The little Mermaid- Now reaches inside your Body!!

Well, Dont be shocked by this title, as the Mermaid is definitley going to swim inside your body and take photographs of your entire digestive Tract!!

Awestruck? Well, Mermaid is the name given to a self-propelled remote-controlled endoscopic capsule that that can examine the human stomach and colon.

The device is just 1.7 inch long and has a tail fin-like magnetic driving gear that allow it to “swim” through the digestive tract. It is controlled using a joystick and can be swallowed or inserted rectally.

The Mermaid can examine the whole human digestive canal from the esophagus to the colon in a few hours, while taking two shots per second. The battery for the endoscope’s camera lasts around eight to 10 hours, and the device can move tens of centimeters per second outside the human body.

Controlled by a joy stick, device is merely 1cm x 4.5cm and has a tail fin-like magnetic driving gear.(Credit: Ryukoku University)

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"Can we grow organs instead of transplanting them?" | Video on TED.com

Anthony Atala's state-of-the-art lab grows human organs -- from muscles to blood vessels to bladders, and more. At TEDMED, he shows footage of his bio-engineers working with some of its sci-fi gizmos, including an oven-like bioreactor (preheat to 98.6 F) and a machine that "prints" human tissue.

Anthony Atala is the director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, where his work focuses on growing and regenerating tissues and organs. His team engineered the first lab-grown organ to be implanted into a human -- a bladder -- and is developing experimental fabrication technology that can "print" human tissue on demand.

In 2007, Atala and a team of Harvard University researchers showed that stem cells can be harvested from the amniotic fluid of pregnant women. This and other breakthroughs in the development of smart bio-materials and tissue fabrication technology promises to revolutionize the practice of medicine.

Check out this video as Dr. Anthony Atala takes you through a breathtaking journey of how he visualises to change the laws of nature by growing every other organ of the  Human Body!!

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FDA’s “Spotlight on Drug Innovation”-An ongoing update of novel new drug approvals in 2011

As an ongoing update, FDA has brought out a list of new molecular entities approved in 2011 under the project titled: "Spotlight on Drug Innovation".

So far in 2011, FDA has approved more than 150 new brand name and generic drug products. Many are duplicate therapies that will compete in the marketplace with the same kind of products already approved. 


But some are new and innovative chemical structures never used before in clinical practice. Novel new drugs are often called new molecular entities (NMEs). Many of these products offer new hope for patients suffering from the conditions these products are intended to treat.
  
Here is a glimpse of the NMEs approved in 2011...check it out!!

Drug Name	Active Ingredient	Date	What it’s used for
Datscan	ioflupane i-123	01/14	An imaging drug used to assist in the evaluation of adult patients with suspected Parkinsonian syndromes (PS).
Natroba	spinosad	01/18	For the treatment of head lice infestation in patients ages 4 years and older. Press Release
Viibryd	vilazodone hydrochloride	01/21	To treat major depressive disorder in adults. Press Release
Daliresp	roflumilast	02/28	To decrease the frequency of flare-ups (exacerbations) or worsening of symptoms from severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Press Release
Edarbi	azilsartan medoxomil	02/25	To treat high blood pressure (hypertension) in adults. Press Release
Gadavist	gadobutrol	03/14	For use in patients undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the central nervous system. Press Release
Benlysta	belimumab	03/10	To treat patients with active, autoantibody-positive lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus) who are receiving standard therapy, including corticosteroids, antimalarials, immunosuppressives, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Press Release
Yervoy	ipilimumab	3/25	To treat patients with late-stage (metastatic) melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer. Press Release
Horizant	gabapentin enacarbil	04/06	A once-daily treatment for moderate-to-severe restless legs syndrome (RLS). Press Release
Vandetanib	vandetanib	04/06	To treat adult patients with late-stage (metastatic) medullary thyroid cancer who are ineligible for surgery and who have disease that is growing or causing symptoms. Press Release
Zytiga	abiraterone acetate	04/28	In combination with prednisone (a steroid) to treat patients with late-stage (metastatic) castration-resistant prostate cancer who have received prior docetaxel (chemotherapy). Press Release
Tradjenta	linagliptin	05/02	An adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Press Release
Victrelis	boceprevir	05/13	To treat certain adults with chronic hepatitis C. Press Release FDA Briefing on New Hepatitis C Drugs Consumer Information on Hepatitis B and C
Edurant	rilpivirine	05/20	For the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults who have never taken HIV therapy. Press Release
Incivek	telaprevir	05/23	To treat certain adults with chronic hepatitis C infection. Press Release FDA Briefing on New Hepatitis C Drugs Consumer Information on Hepatitis B and C
Dificid	fidaxomicin	05/27	For the treatment of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD). Press Release
Potiga	ezogabine	06/13	For use as an add-on medication to treat seizures associated with epilepsy in adults. Press Release

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Nulojix (Belatacept) approved by FDA, BMS on a roll after back to back success!!

A  little more than a year after the FDA decided to take a wait-and-see approach on Bristol-Myers Squibb's Nulojix (belatacept), federal regulators have finally blessed the marketing application for the drug, which is expected to offer a better way to prevent the rejection of newly transplanted kidneys.

That represents another solid regulatory win for BMS, which recently won federal approval of Yervoy (ipilimumab) for skin cancer. With an R&D budget last year of little more than $3.5 billion, BMS has had more approvals this year than several biopharma companies well known for spending far more than that. The official OK also marks a surge in new drug approvals at the FDA this year.

BMS's application for the drug hit a snag at the FDA last year after regulators asked for additional follow-up data from late-stage trials and raised an issue with problems found at the Puerto Rican manufacturing plant where the treatment will be made. Once the regulators waved a green flag on the manufacturing site, an approval was virtually assured.

Nulojix is a type of drug called a selective T-cell costimulation blocker. The drug helps to prevent organ rejection after a kidney transplant.

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Daniel Kraft: Medicine's future? There's an app for that | Video on TED.com

Daniel Kraft offers a fast-paced look at the next few years of innovations in medicine, powered by new tools, tests and apps that bring diagnostic information right to the patient's bedside.


A Must Watch!!

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Potiga (ezogabine) Receives FDA Approval

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc.(Meda’s partner for ezogabine - known as retigabine outside of the U.S.) has received approval from the U.S.FDA for Potiga(ezogabine).

Potiga is approved for adjunctive treatment for adults with partial-onset seizures. It is the first approved potassium channel opener for this indication.

                                                            Retigabine (INN) or ezogabine (USAN)

The efficacy of ezogabine as adjunctive therapy in partial onset seizures was established in 3 controlled clinical studies involving 1,239 adult patients.

The primary endpoint was percent change in seizure frequency from baseline in the double-blind treatment phase.

Outside of the U.S., ezogabine is known as retigabine (brand name Trobalt), and received marketing authorization in the European Union (EU) on March 28th 2011.

Valeant and GSK had been working on the drug jointly and this drug is believed to play a needed role in the management of partial onset seizures in patients who are uncontrolled on their current medications.

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Teva beats Valeant to grab Cephalon

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries has swooped in to grab Cephalon away from prospective buyer Valeant Pharmaceuticals. The Israel-based generics giant has agreed to pay $6.8 billion  for Cephalon, best known for its sleep-disorder drugs Provigil and Nuvigil. The $81.50-per-share offer beats Valeant's $73 hostile bid by almost 12 percent.

Cephalon's pain, sleep and cancer drugs will help Teva reduce its reliance on the big-selling Copaxone(a Multiple Sclerosis drug), which faces increasing competitive threats.

As Bloomberg notes, with Cephalon's drugs, Teva would boast $7 billion a year in branded sales. The company would also have two blockbusters to its credit, Copaxone and Cephalon's Provigil.

The Israeli company has been buying up companies and products as part of its long-term strategy to be a $31 billion company by 2015.

Cephalon marks the third major deal for Teva after previous purchases of Barr Pharmaceuticals and Ratiopharm (germany), thus becoming the biggest generics maker in Europe.

Teva pharmaceuticals is the largest generic drug manufacturer in the world and one of the 15 largest pharmaceutical companies worldwide.In 2008, sales totalled $11.08 billion, $13.9 billion in 2009, and in 2010 total sales rose to $16.1 billion, of which a major portion was in Europe and North America.

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NIPER JEE 2011 - Important updates

New Update:
Get your Admit Card from here:


http://119.226.214.30/NIPER/NIPER-HALLTICKETS-JULY2011/


If it is not accesible, try this:


http://www.niper.nic.in/niperjee2011.html

General Instructions:

Details of eligibility, qualifications, availability of programmes, admission  procedure and other relevant information is available in the Information Brochure (will be available on the website http://www.niper.ac.in/niperjee2011.html. 

Reservation of seats for SC/ST/OBC/PH and Kashmiri Migrants candidates will be as per Government of India norms.  

Candidates appearing for final qualifying examinations can also apply but they must produce final result on the day of Counselling/Interview/GD, failing which their candidature shall be rejected.

Candidate shall fill the registration form online by registering on www.niper.ac.in/niperjee2011.html. The process of online registration shall commence on 1st June 2011 and will continue till 15th June 2011. 

Candidate shall have to fill up all items given in online registration form (including no. and date of Demand Draft for Rs. 1000), upload softcopy of recent photograph, submit form and take printout of the registration slip (incomplete forms or forms which are not properly submitted will not be accepted), put signatures at the bottom of the registration slip and attach  following:

 i) a non refundable Demand Draft of Rs. 1000/-(Rs.500/- for SC/ST) payable at S.A.S. Nagar (Mohali)/Chandigarh in favour of “NIPER JEE-2011”.

 ii) Copy of the award letter (if any) pertaining to GATE/GPAT/NET etc.

 iii) Sponsorship certificate from industry/government sponsored candidates (format given at Annexure-2 in information brochure).

•  Indian nationals residing abroad and foreign nationals have to remit US$100 by Bank Draft payable to “NIPER JEE-2011”. Payment by Cheque/Postal Order will not be accepted. 

•  Candidates will have to make their own arrangements for travel and boarding for attending written test, GD & interview and counseling.

•  Registration  slip  with attachments  should  be  sent  to Registrar, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and  Research, (NIPER), Sector 67,  S.A.S.Nagar  (Mohali),  Punjab,  160062, (through speed post/registered post) so as to reach him on or before 22nd June 2011. 

•  NIPER-Joint Entrance Examination 2011 (for  all disciplines  of the  Masters  programme)  will be held on Sunday, the 3rd July , 2011 at Ahmedabad, Bangalore,       Chandigarh, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune and Trivandrum. The centres may be altered if sufficient numbers of candidates do not register for a particular centre.

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NIPER JEE 2011 - IMPORTANT DATES

Particulars	Dates
Notification of admission	15th April, 2011
Date of commencement of online registration	1st June 2011
Last date for online registration	15th June, 2011
Last date of receipt of filled registration form alongwith demand draft	22nd June, 2011
Date for receiving admit card by e-mail	30th June, 2011
NIPER Joint Entrance Examination (10.00 AM to 12.00 noon)	3rd July, 2011
Declaration of result of written test (website-www.niper.gov.in/niperjee2011.html)	7th July, 2011
Group Discussion and Interview of M.B.A. (Pharm.)	12-13th July, 2011
Declaration of the list of selected candidates and admission to M.B.A. (Pharm.)	14th July, 2011
Declaration of the waitlisted candidates and admission to M.B.A. (Pharm.). Candidates shall report at 10:00 a.m. and those who fail to report in time shall be declared absent and not considered for admission. Admission shall close at 10:30 a.m.	15th July, 2011
NIPER Joint Counselling for admission to Masters Programmes	20-22nd July, 2011
Orientation	29th July, 2011
Commencement of classes	1st August, 2011

Insitues an Courses

Institutes	Available disciplines
NIPER, Ahmedabad	Biotechnology, Medicinal Chemistry, Natural Products, Pharmaceutical Analysis, Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology & Toxicology
NIPER, Guwahati	Biotechnology, Pharmacology & Toxicology, Pharmacy Practice
NIPER, Hajipur	Biotechnology, Pharmacoinformatics, Pharmacy Practice
NIPER, Hyderabad	Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Analysis, Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology & Toxicology
NIPER, Kolkata	Medicinal Chemistry, Natural Products, Pharmacoinformatics
NIPER, Rae Barelli	Medicinal Chemistry , Pharmaceutics
NIPER, S.A.S. Nagar	Biotechnology, Medicinal Chemistry, Natural Products, Pharmaceutical Analysis, Pharmaceutical Management, Pharmaceutical Technology (Biotechnology), Pharmaceutical Technology (Process Chemistry)*, Pharmaceutical Technology (Formulations), Pharmaceutics, Pharmacoinformatics, Pharmacology & Toxicology, Pharmacy Practice, Clinical Research, Regulatory Toxicology, Traditional Medicine

 * Earlier this discipline was named as Pharmaceutical Technology (Bulk Drugs)

Eligibility-     (A) M.S. (Pharm.); M.Pharm. ; M.Tech. (Pharm.)

Discipline	Programme	Eligibility for Application
Biotechnology	M.S.(Pharm.)	B.Pharm./M.Sc.(Biological Sciences)
Medicinal Chemistry	M.S. (Pharm.)	B.Pharm./M.Sc.(Organic Chemistry)
Natural Products	M.S. (Pharm.)	B.Pharm./M.Sc.(Organic Chemistry)
Pharmaceutical Analysis	M.S. (Pharm.)	B.Pharm./M.Sc.(Organic/ Analytical Chemistry)
Pharmaceutical Technology (Biotechnology)	M.Tech. (Pharm.)	B.Pharm./M.Sc.(Life Sciences)
Pharmaceutical Technology (Process Chemistry) *	M.Tech. (Pharm.)	B.Pharm./M.Sc.(Organic Chemistry)/B.Tech. (Chemical Engg. or equivalent)
Pharmaceutical Technology (Formulations)	M.Pharm.	B.Pharm.
Pharmaceutics	M.S.(Pharm.)	B. Pharm.
Pharmacoinformatics	M.S. (Pharm.)	B.Pharm./M.Sc.(Organic/Physical/Pharmaceutical Chemistry)/M.Sc./B.Tech. (Bioinformatics)/M.Sc. (Biochemistry/Biotechnology/Molecular Biology/ Microbiology)
Pharmacology & Toxicology	M.S. (Pharm.)	B.Pharm./B.V.Sc./M.B.B.S.
Pharmacy Practice	M.Pharm.	B. Pharm.
Clinical Research	M.Pharm.	B. Pharm.
Regulatory Toxicology	M.S. (Pharm.)	B.Pharm./B.V.Sc./M.Sc.(Pharmacology/Toxicology/Life Sciences/Biochemistry/Medical Biotechnology/ Zoology)/M.B.B.S.
Traditional Medicines	M.S. (Pharm.)	B.Pharm./B.A.M.S./M.Sc.(Botany)

* Earlier this discipline was named as Pharmaceutical Technology (Bulk Drugs)

Eligibility-     (B) M.B.A. (Pharm.)

Pharmaceutical Management

M.B.A.(Pharm.)

B.Pharm./B.Tech.(Chemical Engg. or equivalent)/ M.Sc. (Chemical / Life Sciences)

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