on winning Startup SG award and JLABS award

Decoding healthcare in China

“Techfor good” is the vision and mission of Tencent, which believes that progressive technology can help humans unlock the mysteries of life.

Roche- Connecting dots for diabetes relief

At the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Congress 2019 held from December 2 – 6, 2019 in Busan, Korea, Swiss multinational healthcare company Roche showcased few innovative digital solutions to address and manage the growing burden of diabetes globally. Roche Diabetes Care has been pioneering innovative diabetes technologies and services for more than 40 years.

COLLABORATION – SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION FOR BIG (PHARMA & TECH)

According to an EY report, between 2013 and 2017, Alphabet (Google’s parent company) filed 186 health-related patents, Microsoft – 73 and Apple – 54, which is a 38 per cent increase in the number of such patents by these three companies every two years.

“VACOX stimulates natural physiological process to reduce healing time & cost associated”

Share your experience of winning one of the APAC MedTech innovator awards

Asia Pacific region is beginning to endorse stem cell treatments

Transfiguring the face of medicine, Advancells was established in the year 2013.

India Announces Major Tax Cuts To Boost Investment

In order to promote growth and investment in India, the Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman announced on September 20 that the Government of India has brought in the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Ordinance 2019 to make certain amendments in the Income-tax Act 1961 and the Finance (No. 2) Act 2019.

“US And China Together Can Dramatically Improve Human Health”

Katherine Andersen, serving as the Head of Life Science & Healthcare Relationship Banking at the US based Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), recently participated in the BIO Asia-Taiwan Conference 2019 held in Taiwan from July 24 to 28. She was a part of the plenary session focusing on the global development of biotechnology. BioSpectrum Asia interacted with her during the event to find out more about her views on the growth and challenges of the Life Science and Healthcare industry in Asia. Edited excerpts;

Thailand Lab International 2019

Thailand positions as trading hub for laboratory equipment

Pfizer's Ghig Program Supports Efforts To Reduce Health Disparities In Asia

Globally, infectious diseases are responsible for an estimated 8.4 million deaths annually and are a leading cause of death worldwide, particularly among young children and marginalized populations in underserved communities. It is estimated that the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) now accounts for approximately 700,000 of these deaths. Without action, this number could reach ten million deaths per year by 2050 and could cost the world an estimated $100 trillion in lost productivity in the same amount of time. The World Health Organization (WHO) included AMR in its list of ten threats to global health in 2019.

Improved Regulatory Support Push Clinical Research In Asia

The prevalence of infectious and tropical diseases is creating an unmet clinical needs in emerging countries.

“We Are Seeing An Increased Demand For Healthcare Solutions In Asia Pacific”

In an interaction with BioSpectrum Asia, Karen Reddington, President FedEx Express Asia Pacific, Singapore shared the approaches the company has taken to mitigate the risks of Asia’s Biopharma Supply Chain. Edited excerpts;

Digital Transformation Of The Pharmaceutical Industry

The pharmaceutical industry has evolved from a traditional ‘do-it-all’ into a classical vertical model, with selective partnerships and outsourcing on the rise. With the tides of digital disruption and blurring lines between organizations, a federated model is set to evolve over the next decade.