Vandana Gombar And Joe C Mathew

Stories by Vandana Gombar And Joe C Mathew

Exporters seek more time to carry barcodes

Exporters seek more time to carry barcodes

Rediff.com   18 Jan 2011

The domestic drug industry has expressed serious concern over the central government's decision to make it mandatory to carry a barcode on every medicine pack meant for exports from July 1.

Company secys of Swan, Loop pulled up on 2G report

Company secys of Swan, Loop pulled up on 2G report

Rediff.com   13 Dec 2010

The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) has pulled up the company secretaries of two telecom companies whose names have been mentioned in the Comptroller and Auditor General's (CAG's) report on the controversial allotment of airwaves. The two officials named in the report are Hari Nair, representing Swan Telecom, and Vidyadhar Chakradeo, the company secretary of Loop Telecom.

Pharma companies line up for clinical trials

Pharma companies line up for clinical trials

Rediff.com   10 Dec 2010

The numbers are the highest ever in the history of domestic drug discovery initiatives triggered by companies such as Dr Reddy's and Ranbaxy over a decade ago.

R&D firms should compensate trial injuries: DCGI

R&D firms should compensate trial injuries: DCGI

Rediff.com   7 Dec 2010

The Drugs Controller General of India, the apex drug regulator, has included a new clause in the trial approval letters, making these firms also accountable for any possible adverse event.

Three controversial drugs may be banned

Three controversial drugs may be banned

Rediff.com   25 Nov 2010

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), the apex drug regulator, may soon ban the production and sale of three medicines in the country. The drugs - cisapride, phenylpropanolamine (PPA) and human placenta extracts - have been controversial medicines for their alleged adverse reactions for several years now.

Price control on 50% of domestic drugs likely

Price control on 50% of domestic drugs likely

Rediff.com   24 Nov 2010

The eight-member expert committee, which is in charge of revising NLEM, plans inclusion of new drugs to the list and also do away with the current practice of including only specific strengths of medicines in NLEM.

Godrej talking to Israeli firms for dairy foray

Godrej talking to Israeli firms for dairy foray

Rediff.com   23 Nov 2010

Godrej Agrovet Ltd, the agri-business arm of leading conglomerate Godrej Ltd, plans to enter the dairy farming business. The company is in talks with at least two leading Israeli dairy farm technology providers.

NPPA finds huge gap in cancer drug prices

NPPA finds huge gap in cancer drug prices

Rediff.com   1 Nov 2010

The first-ever study conducted by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) on cancer medicines has found huge price variations among different brands of same medicines sold in the country.

Govt yet to decide CWG probe panel members

Govt yet to decide CWG probe panel members

Rediff.com   24 Oct 2010

The structure and the exact mandate of the high-level committee set up to probe the alleged financial irregularities related to the conduct of the Commonwealth Games 2010 remain unclear even a week after the setting up of the panel was announced.

Panel may clear cervical cancer vaccine trials

Panel may clear cervical cancer vaccine trials

Rediff.com   28 Sep 2010

The studies, independently initiated by international non-governmental-organization PATH and Indian Council of Medical Research for GSK and Merck vaccines respectively, were called off early this year after six deaths were reported among the girls who were administered these vaccines in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.

Foreign firms call the shots in many insurance JVs

Foreign firms call the shots in many insurance JVs

Rediff.com   28 Sep 2010

Several international insurance firms that operate in India through joint ventures exercise control over them, despite having only a 26 per cent stake. This is the maximum permissible foreign investment.

RBI: Exclude banks from class action

RBI: Exclude banks from class action

Rediff.com   6 Sep 2010

Says sector has grievance redress mechanism.

Cancer drugs may become cheaper after govt study

Cancer drugs may become cheaper after govt study

Rediff.com   30 Aug 2010

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority, which regulates the prices of medicines, has identified around 70 anti-cancer drugs, including anti-breast cancer medication Letrozole and anti-blood cancer drug Imatinib, for detailed price analysis.

Prime Minister's Office renews patent debate

Prime Minister's Office renews patent debate

Rediff.com   19 Aug 2010

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has sought the opinion of various stakeholder departments on the need for further amendments to the patent law to introduce some of the controversial provisions that were kept out during the previous amendment to the Indian Patent Act five years ago.

CAG can now vet NGOs in social sector schemes

CAG can now vet NGOs in social sector schemes

Rediff.com   11 Aug 2010

The Planning Commission has decided that approvals for all social sector projects undertaken by various non-government organisations, normally outside the purview of CAG, will come with the rider that they will be subject to audit, if required.

All essential drugs may come under price control

All essential drugs may come under price control

Rediff.com   15 Jul 2010

The Union ministry of chemicals and fertilisers has initiated a move to bring all essential medicines sold in the country under a price cap.

Corporate houses keep CCI busy

Corporate houses keep CCI busy

Rediff.com   29 Jun 2010

The Competition Commission of India, the country's fair trade watchdog, which turned functional less than a year ago, busy these days.

Piramal Healthcare eyes buys in US, Europe

Piramal Healthcare eyes buys in US, Europe

Rediff.com   28 Jun 2010

Piramal Healthcare is planning a string of acquisitions in the biotech space in the US, Europe and Canada in the next two to three years.

Serum's H1N1 vaccine to hit market

Serum's H1N1 vaccine to hit market

Rediff.com   19 Jun 2010

Pune-based Serum Institute of India will soon become the second company to get manufacturing approval for a vaccine for the H1N1 virus (swine flu) . The company's intra-nasal swine flu vaccine is expected to get regulatory clearance by the month-end, health ministry officials said.

Drug firms on outsourcing high

Drug firms on outsourcing high

Rediff.com   7 Jun 2010

An increase in the number of outsourcing deals between domestic drug companies and pharmaceutical multinationals has triggered huge capacity expansion programmes in the drug manufacturing sector.