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Stack Trace

  1. in app/cache/prod/classes.php at line 5426  -
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=> 'Text blogs', 'aliasName' => 'text-blogs', 'sequence' => '6', 'parentSectionId' => '25', 'siteId' => '2', 'status' => '1')))), 'footerTopLeftDetail' => array('articleId' => '129', 'articleTitle' => 'Footer Top Left', 'seoTitle' => null, 'seoSummary' => null, 'seoGenerator' => null, 'seoAuthor' => null, 'seoAppName' => null, 'subheading' => 'Subscribe to BioSpectrum India', 'titleText' => '', 'titleUrl' => 'http://www.biospectrumindia.com/BSI_forms/subscription_reg_mgz.php', 'introDescription' => '', 'page1' => '', 'page2' => null, 'page3' => null, 'page4' => null, 'page5' => null, 'guestAuthor' => null, 'remark' => null, 'primaryMedium' => 'Text', 'flashNews' => '0', 'specialFeature' => '0', 'city' => null, 'imagePath' => 'uploads/static/bsi_march_2024_issue_cover_page_jpg_1_-129.jpg', 'imageTitle' => '', 'sequence' => '129', 'publishDateTime' => null, 'expiryDateTime' => null, 'displayDate' => null, 'editingNotes' => '', 'lastUpdationDate' => object(DateTime), 'creationDate' => object(DateTime), 'status' => 'Published', 'contentTypeId' => '15', 'siteId' => '2', 'sourceId' => '2', 'userId' => '4', 'lastUpdatedByUserId' => '26', 'articleType' => 'Static', 'language' => null, 'blogType' => null, 'pageSlug' => 'footer-top-left', 'magazineIssue' => null, 'pullquote' => null, 'restrictionType' => null, 'seoKeyword' => null, 'articleReadCount' => '0'), 'subsectionAlias' => 'segments', 'subsection' => 'Segments', 'section' => '', 'sectionId' => '', 'aliasName' => '', 'leadershipArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24267', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'What’s Shaking Up India’s Life Sciences Real Estate Sector?', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/bs1-24267.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'whats-shaking-up-indias-life-sciences-real-estate-sector', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2021,&nbsp; a California-based life sciences real estate development company acquired Hotel Buckminster. This acquisition was done to redevelop the closed hotel into a life science lab space. Again in May 2021, a facility that housed the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive was transformed into a new life sciences lab on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the same year in India, a Canadian Pension Fund along with a Singapore-based wealth and asset management firm jointly invested $100 million (Rs 7.5 billion) in life sciences R&amp;D facilities in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. This investment, according to reports, proved to be a stepping stone for more equity investments in this segment. On February 6, 2024, life sciences real estate developer, Rx Propellant announced an initial investment of $75 million in phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai Research (NMR) District, as part of its continued regional expansion strategy across India.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In all the four developments mentioned above, it is clear that post-pandemic, the demand for life sciences-related real estate has significantly increased. Both greenfield and brownfield projects have surged, as the pandemic fuelled the demand for locally manufactured pharma and medical products.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, in the last few decades, has witnessed the IT and manufacturing sectors invest heavily in real estate and infrastructure. But in the post-pandemic era, we see life sciences companies require space to innovate, for R&amp;D, and manufacture at scale.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Fast-evolving life sciences market&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India is one of the fastest-growing life sciences markets in the world and the sector is poised to see multi-fold growth by 2030 led by a fast-increasing population, rising life expectancy, a strong industrial base and inclusive government initiatives. In addition, India&rsquo;s demographic dividend, strong industrial base and policy push are known to be the growth drivers for the life sciences sector in the country.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The increasing government spending on the healthcare sector, cost benefits in terms of affordable manpower &amp; real estate expenses, and the availability of a large talent pool are the catalysts of life sciences growth in India. Schemes like Production Linked Incentive (PLI)&nbsp; have boosted domestic manufacturing which&nbsp; has resulted in the need for more space in industrial and tech parks. Also, global exports of pharmaceutical and biotechnology products and medical devices from the country have forced many companies to invest in capacity building and human resources.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Notably, India ranks second globally in terms of the number of US FDA-certified plants located outside the US, closely followed by China. Strengths of this kind and the constantly evolving sector are&nbsp; furthering the requirement for large-scale&nbsp; manufacturing, MSMEs, wet laboratories, R&amp;D hubs, incubators, and data centres&nbsp; coupled with other IT &amp; ES support.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the next decade, it is estimated that the requirement for life sciences R&amp;D real estate in India is likely to grow to somewhere between $16 billion (Rs 1,200 billion) and $34 billion (Rs 2,550 billion) as per conservative and optimistic scenarios.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Push from PEs and VCs</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India&rsquo;s life sciences R&amp;D real estate is emerging as a high-potential asset class for institutional investors. Aided by exponential global demand growth, geopolitical environment, policies initiatives, and skilled workforce this sector is rapidly transforming.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Atul Bhardwaj, Business Head, Lighthouse Canton Real Estate</strong>, indicates that both domestic and international investors are demonstrating a strong interest in India's life sciences real estate market. According to Bhardwaj, private equity firms, venture capitalists, and real estate developers are actively investing significant capital in the development of specialised facilities to meet the requirements of life sciences companies. He says, &ldquo;Biotechnology parks and clusters are emerging as key focal points for life sciences research and manufacturing in India. These specialised hubs offer world-class infrastructure, shared amenities, and a collaborative ecosystem that encourages innovation and cooperation among industry stakeholders, academic institutions, and research organisations.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Citing one other compelling factor of the life sciences real estate market to surge, Bhardwaj, says, &ldquo;This sector's operational model does not accommodate the concept of working from home, which presents a compelling opportunity for real estate developers. The recent pandemic underscored the resilience of the pharmaceutical sector. While many industries, including office realty, experienced significant disruptions, the pharmaceutical sector's demand for space significantly increased, further cementing its critical role in the global economy.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Arvind Nandan, Managing Director &ndash; Research &amp; Consulting, Savills India</strong>, says, &ldquo;Venture Capital funding into the life sciences industry in India stood at $448 million (Rs 34 billion) in 2021 through August, almost 3x of the annual average of the previous years, making it clear that this segment will play a pivotal role in the overall growth of the Indian Real Estate industry.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Adopting the asset light model</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We know that globally organisations across all sectors &ndash; be it small or big &ndash; are undergoing massive digital transformation and smart business strategies that are sustainable and cost-effective are implemented. Owing to that, businesses are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to scale up faster, which has given rise to many alternate models of operations, including the concept of going asset-light.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Asset-light model offers a strategic approach where companies minimise their ownership of physical assets (such as buildings or land). Companies go asset-light by owning fewer capital-intensive assets compared to their operational assets. By doing this, life sciences companies focus on their core competencies (such as research, development, and production) and avoid heavy investments in real estate.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Merck &amp; Co., Inc. (MSD outside the US and Canada) is a prime example of an asset-light pharmaceutical company. Merck collaborates with specialised Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisations (CDMOs) for various stages of drug development and production. By leveraging external partners, they avoid heavy capital expenditure on building and maintaining several of their own manufacturing facilities.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sharing his view on the asset light model, <strong>Rx Propellant&rsquo;s CEO Milind Ravi</strong>, says, &ldquo;While traditionally dominated by &lsquo;user-owned&rsquo; models, an evident but slow shift to &lsquo;asset-light&rsquo; options in India indicates growing demand for agile growth-ready infrastructure. With its increased focus on innovation, India&rsquo;s life sciences market is expected to grow threefold in the next decade, reaching $130 billion by 2030. This in turn is set to generate demand for over 100 million square feet of specialised infrastructure across several existing ecosystems including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Vizag, and Pune among others.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another aspect to asset-light operations is the advantage companies draw from sharing infrastructure elements. Atul Bhardwaj opines that the model of providing comprehensive amenities under one roof offers significant benefits to companies by eliminating the need for capital expenditure on individual pieces of equipment such as chillers and DG sets. This approach, he says, not only reduces the initial capital outlay but also lowers the overall opex for companies, as costs related to maintenance, security, and technical manpower are shared.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;This cost model is particularly advantageous, as it would otherwise be a substantial financial burden for a company to bear alone for its standalone unit. Real estate developers who offer high-quality infrastructure can further reduce a company's upfront expenses by providing essential utilities like nitrogen generators and vacuum systems. A multi-tenanted building thus emerges as a mutually beneficial arrangement for both developers and tenant companies,&rdquo; says Bhardwaj.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Sustainable infrastructure&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In almost every industry, the board members, shareholders advocate the importance of the mandates of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) of business operations. The threat of climate change has prompted many industries to develop environmental strategies to reduce their carbon footprints, with the life sciences industry on the top of the pyramid.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Being climate conscious has brought in new concepts in smart buildings and other digitally supported facilities and infrastructure models. Open floor plans, shared workspaces, and flexible furniture are some of today&rsquo;s trends that are known to foster interaction and knowledge sharing, similar to what's seen in modern IT work spaces. This shift in life sciences too encourages cross-disciplinary research, faster problem-solving, and quicker innovation and most importantly sharing resources.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Emerging trends in innovation have seen an increase in demand for next-gen spaces with flexible workspaces, integration of wet lab-computation stations, highly sensitive zones for increasingly sophisticated equipment and process flow optimisation. New developments designed to accommodate such variables offer sustainable long-term solutions,&rdquo; Milind Ravi opines from his experience.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Also, leading life sciences companies in India prefer to operate from large-scale clusters that can meet both their office and R&amp;D needs. Startups and MSMEs are also increasingly opting to locate themselves in prominent clusters with a clear industrial positioning and abundant R&amp;D resources. Genome Valley (Hyderabad) and Electronic City (Bengaluru) are great examples of such collaborative ecosystems.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">So, if, today, we were to walk into any of India&rsquo;s life sciences parks, we would be delighted to see those spaces being built on modern modular designs having mobile equipment and reconfigurable layouts, with amazing aesthetics and classy landscaping.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">What will also be evident is that the traditional life sciences technicians confining themselves to sterile laboratories would be ancient. Today&rsquo;s workplaces recognise the need for a more holistic environment with sprawling cafeterias, breakout huddles, and interactive/entertainment spaces. Apart from being modern with the changing times, such amenities are considered by the HR department as a way to attract and retain talent.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Leasing: a preferred business model&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Savills, in its report titled </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unlocking Opportunities: Life Sciences and Real Estate in India&rsquo;, indicates that leasing properties to the biotech industry can provide a steady stream of rental income and long-term investment potential for real estate developers.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since life sciences is a rapidly growing and promising sector with significant investments and advancements, by leasing to them, real estate companies become part of their growth story, giving them the advantage of increased long-term value and brand association.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Leasing also brings about several advantages to realtors. Life sciences companies typically require specific and tailored facilities, leading to lesser turnover compared to other commercial leases. This translates to reduced management costs and higher occupancy rates. Also, life sciences companies often require long-term leases due to the complex nature of their facilities and research projects. This stability translates to predictable and dependable income for the real estate companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking from his company&rsquo;s perspective, Milind Ravi,</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> says,&nbsp;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;We bring a very inclusive approach to support companies of all scales not just with infrastructure, but a gamut of ecosystem services that play a pivotal role in their overall experience. We lease laboratory spaces on tailored models based on the need, timelines, intended use and life-stage of our tenant partners. Our standard offering constitutes modular spaces in shared or dedicated formats &ndash; in both &lsquo;warm shell&rsquo; and &lsquo;plug-and-play&rsquo; models as part of integrated and life science-focussed clusters. Apart from this, we also deliver built-to-suit campuses in required specifications of the tenant.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;While our facilities are built for multi-tenancy where each organisation can work independently, we are also working towards developing co-working laboratory spaces with shared equipment and amenities. These are becoming increasingly popular, especially among startups and small research teams,&rdquo; says Milind Ravi.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Growth is certain</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A report titled &lsquo;Life Sciences Industry &amp; Real Estate Perspective 2024: Putting Asia Pacific under the microscope&rsquo; by global real estate company JLL sheds light on India&rsquo;s pharma industry's growth trajectory. While the pandemic undeniably spurred investment due to the vaccine race, the report emphasizes that interest was already on the rise owing to the ongoing breakthroughs in areas like immuno-oncology and neonatology. This pre-existing momentum, fuelled by technological advancements, has directly translated into increased commercial real estate leasing within the pharma sector. This may be true to India&rsquo;s life sciences sector too.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">JLL stresses on the fact that when companies get funding from venture capitalists, they need lab space in order to deliver as soon as possible. Also, sizeable investments bring with them a plethora of life sciences jobs, which can also spur development of housing, retail and other urban amenities that serve the people who live and work for the expanding companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">From Bhardwaj&rsquo;s inputs we can infer that India has a robust domestic market, bolstered further by the Government of India's </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;Jan Aushadhi&rsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> scheme, aimed at providing quality generic medicines at affordable prices to its citizens. As the third-largest exporter of pharmaceuticals by volume and the thirteenth by value, the demand for space is going to grow.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the pharma industry presents sufficient scope, the medical device industry is not any less. Considered as the sunrise sector, the medical devices industry is estimated to reach $50 billion by 2030. In the last five years, the export of medical devices has been increasing at a rate of 9.37 per cent. India&rsquo;s policy to allow 100 per cent foreign investment under an automatic route in the medical devices sector has helped attract significant investments, which has further pushed the demand for real estate. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the medical device industry in India has also helped augment the domestic manufacturing and in reducing dependence on imports. Hence, manufacturing hubs are being set up in many economic zones of the country. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We can therefore conclude with the evidence that there is immense potential for life sciences real estate development to surge in India. Though the country has limited core life sciences real estate investable stock at present, majority of the growth will come from developing new facilities that entail typical development and leasing risks. The stakeholders, however, forecast an increasing investor appetite for Indian life sciences real estate as the sector gains scale over time.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Anusha Ashwin</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => 'Anusha Ashwin', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24273', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'Dissecting Gender Disparity', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/women-24273.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'dissecting-gender-disparity', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in the Indian healthcare industry are mainly concentrated in low-paying frontline positions. In India, 29 per cent of medical doctors, 80 per cent of nursing staff (including midwives), and nearly 100 per cent of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are women. Despite this, women hold only 18 per cent of healthcare leadership positions and continue to earn 34 per cent less than their male counterparts.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are the outcomes of the study titled &lsquo;An Unbalanced Scale - Exploring the Female Leadership Gap in India's Healthcare Sector&rsquo; from Dasra, a non-profit organisation. The&nbsp; study revealed that the Indian healthcare sector, one of the country's largest employers, has experienced substantial growth. It takes a closer look at women's representation in healthcare and the leadership opportunities available to them.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><strong>Inspiring leaders</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"What is concerning is the gap between the proportion of women in healthcare and those who occupy leadership positions. At entry levels, women's representation in sales, marketing, and operations ranges from 40-50 per cent. However, this significantly drops to 15-20 per cent in senior roles," says <strong>Shailja Mehta, Director at Dasra</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is behind this gender gap in leadership positions? Societal norms, cultural expectations and implicit biases against women are some of the main factors that&nbsp;have contributed to the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions. &ldquo;It is a complex issue. The lack of female role models and mentors perpetuates this gender gap," says Shailja.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some believe that one of the primary reasons for the skewed gender ratio in STEM is the stereotyping that begins early in life. Societal expectations often push girls towards more traditionally feminine roles, diverting them away from technical and scientific fields. As a result, fewer women choose STEM education and careers. While others argue that the current gap is a reflection of what was happening 20 years ago, when fewer women entered science careers.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;&ldquo;Today&rsquo;s leaders represent those who entered the field 15-20 years back. Now that the number of women entering these fields has significantly increased in recent years, we will see a lot of women leaders in the coming years. In fact, a major proportion of startups are led by women. They have the capability to do it,&rdquo; <strong>Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, former director, National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) Pune</strong>, says, "The situation is definitely improving. For more women to take leadership roles, changes are required at the family, community and industry level."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Dr Pragya Yadav, senior scientist at the National Institute of Virology, Pune</strong>, who played an instrumental role in the development of Covaxin, agrees. "The situation has certainly improved, but school-going girls should have access to reputable colleges and safe residential facilities for pursuing science as a subject for the real change to occur. Besides, they need support in equal measure, from their families and the industry when raising their children. If they lose that time, catching up becomes difficult,&rdquo; she says. &nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Furthermore, this support should not be seen as an extra favour to women, but rather as their right. Children are the future and the environment they experience while growing up is crucial to their growth and development. It is the duty of both families and society, not just mothers alone, to provide a safe and suitable environment for them," she added. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Manya Jha, a young entrepreneur and founder of Morphedo Technologies</strong>, a deep tech startup in aerospace and defence, medical device engineering, IoT and embedded systems, faced the challenge of balancing child care and her career after the birth of her daughter. To tackle this challenge, she established a small child care centre at her office.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Starting just 20 days after my daughter was born, I brought her to my workplace every day. I made space in my cabin where she could stay with me. Until she was 7 months old, my husband and I took care of her in the shared cabin (during COVID-19 period). At the time of her birth, my startup was also at a crucial stage,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Both my daughter and my company required my personal attention. There were instances when I had to attend important meetings with senior scientists while holding my one-month-old daughter. I believe it's all about the confidence with which you pursue your career."</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today, Manya's company has around&nbsp; 40 employees and the child care centre is now available to all new mothers, offering support in looking after their children while at work.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, despite the challenges, there has been a noticeable shift in the narrative over the past decade, with the number of women leaders emerging in STEM careers increasing slowly but steadily. And these women are not only excelling &nbsp;in their respective fields but also helping dismantling barriers that hinder the progress of other aspiring women.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several prominent women leaders are setting an example for others. Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr Priya Abraham, Director of the National Institute of Virology, biotech stalwart &nbsp;Kiran Majumdar-Shaw,&nbsp; and entrepreneurs like Dr Kavita Iyer Rodrigues and Vasanthi Ramachandran represent some of the most sought after leaders in the industry.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Women are leading more than 30 per cent of the startups incubated at our centre. In many others, they are co-founders or hold significant positions," says <strong>Dr Manisha Premnath, COO of Venture Center</strong>, an incubation centre in Pune that helps startups grow.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Breaking the glass ceiling</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While there is a rise of women leaders in the health and biotech sector, it is important to acknowledge the challenges they continue to face. Stereotypes, biases, and a lack of institutional support still exist. The &lsquo;glass ceiling&rsquo; phenomenon persists, making it difficult for women to reach the highest levels of leadership. A male-centric workplace culture, coupled with a lack of flexibility and understanding regarding work-life balance, discourage women from pursuing or sustaining leadership roles.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The biggest challenge that women face is breaking these stereotypes and breaking free from the vicious cycle of work and life. They need to step out of their comfort zones, or rather, their safe zones, and then there will be no stopping them. Fortunately, nowadays there are several schemes and funds available to support women," says <strong>Dr Deeksha Bhartiya, Founder of Genomiki</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coming from a very traditional, yet ambitious family, Dr Deeksha got married at a young age and encountered challenges in maintaining a balance between her personal and professional life. However, she didn't allow these challenges to deter her from pursuing her doctoral studies and career. "There were many senior male scientists who advised me to take up a permanent job instead of embarking on my entrepreneurial journey. I was told that women should prioritise stability over adventure. However, I am fortunate to have a very supportive family who always push me to exceed my limits and support me in all my decisions."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Exiting the vicious circle</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The foundation for achieving gender parity in STEM careers is laid during the crucial years of education. Schools and educational institutions play an important role in challenging these stereotypes and encouraging girls to explore their interests in science and technology. STEM-focused educational programmes, workshops, and extracurricular activities can help break down gender-based barriers from a young age. Scholarships and mentorship programmes can encourage girls to pursue science education.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To encourage more women to pursue careers in STEM and foster an inclusive and diverse workforce, it is important to adopt unbiased recruitment practices, create a supportive environment for their progress, and implement flexible work arrangements.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is a growing emphasis on incorporating diverse perspectives in STEM curricula. Highlighting the contributions of women scientists and engineers in textbooks and classroom discussions can inspire both girls and boys, challenging preconceived notions about gender roles in these fields. There should be more networking events, conferences and platforms that specifically focus on women in STEM to provide valuable opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing. These spaces not only celebrate the achievements of women in the field but also facilitate the exchange of ideas and strategies to overcome common challenges.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emphasising the pivotal role women play in shaping a sustainable future through scientific leadership, <strong>Melody Lopez, Director and Chief of Staff Crayon Software Experts India</strong> says &ldquo;Fostering women's leadership in science is not just about gender equality but also a catalyst for achieving sustainable development goals. The theme reflects a call to action, urging communities, governments, and organisations to provide equal opportunities for women and girls in science, ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making processes.&rdquo; She further says &ldquo;As we champion women and girls in science leadership, let us embrace this new era, where their voices, ideas, and leadership propel us toward a brighter, more sustainable future for all.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The journey towards gender parity in STEM careers in India could be challenging, but the momentum for change is growing.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><strong>Gunjan Sharma</strong></strong></p> <p><em><strong>gunjan.sharma@mmactiv.com</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => 'Gunjan Sharma ', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24271', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => '“There is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation”', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_27_at_5_20_34_pm-24271.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'there-is-a-significant-gap-in-the-infrastructure-required-for-ai-implementation', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Artificial Intelligence (AI) has completely changed the way we see the world today. How do you see AI revolutionising drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry? Can AI help in discovering new drug molecules that could help treat deadly and chronic diseases like cancers and AIDS?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The future of human life is completely impacted by AI. Particularly its emergence in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry will have a vital impact on disease control and new drug discoveries.&nbsp;AI is poised to revolutionise drug discovery in several ways. It can drastically reduce the time needed to discover and develop new drugs. AI can be used to help suggest novel combinations for treating fatal diseases and even predict treatment outcomes. Additionally, AI facilitates personalised medicine by tailoring treatments to individual patients, which can ultimately speed up the development of new therapies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key challenges in implementing AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly in the context of regulatory compliance?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I feel, the pharma and healthcare organisations in India are yet to gear up for AI. Many are still in the process of adapting to the advancements in the pharmaceutical industry brought about by digitalisation. Despite this progress, the majority of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are not adequately prepared to integrate AI into their operations. AI adoption, beyond platforms like Chat GPT, remains in its infancy and requires further exploration and validation. Moreover, there is a pressing need to harmonise regulatory compliances, particularly in manufacturing standards outlined by the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH). This entails the implementation of electronic documentation systems and global alignment on regulatory practices to ensure both qualitative and compliant manufacturing and healthcare delivery systems. Additionally, there is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation, including the necessary hardware, software, and skilled professionals, which remains to be addressed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a specific example where AI has been successfully utilised to discover or develop a new drug?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although AI is currently making strides in drug discovery, its continual evolution opens up a multitude of possibilities in terms of drug candidates, their structures, and the discovery process. This versatility allows for the pinpointing of targeted molecules tailored to specific therapies or multiple therapeutic discoveries. A recent example highlighting this potential is Insilico Medicine's Pharma.AI, which is revolutionising drug discovery with its suite of AI-powered tools. PandaOmics, for instance, drastically reduces the time required for multi-omics target discovery, from several months to a few clicks. Similarly, Chemistry42 employs machine learning for de novo drug design, generating lead-like molecules within a week. Additionally, InClinico provides an invaluable tool for efficient clinical trial management, identifying potential weaknesses in trial design and predicting success rates. Collectively, these tools are streamlining the traditionally lengthy drug discovery process, accelerating the pursuit of breakthrough medicine.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you envision the role of AI evolving in personalised medicine and patient care?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I believe AI could be groundbreaking by using large amounts of data from healthy and sick people. It could help analyse specific therapeutic segments quickly to see how drugs work over time and improve their formulations. It would also support Phase IV clinical trials, especially in monitoring drug safety (Pharmacovigilance). Overall, AI in personalised medicine and patient care has the potential to improve healthcare, make treatments better, and give patients more control over their health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the ethical considerations that need to be addressed when deploying AI in healthcare settings?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The primary concern lies in protecting patient identity, which can be achieved through AI by masking identities in documentation, albeit in previously challenging areas. The rigidity and security levels of AI coding stand out as effective measures for safeguarding patient identity compared to traditional masking systems. However, the implementation of AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly concerning regulatory compliance, presents various challenges and ethical considerations. These include ensuring data privacy and security, adhering to diverse regulations, deciphering complex AI algorithms, managing the time and cost implications, addressing potential biases perpetuated by AI algorithms, integrating solutions into existing systems, navigating complex ethical and legal considerations, determining accountability and liability for decisions made, preserving patient autonomy and consent, and conducting real-time reviews for corrections.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How can AI help address the challenges of drug resistance in infectious diseases?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The emergence of drug resistance in infectious diseases poses a significant healthcare challenge. However, AI offers a promising solution by playing a crucial role in addressing this issue. Through predictive analytics, AI can forecast which drugs may become ineffective against evolving pathogens, allowing for proactive adjustments in treatment strategies. Furthermore, AI aids in the discovery of alternative treatments, the development of more effective medications, and the customisation of treatment plans tailored to individual patients. By providing real-time insights into the changing landscape of drug resistance, AI enables healthcare professionals to adapt swiftly, ultimately enhancing the efficacy of treatments and improving patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What strategies can be employed to ensure the fairness and transparency of AI algorithms in healthcare decision-making?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To maintain trust, mitigate bias, and foster equitable outcomes, it is crucial to prioritise fairness and transparency in the use of AI algorithms for healthcare decision-making. Some of the strategies to achieve this include ensuring transparency of both data and algorithms, promoting diversity and inclusivity in the development process, conducting external validation and evaluation, and establishing regulatory frameworks and guidelines.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you see AI impacting the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services globally?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While AI offers significant potential for improving the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services on a global scale, there are challenges to overcome. These include ensuring fair access to AI-driven technologies, addressing concerns regarding data privacy and security, and navigating regulatory and ethical issues. Collaboration among various stakeholders, such as governments, healthcare providers, technology developers, and community organisations, is vital to fully realise the benefits of AI in enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key factors hindering the adoption of AI in pharmaceutical research and development?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pharmaceutical companies face several challenges when it comes to using AI in research and development. Firstly, they require high-quality and comprehensive datasets to effectively train AI models. Secondly, they must adhere to strict regulatory guidelines set by government agencies. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies often possess proprietary data and intellectual property that may not be easily compatible with AI systems. Finally, the significant investment required to implement AI technology presents a barrier to adoption for many companies in the industry.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a case where AI-driven predictive modelling has significantly improved clinical trial outcomes or drug efficacy in the Healthcare system?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's important to note that using AI in the healthcare system, along with a thorough review of relevant literature from sources like PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and EMBASE, is significant. Integrating AI into healthcare has the potential to greatly improve disease diagnosis, treatment selection, and clinical laboratory testing. AI tools can analyse large sets of data and find patterns, outperforming humans in many healthcare tasks. AI brings higher accuracy, lower costs, and time savings, while also reducing human errors. It can revolutionise personalised medicine, optimise medication dosages, improve population health management, set guidelines, offer virtual health assistants, support mental health care, enhance patient education, and strengthen patient-physician trust.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, AI can be used in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) by using machine learning algorithms to predict drug-drug interactions. By analysing large sets of patient data, these algorithms can detect potential drug interactions. This helps to decrease the risk of adverse drug reactions, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Amguth Raju</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>hyderabad@mmactiv.com&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => 'Amguth Raju', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17'), array('articleId' => '24280', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Effectively Eliminating Drug-resistant TB', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/tb-24280.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'effectively-eliminating-drug-resistant-tb', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has the highest burden of TB, with two deaths occurring every three minutes from the disease. The country recorded a staggering 28 lakh cases in 2022, accounting for 27 per cent of the global cases, according to WHO.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India initiated the TB Free India campaign with the ambitious goal of eradicating TB by 2025, a milestone set five years earlier than the target outlined by the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Despite facing setbacks due to COVID-19, the nation doubled down on its efforts, resulting in notable progress. The India TB Report 2023 heralded 2022 as a pivotal year in TB surveillance, noting a significant achievement with a record-high notification of 24.2 lakh TB cases, representing an increase of over 13 per cent compared to 2021.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The latest WHO Global TB Report 2023 acknowledged and praised India's efforts in its fight against TB, particularly highlighting the effectiveness of its case detection strategies. The report emphasised that India's intensified case detection strategies led to the highest-ever notification of cases in 2022, surpassing pre-COVID levels. The government's key initiatives, such as specialised active case finding drives, the scaling up of molecular diagnostics to block levels, decentralisation of screening services through Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, and private sector engagement, have significantly reduced the gap in missing cases.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Road to elimination&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the country has made remarkable progress in its fight against TB, the adoption of additional strategies such as shorter treatment regimens, the development of vaccines, and a renewed focus on nutrition could prove to be game-changers in its goal of eliminating TB for good.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The BPaL regimen, composed of Bedaquiline, Pretomanid and Linezolid, presents a promising alternative for a shorter, safer and more tolerable treatment option for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). Lasting only 26 weeks, it contrasts sharply with conventional DR-TB treatments, which can span 18 to 21 months and entail the consumption of over 4,000 to 5,000 tablets. Endorsed by the US FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) in 2019 and the WHO in 2022, the BPaL regimen has been implemented in more than 70 countries, including South Africa, Ukraine, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;The older, conventional regimen for drug-resistant TB included prolonged use of injections with other drugs. This was associated with increased incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), implementation challenges under the programme and inconvenience to the patients. The new TB drug regimen uses the newer oral drugs like Bedaquiline, Delamanid or Pretomanid, or the repurposed drugs such as linezolid, clofazimine, etc. These regimens are injection free and have lesser pill burden leading to more acceptance among the TB patients besides reducing the implementation challenges due to the use of injections. They have the ability to kill the actively multiplying drug-resistant TB bacteria faster and a sustained killing of the bacteria to prevent the recurrence of the TB disease among the patients. These regimens have shown improved treatment success rates under field conditions under the national programme,&rdquo; said <strong>Dr Rupak Singla, Head of Department, National Institute of TB &amp; Respiratory Diseases, New Delhi</strong>.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Singla further said &ldquo;To combat the adverse drug reactions of these regimen, specially due to drug linezolid, various regimens using different dosages and durations of linezolid have demonstrated reduced incidence of ADRs maintaining the efficacy of the regimen. Hence, these newer treatment drug regimens could reduce the global burden of drug-resistant TB. However, the requirement of a good quality laboratory network, availability and higher cost of the drugs continue to pose a challenge.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new regimen is shorter, easier on patients and improves treatment adherence, resulting in better outcomes compared to previous drug regimens.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Talking about the potential implications of the new TB drug regimen on India&rsquo;s TB control efforts, Dr Singla stated, &ldquo;The cure rate for previous conventional TB regimen for multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) was to the tune of around 50 per cent and for Extensively drug-resistant-TB (XDR-TB), less than 30 per cent. The new TB drug regimen has the potential for significant improvement in treatment success rates for MDR-TB as well as XDR-TB.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In India the national data shows that more than 36,000 drug-resistant TB patients have been initiated on shorter oral Bedaquiline-containing regimen and more than 92,000 patients have been initiated on longer oral regimen till date. Treatment success rates of shorter oral regimen for the cohort April-September 2022 (around 12,000 patients) is 69 per cent and of longer oral regimen for the cohort January-September 2021 (around 15,000 patients) is 71 per cent. The improved success rates of new drug regimens is likely to translate into less number of deaths due to TB, reduced period of infectiousness of TB patients and reduced transmission of TB to others in the community leading to reduced incidence of TB.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Studies at the 2023 Union World Conference on Lung Health affirm WHO-endorsed regimens' effectiveness, surpassing traditional 18- to 24-month treatments. The goal is to urge high-burden DR-TB countries to update guidelines and offer shorter treatments to all patients in need. Only 40 per cent of the 410,000 people with DR-TB in 2022 had access to the shorter regimen, as per a WHO report.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A group of experts in the country have stressed the need for introducing the BPaL regimen in the TB control programme of the country. B<strong>lessina Kumar, CEO, Global Coalition of TB Advocates, New Delhi</strong> emphasised the potential cost savings associated with its adoption, citing studies estimating a global annual savings of $740 million. With India accounting for a significant portion of global multi-drug, rifampicin-resistant (MDR/RR-TB) treated patients, she suggested that the country could save nearly $250 million per year through the implementation of this regimen. India will likely roll out the new regime soon.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>TB Vaccine</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vaccination holds promise as a game-changer for TB elimination. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is conducting phase III trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two vaccines: VPM1002 and MIP (Mycobacterium indicus pranii). VPM1002 is a live vaccine based on recombinant BCG, modified for better safety and efficacy. MIP or Immuvac, originally developed for leprosy, is a whole-cell TB vaccine candidate. The trial aims to assess the effectiveness of these vaccines in preventing TB disease, among 12,721 individuals exposed to TB at home (referred to as household contacts). Enrollment for the study is complete, with participant follow-up currently ongoing, according to the pipeline report 2022 by the Treatment Action Group.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bharat Biotech is partnering with the Spanish firm BIOFABRI to develop, manufacture, and distribute a new tuberculosis vaccine across over 70 countries in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The TB vaccine candidate by Bharat Biotech is set to enter phase-III trials soon.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Lancet study highlighted the pivotal role of nutrition in TB management. The&nbsp; Reducing Activation of Tuberculosis by Improvement of Nutritional Status (RATIONS) trial demonstrated that providing food baskets to TB patients and their households reduced all forms of TB by nearly 40 per cent and infectious TB by almost 50 per cent. In 2018, the Indian government launched the 'Nikshay Poshan Yojana,' a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to offer nutrition support to TB patients. Since its inception, the scheme has disbursed approximately Rs 2613 crore to over 95 lakh TB patients.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has indeed made significant strides in addressing TB; however, the battle against the disease is far from over. Despite enhanced detection and surveillance efforts, there's&nbsp; a need to adopt newer strategies to combat TB effectively. Advances in R&amp;D of vaccines, access to newer drug regimens, enhanced focus on nutrition will all help in propelling TB elimination goals.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Ayesha Siddiqui&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ayesha Siddiqui', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24272', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Prioritising Women’s Health & Wellbeing ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2036811071-24272.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: gettyimages', 'pageSlug' => 'prioritising-womens-health-wellbeing-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a new report from the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute launched at Davos in January 2024, women may live longer than men, on average, but they spend 25 per cent more of their lives in debilitating health. The report said improving diagnostics, data on women-specific conditions like ovarian cancer, and directing more investments towards women&rsquo;s health and research is needed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In particular, McKinsey research finds that less than 2 per cent of healthcare research and innovation is invested in female-specific conditions beyond cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This &lsquo;women&rsquo;s health gap&rsquo; equates to 75 million years of life lost due to poor health or early death each year. Closing the gap would benefit 3.9 billion women, giving them an extra seven healthy days a year, or an average of 500 days over a lifetime. Further, it could boost the global economy by $1 trillion by 2040 from fewer early deaths and health conditions, and a greater capacity for women to contribute to the economy and society.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a result of these findings, the final hours of the World Economic Forum in Davos saw the launch of a new Global Alliance for Women&rsquo;s Health, which has the broad ambition of &lsquo;re-shaping the future of women&rsquo;s health and the global economy.&rsquo; The health alliance will pledge new commitments from governments, philanthropies, and pharmaceutical companies, among others, across three pillars i.e. financing, science and innovation, and agenda-setting. So far, partners have pledged $55 million to improve women&rsquo;s health outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">With International Women&rsquo;s Day 2024 being themed around &lsquo;Inspiring inclusion&rsquo;, we see governments across the globe putting the much-needed emphasis on women&rsquo;s healthcare. For instance, the UAE has set out wide-ranging plans to bolster healthcare services for women, by approving the &lsquo;National Policy for Improving Women&rsquo;s Health&rsquo; for providing the highest healthcare services quality for women, whether curative, preventive or rehabilitative services. Similarly, the Irish government is paving the way for a longer-term comprehensive Women&rsquo;s Health Strategy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in England are being urged to help shape reproductive health policy, as the government seeks views on periods, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and menopause for health strategy. Likewise, the Biden administration recently announced a White House initiative to improve how the federal government approaches and funds research into the health of women, who make up more than half of the US population but remain understudied and underrepresented in health research.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, of course, is not far behind in this initiative. The Interim Budget 2024-25 announcement that took place on February 1, 2024, laid focus on encouraging vaccination for girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years for the prevention of cervical cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Besides these government initiatives, multiple efforts are also being made by the industry players to improve women&rsquo;s health. For example, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zurzuvae as the first and only oral treatment approved for women with postpartum depression, developed by American pharmaceutical company Biogen. The US FDA has also recently approved a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription for the first time in the US, a milestone that could significantly expand access to contraception. The pill&rsquo;s manufacturer, Perrigo Company is based in Dublin.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Further, biotech companies in the UK and Korea are embarking on the world's first prospective study of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered breast cancer detection, to streamline diagnosis, and tackle radiologist shortages. On the other hand, startups in India have developed groundbreaking multi-cancer detection tests specifically designed for high-risk and asymptomatic women.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quality, affordability, and accessibility, particularly in the context of women&rsquo;s health, are very critical aspects of ensuring well-being. This calls for greater mobilisation across sectors to invest in women&rsquo;s health, keeping in mind the imperatives of equity and integral care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Manbeena Chawla</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Executive Editor</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(</span><a href="mailto:manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com"><span style="font-weight: 400;">manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></p>', 'sequence' => '5', 'guestAuthor' => 'Dr Manbeena Chawla', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '101'), array('articleId' => '24270', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Establishing Ethical Frameworks for Equitable Use of AI in Healthcare ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/21-24270.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'establishing-ethical-frameworks-for-equitable-use-of-ai-in-healthcare-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The global healthcare landscape is witnessing a seismic transformation driven by AI technologies. From therapeutics to diagnostics, hospital operations to clinical decision-making, AI is making significant strides across diverse applications. According to Statista, the value of AI in the global healthcare market was $11 billion in 2021, projected to reach an estimated $188 billion by 2030. This staggering growth, at a compounded annual rate of 37 per cent, underscores the immense potential AI holds in reshaping the future of healthcare.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Transforming Medical Research and Imaging Analysis</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The impact of AI is not limited to specific segments; it spans the entire healthcare ecosystem. One critical domain experiencing a revolution is medical research, as AI expedites drug discovery processes. Through machine learning algorithms, researchers can predict the success rate of chemical compounds, significantly reducing the time and resources required for experimentation. This not only accelerates the pace of innovation but also holds the promise of bringing new, effective treatments to patients more rapidly.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the realm of medical imaging analysis, AI is proving to be a game-changer. It enables the rapid and accurate detection of anomalies in MRI scans, X-rays, and CT scans. Radiologists benefit from quicker identification of potential life-threatening issues, minimising human errors and enhancing diagnostic accuracy. This not only saves crucial time but also improves patient outcomes, particularly in cases where early detection is paramount.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Data-Driven Healthcare</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">AI is revolutionising the traditional landscape of diagnosis and treatment by providing clinicians with unprecedented data-driven insights. Machine learning algorithms analyse extensive patient data to identify patterns and correlations, facilitating more accurate and timely diagnosis. Personalised treatment plans based on individual patient characteristics are now a reality, enhancing the effectiveness of medical interventions. The ability to tailor treatments to specific patient profiles leads to improved outcomes and a more efficient allocation of healthcare resources.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Real-time assessment of treatment effectiveness by AI tools further contributes to improved clinical outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. Monitoring and adjusting treatment plans based on real-world data ensure that patients receive the most effective interventions tailored to their individual responses. This not only enhances patient care but also contributes to the sustainability of healthcare systems worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Predictive analysis, powered by AI, enables healthcare providers to forecast potential outcomes based on historical data and real-time health information. Identifying patients at risk of specific conditions allows for early intervention, preventing complications and improving overall healthcare efficiency. Large-scale population data analysis can also detect trends and outbreaks of infectious diseases before they become widespread, a critical capability showcased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability to anticipate and mitigate health crises is a testament to the power of AI in safeguarding public health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Patient-Centric Approach</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The integration of AI into healthcare is not solely about clinical applications; it extends to improving the overall patient experience. Streamlining appointment scheduling, providing remote monitoring solutions, and offering personalised treatment plans based on individual medical records contribute to a more patient-centric approach. AI-driven chatbots responding to routine medical inquiries reduce stress and save time for both patients and healthcare providers, fostering a more efficient and accessible healthcare system.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the promises of AI in healthcare, challenges persist. Blind spots in data access and collection, privacy concerns, data misuse, and regulatory ambiguities are roadblocks to widespread adoption. In India, a rapidly growing player in AI-based healthcare, progress is evident, but there is still a long way to go. The ambitious goals of universal healthcare delivery and affordability through AI remain distant, requiring continued innovation and collaboration.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, a major player in the global healthcare sector, is rapidly embracing AI. The National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence by NITI Aayog highlights the potential of AI to address challenges such as a shortage of qualified healthcare professionals and non-uniform accessibility to healthcare across the country. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, AI expenditure in India is projected to reach $11.78 billion by 2025, contributing significantly to the country's economy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite challenges, AI's potential to revolutionise healthcare is undeniable. As technology continues to advance, AI's applications in telemedicine, genomics, robotics, and 3D printing will expand. Workforce training and collaboration between medical professionals and AI developers will be crucial for maximising the benefits of AI. The integration of AI with other emerging technologies holds the key to shaping the future of medical care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we delve deeper into the integration of AI in healthcare, it's imperative to address the ethical considerations surrounding this revolutionary technology. The responsible use of AI in medical settings demands careful navigation of issues such as patient privacy, data security, and bias in algorithms.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Privacy concerns arise from the vast amounts of sensitive patient data being processed by AI systems. Ensuring robust data protection measures, stringent encryption, and transparent data usage policies become paramount to build and maintain public trust in AI-driven healthcare solutions.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The potential for bias in AI algorithms poses another ethical challenge. If the datasets used to train AI models are not representative or if biased historical data is fed into the algorithms, it can perpetuate existing inequalities in healthcare. Striking a balance in dataset curation and continuous monitoring of algorithmic outputs is crucial to mitigate bias and ensure equitable healthcare outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moreover, the explainability of AI decisions becomes crucial, especially in critical medical scenarios. Ensuring that AI models provide interpretable insights aids healthcare professionals in understanding and trusting AI-generated recommendations, fostering collaboration between humans and machines.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In conclusion, AI is not just a buzzword but a transformative force reshaping the healthcare industry. From diagnosis to treatment, AI is proving its mettle by delivering accurate, personalised, and efficient healthcare solutions. While challenges persist, the trajectory of AI in healthcare is pointing towards a future where technology and human expertise converge to provide optimal patient care. As we stand at the intersection of technology and healthcare, the role of AI in shaping the future of medicine is more promising than ever.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As AI continues to evolve, it is crucial for stakeholders&mdash;be they healthcare providers, policymakers, or technology developers&mdash;to collaborate in establishing ethical frameworks that ensure the responsible and equitable use of AI in healthcare. The ongoing dialogue around ethical considerations is vital to ensure that AI remains a force for good in healthcare, driving positive change for patients and society at large.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&amp;D, Murata Vios</strong></em></p>', 'sequence' => '6', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&D, Murata Vios', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17')), 'trendingTopicsList' => array(array('articleId' => '24283', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => '83.5% of adults in India underestimate shingles risk: Global GSK survey', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shingles_large-24283.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => '83-5-of-adults-in-india-underestimate-shingles-risk-global-gsk-survey', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical (GSK) has released new data from a globally commissioned survey funded by them. The survey finds notable gaps in understanding of shingles risk among individuals aged above 50 years, a group that is most susceptible to the disease.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey conducted amongst 3,500 adults aged 50 and over from 12 countries, assessed respondents&rsquo; understanding of shingles, what triggers it, and its impact on people&rsquo;s lives.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey in&nbsp;India&nbsp;involved 500 participants, with 250 respondents who spoke Hindi and another 250 who spoke English. The data, launched in time for Shingles Awareness Week 2024 (26 February&nbsp;2024 &ndash; 3 March 2024), finds a widespread lack of understanding of shingles and its lifetime risk.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The findings show that globally, a significantly high proportion of those surveyed do not understand their risk of developing shingles,&nbsp;with&nbsp;86%&nbsp;underestimating&nbsp;that&nbsp;risk.<font size="1">&nbsp;</font>In India, 81% of the English-speaking and 86% &nbsp;of the Hindi-speaking respondents surveyed underestimate the risk of shingles<sup>.</sup></p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In India,&nbsp;amongst the &nbsp;English-speaking respondents, 22% believe that 1 in 1000 adults are at risk of developing shingles.<sup>&nbsp;</sup>Amongst the Hindi-speaking respondents,18% believe that 1 in 1000 adults is at risk of developing shingles.&nbsp;</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In&nbsp;reality,&nbsp;most&nbsp;adults already&nbsp;have&nbsp;the&nbsp;virus that&nbsp;causes&nbsp;shingles present in&nbsp;their bodies by&nbsp;the&nbsp;age&nbsp;of 50,&nbsp;which may&nbsp;reactivate with&nbsp;advancing&nbsp;age.&nbsp;Shingles&nbsp;is&nbsp;caused&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;reactivation&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;varicella-zoster&nbsp;virus&nbsp;(VZV),&nbsp;the same virus that causes chickenpox.&nbsp;As people age, the strength of their immune response to infection wanes, and this increases their risk of developing shingles.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Rashmi Hegde, Executive Vice President - Medical Affairs, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, India, said,&nbsp;&ldquo;The survey findings underscore the need to raise awareness about shingles risk in adults over 50.&nbsp; Shingles can significantly disrupt the daily lives of ageing adults and cause them a great deal of discomfort."</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24230', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Fujifilm launches advanced endoscopic ultrasound machine ALOKA ARIETTA 850 in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/fuji-24230.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'fujifilm-launches-advanced-endoscopic-ultrasound-machine-aloka-arietta-850-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Fujifilm India, a pioneer in diagnostic imaging and information systems, has launched the ground breaking ALOKA ARIETTA 850 Diagnostic Ultrasound System in India with its first-ever installation at Fortis Hospital in Bengaluru.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Representing a remarkable advancement in endoscopic technologies, the high-tech ultrasound system aims to enhance diagnostic precision and image clarity for gastrointestinal diseases in the region.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">In India, contemporary lifestyles and changing dietary choices are leading to the deteriorating digestive health of the population, adding to the growing prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Addressing this, Fujifilm India&rsquo;S&nbsp;ALOKA ARIETTA 850&nbsp;Endoscopic Ultrasound Machine at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru is a significant step in providing world-class diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients against these GI-related diseases, performing targeted treatments such as Pancreatic pseudo cyst drainage (without surgery), targeted delivery of treatment in Pancreatic cancers.&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) is a minimally invasive method for assessing malignancies affecting the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract and neighbouring organs or tissues. With this high degree of accuracy in both diagnostic and therapeutic capacities, it allows doctors to precisely examine organs like the lungs, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, lymph nodes and nearby affected areas.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">EUS also facilitates the extraction of tissue or fluid samples through a thin needle, eliminating the need for a separate biopsy procedure. Additionally, it improves the staging of cancers with accurate sampling provided by Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) and Fine Needle Biopsy (FNB). Furthermore, EUS proves valuable in cases of altered anatomy and among cancer patients for various therapeutic procedures.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">ALOKA ARIETTA 850 stands out from conventional endoscopic ultrasound machines with a range of superior features. The machine generates image quality with 7 million digital channels in its B mode. This system also incorporates HD-THI for deeper penetration, ensuring accurate diagnoses, along with combi-elastography, pure symphonic architecture and CHI-TIC and Inflow Time Mapping for clearer visibility by reducing noise and enhancing the completeness and continuity of tissue boundaries.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '91'), array('articleId' => '24229', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Bengaluru researchers develop paper-based platform to detect antibiotic-resistant bacteria', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shutterstock_157198133-24229.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'bengaluru-researchers-develop-paper-based-platform-to-detect-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">A paper-based platform developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru could help quickly detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant, disease-causing bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Dr Uday Maitra, Professor at the Department of Organic Chemistry, IISc, and collaborators have developed a rapid diagnosis protocol that uses a luminescent paper-based platform to detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The approach developed by the IISc and JNCASR team involves incorporating biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (BCA) within a supramolecular hydrogel matrix containing terbium cholate (TbCh). This hydrogel normally emits green fluorescence when UV light is shined on it.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The next step was to find a way to make the technology inexpensive. Currently used diagnostics instruments are costly, which drives up the price for testing.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team collaborated with a Chennai-based company called Adiuvo Diagnostics to design a customised, portable and miniature imaging device, named Illuminate Fluorescence Reader. Infusing the hydrogel in a sheet of paper as the medium reduced the cost significantly. The instrument is fitted with different LEDs that shine UV radiation as required. Green fluorescence from the enzyme is captured by a built-in camera, and a dedicated software app measures the intensity, which can help quantify the bacterial load.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team from IISc tied up with Jayanta Haldar&rsquo;s research group from JNCASR to check their approach on urine samples. As the next step, the researchers plan to tie up with hospitals to test this technology with samples from patients.</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58'), array('articleId' => '24163', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Theme for National Science Day sets in as ‘Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat’', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/nsd-24163.png', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'theme-for-national-science-day-sets-in-as-indigenous-technologies-for-viksit-bharat', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science &amp; Technology Dr Jitendra Singh released the theme for the "National Science Day 2024", titled "Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat".</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) theme for this year&rsquo;s celebration reflects a strategic focus on promoting public appreciation for Science, Technology and Innovation and accomplishments of Indian scientists to address challenges through home-grown technologies for over-all well-being.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The theme not only marks a new era but also presents an opportunity for public and scientific fraternity, both domestically and internationally, to collaborate, work together, and contribute to the well-being of India and humanity as a whole. While emphasising the importance of making India&nbsp;<em>Atmanirbhar&nbsp;</em>through science, it underscores the need to address subjects that hold significance for humanity as a whole.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on 28 February to commemorate the discovery of the &lsquo;Raman Effect&rsquo;. Government of India designated 28 February as National Science Day in 1986. On this day Sir C.V. Raman announced the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930. On this occasion, theme-based science communication activities are carried out all over the country. The theme launch will trigger celebrations of NSD specially in schools &amp; colleges throughout the country.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science &amp; Technology (DST) said that as we embark on the celebration of NSD and move ahead with the launch of the theme for 2024, it is clearly evident that our scientific endeavours have the power to shape not only the future of our nation but also contribute significantly towards global advancement.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58')), 'mostReadArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24286', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Qiagen launches AI-derived biomedical knowledge base to accelerate data-driven drug discovery', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2-24286.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'qiagen-launches-ai-derived-biomedical-knowledge-base-to-accelerate-data-driven-drug-discovery', 'page1' => '<p align="justify">US-based Qiagen has announced the launch of Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI, a new generative AI-driven knowledge base designed to propel drug discovery in the pharma and biotech industries. This new offering is designed for data scientists and bioinformaticians who are looking for the most comprehensive knowledge graphs to fuel data-driven drug discovery.</p> <p align="justify">Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI is built on a massive dataset of biomedical literature and other scientific sources. It identifies and extracts causal relationships between genes, diseases, drugs and other biological entities with artificial intelligence (AI), generating over 600 million more biomedical relationships than its complement, Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD. This expansive knowledge base helps data scientists understand disease mechanisms, identify drug targets or biomarkers and explore strategies for repurposing existing drugs. Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI provides the most complete picture of biomedical relationships, including edge cases and novel relationships.</p> <p align="justify">While Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD is manually curated and known for its high quality and accuracy, Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI contains over 25x more relationships, allowing data scientists to generate new insights. Both knowledge bases can be used to provide both high-quality and high-quantity biomedical relationships data for data scientists and bioinformaticians to mine and validate.</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '60'), array('articleId' => '24284', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'IIT Kanpur partners with UP government to enhance tele-medicine using AI', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_28_at_3_48_48_pm-24284.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'iit-kanpur-partners-with-up-government-to-enhance-tele-medicine-using-ai', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">The Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and the Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to revolutionise healthcare delivery and advance tele-medicine facilities in the state through the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI).</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU was signed by Ranjan Kumar IAS, Secretary, Health &amp; Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Professor Sandeep Verma, Professor-In-Charge, Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Kanpur, in the presence of&nbsp;other dignitaries.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU outlines several key areas of collaboration, including anchoring tele-medicine hubs and enhancing the quality of tele-medicine services, implementing AI-based solutions to address population health impact, developing point-of-care diagnostics to drive program improvements, conducting competency-based capacity building for health cadres, and utilizing database predictions and analysis for informed decision-making.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">This will help the Department to make optimal use of the UP Digital Health Stack (UP-DHS) and ensure that every citizen of the state, wherever they are, will be able to access healthcare when needed. In Uttar Pradesh, UP-DHS is making significant strides in implementation, with foundational NHS elements deployed across all health administrative units and the rollout of essential healthcare applications well underway.</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '100'), array('articleId' => '24282', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Medtech firm Stryker expands prototype and testing facility in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/styker-24282.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'medtech-firm-stryker-expands-prototype-and-testing-facility-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker, a global leader in medical technologies, has officially expanded its prototype and testing facility in India, marking significant growth of its R&amp;D footprint in the country.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This advanced 55,600-square-foot facility integrates cutting-edge infrastructure, enhanced microbiology capabilities, and a talented team to drive innovation and ensure product quality across its medical technology portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Investing in innovation from India is a focus area for Stryker," said&nbsp;Ram Rangarajan, Vice President of Stryker Global Technology Center, India. "This new lab represents our commitment to developing medical technologies that improve patient outcomes and comply with the highest regulatory standards."</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker's new facility is dedicated to the rigorous life cycle testing of medical devices. The new lab boasts several key features:</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Prototyping and product assurance hub:&nbsp;Equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure for plastic 3D printing,&nbsp;metal machining, and a diverse range of testing capabilities,&nbsp;the lab supports prototyping and product assurance across Stryker's entire product portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Expanded microbiology competency:&nbsp;The lab strengthens Stryker's ability to conduct comprehensive microbiological testing,&nbsp;ensuring the safety and efficacy of its medical technologies.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Talented team of engineers and microbiologists:&nbsp; Highly skilled engineers and microbiologists will use the advanced equipment and expertise to develop innovative solutions that positively impact patients around the world.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '93'), array('articleId' => '24262', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Miltenyi Biotec to open Cell and Gene Therapy Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/gene-24262.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'miltenyi-biotec-to-open-cell-and-gene-therapy-centre-of-excellence-in-hyderabad', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">German firm Miltenyi Biotec is launching operations in India with its first office and investing to set up Miltenyi Innovation and Technology Center as Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Hyderabad.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This COE will be one of its first of its kind in India where scientists, researchers, industry experts and clinicians can get classroom to hands-on trainings on cell and gene therapy approaches right from proof of concept to pre-clinical / clinical development and commercialisation. This CoE also will provide Indian researchers, scientists and clinicians easier access to expertise, research, and manufacturing solutions.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Each year, more than 10,000 patients are treated with cell products using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies. More than&nbsp; 950 investigational new drug (IND) applications as well as investigational device exemptions (IDE) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies and platforms.&nbsp;&nbsp;In doing so, the company is well poised to enable local development and manufacturing in India to drive affordable and&nbsp;accessible CGT therapies by academia and industry for Indian as well as global patients.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Boris Stoffel,&nbsp;Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s Managing Director, highlighted that the company intends to seek opportunities to catalyse development of CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T cell clinical development and manufacturing, with the prospect of bringing centralised and point-of-care CAR T cell therapy to hospitals across India.</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 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'siteId' => '2', 'sourceId' => '2', 'userId' => '4', 'lastUpdatedByUserId' => '26', 'articleType' => 'Static', 'language' => null, 'blogType' => null, 'pageSlug' => 'footer-top-left', 'magazineIssue' => null, 'pullquote' => null, 'restrictionType' => null, 'seoKeyword' => null, 'articleReadCount' => '0'), 'subsectionAlias' => 'segments', 'subsection' => 'Segments', 'section' => '', 'sectionId' => '', 'aliasName' => '', 'leadershipArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24267', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'What’s Shaking Up India’s Life Sciences Real Estate Sector?', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/bs1-24267.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'whats-shaking-up-indias-life-sciences-real-estate-sector', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2021,&nbsp; a California-based life sciences real estate development company acquired Hotel Buckminster. This acquisition was done to redevelop the closed hotel into a life science lab space. Again in May 2021, a facility that housed the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive was transformed into a new life sciences lab on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the same year in India, a Canadian Pension Fund along with a Singapore-based wealth and asset management firm jointly invested $100 million (Rs 7.5 billion) in life sciences R&amp;D facilities in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. This investment, according to reports, proved to be a stepping stone for more equity investments in this segment. On February 6, 2024, life sciences real estate developer, Rx Propellant announced an initial investment of $75 million in phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai Research (NMR) District, as part of its continued regional expansion strategy across India.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In all the four developments mentioned above, it is clear that post-pandemic, the demand for life sciences-related real estate has significantly increased. Both greenfield and brownfield projects have surged, as the pandemic fuelled the demand for locally manufactured pharma and medical products.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, in the last few decades, has witnessed the IT and manufacturing sectors invest heavily in real estate and infrastructure. But in the post-pandemic era, we see life sciences companies require space to innovate, for R&amp;D, and manufacture at scale.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Fast-evolving life sciences market&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India is one of the fastest-growing life sciences markets in the world and the sector is poised to see multi-fold growth by 2030 led by a fast-increasing population, rising life expectancy, a strong industrial base and inclusive government initiatives. In addition, India&rsquo;s demographic dividend, strong industrial base and policy push are known to be the growth drivers for the life sciences sector in the country.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The increasing government spending on the healthcare sector, cost benefits in terms of affordable manpower &amp; real estate expenses, and the availability of a large talent pool are the catalysts of life sciences growth in India. Schemes like Production Linked Incentive (PLI)&nbsp; have boosted domestic manufacturing which&nbsp; has resulted in the need for more space in industrial and tech parks. Also, global exports of pharmaceutical and biotechnology products and medical devices from the country have forced many companies to invest in capacity building and human resources.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Notably, India ranks second globally in terms of the number of US FDA-certified plants located outside the US, closely followed by China. Strengths of this kind and the constantly evolving sector are&nbsp; furthering the requirement for large-scale&nbsp; manufacturing, MSMEs, wet laboratories, R&amp;D hubs, incubators, and data centres&nbsp; coupled with other IT &amp; ES support.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the next decade, it is estimated that the requirement for life sciences R&amp;D real estate in India is likely to grow to somewhere between $16 billion (Rs 1,200 billion) and $34 billion (Rs 2,550 billion) as per conservative and optimistic scenarios.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Push from PEs and VCs</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India&rsquo;s life sciences R&amp;D real estate is emerging as a high-potential asset class for institutional investors. Aided by exponential global demand growth, geopolitical environment, policies initiatives, and skilled workforce this sector is rapidly transforming.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Atul Bhardwaj, Business Head, Lighthouse Canton Real Estate</strong>, indicates that both domestic and international investors are demonstrating a strong interest in India's life sciences real estate market. According to Bhardwaj, private equity firms, venture capitalists, and real estate developers are actively investing significant capital in the development of specialised facilities to meet the requirements of life sciences companies. He says, &ldquo;Biotechnology parks and clusters are emerging as key focal points for life sciences research and manufacturing in India. These specialised hubs offer world-class infrastructure, shared amenities, and a collaborative ecosystem that encourages innovation and cooperation among industry stakeholders, academic institutions, and research organisations.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Citing one other compelling factor of the life sciences real estate market to surge, Bhardwaj, says, &ldquo;This sector's operational model does not accommodate the concept of working from home, which presents a compelling opportunity for real estate developers. The recent pandemic underscored the resilience of the pharmaceutical sector. While many industries, including office realty, experienced significant disruptions, the pharmaceutical sector's demand for space significantly increased, further cementing its critical role in the global economy.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Arvind Nandan, Managing Director &ndash; Research &amp; Consulting, Savills India</strong>, says, &ldquo;Venture Capital funding into the life sciences industry in India stood at $448 million (Rs 34 billion) in 2021 through August, almost 3x of the annual average of the previous years, making it clear that this segment will play a pivotal role in the overall growth of the Indian Real Estate industry.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Adopting the asset light model</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We know that globally organisations across all sectors &ndash; be it small or big &ndash; are undergoing massive digital transformation and smart business strategies that are sustainable and cost-effective are implemented. Owing to that, businesses are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to scale up faster, which has given rise to many alternate models of operations, including the concept of going asset-light.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Asset-light model offers a strategic approach where companies minimise their ownership of physical assets (such as buildings or land). Companies go asset-light by owning fewer capital-intensive assets compared to their operational assets. By doing this, life sciences companies focus on their core competencies (such as research, development, and production) and avoid heavy investments in real estate.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Merck &amp; Co., Inc. (MSD outside the US and Canada) is a prime example of an asset-light pharmaceutical company. Merck collaborates with specialised Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisations (CDMOs) for various stages of drug development and production. By leveraging external partners, they avoid heavy capital expenditure on building and maintaining several of their own manufacturing facilities.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sharing his view on the asset light model, <strong>Rx Propellant&rsquo;s CEO Milind Ravi</strong>, says, &ldquo;While traditionally dominated by &lsquo;user-owned&rsquo; models, an evident but slow shift to &lsquo;asset-light&rsquo; options in India indicates growing demand for agile growth-ready infrastructure. With its increased focus on innovation, India&rsquo;s life sciences market is expected to grow threefold in the next decade, reaching $130 billion by 2030. This in turn is set to generate demand for over 100 million square feet of specialised infrastructure across several existing ecosystems including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Vizag, and Pune among others.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another aspect to asset-light operations is the advantage companies draw from sharing infrastructure elements. Atul Bhardwaj opines that the model of providing comprehensive amenities under one roof offers significant benefits to companies by eliminating the need for capital expenditure on individual pieces of equipment such as chillers and DG sets. This approach, he says, not only reduces the initial capital outlay but also lowers the overall opex for companies, as costs related to maintenance, security, and technical manpower are shared.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;This cost model is particularly advantageous, as it would otherwise be a substantial financial burden for a company to bear alone for its standalone unit. Real estate developers who offer high-quality infrastructure can further reduce a company's upfront expenses by providing essential utilities like nitrogen generators and vacuum systems. A multi-tenanted building thus emerges as a mutually beneficial arrangement for both developers and tenant companies,&rdquo; says Bhardwaj.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Sustainable infrastructure&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In almost every industry, the board members, shareholders advocate the importance of the mandates of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) of business operations. The threat of climate change has prompted many industries to develop environmental strategies to reduce their carbon footprints, with the life sciences industry on the top of the pyramid.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Being climate conscious has brought in new concepts in smart buildings and other digitally supported facilities and infrastructure models. Open floor plans, shared workspaces, and flexible furniture are some of today&rsquo;s trends that are known to foster interaction and knowledge sharing, similar to what's seen in modern IT work spaces. This shift in life sciences too encourages cross-disciplinary research, faster problem-solving, and quicker innovation and most importantly sharing resources.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Emerging trends in innovation have seen an increase in demand for next-gen spaces with flexible workspaces, integration of wet lab-computation stations, highly sensitive zones for increasingly sophisticated equipment and process flow optimisation. New developments designed to accommodate such variables offer sustainable long-term solutions,&rdquo; Milind Ravi opines from his experience.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Also, leading life sciences companies in India prefer to operate from large-scale clusters that can meet both their office and R&amp;D needs. Startups and MSMEs are also increasingly opting to locate themselves in prominent clusters with a clear industrial positioning and abundant R&amp;D resources. Genome Valley (Hyderabad) and Electronic City (Bengaluru) are great examples of such collaborative ecosystems.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">So, if, today, we were to walk into any of India&rsquo;s life sciences parks, we would be delighted to see those spaces being built on modern modular designs having mobile equipment and reconfigurable layouts, with amazing aesthetics and classy landscaping.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">What will also be evident is that the traditional life sciences technicians confining themselves to sterile laboratories would be ancient. Today&rsquo;s workplaces recognise the need for a more holistic environment with sprawling cafeterias, breakout huddles, and interactive/entertainment spaces. Apart from being modern with the changing times, such amenities are considered by the HR department as a way to attract and retain talent.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Leasing: a preferred business model&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Savills, in its report titled </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unlocking Opportunities: Life Sciences and Real Estate in India&rsquo;, indicates that leasing properties to the biotech industry can provide a steady stream of rental income and long-term investment potential for real estate developers.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since life sciences is a rapidly growing and promising sector with significant investments and advancements, by leasing to them, real estate companies become part of their growth story, giving them the advantage of increased long-term value and brand association.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Leasing also brings about several advantages to realtors. Life sciences companies typically require specific and tailored facilities, leading to lesser turnover compared to other commercial leases. This translates to reduced management costs and higher occupancy rates. Also, life sciences companies often require long-term leases due to the complex nature of their facilities and research projects. This stability translates to predictable and dependable income for the real estate companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking from his company&rsquo;s perspective, Milind Ravi,</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> says,&nbsp;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;We bring a very inclusive approach to support companies of all scales not just with infrastructure, but a gamut of ecosystem services that play a pivotal role in their overall experience. We lease laboratory spaces on tailored models based on the need, timelines, intended use and life-stage of our tenant partners. Our standard offering constitutes modular spaces in shared or dedicated formats &ndash; in both &lsquo;warm shell&rsquo; and &lsquo;plug-and-play&rsquo; models as part of integrated and life science-focussed clusters. Apart from this, we also deliver built-to-suit campuses in required specifications of the tenant.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;While our facilities are built for multi-tenancy where each organisation can work independently, we are also working towards developing co-working laboratory spaces with shared equipment and amenities. These are becoming increasingly popular, especially among startups and small research teams,&rdquo; says Milind Ravi.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Growth is certain</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A report titled &lsquo;Life Sciences Industry &amp; Real Estate Perspective 2024: Putting Asia Pacific under the microscope&rsquo; by global real estate company JLL sheds light on India&rsquo;s pharma industry's growth trajectory. While the pandemic undeniably spurred investment due to the vaccine race, the report emphasizes that interest was already on the rise owing to the ongoing breakthroughs in areas like immuno-oncology and neonatology. This pre-existing momentum, fuelled by technological advancements, has directly translated into increased commercial real estate leasing within the pharma sector. This may be true to India&rsquo;s life sciences sector too.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">JLL stresses on the fact that when companies get funding from venture capitalists, they need lab space in order to deliver as soon as possible. Also, sizeable investments bring with them a plethora of life sciences jobs, which can also spur development of housing, retail and other urban amenities that serve the people who live and work for the expanding companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">From Bhardwaj&rsquo;s inputs we can infer that India has a robust domestic market, bolstered further by the Government of India's </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;Jan Aushadhi&rsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> scheme, aimed at providing quality generic medicines at affordable prices to its citizens. As the third-largest exporter of pharmaceuticals by volume and the thirteenth by value, the demand for space is going to grow.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the pharma industry presents sufficient scope, the medical device industry is not any less. Considered as the sunrise sector, the medical devices industry is estimated to reach $50 billion by 2030. In the last five years, the export of medical devices has been increasing at a rate of 9.37 per cent. India&rsquo;s policy to allow 100 per cent foreign investment under an automatic route in the medical devices sector has helped attract significant investments, which has further pushed the demand for real estate. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the medical device industry in India has also helped augment the domestic manufacturing and in reducing dependence on imports. Hence, manufacturing hubs are being set up in many economic zones of the country. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We can therefore conclude with the evidence that there is immense potential for life sciences real estate development to surge in India. Though the country has limited core life sciences real estate investable stock at present, majority of the growth will come from developing new facilities that entail typical development and leasing risks. The stakeholders, however, forecast an increasing investor appetite for Indian life sciences real estate as the sector gains scale over time.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Anusha Ashwin</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => 'Anusha Ashwin', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24273', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'Dissecting Gender Disparity', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/women-24273.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'dissecting-gender-disparity', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in the Indian healthcare industry are mainly concentrated in low-paying frontline positions. In India, 29 per cent of medical doctors, 80 per cent of nursing staff (including midwives), and nearly 100 per cent of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are women. Despite this, women hold only 18 per cent of healthcare leadership positions and continue to earn 34 per cent less than their male counterparts.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are the outcomes of the study titled &lsquo;An Unbalanced Scale - Exploring the Female Leadership Gap in India's Healthcare Sector&rsquo; from Dasra, a non-profit organisation. The&nbsp; study revealed that the Indian healthcare sector, one of the country's largest employers, has experienced substantial growth. It takes a closer look at women's representation in healthcare and the leadership opportunities available to them.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><strong>Inspiring leaders</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"What is concerning is the gap between the proportion of women in healthcare and those who occupy leadership positions. At entry levels, women's representation in sales, marketing, and operations ranges from 40-50 per cent. However, this significantly drops to 15-20 per cent in senior roles," says <strong>Shailja Mehta, Director at Dasra</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is behind this gender gap in leadership positions? Societal norms, cultural expectations and implicit biases against women are some of the main factors that&nbsp;have contributed to the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions. &ldquo;It is a complex issue. The lack of female role models and mentors perpetuates this gender gap," says Shailja.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some believe that one of the primary reasons for the skewed gender ratio in STEM is the stereotyping that begins early in life. Societal expectations often push girls towards more traditionally feminine roles, diverting them away from technical and scientific fields. As a result, fewer women choose STEM education and careers. While others argue that the current gap is a reflection of what was happening 20 years ago, when fewer women entered science careers.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;&ldquo;Today&rsquo;s leaders represent those who entered the field 15-20 years back. Now that the number of women entering these fields has significantly increased in recent years, we will see a lot of women leaders in the coming years. In fact, a major proportion of startups are led by women. They have the capability to do it,&rdquo; <strong>Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, former director, National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) Pune</strong>, says, "The situation is definitely improving. For more women to take leadership roles, changes are required at the family, community and industry level."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Dr Pragya Yadav, senior scientist at the National Institute of Virology, Pune</strong>, who played an instrumental role in the development of Covaxin, agrees. "The situation has certainly improved, but school-going girls should have access to reputable colleges and safe residential facilities for pursuing science as a subject for the real change to occur. Besides, they need support in equal measure, from their families and the industry when raising their children. If they lose that time, catching up becomes difficult,&rdquo; she says. &nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Furthermore, this support should not be seen as an extra favour to women, but rather as their right. Children are the future and the environment they experience while growing up is crucial to their growth and development. It is the duty of both families and society, not just mothers alone, to provide a safe and suitable environment for them," she added. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Manya Jha, a young entrepreneur and founder of Morphedo Technologies</strong>, a deep tech startup in aerospace and defence, medical device engineering, IoT and embedded systems, faced the challenge of balancing child care and her career after the birth of her daughter. To tackle this challenge, she established a small child care centre at her office.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Starting just 20 days after my daughter was born, I brought her to my workplace every day. I made space in my cabin where she could stay with me. Until she was 7 months old, my husband and I took care of her in the shared cabin (during COVID-19 period). At the time of her birth, my startup was also at a crucial stage,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Both my daughter and my company required my personal attention. There were instances when I had to attend important meetings with senior scientists while holding my one-month-old daughter. I believe it's all about the confidence with which you pursue your career."</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today, Manya's company has around&nbsp; 40 employees and the child care centre is now available to all new mothers, offering support in looking after their children while at work.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, despite the challenges, there has been a noticeable shift in the narrative over the past decade, with the number of women leaders emerging in STEM careers increasing slowly but steadily. And these women are not only excelling &nbsp;in their respective fields but also helping dismantling barriers that hinder the progress of other aspiring women.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several prominent women leaders are setting an example for others. Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr Priya Abraham, Director of the National Institute of Virology, biotech stalwart &nbsp;Kiran Majumdar-Shaw,&nbsp; and entrepreneurs like Dr Kavita Iyer Rodrigues and Vasanthi Ramachandran represent some of the most sought after leaders in the industry.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Women are leading more than 30 per cent of the startups incubated at our centre. In many others, they are co-founders or hold significant positions," says <strong>Dr Manisha Premnath, COO of Venture Center</strong>, an incubation centre in Pune that helps startups grow.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Breaking the glass ceiling</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While there is a rise of women leaders in the health and biotech sector, it is important to acknowledge the challenges they continue to face. Stereotypes, biases, and a lack of institutional support still exist. The &lsquo;glass ceiling&rsquo; phenomenon persists, making it difficult for women to reach the highest levels of leadership. A male-centric workplace culture, coupled with a lack of flexibility and understanding regarding work-life balance, discourage women from pursuing or sustaining leadership roles.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The biggest challenge that women face is breaking these stereotypes and breaking free from the vicious cycle of work and life. They need to step out of their comfort zones, or rather, their safe zones, and then there will be no stopping them. Fortunately, nowadays there are several schemes and funds available to support women," says <strong>Dr Deeksha Bhartiya, Founder of Genomiki</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coming from a very traditional, yet ambitious family, Dr Deeksha got married at a young age and encountered challenges in maintaining a balance between her personal and professional life. However, she didn't allow these challenges to deter her from pursuing her doctoral studies and career. "There were many senior male scientists who advised me to take up a permanent job instead of embarking on my entrepreneurial journey. I was told that women should prioritise stability over adventure. However, I am fortunate to have a very supportive family who always push me to exceed my limits and support me in all my decisions."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Exiting the vicious circle</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The foundation for achieving gender parity in STEM careers is laid during the crucial years of education. Schools and educational institutions play an important role in challenging these stereotypes and encouraging girls to explore their interests in science and technology. STEM-focused educational programmes, workshops, and extracurricular activities can help break down gender-based barriers from a young age. Scholarships and mentorship programmes can encourage girls to pursue science education.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To encourage more women to pursue careers in STEM and foster an inclusive and diverse workforce, it is important to adopt unbiased recruitment practices, create a supportive environment for their progress, and implement flexible work arrangements.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is a growing emphasis on incorporating diverse perspectives in STEM curricula. Highlighting the contributions of women scientists and engineers in textbooks and classroom discussions can inspire both girls and boys, challenging preconceived notions about gender roles in these fields. There should be more networking events, conferences and platforms that specifically focus on women in STEM to provide valuable opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing. These spaces not only celebrate the achievements of women in the field but also facilitate the exchange of ideas and strategies to overcome common challenges.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emphasising the pivotal role women play in shaping a sustainable future through scientific leadership, <strong>Melody Lopez, Director and Chief of Staff Crayon Software Experts India</strong> says &ldquo;Fostering women's leadership in science is not just about gender equality but also a catalyst for achieving sustainable development goals. The theme reflects a call to action, urging communities, governments, and organisations to provide equal opportunities for women and girls in science, ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making processes.&rdquo; She further says &ldquo;As we champion women and girls in science leadership, let us embrace this new era, where their voices, ideas, and leadership propel us toward a brighter, more sustainable future for all.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The journey towards gender parity in STEM careers in India could be challenging, but the momentum for change is growing.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><strong>Gunjan Sharma</strong></strong></p> <p><em><strong>gunjan.sharma@mmactiv.com</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => 'Gunjan Sharma ', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24271', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => '“There is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation”', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_27_at_5_20_34_pm-24271.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'there-is-a-significant-gap-in-the-infrastructure-required-for-ai-implementation', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Artificial Intelligence (AI) has completely changed the way we see the world today. How do you see AI revolutionising drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry? Can AI help in discovering new drug molecules that could help treat deadly and chronic diseases like cancers and AIDS?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The future of human life is completely impacted by AI. Particularly its emergence in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry will have a vital impact on disease control and new drug discoveries.&nbsp;AI is poised to revolutionise drug discovery in several ways. It can drastically reduce the time needed to discover and develop new drugs. AI can be used to help suggest novel combinations for treating fatal diseases and even predict treatment outcomes. Additionally, AI facilitates personalised medicine by tailoring treatments to individual patients, which can ultimately speed up the development of new therapies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key challenges in implementing AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly in the context of regulatory compliance?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I feel, the pharma and healthcare organisations in India are yet to gear up for AI. Many are still in the process of adapting to the advancements in the pharmaceutical industry brought about by digitalisation. Despite this progress, the majority of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are not adequately prepared to integrate AI into their operations. AI adoption, beyond platforms like Chat GPT, remains in its infancy and requires further exploration and validation. Moreover, there is a pressing need to harmonise regulatory compliances, particularly in manufacturing standards outlined by the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH). This entails the implementation of electronic documentation systems and global alignment on regulatory practices to ensure both qualitative and compliant manufacturing and healthcare delivery systems. Additionally, there is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation, including the necessary hardware, software, and skilled professionals, which remains to be addressed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a specific example where AI has been successfully utilised to discover or develop a new drug?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although AI is currently making strides in drug discovery, its continual evolution opens up a multitude of possibilities in terms of drug candidates, their structures, and the discovery process. This versatility allows for the pinpointing of targeted molecules tailored to specific therapies or multiple therapeutic discoveries. A recent example highlighting this potential is Insilico Medicine's Pharma.AI, which is revolutionising drug discovery with its suite of AI-powered tools. PandaOmics, for instance, drastically reduces the time required for multi-omics target discovery, from several months to a few clicks. Similarly, Chemistry42 employs machine learning for de novo drug design, generating lead-like molecules within a week. Additionally, InClinico provides an invaluable tool for efficient clinical trial management, identifying potential weaknesses in trial design and predicting success rates. Collectively, these tools are streamlining the traditionally lengthy drug discovery process, accelerating the pursuit of breakthrough medicine.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you envision the role of AI evolving in personalised medicine and patient care?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I believe AI could be groundbreaking by using large amounts of data from healthy and sick people. It could help analyse specific therapeutic segments quickly to see how drugs work over time and improve their formulations. It would also support Phase IV clinical trials, especially in monitoring drug safety (Pharmacovigilance). Overall, AI in personalised medicine and patient care has the potential to improve healthcare, make treatments better, and give patients more control over their health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the ethical considerations that need to be addressed when deploying AI in healthcare settings?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The primary concern lies in protecting patient identity, which can be achieved through AI by masking identities in documentation, albeit in previously challenging areas. The rigidity and security levels of AI coding stand out as effective measures for safeguarding patient identity compared to traditional masking systems. However, the implementation of AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly concerning regulatory compliance, presents various challenges and ethical considerations. These include ensuring data privacy and security, adhering to diverse regulations, deciphering complex AI algorithms, managing the time and cost implications, addressing potential biases perpetuated by AI algorithms, integrating solutions into existing systems, navigating complex ethical and legal considerations, determining accountability and liability for decisions made, preserving patient autonomy and consent, and conducting real-time reviews for corrections.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How can AI help address the challenges of drug resistance in infectious diseases?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The emergence of drug resistance in infectious diseases poses a significant healthcare challenge. However, AI offers a promising solution by playing a crucial role in addressing this issue. Through predictive analytics, AI can forecast which drugs may become ineffective against evolving pathogens, allowing for proactive adjustments in treatment strategies. Furthermore, AI aids in the discovery of alternative treatments, the development of more effective medications, and the customisation of treatment plans tailored to individual patients. By providing real-time insights into the changing landscape of drug resistance, AI enables healthcare professionals to adapt swiftly, ultimately enhancing the efficacy of treatments and improving patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What strategies can be employed to ensure the fairness and transparency of AI algorithms in healthcare decision-making?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To maintain trust, mitigate bias, and foster equitable outcomes, it is crucial to prioritise fairness and transparency in the use of AI algorithms for healthcare decision-making. Some of the strategies to achieve this include ensuring transparency of both data and algorithms, promoting diversity and inclusivity in the development process, conducting external validation and evaluation, and establishing regulatory frameworks and guidelines.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you see AI impacting the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services globally?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While AI offers significant potential for improving the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services on a global scale, there are challenges to overcome. These include ensuring fair access to AI-driven technologies, addressing concerns regarding data privacy and security, and navigating regulatory and ethical issues. Collaboration among various stakeholders, such as governments, healthcare providers, technology developers, and community organisations, is vital to fully realise the benefits of AI in enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key factors hindering the adoption of AI in pharmaceutical research and development?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pharmaceutical companies face several challenges when it comes to using AI in research and development. Firstly, they require high-quality and comprehensive datasets to effectively train AI models. Secondly, they must adhere to strict regulatory guidelines set by government agencies. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies often possess proprietary data and intellectual property that may not be easily compatible with AI systems. Finally, the significant investment required to implement AI technology presents a barrier to adoption for many companies in the industry.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a case where AI-driven predictive modelling has significantly improved clinical trial outcomes or drug efficacy in the Healthcare system?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's important to note that using AI in the healthcare system, along with a thorough review of relevant literature from sources like PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and EMBASE, is significant. Integrating AI into healthcare has the potential to greatly improve disease diagnosis, treatment selection, and clinical laboratory testing. AI tools can analyse large sets of data and find patterns, outperforming humans in many healthcare tasks. AI brings higher accuracy, lower costs, and time savings, while also reducing human errors. It can revolutionise personalised medicine, optimise medication dosages, improve population health management, set guidelines, offer virtual health assistants, support mental health care, enhance patient education, and strengthen patient-physician trust.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, AI can be used in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) by using machine learning algorithms to predict drug-drug interactions. By analysing large sets of patient data, these algorithms can detect potential drug interactions. This helps to decrease the risk of adverse drug reactions, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Amguth Raju</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>hyderabad@mmactiv.com&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => 'Amguth Raju', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17'), array('articleId' => '24280', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Effectively Eliminating Drug-resistant TB', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/tb-24280.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'effectively-eliminating-drug-resistant-tb', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has the highest burden of TB, with two deaths occurring every three minutes from the disease. The country recorded a staggering 28 lakh cases in 2022, accounting for 27 per cent of the global cases, according to WHO.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India initiated the TB Free India campaign with the ambitious goal of eradicating TB by 2025, a milestone set five years earlier than the target outlined by the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Despite facing setbacks due to COVID-19, the nation doubled down on its efforts, resulting in notable progress. The India TB Report 2023 heralded 2022 as a pivotal year in TB surveillance, noting a significant achievement with a record-high notification of 24.2 lakh TB cases, representing an increase of over 13 per cent compared to 2021.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The latest WHO Global TB Report 2023 acknowledged and praised India's efforts in its fight against TB, particularly highlighting the effectiveness of its case detection strategies. The report emphasised that India's intensified case detection strategies led to the highest-ever notification of cases in 2022, surpassing pre-COVID levels. The government's key initiatives, such as specialised active case finding drives, the scaling up of molecular diagnostics to block levels, decentralisation of screening services through Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, and private sector engagement, have significantly reduced the gap in missing cases.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Road to elimination&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the country has made remarkable progress in its fight against TB, the adoption of additional strategies such as shorter treatment regimens, the development of vaccines, and a renewed focus on nutrition could prove to be game-changers in its goal of eliminating TB for good.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The BPaL regimen, composed of Bedaquiline, Pretomanid and Linezolid, presents a promising alternative for a shorter, safer and more tolerable treatment option for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). Lasting only 26 weeks, it contrasts sharply with conventional DR-TB treatments, which can span 18 to 21 months and entail the consumption of over 4,000 to 5,000 tablets. Endorsed by the US FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) in 2019 and the WHO in 2022, the BPaL regimen has been implemented in more than 70 countries, including South Africa, Ukraine, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;The older, conventional regimen for drug-resistant TB included prolonged use of injections with other drugs. This was associated with increased incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), implementation challenges under the programme and inconvenience to the patients. The new TB drug regimen uses the newer oral drugs like Bedaquiline, Delamanid or Pretomanid, or the repurposed drugs such as linezolid, clofazimine, etc. These regimens are injection free and have lesser pill burden leading to more acceptance among the TB patients besides reducing the implementation challenges due to the use of injections. They have the ability to kill the actively multiplying drug-resistant TB bacteria faster and a sustained killing of the bacteria to prevent the recurrence of the TB disease among the patients. These regimens have shown improved treatment success rates under field conditions under the national programme,&rdquo; said <strong>Dr Rupak Singla, Head of Department, National Institute of TB &amp; Respiratory Diseases, New Delhi</strong>.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Singla further said &ldquo;To combat the adverse drug reactions of these regimen, specially due to drug linezolid, various regimens using different dosages and durations of linezolid have demonstrated reduced incidence of ADRs maintaining the efficacy of the regimen. Hence, these newer treatment drug regimens could reduce the global burden of drug-resistant TB. However, the requirement of a good quality laboratory network, availability and higher cost of the drugs continue to pose a challenge.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new regimen is shorter, easier on patients and improves treatment adherence, resulting in better outcomes compared to previous drug regimens.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Talking about the potential implications of the new TB drug regimen on India&rsquo;s TB control efforts, Dr Singla stated, &ldquo;The cure rate for previous conventional TB regimen for multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) was to the tune of around 50 per cent and for Extensively drug-resistant-TB (XDR-TB), less than 30 per cent. The new TB drug regimen has the potential for significant improvement in treatment success rates for MDR-TB as well as XDR-TB.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In India the national data shows that more than 36,000 drug-resistant TB patients have been initiated on shorter oral Bedaquiline-containing regimen and more than 92,000 patients have been initiated on longer oral regimen till date. Treatment success rates of shorter oral regimen for the cohort April-September 2022 (around 12,000 patients) is 69 per cent and of longer oral regimen for the cohort January-September 2021 (around 15,000 patients) is 71 per cent. The improved success rates of new drug regimens is likely to translate into less number of deaths due to TB, reduced period of infectiousness of TB patients and reduced transmission of TB to others in the community leading to reduced incidence of TB.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Studies at the 2023 Union World Conference on Lung Health affirm WHO-endorsed regimens' effectiveness, surpassing traditional 18- to 24-month treatments. The goal is to urge high-burden DR-TB countries to update guidelines and offer shorter treatments to all patients in need. Only 40 per cent of the 410,000 people with DR-TB in 2022 had access to the shorter regimen, as per a WHO report.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A group of experts in the country have stressed the need for introducing the BPaL regimen in the TB control programme of the country. B<strong>lessina Kumar, CEO, Global Coalition of TB Advocates, New Delhi</strong> emphasised the potential cost savings associated with its adoption, citing studies estimating a global annual savings of $740 million. With India accounting for a significant portion of global multi-drug, rifampicin-resistant (MDR/RR-TB) treated patients, she suggested that the country could save nearly $250 million per year through the implementation of this regimen. India will likely roll out the new regime soon.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>TB Vaccine</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vaccination holds promise as a game-changer for TB elimination. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is conducting phase III trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two vaccines: VPM1002 and MIP (Mycobacterium indicus pranii). VPM1002 is a live vaccine based on recombinant BCG, modified for better safety and efficacy. MIP or Immuvac, originally developed for leprosy, is a whole-cell TB vaccine candidate. The trial aims to assess the effectiveness of these vaccines in preventing TB disease, among 12,721 individuals exposed to TB at home (referred to as household contacts). Enrollment for the study is complete, with participant follow-up currently ongoing, according to the pipeline report 2022 by the Treatment Action Group.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bharat Biotech is partnering with the Spanish firm BIOFABRI to develop, manufacture, and distribute a new tuberculosis vaccine across over 70 countries in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The TB vaccine candidate by Bharat Biotech is set to enter phase-III trials soon.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Lancet study highlighted the pivotal role of nutrition in TB management. The&nbsp; Reducing Activation of Tuberculosis by Improvement of Nutritional Status (RATIONS) trial demonstrated that providing food baskets to TB patients and their households reduced all forms of TB by nearly 40 per cent and infectious TB by almost 50 per cent. In 2018, the Indian government launched the 'Nikshay Poshan Yojana,' a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to offer nutrition support to TB patients. Since its inception, the scheme has disbursed approximately Rs 2613 crore to over 95 lakh TB patients.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has indeed made significant strides in addressing TB; however, the battle against the disease is far from over. Despite enhanced detection and surveillance efforts, there's&nbsp; a need to adopt newer strategies to combat TB effectively. Advances in R&amp;D of vaccines, access to newer drug regimens, enhanced focus on nutrition will all help in propelling TB elimination goals.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Ayesha Siddiqui&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ayesha Siddiqui', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24272', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Prioritising Women’s Health & Wellbeing ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2036811071-24272.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: gettyimages', 'pageSlug' => 'prioritising-womens-health-wellbeing-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a new report from the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute launched at Davos in January 2024, women may live longer than men, on average, but they spend 25 per cent more of their lives in debilitating health. The report said improving diagnostics, data on women-specific conditions like ovarian cancer, and directing more investments towards women&rsquo;s health and research is needed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In particular, McKinsey research finds that less than 2 per cent of healthcare research and innovation is invested in female-specific conditions beyond cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This &lsquo;women&rsquo;s health gap&rsquo; equates to 75 million years of life lost due to poor health or early death each year. Closing the gap would benefit 3.9 billion women, giving them an extra seven healthy days a year, or an average of 500 days over a lifetime. Further, it could boost the global economy by $1 trillion by 2040 from fewer early deaths and health conditions, and a greater capacity for women to contribute to the economy and society.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a result of these findings, the final hours of the World Economic Forum in Davos saw the launch of a new Global Alliance for Women&rsquo;s Health, which has the broad ambition of &lsquo;re-shaping the future of women&rsquo;s health and the global economy.&rsquo; The health alliance will pledge new commitments from governments, philanthropies, and pharmaceutical companies, among others, across three pillars i.e. financing, science and innovation, and agenda-setting. So far, partners have pledged $55 million to improve women&rsquo;s health outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">With International Women&rsquo;s Day 2024 being themed around &lsquo;Inspiring inclusion&rsquo;, we see governments across the globe putting the much-needed emphasis on women&rsquo;s healthcare. For instance, the UAE has set out wide-ranging plans to bolster healthcare services for women, by approving the &lsquo;National Policy for Improving Women&rsquo;s Health&rsquo; for providing the highest healthcare services quality for women, whether curative, preventive or rehabilitative services. Similarly, the Irish government is paving the way for a longer-term comprehensive Women&rsquo;s Health Strategy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in England are being urged to help shape reproductive health policy, as the government seeks views on periods, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and menopause for health strategy. Likewise, the Biden administration recently announced a White House initiative to improve how the federal government approaches and funds research into the health of women, who make up more than half of the US population but remain understudied and underrepresented in health research.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, of course, is not far behind in this initiative. The Interim Budget 2024-25 announcement that took place on February 1, 2024, laid focus on encouraging vaccination for girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years for the prevention of cervical cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Besides these government initiatives, multiple efforts are also being made by the industry players to improve women&rsquo;s health. For example, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zurzuvae as the first and only oral treatment approved for women with postpartum depression, developed by American pharmaceutical company Biogen. The US FDA has also recently approved a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription for the first time in the US, a milestone that could significantly expand access to contraception. The pill&rsquo;s manufacturer, Perrigo Company is based in Dublin.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Further, biotech companies in the UK and Korea are embarking on the world's first prospective study of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered breast cancer detection, to streamline diagnosis, and tackle radiologist shortages. On the other hand, startups in India have developed groundbreaking multi-cancer detection tests specifically designed for high-risk and asymptomatic women.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quality, affordability, and accessibility, particularly in the context of women&rsquo;s health, are very critical aspects of ensuring well-being. This calls for greater mobilisation across sectors to invest in women&rsquo;s health, keeping in mind the imperatives of equity and integral care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Manbeena Chawla</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Executive Editor</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(</span><a href="mailto:manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com"><span style="font-weight: 400;">manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></p>', 'sequence' => '5', 'guestAuthor' => 'Dr Manbeena Chawla', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '101'), array('articleId' => '24270', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Establishing Ethical Frameworks for Equitable Use of AI in Healthcare ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/21-24270.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'establishing-ethical-frameworks-for-equitable-use-of-ai-in-healthcare-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The global healthcare landscape is witnessing a seismic transformation driven by AI technologies. From therapeutics to diagnostics, hospital operations to clinical decision-making, AI is making significant strides across diverse applications. According to Statista, the value of AI in the global healthcare market was $11 billion in 2021, projected to reach an estimated $188 billion by 2030. This staggering growth, at a compounded annual rate of 37 per cent, underscores the immense potential AI holds in reshaping the future of healthcare.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Transforming Medical Research and Imaging Analysis</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The impact of AI is not limited to specific segments; it spans the entire healthcare ecosystem. One critical domain experiencing a revolution is medical research, as AI expedites drug discovery processes. Through machine learning algorithms, researchers can predict the success rate of chemical compounds, significantly reducing the time and resources required for experimentation. This not only accelerates the pace of innovation but also holds the promise of bringing new, effective treatments to patients more rapidly.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the realm of medical imaging analysis, AI is proving to be a game-changer. It enables the rapid and accurate detection of anomalies in MRI scans, X-rays, and CT scans. Radiologists benefit from quicker identification of potential life-threatening issues, minimising human errors and enhancing diagnostic accuracy. This not only saves crucial time but also improves patient outcomes, particularly in cases where early detection is paramount.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Data-Driven Healthcare</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">AI is revolutionising the traditional landscape of diagnosis and treatment by providing clinicians with unprecedented data-driven insights. Machine learning algorithms analyse extensive patient data to identify patterns and correlations, facilitating more accurate and timely diagnosis. Personalised treatment plans based on individual patient characteristics are now a reality, enhancing the effectiveness of medical interventions. The ability to tailor treatments to specific patient profiles leads to improved outcomes and a more efficient allocation of healthcare resources.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Real-time assessment of treatment effectiveness by AI tools further contributes to improved clinical outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. Monitoring and adjusting treatment plans based on real-world data ensure that patients receive the most effective interventions tailored to their individual responses. This not only enhances patient care but also contributes to the sustainability of healthcare systems worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Predictive analysis, powered by AI, enables healthcare providers to forecast potential outcomes based on historical data and real-time health information. Identifying patients at risk of specific conditions allows for early intervention, preventing complications and improving overall healthcare efficiency. Large-scale population data analysis can also detect trends and outbreaks of infectious diseases before they become widespread, a critical capability showcased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability to anticipate and mitigate health crises is a testament to the power of AI in safeguarding public health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Patient-Centric Approach</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The integration of AI into healthcare is not solely about clinical applications; it extends to improving the overall patient experience. Streamlining appointment scheduling, providing remote monitoring solutions, and offering personalised treatment plans based on individual medical records contribute to a more patient-centric approach. AI-driven chatbots responding to routine medical inquiries reduce stress and save time for both patients and healthcare providers, fostering a more efficient and accessible healthcare system.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the promises of AI in healthcare, challenges persist. Blind spots in data access and collection, privacy concerns, data misuse, and regulatory ambiguities are roadblocks to widespread adoption. In India, a rapidly growing player in AI-based healthcare, progress is evident, but there is still a long way to go. The ambitious goals of universal healthcare delivery and affordability through AI remain distant, requiring continued innovation and collaboration.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, a major player in the global healthcare sector, is rapidly embracing AI. The National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence by NITI Aayog highlights the potential of AI to address challenges such as a shortage of qualified healthcare professionals and non-uniform accessibility to healthcare across the country. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, AI expenditure in India is projected to reach $11.78 billion by 2025, contributing significantly to the country's economy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite challenges, AI's potential to revolutionise healthcare is undeniable. As technology continues to advance, AI's applications in telemedicine, genomics, robotics, and 3D printing will expand. Workforce training and collaboration between medical professionals and AI developers will be crucial for maximising the benefits of AI. The integration of AI with other emerging technologies holds the key to shaping the future of medical care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we delve deeper into the integration of AI in healthcare, it's imperative to address the ethical considerations surrounding this revolutionary technology. The responsible use of AI in medical settings demands careful navigation of issues such as patient privacy, data security, and bias in algorithms.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Privacy concerns arise from the vast amounts of sensitive patient data being processed by AI systems. Ensuring robust data protection measures, stringent encryption, and transparent data usage policies become paramount to build and maintain public trust in AI-driven healthcare solutions.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The potential for bias in AI algorithms poses another ethical challenge. If the datasets used to train AI models are not representative or if biased historical data is fed into the algorithms, it can perpetuate existing inequalities in healthcare. Striking a balance in dataset curation and continuous monitoring of algorithmic outputs is crucial to mitigate bias and ensure equitable healthcare outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moreover, the explainability of AI decisions becomes crucial, especially in critical medical scenarios. Ensuring that AI models provide interpretable insights aids healthcare professionals in understanding and trusting AI-generated recommendations, fostering collaboration between humans and machines.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In conclusion, AI is not just a buzzword but a transformative force reshaping the healthcare industry. From diagnosis to treatment, AI is proving its mettle by delivering accurate, personalised, and efficient healthcare solutions. While challenges persist, the trajectory of AI in healthcare is pointing towards a future where technology and human expertise converge to provide optimal patient care. As we stand at the intersection of technology and healthcare, the role of AI in shaping the future of medicine is more promising than ever.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As AI continues to evolve, it is crucial for stakeholders&mdash;be they healthcare providers, policymakers, or technology developers&mdash;to collaborate in establishing ethical frameworks that ensure the responsible and equitable use of AI in healthcare. The ongoing dialogue around ethical considerations is vital to ensure that AI remains a force for good in healthcare, driving positive change for patients and society at large.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&amp;D, Murata Vios</strong></em></p>', 'sequence' => '6', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&D, Murata Vios', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17')), 'trendingTopicsList' => array(array('articleId' => '24283', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => '83.5% of adults in India underestimate shingles risk: Global GSK survey', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shingles_large-24283.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => '83-5-of-adults-in-india-underestimate-shingles-risk-global-gsk-survey', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical (GSK) has released new data from a globally commissioned survey funded by them. The survey finds notable gaps in understanding of shingles risk among individuals aged above 50 years, a group that is most susceptible to the disease.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey conducted amongst 3,500 adults aged 50 and over from 12 countries, assessed respondents&rsquo; understanding of shingles, what triggers it, and its impact on people&rsquo;s lives.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey in&nbsp;India&nbsp;involved 500 participants, with 250 respondents who spoke Hindi and another 250 who spoke English. The data, launched in time for Shingles Awareness Week 2024 (26 February&nbsp;2024 &ndash; 3 March 2024), finds a widespread lack of understanding of shingles and its lifetime risk.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The findings show that globally, a significantly high proportion of those surveyed do not understand their risk of developing shingles,&nbsp;with&nbsp;86%&nbsp;underestimating&nbsp;that&nbsp;risk.<font size="1">&nbsp;</font>In India, 81% of the English-speaking and 86% &nbsp;of the Hindi-speaking respondents surveyed underestimate the risk of shingles<sup>.</sup></p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In India,&nbsp;amongst the &nbsp;English-speaking respondents, 22% believe that 1 in 1000 adults are at risk of developing shingles.<sup>&nbsp;</sup>Amongst the Hindi-speaking respondents,18% believe that 1 in 1000 adults is at risk of developing shingles.&nbsp;</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In&nbsp;reality,&nbsp;most&nbsp;adults already&nbsp;have&nbsp;the&nbsp;virus that&nbsp;causes&nbsp;shingles present in&nbsp;their bodies by&nbsp;the&nbsp;age&nbsp;of 50,&nbsp;which may&nbsp;reactivate with&nbsp;advancing&nbsp;age.&nbsp;Shingles&nbsp;is&nbsp;caused&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;reactivation&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;varicella-zoster&nbsp;virus&nbsp;(VZV),&nbsp;the same virus that causes chickenpox.&nbsp;As people age, the strength of their immune response to infection wanes, and this increases their risk of developing shingles.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Rashmi Hegde, Executive Vice President - Medical Affairs, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, India, said,&nbsp;&ldquo;The survey findings underscore the need to raise awareness about shingles risk in adults over 50.&nbsp; Shingles can significantly disrupt the daily lives of ageing adults and cause them a great deal of discomfort."</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24230', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Fujifilm launches advanced endoscopic ultrasound machine ALOKA ARIETTA 850 in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/fuji-24230.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'fujifilm-launches-advanced-endoscopic-ultrasound-machine-aloka-arietta-850-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Fujifilm India, a pioneer in diagnostic imaging and information systems, has launched the ground breaking ALOKA ARIETTA 850 Diagnostic Ultrasound System in India with its first-ever installation at Fortis Hospital in Bengaluru.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Representing a remarkable advancement in endoscopic technologies, the high-tech ultrasound system aims to enhance diagnostic precision and image clarity for gastrointestinal diseases in the region.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">In India, contemporary lifestyles and changing dietary choices are leading to the deteriorating digestive health of the population, adding to the growing prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Addressing this, Fujifilm India&rsquo;S&nbsp;ALOKA ARIETTA 850&nbsp;Endoscopic Ultrasound Machine at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru is a significant step in providing world-class diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients against these GI-related diseases, performing targeted treatments such as Pancreatic pseudo cyst drainage (without surgery), targeted delivery of treatment in Pancreatic cancers.&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) is a minimally invasive method for assessing malignancies affecting the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract and neighbouring organs or tissues. With this high degree of accuracy in both diagnostic and therapeutic capacities, it allows doctors to precisely examine organs like the lungs, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, lymph nodes and nearby affected areas.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">EUS also facilitates the extraction of tissue or fluid samples through a thin needle, eliminating the need for a separate biopsy procedure. Additionally, it improves the staging of cancers with accurate sampling provided by Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) and Fine Needle Biopsy (FNB). Furthermore, EUS proves valuable in cases of altered anatomy and among cancer patients for various therapeutic procedures.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">ALOKA ARIETTA 850 stands out from conventional endoscopic ultrasound machines with a range of superior features. The machine generates image quality with 7 million digital channels in its B mode. This system also incorporates HD-THI for deeper penetration, ensuring accurate diagnoses, along with combi-elastography, pure symphonic architecture and CHI-TIC and Inflow Time Mapping for clearer visibility by reducing noise and enhancing the completeness and continuity of tissue boundaries.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '91'), array('articleId' => '24229', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Bengaluru researchers develop paper-based platform to detect antibiotic-resistant bacteria', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shutterstock_157198133-24229.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'bengaluru-researchers-develop-paper-based-platform-to-detect-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">A paper-based platform developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru could help quickly detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant, disease-causing bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Dr Uday Maitra, Professor at the Department of Organic Chemistry, IISc, and collaborators have developed a rapid diagnosis protocol that uses a luminescent paper-based platform to detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The approach developed by the IISc and JNCASR team involves incorporating biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (BCA) within a supramolecular hydrogel matrix containing terbium cholate (TbCh). This hydrogel normally emits green fluorescence when UV light is shined on it.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The next step was to find a way to make the technology inexpensive. Currently used diagnostics instruments are costly, which drives up the price for testing.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team collaborated with a Chennai-based company called Adiuvo Diagnostics to design a customised, portable and miniature imaging device, named Illuminate Fluorescence Reader. Infusing the hydrogel in a sheet of paper as the medium reduced the cost significantly. The instrument is fitted with different LEDs that shine UV radiation as required. Green fluorescence from the enzyme is captured by a built-in camera, and a dedicated software app measures the intensity, which can help quantify the bacterial load.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team from IISc tied up with Jayanta Haldar&rsquo;s research group from JNCASR to check their approach on urine samples. As the next step, the researchers plan to tie up with hospitals to test this technology with samples from patients.</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58'), array('articleId' => '24163', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Theme for National Science Day sets in as ‘Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat’', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/nsd-24163.png', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'theme-for-national-science-day-sets-in-as-indigenous-technologies-for-viksit-bharat', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science &amp; Technology Dr Jitendra Singh released the theme for the "National Science Day 2024", titled "Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat".</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) theme for this year&rsquo;s celebration reflects a strategic focus on promoting public appreciation for Science, Technology and Innovation and accomplishments of Indian scientists to address challenges through home-grown technologies for over-all well-being.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The theme not only marks a new era but also presents an opportunity for public and scientific fraternity, both domestically and internationally, to collaborate, work together, and contribute to the well-being of India and humanity as a whole. While emphasising the importance of making India&nbsp;<em>Atmanirbhar&nbsp;</em>through science, it underscores the need to address subjects that hold significance for humanity as a whole.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on 28 February to commemorate the discovery of the &lsquo;Raman Effect&rsquo;. Government of India designated 28 February as National Science Day in 1986. On this day Sir C.V. Raman announced the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930. On this occasion, theme-based science communication activities are carried out all over the country. The theme launch will trigger celebrations of NSD specially in schools &amp; colleges throughout the country.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science &amp; Technology (DST) said that as we embark on the celebration of NSD and move ahead with the launch of the theme for 2024, it is clearly evident that our scientific endeavours have the power to shape not only the future of our nation but also contribute significantly towards global advancement.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58')), 'mostReadArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24286', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Qiagen launches AI-derived biomedical knowledge base to accelerate data-driven drug discovery', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2-24286.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'qiagen-launches-ai-derived-biomedical-knowledge-base-to-accelerate-data-driven-drug-discovery', 'page1' => '<p align="justify">US-based Qiagen has announced the launch of Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI, a new generative AI-driven knowledge base designed to propel drug discovery in the pharma and biotech industries. This new offering is designed for data scientists and bioinformaticians who are looking for the most comprehensive knowledge graphs to fuel data-driven drug discovery.</p> <p align="justify">Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI is built on a massive dataset of biomedical literature and other scientific sources. It identifies and extracts causal relationships between genes, diseases, drugs and other biological entities with artificial intelligence (AI), generating over 600 million more biomedical relationships than its complement, Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD. This expansive knowledge base helps data scientists understand disease mechanisms, identify drug targets or biomarkers and explore strategies for repurposing existing drugs. Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI provides the most complete picture of biomedical relationships, including edge cases and novel relationships.</p> <p align="justify">While Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD is manually curated and known for its high quality and accuracy, Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI contains over 25x more relationships, allowing data scientists to generate new insights. Both knowledge bases can be used to provide both high-quality and high-quantity biomedical relationships data for data scientists and bioinformaticians to mine and validate.</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '60'), array('articleId' => '24284', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'IIT Kanpur partners with UP government to enhance tele-medicine using AI', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_28_at_3_48_48_pm-24284.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'iit-kanpur-partners-with-up-government-to-enhance-tele-medicine-using-ai', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">The Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and the Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to revolutionise healthcare delivery and advance tele-medicine facilities in the state through the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI).</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU was signed by Ranjan Kumar IAS, Secretary, Health &amp; Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Professor Sandeep Verma, Professor-In-Charge, Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Kanpur, in the presence of&nbsp;other dignitaries.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU outlines several key areas of collaboration, including anchoring tele-medicine hubs and enhancing the quality of tele-medicine services, implementing AI-based solutions to address population health impact, developing point-of-care diagnostics to drive program improvements, conducting competency-based capacity building for health cadres, and utilizing database predictions and analysis for informed decision-making.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">This will help the Department to make optimal use of the UP Digital Health Stack (UP-DHS) and ensure that every citizen of the state, wherever they are, will be able to access healthcare when needed. In Uttar Pradesh, UP-DHS is making significant strides in implementation, with foundational NHS elements deployed across all health administrative units and the rollout of essential healthcare applications well underway.</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '100'), array('articleId' => '24282', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Medtech firm Stryker expands prototype and testing facility in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/styker-24282.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'medtech-firm-stryker-expands-prototype-and-testing-facility-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker, a global leader in medical technologies, has officially expanded its prototype and testing facility in India, marking significant growth of its R&amp;D footprint in the country.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This advanced 55,600-square-foot facility integrates cutting-edge infrastructure, enhanced microbiology capabilities, and a talented team to drive innovation and ensure product quality across its medical technology portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Investing in innovation from India is a focus area for Stryker," said&nbsp;Ram Rangarajan, Vice President of Stryker Global Technology Center, India. "This new lab represents our commitment to developing medical technologies that improve patient outcomes and comply with the highest regulatory standards."</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker's new facility is dedicated to the rigorous life cycle testing of medical devices. The new lab boasts several key features:</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Prototyping and product assurance hub:&nbsp;Equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure for plastic 3D printing,&nbsp;metal machining, and a diverse range of testing capabilities,&nbsp;the lab supports prototyping and product assurance across Stryker's entire product portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Expanded microbiology competency:&nbsp;The lab strengthens Stryker's ability to conduct comprehensive microbiological testing,&nbsp;ensuring the safety and efficacy of its medical technologies.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Talented team of engineers and microbiologists:&nbsp; Highly skilled engineers and microbiologists will use the advanced equipment and expertise to develop innovative solutions that positively impact patients around the world.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '93'), array('articleId' => '24262', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Miltenyi Biotec to open Cell and Gene Therapy Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/gene-24262.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'miltenyi-biotec-to-open-cell-and-gene-therapy-centre-of-excellence-in-hyderabad', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">German firm Miltenyi Biotec is launching operations in India with its first office and investing to set up Miltenyi Innovation and Technology Center as Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Hyderabad.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This COE will be one of its first of its kind in India where scientists, researchers, industry experts and clinicians can get classroom to hands-on trainings on cell and gene therapy approaches right from proof of concept to pre-clinical / clinical development and commercialisation. This CoE also will provide Indian researchers, scientists and clinicians easier access to expertise, research, and manufacturing solutions.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Each year, more than 10,000 patients are treated with cell products using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies. More than&nbsp; 950 investigational new drug (IND) applications as well as investigational device exemptions (IDE) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies and platforms.&nbsp;&nbsp;In doing so, the company is well poised to enable local development and manufacturing in India to drive affordable and&nbsp;accessible CGT therapies by academia and industry for Indian as well as global patients.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Boris Stoffel,&nbsp;Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s Managing Director, highlighted that the company intends to seek opportunities to catalyse development of CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T cell clinical development and manufacturing, with the prospect of bringing centralised and point-of-care CAR T cell therapy to hospitals across India.</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 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Buckminster. This acquisition was done to redevelop the closed hotel into a life science lab space. Again in May 2021, a facility that housed the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive was transformed into a new life sciences lab on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the same year in India, a Canadian Pension Fund along with a Singapore-based wealth and asset management firm jointly invested $100 million (Rs 7.5 billion) in life sciences R&amp;D facilities in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. This investment, according to reports, proved to be a stepping stone for more equity investments in this segment. On February 6, 2024, life sciences real estate developer, Rx Propellant announced an initial investment of $75 million in phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai Research (NMR) District, as part of its continued regional expansion strategy across India.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In all the four developments mentioned above, it is clear that post-pandemic, the demand for life sciences-related real estate has significantly increased. Both greenfield and brownfield projects have surged, as the pandemic fuelled the demand for locally manufactured pharma and medical products.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, in the last few decades, has witnessed the IT and manufacturing sectors invest heavily in real estate and infrastructure. But in the post-pandemic era, we see life sciences companies require space to innovate, for R&amp;D, and manufacture at scale.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Fast-evolving life sciences market&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India is one of the fastest-growing life sciences markets in the world and the sector is poised to see multi-fold growth by 2030 led by a fast-increasing population, rising life expectancy, a strong industrial base and inclusive government initiatives. In addition, India&rsquo;s demographic dividend, strong industrial base and policy push are known to be the growth drivers for the life sciences sector in the country.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The increasing government spending on the healthcare sector, cost benefits in terms of affordable manpower &amp; real estate expenses, and the availability of a large talent pool are the catalysts of life sciences growth in India. Schemes like Production Linked Incentive (PLI)&nbsp; have boosted domestic manufacturing which&nbsp; has resulted in the need for more space in industrial and tech parks. Also, global exports of pharmaceutical and biotechnology products and medical devices from the country have forced many companies to invest in capacity building and human resources.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Notably, India ranks second globally in terms of the number of US FDA-certified plants located outside the US, closely followed by China. Strengths of this kind and the constantly evolving sector are&nbsp; furthering the requirement for large-scale&nbsp; manufacturing, MSMEs, wet laboratories, R&amp;D hubs, incubators, and data centres&nbsp; coupled with other IT &amp; ES support.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the next decade, it is estimated that the requirement for life sciences R&amp;D real estate in India is likely to grow to somewhere between $16 billion (Rs 1,200 billion) and $34 billion (Rs 2,550 billion) as per conservative and optimistic scenarios.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Push from PEs and VCs</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India&rsquo;s life sciences R&amp;D real estate is emerging as a high-potential asset class for institutional investors. Aided by exponential global demand growth, geopolitical environment, policies initiatives, and skilled workforce this sector is rapidly transforming.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Atul Bhardwaj, Business Head, Lighthouse Canton Real Estate</strong>, indicates that both domestic and international investors are demonstrating a strong interest in India's life sciences real estate market. According to Bhardwaj, private equity firms, venture capitalists, and real estate developers are actively investing significant capital in the development of specialised facilities to meet the requirements of life sciences companies. He says, &ldquo;Biotechnology parks and clusters are emerging as key focal points for life sciences research and manufacturing in India. These specialised hubs offer world-class infrastructure, shared amenities, and a collaborative ecosystem that encourages innovation and cooperation among industry stakeholders, academic institutions, and research organisations.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Citing one other compelling factor of the life sciences real estate market to surge, Bhardwaj, says, &ldquo;This sector's operational model does not accommodate the concept of working from home, which presents a compelling opportunity for real estate developers. The recent pandemic underscored the resilience of the pharmaceutical sector. While many industries, including office realty, experienced significant disruptions, the pharmaceutical sector's demand for space significantly increased, further cementing its critical role in the global economy.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Arvind Nandan, Managing Director &ndash; Research &amp; Consulting, Savills India</strong>, says, &ldquo;Venture Capital funding into the life sciences industry in India stood at $448 million (Rs 34 billion) in 2021 through August, almost 3x of the annual average of the previous years, making it clear that this segment will play a pivotal role in the overall growth of the Indian Real Estate industry.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Adopting the asset light model</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We know that globally organisations across all sectors &ndash; be it small or big &ndash; are undergoing massive digital transformation and smart business strategies that are sustainable and cost-effective are implemented. Owing to that, businesses are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to scale up faster, which has given rise to many alternate models of operations, including the concept of going asset-light.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Asset-light model offers a strategic approach where companies minimise their ownership of physical assets (such as buildings or land). Companies go asset-light by owning fewer capital-intensive assets compared to their operational assets. By doing this, life sciences companies focus on their core competencies (such as research, development, and production) and avoid heavy investments in real estate.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Merck &amp; Co., Inc. (MSD outside the US and Canada) is a prime example of an asset-light pharmaceutical company. Merck collaborates with specialised Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisations (CDMOs) for various stages of drug development and production. By leveraging external partners, they avoid heavy capital expenditure on building and maintaining several of their own manufacturing facilities.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sharing his view on the asset light model, <strong>Rx Propellant&rsquo;s CEO Milind Ravi</strong>, says, &ldquo;While traditionally dominated by &lsquo;user-owned&rsquo; models, an evident but slow shift to &lsquo;asset-light&rsquo; options in India indicates growing demand for agile growth-ready infrastructure. With its increased focus on innovation, India&rsquo;s life sciences market is expected to grow threefold in the next decade, reaching $130 billion by 2030. This in turn is set to generate demand for over 100 million square feet of specialised infrastructure across several existing ecosystems including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Vizag, and Pune among others.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another aspect to asset-light operations is the advantage companies draw from sharing infrastructure elements. Atul Bhardwaj opines that the model of providing comprehensive amenities under one roof offers significant benefits to companies by eliminating the need for capital expenditure on individual pieces of equipment such as chillers and DG sets. This approach, he says, not only reduces the initial capital outlay but also lowers the overall opex for companies, as costs related to maintenance, security, and technical manpower are shared.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;This cost model is particularly advantageous, as it would otherwise be a substantial financial burden for a company to bear alone for its standalone unit. Real estate developers who offer high-quality infrastructure can further reduce a company's upfront expenses by providing essential utilities like nitrogen generators and vacuum systems. A multi-tenanted building thus emerges as a mutually beneficial arrangement for both developers and tenant companies,&rdquo; says Bhardwaj.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Sustainable infrastructure&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In almost every industry, the board members, shareholders advocate the importance of the mandates of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) of business operations. The threat of climate change has prompted many industries to develop environmental strategies to reduce their carbon footprints, with the life sciences industry on the top of the pyramid.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Being climate conscious has brought in new concepts in smart buildings and other digitally supported facilities and infrastructure models. Open floor plans, shared workspaces, and flexible furniture are some of today&rsquo;s trends that are known to foster interaction and knowledge sharing, similar to what's seen in modern IT work spaces. This shift in life sciences too encourages cross-disciplinary research, faster problem-solving, and quicker innovation and most importantly sharing resources.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Emerging trends in innovation have seen an increase in demand for next-gen spaces with flexible workspaces, integration of wet lab-computation stations, highly sensitive zones for increasingly sophisticated equipment and process flow optimisation. New developments designed to accommodate such variables offer sustainable long-term solutions,&rdquo; Milind Ravi opines from his experience.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Also, leading life sciences companies in India prefer to operate from large-scale clusters that can meet both their office and R&amp;D needs. Startups and MSMEs are also increasingly opting to locate themselves in prominent clusters with a clear industrial positioning and abundant R&amp;D resources. Genome Valley (Hyderabad) and Electronic City (Bengaluru) are great examples of such collaborative ecosystems.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">So, if, today, we were to walk into any of India&rsquo;s life sciences parks, we would be delighted to see those spaces being built on modern modular designs having mobile equipment and reconfigurable layouts, with amazing aesthetics and classy landscaping.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">What will also be evident is that the traditional life sciences technicians confining themselves to sterile laboratories would be ancient. Today&rsquo;s workplaces recognise the need for a more holistic environment with sprawling cafeterias, breakout huddles, and interactive/entertainment spaces. Apart from being modern with the changing times, such amenities are considered by the HR department as a way to attract and retain talent.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Leasing: a preferred business model&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Savills, in its report titled </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unlocking Opportunities: Life Sciences and Real Estate in India&rsquo;, indicates that leasing properties to the biotech industry can provide a steady stream of rental income and long-term investment potential for real estate developers.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since life sciences is a rapidly growing and promising sector with significant investments and advancements, by leasing to them, real estate companies become part of their growth story, giving them the advantage of increased long-term value and brand association.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Leasing also brings about several advantages to realtors. Life sciences companies typically require specific and tailored facilities, leading to lesser turnover compared to other commercial leases. This translates to reduced management costs and higher occupancy rates. Also, life sciences companies often require long-term leases due to the complex nature of their facilities and research projects. This stability translates to predictable and dependable income for the real estate companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking from his company&rsquo;s perspective, Milind Ravi,</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> says,&nbsp;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;We bring a very inclusive approach to support companies of all scales not just with infrastructure, but a gamut of ecosystem services that play a pivotal role in their overall experience. We lease laboratory spaces on tailored models based on the need, timelines, intended use and life-stage of our tenant partners. Our standard offering constitutes modular spaces in shared or dedicated formats &ndash; in both &lsquo;warm shell&rsquo; and &lsquo;plug-and-play&rsquo; models as part of integrated and life science-focussed clusters. Apart from this, we also deliver built-to-suit campuses in required specifications of the tenant.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;While our facilities are built for multi-tenancy where each organisation can work independently, we are also working towards developing co-working laboratory spaces with shared equipment and amenities. These are becoming increasingly popular, especially among startups and small research teams,&rdquo; says Milind Ravi.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Growth is certain</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A report titled &lsquo;Life Sciences Industry &amp; Real Estate Perspective 2024: Putting Asia Pacific under the microscope&rsquo; by global real estate company JLL sheds light on India&rsquo;s pharma industry's growth trajectory. While the pandemic undeniably spurred investment due to the vaccine race, the report emphasizes that interest was already on the rise owing to the ongoing breakthroughs in areas like immuno-oncology and neonatology. This pre-existing momentum, fuelled by technological advancements, has directly translated into increased commercial real estate leasing within the pharma sector. This may be true to India&rsquo;s life sciences sector too.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">JLL stresses on the fact that when companies get funding from venture capitalists, they need lab space in order to deliver as soon as possible. Also, sizeable investments bring with them a plethora of life sciences jobs, which can also spur development of housing, retail and other urban amenities that serve the people who live and work for the expanding companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">From Bhardwaj&rsquo;s inputs we can infer that India has a robust domestic market, bolstered further by the Government of India's </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;Jan Aushadhi&rsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> scheme, aimed at providing quality generic medicines at affordable prices to its citizens. As the third-largest exporter of pharmaceuticals by volume and the thirteenth by value, the demand for space is going to grow.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the pharma industry presents sufficient scope, the medical device industry is not any less. Considered as the sunrise sector, the medical devices industry is estimated to reach $50 billion by 2030. In the last five years, the export of medical devices has been increasing at a rate of 9.37 per cent. India&rsquo;s policy to allow 100 per cent foreign investment under an automatic route in the medical devices sector has helped attract significant investments, which has further pushed the demand for real estate. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the medical device industry in India has also helped augment the domestic manufacturing and in reducing dependence on imports. Hence, manufacturing hubs are being set up in many economic zones of the country. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We can therefore conclude with the evidence that there is immense potential for life sciences real estate development to surge in India. Though the country has limited core life sciences real estate investable stock at present, majority of the growth will come from developing new facilities that entail typical development and leasing risks. The stakeholders, however, forecast an increasing investor appetite for Indian life sciences real estate as the sector gains scale over time.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Anusha Ashwin</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => 'Anusha Ashwin', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24273', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'Dissecting Gender Disparity', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/women-24273.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'dissecting-gender-disparity', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in the Indian healthcare industry are mainly concentrated in low-paying frontline positions. In India, 29 per cent of medical doctors, 80 per cent of nursing staff (including midwives), and nearly 100 per cent of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are women. Despite this, women hold only 18 per cent of healthcare leadership positions and continue to earn 34 per cent less than their male counterparts.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are the outcomes of the study titled &lsquo;An Unbalanced Scale - Exploring the Female Leadership Gap in India's Healthcare Sector&rsquo; from Dasra, a non-profit organisation. The&nbsp; study revealed that the Indian healthcare sector, one of the country's largest employers, has experienced substantial growth. It takes a closer look at women's representation in healthcare and the leadership opportunities available to them.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><strong>Inspiring leaders</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"What is concerning is the gap between the proportion of women in healthcare and those who occupy leadership positions. At entry levels, women's representation in sales, marketing, and operations ranges from 40-50 per cent. However, this significantly drops to 15-20 per cent in senior roles," says <strong>Shailja Mehta, Director at Dasra</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is behind this gender gap in leadership positions? Societal norms, cultural expectations and implicit biases against women are some of the main factors that&nbsp;have contributed to the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions. &ldquo;It is a complex issue. The lack of female role models and mentors perpetuates this gender gap," says Shailja.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some believe that one of the primary reasons for the skewed gender ratio in STEM is the stereotyping that begins early in life. Societal expectations often push girls towards more traditionally feminine roles, diverting them away from technical and scientific fields. As a result, fewer women choose STEM education and careers. While others argue that the current gap is a reflection of what was happening 20 years ago, when fewer women entered science careers.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;&ldquo;Today&rsquo;s leaders represent those who entered the field 15-20 years back. Now that the number of women entering these fields has significantly increased in recent years, we will see a lot of women leaders in the coming years. In fact, a major proportion of startups are led by women. They have the capability to do it,&rdquo; <strong>Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, former director, National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) Pune</strong>, says, "The situation is definitely improving. For more women to take leadership roles, changes are required at the family, community and industry level."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Dr Pragya Yadav, senior scientist at the National Institute of Virology, Pune</strong>, who played an instrumental role in the development of Covaxin, agrees. "The situation has certainly improved, but school-going girls should have access to reputable colleges and safe residential facilities for pursuing science as a subject for the real change to occur. Besides, they need support in equal measure, from their families and the industry when raising their children. If they lose that time, catching up becomes difficult,&rdquo; she says. &nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Furthermore, this support should not be seen as an extra favour to women, but rather as their right. Children are the future and the environment they experience while growing up is crucial to their growth and development. It is the duty of both families and society, not just mothers alone, to provide a safe and suitable environment for them," she added. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Manya Jha, a young entrepreneur and founder of Morphedo Technologies</strong>, a deep tech startup in aerospace and defence, medical device engineering, IoT and embedded systems, faced the challenge of balancing child care and her career after the birth of her daughter. To tackle this challenge, she established a small child care centre at her office.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Starting just 20 days after my daughter was born, I brought her to my workplace every day. I made space in my cabin where she could stay with me. Until she was 7 months old, my husband and I took care of her in the shared cabin (during COVID-19 period). At the time of her birth, my startup was also at a crucial stage,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Both my daughter and my company required my personal attention. There were instances when I had to attend important meetings with senior scientists while holding my one-month-old daughter. I believe it's all about the confidence with which you pursue your career."</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today, Manya's company has around&nbsp; 40 employees and the child care centre is now available to all new mothers, offering support in looking after their children while at work.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, despite the challenges, there has been a noticeable shift in the narrative over the past decade, with the number of women leaders emerging in STEM careers increasing slowly but steadily. And these women are not only excelling &nbsp;in their respective fields but also helping dismantling barriers that hinder the progress of other aspiring women.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several prominent women leaders are setting an example for others. Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr Priya Abraham, Director of the National Institute of Virology, biotech stalwart &nbsp;Kiran Majumdar-Shaw,&nbsp; and entrepreneurs like Dr Kavita Iyer Rodrigues and Vasanthi Ramachandran represent some of the most sought after leaders in the industry.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Women are leading more than 30 per cent of the startups incubated at our centre. In many others, they are co-founders or hold significant positions," says <strong>Dr Manisha Premnath, COO of Venture Center</strong>, an incubation centre in Pune that helps startups grow.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Breaking the glass ceiling</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While there is a rise of women leaders in the health and biotech sector, it is important to acknowledge the challenges they continue to face. Stereotypes, biases, and a lack of institutional support still exist. The &lsquo;glass ceiling&rsquo; phenomenon persists, making it difficult for women to reach the highest levels of leadership. A male-centric workplace culture, coupled with a lack of flexibility and understanding regarding work-life balance, discourage women from pursuing or sustaining leadership roles.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The biggest challenge that women face is breaking these stereotypes and breaking free from the vicious cycle of work and life. They need to step out of their comfort zones, or rather, their safe zones, and then there will be no stopping them. Fortunately, nowadays there are several schemes and funds available to support women," says <strong>Dr Deeksha Bhartiya, Founder of Genomiki</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coming from a very traditional, yet ambitious family, Dr Deeksha got married at a young age and encountered challenges in maintaining a balance between her personal and professional life. However, she didn't allow these challenges to deter her from pursuing her doctoral studies and career. "There were many senior male scientists who advised me to take up a permanent job instead of embarking on my entrepreneurial journey. I was told that women should prioritise stability over adventure. However, I am fortunate to have a very supportive family who always push me to exceed my limits and support me in all my decisions."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Exiting the vicious circle</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The foundation for achieving gender parity in STEM careers is laid during the crucial years of education. Schools and educational institutions play an important role in challenging these stereotypes and encouraging girls to explore their interests in science and technology. STEM-focused educational programmes, workshops, and extracurricular activities can help break down gender-based barriers from a young age. Scholarships and mentorship programmes can encourage girls to pursue science education.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To encourage more women to pursue careers in STEM and foster an inclusive and diverse workforce, it is important to adopt unbiased recruitment practices, create a supportive environment for their progress, and implement flexible work arrangements.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is a growing emphasis on incorporating diverse perspectives in STEM curricula. Highlighting the contributions of women scientists and engineers in textbooks and classroom discussions can inspire both girls and boys, challenging preconceived notions about gender roles in these fields. There should be more networking events, conferences and platforms that specifically focus on women in STEM to provide valuable opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing. These spaces not only celebrate the achievements of women in the field but also facilitate the exchange of ideas and strategies to overcome common challenges.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emphasising the pivotal role women play in shaping a sustainable future through scientific leadership, <strong>Melody Lopez, Director and Chief of Staff Crayon Software Experts India</strong> says &ldquo;Fostering women's leadership in science is not just about gender equality but also a catalyst for achieving sustainable development goals. The theme reflects a call to action, urging communities, governments, and organisations to provide equal opportunities for women and girls in science, ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making processes.&rdquo; She further says &ldquo;As we champion women and girls in science leadership, let us embrace this new era, where their voices, ideas, and leadership propel us toward a brighter, more sustainable future for all.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The journey towards gender parity in STEM careers in India could be challenging, but the momentum for change is growing.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><strong>Gunjan Sharma</strong></strong></p> <p><em><strong>gunjan.sharma@mmactiv.com</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => 'Gunjan Sharma ', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24271', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => '“There is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation”', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_27_at_5_20_34_pm-24271.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'there-is-a-significant-gap-in-the-infrastructure-required-for-ai-implementation', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Artificial Intelligence (AI) has completely changed the way we see the world today. How do you see AI revolutionising drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry? Can AI help in discovering new drug molecules that could help treat deadly and chronic diseases like cancers and AIDS?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The future of human life is completely impacted by AI. Particularly its emergence in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry will have a vital impact on disease control and new drug discoveries.&nbsp;AI is poised to revolutionise drug discovery in several ways. It can drastically reduce the time needed to discover and develop new drugs. AI can be used to help suggest novel combinations for treating fatal diseases and even predict treatment outcomes. Additionally, AI facilitates personalised medicine by tailoring treatments to individual patients, which can ultimately speed up the development of new therapies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key challenges in implementing AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly in the context of regulatory compliance?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I feel, the pharma and healthcare organisations in India are yet to gear up for AI. Many are still in the process of adapting to the advancements in the pharmaceutical industry brought about by digitalisation. Despite this progress, the majority of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are not adequately prepared to integrate AI into their operations. AI adoption, beyond platforms like Chat GPT, remains in its infancy and requires further exploration and validation. Moreover, there is a pressing need to harmonise regulatory compliances, particularly in manufacturing standards outlined by the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH). This entails the implementation of electronic documentation systems and global alignment on regulatory practices to ensure both qualitative and compliant manufacturing and healthcare delivery systems. Additionally, there is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation, including the necessary hardware, software, and skilled professionals, which remains to be addressed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a specific example where AI has been successfully utilised to discover or develop a new drug?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although AI is currently making strides in drug discovery, its continual evolution opens up a multitude of possibilities in terms of drug candidates, their structures, and the discovery process. This versatility allows for the pinpointing of targeted molecules tailored to specific therapies or multiple therapeutic discoveries. A recent example highlighting this potential is Insilico Medicine's Pharma.AI, which is revolutionising drug discovery with its suite of AI-powered tools. PandaOmics, for instance, drastically reduces the time required for multi-omics target discovery, from several months to a few clicks. Similarly, Chemistry42 employs machine learning for de novo drug design, generating lead-like molecules within a week. Additionally, InClinico provides an invaluable tool for efficient clinical trial management, identifying potential weaknesses in trial design and predicting success rates. Collectively, these tools are streamlining the traditionally lengthy drug discovery process, accelerating the pursuit of breakthrough medicine.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you envision the role of AI evolving in personalised medicine and patient care?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I believe AI could be groundbreaking by using large amounts of data from healthy and sick people. It could help analyse specific therapeutic segments quickly to see how drugs work over time and improve their formulations. It would also support Phase IV clinical trials, especially in monitoring drug safety (Pharmacovigilance). Overall, AI in personalised medicine and patient care has the potential to improve healthcare, make treatments better, and give patients more control over their health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the ethical considerations that need to be addressed when deploying AI in healthcare settings?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The primary concern lies in protecting patient identity, which can be achieved through AI by masking identities in documentation, albeit in previously challenging areas. The rigidity and security levels of AI coding stand out as effective measures for safeguarding patient identity compared to traditional masking systems. However, the implementation of AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly concerning regulatory compliance, presents various challenges and ethical considerations. These include ensuring data privacy and security, adhering to diverse regulations, deciphering complex AI algorithms, managing the time and cost implications, addressing potential biases perpetuated by AI algorithms, integrating solutions into existing systems, navigating complex ethical and legal considerations, determining accountability and liability for decisions made, preserving patient autonomy and consent, and conducting real-time reviews for corrections.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How can AI help address the challenges of drug resistance in infectious diseases?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The emergence of drug resistance in infectious diseases poses a significant healthcare challenge. However, AI offers a promising solution by playing a crucial role in addressing this issue. Through predictive analytics, AI can forecast which drugs may become ineffective against evolving pathogens, allowing for proactive adjustments in treatment strategies. Furthermore, AI aids in the discovery of alternative treatments, the development of more effective medications, and the customisation of treatment plans tailored to individual patients. By providing real-time insights into the changing landscape of drug resistance, AI enables healthcare professionals to adapt swiftly, ultimately enhancing the efficacy of treatments and improving patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What strategies can be employed to ensure the fairness and transparency of AI algorithms in healthcare decision-making?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To maintain trust, mitigate bias, and foster equitable outcomes, it is crucial to prioritise fairness and transparency in the use of AI algorithms for healthcare decision-making. Some of the strategies to achieve this include ensuring transparency of both data and algorithms, promoting diversity and inclusivity in the development process, conducting external validation and evaluation, and establishing regulatory frameworks and guidelines.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you see AI impacting the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services globally?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While AI offers significant potential for improving the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services on a global scale, there are challenges to overcome. These include ensuring fair access to AI-driven technologies, addressing concerns regarding data privacy and security, and navigating regulatory and ethical issues. Collaboration among various stakeholders, such as governments, healthcare providers, technology developers, and community organisations, is vital to fully realise the benefits of AI in enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key factors hindering the adoption of AI in pharmaceutical research and development?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pharmaceutical companies face several challenges when it comes to using AI in research and development. Firstly, they require high-quality and comprehensive datasets to effectively train AI models. Secondly, they must adhere to strict regulatory guidelines set by government agencies. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies often possess proprietary data and intellectual property that may not be easily compatible with AI systems. Finally, the significant investment required to implement AI technology presents a barrier to adoption for many companies in the industry.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a case where AI-driven predictive modelling has significantly improved clinical trial outcomes or drug efficacy in the Healthcare system?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's important to note that using AI in the healthcare system, along with a thorough review of relevant literature from sources like PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and EMBASE, is significant. Integrating AI into healthcare has the potential to greatly improve disease diagnosis, treatment selection, and clinical laboratory testing. AI tools can analyse large sets of data and find patterns, outperforming humans in many healthcare tasks. AI brings higher accuracy, lower costs, and time savings, while also reducing human errors. It can revolutionise personalised medicine, optimise medication dosages, improve population health management, set guidelines, offer virtual health assistants, support mental health care, enhance patient education, and strengthen patient-physician trust.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, AI can be used in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) by using machine learning algorithms to predict drug-drug interactions. By analysing large sets of patient data, these algorithms can detect potential drug interactions. This helps to decrease the risk of adverse drug reactions, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Amguth Raju</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>hyderabad@mmactiv.com&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => 'Amguth Raju', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17'), array('articleId' => '24280', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Effectively Eliminating Drug-resistant TB', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/tb-24280.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'effectively-eliminating-drug-resistant-tb', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has the highest burden of TB, with two deaths occurring every three minutes from the disease. The country recorded a staggering 28 lakh cases in 2022, accounting for 27 per cent of the global cases, according to WHO.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India initiated the TB Free India campaign with the ambitious goal of eradicating TB by 2025, a milestone set five years earlier than the target outlined by the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Despite facing setbacks due to COVID-19, the nation doubled down on its efforts, resulting in notable progress. The India TB Report 2023 heralded 2022 as a pivotal year in TB surveillance, noting a significant achievement with a record-high notification of 24.2 lakh TB cases, representing an increase of over 13 per cent compared to 2021.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The latest WHO Global TB Report 2023 acknowledged and praised India's efforts in its fight against TB, particularly highlighting the effectiveness of its case detection strategies. The report emphasised that India's intensified case detection strategies led to the highest-ever notification of cases in 2022, surpassing pre-COVID levels. The government's key initiatives, such as specialised active case finding drives, the scaling up of molecular diagnostics to block levels, decentralisation of screening services through Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, and private sector engagement, have significantly reduced the gap in missing cases.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Road to elimination&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the country has made remarkable progress in its fight against TB, the adoption of additional strategies such as shorter treatment regimens, the development of vaccines, and a renewed focus on nutrition could prove to be game-changers in its goal of eliminating TB for good.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The BPaL regimen, composed of Bedaquiline, Pretomanid and Linezolid, presents a promising alternative for a shorter, safer and more tolerable treatment option for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). Lasting only 26 weeks, it contrasts sharply with conventional DR-TB treatments, which can span 18 to 21 months and entail the consumption of over 4,000 to 5,000 tablets. Endorsed by the US FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) in 2019 and the WHO in 2022, the BPaL regimen has been implemented in more than 70 countries, including South Africa, Ukraine, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;The older, conventional regimen for drug-resistant TB included prolonged use of injections with other drugs. This was associated with increased incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), implementation challenges under the programme and inconvenience to the patients. The new TB drug regimen uses the newer oral drugs like Bedaquiline, Delamanid or Pretomanid, or the repurposed drugs such as linezolid, clofazimine, etc. These regimens are injection free and have lesser pill burden leading to more acceptance among the TB patients besides reducing the implementation challenges due to the use of injections. They have the ability to kill the actively multiplying drug-resistant TB bacteria faster and a sustained killing of the bacteria to prevent the recurrence of the TB disease among the patients. These regimens have shown improved treatment success rates under field conditions under the national programme,&rdquo; said <strong>Dr Rupak Singla, Head of Department, National Institute of TB &amp; Respiratory Diseases, New Delhi</strong>.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Singla further said &ldquo;To combat the adverse drug reactions of these regimen, specially due to drug linezolid, various regimens using different dosages and durations of linezolid have demonstrated reduced incidence of ADRs maintaining the efficacy of the regimen. Hence, these newer treatment drug regimens could reduce the global burden of drug-resistant TB. However, the requirement of a good quality laboratory network, availability and higher cost of the drugs continue to pose a challenge.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new regimen is shorter, easier on patients and improves treatment adherence, resulting in better outcomes compared to previous drug regimens.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Talking about the potential implications of the new TB drug regimen on India&rsquo;s TB control efforts, Dr Singla stated, &ldquo;The cure rate for previous conventional TB regimen for multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) was to the tune of around 50 per cent and for Extensively drug-resistant-TB (XDR-TB), less than 30 per cent. The new TB drug regimen has the potential for significant improvement in treatment success rates for MDR-TB as well as XDR-TB.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In India the national data shows that more than 36,000 drug-resistant TB patients have been initiated on shorter oral Bedaquiline-containing regimen and more than 92,000 patients have been initiated on longer oral regimen till date. Treatment success rates of shorter oral regimen for the cohort April-September 2022 (around 12,000 patients) is 69 per cent and of longer oral regimen for the cohort January-September 2021 (around 15,000 patients) is 71 per cent. The improved success rates of new drug regimens is likely to translate into less number of deaths due to TB, reduced period of infectiousness of TB patients and reduced transmission of TB to others in the community leading to reduced incidence of TB.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Studies at the 2023 Union World Conference on Lung Health affirm WHO-endorsed regimens' effectiveness, surpassing traditional 18- to 24-month treatments. The goal is to urge high-burden DR-TB countries to update guidelines and offer shorter treatments to all patients in need. Only 40 per cent of the 410,000 people with DR-TB in 2022 had access to the shorter regimen, as per a WHO report.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A group of experts in the country have stressed the need for introducing the BPaL regimen in the TB control programme of the country. B<strong>lessina Kumar, CEO, Global Coalition of TB Advocates, New Delhi</strong> emphasised the potential cost savings associated with its adoption, citing studies estimating a global annual savings of $740 million. With India accounting for a significant portion of global multi-drug, rifampicin-resistant (MDR/RR-TB) treated patients, she suggested that the country could save nearly $250 million per year through the implementation of this regimen. India will likely roll out the new regime soon.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>TB Vaccine</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vaccination holds promise as a game-changer for TB elimination. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is conducting phase III trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two vaccines: VPM1002 and MIP (Mycobacterium indicus pranii). VPM1002 is a live vaccine based on recombinant BCG, modified for better safety and efficacy. MIP or Immuvac, originally developed for leprosy, is a whole-cell TB vaccine candidate. The trial aims to assess the effectiveness of these vaccines in preventing TB disease, among 12,721 individuals exposed to TB at home (referred to as household contacts). Enrollment for the study is complete, with participant follow-up currently ongoing, according to the pipeline report 2022 by the Treatment Action Group.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bharat Biotech is partnering with the Spanish firm BIOFABRI to develop, manufacture, and distribute a new tuberculosis vaccine across over 70 countries in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The TB vaccine candidate by Bharat Biotech is set to enter phase-III trials soon.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Lancet study highlighted the pivotal role of nutrition in TB management. The&nbsp; Reducing Activation of Tuberculosis by Improvement of Nutritional Status (RATIONS) trial demonstrated that providing food baskets to TB patients and their households reduced all forms of TB by nearly 40 per cent and infectious TB by almost 50 per cent. In 2018, the Indian government launched the 'Nikshay Poshan Yojana,' a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to offer nutrition support to TB patients. Since its inception, the scheme has disbursed approximately Rs 2613 crore to over 95 lakh TB patients.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has indeed made significant strides in addressing TB; however, the battle against the disease is far from over. Despite enhanced detection and surveillance efforts, there's&nbsp; a need to adopt newer strategies to combat TB effectively. Advances in R&amp;D of vaccines, access to newer drug regimens, enhanced focus on nutrition will all help in propelling TB elimination goals.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Ayesha Siddiqui&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ayesha Siddiqui', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24272', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Prioritising Women’s Health & Wellbeing ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2036811071-24272.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: gettyimages', 'pageSlug' => 'prioritising-womens-health-wellbeing-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a new report from the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute launched at Davos in January 2024, women may live longer than men, on average, but they spend 25 per cent more of their lives in debilitating health. The report said improving diagnostics, data on women-specific conditions like ovarian cancer, and directing more investments towards women&rsquo;s health and research is needed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In particular, McKinsey research finds that less than 2 per cent of healthcare research and innovation is invested in female-specific conditions beyond cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This &lsquo;women&rsquo;s health gap&rsquo; equates to 75 million years of life lost due to poor health or early death each year. Closing the gap would benefit 3.9 billion women, giving them an extra seven healthy days a year, or an average of 500 days over a lifetime. Further, it could boost the global economy by $1 trillion by 2040 from fewer early deaths and health conditions, and a greater capacity for women to contribute to the economy and society.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a result of these findings, the final hours of the World Economic Forum in Davos saw the launch of a new Global Alliance for Women&rsquo;s Health, which has the broad ambition of &lsquo;re-shaping the future of women&rsquo;s health and the global economy.&rsquo; The health alliance will pledge new commitments from governments, philanthropies, and pharmaceutical companies, among others, across three pillars i.e. financing, science and innovation, and agenda-setting. So far, partners have pledged $55 million to improve women&rsquo;s health outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">With International Women&rsquo;s Day 2024 being themed around &lsquo;Inspiring inclusion&rsquo;, we see governments across the globe putting the much-needed emphasis on women&rsquo;s healthcare. For instance, the UAE has set out wide-ranging plans to bolster healthcare services for women, by approving the &lsquo;National Policy for Improving Women&rsquo;s Health&rsquo; for providing the highest healthcare services quality for women, whether curative, preventive or rehabilitative services. Similarly, the Irish government is paving the way for a longer-term comprehensive Women&rsquo;s Health Strategy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in England are being urged to help shape reproductive health policy, as the government seeks views on periods, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and menopause for health strategy. Likewise, the Biden administration recently announced a White House initiative to improve how the federal government approaches and funds research into the health of women, who make up more than half of the US population but remain understudied and underrepresented in health research.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, of course, is not far behind in this initiative. The Interim Budget 2024-25 announcement that took place on February 1, 2024, laid focus on encouraging vaccination for girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years for the prevention of cervical cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Besides these government initiatives, multiple efforts are also being made by the industry players to improve women&rsquo;s health. For example, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zurzuvae as the first and only oral treatment approved for women with postpartum depression, developed by American pharmaceutical company Biogen. The US FDA has also recently approved a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription for the first time in the US, a milestone that could significantly expand access to contraception. The pill&rsquo;s manufacturer, Perrigo Company is based in Dublin.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Further, biotech companies in the UK and Korea are embarking on the world's first prospective study of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered breast cancer detection, to streamline diagnosis, and tackle radiologist shortages. On the other hand, startups in India have developed groundbreaking multi-cancer detection tests specifically designed for high-risk and asymptomatic women.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quality, affordability, and accessibility, particularly in the context of women&rsquo;s health, are very critical aspects of ensuring well-being. This calls for greater mobilisation across sectors to invest in women&rsquo;s health, keeping in mind the imperatives of equity and integral care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Manbeena Chawla</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Executive Editor</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(</span><a href="mailto:manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com"><span style="font-weight: 400;">manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></p>', 'sequence' => '5', 'guestAuthor' => 'Dr Manbeena Chawla', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '101'), array('articleId' => '24270', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Establishing Ethical Frameworks for Equitable Use of AI in Healthcare ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/21-24270.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'establishing-ethical-frameworks-for-equitable-use-of-ai-in-healthcare-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The global healthcare landscape is witnessing a seismic transformation driven by AI technologies. From therapeutics to diagnostics, hospital operations to clinical decision-making, AI is making significant strides across diverse applications. According to Statista, the value of AI in the global healthcare market was $11 billion in 2021, projected to reach an estimated $188 billion by 2030. This staggering growth, at a compounded annual rate of 37 per cent, underscores the immense potential AI holds in reshaping the future of healthcare.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Transforming Medical Research and Imaging Analysis</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The impact of AI is not limited to specific segments; it spans the entire healthcare ecosystem. One critical domain experiencing a revolution is medical research, as AI expedites drug discovery processes. Through machine learning algorithms, researchers can predict the success rate of chemical compounds, significantly reducing the time and resources required for experimentation. This not only accelerates the pace of innovation but also holds the promise of bringing new, effective treatments to patients more rapidly.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the realm of medical imaging analysis, AI is proving to be a game-changer. It enables the rapid and accurate detection of anomalies in MRI scans, X-rays, and CT scans. Radiologists benefit from quicker identification of potential life-threatening issues, minimising human errors and enhancing diagnostic accuracy. This not only saves crucial time but also improves patient outcomes, particularly in cases where early detection is paramount.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Data-Driven Healthcare</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">AI is revolutionising the traditional landscape of diagnosis and treatment by providing clinicians with unprecedented data-driven insights. Machine learning algorithms analyse extensive patient data to identify patterns and correlations, facilitating more accurate and timely diagnosis. Personalised treatment plans based on individual patient characteristics are now a reality, enhancing the effectiveness of medical interventions. The ability to tailor treatments to specific patient profiles leads to improved outcomes and a more efficient allocation of healthcare resources.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Real-time assessment of treatment effectiveness by AI tools further contributes to improved clinical outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. Monitoring and adjusting treatment plans based on real-world data ensure that patients receive the most effective interventions tailored to their individual responses. This not only enhances patient care but also contributes to the sustainability of healthcare systems worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Predictive analysis, powered by AI, enables healthcare providers to forecast potential outcomes based on historical data and real-time health information. Identifying patients at risk of specific conditions allows for early intervention, preventing complications and improving overall healthcare efficiency. Large-scale population data analysis can also detect trends and outbreaks of infectious diseases before they become widespread, a critical capability showcased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability to anticipate and mitigate health crises is a testament to the power of AI in safeguarding public health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Patient-Centric Approach</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The integration of AI into healthcare is not solely about clinical applications; it extends to improving the overall patient experience. Streamlining appointment scheduling, providing remote monitoring solutions, and offering personalised treatment plans based on individual medical records contribute to a more patient-centric approach. AI-driven chatbots responding to routine medical inquiries reduce stress and save time for both patients and healthcare providers, fostering a more efficient and accessible healthcare system.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the promises of AI in healthcare, challenges persist. Blind spots in data access and collection, privacy concerns, data misuse, and regulatory ambiguities are roadblocks to widespread adoption. In India, a rapidly growing player in AI-based healthcare, progress is evident, but there is still a long way to go. The ambitious goals of universal healthcare delivery and affordability through AI remain distant, requiring continued innovation and collaboration.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, a major player in the global healthcare sector, is rapidly embracing AI. The National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence by NITI Aayog highlights the potential of AI to address challenges such as a shortage of qualified healthcare professionals and non-uniform accessibility to healthcare across the country. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, AI expenditure in India is projected to reach $11.78 billion by 2025, contributing significantly to the country's economy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite challenges, AI's potential to revolutionise healthcare is undeniable. As technology continues to advance, AI's applications in telemedicine, genomics, robotics, and 3D printing will expand. Workforce training and collaboration between medical professionals and AI developers will be crucial for maximising the benefits of AI. The integration of AI with other emerging technologies holds the key to shaping the future of medical care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we delve deeper into the integration of AI in healthcare, it's imperative to address the ethical considerations surrounding this revolutionary technology. The responsible use of AI in medical settings demands careful navigation of issues such as patient privacy, data security, and bias in algorithms.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Privacy concerns arise from the vast amounts of sensitive patient data being processed by AI systems. Ensuring robust data protection measures, stringent encryption, and transparent data usage policies become paramount to build and maintain public trust in AI-driven healthcare solutions.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The potential for bias in AI algorithms poses another ethical challenge. If the datasets used to train AI models are not representative or if biased historical data is fed into the algorithms, it can perpetuate existing inequalities in healthcare. Striking a balance in dataset curation and continuous monitoring of algorithmic outputs is crucial to mitigate bias and ensure equitable healthcare outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moreover, the explainability of AI decisions becomes crucial, especially in critical medical scenarios. Ensuring that AI models provide interpretable insights aids healthcare professionals in understanding and trusting AI-generated recommendations, fostering collaboration between humans and machines.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In conclusion, AI is not just a buzzword but a transformative force reshaping the healthcare industry. From diagnosis to treatment, AI is proving its mettle by delivering accurate, personalised, and efficient healthcare solutions. While challenges persist, the trajectory of AI in healthcare is pointing towards a future where technology and human expertise converge to provide optimal patient care. As we stand at the intersection of technology and healthcare, the role of AI in shaping the future of medicine is more promising than ever.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As AI continues to evolve, it is crucial for stakeholders&mdash;be they healthcare providers, policymakers, or technology developers&mdash;to collaborate in establishing ethical frameworks that ensure the responsible and equitable use of AI in healthcare. The ongoing dialogue around ethical considerations is vital to ensure that AI remains a force for good in healthcare, driving positive change for patients and society at large.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&amp;D, Murata Vios</strong></em></p>', 'sequence' => '6', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&D, Murata Vios', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17')), 'trendingTopicsList' => array(array('articleId' => '24283', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => '83.5% of adults in India underestimate shingles risk: Global GSK survey', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shingles_large-24283.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => '83-5-of-adults-in-india-underestimate-shingles-risk-global-gsk-survey', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical (GSK) has released new data from a globally commissioned survey funded by them. The survey finds notable gaps in understanding of shingles risk among individuals aged above 50 years, a group that is most susceptible to the disease.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey conducted amongst 3,500 adults aged 50 and over from 12 countries, assessed respondents&rsquo; understanding of shingles, what triggers it, and its impact on people&rsquo;s lives.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey in&nbsp;India&nbsp;involved 500 participants, with 250 respondents who spoke Hindi and another 250 who spoke English. The data, launched in time for Shingles Awareness Week 2024 (26 February&nbsp;2024 &ndash; 3 March 2024), finds a widespread lack of understanding of shingles and its lifetime risk.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The findings show that globally, a significantly high proportion of those surveyed do not understand their risk of developing shingles,&nbsp;with&nbsp;86%&nbsp;underestimating&nbsp;that&nbsp;risk.<font size="1">&nbsp;</font>In India, 81% of the English-speaking and 86% &nbsp;of the Hindi-speaking respondents surveyed underestimate the risk of shingles<sup>.</sup></p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In India,&nbsp;amongst the &nbsp;English-speaking respondents, 22% believe that 1 in 1000 adults are at risk of developing shingles.<sup>&nbsp;</sup>Amongst the Hindi-speaking respondents,18% believe that 1 in 1000 adults is at risk of developing shingles.&nbsp;</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In&nbsp;reality,&nbsp;most&nbsp;adults already&nbsp;have&nbsp;the&nbsp;virus that&nbsp;causes&nbsp;shingles present in&nbsp;their bodies by&nbsp;the&nbsp;age&nbsp;of 50,&nbsp;which may&nbsp;reactivate with&nbsp;advancing&nbsp;age.&nbsp;Shingles&nbsp;is&nbsp;caused&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;reactivation&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;varicella-zoster&nbsp;virus&nbsp;(VZV),&nbsp;the same virus that causes chickenpox.&nbsp;As people age, the strength of their immune response to infection wanes, and this increases their risk of developing shingles.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Rashmi Hegde, Executive Vice President - Medical Affairs, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, India, said,&nbsp;&ldquo;The survey findings underscore the need to raise awareness about shingles risk in adults over 50.&nbsp; Shingles can significantly disrupt the daily lives of ageing adults and cause them a great deal of discomfort."</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24230', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Fujifilm launches advanced endoscopic ultrasound machine ALOKA ARIETTA 850 in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/fuji-24230.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'fujifilm-launches-advanced-endoscopic-ultrasound-machine-aloka-arietta-850-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Fujifilm India, a pioneer in diagnostic imaging and information systems, has launched the ground breaking ALOKA ARIETTA 850 Diagnostic Ultrasound System in India with its first-ever installation at Fortis Hospital in Bengaluru.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Representing a remarkable advancement in endoscopic technologies, the high-tech ultrasound system aims to enhance diagnostic precision and image clarity for gastrointestinal diseases in the region.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">In India, contemporary lifestyles and changing dietary choices are leading to the deteriorating digestive health of the population, adding to the growing prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Addressing this, Fujifilm India&rsquo;S&nbsp;ALOKA ARIETTA 850&nbsp;Endoscopic Ultrasound Machine at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru is a significant step in providing world-class diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients against these GI-related diseases, performing targeted treatments such as Pancreatic pseudo cyst drainage (without surgery), targeted delivery of treatment in Pancreatic cancers.&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) is a minimally invasive method for assessing malignancies affecting the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract and neighbouring organs or tissues. With this high degree of accuracy in both diagnostic and therapeutic capacities, it allows doctors to precisely examine organs like the lungs, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, lymph nodes and nearby affected areas.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">EUS also facilitates the extraction of tissue or fluid samples through a thin needle, eliminating the need for a separate biopsy procedure. Additionally, it improves the staging of cancers with accurate sampling provided by Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) and Fine Needle Biopsy (FNB). Furthermore, EUS proves valuable in cases of altered anatomy and among cancer patients for various therapeutic procedures.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">ALOKA ARIETTA 850 stands out from conventional endoscopic ultrasound machines with a range of superior features. The machine generates image quality with 7 million digital channels in its B mode. This system also incorporates HD-THI for deeper penetration, ensuring accurate diagnoses, along with combi-elastography, pure symphonic architecture and CHI-TIC and Inflow Time Mapping for clearer visibility by reducing noise and enhancing the completeness and continuity of tissue boundaries.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '91'), array('articleId' => '24229', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Bengaluru researchers develop paper-based platform to detect antibiotic-resistant bacteria', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shutterstock_157198133-24229.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'bengaluru-researchers-develop-paper-based-platform-to-detect-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">A paper-based platform developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru could help quickly detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant, disease-causing bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Dr Uday Maitra, Professor at the Department of Organic Chemistry, IISc, and collaborators have developed a rapid diagnosis protocol that uses a luminescent paper-based platform to detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The approach developed by the IISc and JNCASR team involves incorporating biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (BCA) within a supramolecular hydrogel matrix containing terbium cholate (TbCh). This hydrogel normally emits green fluorescence when UV light is shined on it.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The next step was to find a way to make the technology inexpensive. Currently used diagnostics instruments are costly, which drives up the price for testing.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team collaborated with a Chennai-based company called Adiuvo Diagnostics to design a customised, portable and miniature imaging device, named Illuminate Fluorescence Reader. Infusing the hydrogel in a sheet of paper as the medium reduced the cost significantly. The instrument is fitted with different LEDs that shine UV radiation as required. Green fluorescence from the enzyme is captured by a built-in camera, and a dedicated software app measures the intensity, which can help quantify the bacterial load.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team from IISc tied up with Jayanta Haldar&rsquo;s research group from JNCASR to check their approach on urine samples. As the next step, the researchers plan to tie up with hospitals to test this technology with samples from patients.</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58'), array('articleId' => '24163', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Theme for National Science Day sets in as ‘Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat’', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/nsd-24163.png', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'theme-for-national-science-day-sets-in-as-indigenous-technologies-for-viksit-bharat', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science &amp; Technology Dr Jitendra Singh released the theme for the "National Science Day 2024", titled "Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat".</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) theme for this year&rsquo;s celebration reflects a strategic focus on promoting public appreciation for Science, Technology and Innovation and accomplishments of Indian scientists to address challenges through home-grown technologies for over-all well-being.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The theme not only marks a new era but also presents an opportunity for public and scientific fraternity, both domestically and internationally, to collaborate, work together, and contribute to the well-being of India and humanity as a whole. While emphasising the importance of making India&nbsp;<em>Atmanirbhar&nbsp;</em>through science, it underscores the need to address subjects that hold significance for humanity as a whole.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on 28 February to commemorate the discovery of the &lsquo;Raman Effect&rsquo;. Government of India designated 28 February as National Science Day in 1986. On this day Sir C.V. Raman announced the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930. On this occasion, theme-based science communication activities are carried out all over the country. The theme launch will trigger celebrations of NSD specially in schools &amp; colleges throughout the country.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science &amp; Technology (DST) said that as we embark on the celebration of NSD and move ahead with the launch of the theme for 2024, it is clearly evident that our scientific endeavours have the power to shape not only the future of our nation but also contribute significantly towards global advancement.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58')), 'mostReadArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24286', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Qiagen launches AI-derived biomedical knowledge base to accelerate data-driven drug discovery', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2-24286.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'qiagen-launches-ai-derived-biomedical-knowledge-base-to-accelerate-data-driven-drug-discovery', 'page1' => '<p align="justify">US-based Qiagen has announced the launch of Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI, a new generative AI-driven knowledge base designed to propel drug discovery in the pharma and biotech industries. This new offering is designed for data scientists and bioinformaticians who are looking for the most comprehensive knowledge graphs to fuel data-driven drug discovery.</p> <p align="justify">Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI is built on a massive dataset of biomedical literature and other scientific sources. It identifies and extracts causal relationships between genes, diseases, drugs and other biological entities with artificial intelligence (AI), generating over 600 million more biomedical relationships than its complement, Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD. This expansive knowledge base helps data scientists understand disease mechanisms, identify drug targets or biomarkers and explore strategies for repurposing existing drugs. Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI provides the most complete picture of biomedical relationships, including edge cases and novel relationships.</p> <p align="justify">While Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD is manually curated and known for its high quality and accuracy, Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI contains over 25x more relationships, allowing data scientists to generate new insights. Both knowledge bases can be used to provide both high-quality and high-quantity biomedical relationships data for data scientists and bioinformaticians to mine and validate.</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '60'), array('articleId' => '24284', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'IIT Kanpur partners with UP government to enhance tele-medicine using AI', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_28_at_3_48_48_pm-24284.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'iit-kanpur-partners-with-up-government-to-enhance-tele-medicine-using-ai', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">The Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and the Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to revolutionise healthcare delivery and advance tele-medicine facilities in the state through the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI).</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU was signed by Ranjan Kumar IAS, Secretary, Health &amp; Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Professor Sandeep Verma, Professor-In-Charge, Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Kanpur, in the presence of&nbsp;other dignitaries.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU outlines several key areas of collaboration, including anchoring tele-medicine hubs and enhancing the quality of tele-medicine services, implementing AI-based solutions to address population health impact, developing point-of-care diagnostics to drive program improvements, conducting competency-based capacity building for health cadres, and utilizing database predictions and analysis for informed decision-making.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">This will help the Department to make optimal use of the UP Digital Health Stack (UP-DHS) and ensure that every citizen of the state, wherever they are, will be able to access healthcare when needed. In Uttar Pradesh, UP-DHS is making significant strides in implementation, with foundational NHS elements deployed across all health administrative units and the rollout of essential healthcare applications well underway.</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '100'), array('articleId' => '24282', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Medtech firm Stryker expands prototype and testing facility in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/styker-24282.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'medtech-firm-stryker-expands-prototype-and-testing-facility-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker, a global leader in medical technologies, has officially expanded its prototype and testing facility in India, marking significant growth of its R&amp;D footprint in the country.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This advanced 55,600-square-foot facility integrates cutting-edge infrastructure, enhanced microbiology capabilities, and a talented team to drive innovation and ensure product quality across its medical technology portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Investing in innovation from India is a focus area for Stryker," said&nbsp;Ram Rangarajan, Vice President of Stryker Global Technology Center, India. "This new lab represents our commitment to developing medical technologies that improve patient outcomes and comply with the highest regulatory standards."</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker's new facility is dedicated to the rigorous life cycle testing of medical devices. The new lab boasts several key features:</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Prototyping and product assurance hub:&nbsp;Equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure for plastic 3D printing,&nbsp;metal machining, and a diverse range of testing capabilities,&nbsp;the lab supports prototyping and product assurance across Stryker's entire product portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Expanded microbiology competency:&nbsp;The lab strengthens Stryker's ability to conduct comprehensive microbiological testing,&nbsp;ensuring the safety and efficacy of its medical technologies.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Talented team of engineers and microbiologists:&nbsp; Highly skilled engineers and microbiologists will use the advanced equipment and expertise to develop innovative solutions that positively impact patients around the world.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '93'), array('articleId' => '24262', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Miltenyi Biotec to open Cell and Gene Therapy Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/gene-24262.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'miltenyi-biotec-to-open-cell-and-gene-therapy-centre-of-excellence-in-hyderabad', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">German firm Miltenyi Biotec is launching operations in India with its first office and investing to set up Miltenyi Innovation and Technology Center as Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Hyderabad.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This COE will be one of its first of its kind in India where scientists, researchers, industry experts and clinicians can get classroom to hands-on trainings on cell and gene therapy approaches right from proof of concept to pre-clinical / clinical development and commercialisation. This CoE also will provide Indian researchers, scientists and clinicians easier access to expertise, research, and manufacturing solutions.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Each year, more than 10,000 patients are treated with cell products using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies. More than&nbsp; 950 investigational new drug (IND) applications as well as investigational device exemptions (IDE) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies and platforms.&nbsp;&nbsp;In doing so, the company is well poised to enable local development and manufacturing in India to drive affordable and&nbsp;accessible CGT therapies by academia and industry for Indian as well as global patients.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Boris Stoffel,&nbsp;Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s Managing Director, highlighted that the company intends to seek opportunities to catalyse development of CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T cell clinical development and manufacturing, with the prospect of bringing centralised and point-of-care CAR T cell therapy to hospitals across India.</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 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'parentSectionId' => '25', 'siteId' => '2', 'status' => '1')))), 'footerTopLeftDetail' => array('articleId' => '129', 'articleTitle' => 'Footer Top Left', 'seoTitle' => null, 'seoSummary' => null, 'seoGenerator' => null, 'seoAuthor' => null, 'seoAppName' => null, 'subheading' => 'Subscribe to BioSpectrum India', 'titleText' => '', 'titleUrl' => 'http://www.biospectrumindia.com/BSI_forms/subscription_reg_mgz.php', 'introDescription' => '', 'page1' => '', 'page2' => null, 'page3' => null, 'page4' => null, 'page5' => null, 'guestAuthor' => null, 'remark' => null, 'primaryMedium' => 'Text', 'flashNews' => '0', 'specialFeature' => '0', 'city' => null, 'imagePath' => 'uploads/static/bsi_march_2024_issue_cover_page_jpg_1_-129.jpg', 'imageTitle' => '', 'sequence' => '129', 'publishDateTime' => null, 'expiryDateTime' => null, 'displayDate' => null, 'editingNotes' => '', 'lastUpdationDate' => object(DateTime), 'creationDate' => object(DateTime), 'status' => 'Published', 'contentTypeId' => '15', 'siteId' => '2', 'sourceId' => '2', 'userId' => '4', 'lastUpdatedByUserId' => '26', 'articleType' => 'Static', 'language' => null, 'blogType' => null, 'pageSlug' => 'footer-top-left', 'magazineIssue' => null, 'pullquote' => null, 'restrictionType' => null, 'seoKeyword' => null, 'articleReadCount' => '0'), 'subsectionAlias' => 'segments', 'subsection' => 'Segments', 'section' => '', 'sectionId' => '', 'aliasName' => '', 'leadershipArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24267', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'What’s Shaking Up India’s Life Sciences Real Estate Sector?', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/bs1-24267.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'whats-shaking-up-indias-life-sciences-real-estate-sector', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2021,&nbsp; a California-based life sciences real estate development company acquired Hotel Buckminster. This acquisition was done to redevelop the closed hotel into a life science lab space. Again in May 2021, a facility that housed the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive was transformed into a new life sciences lab on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the same year in India, a Canadian Pension Fund along with a Singapore-based wealth and asset management firm jointly invested $100 million (Rs 7.5 billion) in life sciences R&amp;D facilities in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. This investment, according to reports, proved to be a stepping stone for more equity investments in this segment. On February 6, 2024, life sciences real estate developer, Rx Propellant announced an initial investment of $75 million in phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai Research (NMR) District, as part of its continued regional expansion strategy across India.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In all the four developments mentioned above, it is clear that post-pandemic, the demand for life sciences-related real estate has significantly increased. Both greenfield and brownfield projects have surged, as the pandemic fuelled the demand for locally manufactured pharma and medical products.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, in the last few decades, has witnessed the IT and manufacturing sectors invest heavily in real estate and infrastructure. But in the post-pandemic era, we see life sciences companies require space to innovate, for R&amp;D, and manufacture at scale.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Fast-evolving life sciences market&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India is one of the fastest-growing life sciences markets in the world and the sector is poised to see multi-fold growth by 2030 led by a fast-increasing population, rising life expectancy, a strong industrial base and inclusive government initiatives. In addition, India&rsquo;s demographic dividend, strong industrial base and policy push are known to be the growth drivers for the life sciences sector in the country.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The increasing government spending on the healthcare sector, cost benefits in terms of affordable manpower &amp; real estate expenses, and the availability of a large talent pool are the catalysts of life sciences growth in India. Schemes like Production Linked Incentive (PLI)&nbsp; have boosted domestic manufacturing which&nbsp; has resulted in the need for more space in industrial and tech parks. Also, global exports of pharmaceutical and biotechnology products and medical devices from the country have forced many companies to invest in capacity building and human resources.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Notably, India ranks second globally in terms of the number of US FDA-certified plants located outside the US, closely followed by China. Strengths of this kind and the constantly evolving sector are&nbsp; furthering the requirement for large-scale&nbsp; manufacturing, MSMEs, wet laboratories, R&amp;D hubs, incubators, and data centres&nbsp; coupled with other IT &amp; ES support.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the next decade, it is estimated that the requirement for life sciences R&amp;D real estate in India is likely to grow to somewhere between $16 billion (Rs 1,200 billion) and $34 billion (Rs 2,550 billion) as per conservative and optimistic scenarios.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Push from PEs and VCs</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India&rsquo;s life sciences R&amp;D real estate is emerging as a high-potential asset class for institutional investors. Aided by exponential global demand growth, geopolitical environment, policies initiatives, and skilled workforce this sector is rapidly transforming.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Atul Bhardwaj, Business Head, Lighthouse Canton Real Estate</strong>, indicates that both domestic and international investors are demonstrating a strong interest in India's life sciences real estate market. According to Bhardwaj, private equity firms, venture capitalists, and real estate developers are actively investing significant capital in the development of specialised facilities to meet the requirements of life sciences companies. He says, &ldquo;Biotechnology parks and clusters are emerging as key focal points for life sciences research and manufacturing in India. These specialised hubs offer world-class infrastructure, shared amenities, and a collaborative ecosystem that encourages innovation and cooperation among industry stakeholders, academic institutions, and research organisations.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Citing one other compelling factor of the life sciences real estate market to surge, Bhardwaj, says, &ldquo;This sector's operational model does not accommodate the concept of working from home, which presents a compelling opportunity for real estate developers. The recent pandemic underscored the resilience of the pharmaceutical sector. While many industries, including office realty, experienced significant disruptions, the pharmaceutical sector's demand for space significantly increased, further cementing its critical role in the global economy.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Arvind Nandan, Managing Director &ndash; Research &amp; Consulting, Savills India</strong>, says, &ldquo;Venture Capital funding into the life sciences industry in India stood at $448 million (Rs 34 billion) in 2021 through August, almost 3x of the annual average of the previous years, making it clear that this segment will play a pivotal role in the overall growth of the Indian Real Estate industry.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Adopting the asset light model</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We know that globally organisations across all sectors &ndash; be it small or big &ndash; are undergoing massive digital transformation and smart business strategies that are sustainable and cost-effective are implemented. Owing to that, businesses are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to scale up faster, which has given rise to many alternate models of operations, including the concept of going asset-light.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Asset-light model offers a strategic approach where companies minimise their ownership of physical assets (such as buildings or land). Companies go asset-light by owning fewer capital-intensive assets compared to their operational assets. By doing this, life sciences companies focus on their core competencies (such as research, development, and production) and avoid heavy investments in real estate.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Merck &amp; Co., Inc. (MSD outside the US and Canada) is a prime example of an asset-light pharmaceutical company. Merck collaborates with specialised Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisations (CDMOs) for various stages of drug development and production. By leveraging external partners, they avoid heavy capital expenditure on building and maintaining several of their own manufacturing facilities.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sharing his view on the asset light model, <strong>Rx Propellant&rsquo;s CEO Milind Ravi</strong>, says, &ldquo;While traditionally dominated by &lsquo;user-owned&rsquo; models, an evident but slow shift to &lsquo;asset-light&rsquo; options in India indicates growing demand for agile growth-ready infrastructure. With its increased focus on innovation, India&rsquo;s life sciences market is expected to grow threefold in the next decade, reaching $130 billion by 2030. This in turn is set to generate demand for over 100 million square feet of specialised infrastructure across several existing ecosystems including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Vizag, and Pune among others.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another aspect to asset-light operations is the advantage companies draw from sharing infrastructure elements. Atul Bhardwaj opines that the model of providing comprehensive amenities under one roof offers significant benefits to companies by eliminating the need for capital expenditure on individual pieces of equipment such as chillers and DG sets. This approach, he says, not only reduces the initial capital outlay but also lowers the overall opex for companies, as costs related to maintenance, security, and technical manpower are shared.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;This cost model is particularly advantageous, as it would otherwise be a substantial financial burden for a company to bear alone for its standalone unit. Real estate developers who offer high-quality infrastructure can further reduce a company's upfront expenses by providing essential utilities like nitrogen generators and vacuum systems. A multi-tenanted building thus emerges as a mutually beneficial arrangement for both developers and tenant companies,&rdquo; says Bhardwaj.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Sustainable infrastructure&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In almost every industry, the board members, shareholders advocate the importance of the mandates of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) of business operations. The threat of climate change has prompted many industries to develop environmental strategies to reduce their carbon footprints, with the life sciences industry on the top of the pyramid.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Being climate conscious has brought in new concepts in smart buildings and other digitally supported facilities and infrastructure models. Open floor plans, shared workspaces, and flexible furniture are some of today&rsquo;s trends that are known to foster interaction and knowledge sharing, similar to what's seen in modern IT work spaces. This shift in life sciences too encourages cross-disciplinary research, faster problem-solving, and quicker innovation and most importantly sharing resources.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Emerging trends in innovation have seen an increase in demand for next-gen spaces with flexible workspaces, integration of wet lab-computation stations, highly sensitive zones for increasingly sophisticated equipment and process flow optimisation. New developments designed to accommodate such variables offer sustainable long-term solutions,&rdquo; Milind Ravi opines from his experience.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Also, leading life sciences companies in India prefer to operate from large-scale clusters that can meet both their office and R&amp;D needs. Startups and MSMEs are also increasingly opting to locate themselves in prominent clusters with a clear industrial positioning and abundant R&amp;D resources. Genome Valley (Hyderabad) and Electronic City (Bengaluru) are great examples of such collaborative ecosystems.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">So, if, today, we were to walk into any of India&rsquo;s life sciences parks, we would be delighted to see those spaces being built on modern modular designs having mobile equipment and reconfigurable layouts, with amazing aesthetics and classy landscaping.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">What will also be evident is that the traditional life sciences technicians confining themselves to sterile laboratories would be ancient. Today&rsquo;s workplaces recognise the need for a more holistic environment with sprawling cafeterias, breakout huddles, and interactive/entertainment spaces. Apart from being modern with the changing times, such amenities are considered by the HR department as a way to attract and retain talent.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Leasing: a preferred business model&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Savills, in its report titled </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unlocking Opportunities: Life Sciences and Real Estate in India&rsquo;, indicates that leasing properties to the biotech industry can provide a steady stream of rental income and long-term investment potential for real estate developers.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since life sciences is a rapidly growing and promising sector with significant investments and advancements, by leasing to them, real estate companies become part of their growth story, giving them the advantage of increased long-term value and brand association.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Leasing also brings about several advantages to realtors. Life sciences companies typically require specific and tailored facilities, leading to lesser turnover compared to other commercial leases. This translates to reduced management costs and higher occupancy rates. Also, life sciences companies often require long-term leases due to the complex nature of their facilities and research projects. This stability translates to predictable and dependable income for the real estate companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking from his company&rsquo;s perspective, Milind Ravi,</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> says,&nbsp;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;We bring a very inclusive approach to support companies of all scales not just with infrastructure, but a gamut of ecosystem services that play a pivotal role in their overall experience. We lease laboratory spaces on tailored models based on the need, timelines, intended use and life-stage of our tenant partners. Our standard offering constitutes modular spaces in shared or dedicated formats &ndash; in both &lsquo;warm shell&rsquo; and &lsquo;plug-and-play&rsquo; models as part of integrated and life science-focussed clusters. Apart from this, we also deliver built-to-suit campuses in required specifications of the tenant.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;While our facilities are built for multi-tenancy where each organisation can work independently, we are also working towards developing co-working laboratory spaces with shared equipment and amenities. These are becoming increasingly popular, especially among startups and small research teams,&rdquo; says Milind Ravi.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Growth is certain</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A report titled &lsquo;Life Sciences Industry &amp; Real Estate Perspective 2024: Putting Asia Pacific under the microscope&rsquo; by global real estate company JLL sheds light on India&rsquo;s pharma industry's growth trajectory. While the pandemic undeniably spurred investment due to the vaccine race, the report emphasizes that interest was already on the rise owing to the ongoing breakthroughs in areas like immuno-oncology and neonatology. This pre-existing momentum, fuelled by technological advancements, has directly translated into increased commercial real estate leasing within the pharma sector. This may be true to India&rsquo;s life sciences sector too.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">JLL stresses on the fact that when companies get funding from venture capitalists, they need lab space in order to deliver as soon as possible. Also, sizeable investments bring with them a plethora of life sciences jobs, which can also spur development of housing, retail and other urban amenities that serve the people who live and work for the expanding companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">From Bhardwaj&rsquo;s inputs we can infer that India has a robust domestic market, bolstered further by the Government of India's </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;Jan Aushadhi&rsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> scheme, aimed at providing quality generic medicines at affordable prices to its citizens. As the third-largest exporter of pharmaceuticals by volume and the thirteenth by value, the demand for space is going to grow.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the pharma industry presents sufficient scope, the medical device industry is not any less. Considered as the sunrise sector, the medical devices industry is estimated to reach $50 billion by 2030. In the last five years, the export of medical devices has been increasing at a rate of 9.37 per cent. India&rsquo;s policy to allow 100 per cent foreign investment under an automatic route in the medical devices sector has helped attract significant investments, which has further pushed the demand for real estate. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the medical device industry in India has also helped augment the domestic manufacturing and in reducing dependence on imports. Hence, manufacturing hubs are being set up in many economic zones of the country. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We can therefore conclude with the evidence that there is immense potential for life sciences real estate development to surge in India. Though the country has limited core life sciences real estate investable stock at present, majority of the growth will come from developing new facilities that entail typical development and leasing risks. The stakeholders, however, forecast an increasing investor appetite for Indian life sciences real estate as the sector gains scale over time.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Anusha Ashwin</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => 'Anusha Ashwin', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24273', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'Dissecting Gender Disparity', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/women-24273.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'dissecting-gender-disparity', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in the Indian healthcare industry are mainly concentrated in low-paying frontline positions. In India, 29 per cent of medical doctors, 80 per cent of nursing staff (including midwives), and nearly 100 per cent of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are women. Despite this, women hold only 18 per cent of healthcare leadership positions and continue to earn 34 per cent less than their male counterparts.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are the outcomes of the study titled &lsquo;An Unbalanced Scale - Exploring the Female Leadership Gap in India's Healthcare Sector&rsquo; from Dasra, a non-profit organisation. The&nbsp; study revealed that the Indian healthcare sector, one of the country's largest employers, has experienced substantial growth. It takes a closer look at women's representation in healthcare and the leadership opportunities available to them.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><strong>Inspiring leaders</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"What is concerning is the gap between the proportion of women in healthcare and those who occupy leadership positions. At entry levels, women's representation in sales, marketing, and operations ranges from 40-50 per cent. However, this significantly drops to 15-20 per cent in senior roles," says <strong>Shailja Mehta, Director at Dasra</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is behind this gender gap in leadership positions? Societal norms, cultural expectations and implicit biases against women are some of the main factors that&nbsp;have contributed to the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions. &ldquo;It is a complex issue. The lack of female role models and mentors perpetuates this gender gap," says Shailja.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some believe that one of the primary reasons for the skewed gender ratio in STEM is the stereotyping that begins early in life. Societal expectations often push girls towards more traditionally feminine roles, diverting them away from technical and scientific fields. As a result, fewer women choose STEM education and careers. While others argue that the current gap is a reflection of what was happening 20 years ago, when fewer women entered science careers.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;&ldquo;Today&rsquo;s leaders represent those who entered the field 15-20 years back. Now that the number of women entering these fields has significantly increased in recent years, we will see a lot of women leaders in the coming years. In fact, a major proportion of startups are led by women. They have the capability to do it,&rdquo; <strong>Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, former director, National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) Pune</strong>, says, "The situation is definitely improving. For more women to take leadership roles, changes are required at the family, community and industry level."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Dr Pragya Yadav, senior scientist at the National Institute of Virology, Pune</strong>, who played an instrumental role in the development of Covaxin, agrees. "The situation has certainly improved, but school-going girls should have access to reputable colleges and safe residential facilities for pursuing science as a subject for the real change to occur. Besides, they need support in equal measure, from their families and the industry when raising their children. If they lose that time, catching up becomes difficult,&rdquo; she says. &nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Furthermore, this support should not be seen as an extra favour to women, but rather as their right. Children are the future and the environment they experience while growing up is crucial to their growth and development. It is the duty of both families and society, not just mothers alone, to provide a safe and suitable environment for them," she added. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Manya Jha, a young entrepreneur and founder of Morphedo Technologies</strong>, a deep tech startup in aerospace and defence, medical device engineering, IoT and embedded systems, faced the challenge of balancing child care and her career after the birth of her daughter. To tackle this challenge, she established a small child care centre at her office.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Starting just 20 days after my daughter was born, I brought her to my workplace every day. I made space in my cabin where she could stay with me. Until she was 7 months old, my husband and I took care of her in the shared cabin (during COVID-19 period). At the time of her birth, my startup was also at a crucial stage,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Both my daughter and my company required my personal attention. There were instances when I had to attend important meetings with senior scientists while holding my one-month-old daughter. I believe it's all about the confidence with which you pursue your career."</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today, Manya's company has around&nbsp; 40 employees and the child care centre is now available to all new mothers, offering support in looking after their children while at work.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, despite the challenges, there has been a noticeable shift in the narrative over the past decade, with the number of women leaders emerging in STEM careers increasing slowly but steadily. And these women are not only excelling &nbsp;in their respective fields but also helping dismantling barriers that hinder the progress of other aspiring women.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several prominent women leaders are setting an example for others. Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr Priya Abraham, Director of the National Institute of Virology, biotech stalwart &nbsp;Kiran Majumdar-Shaw,&nbsp; and entrepreneurs like Dr Kavita Iyer Rodrigues and Vasanthi Ramachandran represent some of the most sought after leaders in the industry.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Women are leading more than 30 per cent of the startups incubated at our centre. In many others, they are co-founders or hold significant positions," says <strong>Dr Manisha Premnath, COO of Venture Center</strong>, an incubation centre in Pune that helps startups grow.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Breaking the glass ceiling</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While there is a rise of women leaders in the health and biotech sector, it is important to acknowledge the challenges they continue to face. Stereotypes, biases, and a lack of institutional support still exist. The &lsquo;glass ceiling&rsquo; phenomenon persists, making it difficult for women to reach the highest levels of leadership. A male-centric workplace culture, coupled with a lack of flexibility and understanding regarding work-life balance, discourage women from pursuing or sustaining leadership roles.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The biggest challenge that women face is breaking these stereotypes and breaking free from the vicious cycle of work and life. They need to step out of their comfort zones, or rather, their safe zones, and then there will be no stopping them. Fortunately, nowadays there are several schemes and funds available to support women," says <strong>Dr Deeksha Bhartiya, Founder of Genomiki</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coming from a very traditional, yet ambitious family, Dr Deeksha got married at a young age and encountered challenges in maintaining a balance between her personal and professional life. However, she didn't allow these challenges to deter her from pursuing her doctoral studies and career. "There were many senior male scientists who advised me to take up a permanent job instead of embarking on my entrepreneurial journey. I was told that women should prioritise stability over adventure. However, I am fortunate to have a very supportive family who always push me to exceed my limits and support me in all my decisions."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Exiting the vicious circle</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The foundation for achieving gender parity in STEM careers is laid during the crucial years of education. Schools and educational institutions play an important role in challenging these stereotypes and encouraging girls to explore their interests in science and technology. STEM-focused educational programmes, workshops, and extracurricular activities can help break down gender-based barriers from a young age. Scholarships and mentorship programmes can encourage girls to pursue science education.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To encourage more women to pursue careers in STEM and foster an inclusive and diverse workforce, it is important to adopt unbiased recruitment practices, create a supportive environment for their progress, and implement flexible work arrangements.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is a growing emphasis on incorporating diverse perspectives in STEM curricula. Highlighting the contributions of women scientists and engineers in textbooks and classroom discussions can inspire both girls and boys, challenging preconceived notions about gender roles in these fields. There should be more networking events, conferences and platforms that specifically focus on women in STEM to provide valuable opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing. These spaces not only celebrate the achievements of women in the field but also facilitate the exchange of ideas and strategies to overcome common challenges.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emphasising the pivotal role women play in shaping a sustainable future through scientific leadership, <strong>Melody Lopez, Director and Chief of Staff Crayon Software Experts India</strong> says &ldquo;Fostering women's leadership in science is not just about gender equality but also a catalyst for achieving sustainable development goals. The theme reflects a call to action, urging communities, governments, and organisations to provide equal opportunities for women and girls in science, ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making processes.&rdquo; She further says &ldquo;As we champion women and girls in science leadership, let us embrace this new era, where their voices, ideas, and leadership propel us toward a brighter, more sustainable future for all.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The journey towards gender parity in STEM careers in India could be challenging, but the momentum for change is growing.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><strong>Gunjan Sharma</strong></strong></p> <p><em><strong>gunjan.sharma@mmactiv.com</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => 'Gunjan Sharma ', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24271', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => '“There is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation”', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_27_at_5_20_34_pm-24271.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'there-is-a-significant-gap-in-the-infrastructure-required-for-ai-implementation', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Artificial Intelligence (AI) has completely changed the way we see the world today. How do you see AI revolutionising drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry? Can AI help in discovering new drug molecules that could help treat deadly and chronic diseases like cancers and AIDS?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The future of human life is completely impacted by AI. Particularly its emergence in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry will have a vital impact on disease control and new drug discoveries.&nbsp;AI is poised to revolutionise drug discovery in several ways. It can drastically reduce the time needed to discover and develop new drugs. AI can be used to help suggest novel combinations for treating fatal diseases and even predict treatment outcomes. Additionally, AI facilitates personalised medicine by tailoring treatments to individual patients, which can ultimately speed up the development of new therapies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key challenges in implementing AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly in the context of regulatory compliance?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I feel, the pharma and healthcare organisations in India are yet to gear up for AI. Many are still in the process of adapting to the advancements in the pharmaceutical industry brought about by digitalisation. Despite this progress, the majority of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are not adequately prepared to integrate AI into their operations. AI adoption, beyond platforms like Chat GPT, remains in its infancy and requires further exploration and validation. Moreover, there is a pressing need to harmonise regulatory compliances, particularly in manufacturing standards outlined by the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH). This entails the implementation of electronic documentation systems and global alignment on regulatory practices to ensure both qualitative and compliant manufacturing and healthcare delivery systems. Additionally, there is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation, including the necessary hardware, software, and skilled professionals, which remains to be addressed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a specific example where AI has been successfully utilised to discover or develop a new drug?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although AI is currently making strides in drug discovery, its continual evolution opens up a multitude of possibilities in terms of drug candidates, their structures, and the discovery process. This versatility allows for the pinpointing of targeted molecules tailored to specific therapies or multiple therapeutic discoveries. A recent example highlighting this potential is Insilico Medicine's Pharma.AI, which is revolutionising drug discovery with its suite of AI-powered tools. PandaOmics, for instance, drastically reduces the time required for multi-omics target discovery, from several months to a few clicks. Similarly, Chemistry42 employs machine learning for de novo drug design, generating lead-like molecules within a week. Additionally, InClinico provides an invaluable tool for efficient clinical trial management, identifying potential weaknesses in trial design and predicting success rates. Collectively, these tools are streamlining the traditionally lengthy drug discovery process, accelerating the pursuit of breakthrough medicine.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you envision the role of AI evolving in personalised medicine and patient care?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I believe AI could be groundbreaking by using large amounts of data from healthy and sick people. It could help analyse specific therapeutic segments quickly to see how drugs work over time and improve their formulations. It would also support Phase IV clinical trials, especially in monitoring drug safety (Pharmacovigilance). Overall, AI in personalised medicine and patient care has the potential to improve healthcare, make treatments better, and give patients more control over their health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the ethical considerations that need to be addressed when deploying AI in healthcare settings?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The primary concern lies in protecting patient identity, which can be achieved through AI by masking identities in documentation, albeit in previously challenging areas. The rigidity and security levels of AI coding stand out as effective measures for safeguarding patient identity compared to traditional masking systems. However, the implementation of AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly concerning regulatory compliance, presents various challenges and ethical considerations. These include ensuring data privacy and security, adhering to diverse regulations, deciphering complex AI algorithms, managing the time and cost implications, addressing potential biases perpetuated by AI algorithms, integrating solutions into existing systems, navigating complex ethical and legal considerations, determining accountability and liability for decisions made, preserving patient autonomy and consent, and conducting real-time reviews for corrections.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How can AI help address the challenges of drug resistance in infectious diseases?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The emergence of drug resistance in infectious diseases poses a significant healthcare challenge. However, AI offers a promising solution by playing a crucial role in addressing this issue. Through predictive analytics, AI can forecast which drugs may become ineffective against evolving pathogens, allowing for proactive adjustments in treatment strategies. Furthermore, AI aids in the discovery of alternative treatments, the development of more effective medications, and the customisation of treatment plans tailored to individual patients. By providing real-time insights into the changing landscape of drug resistance, AI enables healthcare professionals to adapt swiftly, ultimately enhancing the efficacy of treatments and improving patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What strategies can be employed to ensure the fairness and transparency of AI algorithms in healthcare decision-making?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To maintain trust, mitigate bias, and foster equitable outcomes, it is crucial to prioritise fairness and transparency in the use of AI algorithms for healthcare decision-making. Some of the strategies to achieve this include ensuring transparency of both data and algorithms, promoting diversity and inclusivity in the development process, conducting external validation and evaluation, and establishing regulatory frameworks and guidelines.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you see AI impacting the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services globally?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While AI offers significant potential for improving the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services on a global scale, there are challenges to overcome. These include ensuring fair access to AI-driven technologies, addressing concerns regarding data privacy and security, and navigating regulatory and ethical issues. Collaboration among various stakeholders, such as governments, healthcare providers, technology developers, and community organisations, is vital to fully realise the benefits of AI in enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key factors hindering the adoption of AI in pharmaceutical research and development?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pharmaceutical companies face several challenges when it comes to using AI in research and development. Firstly, they require high-quality and comprehensive datasets to effectively train AI models. Secondly, they must adhere to strict regulatory guidelines set by government agencies. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies often possess proprietary data and intellectual property that may not be easily compatible with AI systems. Finally, the significant investment required to implement AI technology presents a barrier to adoption for many companies in the industry.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a case where AI-driven predictive modelling has significantly improved clinical trial outcomes or drug efficacy in the Healthcare system?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's important to note that using AI in the healthcare system, along with a thorough review of relevant literature from sources like PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and EMBASE, is significant. Integrating AI into healthcare has the potential to greatly improve disease diagnosis, treatment selection, and clinical laboratory testing. AI tools can analyse large sets of data and find patterns, outperforming humans in many healthcare tasks. AI brings higher accuracy, lower costs, and time savings, while also reducing human errors. It can revolutionise personalised medicine, optimise medication dosages, improve population health management, set guidelines, offer virtual health assistants, support mental health care, enhance patient education, and strengthen patient-physician trust.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, AI can be used in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) by using machine learning algorithms to predict drug-drug interactions. By analysing large sets of patient data, these algorithms can detect potential drug interactions. This helps to decrease the risk of adverse drug reactions, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Amguth Raju</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>hyderabad@mmactiv.com&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => 'Amguth Raju', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17'), array('articleId' => '24280', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Effectively Eliminating Drug-resistant TB', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/tb-24280.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'effectively-eliminating-drug-resistant-tb', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has the highest burden of TB, with two deaths occurring every three minutes from the disease. The country recorded a staggering 28 lakh cases in 2022, accounting for 27 per cent of the global cases, according to WHO.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India initiated the TB Free India campaign with the ambitious goal of eradicating TB by 2025, a milestone set five years earlier than the target outlined by the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Despite facing setbacks due to COVID-19, the nation doubled down on its efforts, resulting in notable progress. The India TB Report 2023 heralded 2022 as a pivotal year in TB surveillance, noting a significant achievement with a record-high notification of 24.2 lakh TB cases, representing an increase of over 13 per cent compared to 2021.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The latest WHO Global TB Report 2023 acknowledged and praised India's efforts in its fight against TB, particularly highlighting the effectiveness of its case detection strategies. The report emphasised that India's intensified case detection strategies led to the highest-ever notification of cases in 2022, surpassing pre-COVID levels. The government's key initiatives, such as specialised active case finding drives, the scaling up of molecular diagnostics to block levels, decentralisation of screening services through Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, and private sector engagement, have significantly reduced the gap in missing cases.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Road to elimination&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the country has made remarkable progress in its fight against TB, the adoption of additional strategies such as shorter treatment regimens, the development of vaccines, and a renewed focus on nutrition could prove to be game-changers in its goal of eliminating TB for good.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The BPaL regimen, composed of Bedaquiline, Pretomanid and Linezolid, presents a promising alternative for a shorter, safer and more tolerable treatment option for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). Lasting only 26 weeks, it contrasts sharply with conventional DR-TB treatments, which can span 18 to 21 months and entail the consumption of over 4,000 to 5,000 tablets. Endorsed by the US FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) in 2019 and the WHO in 2022, the BPaL regimen has been implemented in more than 70 countries, including South Africa, Ukraine, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;The older, conventional regimen for drug-resistant TB included prolonged use of injections with other drugs. This was associated with increased incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), implementation challenges under the programme and inconvenience to the patients. The new TB drug regimen uses the newer oral drugs like Bedaquiline, Delamanid or Pretomanid, or the repurposed drugs such as linezolid, clofazimine, etc. These regimens are injection free and have lesser pill burden leading to more acceptance among the TB patients besides reducing the implementation challenges due to the use of injections. They have the ability to kill the actively multiplying drug-resistant TB bacteria faster and a sustained killing of the bacteria to prevent the recurrence of the TB disease among the patients. These regimens have shown improved treatment success rates under field conditions under the national programme,&rdquo; said <strong>Dr Rupak Singla, Head of Department, National Institute of TB &amp; Respiratory Diseases, New Delhi</strong>.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Singla further said &ldquo;To combat the adverse drug reactions of these regimen, specially due to drug linezolid, various regimens using different dosages and durations of linezolid have demonstrated reduced incidence of ADRs maintaining the efficacy of the regimen. Hence, these newer treatment drug regimens could reduce the global burden of drug-resistant TB. However, the requirement of a good quality laboratory network, availability and higher cost of the drugs continue to pose a challenge.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new regimen is shorter, easier on patients and improves treatment adherence, resulting in better outcomes compared to previous drug regimens.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Talking about the potential implications of the new TB drug regimen on India&rsquo;s TB control efforts, Dr Singla stated, &ldquo;The cure rate for previous conventional TB regimen for multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) was to the tune of around 50 per cent and for Extensively drug-resistant-TB (XDR-TB), less than 30 per cent. The new TB drug regimen has the potential for significant improvement in treatment success rates for MDR-TB as well as XDR-TB.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In India the national data shows that more than 36,000 drug-resistant TB patients have been initiated on shorter oral Bedaquiline-containing regimen and more than 92,000 patients have been initiated on longer oral regimen till date. Treatment success rates of shorter oral regimen for the cohort April-September 2022 (around 12,000 patients) is 69 per cent and of longer oral regimen for the cohort January-September 2021 (around 15,000 patients) is 71 per cent. The improved success rates of new drug regimens is likely to translate into less number of deaths due to TB, reduced period of infectiousness of TB patients and reduced transmission of TB to others in the community leading to reduced incidence of TB.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Studies at the 2023 Union World Conference on Lung Health affirm WHO-endorsed regimens' effectiveness, surpassing traditional 18- to 24-month treatments. The goal is to urge high-burden DR-TB countries to update guidelines and offer shorter treatments to all patients in need. Only 40 per cent of the 410,000 people with DR-TB in 2022 had access to the shorter regimen, as per a WHO report.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A group of experts in the country have stressed the need for introducing the BPaL regimen in the TB control programme of the country. B<strong>lessina Kumar, CEO, Global Coalition of TB Advocates, New Delhi</strong> emphasised the potential cost savings associated with its adoption, citing studies estimating a global annual savings of $740 million. With India accounting for a significant portion of global multi-drug, rifampicin-resistant (MDR/RR-TB) treated patients, she suggested that the country could save nearly $250 million per year through the implementation of this regimen. India will likely roll out the new regime soon.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>TB Vaccine</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vaccination holds promise as a game-changer for TB elimination. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is conducting phase III trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two vaccines: VPM1002 and MIP (Mycobacterium indicus pranii). VPM1002 is a live vaccine based on recombinant BCG, modified for better safety and efficacy. MIP or Immuvac, originally developed for leprosy, is a whole-cell TB vaccine candidate. The trial aims to assess the effectiveness of these vaccines in preventing TB disease, among 12,721 individuals exposed to TB at home (referred to as household contacts). Enrollment for the study is complete, with participant follow-up currently ongoing, according to the pipeline report 2022 by the Treatment Action Group.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bharat Biotech is partnering with the Spanish firm BIOFABRI to develop, manufacture, and distribute a new tuberculosis vaccine across over 70 countries in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The TB vaccine candidate by Bharat Biotech is set to enter phase-III trials soon.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Lancet study highlighted the pivotal role of nutrition in TB management. The&nbsp; Reducing Activation of Tuberculosis by Improvement of Nutritional Status (RATIONS) trial demonstrated that providing food baskets to TB patients and their households reduced all forms of TB by nearly 40 per cent and infectious TB by almost 50 per cent. In 2018, the Indian government launched the 'Nikshay Poshan Yojana,' a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to offer nutrition support to TB patients. Since its inception, the scheme has disbursed approximately Rs 2613 crore to over 95 lakh TB patients.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has indeed made significant strides in addressing TB; however, the battle against the disease is far from over. Despite enhanced detection and surveillance efforts, there's&nbsp; a need to adopt newer strategies to combat TB effectively. Advances in R&amp;D of vaccines, access to newer drug regimens, enhanced focus on nutrition will all help in propelling TB elimination goals.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Ayesha Siddiqui&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ayesha Siddiqui', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24272', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Prioritising Women’s Health & Wellbeing ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2036811071-24272.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: gettyimages', 'pageSlug' => 'prioritising-womens-health-wellbeing-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a new report from the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute launched at Davos in January 2024, women may live longer than men, on average, but they spend 25 per cent more of their lives in debilitating health. The report said improving diagnostics, data on women-specific conditions like ovarian cancer, and directing more investments towards women&rsquo;s health and research is needed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In particular, McKinsey research finds that less than 2 per cent of healthcare research and innovation is invested in female-specific conditions beyond cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This &lsquo;women&rsquo;s health gap&rsquo; equates to 75 million years of life lost due to poor health or early death each year. Closing the gap would benefit 3.9 billion women, giving them an extra seven healthy days a year, or an average of 500 days over a lifetime. Further, it could boost the global economy by $1 trillion by 2040 from fewer early deaths and health conditions, and a greater capacity for women to contribute to the economy and society.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a result of these findings, the final hours of the World Economic Forum in Davos saw the launch of a new Global Alliance for Women&rsquo;s Health, which has the broad ambition of &lsquo;re-shaping the future of women&rsquo;s health and the global economy.&rsquo; The health alliance will pledge new commitments from governments, philanthropies, and pharmaceutical companies, among others, across three pillars i.e. financing, science and innovation, and agenda-setting. So far, partners have pledged $55 million to improve women&rsquo;s health outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">With International Women&rsquo;s Day 2024 being themed around &lsquo;Inspiring inclusion&rsquo;, we see governments across the globe putting the much-needed emphasis on women&rsquo;s healthcare. For instance, the UAE has set out wide-ranging plans to bolster healthcare services for women, by approving the &lsquo;National Policy for Improving Women&rsquo;s Health&rsquo; for providing the highest healthcare services quality for women, whether curative, preventive or rehabilitative services. Similarly, the Irish government is paving the way for a longer-term comprehensive Women&rsquo;s Health Strategy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in England are being urged to help shape reproductive health policy, as the government seeks views on periods, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and menopause for health strategy. Likewise, the Biden administration recently announced a White House initiative to improve how the federal government approaches and funds research into the health of women, who make up more than half of the US population but remain understudied and underrepresented in health research.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, of course, is not far behind in this initiative. The Interim Budget 2024-25 announcement that took place on February 1, 2024, laid focus on encouraging vaccination for girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years for the prevention of cervical cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Besides these government initiatives, multiple efforts are also being made by the industry players to improve women&rsquo;s health. For example, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zurzuvae as the first and only oral treatment approved for women with postpartum depression, developed by American pharmaceutical company Biogen. The US FDA has also recently approved a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription for the first time in the US, a milestone that could significantly expand access to contraception. The pill&rsquo;s manufacturer, Perrigo Company is based in Dublin.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Further, biotech companies in the UK and Korea are embarking on the world's first prospective study of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered breast cancer detection, to streamline diagnosis, and tackle radiologist shortages. On the other hand, startups in India have developed groundbreaking multi-cancer detection tests specifically designed for high-risk and asymptomatic women.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quality, affordability, and accessibility, particularly in the context of women&rsquo;s health, are very critical aspects of ensuring well-being. This calls for greater mobilisation across sectors to invest in women&rsquo;s health, keeping in mind the imperatives of equity and integral care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Manbeena Chawla</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Executive Editor</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(</span><a href="mailto:manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com"><span style="font-weight: 400;">manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></p>', 'sequence' => '5', 'guestAuthor' => 'Dr Manbeena Chawla', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '101'), array('articleId' => '24270', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Establishing Ethical Frameworks for Equitable Use of AI in Healthcare ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/21-24270.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'establishing-ethical-frameworks-for-equitable-use-of-ai-in-healthcare-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The global healthcare landscape is witnessing a seismic transformation driven by AI technologies. From therapeutics to diagnostics, hospital operations to clinical decision-making, AI is making significant strides across diverse applications. According to Statista, the value of AI in the global healthcare market was $11 billion in 2021, projected to reach an estimated $188 billion by 2030. This staggering growth, at a compounded annual rate of 37 per cent, underscores the immense potential AI holds in reshaping the future of healthcare.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Transforming Medical Research and Imaging Analysis</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The impact of AI is not limited to specific segments; it spans the entire healthcare ecosystem. One critical domain experiencing a revolution is medical research, as AI expedites drug discovery processes. Through machine learning algorithms, researchers can predict the success rate of chemical compounds, significantly reducing the time and resources required for experimentation. This not only accelerates the pace of innovation but also holds the promise of bringing new, effective treatments to patients more rapidly.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the realm of medical imaging analysis, AI is proving to be a game-changer. It enables the rapid and accurate detection of anomalies in MRI scans, X-rays, and CT scans. Radiologists benefit from quicker identification of potential life-threatening issues, minimising human errors and enhancing diagnostic accuracy. This not only saves crucial time but also improves patient outcomes, particularly in cases where early detection is paramount.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Data-Driven Healthcare</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">AI is revolutionising the traditional landscape of diagnosis and treatment by providing clinicians with unprecedented data-driven insights. Machine learning algorithms analyse extensive patient data to identify patterns and correlations, facilitating more accurate and timely diagnosis. Personalised treatment plans based on individual patient characteristics are now a reality, enhancing the effectiveness of medical interventions. The ability to tailor treatments to specific patient profiles leads to improved outcomes and a more efficient allocation of healthcare resources.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Real-time assessment of treatment effectiveness by AI tools further contributes to improved clinical outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. Monitoring and adjusting treatment plans based on real-world data ensure that patients receive the most effective interventions tailored to their individual responses. This not only enhances patient care but also contributes to the sustainability of healthcare systems worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Predictive analysis, powered by AI, enables healthcare providers to forecast potential outcomes based on historical data and real-time health information. Identifying patients at risk of specific conditions allows for early intervention, preventing complications and improving overall healthcare efficiency. Large-scale population data analysis can also detect trends and outbreaks of infectious diseases before they become widespread, a critical capability showcased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability to anticipate and mitigate health crises is a testament to the power of AI in safeguarding public health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Patient-Centric Approach</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The integration of AI into healthcare is not solely about clinical applications; it extends to improving the overall patient experience. Streamlining appointment scheduling, providing remote monitoring solutions, and offering personalised treatment plans based on individual medical records contribute to a more patient-centric approach. AI-driven chatbots responding to routine medical inquiries reduce stress and save time for both patients and healthcare providers, fostering a more efficient and accessible healthcare system.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the promises of AI in healthcare, challenges persist. Blind spots in data access and collection, privacy concerns, data misuse, and regulatory ambiguities are roadblocks to widespread adoption. In India, a rapidly growing player in AI-based healthcare, progress is evident, but there is still a long way to go. The ambitious goals of universal healthcare delivery and affordability through AI remain distant, requiring continued innovation and collaboration.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, a major player in the global healthcare sector, is rapidly embracing AI. The National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence by NITI Aayog highlights the potential of AI to address challenges such as a shortage of qualified healthcare professionals and non-uniform accessibility to healthcare across the country. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, AI expenditure in India is projected to reach $11.78 billion by 2025, contributing significantly to the country's economy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite challenges, AI's potential to revolutionise healthcare is undeniable. As technology continues to advance, AI's applications in telemedicine, genomics, robotics, and 3D printing will expand. Workforce training and collaboration between medical professionals and AI developers will be crucial for maximising the benefits of AI. The integration of AI with other emerging technologies holds the key to shaping the future of medical care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we delve deeper into the integration of AI in healthcare, it's imperative to address the ethical considerations surrounding this revolutionary technology. The responsible use of AI in medical settings demands careful navigation of issues such as patient privacy, data security, and bias in algorithms.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Privacy concerns arise from the vast amounts of sensitive patient data being processed by AI systems. Ensuring robust data protection measures, stringent encryption, and transparent data usage policies become paramount to build and maintain public trust in AI-driven healthcare solutions.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The potential for bias in AI algorithms poses another ethical challenge. If the datasets used to train AI models are not representative or if biased historical data is fed into the algorithms, it can perpetuate existing inequalities in healthcare. Striking a balance in dataset curation and continuous monitoring of algorithmic outputs is crucial to mitigate bias and ensure equitable healthcare outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moreover, the explainability of AI decisions becomes crucial, especially in critical medical scenarios. Ensuring that AI models provide interpretable insights aids healthcare professionals in understanding and trusting AI-generated recommendations, fostering collaboration between humans and machines.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In conclusion, AI is not just a buzzword but a transformative force reshaping the healthcare industry. From diagnosis to treatment, AI is proving its mettle by delivering accurate, personalised, and efficient healthcare solutions. While challenges persist, the trajectory of AI in healthcare is pointing towards a future where technology and human expertise converge to provide optimal patient care. As we stand at the intersection of technology and healthcare, the role of AI in shaping the future of medicine is more promising than ever.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As AI continues to evolve, it is crucial for stakeholders&mdash;be they healthcare providers, policymakers, or technology developers&mdash;to collaborate in establishing ethical frameworks that ensure the responsible and equitable use of AI in healthcare. The ongoing dialogue around ethical considerations is vital to ensure that AI remains a force for good in healthcare, driving positive change for patients and society at large.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&amp;D, Murata Vios</strong></em></p>', 'sequence' => '6', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&D, Murata Vios', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17')), 'trendingTopicsList' => array(array('articleId' => '24283', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => '83.5% of adults in India underestimate shingles risk: Global GSK survey', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shingles_large-24283.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => '83-5-of-adults-in-india-underestimate-shingles-risk-global-gsk-survey', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical (GSK) has released new data from a globally commissioned survey funded by them. The survey finds notable gaps in understanding of shingles risk among individuals aged above 50 years, a group that is most susceptible to the disease.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey conducted amongst 3,500 adults aged 50 and over from 12 countries, assessed respondents&rsquo; understanding of shingles, what triggers it, and its impact on people&rsquo;s lives.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey in&nbsp;India&nbsp;involved 500 participants, with 250 respondents who spoke Hindi and another 250 who spoke English. The data, launched in time for Shingles Awareness Week 2024 (26 February&nbsp;2024 &ndash; 3 March 2024), finds a widespread lack of understanding of shingles and its lifetime risk.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The findings show that globally, a significantly high proportion of those surveyed do not understand their risk of developing shingles,&nbsp;with&nbsp;86%&nbsp;underestimating&nbsp;that&nbsp;risk.<font size="1">&nbsp;</font>In India, 81% of the English-speaking and 86% &nbsp;of the Hindi-speaking respondents surveyed underestimate the risk of shingles<sup>.</sup></p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In India,&nbsp;amongst the &nbsp;English-speaking respondents, 22% believe that 1 in 1000 adults are at risk of developing shingles.<sup>&nbsp;</sup>Amongst the Hindi-speaking respondents,18% believe that 1 in 1000 adults is at risk of developing shingles.&nbsp;</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In&nbsp;reality,&nbsp;most&nbsp;adults already&nbsp;have&nbsp;the&nbsp;virus that&nbsp;causes&nbsp;shingles present in&nbsp;their bodies by&nbsp;the&nbsp;age&nbsp;of 50,&nbsp;which may&nbsp;reactivate with&nbsp;advancing&nbsp;age.&nbsp;Shingles&nbsp;is&nbsp;caused&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;reactivation&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;varicella-zoster&nbsp;virus&nbsp;(VZV),&nbsp;the same virus that causes chickenpox.&nbsp;As people age, the strength of their immune response to infection wanes, and this increases their risk of developing shingles.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Rashmi Hegde, Executive Vice President - Medical Affairs, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, India, said,&nbsp;&ldquo;The survey findings underscore the need to raise awareness about shingles risk in adults over 50.&nbsp; Shingles can significantly disrupt the daily lives of ageing adults and cause them a great deal of discomfort."</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24230', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Fujifilm launches advanced endoscopic ultrasound machine ALOKA ARIETTA 850 in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/fuji-24230.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'fujifilm-launches-advanced-endoscopic-ultrasound-machine-aloka-arietta-850-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Fujifilm India, a pioneer in diagnostic imaging and information systems, has launched the ground breaking ALOKA ARIETTA 850 Diagnostic Ultrasound System in India with its first-ever installation at Fortis Hospital in Bengaluru.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Representing a remarkable advancement in endoscopic technologies, the high-tech ultrasound system aims to enhance diagnostic precision and image clarity for gastrointestinal diseases in the region.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">In India, contemporary lifestyles and changing dietary choices are leading to the deteriorating digestive health of the population, adding to the growing prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Addressing this, Fujifilm India&rsquo;S&nbsp;ALOKA ARIETTA 850&nbsp;Endoscopic Ultrasound Machine at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru is a significant step in providing world-class diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients against these GI-related diseases, performing targeted treatments such as Pancreatic pseudo cyst drainage (without surgery), targeted delivery of treatment in Pancreatic cancers.&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) is a minimally invasive method for assessing malignancies affecting the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract and neighbouring organs or tissues. With this high degree of accuracy in both diagnostic and therapeutic capacities, it allows doctors to precisely examine organs like the lungs, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, lymph nodes and nearby affected areas.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">EUS also facilitates the extraction of tissue or fluid samples through a thin needle, eliminating the need for a separate biopsy procedure. Additionally, it improves the staging of cancers with accurate sampling provided by Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) and Fine Needle Biopsy (FNB). Furthermore, EUS proves valuable in cases of altered anatomy and among cancer patients for various therapeutic procedures.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">ALOKA ARIETTA 850 stands out from conventional endoscopic ultrasound machines with a range of superior features. The machine generates image quality with 7 million digital channels in its B mode. This system also incorporates HD-THI for deeper penetration, ensuring accurate diagnoses, along with combi-elastography, pure symphonic architecture and CHI-TIC and Inflow Time Mapping for clearer visibility by reducing noise and enhancing the completeness and continuity of tissue boundaries.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '91'), array('articleId' => '24229', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Bengaluru researchers develop paper-based platform to detect antibiotic-resistant bacteria', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shutterstock_157198133-24229.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'bengaluru-researchers-develop-paper-based-platform-to-detect-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">A paper-based platform developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru could help quickly detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant, disease-causing bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Dr Uday Maitra, Professor at the Department of Organic Chemistry, IISc, and collaborators have developed a rapid diagnosis protocol that uses a luminescent paper-based platform to detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The approach developed by the IISc and JNCASR team involves incorporating biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (BCA) within a supramolecular hydrogel matrix containing terbium cholate (TbCh). This hydrogel normally emits green fluorescence when UV light is shined on it.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The next step was to find a way to make the technology inexpensive. Currently used diagnostics instruments are costly, which drives up the price for testing.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team collaborated with a Chennai-based company called Adiuvo Diagnostics to design a customised, portable and miniature imaging device, named Illuminate Fluorescence Reader. Infusing the hydrogel in a sheet of paper as the medium reduced the cost significantly. The instrument is fitted with different LEDs that shine UV radiation as required. Green fluorescence from the enzyme is captured by a built-in camera, and a dedicated software app measures the intensity, which can help quantify the bacterial load.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team from IISc tied up with Jayanta Haldar&rsquo;s research group from JNCASR to check their approach on urine samples. As the next step, the researchers plan to tie up with hospitals to test this technology with samples from patients.</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58'), array('articleId' => '24163', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Theme for National Science Day sets in as ‘Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat’', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/nsd-24163.png', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'theme-for-national-science-day-sets-in-as-indigenous-technologies-for-viksit-bharat', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science &amp; Technology Dr Jitendra Singh released the theme for the "National Science Day 2024", titled "Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat".</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) theme for this year&rsquo;s celebration reflects a strategic focus on promoting public appreciation for Science, Technology and Innovation and accomplishments of Indian scientists to address challenges through home-grown technologies for over-all well-being.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The theme not only marks a new era but also presents an opportunity for public and scientific fraternity, both domestically and internationally, to collaborate, work together, and contribute to the well-being of India and humanity as a whole. While emphasising the importance of making India&nbsp;<em>Atmanirbhar&nbsp;</em>through science, it underscores the need to address subjects that hold significance for humanity as a whole.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on 28 February to commemorate the discovery of the &lsquo;Raman Effect&rsquo;. Government of India designated 28 February as National Science Day in 1986. On this day Sir C.V. Raman announced the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930. On this occasion, theme-based science communication activities are carried out all over the country. The theme launch will trigger celebrations of NSD specially in schools &amp; colleges throughout the country.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science &amp; Technology (DST) said that as we embark on the celebration of NSD and move ahead with the launch of the theme for 2024, it is clearly evident that our scientific endeavours have the power to shape not only the future of our nation but also contribute significantly towards global advancement.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58')), 'mostReadArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24286', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Qiagen launches AI-derived biomedical knowledge base to accelerate data-driven drug discovery', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2-24286.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'qiagen-launches-ai-derived-biomedical-knowledge-base-to-accelerate-data-driven-drug-discovery', 'page1' => '<p align="justify">US-based Qiagen has announced the launch of Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI, a new generative AI-driven knowledge base designed to propel drug discovery in the pharma and biotech industries. This new offering is designed for data scientists and bioinformaticians who are looking for the most comprehensive knowledge graphs to fuel data-driven drug discovery.</p> <p align="justify">Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI is built on a massive dataset of biomedical literature and other scientific sources. It identifies and extracts causal relationships between genes, diseases, drugs and other biological entities with artificial intelligence (AI), generating over 600 million more biomedical relationships than its complement, Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD. This expansive knowledge base helps data scientists understand disease mechanisms, identify drug targets or biomarkers and explore strategies for repurposing existing drugs. Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI provides the most complete picture of biomedical relationships, including edge cases and novel relationships.</p> <p align="justify">While Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD is manually curated and known for its high quality and accuracy, Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI contains over 25x more relationships, allowing data scientists to generate new insights. Both knowledge bases can be used to provide both high-quality and high-quantity biomedical relationships data for data scientists and bioinformaticians to mine and validate.</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '60'), array('articleId' => '24284', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'IIT Kanpur partners with UP government to enhance tele-medicine using AI', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_28_at_3_48_48_pm-24284.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'iit-kanpur-partners-with-up-government-to-enhance-tele-medicine-using-ai', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">The Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and the Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to revolutionise healthcare delivery and advance tele-medicine facilities in the state through the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI).</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU was signed by Ranjan Kumar IAS, Secretary, Health &amp; Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Professor Sandeep Verma, Professor-In-Charge, Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Kanpur, in the presence of&nbsp;other dignitaries.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU outlines several key areas of collaboration, including anchoring tele-medicine hubs and enhancing the quality of tele-medicine services, implementing AI-based solutions to address population health impact, developing point-of-care diagnostics to drive program improvements, conducting competency-based capacity building for health cadres, and utilizing database predictions and analysis for informed decision-making.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">This will help the Department to make optimal use of the UP Digital Health Stack (UP-DHS) and ensure that every citizen of the state, wherever they are, will be able to access healthcare when needed. In Uttar Pradesh, UP-DHS is making significant strides in implementation, with foundational NHS elements deployed across all health administrative units and the rollout of essential healthcare applications well underway.</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '100'), array('articleId' => '24282', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Medtech firm Stryker expands prototype and testing facility in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/styker-24282.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'medtech-firm-stryker-expands-prototype-and-testing-facility-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker, a global leader in medical technologies, has officially expanded its prototype and testing facility in India, marking significant growth of its R&amp;D footprint in the country.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This advanced 55,600-square-foot facility integrates cutting-edge infrastructure, enhanced microbiology capabilities, and a talented team to drive innovation and ensure product quality across its medical technology portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Investing in innovation from India is a focus area for Stryker," said&nbsp;Ram Rangarajan, Vice President of Stryker Global Technology Center, India. "This new lab represents our commitment to developing medical technologies that improve patient outcomes and comply with the highest regulatory standards."</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker's new facility is dedicated to the rigorous life cycle testing of medical devices. The new lab boasts several key features:</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Prototyping and product assurance hub:&nbsp;Equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure for plastic 3D printing,&nbsp;metal machining, and a diverse range of testing capabilities,&nbsp;the lab supports prototyping and product assurance across Stryker's entire product portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Expanded microbiology competency:&nbsp;The lab strengthens Stryker's ability to conduct comprehensive microbiological testing,&nbsp;ensuring the safety and efficacy of its medical technologies.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Talented team of engineers and microbiologists:&nbsp; Highly skilled engineers and microbiologists will use the advanced equipment and expertise to develop innovative solutions that positively impact patients around the world.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '93'), array('articleId' => '24262', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Miltenyi Biotec to open Cell and Gene Therapy Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/gene-24262.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'miltenyi-biotec-to-open-cell-and-gene-therapy-centre-of-excellence-in-hyderabad', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">German firm Miltenyi Biotec is launching operations in India with its first office and investing to set up Miltenyi Innovation and Technology Center as Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Hyderabad.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This COE will be one of its first of its kind in India where scientists, researchers, industry experts and clinicians can get classroom to hands-on trainings on cell and gene therapy approaches right from proof of concept to pre-clinical / clinical development and commercialisation. This CoE also will provide Indian researchers, scientists and clinicians easier access to expertise, research, and manufacturing solutions.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Each year, more than 10,000 patients are treated with cell products using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies. More than&nbsp; 950 investigational new drug (IND) applications as well as investigational device exemptions (IDE) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies and platforms.&nbsp;&nbsp;In doing so, the company is well poised to enable local development and manufacturing in India to drive affordable and&nbsp;accessible CGT therapies by academia and industry for Indian as well as global patients.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Boris Stoffel,&nbsp;Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s Managing Director, highlighted that the company intends to seek opportunities to catalyse development of CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T cell clinical development and manufacturing, with the prospect of bringing centralised and point-of-care CAR T cell therapy to hospitals across India.</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 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object(DateTime), 'status' => 'Published', 'contentTypeId' => '15', 'siteId' => '2', 'sourceId' => '2', 'userId' => '4', 'lastUpdatedByUserId' => '26', 'articleType' => 'Static', 'language' => null, 'blogType' => null, 'pageSlug' => 'footer-top-left', 'magazineIssue' => null, 'pullquote' => null, 'restrictionType' => null, 'seoKeyword' => null, 'articleReadCount' => '0'), 'subsectionAlias' => 'segments', 'subsection' => 'Segments', 'section' => '', 'sectionId' => '', 'aliasName' => '', 'leadershipArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24267', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'What’s Shaking Up India’s Life Sciences Real Estate Sector?', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/bs1-24267.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'whats-shaking-up-indias-life-sciences-real-estate-sector', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2021,&nbsp; a California-based life sciences real estate development company acquired Hotel Buckminster. This acquisition was done to redevelop the closed hotel into a life science lab space. Again in May 2021, a facility that housed the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive was transformed into a new life sciences lab on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the same year in India, a Canadian Pension Fund along with a Singapore-based wealth and asset management firm jointly invested $100 million (Rs 7.5 billion) in life sciences R&amp;D facilities in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. This investment, according to reports, proved to be a stepping stone for more equity investments in this segment. On February 6, 2024, life sciences real estate developer, Rx Propellant announced an initial investment of $75 million in phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai Research (NMR) District, as part of its continued regional expansion strategy across India.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In all the four developments mentioned above, it is clear that post-pandemic, the demand for life sciences-related real estate has significantly increased. Both greenfield and brownfield projects have surged, as the pandemic fuelled the demand for locally manufactured pharma and medical products.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, in the last few decades, has witnessed the IT and manufacturing sectors invest heavily in real estate and infrastructure. But in the post-pandemic era, we see life sciences companies require space to innovate, for R&amp;D, and manufacture at scale.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Fast-evolving life sciences market&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India is one of the fastest-growing life sciences markets in the world and the sector is poised to see multi-fold growth by 2030 led by a fast-increasing population, rising life expectancy, a strong industrial base and inclusive government initiatives. In addition, India&rsquo;s demographic dividend, strong industrial base and policy push are known to be the growth drivers for the life sciences sector in the country.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The increasing government spending on the healthcare sector, cost benefits in terms of affordable manpower &amp; real estate expenses, and the availability of a large talent pool are the catalysts of life sciences growth in India. Schemes like Production Linked Incentive (PLI)&nbsp; have boosted domestic manufacturing which&nbsp; has resulted in the need for more space in industrial and tech parks. Also, global exports of pharmaceutical and biotechnology products and medical devices from the country have forced many companies to invest in capacity building and human resources.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Notably, India ranks second globally in terms of the number of US FDA-certified plants located outside the US, closely followed by China. Strengths of this kind and the constantly evolving sector are&nbsp; furthering the requirement for large-scale&nbsp; manufacturing, MSMEs, wet laboratories, R&amp;D hubs, incubators, and data centres&nbsp; coupled with other IT &amp; ES support.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the next decade, it is estimated that the requirement for life sciences R&amp;D real estate in India is likely to grow to somewhere between $16 billion (Rs 1,200 billion) and $34 billion (Rs 2,550 billion) as per conservative and optimistic scenarios.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Push from PEs and VCs</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India&rsquo;s life sciences R&amp;D real estate is emerging as a high-potential asset class for institutional investors. Aided by exponential global demand growth, geopolitical environment, policies initiatives, and skilled workforce this sector is rapidly transforming.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Atul Bhardwaj, Business Head, Lighthouse Canton Real Estate</strong>, indicates that both domestic and international investors are demonstrating a strong interest in India's life sciences real estate market. According to Bhardwaj, private equity firms, venture capitalists, and real estate developers are actively investing significant capital in the development of specialised facilities to meet the requirements of life sciences companies. He says, &ldquo;Biotechnology parks and clusters are emerging as key focal points for life sciences research and manufacturing in India. These specialised hubs offer world-class infrastructure, shared amenities, and a collaborative ecosystem that encourages innovation and cooperation among industry stakeholders, academic institutions, and research organisations.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Citing one other compelling factor of the life sciences real estate market to surge, Bhardwaj, says, &ldquo;This sector's operational model does not accommodate the concept of working from home, which presents a compelling opportunity for real estate developers. The recent pandemic underscored the resilience of the pharmaceutical sector. While many industries, including office realty, experienced significant disruptions, the pharmaceutical sector's demand for space significantly increased, further cementing its critical role in the global economy.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Arvind Nandan, Managing Director &ndash; Research &amp; Consulting, Savills India</strong>, says, &ldquo;Venture Capital funding into the life sciences industry in India stood at $448 million (Rs 34 billion) in 2021 through August, almost 3x of the annual average of the previous years, making it clear that this segment will play a pivotal role in the overall growth of the Indian Real Estate industry.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Adopting the asset light model</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We know that globally organisations across all sectors &ndash; be it small or big &ndash; are undergoing massive digital transformation and smart business strategies that are sustainable and cost-effective are implemented. Owing to that, businesses are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to scale up faster, which has given rise to many alternate models of operations, including the concept of going asset-light.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Asset-light model offers a strategic approach where companies minimise their ownership of physical assets (such as buildings or land). Companies go asset-light by owning fewer capital-intensive assets compared to their operational assets. By doing this, life sciences companies focus on their core competencies (such as research, development, and production) and avoid heavy investments in real estate.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Merck &amp; Co., Inc. (MSD outside the US and Canada) is a prime example of an asset-light pharmaceutical company. Merck collaborates with specialised Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisations (CDMOs) for various stages of drug development and production. By leveraging external partners, they avoid heavy capital expenditure on building and maintaining several of their own manufacturing facilities.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sharing his view on the asset light model, <strong>Rx Propellant&rsquo;s CEO Milind Ravi</strong>, says, &ldquo;While traditionally dominated by &lsquo;user-owned&rsquo; models, an evident but slow shift to &lsquo;asset-light&rsquo; options in India indicates growing demand for agile growth-ready infrastructure. With its increased focus on innovation, India&rsquo;s life sciences market is expected to grow threefold in the next decade, reaching $130 billion by 2030. This in turn is set to generate demand for over 100 million square feet of specialised infrastructure across several existing ecosystems including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Vizag, and Pune among others.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another aspect to asset-light operations is the advantage companies draw from sharing infrastructure elements. Atul Bhardwaj opines that the model of providing comprehensive amenities under one roof offers significant benefits to companies by eliminating the need for capital expenditure on individual pieces of equipment such as chillers and DG sets. This approach, he says, not only reduces the initial capital outlay but also lowers the overall opex for companies, as costs related to maintenance, security, and technical manpower are shared.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;This cost model is particularly advantageous, as it would otherwise be a substantial financial burden for a company to bear alone for its standalone unit. Real estate developers who offer high-quality infrastructure can further reduce a company's upfront expenses by providing essential utilities like nitrogen generators and vacuum systems. A multi-tenanted building thus emerges as a mutually beneficial arrangement for both developers and tenant companies,&rdquo; says Bhardwaj.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Sustainable infrastructure&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In almost every industry, the board members, shareholders advocate the importance of the mandates of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) of business operations. The threat of climate change has prompted many industries to develop environmental strategies to reduce their carbon footprints, with the life sciences industry on the top of the pyramid.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Being climate conscious has brought in new concepts in smart buildings and other digitally supported facilities and infrastructure models. Open floor plans, shared workspaces, and flexible furniture are some of today&rsquo;s trends that are known to foster interaction and knowledge sharing, similar to what's seen in modern IT work spaces. This shift in life sciences too encourages cross-disciplinary research, faster problem-solving, and quicker innovation and most importantly sharing resources.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Emerging trends in innovation have seen an increase in demand for next-gen spaces with flexible workspaces, integration of wet lab-computation stations, highly sensitive zones for increasingly sophisticated equipment and process flow optimisation. New developments designed to accommodate such variables offer sustainable long-term solutions,&rdquo; Milind Ravi opines from his experience.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Also, leading life sciences companies in India prefer to operate from large-scale clusters that can meet both their office and R&amp;D needs. Startups and MSMEs are also increasingly opting to locate themselves in prominent clusters with a clear industrial positioning and abundant R&amp;D resources. Genome Valley (Hyderabad) and Electronic City (Bengaluru) are great examples of such collaborative ecosystems.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">So, if, today, we were to walk into any of India&rsquo;s life sciences parks, we would be delighted to see those spaces being built on modern modular designs having mobile equipment and reconfigurable layouts, with amazing aesthetics and classy landscaping.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">What will also be evident is that the traditional life sciences technicians confining themselves to sterile laboratories would be ancient. Today&rsquo;s workplaces recognise the need for a more holistic environment with sprawling cafeterias, breakout huddles, and interactive/entertainment spaces. Apart from being modern with the changing times, such amenities are considered by the HR department as a way to attract and retain talent.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Leasing: a preferred business model&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Savills, in its report titled </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unlocking Opportunities: Life Sciences and Real Estate in India&rsquo;, indicates that leasing properties to the biotech industry can provide a steady stream of rental income and long-term investment potential for real estate developers.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since life sciences is a rapidly growing and promising sector with significant investments and advancements, by leasing to them, real estate companies become part of their growth story, giving them the advantage of increased long-term value and brand association.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Leasing also brings about several advantages to realtors. Life sciences companies typically require specific and tailored facilities, leading to lesser turnover compared to other commercial leases. This translates to reduced management costs and higher occupancy rates. Also, life sciences companies often require long-term leases due to the complex nature of their facilities and research projects. This stability translates to predictable and dependable income for the real estate companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking from his company&rsquo;s perspective, Milind Ravi,</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> says,&nbsp;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;We bring a very inclusive approach to support companies of all scales not just with infrastructure, but a gamut of ecosystem services that play a pivotal role in their overall experience. We lease laboratory spaces on tailored models based on the need, timelines, intended use and life-stage of our tenant partners. Our standard offering constitutes modular spaces in shared or dedicated formats &ndash; in both &lsquo;warm shell&rsquo; and &lsquo;plug-and-play&rsquo; models as part of integrated and life science-focussed clusters. Apart from this, we also deliver built-to-suit campuses in required specifications of the tenant.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;While our facilities are built for multi-tenancy where each organisation can work independently, we are also working towards developing co-working laboratory spaces with shared equipment and amenities. These are becoming increasingly popular, especially among startups and small research teams,&rdquo; says Milind Ravi.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Growth is certain</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A report titled &lsquo;Life Sciences Industry &amp; Real Estate Perspective 2024: Putting Asia Pacific under the microscope&rsquo; by global real estate company JLL sheds light on India&rsquo;s pharma industry's growth trajectory. While the pandemic undeniably spurred investment due to the vaccine race, the report emphasizes that interest was already on the rise owing to the ongoing breakthroughs in areas like immuno-oncology and neonatology. This pre-existing momentum, fuelled by technological advancements, has directly translated into increased commercial real estate leasing within the pharma sector. This may be true to India&rsquo;s life sciences sector too.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">JLL stresses on the fact that when companies get funding from venture capitalists, they need lab space in order to deliver as soon as possible. Also, sizeable investments bring with them a plethora of life sciences jobs, which can also spur development of housing, retail and other urban amenities that serve the people who live and work for the expanding companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">From Bhardwaj&rsquo;s inputs we can infer that India has a robust domestic market, bolstered further by the Government of India's </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;Jan Aushadhi&rsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> scheme, aimed at providing quality generic medicines at affordable prices to its citizens. As the third-largest exporter of pharmaceuticals by volume and the thirteenth by value, the demand for space is going to grow.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the pharma industry presents sufficient scope, the medical device industry is not any less. Considered as the sunrise sector, the medical devices industry is estimated to reach $50 billion by 2030. In the last five years, the export of medical devices has been increasing at a rate of 9.37 per cent. India&rsquo;s policy to allow 100 per cent foreign investment under an automatic route in the medical devices sector has helped attract significant investments, which has further pushed the demand for real estate. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the medical device industry in India has also helped augment the domestic manufacturing and in reducing dependence on imports. Hence, manufacturing hubs are being set up in many economic zones of the country. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We can therefore conclude with the evidence that there is immense potential for life sciences real estate development to surge in India. Though the country has limited core life sciences real estate investable stock at present, majority of the growth will come from developing new facilities that entail typical development and leasing risks. The stakeholders, however, forecast an increasing investor appetite for Indian life sciences real estate as the sector gains scale over time.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Anusha Ashwin</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => 'Anusha Ashwin', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24273', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'Dissecting Gender Disparity', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/women-24273.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'dissecting-gender-disparity', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in the Indian healthcare industry are mainly concentrated in low-paying frontline positions. In India, 29 per cent of medical doctors, 80 per cent of nursing staff (including midwives), and nearly 100 per cent of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are women. Despite this, women hold only 18 per cent of healthcare leadership positions and continue to earn 34 per cent less than their male counterparts.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are the outcomes of the study titled &lsquo;An Unbalanced Scale - Exploring the Female Leadership Gap in India's Healthcare Sector&rsquo; from Dasra, a non-profit organisation. The&nbsp; study revealed that the Indian healthcare sector, one of the country's largest employers, has experienced substantial growth. It takes a closer look at women's representation in healthcare and the leadership opportunities available to them.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><strong>Inspiring leaders</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"What is concerning is the gap between the proportion of women in healthcare and those who occupy leadership positions. At entry levels, women's representation in sales, marketing, and operations ranges from 40-50 per cent. However, this significantly drops to 15-20 per cent in senior roles," says <strong>Shailja Mehta, Director at Dasra</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is behind this gender gap in leadership positions? Societal norms, cultural expectations and implicit biases against women are some of the main factors that&nbsp;have contributed to the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions. &ldquo;It is a complex issue. The lack of female role models and mentors perpetuates this gender gap," says Shailja.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some believe that one of the primary reasons for the skewed gender ratio in STEM is the stereotyping that begins early in life. Societal expectations often push girls towards more traditionally feminine roles, diverting them away from technical and scientific fields. As a result, fewer women choose STEM education and careers. While others argue that the current gap is a reflection of what was happening 20 years ago, when fewer women entered science careers.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;&ldquo;Today&rsquo;s leaders represent those who entered the field 15-20 years back. Now that the number of women entering these fields has significantly increased in recent years, we will see a lot of women leaders in the coming years. In fact, a major proportion of startups are led by women. They have the capability to do it,&rdquo; <strong>Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, former director, National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) Pune</strong>, says, "The situation is definitely improving. For more women to take leadership roles, changes are required at the family, community and industry level."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Dr Pragya Yadav, senior scientist at the National Institute of Virology, Pune</strong>, who played an instrumental role in the development of Covaxin, agrees. "The situation has certainly improved, but school-going girls should have access to reputable colleges and safe residential facilities for pursuing science as a subject for the real change to occur. Besides, they need support in equal measure, from their families and the industry when raising their children. If they lose that time, catching up becomes difficult,&rdquo; she says. &nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Furthermore, this support should not be seen as an extra favour to women, but rather as their right. Children are the future and the environment they experience while growing up is crucial to their growth and development. It is the duty of both families and society, not just mothers alone, to provide a safe and suitable environment for them," she added. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Manya Jha, a young entrepreneur and founder of Morphedo Technologies</strong>, a deep tech startup in aerospace and defence, medical device engineering, IoT and embedded systems, faced the challenge of balancing child care and her career after the birth of her daughter. To tackle this challenge, she established a small child care centre at her office.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Starting just 20 days after my daughter was born, I brought her to my workplace every day. I made space in my cabin where she could stay with me. Until she was 7 months old, my husband and I took care of her in the shared cabin (during COVID-19 period). At the time of her birth, my startup was also at a crucial stage,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Both my daughter and my company required my personal attention. There were instances when I had to attend important meetings with senior scientists while holding my one-month-old daughter. I believe it's all about the confidence with which you pursue your career."</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today, Manya's company has around&nbsp; 40 employees and the child care centre is now available to all new mothers, offering support in looking after their children while at work.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, despite the challenges, there has been a noticeable shift in the narrative over the past decade, with the number of women leaders emerging in STEM careers increasing slowly but steadily. And these women are not only excelling &nbsp;in their respective fields but also helping dismantling barriers that hinder the progress of other aspiring women.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several prominent women leaders are setting an example for others. Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr Priya Abraham, Director of the National Institute of Virology, biotech stalwart &nbsp;Kiran Majumdar-Shaw,&nbsp; and entrepreneurs like Dr Kavita Iyer Rodrigues and Vasanthi Ramachandran represent some of the most sought after leaders in the industry.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Women are leading more than 30 per cent of the startups incubated at our centre. In many others, they are co-founders or hold significant positions," says <strong>Dr Manisha Premnath, COO of Venture Center</strong>, an incubation centre in Pune that helps startups grow.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Breaking the glass ceiling</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While there is a rise of women leaders in the health and biotech sector, it is important to acknowledge the challenges they continue to face. Stereotypes, biases, and a lack of institutional support still exist. The &lsquo;glass ceiling&rsquo; phenomenon persists, making it difficult for women to reach the highest levels of leadership. A male-centric workplace culture, coupled with a lack of flexibility and understanding regarding work-life balance, discourage women from pursuing or sustaining leadership roles.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The biggest challenge that women face is breaking these stereotypes and breaking free from the vicious cycle of work and life. They need to step out of their comfort zones, or rather, their safe zones, and then there will be no stopping them. Fortunately, nowadays there are several schemes and funds available to support women," says <strong>Dr Deeksha Bhartiya, Founder of Genomiki</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coming from a very traditional, yet ambitious family, Dr Deeksha got married at a young age and encountered challenges in maintaining a balance between her personal and professional life. However, she didn't allow these challenges to deter her from pursuing her doctoral studies and career. "There were many senior male scientists who advised me to take up a permanent job instead of embarking on my entrepreneurial journey. I was told that women should prioritise stability over adventure. However, I am fortunate to have a very supportive family who always push me to exceed my limits and support me in all my decisions."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Exiting the vicious circle</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The foundation for achieving gender parity in STEM careers is laid during the crucial years of education. Schools and educational institutions play an important role in challenging these stereotypes and encouraging girls to explore their interests in science and technology. STEM-focused educational programmes, workshops, and extracurricular activities can help break down gender-based barriers from a young age. Scholarships and mentorship programmes can encourage girls to pursue science education.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To encourage more women to pursue careers in STEM and foster an inclusive and diverse workforce, it is important to adopt unbiased recruitment practices, create a supportive environment for their progress, and implement flexible work arrangements.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is a growing emphasis on incorporating diverse perspectives in STEM curricula. Highlighting the contributions of women scientists and engineers in textbooks and classroom discussions can inspire both girls and boys, challenging preconceived notions about gender roles in these fields. There should be more networking events, conferences and platforms that specifically focus on women in STEM to provide valuable opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing. These spaces not only celebrate the achievements of women in the field but also facilitate the exchange of ideas and strategies to overcome common challenges.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emphasising the pivotal role women play in shaping a sustainable future through scientific leadership, <strong>Melody Lopez, Director and Chief of Staff Crayon Software Experts India</strong> says &ldquo;Fostering women's leadership in science is not just about gender equality but also a catalyst for achieving sustainable development goals. The theme reflects a call to action, urging communities, governments, and organisations to provide equal opportunities for women and girls in science, ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making processes.&rdquo; She further says &ldquo;As we champion women and girls in science leadership, let us embrace this new era, where their voices, ideas, and leadership propel us toward a brighter, more sustainable future for all.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The journey towards gender parity in STEM careers in India could be challenging, but the momentum for change is growing.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><strong>Gunjan Sharma</strong></strong></p> <p><em><strong>gunjan.sharma@mmactiv.com</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => 'Gunjan Sharma ', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24271', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => '“There is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation”', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_27_at_5_20_34_pm-24271.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'there-is-a-significant-gap-in-the-infrastructure-required-for-ai-implementation', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Artificial Intelligence (AI) has completely changed the way we see the world today. How do you see AI revolutionising drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry? Can AI help in discovering new drug molecules that could help treat deadly and chronic diseases like cancers and AIDS?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The future of human life is completely impacted by AI. Particularly its emergence in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry will have a vital impact on disease control and new drug discoveries.&nbsp;AI is poised to revolutionise drug discovery in several ways. It can drastically reduce the time needed to discover and develop new drugs. AI can be used to help suggest novel combinations for treating fatal diseases and even predict treatment outcomes. Additionally, AI facilitates personalised medicine by tailoring treatments to individual patients, which can ultimately speed up the development of new therapies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key challenges in implementing AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly in the context of regulatory compliance?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I feel, the pharma and healthcare organisations in India are yet to gear up for AI. Many are still in the process of adapting to the advancements in the pharmaceutical industry brought about by digitalisation. Despite this progress, the majority of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are not adequately prepared to integrate AI into their operations. AI adoption, beyond platforms like Chat GPT, remains in its infancy and requires further exploration and validation. Moreover, there is a pressing need to harmonise regulatory compliances, particularly in manufacturing standards outlined by the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH). This entails the implementation of electronic documentation systems and global alignment on regulatory practices to ensure both qualitative and compliant manufacturing and healthcare delivery systems. Additionally, there is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation, including the necessary hardware, software, and skilled professionals, which remains to be addressed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a specific example where AI has been successfully utilised to discover or develop a new drug?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although AI is currently making strides in drug discovery, its continual evolution opens up a multitude of possibilities in terms of drug candidates, their structures, and the discovery process. This versatility allows for the pinpointing of targeted molecules tailored to specific therapies or multiple therapeutic discoveries. A recent example highlighting this potential is Insilico Medicine's Pharma.AI, which is revolutionising drug discovery with its suite of AI-powered tools. PandaOmics, for instance, drastically reduces the time required for multi-omics target discovery, from several months to a few clicks. Similarly, Chemistry42 employs machine learning for de novo drug design, generating lead-like molecules within a week. Additionally, InClinico provides an invaluable tool for efficient clinical trial management, identifying potential weaknesses in trial design and predicting success rates. Collectively, these tools are streamlining the traditionally lengthy drug discovery process, accelerating the pursuit of breakthrough medicine.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you envision the role of AI evolving in personalised medicine and patient care?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I believe AI could be groundbreaking by using large amounts of data from healthy and sick people. It could help analyse specific therapeutic segments quickly to see how drugs work over time and improve their formulations. It would also support Phase IV clinical trials, especially in monitoring drug safety (Pharmacovigilance). Overall, AI in personalised medicine and patient care has the potential to improve healthcare, make treatments better, and give patients more control over their health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the ethical considerations that need to be addressed when deploying AI in healthcare settings?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The primary concern lies in protecting patient identity, which can be achieved through AI by masking identities in documentation, albeit in previously challenging areas. The rigidity and security levels of AI coding stand out as effective measures for safeguarding patient identity compared to traditional masking systems. However, the implementation of AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly concerning regulatory compliance, presents various challenges and ethical considerations. These include ensuring data privacy and security, adhering to diverse regulations, deciphering complex AI algorithms, managing the time and cost implications, addressing potential biases perpetuated by AI algorithms, integrating solutions into existing systems, navigating complex ethical and legal considerations, determining accountability and liability for decisions made, preserving patient autonomy and consent, and conducting real-time reviews for corrections.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How can AI help address the challenges of drug resistance in infectious diseases?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The emergence of drug resistance in infectious diseases poses a significant healthcare challenge. However, AI offers a promising solution by playing a crucial role in addressing this issue. Through predictive analytics, AI can forecast which drugs may become ineffective against evolving pathogens, allowing for proactive adjustments in treatment strategies. Furthermore, AI aids in the discovery of alternative treatments, the development of more effective medications, and the customisation of treatment plans tailored to individual patients. By providing real-time insights into the changing landscape of drug resistance, AI enables healthcare professionals to adapt swiftly, ultimately enhancing the efficacy of treatments and improving patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What strategies can be employed to ensure the fairness and transparency of AI algorithms in healthcare decision-making?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To maintain trust, mitigate bias, and foster equitable outcomes, it is crucial to prioritise fairness and transparency in the use of AI algorithms for healthcare decision-making. Some of the strategies to achieve this include ensuring transparency of both data and algorithms, promoting diversity and inclusivity in the development process, conducting external validation and evaluation, and establishing regulatory frameworks and guidelines.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you see AI impacting the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services globally?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While AI offers significant potential for improving the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services on a global scale, there are challenges to overcome. These include ensuring fair access to AI-driven technologies, addressing concerns regarding data privacy and security, and navigating regulatory and ethical issues. Collaboration among various stakeholders, such as governments, healthcare providers, technology developers, and community organisations, is vital to fully realise the benefits of AI in enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key factors hindering the adoption of AI in pharmaceutical research and development?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pharmaceutical companies face several challenges when it comes to using AI in research and development. Firstly, they require high-quality and comprehensive datasets to effectively train AI models. Secondly, they must adhere to strict regulatory guidelines set by government agencies. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies often possess proprietary data and intellectual property that may not be easily compatible with AI systems. Finally, the significant investment required to implement AI technology presents a barrier to adoption for many companies in the industry.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a case where AI-driven predictive modelling has significantly improved clinical trial outcomes or drug efficacy in the Healthcare system?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's important to note that using AI in the healthcare system, along with a thorough review of relevant literature from sources like PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and EMBASE, is significant. Integrating AI into healthcare has the potential to greatly improve disease diagnosis, treatment selection, and clinical laboratory testing. AI tools can analyse large sets of data and find patterns, outperforming humans in many healthcare tasks. AI brings higher accuracy, lower costs, and time savings, while also reducing human errors. It can revolutionise personalised medicine, optimise medication dosages, improve population health management, set guidelines, offer virtual health assistants, support mental health care, enhance patient education, and strengthen patient-physician trust.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, AI can be used in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) by using machine learning algorithms to predict drug-drug interactions. By analysing large sets of patient data, these algorithms can detect potential drug interactions. This helps to decrease the risk of adverse drug reactions, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Amguth Raju</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>hyderabad@mmactiv.com&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => 'Amguth Raju', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17'), array('articleId' => '24280', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Effectively Eliminating Drug-resistant TB', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/tb-24280.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'effectively-eliminating-drug-resistant-tb', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has the highest burden of TB, with two deaths occurring every three minutes from the disease. The country recorded a staggering 28 lakh cases in 2022, accounting for 27 per cent of the global cases, according to WHO.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India initiated the TB Free India campaign with the ambitious goal of eradicating TB by 2025, a milestone set five years earlier than the target outlined by the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Despite facing setbacks due to COVID-19, the nation doubled down on its efforts, resulting in notable progress. The India TB Report 2023 heralded 2022 as a pivotal year in TB surveillance, noting a significant achievement with a record-high notification of 24.2 lakh TB cases, representing an increase of over 13 per cent compared to 2021.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The latest WHO Global TB Report 2023 acknowledged and praised India's efforts in its fight against TB, particularly highlighting the effectiveness of its case detection strategies. The report emphasised that India's intensified case detection strategies led to the highest-ever notification of cases in 2022, surpassing pre-COVID levels. The government's key initiatives, such as specialised active case finding drives, the scaling up of molecular diagnostics to block levels, decentralisation of screening services through Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, and private sector engagement, have significantly reduced the gap in missing cases.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Road to elimination&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the country has made remarkable progress in its fight against TB, the adoption of additional strategies such as shorter treatment regimens, the development of vaccines, and a renewed focus on nutrition could prove to be game-changers in its goal of eliminating TB for good.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The BPaL regimen, composed of Bedaquiline, Pretomanid and Linezolid, presents a promising alternative for a shorter, safer and more tolerable treatment option for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). Lasting only 26 weeks, it contrasts sharply with conventional DR-TB treatments, which can span 18 to 21 months and entail the consumption of over 4,000 to 5,000 tablets. Endorsed by the US FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) in 2019 and the WHO in 2022, the BPaL regimen has been implemented in more than 70 countries, including South Africa, Ukraine, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;The older, conventional regimen for drug-resistant TB included prolonged use of injections with other drugs. This was associated with increased incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), implementation challenges under the programme and inconvenience to the patients. The new TB drug regimen uses the newer oral drugs like Bedaquiline, Delamanid or Pretomanid, or the repurposed drugs such as linezolid, clofazimine, etc. These regimens are injection free and have lesser pill burden leading to more acceptance among the TB patients besides reducing the implementation challenges due to the use of injections. They have the ability to kill the actively multiplying drug-resistant TB bacteria faster and a sustained killing of the bacteria to prevent the recurrence of the TB disease among the patients. These regimens have shown improved treatment success rates under field conditions under the national programme,&rdquo; said <strong>Dr Rupak Singla, Head of Department, National Institute of TB &amp; Respiratory Diseases, New Delhi</strong>.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Singla further said &ldquo;To combat the adverse drug reactions of these regimen, specially due to drug linezolid, various regimens using different dosages and durations of linezolid have demonstrated reduced incidence of ADRs maintaining the efficacy of the regimen. Hence, these newer treatment drug regimens could reduce the global burden of drug-resistant TB. However, the requirement of a good quality laboratory network, availability and higher cost of the drugs continue to pose a challenge.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new regimen is shorter, easier on patients and improves treatment adherence, resulting in better outcomes compared to previous drug regimens.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Talking about the potential implications of the new TB drug regimen on India&rsquo;s TB control efforts, Dr Singla stated, &ldquo;The cure rate for previous conventional TB regimen for multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) was to the tune of around 50 per cent and for Extensively drug-resistant-TB (XDR-TB), less than 30 per cent. The new TB drug regimen has the potential for significant improvement in treatment success rates for MDR-TB as well as XDR-TB.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In India the national data shows that more than 36,000 drug-resistant TB patients have been initiated on shorter oral Bedaquiline-containing regimen and more than 92,000 patients have been initiated on longer oral regimen till date. Treatment success rates of shorter oral regimen for the cohort April-September 2022 (around 12,000 patients) is 69 per cent and of longer oral regimen for the cohort January-September 2021 (around 15,000 patients) is 71 per cent. The improved success rates of new drug regimens is likely to translate into less number of deaths due to TB, reduced period of infectiousness of TB patients and reduced transmission of TB to others in the community leading to reduced incidence of TB.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Studies at the 2023 Union World Conference on Lung Health affirm WHO-endorsed regimens' effectiveness, surpassing traditional 18- to 24-month treatments. The goal is to urge high-burden DR-TB countries to update guidelines and offer shorter treatments to all patients in need. Only 40 per cent of the 410,000 people with DR-TB in 2022 had access to the shorter regimen, as per a WHO report.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A group of experts in the country have stressed the need for introducing the BPaL regimen in the TB control programme of the country. B<strong>lessina Kumar, CEO, Global Coalition of TB Advocates, New Delhi</strong> emphasised the potential cost savings associated with its adoption, citing studies estimating a global annual savings of $740 million. With India accounting for a significant portion of global multi-drug, rifampicin-resistant (MDR/RR-TB) treated patients, she suggested that the country could save nearly $250 million per year through the implementation of this regimen. India will likely roll out the new regime soon.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>TB Vaccine</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vaccination holds promise as a game-changer for TB elimination. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is conducting phase III trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two vaccines: VPM1002 and MIP (Mycobacterium indicus pranii). VPM1002 is a live vaccine based on recombinant BCG, modified for better safety and efficacy. MIP or Immuvac, originally developed for leprosy, is a whole-cell TB vaccine candidate. The trial aims to assess the effectiveness of these vaccines in preventing TB disease, among 12,721 individuals exposed to TB at home (referred to as household contacts). Enrollment for the study is complete, with participant follow-up currently ongoing, according to the pipeline report 2022 by the Treatment Action Group.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bharat Biotech is partnering with the Spanish firm BIOFABRI to develop, manufacture, and distribute a new tuberculosis vaccine across over 70 countries in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The TB vaccine candidate by Bharat Biotech is set to enter phase-III trials soon.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Lancet study highlighted the pivotal role of nutrition in TB management. The&nbsp; Reducing Activation of Tuberculosis by Improvement of Nutritional Status (RATIONS) trial demonstrated that providing food baskets to TB patients and their households reduced all forms of TB by nearly 40 per cent and infectious TB by almost 50 per cent. In 2018, the Indian government launched the 'Nikshay Poshan Yojana,' a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to offer nutrition support to TB patients. Since its inception, the scheme has disbursed approximately Rs 2613 crore to over 95 lakh TB patients.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has indeed made significant strides in addressing TB; however, the battle against the disease is far from over. Despite enhanced detection and surveillance efforts, there's&nbsp; a need to adopt newer strategies to combat TB effectively. Advances in R&amp;D of vaccines, access to newer drug regimens, enhanced focus on nutrition will all help in propelling TB elimination goals.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Ayesha Siddiqui&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ayesha Siddiqui', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24272', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Prioritising Women’s Health & Wellbeing ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2036811071-24272.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: gettyimages', 'pageSlug' => 'prioritising-womens-health-wellbeing-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a new report from the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute launched at Davos in January 2024, women may live longer than men, on average, but they spend 25 per cent more of their lives in debilitating health. The report said improving diagnostics, data on women-specific conditions like ovarian cancer, and directing more investments towards women&rsquo;s health and research is needed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In particular, McKinsey research finds that less than 2 per cent of healthcare research and innovation is invested in female-specific conditions beyond cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This &lsquo;women&rsquo;s health gap&rsquo; equates to 75 million years of life lost due to poor health or early death each year. Closing the gap would benefit 3.9 billion women, giving them an extra seven healthy days a year, or an average of 500 days over a lifetime. Further, it could boost the global economy by $1 trillion by 2040 from fewer early deaths and health conditions, and a greater capacity for women to contribute to the economy and society.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a result of these findings, the final hours of the World Economic Forum in Davos saw the launch of a new Global Alliance for Women&rsquo;s Health, which has the broad ambition of &lsquo;re-shaping the future of women&rsquo;s health and the global economy.&rsquo; The health alliance will pledge new commitments from governments, philanthropies, and pharmaceutical companies, among others, across three pillars i.e. financing, science and innovation, and agenda-setting. So far, partners have pledged $55 million to improve women&rsquo;s health outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">With International Women&rsquo;s Day 2024 being themed around &lsquo;Inspiring inclusion&rsquo;, we see governments across the globe putting the much-needed emphasis on women&rsquo;s healthcare. For instance, the UAE has set out wide-ranging plans to bolster healthcare services for women, by approving the &lsquo;National Policy for Improving Women&rsquo;s Health&rsquo; for providing the highest healthcare services quality for women, whether curative, preventive or rehabilitative services. Similarly, the Irish government is paving the way for a longer-term comprehensive Women&rsquo;s Health Strategy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in England are being urged to help shape reproductive health policy, as the government seeks views on periods, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and menopause for health strategy. Likewise, the Biden administration recently announced a White House initiative to improve how the federal government approaches and funds research into the health of women, who make up more than half of the US population but remain understudied and underrepresented in health research.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, of course, is not far behind in this initiative. The Interim Budget 2024-25 announcement that took place on February 1, 2024, laid focus on encouraging vaccination for girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years for the prevention of cervical cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Besides these government initiatives, multiple efforts are also being made by the industry players to improve women&rsquo;s health. For example, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zurzuvae as the first and only oral treatment approved for women with postpartum depression, developed by American pharmaceutical company Biogen. The US FDA has also recently approved a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription for the first time in the US, a milestone that could significantly expand access to contraception. The pill&rsquo;s manufacturer, Perrigo Company is based in Dublin.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Further, biotech companies in the UK and Korea are embarking on the world's first prospective study of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered breast cancer detection, to streamline diagnosis, and tackle radiologist shortages. On the other hand, startups in India have developed groundbreaking multi-cancer detection tests specifically designed for high-risk and asymptomatic women.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quality, affordability, and accessibility, particularly in the context of women&rsquo;s health, are very critical aspects of ensuring well-being. This calls for greater mobilisation across sectors to invest in women&rsquo;s health, keeping in mind the imperatives of equity and integral care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Manbeena Chawla</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Executive Editor</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(</span><a href="mailto:manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com"><span style="font-weight: 400;">manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></p>', 'sequence' => '5', 'guestAuthor' => 'Dr Manbeena Chawla', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '101'), array('articleId' => '24270', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Establishing Ethical Frameworks for Equitable Use of AI in Healthcare ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/21-24270.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'establishing-ethical-frameworks-for-equitable-use-of-ai-in-healthcare-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The global healthcare landscape is witnessing a seismic transformation driven by AI technologies. From therapeutics to diagnostics, hospital operations to clinical decision-making, AI is making significant strides across diverse applications. According to Statista, the value of AI in the global healthcare market was $11 billion in 2021, projected to reach an estimated $188 billion by 2030. This staggering growth, at a compounded annual rate of 37 per cent, underscores the immense potential AI holds in reshaping the future of healthcare.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Transforming Medical Research and Imaging Analysis</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The impact of AI is not limited to specific segments; it spans the entire healthcare ecosystem. One critical domain experiencing a revolution is medical research, as AI expedites drug discovery processes. Through machine learning algorithms, researchers can predict the success rate of chemical compounds, significantly reducing the time and resources required for experimentation. This not only accelerates the pace of innovation but also holds the promise of bringing new, effective treatments to patients more rapidly.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the realm of medical imaging analysis, AI is proving to be a game-changer. It enables the rapid and accurate detection of anomalies in MRI scans, X-rays, and CT scans. Radiologists benefit from quicker identification of potential life-threatening issues, minimising human errors and enhancing diagnostic accuracy. This not only saves crucial time but also improves patient outcomes, particularly in cases where early detection is paramount.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Data-Driven Healthcare</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">AI is revolutionising the traditional landscape of diagnosis and treatment by providing clinicians with unprecedented data-driven insights. Machine learning algorithms analyse extensive patient data to identify patterns and correlations, facilitating more accurate and timely diagnosis. Personalised treatment plans based on individual patient characteristics are now a reality, enhancing the effectiveness of medical interventions. The ability to tailor treatments to specific patient profiles leads to improved outcomes and a more efficient allocation of healthcare resources.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Real-time assessment of treatment effectiveness by AI tools further contributes to improved clinical outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. Monitoring and adjusting treatment plans based on real-world data ensure that patients receive the most effective interventions tailored to their individual responses. This not only enhances patient care but also contributes to the sustainability of healthcare systems worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Predictive analysis, powered by AI, enables healthcare providers to forecast potential outcomes based on historical data and real-time health information. Identifying patients at risk of specific conditions allows for early intervention, preventing complications and improving overall healthcare efficiency. Large-scale population data analysis can also detect trends and outbreaks of infectious diseases before they become widespread, a critical capability showcased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability to anticipate and mitigate health crises is a testament to the power of AI in safeguarding public health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Patient-Centric Approach</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The integration of AI into healthcare is not solely about clinical applications; it extends to improving the overall patient experience. Streamlining appointment scheduling, providing remote monitoring solutions, and offering personalised treatment plans based on individual medical records contribute to a more patient-centric approach. AI-driven chatbots responding to routine medical inquiries reduce stress and save time for both patients and healthcare providers, fostering a more efficient and accessible healthcare system.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the promises of AI in healthcare, challenges persist. Blind spots in data access and collection, privacy concerns, data misuse, and regulatory ambiguities are roadblocks to widespread adoption. In India, a rapidly growing player in AI-based healthcare, progress is evident, but there is still a long way to go. The ambitious goals of universal healthcare delivery and affordability through AI remain distant, requiring continued innovation and collaboration.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, a major player in the global healthcare sector, is rapidly embracing AI. The National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence by NITI Aayog highlights the potential of AI to address challenges such as a shortage of qualified healthcare professionals and non-uniform accessibility to healthcare across the country. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, AI expenditure in India is projected to reach $11.78 billion by 2025, contributing significantly to the country's economy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite challenges, AI's potential to revolutionise healthcare is undeniable. As technology continues to advance, AI's applications in telemedicine, genomics, robotics, and 3D printing will expand. Workforce training and collaboration between medical professionals and AI developers will be crucial for maximising the benefits of AI. The integration of AI with other emerging technologies holds the key to shaping the future of medical care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we delve deeper into the integration of AI in healthcare, it's imperative to address the ethical considerations surrounding this revolutionary technology. The responsible use of AI in medical settings demands careful navigation of issues such as patient privacy, data security, and bias in algorithms.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Privacy concerns arise from the vast amounts of sensitive patient data being processed by AI systems. Ensuring robust data protection measures, stringent encryption, and transparent data usage policies become paramount to build and maintain public trust in AI-driven healthcare solutions.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The potential for bias in AI algorithms poses another ethical challenge. If the datasets used to train AI models are not representative or if biased historical data is fed into the algorithms, it can perpetuate existing inequalities in healthcare. Striking a balance in dataset curation and continuous monitoring of algorithmic outputs is crucial to mitigate bias and ensure equitable healthcare outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moreover, the explainability of AI decisions becomes crucial, especially in critical medical scenarios. Ensuring that AI models provide interpretable insights aids healthcare professionals in understanding and trusting AI-generated recommendations, fostering collaboration between humans and machines.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In conclusion, AI is not just a buzzword but a transformative force reshaping the healthcare industry. From diagnosis to treatment, AI is proving its mettle by delivering accurate, personalised, and efficient healthcare solutions. While challenges persist, the trajectory of AI in healthcare is pointing towards a future where technology and human expertise converge to provide optimal patient care. As we stand at the intersection of technology and healthcare, the role of AI in shaping the future of medicine is more promising than ever.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As AI continues to evolve, it is crucial for stakeholders&mdash;be they healthcare providers, policymakers, or technology developers&mdash;to collaborate in establishing ethical frameworks that ensure the responsible and equitable use of AI in healthcare. The ongoing dialogue around ethical considerations is vital to ensure that AI remains a force for good in healthcare, driving positive change for patients and society at large.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&amp;D, Murata Vios</strong></em></p>', 'sequence' => '6', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&D, Murata Vios', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17')), 'trendingTopicsList' => array(array('articleId' => '24283', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => '83.5% of adults in India underestimate shingles risk: Global GSK survey', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shingles_large-24283.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => '83-5-of-adults-in-india-underestimate-shingles-risk-global-gsk-survey', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical (GSK) has released new data from a globally commissioned survey funded by them. The survey finds notable gaps in understanding of shingles risk among individuals aged above 50 years, a group that is most susceptible to the disease.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey conducted amongst 3,500 adults aged 50 and over from 12 countries, assessed respondents&rsquo; understanding of shingles, what triggers it, and its impact on people&rsquo;s lives.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey in&nbsp;India&nbsp;involved 500 participants, with 250 respondents who spoke Hindi and another 250 who spoke English. The data, launched in time for Shingles Awareness Week 2024 (26 February&nbsp;2024 &ndash; 3 March 2024), finds a widespread lack of understanding of shingles and its lifetime risk.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The findings show that globally, a significantly high proportion of those surveyed do not understand their risk of developing shingles,&nbsp;with&nbsp;86%&nbsp;underestimating&nbsp;that&nbsp;risk.<font size="1">&nbsp;</font>In India, 81% of the English-speaking and 86% &nbsp;of the Hindi-speaking respondents surveyed underestimate the risk of shingles<sup>.</sup></p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In India,&nbsp;amongst the &nbsp;English-speaking respondents, 22% believe that 1 in 1000 adults are at risk of developing shingles.<sup>&nbsp;</sup>Amongst the Hindi-speaking respondents,18% believe that 1 in 1000 adults is at risk of developing shingles.&nbsp;</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In&nbsp;reality,&nbsp;most&nbsp;adults already&nbsp;have&nbsp;the&nbsp;virus that&nbsp;causes&nbsp;shingles present in&nbsp;their bodies by&nbsp;the&nbsp;age&nbsp;of 50,&nbsp;which may&nbsp;reactivate with&nbsp;advancing&nbsp;age.&nbsp;Shingles&nbsp;is&nbsp;caused&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;reactivation&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;varicella-zoster&nbsp;virus&nbsp;(VZV),&nbsp;the same virus that causes chickenpox.&nbsp;As people age, the strength of their immune response to infection wanes, and this increases their risk of developing shingles.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Rashmi Hegde, Executive Vice President - Medical Affairs, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, India, said,&nbsp;&ldquo;The survey findings underscore the need to raise awareness about shingles risk in adults over 50.&nbsp; Shingles can significantly disrupt the daily lives of ageing adults and cause them a great deal of discomfort."</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24230', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Fujifilm launches advanced endoscopic ultrasound machine ALOKA ARIETTA 850 in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/fuji-24230.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'fujifilm-launches-advanced-endoscopic-ultrasound-machine-aloka-arietta-850-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Fujifilm India, a pioneer in diagnostic imaging and information systems, has launched the ground breaking ALOKA ARIETTA 850 Diagnostic Ultrasound System in India with its first-ever installation at Fortis Hospital in Bengaluru.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Representing a remarkable advancement in endoscopic technologies, the high-tech ultrasound system aims to enhance diagnostic precision and image clarity for gastrointestinal diseases in the region.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">In India, contemporary lifestyles and changing dietary choices are leading to the deteriorating digestive health of the population, adding to the growing prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Addressing this, Fujifilm India&rsquo;S&nbsp;ALOKA ARIETTA 850&nbsp;Endoscopic Ultrasound Machine at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru is a significant step in providing world-class diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients against these GI-related diseases, performing targeted treatments such as Pancreatic pseudo cyst drainage (without surgery), targeted delivery of treatment in Pancreatic cancers.&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) is a minimally invasive method for assessing malignancies affecting the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract and neighbouring organs or tissues. With this high degree of accuracy in both diagnostic and therapeutic capacities, it allows doctors to precisely examine organs like the lungs, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, lymph nodes and nearby affected areas.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">EUS also facilitates the extraction of tissue or fluid samples through a thin needle, eliminating the need for a separate biopsy procedure. Additionally, it improves the staging of cancers with accurate sampling provided by Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) and Fine Needle Biopsy (FNB). Furthermore, EUS proves valuable in cases of altered anatomy and among cancer patients for various therapeutic procedures.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">ALOKA ARIETTA 850 stands out from conventional endoscopic ultrasound machines with a range of superior features. The machine generates image quality with 7 million digital channels in its B mode. This system also incorporates HD-THI for deeper penetration, ensuring accurate diagnoses, along with combi-elastography, pure symphonic architecture and CHI-TIC and Inflow Time Mapping for clearer visibility by reducing noise and enhancing the completeness and continuity of tissue boundaries.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '91'), array('articleId' => '24229', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Bengaluru researchers develop paper-based platform to detect antibiotic-resistant bacteria', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shutterstock_157198133-24229.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'bengaluru-researchers-develop-paper-based-platform-to-detect-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">A paper-based platform developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru could help quickly detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant, disease-causing bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Dr Uday Maitra, Professor at the Department of Organic Chemistry, IISc, and collaborators have developed a rapid diagnosis protocol that uses a luminescent paper-based platform to detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The approach developed by the IISc and JNCASR team involves incorporating biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (BCA) within a supramolecular hydrogel matrix containing terbium cholate (TbCh). This hydrogel normally emits green fluorescence when UV light is shined on it.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The next step was to find a way to make the technology inexpensive. Currently used diagnostics instruments are costly, which drives up the price for testing.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team collaborated with a Chennai-based company called Adiuvo Diagnostics to design a customised, portable and miniature imaging device, named Illuminate Fluorescence Reader. Infusing the hydrogel in a sheet of paper as the medium reduced the cost significantly. The instrument is fitted with different LEDs that shine UV radiation as required. Green fluorescence from the enzyme is captured by a built-in camera, and a dedicated software app measures the intensity, which can help quantify the bacterial load.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team from IISc tied up with Jayanta Haldar&rsquo;s research group from JNCASR to check their approach on urine samples. As the next step, the researchers plan to tie up with hospitals to test this technology with samples from patients.</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58'), array('articleId' => '24163', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Theme for National Science Day sets in as ‘Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat’', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/nsd-24163.png', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'theme-for-national-science-day-sets-in-as-indigenous-technologies-for-viksit-bharat', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science &amp; Technology Dr Jitendra Singh released the theme for the "National Science Day 2024", titled "Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat".</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) theme for this year&rsquo;s celebration reflects a strategic focus on promoting public appreciation for Science, Technology and Innovation and accomplishments of Indian scientists to address challenges through home-grown technologies for over-all well-being.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The theme not only marks a new era but also presents an opportunity for public and scientific fraternity, both domestically and internationally, to collaborate, work together, and contribute to the well-being of India and humanity as a whole. While emphasising the importance of making India&nbsp;<em>Atmanirbhar&nbsp;</em>through science, it underscores the need to address subjects that hold significance for humanity as a whole.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on 28 February to commemorate the discovery of the &lsquo;Raman Effect&rsquo;. Government of India designated 28 February as National Science Day in 1986. On this day Sir C.V. Raman announced the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930. On this occasion, theme-based science communication activities are carried out all over the country. The theme launch will trigger celebrations of NSD specially in schools &amp; colleges throughout the country.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science &amp; Technology (DST) said that as we embark on the celebration of NSD and move ahead with the launch of the theme for 2024, it is clearly evident that our scientific endeavours have the power to shape not only the future of our nation but also contribute significantly towards global advancement.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58')), 'mostReadArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24286', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Qiagen launches AI-derived biomedical knowledge base to accelerate data-driven drug discovery', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2-24286.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'qiagen-launches-ai-derived-biomedical-knowledge-base-to-accelerate-data-driven-drug-discovery', 'page1' => '<p align="justify">US-based Qiagen has announced the launch of Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI, a new generative AI-driven knowledge base designed to propel drug discovery in the pharma and biotech industries. This new offering is designed for data scientists and bioinformaticians who are looking for the most comprehensive knowledge graphs to fuel data-driven drug discovery.</p> <p align="justify">Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI is built on a massive dataset of biomedical literature and other scientific sources. It identifies and extracts causal relationships between genes, diseases, drugs and other biological entities with artificial intelligence (AI), generating over 600 million more biomedical relationships than its complement, Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD. This expansive knowledge base helps data scientists understand disease mechanisms, identify drug targets or biomarkers and explore strategies for repurposing existing drugs. Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI provides the most complete picture of biomedical relationships, including edge cases and novel relationships.</p> <p align="justify">While Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD is manually curated and known for its high quality and accuracy, Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI contains over 25x more relationships, allowing data scientists to generate new insights. Both knowledge bases can be used to provide both high-quality and high-quantity biomedical relationships data for data scientists and bioinformaticians to mine and validate.</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '60'), array('articleId' => '24284', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'IIT Kanpur partners with UP government to enhance tele-medicine using AI', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_28_at_3_48_48_pm-24284.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'iit-kanpur-partners-with-up-government-to-enhance-tele-medicine-using-ai', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">The Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and the Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to revolutionise healthcare delivery and advance tele-medicine facilities in the state through the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI).</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU was signed by Ranjan Kumar IAS, Secretary, Health &amp; Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Professor Sandeep Verma, Professor-In-Charge, Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Kanpur, in the presence of&nbsp;other dignitaries.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU outlines several key areas of collaboration, including anchoring tele-medicine hubs and enhancing the quality of tele-medicine services, implementing AI-based solutions to address population health impact, developing point-of-care diagnostics to drive program improvements, conducting competency-based capacity building for health cadres, and utilizing database predictions and analysis for informed decision-making.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">This will help the Department to make optimal use of the UP Digital Health Stack (UP-DHS) and ensure that every citizen of the state, wherever they are, will be able to access healthcare when needed. In Uttar Pradesh, UP-DHS is making significant strides in implementation, with foundational NHS elements deployed across all health administrative units and the rollout of essential healthcare applications well underway.</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '100'), array('articleId' => '24282', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Medtech firm Stryker expands prototype and testing facility in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/styker-24282.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'medtech-firm-stryker-expands-prototype-and-testing-facility-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker, a global leader in medical technologies, has officially expanded its prototype and testing facility in India, marking significant growth of its R&amp;D footprint in the country.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This advanced 55,600-square-foot facility integrates cutting-edge infrastructure, enhanced microbiology capabilities, and a talented team to drive innovation and ensure product quality across its medical technology portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Investing in innovation from India is a focus area for Stryker," said&nbsp;Ram Rangarajan, Vice President of Stryker Global Technology Center, India. "This new lab represents our commitment to developing medical technologies that improve patient outcomes and comply with the highest regulatory standards."</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker's new facility is dedicated to the rigorous life cycle testing of medical devices. The new lab boasts several key features:</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Prototyping and product assurance hub:&nbsp;Equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure for plastic 3D printing,&nbsp;metal machining, and a diverse range of testing capabilities,&nbsp;the lab supports prototyping and product assurance across Stryker's entire product portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Expanded microbiology competency:&nbsp;The lab strengthens Stryker's ability to conduct comprehensive microbiological testing,&nbsp;ensuring the safety and efficacy of its medical technologies.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Talented team of engineers and microbiologists:&nbsp; Highly skilled engineers and microbiologists will use the advanced equipment and expertise to develop innovative solutions that positively impact patients around the world.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '93'), array('articleId' => '24262', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Miltenyi Biotec to open Cell and Gene Therapy Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/gene-24262.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'miltenyi-biotec-to-open-cell-and-gene-therapy-centre-of-excellence-in-hyderabad', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">German firm Miltenyi Biotec is launching operations in India with its first office and investing to set up Miltenyi Innovation and Technology Center as Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Hyderabad.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This COE will be one of its first of its kind in India where scientists, researchers, industry experts and clinicians can get classroom to hands-on trainings on cell and gene therapy approaches right from proof of concept to pre-clinical / clinical development and commercialisation. This CoE also will provide Indian researchers, scientists and clinicians easier access to expertise, research, and manufacturing solutions.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Each year, more than 10,000 patients are treated with cell products using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies. More than&nbsp; 950 investigational new drug (IND) applications as well as investigational device exemptions (IDE) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies and platforms.&nbsp;&nbsp;In doing so, the company is well poised to enable local development and manufacturing in India to drive affordable and&nbsp;accessible CGT therapies by academia and industry for Indian as well as global patients.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Boris Stoffel,&nbsp;Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s Managing Director, highlighted that the company intends to seek opportunities to catalyse development of CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T cell clinical development and manufacturing, with the prospect of bringing centralised and point-of-care CAR T cell therapy to hospitals across India.</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 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'parentSectionId' => '25', 'siteId' => '2', 'status' => '1')))), 'footerTopLeftDetail' => array('articleId' => '129', 'articleTitle' => 'Footer Top Left', 'seoTitle' => null, 'seoSummary' => null, 'seoGenerator' => null, 'seoAuthor' => null, 'seoAppName' => null, 'subheading' => 'Subscribe to BioSpectrum India', 'titleText' => '', 'titleUrl' => 'http://www.biospectrumindia.com/BSI_forms/subscription_reg_mgz.php', 'introDescription' => '', 'page1' => '', 'page2' => null, 'page3' => null, 'page4' => null, 'page5' => null, 'guestAuthor' => null, 'remark' => null, 'primaryMedium' => 'Text', 'flashNews' => '0', 'specialFeature' => '0', 'city' => null, 'imagePath' => 'uploads/static/bsi_march_2024_issue_cover_page_jpg_1_-129.jpg', 'imageTitle' => '', 'sequence' => '129', 'publishDateTime' => null, 'expiryDateTime' => null, 'displayDate' => null, 'editingNotes' => '', 'lastUpdationDate' => object(DateTime), 'creationDate' => object(DateTime), 'status' => 'Published', 'contentTypeId' => '15', 'siteId' => '2', 'sourceId' => '2', 'userId' => '4', 'lastUpdatedByUserId' => '26', 'articleType' => 'Static', 'language' => null, 'blogType' => null, 'pageSlug' => 'footer-top-left', 'magazineIssue' => null, 'pullquote' => null, 'restrictionType' => null, 'seoKeyword' => null, 'articleReadCount' => '0'), 'subsectionAlias' => 'segments', 'subsection' => 'Segments', 'section' => '', 'sectionId' => '', 'aliasName' => '', 'leadershipArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24267', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'What’s Shaking Up India’s Life Sciences Real Estate Sector?', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/bs1-24267.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'whats-shaking-up-indias-life-sciences-real-estate-sector', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2021,&nbsp; a California-based life sciences real estate development company acquired Hotel Buckminster. This acquisition was done to redevelop the closed hotel into a life science lab space. Again in May 2021, a facility that housed the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive was transformed into a new life sciences lab on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the same year in India, a Canadian Pension Fund along with a Singapore-based wealth and asset management firm jointly invested $100 million (Rs 7.5 billion) in life sciences R&amp;D facilities in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. This investment, according to reports, proved to be a stepping stone for more equity investments in this segment. On February 6, 2024, life sciences real estate developer, Rx Propellant announced an initial investment of $75 million in phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai Research (NMR) District, as part of its continued regional expansion strategy across India.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In all the four developments mentioned above, it is clear that post-pandemic, the demand for life sciences-related real estate has significantly increased. Both greenfield and brownfield projects have surged, as the pandemic fuelled the demand for locally manufactured pharma and medical products.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, in the last few decades, has witnessed the IT and manufacturing sectors invest heavily in real estate and infrastructure. But in the post-pandemic era, we see life sciences companies require space to innovate, for R&amp;D, and manufacture at scale.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Fast-evolving life sciences market&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India is one of the fastest-growing life sciences markets in the world and the sector is poised to see multi-fold growth by 2030 led by a fast-increasing population, rising life expectancy, a strong industrial base and inclusive government initiatives. In addition, India&rsquo;s demographic dividend, strong industrial base and policy push are known to be the growth drivers for the life sciences sector in the country.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The increasing government spending on the healthcare sector, cost benefits in terms of affordable manpower &amp; real estate expenses, and the availability of a large talent pool are the catalysts of life sciences growth in India. Schemes like Production Linked Incentive (PLI)&nbsp; have boosted domestic manufacturing which&nbsp; has resulted in the need for more space in industrial and tech parks. Also, global exports of pharmaceutical and biotechnology products and medical devices from the country have forced many companies to invest in capacity building and human resources.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Notably, India ranks second globally in terms of the number of US FDA-certified plants located outside the US, closely followed by China. Strengths of this kind and the constantly evolving sector are&nbsp; furthering the requirement for large-scale&nbsp; manufacturing, MSMEs, wet laboratories, R&amp;D hubs, incubators, and data centres&nbsp; coupled with other IT &amp; ES support.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the next decade, it is estimated that the requirement for life sciences R&amp;D real estate in India is likely to grow to somewhere between $16 billion (Rs 1,200 billion) and $34 billion (Rs 2,550 billion) as per conservative and optimistic scenarios.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Push from PEs and VCs</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India&rsquo;s life sciences R&amp;D real estate is emerging as a high-potential asset class for institutional investors. Aided by exponential global demand growth, geopolitical environment, policies initiatives, and skilled workforce this sector is rapidly transforming.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Atul Bhardwaj, Business Head, Lighthouse Canton Real Estate</strong>, indicates that both domestic and international investors are demonstrating a strong interest in India's life sciences real estate market. According to Bhardwaj, private equity firms, venture capitalists, and real estate developers are actively investing significant capital in the development of specialised facilities to meet the requirements of life sciences companies. He says, &ldquo;Biotechnology parks and clusters are emerging as key focal points for life sciences research and manufacturing in India. These specialised hubs offer world-class infrastructure, shared amenities, and a collaborative ecosystem that encourages innovation and cooperation among industry stakeholders, academic institutions, and research organisations.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Citing one other compelling factor of the life sciences real estate market to surge, Bhardwaj, says, &ldquo;This sector's operational model does not accommodate the concept of working from home, which presents a compelling opportunity for real estate developers. The recent pandemic underscored the resilience of the pharmaceutical sector. While many industries, including office realty, experienced significant disruptions, the pharmaceutical sector's demand for space significantly increased, further cementing its critical role in the global economy.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Arvind Nandan, Managing Director &ndash; Research &amp; Consulting, Savills India</strong>, says, &ldquo;Venture Capital funding into the life sciences industry in India stood at $448 million (Rs 34 billion) in 2021 through August, almost 3x of the annual average of the previous years, making it clear that this segment will play a pivotal role in the overall growth of the Indian Real Estate industry.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Adopting the asset light model</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We know that globally organisations across all sectors &ndash; be it small or big &ndash; are undergoing massive digital transformation and smart business strategies that are sustainable and cost-effective are implemented. Owing to that, businesses are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to scale up faster, which has given rise to many alternate models of operations, including the concept of going asset-light.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Asset-light model offers a strategic approach where companies minimise their ownership of physical assets (such as buildings or land). Companies go asset-light by owning fewer capital-intensive assets compared to their operational assets. By doing this, life sciences companies focus on their core competencies (such as research, development, and production) and avoid heavy investments in real estate.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Merck &amp; Co., Inc. (MSD outside the US and Canada) is a prime example of an asset-light pharmaceutical company. Merck collaborates with specialised Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisations (CDMOs) for various stages of drug development and production. By leveraging external partners, they avoid heavy capital expenditure on building and maintaining several of their own manufacturing facilities.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sharing his view on the asset light model, <strong>Rx Propellant&rsquo;s CEO Milind Ravi</strong>, says, &ldquo;While traditionally dominated by &lsquo;user-owned&rsquo; models, an evident but slow shift to &lsquo;asset-light&rsquo; options in India indicates growing demand for agile growth-ready infrastructure. With its increased focus on innovation, India&rsquo;s life sciences market is expected to grow threefold in the next decade, reaching $130 billion by 2030. This in turn is set to generate demand for over 100 million square feet of specialised infrastructure across several existing ecosystems including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Vizag, and Pune among others.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another aspect to asset-light operations is the advantage companies draw from sharing infrastructure elements. Atul Bhardwaj opines that the model of providing comprehensive amenities under one roof offers significant benefits to companies by eliminating the need for capital expenditure on individual pieces of equipment such as chillers and DG sets. This approach, he says, not only reduces the initial capital outlay but also lowers the overall opex for companies, as costs related to maintenance, security, and technical manpower are shared.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;This cost model is particularly advantageous, as it would otherwise be a substantial financial burden for a company to bear alone for its standalone unit. Real estate developers who offer high-quality infrastructure can further reduce a company's upfront expenses by providing essential utilities like nitrogen generators and vacuum systems. A multi-tenanted building thus emerges as a mutually beneficial arrangement for both developers and tenant companies,&rdquo; says Bhardwaj.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Sustainable infrastructure&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In almost every industry, the board members, shareholders advocate the importance of the mandates of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) of business operations. The threat of climate change has prompted many industries to develop environmental strategies to reduce their carbon footprints, with the life sciences industry on the top of the pyramid.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Being climate conscious has brought in new concepts in smart buildings and other digitally supported facilities and infrastructure models. Open floor plans, shared workspaces, and flexible furniture are some of today&rsquo;s trends that are known to foster interaction and knowledge sharing, similar to what's seen in modern IT work spaces. This shift in life sciences too encourages cross-disciplinary research, faster problem-solving, and quicker innovation and most importantly sharing resources.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Emerging trends in innovation have seen an increase in demand for next-gen spaces with flexible workspaces, integration of wet lab-computation stations, highly sensitive zones for increasingly sophisticated equipment and process flow optimisation. New developments designed to accommodate such variables offer sustainable long-term solutions,&rdquo; Milind Ravi opines from his experience.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Also, leading life sciences companies in India prefer to operate from large-scale clusters that can meet both their office and R&amp;D needs. Startups and MSMEs are also increasingly opting to locate themselves in prominent clusters with a clear industrial positioning and abundant R&amp;D resources. Genome Valley (Hyderabad) and Electronic City (Bengaluru) are great examples of such collaborative ecosystems.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">So, if, today, we were to walk into any of India&rsquo;s life sciences parks, we would be delighted to see those spaces being built on modern modular designs having mobile equipment and reconfigurable layouts, with amazing aesthetics and classy landscaping.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">What will also be evident is that the traditional life sciences technicians confining themselves to sterile laboratories would be ancient. Today&rsquo;s workplaces recognise the need for a more holistic environment with sprawling cafeterias, breakout huddles, and interactive/entertainment spaces. Apart from being modern with the changing times, such amenities are considered by the HR department as a way to attract and retain talent.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Leasing: a preferred business model&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Savills, in its report titled </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unlocking Opportunities: Life Sciences and Real Estate in India&rsquo;, indicates that leasing properties to the biotech industry can provide a steady stream of rental income and long-term investment potential for real estate developers.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since life sciences is a rapidly growing and promising sector with significant investments and advancements, by leasing to them, real estate companies become part of their growth story, giving them the advantage of increased long-term value and brand association.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Leasing also brings about several advantages to realtors. Life sciences companies typically require specific and tailored facilities, leading to lesser turnover compared to other commercial leases. This translates to reduced management costs and higher occupancy rates. Also, life sciences companies often require long-term leases due to the complex nature of their facilities and research projects. This stability translates to predictable and dependable income for the real estate companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking from his company&rsquo;s perspective, Milind Ravi,</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> says,&nbsp;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;We bring a very inclusive approach to support companies of all scales not just with infrastructure, but a gamut of ecosystem services that play a pivotal role in their overall experience. We lease laboratory spaces on tailored models based on the need, timelines, intended use and life-stage of our tenant partners. Our standard offering constitutes modular spaces in shared or dedicated formats &ndash; in both &lsquo;warm shell&rsquo; and &lsquo;plug-and-play&rsquo; models as part of integrated and life science-focussed clusters. Apart from this, we also deliver built-to-suit campuses in required specifications of the tenant.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;While our facilities are built for multi-tenancy where each organisation can work independently, we are also working towards developing co-working laboratory spaces with shared equipment and amenities. These are becoming increasingly popular, especially among startups and small research teams,&rdquo; says Milind Ravi.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Growth is certain</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A report titled &lsquo;Life Sciences Industry &amp; Real Estate Perspective 2024: Putting Asia Pacific under the microscope&rsquo; by global real estate company JLL sheds light on India&rsquo;s pharma industry's growth trajectory. While the pandemic undeniably spurred investment due to the vaccine race, the report emphasizes that interest was already on the rise owing to the ongoing breakthroughs in areas like immuno-oncology and neonatology. This pre-existing momentum, fuelled by technological advancements, has directly translated into increased commercial real estate leasing within the pharma sector. This may be true to India&rsquo;s life sciences sector too.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">JLL stresses on the fact that when companies get funding from venture capitalists, they need lab space in order to deliver as soon as possible. Also, sizeable investments bring with them a plethora of life sciences jobs, which can also spur development of housing, retail and other urban amenities that serve the people who live and work for the expanding companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">From Bhardwaj&rsquo;s inputs we can infer that India has a robust domestic market, bolstered further by the Government of India's </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;Jan Aushadhi&rsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> scheme, aimed at providing quality generic medicines at affordable prices to its citizens. As the third-largest exporter of pharmaceuticals by volume and the thirteenth by value, the demand for space is going to grow.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the pharma industry presents sufficient scope, the medical device industry is not any less. Considered as the sunrise sector, the medical devices industry is estimated to reach $50 billion by 2030. In the last five years, the export of medical devices has been increasing at a rate of 9.37 per cent. India&rsquo;s policy to allow 100 per cent foreign investment under an automatic route in the medical devices sector has helped attract significant investments, which has further pushed the demand for real estate. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the medical device industry in India has also helped augment the domestic manufacturing and in reducing dependence on imports. Hence, manufacturing hubs are being set up in many economic zones of the country. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We can therefore conclude with the evidence that there is immense potential for life sciences real estate development to surge in India. Though the country has limited core life sciences real estate investable stock at present, majority of the growth will come from developing new facilities that entail typical development and leasing risks. The stakeholders, however, forecast an increasing investor appetite for Indian life sciences real estate as the sector gains scale over time.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Anusha Ashwin</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => 'Anusha Ashwin', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24273', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'Dissecting Gender Disparity', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/women-24273.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'dissecting-gender-disparity', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in the Indian healthcare industry are mainly concentrated in low-paying frontline positions. In India, 29 per cent of medical doctors, 80 per cent of nursing staff (including midwives), and nearly 100 per cent of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are women. Despite this, women hold only 18 per cent of healthcare leadership positions and continue to earn 34 per cent less than their male counterparts.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are the outcomes of the study titled &lsquo;An Unbalanced Scale - Exploring the Female Leadership Gap in India's Healthcare Sector&rsquo; from Dasra, a non-profit organisation. The&nbsp; study revealed that the Indian healthcare sector, one of the country's largest employers, has experienced substantial growth. It takes a closer look at women's representation in healthcare and the leadership opportunities available to them.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><strong>Inspiring leaders</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"What is concerning is the gap between the proportion of women in healthcare and those who occupy leadership positions. At entry levels, women's representation in sales, marketing, and operations ranges from 40-50 per cent. However, this significantly drops to 15-20 per cent in senior roles," says <strong>Shailja Mehta, Director at Dasra</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is behind this gender gap in leadership positions? Societal norms, cultural expectations and implicit biases against women are some of the main factors that&nbsp;have contributed to the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions. &ldquo;It is a complex issue. The lack of female role models and mentors perpetuates this gender gap," says Shailja.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some believe that one of the primary reasons for the skewed gender ratio in STEM is the stereotyping that begins early in life. Societal expectations often push girls towards more traditionally feminine roles, diverting them away from technical and scientific fields. As a result, fewer women choose STEM education and careers. While others argue that the current gap is a reflection of what was happening 20 years ago, when fewer women entered science careers.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;&ldquo;Today&rsquo;s leaders represent those who entered the field 15-20 years back. Now that the number of women entering these fields has significantly increased in recent years, we will see a lot of women leaders in the coming years. In fact, a major proportion of startups are led by women. They have the capability to do it,&rdquo; <strong>Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, former director, National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) Pune</strong>, says, "The situation is definitely improving. For more women to take leadership roles, changes are required at the family, community and industry level."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Dr Pragya Yadav, senior scientist at the National Institute of Virology, Pune</strong>, who played an instrumental role in the development of Covaxin, agrees. "The situation has certainly improved, but school-going girls should have access to reputable colleges and safe residential facilities for pursuing science as a subject for the real change to occur. Besides, they need support in equal measure, from their families and the industry when raising their children. If they lose that time, catching up becomes difficult,&rdquo; she says. &nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Furthermore, this support should not be seen as an extra favour to women, but rather as their right. Children are the future and the environment they experience while growing up is crucial to their growth and development. It is the duty of both families and society, not just mothers alone, to provide a safe and suitable environment for them," she added. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Manya Jha, a young entrepreneur and founder of Morphedo Technologies</strong>, a deep tech startup in aerospace and defence, medical device engineering, IoT and embedded systems, faced the challenge of balancing child care and her career after the birth of her daughter. To tackle this challenge, she established a small child care centre at her office.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Starting just 20 days after my daughter was born, I brought her to my workplace every day. I made space in my cabin where she could stay with me. Until she was 7 months old, my husband and I took care of her in the shared cabin (during COVID-19 period). At the time of her birth, my startup was also at a crucial stage,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Both my daughter and my company required my personal attention. There were instances when I had to attend important meetings with senior scientists while holding my one-month-old daughter. I believe it's all about the confidence with which you pursue your career."</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today, Manya's company has around&nbsp; 40 employees and the child care centre is now available to all new mothers, offering support in looking after their children while at work.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, despite the challenges, there has been a noticeable shift in the narrative over the past decade, with the number of women leaders emerging in STEM careers increasing slowly but steadily. And these women are not only excelling &nbsp;in their respective fields but also helping dismantling barriers that hinder the progress of other aspiring women.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several prominent women leaders are setting an example for others. Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr Priya Abraham, Director of the National Institute of Virology, biotech stalwart &nbsp;Kiran Majumdar-Shaw,&nbsp; and entrepreneurs like Dr Kavita Iyer Rodrigues and Vasanthi Ramachandran represent some of the most sought after leaders in the industry.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Women are leading more than 30 per cent of the startups incubated at our centre. In many others, they are co-founders or hold significant positions," says <strong>Dr Manisha Premnath, COO of Venture Center</strong>, an incubation centre in Pune that helps startups grow.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Breaking the glass ceiling</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While there is a rise of women leaders in the health and biotech sector, it is important to acknowledge the challenges they continue to face. Stereotypes, biases, and a lack of institutional support still exist. The &lsquo;glass ceiling&rsquo; phenomenon persists, making it difficult for women to reach the highest levels of leadership. A male-centric workplace culture, coupled with a lack of flexibility and understanding regarding work-life balance, discourage women from pursuing or sustaining leadership roles.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The biggest challenge that women face is breaking these stereotypes and breaking free from the vicious cycle of work and life. They need to step out of their comfort zones, or rather, their safe zones, and then there will be no stopping them. Fortunately, nowadays there are several schemes and funds available to support women," says <strong>Dr Deeksha Bhartiya, Founder of Genomiki</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coming from a very traditional, yet ambitious family, Dr Deeksha got married at a young age and encountered challenges in maintaining a balance between her personal and professional life. However, she didn't allow these challenges to deter her from pursuing her doctoral studies and career. "There were many senior male scientists who advised me to take up a permanent job instead of embarking on my entrepreneurial journey. I was told that women should prioritise stability over adventure. However, I am fortunate to have a very supportive family who always push me to exceed my limits and support me in all my decisions."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Exiting the vicious circle</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The foundation for achieving gender parity in STEM careers is laid during the crucial years of education. Schools and educational institutions play an important role in challenging these stereotypes and encouraging girls to explore their interests in science and technology. STEM-focused educational programmes, workshops, and extracurricular activities can help break down gender-based barriers from a young age. Scholarships and mentorship programmes can encourage girls to pursue science education.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To encourage more women to pursue careers in STEM and foster an inclusive and diverse workforce, it is important to adopt unbiased recruitment practices, create a supportive environment for their progress, and implement flexible work arrangements.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is a growing emphasis on incorporating diverse perspectives in STEM curricula. Highlighting the contributions of women scientists and engineers in textbooks and classroom discussions can inspire both girls and boys, challenging preconceived notions about gender roles in these fields. There should be more networking events, conferences and platforms that specifically focus on women in STEM to provide valuable opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing. These spaces not only celebrate the achievements of women in the field but also facilitate the exchange of ideas and strategies to overcome common challenges.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emphasising the pivotal role women play in shaping a sustainable future through scientific leadership, <strong>Melody Lopez, Director and Chief of Staff Crayon Software Experts India</strong> says &ldquo;Fostering women's leadership in science is not just about gender equality but also a catalyst for achieving sustainable development goals. The theme reflects a call to action, urging communities, governments, and organisations to provide equal opportunities for women and girls in science, ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making processes.&rdquo; She further says &ldquo;As we champion women and girls in science leadership, let us embrace this new era, where their voices, ideas, and leadership propel us toward a brighter, more sustainable future for all.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The journey towards gender parity in STEM careers in India could be challenging, but the momentum for change is growing.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><strong>Gunjan Sharma</strong></strong></p> <p><em><strong>gunjan.sharma@mmactiv.com</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => 'Gunjan Sharma ', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24271', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => '“There is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation”', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_27_at_5_20_34_pm-24271.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'there-is-a-significant-gap-in-the-infrastructure-required-for-ai-implementation', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Artificial Intelligence (AI) has completely changed the way we see the world today. How do you see AI revolutionising drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry? Can AI help in discovering new drug molecules that could help treat deadly and chronic diseases like cancers and AIDS?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The future of human life is completely impacted by AI. Particularly its emergence in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry will have a vital impact on disease control and new drug discoveries.&nbsp;AI is poised to revolutionise drug discovery in several ways. It can drastically reduce the time needed to discover and develop new drugs. AI can be used to help suggest novel combinations for treating fatal diseases and even predict treatment outcomes. Additionally, AI facilitates personalised medicine by tailoring treatments to individual patients, which can ultimately speed up the development of new therapies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key challenges in implementing AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly in the context of regulatory compliance?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I feel, the pharma and healthcare organisations in India are yet to gear up for AI. Many are still in the process of adapting to the advancements in the pharmaceutical industry brought about by digitalisation. Despite this progress, the majority of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are not adequately prepared to integrate AI into their operations. AI adoption, beyond platforms like Chat GPT, remains in its infancy and requires further exploration and validation. Moreover, there is a pressing need to harmonise regulatory compliances, particularly in manufacturing standards outlined by the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH). This entails the implementation of electronic documentation systems and global alignment on regulatory practices to ensure both qualitative and compliant manufacturing and healthcare delivery systems. Additionally, there is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation, including the necessary hardware, software, and skilled professionals, which remains to be addressed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a specific example where AI has been successfully utilised to discover or develop a new drug?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although AI is currently making strides in drug discovery, its continual evolution opens up a multitude of possibilities in terms of drug candidates, their structures, and the discovery process. This versatility allows for the pinpointing of targeted molecules tailored to specific therapies or multiple therapeutic discoveries. A recent example highlighting this potential is Insilico Medicine's Pharma.AI, which is revolutionising drug discovery with its suite of AI-powered tools. PandaOmics, for instance, drastically reduces the time required for multi-omics target discovery, from several months to a few clicks. Similarly, Chemistry42 employs machine learning for de novo drug design, generating lead-like molecules within a week. Additionally, InClinico provides an invaluable tool for efficient clinical trial management, identifying potential weaknesses in trial design and predicting success rates. Collectively, these tools are streamlining the traditionally lengthy drug discovery process, accelerating the pursuit of breakthrough medicine.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you envision the role of AI evolving in personalised medicine and patient care?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I believe AI could be groundbreaking by using large amounts of data from healthy and sick people. It could help analyse specific therapeutic segments quickly to see how drugs work over time and improve their formulations. It would also support Phase IV clinical trials, especially in monitoring drug safety (Pharmacovigilance). Overall, AI in personalised medicine and patient care has the potential to improve healthcare, make treatments better, and give patients more control over their health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the ethical considerations that need to be addressed when deploying AI in healthcare settings?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The primary concern lies in protecting patient identity, which can be achieved through AI by masking identities in documentation, albeit in previously challenging areas. The rigidity and security levels of AI coding stand out as effective measures for safeguarding patient identity compared to traditional masking systems. However, the implementation of AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly concerning regulatory compliance, presents various challenges and ethical considerations. These include ensuring data privacy and security, adhering to diverse regulations, deciphering complex AI algorithms, managing the time and cost implications, addressing potential biases perpetuated by AI algorithms, integrating solutions into existing systems, navigating complex ethical and legal considerations, determining accountability and liability for decisions made, preserving patient autonomy and consent, and conducting real-time reviews for corrections.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How can AI help address the challenges of drug resistance in infectious diseases?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The emergence of drug resistance in infectious diseases poses a significant healthcare challenge. However, AI offers a promising solution by playing a crucial role in addressing this issue. Through predictive analytics, AI can forecast which drugs may become ineffective against evolving pathogens, allowing for proactive adjustments in treatment strategies. Furthermore, AI aids in the discovery of alternative treatments, the development of more effective medications, and the customisation of treatment plans tailored to individual patients. By providing real-time insights into the changing landscape of drug resistance, AI enables healthcare professionals to adapt swiftly, ultimately enhancing the efficacy of treatments and improving patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What strategies can be employed to ensure the fairness and transparency of AI algorithms in healthcare decision-making?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To maintain trust, mitigate bias, and foster equitable outcomes, it is crucial to prioritise fairness and transparency in the use of AI algorithms for healthcare decision-making. Some of the strategies to achieve this include ensuring transparency of both data and algorithms, promoting diversity and inclusivity in the development process, conducting external validation and evaluation, and establishing regulatory frameworks and guidelines.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you see AI impacting the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services globally?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While AI offers significant potential for improving the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services on a global scale, there are challenges to overcome. These include ensuring fair access to AI-driven technologies, addressing concerns regarding data privacy and security, and navigating regulatory and ethical issues. Collaboration among various stakeholders, such as governments, healthcare providers, technology developers, and community organisations, is vital to fully realise the benefits of AI in enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key factors hindering the adoption of AI in pharmaceutical research and development?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pharmaceutical companies face several challenges when it comes to using AI in research and development. Firstly, they require high-quality and comprehensive datasets to effectively train AI models. Secondly, they must adhere to strict regulatory guidelines set by government agencies. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies often possess proprietary data and intellectual property that may not be easily compatible with AI systems. Finally, the significant investment required to implement AI technology presents a barrier to adoption for many companies in the industry.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a case where AI-driven predictive modelling has significantly improved clinical trial outcomes or drug efficacy in the Healthcare system?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's important to note that using AI in the healthcare system, along with a thorough review of relevant literature from sources like PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and EMBASE, is significant. Integrating AI into healthcare has the potential to greatly improve disease diagnosis, treatment selection, and clinical laboratory testing. AI tools can analyse large sets of data and find patterns, outperforming humans in many healthcare tasks. AI brings higher accuracy, lower costs, and time savings, while also reducing human errors. It can revolutionise personalised medicine, optimise medication dosages, improve population health management, set guidelines, offer virtual health assistants, support mental health care, enhance patient education, and strengthen patient-physician trust.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, AI can be used in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) by using machine learning algorithms to predict drug-drug interactions. By analysing large sets of patient data, these algorithms can detect potential drug interactions. This helps to decrease the risk of adverse drug reactions, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Amguth Raju</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>hyderabad@mmactiv.com&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => 'Amguth Raju', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17'), array('articleId' => '24280', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Effectively Eliminating Drug-resistant TB', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/tb-24280.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'effectively-eliminating-drug-resistant-tb', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has the highest burden of TB, with two deaths occurring every three minutes from the disease. The country recorded a staggering 28 lakh cases in 2022, accounting for 27 per cent of the global cases, according to WHO.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India initiated the TB Free India campaign with the ambitious goal of eradicating TB by 2025, a milestone set five years earlier than the target outlined by the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Despite facing setbacks due to COVID-19, the nation doubled down on its efforts, resulting in notable progress. The India TB Report 2023 heralded 2022 as a pivotal year in TB surveillance, noting a significant achievement with a record-high notification of 24.2 lakh TB cases, representing an increase of over 13 per cent compared to 2021.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The latest WHO Global TB Report 2023 acknowledged and praised India's efforts in its fight against TB, particularly highlighting the effectiveness of its case detection strategies. The report emphasised that India's intensified case detection strategies led to the highest-ever notification of cases in 2022, surpassing pre-COVID levels. The government's key initiatives, such as specialised active case finding drives, the scaling up of molecular diagnostics to block levels, decentralisation of screening services through Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, and private sector engagement, have significantly reduced the gap in missing cases.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Road to elimination&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the country has made remarkable progress in its fight against TB, the adoption of additional strategies such as shorter treatment regimens, the development of vaccines, and a renewed focus on nutrition could prove to be game-changers in its goal of eliminating TB for good.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The BPaL regimen, composed of Bedaquiline, Pretomanid and Linezolid, presents a promising alternative for a shorter, safer and more tolerable treatment option for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). Lasting only 26 weeks, it contrasts sharply with conventional DR-TB treatments, which can span 18 to 21 months and entail the consumption of over 4,000 to 5,000 tablets. Endorsed by the US FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) in 2019 and the WHO in 2022, the BPaL regimen has been implemented in more than 70 countries, including South Africa, Ukraine, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;The older, conventional regimen for drug-resistant TB included prolonged use of injections with other drugs. This was associated with increased incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), implementation challenges under the programme and inconvenience to the patients. The new TB drug regimen uses the newer oral drugs like Bedaquiline, Delamanid or Pretomanid, or the repurposed drugs such as linezolid, clofazimine, etc. These regimens are injection free and have lesser pill burden leading to more acceptance among the TB patients besides reducing the implementation challenges due to the use of injections. They have the ability to kill the actively multiplying drug-resistant TB bacteria faster and a sustained killing of the bacteria to prevent the recurrence of the TB disease among the patients. These regimens have shown improved treatment success rates under field conditions under the national programme,&rdquo; said <strong>Dr Rupak Singla, Head of Department, National Institute of TB &amp; Respiratory Diseases, New Delhi</strong>.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Singla further said &ldquo;To combat the adverse drug reactions of these regimen, specially due to drug linezolid, various regimens using different dosages and durations of linezolid have demonstrated reduced incidence of ADRs maintaining the efficacy of the regimen. Hence, these newer treatment drug regimens could reduce the global burden of drug-resistant TB. However, the requirement of a good quality laboratory network, availability and higher cost of the drugs continue to pose a challenge.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new regimen is shorter, easier on patients and improves treatment adherence, resulting in better outcomes compared to previous drug regimens.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Talking about the potential implications of the new TB drug regimen on India&rsquo;s TB control efforts, Dr Singla stated, &ldquo;The cure rate for previous conventional TB regimen for multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) was to the tune of around 50 per cent and for Extensively drug-resistant-TB (XDR-TB), less than 30 per cent. The new TB drug regimen has the potential for significant improvement in treatment success rates for MDR-TB as well as XDR-TB.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In India the national data shows that more than 36,000 drug-resistant TB patients have been initiated on shorter oral Bedaquiline-containing regimen and more than 92,000 patients have been initiated on longer oral regimen till date. Treatment success rates of shorter oral regimen for the cohort April-September 2022 (around 12,000 patients) is 69 per cent and of longer oral regimen for the cohort January-September 2021 (around 15,000 patients) is 71 per cent. The improved success rates of new drug regimens is likely to translate into less number of deaths due to TB, reduced period of infectiousness of TB patients and reduced transmission of TB to others in the community leading to reduced incidence of TB.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Studies at the 2023 Union World Conference on Lung Health affirm WHO-endorsed regimens' effectiveness, surpassing traditional 18- to 24-month treatments. The goal is to urge high-burden DR-TB countries to update guidelines and offer shorter treatments to all patients in need. Only 40 per cent of the 410,000 people with DR-TB in 2022 had access to the shorter regimen, as per a WHO report.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A group of experts in the country have stressed the need for introducing the BPaL regimen in the TB control programme of the country. B<strong>lessina Kumar, CEO, Global Coalition of TB Advocates, New Delhi</strong> emphasised the potential cost savings associated with its adoption, citing studies estimating a global annual savings of $740 million. With India accounting for a significant portion of global multi-drug, rifampicin-resistant (MDR/RR-TB) treated patients, she suggested that the country could save nearly $250 million per year through the implementation of this regimen. India will likely roll out the new regime soon.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>TB Vaccine</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vaccination holds promise as a game-changer for TB elimination. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is conducting phase III trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two vaccines: VPM1002 and MIP (Mycobacterium indicus pranii). VPM1002 is a live vaccine based on recombinant BCG, modified for better safety and efficacy. MIP or Immuvac, originally developed for leprosy, is a whole-cell TB vaccine candidate. The trial aims to assess the effectiveness of these vaccines in preventing TB disease, among 12,721 individuals exposed to TB at home (referred to as household contacts). Enrollment for the study is complete, with participant follow-up currently ongoing, according to the pipeline report 2022 by the Treatment Action Group.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bharat Biotech is partnering with the Spanish firm BIOFABRI to develop, manufacture, and distribute a new tuberculosis vaccine across over 70 countries in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The TB vaccine candidate by Bharat Biotech is set to enter phase-III trials soon.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Lancet study highlighted the pivotal role of nutrition in TB management. The&nbsp; Reducing Activation of Tuberculosis by Improvement of Nutritional Status (RATIONS) trial demonstrated that providing food baskets to TB patients and their households reduced all forms of TB by nearly 40 per cent and infectious TB by almost 50 per cent. In 2018, the Indian government launched the 'Nikshay Poshan Yojana,' a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to offer nutrition support to TB patients. Since its inception, the scheme has disbursed approximately Rs 2613 crore to over 95 lakh TB patients.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has indeed made significant strides in addressing TB; however, the battle against the disease is far from over. Despite enhanced detection and surveillance efforts, there's&nbsp; a need to adopt newer strategies to combat TB effectively. Advances in R&amp;D of vaccines, access to newer drug regimens, enhanced focus on nutrition will all help in propelling TB elimination goals.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Ayesha Siddiqui&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ayesha Siddiqui', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24272', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Prioritising Women’s Health & Wellbeing ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2036811071-24272.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: gettyimages', 'pageSlug' => 'prioritising-womens-health-wellbeing-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a new report from the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute launched at Davos in January 2024, women may live longer than men, on average, but they spend 25 per cent more of their lives in debilitating health. The report said improving diagnostics, data on women-specific conditions like ovarian cancer, and directing more investments towards women&rsquo;s health and research is needed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In particular, McKinsey research finds that less than 2 per cent of healthcare research and innovation is invested in female-specific conditions beyond cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This &lsquo;women&rsquo;s health gap&rsquo; equates to 75 million years of life lost due to poor health or early death each year. Closing the gap would benefit 3.9 billion women, giving them an extra seven healthy days a year, or an average of 500 days over a lifetime. Further, it could boost the global economy by $1 trillion by 2040 from fewer early deaths and health conditions, and a greater capacity for women to contribute to the economy and society.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a result of these findings, the final hours of the World Economic Forum in Davos saw the launch of a new Global Alliance for Women&rsquo;s Health, which has the broad ambition of &lsquo;re-shaping the future of women&rsquo;s health and the global economy.&rsquo; The health alliance will pledge new commitments from governments, philanthropies, and pharmaceutical companies, among others, across three pillars i.e. financing, science and innovation, and agenda-setting. So far, partners have pledged $55 million to improve women&rsquo;s health outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">With International Women&rsquo;s Day 2024 being themed around &lsquo;Inspiring inclusion&rsquo;, we see governments across the globe putting the much-needed emphasis on women&rsquo;s healthcare. For instance, the UAE has set out wide-ranging plans to bolster healthcare services for women, by approving the &lsquo;National Policy for Improving Women&rsquo;s Health&rsquo; for providing the highest healthcare services quality for women, whether curative, preventive or rehabilitative services. Similarly, the Irish government is paving the way for a longer-term comprehensive Women&rsquo;s Health Strategy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in England are being urged to help shape reproductive health policy, as the government seeks views on periods, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and menopause for health strategy. Likewise, the Biden administration recently announced a White House initiative to improve how the federal government approaches and funds research into the health of women, who make up more than half of the US population but remain understudied and underrepresented in health research.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, of course, is not far behind in this initiative. The Interim Budget 2024-25 announcement that took place on February 1, 2024, laid focus on encouraging vaccination for girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years for the prevention of cervical cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Besides these government initiatives, multiple efforts are also being made by the industry players to improve women&rsquo;s health. For example, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zurzuvae as the first and only oral treatment approved for women with postpartum depression, developed by American pharmaceutical company Biogen. The US FDA has also recently approved a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription for the first time in the US, a milestone that could significantly expand access to contraception. The pill&rsquo;s manufacturer, Perrigo Company is based in Dublin.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Further, biotech companies in the UK and Korea are embarking on the world's first prospective study of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered breast cancer detection, to streamline diagnosis, and tackle radiologist shortages. On the other hand, startups in India have developed groundbreaking multi-cancer detection tests specifically designed for high-risk and asymptomatic women.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quality, affordability, and accessibility, particularly in the context of women&rsquo;s health, are very critical aspects of ensuring well-being. This calls for greater mobilisation across sectors to invest in women&rsquo;s health, keeping in mind the imperatives of equity and integral care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Manbeena Chawla</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Executive Editor</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(</span><a href="mailto:manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com"><span style="font-weight: 400;">manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></p>', 'sequence' => '5', 'guestAuthor' => 'Dr Manbeena Chawla', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '101'), array('articleId' => '24270', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Establishing Ethical Frameworks for Equitable Use of AI in Healthcare ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/21-24270.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'establishing-ethical-frameworks-for-equitable-use-of-ai-in-healthcare-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The global healthcare landscape is witnessing a seismic transformation driven by AI technologies. From therapeutics to diagnostics, hospital operations to clinical decision-making, AI is making significant strides across diverse applications. According to Statista, the value of AI in the global healthcare market was $11 billion in 2021, projected to reach an estimated $188 billion by 2030. This staggering growth, at a compounded annual rate of 37 per cent, underscores the immense potential AI holds in reshaping the future of healthcare.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Transforming Medical Research and Imaging Analysis</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The impact of AI is not limited to specific segments; it spans the entire healthcare ecosystem. One critical domain experiencing a revolution is medical research, as AI expedites drug discovery processes. Through machine learning algorithms, researchers can predict the success rate of chemical compounds, significantly reducing the time and resources required for experimentation. This not only accelerates the pace of innovation but also holds the promise of bringing new, effective treatments to patients more rapidly.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the realm of medical imaging analysis, AI is proving to be a game-changer. It enables the rapid and accurate detection of anomalies in MRI scans, X-rays, and CT scans. Radiologists benefit from quicker identification of potential life-threatening issues, minimising human errors and enhancing diagnostic accuracy. This not only saves crucial time but also improves patient outcomes, particularly in cases where early detection is paramount.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Data-Driven Healthcare</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">AI is revolutionising the traditional landscape of diagnosis and treatment by providing clinicians with unprecedented data-driven insights. Machine learning algorithms analyse extensive patient data to identify patterns and correlations, facilitating more accurate and timely diagnosis. Personalised treatment plans based on individual patient characteristics are now a reality, enhancing the effectiveness of medical interventions. The ability to tailor treatments to specific patient profiles leads to improved outcomes and a more efficient allocation of healthcare resources.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Real-time assessment of treatment effectiveness by AI tools further contributes to improved clinical outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. Monitoring and adjusting treatment plans based on real-world data ensure that patients receive the most effective interventions tailored to their individual responses. This not only enhances patient care but also contributes to the sustainability of healthcare systems worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Predictive analysis, powered by AI, enables healthcare providers to forecast potential outcomes based on historical data and real-time health information. Identifying patients at risk of specific conditions allows for early intervention, preventing complications and improving overall healthcare efficiency. Large-scale population data analysis can also detect trends and outbreaks of infectious diseases before they become widespread, a critical capability showcased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability to anticipate and mitigate health crises is a testament to the power of AI in safeguarding public health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Patient-Centric Approach</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The integration of AI into healthcare is not solely about clinical applications; it extends to improving the overall patient experience. Streamlining appointment scheduling, providing remote monitoring solutions, and offering personalised treatment plans based on individual medical records contribute to a more patient-centric approach. AI-driven chatbots responding to routine medical inquiries reduce stress and save time for both patients and healthcare providers, fostering a more efficient and accessible healthcare system.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the promises of AI in healthcare, challenges persist. Blind spots in data access and collection, privacy concerns, data misuse, and regulatory ambiguities are roadblocks to widespread adoption. In India, a rapidly growing player in AI-based healthcare, progress is evident, but there is still a long way to go. The ambitious goals of universal healthcare delivery and affordability through AI remain distant, requiring continued innovation and collaboration.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, a major player in the global healthcare sector, is rapidly embracing AI. The National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence by NITI Aayog highlights the potential of AI to address challenges such as a shortage of qualified healthcare professionals and non-uniform accessibility to healthcare across the country. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, AI expenditure in India is projected to reach $11.78 billion by 2025, contributing significantly to the country's economy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite challenges, AI's potential to revolutionise healthcare is undeniable. As technology continues to advance, AI's applications in telemedicine, genomics, robotics, and 3D printing will expand. Workforce training and collaboration between medical professionals and AI developers will be crucial for maximising the benefits of AI. The integration of AI with other emerging technologies holds the key to shaping the future of medical care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we delve deeper into the integration of AI in healthcare, it's imperative to address the ethical considerations surrounding this revolutionary technology. The responsible use of AI in medical settings demands careful navigation of issues such as patient privacy, data security, and bias in algorithms.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Privacy concerns arise from the vast amounts of sensitive patient data being processed by AI systems. Ensuring robust data protection measures, stringent encryption, and transparent data usage policies become paramount to build and maintain public trust in AI-driven healthcare solutions.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The potential for bias in AI algorithms poses another ethical challenge. If the datasets used to train AI models are not representative or if biased historical data is fed into the algorithms, it can perpetuate existing inequalities in healthcare. Striking a balance in dataset curation and continuous monitoring of algorithmic outputs is crucial to mitigate bias and ensure equitable healthcare outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moreover, the explainability of AI decisions becomes crucial, especially in critical medical scenarios. Ensuring that AI models provide interpretable insights aids healthcare professionals in understanding and trusting AI-generated recommendations, fostering collaboration between humans and machines.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In conclusion, AI is not just a buzzword but a transformative force reshaping the healthcare industry. From diagnosis to treatment, AI is proving its mettle by delivering accurate, personalised, and efficient healthcare solutions. While challenges persist, the trajectory of AI in healthcare is pointing towards a future where technology and human expertise converge to provide optimal patient care. As we stand at the intersection of technology and healthcare, the role of AI in shaping the future of medicine is more promising than ever.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As AI continues to evolve, it is crucial for stakeholders&mdash;be they healthcare providers, policymakers, or technology developers&mdash;to collaborate in establishing ethical frameworks that ensure the responsible and equitable use of AI in healthcare. The ongoing dialogue around ethical considerations is vital to ensure that AI remains a force for good in healthcare, driving positive change for patients and society at large.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&amp;D, Murata Vios</strong></em></p>', 'sequence' => '6', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&D, Murata Vios', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17')), 'trendingTopicsList' => array(array('articleId' => '24283', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => '83.5% of adults in India underestimate shingles risk: Global GSK survey', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shingles_large-24283.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => '83-5-of-adults-in-india-underestimate-shingles-risk-global-gsk-survey', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical (GSK) has released new data from a globally commissioned survey funded by them. The survey finds notable gaps in understanding of shingles risk among individuals aged above 50 years, a group that is most susceptible to the disease.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey conducted amongst 3,500 adults aged 50 and over from 12 countries, assessed respondents&rsquo; understanding of shingles, what triggers it, and its impact on people&rsquo;s lives.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey in&nbsp;India&nbsp;involved 500 participants, with 250 respondents who spoke Hindi and another 250 who spoke English. The data, launched in time for Shingles Awareness Week 2024 (26 February&nbsp;2024 &ndash; 3 March 2024), finds a widespread lack of understanding of shingles and its lifetime risk.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The findings show that globally, a significantly high proportion of those surveyed do not understand their risk of developing shingles,&nbsp;with&nbsp;86%&nbsp;underestimating&nbsp;that&nbsp;risk.<font size="1">&nbsp;</font>In India, 81% of the English-speaking and 86% &nbsp;of the Hindi-speaking respondents surveyed underestimate the risk of shingles<sup>.</sup></p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In India,&nbsp;amongst the &nbsp;English-speaking respondents, 22% believe that 1 in 1000 adults are at risk of developing shingles.<sup>&nbsp;</sup>Amongst the Hindi-speaking respondents,18% believe that 1 in 1000 adults is at risk of developing shingles.&nbsp;</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In&nbsp;reality,&nbsp;most&nbsp;adults already&nbsp;have&nbsp;the&nbsp;virus that&nbsp;causes&nbsp;shingles present in&nbsp;their bodies by&nbsp;the&nbsp;age&nbsp;of 50,&nbsp;which may&nbsp;reactivate with&nbsp;advancing&nbsp;age.&nbsp;Shingles&nbsp;is&nbsp;caused&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;reactivation&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;varicella-zoster&nbsp;virus&nbsp;(VZV),&nbsp;the same virus that causes chickenpox.&nbsp;As people age, the strength of their immune response to infection wanes, and this increases their risk of developing shingles.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Rashmi Hegde, Executive Vice President - Medical Affairs, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, India, said,&nbsp;&ldquo;The survey findings underscore the need to raise awareness about shingles risk in adults over 50.&nbsp; Shingles can significantly disrupt the daily lives of ageing adults and cause them a great deal of discomfort."</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24230', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Fujifilm launches advanced endoscopic ultrasound machine ALOKA ARIETTA 850 in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/fuji-24230.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'fujifilm-launches-advanced-endoscopic-ultrasound-machine-aloka-arietta-850-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Fujifilm India, a pioneer in diagnostic imaging and information systems, has launched the ground breaking ALOKA ARIETTA 850 Diagnostic Ultrasound System in India with its first-ever installation at Fortis Hospital in Bengaluru.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Representing a remarkable advancement in endoscopic technologies, the high-tech ultrasound system aims to enhance diagnostic precision and image clarity for gastrointestinal diseases in the region.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">In India, contemporary lifestyles and changing dietary choices are leading to the deteriorating digestive health of the population, adding to the growing prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Addressing this, Fujifilm India&rsquo;S&nbsp;ALOKA ARIETTA 850&nbsp;Endoscopic Ultrasound Machine at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru is a significant step in providing world-class diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients against these GI-related diseases, performing targeted treatments such as Pancreatic pseudo cyst drainage (without surgery), targeted delivery of treatment in Pancreatic cancers.&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) is a minimally invasive method for assessing malignancies affecting the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract and neighbouring organs or tissues. With this high degree of accuracy in both diagnostic and therapeutic capacities, it allows doctors to precisely examine organs like the lungs, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, lymph nodes and nearby affected areas.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">EUS also facilitates the extraction of tissue or fluid samples through a thin needle, eliminating the need for a separate biopsy procedure. Additionally, it improves the staging of cancers with accurate sampling provided by Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) and Fine Needle Biopsy (FNB). Furthermore, EUS proves valuable in cases of altered anatomy and among cancer patients for various therapeutic procedures.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">ALOKA ARIETTA 850 stands out from conventional endoscopic ultrasound machines with a range of superior features. The machine generates image quality with 7 million digital channels in its B mode. This system also incorporates HD-THI for deeper penetration, ensuring accurate diagnoses, along with combi-elastography, pure symphonic architecture and CHI-TIC and Inflow Time Mapping for clearer visibility by reducing noise and enhancing the completeness and continuity of tissue boundaries.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '91'), array('articleId' => '24229', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Bengaluru researchers develop paper-based platform to detect antibiotic-resistant bacteria', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shutterstock_157198133-24229.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'bengaluru-researchers-develop-paper-based-platform-to-detect-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">A paper-based platform developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru could help quickly detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant, disease-causing bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Dr Uday Maitra, Professor at the Department of Organic Chemistry, IISc, and collaborators have developed a rapid diagnosis protocol that uses a luminescent paper-based platform to detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The approach developed by the IISc and JNCASR team involves incorporating biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (BCA) within a supramolecular hydrogel matrix containing terbium cholate (TbCh). This hydrogel normally emits green fluorescence when UV light is shined on it.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The next step was to find a way to make the technology inexpensive. Currently used diagnostics instruments are costly, which drives up the price for testing.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team collaborated with a Chennai-based company called Adiuvo Diagnostics to design a customised, portable and miniature imaging device, named Illuminate Fluorescence Reader. Infusing the hydrogel in a sheet of paper as the medium reduced the cost significantly. The instrument is fitted with different LEDs that shine UV radiation as required. Green fluorescence from the enzyme is captured by a built-in camera, and a dedicated software app measures the intensity, which can help quantify the bacterial load.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team from IISc tied up with Jayanta Haldar&rsquo;s research group from JNCASR to check their approach on urine samples. As the next step, the researchers plan to tie up with hospitals to test this technology with samples from patients.</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58'), array('articleId' => '24163', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Theme for National Science Day sets in as ‘Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat’', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/nsd-24163.png', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'theme-for-national-science-day-sets-in-as-indigenous-technologies-for-viksit-bharat', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science &amp; Technology Dr Jitendra Singh released the theme for the "National Science Day 2024", titled "Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat".</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) theme for this year&rsquo;s celebration reflects a strategic focus on promoting public appreciation for Science, Technology and Innovation and accomplishments of Indian scientists to address challenges through home-grown technologies for over-all well-being.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The theme not only marks a new era but also presents an opportunity for public and scientific fraternity, both domestically and internationally, to collaborate, work together, and contribute to the well-being of India and humanity as a whole. While emphasising the importance of making India&nbsp;<em>Atmanirbhar&nbsp;</em>through science, it underscores the need to address subjects that hold significance for humanity as a whole.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on 28 February to commemorate the discovery of the &lsquo;Raman Effect&rsquo;. Government of India designated 28 February as National Science Day in 1986. On this day Sir C.V. Raman announced the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930. On this occasion, theme-based science communication activities are carried out all over the country. The theme launch will trigger celebrations of NSD specially in schools &amp; colleges throughout the country.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science &amp; Technology (DST) said that as we embark on the celebration of NSD and move ahead with the launch of the theme for 2024, it is clearly evident that our scientific endeavours have the power to shape not only the future of our nation but also contribute significantly towards global advancement.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58')), 'mostReadArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24286', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Qiagen launches AI-derived biomedical knowledge base to accelerate data-driven drug discovery', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2-24286.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'qiagen-launches-ai-derived-biomedical-knowledge-base-to-accelerate-data-driven-drug-discovery', 'page1' => '<p align="justify">US-based Qiagen has announced the launch of Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI, a new generative AI-driven knowledge base designed to propel drug discovery in the pharma and biotech industries. This new offering is designed for data scientists and bioinformaticians who are looking for the most comprehensive knowledge graphs to fuel data-driven drug discovery.</p> <p align="justify">Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI is built on a massive dataset of biomedical literature and other scientific sources. It identifies and extracts causal relationships between genes, diseases, drugs and other biological entities with artificial intelligence (AI), generating over 600 million more biomedical relationships than its complement, Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD. This expansive knowledge base helps data scientists understand disease mechanisms, identify drug targets or biomarkers and explore strategies for repurposing existing drugs. Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI provides the most complete picture of biomedical relationships, including edge cases and novel relationships.</p> <p align="justify">While Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD is manually curated and known for its high quality and accuracy, Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI contains over 25x more relationships, allowing data scientists to generate new insights. Both knowledge bases can be used to provide both high-quality and high-quantity biomedical relationships data for data scientists and bioinformaticians to mine and validate.</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '60'), array('articleId' => '24284', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'IIT Kanpur partners with UP government to enhance tele-medicine using AI', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_28_at_3_48_48_pm-24284.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'iit-kanpur-partners-with-up-government-to-enhance-tele-medicine-using-ai', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">The Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and the Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to revolutionise healthcare delivery and advance tele-medicine facilities in the state through the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI).</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU was signed by Ranjan Kumar IAS, Secretary, Health &amp; Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Professor Sandeep Verma, Professor-In-Charge, Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Kanpur, in the presence of&nbsp;other dignitaries.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU outlines several key areas of collaboration, including anchoring tele-medicine hubs and enhancing the quality of tele-medicine services, implementing AI-based solutions to address population health impact, developing point-of-care diagnostics to drive program improvements, conducting competency-based capacity building for health cadres, and utilizing database predictions and analysis for informed decision-making.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">This will help the Department to make optimal use of the UP Digital Health Stack (UP-DHS) and ensure that every citizen of the state, wherever they are, will be able to access healthcare when needed. In Uttar Pradesh, UP-DHS is making significant strides in implementation, with foundational NHS elements deployed across all health administrative units and the rollout of essential healthcare applications well underway.</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '100'), array('articleId' => '24282', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Medtech firm Stryker expands prototype and testing facility in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/styker-24282.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'medtech-firm-stryker-expands-prototype-and-testing-facility-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker, a global leader in medical technologies, has officially expanded its prototype and testing facility in India, marking significant growth of its R&amp;D footprint in the country.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This advanced 55,600-square-foot facility integrates cutting-edge infrastructure, enhanced microbiology capabilities, and a talented team to drive innovation and ensure product quality across its medical technology portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Investing in innovation from India is a focus area for Stryker," said&nbsp;Ram Rangarajan, Vice President of Stryker Global Technology Center, India. "This new lab represents our commitment to developing medical technologies that improve patient outcomes and comply with the highest regulatory standards."</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker's new facility is dedicated to the rigorous life cycle testing of medical devices. The new lab boasts several key features:</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Prototyping and product assurance hub:&nbsp;Equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure for plastic 3D printing,&nbsp;metal machining, and a diverse range of testing capabilities,&nbsp;the lab supports prototyping and product assurance across Stryker's entire product portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Expanded microbiology competency:&nbsp;The lab strengthens Stryker's ability to conduct comprehensive microbiological testing,&nbsp;ensuring the safety and efficacy of its medical technologies.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Talented team of engineers and microbiologists:&nbsp; Highly skilled engineers and microbiologists will use the advanced equipment and expertise to develop innovative solutions that positively impact patients around the world.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '93'), array('articleId' => '24262', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Miltenyi Biotec to open Cell and Gene Therapy Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/gene-24262.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'miltenyi-biotec-to-open-cell-and-gene-therapy-centre-of-excellence-in-hyderabad', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">German firm Miltenyi Biotec is launching operations in India with its first office and investing to set up Miltenyi Innovation and Technology Center as Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Hyderabad.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This COE will be one of its first of its kind in India where scientists, researchers, industry experts and clinicians can get classroom to hands-on trainings on cell and gene therapy approaches right from proof of concept to pre-clinical / clinical development and commercialisation. This CoE also will provide Indian researchers, scientists and clinicians easier access to expertise, research, and manufacturing solutions.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Each year, more than 10,000 patients are treated with cell products using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies. More than&nbsp; 950 investigational new drug (IND) applications as well as investigational device exemptions (IDE) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies and platforms.&nbsp;&nbsp;In doing so, the company is well poised to enable local development and manufacturing in India to drive affordable and&nbsp;accessible CGT therapies by academia and industry for Indian as well as global patients.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Boris Stoffel,&nbsp;Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s Managing Director, highlighted that the company intends to seek opportunities to catalyse development of CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T cell clinical development and manufacturing, with the prospect of bringing centralised and point-of-care CAR T cell therapy to hospitals across India.</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 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object(DateTime), 'status' => 'Published', 'contentTypeId' => '15', 'siteId' => '2', 'sourceId' => '2', 'userId' => '4', 'lastUpdatedByUserId' => '26', 'articleType' => 'Static', 'language' => null, 'blogType' => null, 'pageSlug' => 'footer-top-left', 'magazineIssue' => null, 'pullquote' => null, 'restrictionType' => null, 'seoKeyword' => null, 'articleReadCount' => '0'), 'subsectionAlias' => 'segments', 'subsection' => 'Segments', 'section' => '', 'sectionId' => '', 'aliasName' => '', 'leadershipArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24267', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'What’s Shaking Up India’s Life Sciences Real Estate Sector?', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/bs1-24267.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'whats-shaking-up-indias-life-sciences-real-estate-sector', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2021,&nbsp; a California-based life sciences real estate development company acquired Hotel Buckminster. This acquisition was done to redevelop the closed hotel into a life science lab space. Again in May 2021, a facility that housed the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive was transformed into a new life sciences lab on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the same year in India, a Canadian Pension Fund along with a Singapore-based wealth and asset management firm jointly invested $100 million (Rs 7.5 billion) in life sciences R&amp;D facilities in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. This investment, according to reports, proved to be a stepping stone for more equity investments in this segment. On February 6, 2024, life sciences real estate developer, Rx Propellant announced an initial investment of $75 million in phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai Research (NMR) District, as part of its continued regional expansion strategy across India.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In all the four developments mentioned above, it is clear that post-pandemic, the demand for life sciences-related real estate has significantly increased. Both greenfield and brownfield projects have surged, as the pandemic fuelled the demand for locally manufactured pharma and medical products.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, in the last few decades, has witnessed the IT and manufacturing sectors invest heavily in real estate and infrastructure. But in the post-pandemic era, we see life sciences companies require space to innovate, for R&amp;D, and manufacture at scale.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Fast-evolving life sciences market&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India is one of the fastest-growing life sciences markets in the world and the sector is poised to see multi-fold growth by 2030 led by a fast-increasing population, rising life expectancy, a strong industrial base and inclusive government initiatives. In addition, India&rsquo;s demographic dividend, strong industrial base and policy push are known to be the growth drivers for the life sciences sector in the country.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The increasing government spending on the healthcare sector, cost benefits in terms of affordable manpower &amp; real estate expenses, and the availability of a large talent pool are the catalysts of life sciences growth in India. Schemes like Production Linked Incentive (PLI)&nbsp; have boosted domestic manufacturing which&nbsp; has resulted in the need for more space in industrial and tech parks. Also, global exports of pharmaceutical and biotechnology products and medical devices from the country have forced many companies to invest in capacity building and human resources.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Notably, India ranks second globally in terms of the number of US FDA-certified plants located outside the US, closely followed by China. Strengths of this kind and the constantly evolving sector are&nbsp; furthering the requirement for large-scale&nbsp; manufacturing, MSMEs, wet laboratories, R&amp;D hubs, incubators, and data centres&nbsp; coupled with other IT &amp; ES support.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the next decade, it is estimated that the requirement for life sciences R&amp;D real estate in India is likely to grow to somewhere between $16 billion (Rs 1,200 billion) and $34 billion (Rs 2,550 billion) as per conservative and optimistic scenarios.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Push from PEs and VCs</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India&rsquo;s life sciences R&amp;D real estate is emerging as a high-potential asset class for institutional investors. Aided by exponential global demand growth, geopolitical environment, policies initiatives, and skilled workforce this sector is rapidly transforming.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Atul Bhardwaj, Business Head, Lighthouse Canton Real Estate</strong>, indicates that both domestic and international investors are demonstrating a strong interest in India's life sciences real estate market. According to Bhardwaj, private equity firms, venture capitalists, and real estate developers are actively investing significant capital in the development of specialised facilities to meet the requirements of life sciences companies. He says, &ldquo;Biotechnology parks and clusters are emerging as key focal points for life sciences research and manufacturing in India. These specialised hubs offer world-class infrastructure, shared amenities, and a collaborative ecosystem that encourages innovation and cooperation among industry stakeholders, academic institutions, and research organisations.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Citing one other compelling factor of the life sciences real estate market to surge, Bhardwaj, says, &ldquo;This sector's operational model does not accommodate the concept of working from home, which presents a compelling opportunity for real estate developers. The recent pandemic underscored the resilience of the pharmaceutical sector. While many industries, including office realty, experienced significant disruptions, the pharmaceutical sector's demand for space significantly increased, further cementing its critical role in the global economy.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Arvind Nandan, Managing Director &ndash; Research &amp; Consulting, Savills India</strong>, says, &ldquo;Venture Capital funding into the life sciences industry in India stood at $448 million (Rs 34 billion) in 2021 through August, almost 3x of the annual average of the previous years, making it clear that this segment will play a pivotal role in the overall growth of the Indian Real Estate industry.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Adopting the asset light model</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We know that globally organisations across all sectors &ndash; be it small or big &ndash; are undergoing massive digital transformation and smart business strategies that are sustainable and cost-effective are implemented. Owing to that, businesses are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to scale up faster, which has given rise to many alternate models of operations, including the concept of going asset-light.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Asset-light model offers a strategic approach where companies minimise their ownership of physical assets (such as buildings or land). Companies go asset-light by owning fewer capital-intensive assets compared to their operational assets. By doing this, life sciences companies focus on their core competencies (such as research, development, and production) and avoid heavy investments in real estate.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Merck &amp; Co., Inc. (MSD outside the US and Canada) is a prime example of an asset-light pharmaceutical company. Merck collaborates with specialised Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisations (CDMOs) for various stages of drug development and production. By leveraging external partners, they avoid heavy capital expenditure on building and maintaining several of their own manufacturing facilities.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sharing his view on the asset light model, <strong>Rx Propellant&rsquo;s CEO Milind Ravi</strong>, says, &ldquo;While traditionally dominated by &lsquo;user-owned&rsquo; models, an evident but slow shift to &lsquo;asset-light&rsquo; options in India indicates growing demand for agile growth-ready infrastructure. With its increased focus on innovation, India&rsquo;s life sciences market is expected to grow threefold in the next decade, reaching $130 billion by 2030. This in turn is set to generate demand for over 100 million square feet of specialised infrastructure across several existing ecosystems including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Vizag, and Pune among others.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another aspect to asset-light operations is the advantage companies draw from sharing infrastructure elements. Atul Bhardwaj opines that the model of providing comprehensive amenities under one roof offers significant benefits to companies by eliminating the need for capital expenditure on individual pieces of equipment such as chillers and DG sets. This approach, he says, not only reduces the initial capital outlay but also lowers the overall opex for companies, as costs related to maintenance, security, and technical manpower are shared.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;This cost model is particularly advantageous, as it would otherwise be a substantial financial burden for a company to bear alone for its standalone unit. Real estate developers who offer high-quality infrastructure can further reduce a company's upfront expenses by providing essential utilities like nitrogen generators and vacuum systems. A multi-tenanted building thus emerges as a mutually beneficial arrangement for both developers and tenant companies,&rdquo; says Bhardwaj.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Sustainable infrastructure&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In almost every industry, the board members, shareholders advocate the importance of the mandates of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) of business operations. The threat of climate change has prompted many industries to develop environmental strategies to reduce their carbon footprints, with the life sciences industry on the top of the pyramid.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Being climate conscious has brought in new concepts in smart buildings and other digitally supported facilities and infrastructure models. Open floor plans, shared workspaces, and flexible furniture are some of today&rsquo;s trends that are known to foster interaction and knowledge sharing, similar to what's seen in modern IT work spaces. This shift in life sciences too encourages cross-disciplinary research, faster problem-solving, and quicker innovation and most importantly sharing resources.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Emerging trends in innovation have seen an increase in demand for next-gen spaces with flexible workspaces, integration of wet lab-computation stations, highly sensitive zones for increasingly sophisticated equipment and process flow optimisation. New developments designed to accommodate such variables offer sustainable long-term solutions,&rdquo; Milind Ravi opines from his experience.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Also, leading life sciences companies in India prefer to operate from large-scale clusters that can meet both their office and R&amp;D needs. Startups and MSMEs are also increasingly opting to locate themselves in prominent clusters with a clear industrial positioning and abundant R&amp;D resources. Genome Valley (Hyderabad) and Electronic City (Bengaluru) are great examples of such collaborative ecosystems.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">So, if, today, we were to walk into any of India&rsquo;s life sciences parks, we would be delighted to see those spaces being built on modern modular designs having mobile equipment and reconfigurable layouts, with amazing aesthetics and classy landscaping.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">What will also be evident is that the traditional life sciences technicians confining themselves to sterile laboratories would be ancient. Today&rsquo;s workplaces recognise the need for a more holistic environment with sprawling cafeterias, breakout huddles, and interactive/entertainment spaces. Apart from being modern with the changing times, such amenities are considered by the HR department as a way to attract and retain talent.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Leasing: a preferred business model&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Savills, in its report titled </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unlocking Opportunities: Life Sciences and Real Estate in India&rsquo;, indicates that leasing properties to the biotech industry can provide a steady stream of rental income and long-term investment potential for real estate developers.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since life sciences is a rapidly growing and promising sector with significant investments and advancements, by leasing to them, real estate companies become part of their growth story, giving them the advantage of increased long-term value and brand association.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Leasing also brings about several advantages to realtors. Life sciences companies typically require specific and tailored facilities, leading to lesser turnover compared to other commercial leases. This translates to reduced management costs and higher occupancy rates. Also, life sciences companies often require long-term leases due to the complex nature of their facilities and research projects. This stability translates to predictable and dependable income for the real estate companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking from his company&rsquo;s perspective, Milind Ravi,</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> says,&nbsp;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;We bring a very inclusive approach to support companies of all scales not just with infrastructure, but a gamut of ecosystem services that play a pivotal role in their overall experience. We lease laboratory spaces on tailored models based on the need, timelines, intended use and life-stage of our tenant partners. Our standard offering constitutes modular spaces in shared or dedicated formats &ndash; in both &lsquo;warm shell&rsquo; and &lsquo;plug-and-play&rsquo; models as part of integrated and life science-focussed clusters. Apart from this, we also deliver built-to-suit campuses in required specifications of the tenant.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;While our facilities are built for multi-tenancy where each organisation can work independently, we are also working towards developing co-working laboratory spaces with shared equipment and amenities. These are becoming increasingly popular, especially among startups and small research teams,&rdquo; says Milind Ravi.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Growth is certain</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A report titled &lsquo;Life Sciences Industry &amp; Real Estate Perspective 2024: Putting Asia Pacific under the microscope&rsquo; by global real estate company JLL sheds light on India&rsquo;s pharma industry's growth trajectory. While the pandemic undeniably spurred investment due to the vaccine race, the report emphasizes that interest was already on the rise owing to the ongoing breakthroughs in areas like immuno-oncology and neonatology. This pre-existing momentum, fuelled by technological advancements, has directly translated into increased commercial real estate leasing within the pharma sector. This may be true to India&rsquo;s life sciences sector too.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">JLL stresses on the fact that when companies get funding from venture capitalists, they need lab space in order to deliver as soon as possible. Also, sizeable investments bring with them a plethora of life sciences jobs, which can also spur development of housing, retail and other urban amenities that serve the people who live and work for the expanding companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">From Bhardwaj&rsquo;s inputs we can infer that India has a robust domestic market, bolstered further by the Government of India's </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;Jan Aushadhi&rsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> scheme, aimed at providing quality generic medicines at affordable prices to its citizens. As the third-largest exporter of pharmaceuticals by volume and the thirteenth by value, the demand for space is going to grow.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the pharma industry presents sufficient scope, the medical device industry is not any less. Considered as the sunrise sector, the medical devices industry is estimated to reach $50 billion by 2030. In the last five years, the export of medical devices has been increasing at a rate of 9.37 per cent. India&rsquo;s policy to allow 100 per cent foreign investment under an automatic route in the medical devices sector has helped attract significant investments, which has further pushed the demand for real estate. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the medical device industry in India has also helped augment the domestic manufacturing and in reducing dependence on imports. Hence, manufacturing hubs are being set up in many economic zones of the country. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We can therefore conclude with the evidence that there is immense potential for life sciences real estate development to surge in India. Though the country has limited core life sciences real estate investable stock at present, majority of the growth will come from developing new facilities that entail typical development and leasing risks. The stakeholders, however, forecast an increasing investor appetite for Indian life sciences real estate as the sector gains scale over time.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Anusha Ashwin</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => 'Anusha Ashwin', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24273', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'Dissecting Gender Disparity', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/women-24273.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'dissecting-gender-disparity', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in the Indian healthcare industry are mainly concentrated in low-paying frontline positions. In India, 29 per cent of medical doctors, 80 per cent of nursing staff (including midwives), and nearly 100 per cent of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are women. Despite this, women hold only 18 per cent of healthcare leadership positions and continue to earn 34 per cent less than their male counterparts.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are the outcomes of the study titled &lsquo;An Unbalanced Scale - Exploring the Female Leadership Gap in India's Healthcare Sector&rsquo; from Dasra, a non-profit organisation. The&nbsp; study revealed that the Indian healthcare sector, one of the country's largest employers, has experienced substantial growth. It takes a closer look at women's representation in healthcare and the leadership opportunities available to them.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><strong>Inspiring leaders</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"What is concerning is the gap between the proportion of women in healthcare and those who occupy leadership positions. At entry levels, women's representation in sales, marketing, and operations ranges from 40-50 per cent. However, this significantly drops to 15-20 per cent in senior roles," says <strong>Shailja Mehta, Director at Dasra</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is behind this gender gap in leadership positions? Societal norms, cultural expectations and implicit biases against women are some of the main factors that&nbsp;have contributed to the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions. &ldquo;It is a complex issue. The lack of female role models and mentors perpetuates this gender gap," says Shailja.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some believe that one of the primary reasons for the skewed gender ratio in STEM is the stereotyping that begins early in life. Societal expectations often push girls towards more traditionally feminine roles, diverting them away from technical and scientific fields. As a result, fewer women choose STEM education and careers. While others argue that the current gap is a reflection of what was happening 20 years ago, when fewer women entered science careers.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;&ldquo;Today&rsquo;s leaders represent those who entered the field 15-20 years back. Now that the number of women entering these fields has significantly increased in recent years, we will see a lot of women leaders in the coming years. In fact, a major proportion of startups are led by women. They have the capability to do it,&rdquo; <strong>Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, former director, National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) Pune</strong>, says, "The situation is definitely improving. For more women to take leadership roles, changes are required at the family, community and industry level."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Dr Pragya Yadav, senior scientist at the National Institute of Virology, Pune</strong>, who played an instrumental role in the development of Covaxin, agrees. "The situation has certainly improved, but school-going girls should have access to reputable colleges and safe residential facilities for pursuing science as a subject for the real change to occur. Besides, they need support in equal measure, from their families and the industry when raising their children. If they lose that time, catching up becomes difficult,&rdquo; she says. &nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Furthermore, this support should not be seen as an extra favour to women, but rather as their right. Children are the future and the environment they experience while growing up is crucial to their growth and development. It is the duty of both families and society, not just mothers alone, to provide a safe and suitable environment for them," she added. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Manya Jha, a young entrepreneur and founder of Morphedo Technologies</strong>, a deep tech startup in aerospace and defence, medical device engineering, IoT and embedded systems, faced the challenge of balancing child care and her career after the birth of her daughter. To tackle this challenge, she established a small child care centre at her office.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Starting just 20 days after my daughter was born, I brought her to my workplace every day. I made space in my cabin where she could stay with me. Until she was 7 months old, my husband and I took care of her in the shared cabin (during COVID-19 period). At the time of her birth, my startup was also at a crucial stage,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Both my daughter and my company required my personal attention. There were instances when I had to attend important meetings with senior scientists while holding my one-month-old daughter. I believe it's all about the confidence with which you pursue your career."</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today, Manya's company has around&nbsp; 40 employees and the child care centre is now available to all new mothers, offering support in looking after their children while at work.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, despite the challenges, there has been a noticeable shift in the narrative over the past decade, with the number of women leaders emerging in STEM careers increasing slowly but steadily. And these women are not only excelling &nbsp;in their respective fields but also helping dismantling barriers that hinder the progress of other aspiring women.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several prominent women leaders are setting an example for others. Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr Priya Abraham, Director of the National Institute of Virology, biotech stalwart &nbsp;Kiran Majumdar-Shaw,&nbsp; and entrepreneurs like Dr Kavita Iyer Rodrigues and Vasanthi Ramachandran represent some of the most sought after leaders in the industry.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Women are leading more than 30 per cent of the startups incubated at our centre. In many others, they are co-founders or hold significant positions," says <strong>Dr Manisha Premnath, COO of Venture Center</strong>, an incubation centre in Pune that helps startups grow.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Breaking the glass ceiling</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While there is a rise of women leaders in the health and biotech sector, it is important to acknowledge the challenges they continue to face. Stereotypes, biases, and a lack of institutional support still exist. The &lsquo;glass ceiling&rsquo; phenomenon persists, making it difficult for women to reach the highest levels of leadership. A male-centric workplace culture, coupled with a lack of flexibility and understanding regarding work-life balance, discourage women from pursuing or sustaining leadership roles.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The biggest challenge that women face is breaking these stereotypes and breaking free from the vicious cycle of work and life. They need to step out of their comfort zones, or rather, their safe zones, and then there will be no stopping them. Fortunately, nowadays there are several schemes and funds available to support women," says <strong>Dr Deeksha Bhartiya, Founder of Genomiki</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coming from a very traditional, yet ambitious family, Dr Deeksha got married at a young age and encountered challenges in maintaining a balance between her personal and professional life. However, she didn't allow these challenges to deter her from pursuing her doctoral studies and career. "There were many senior male scientists who advised me to take up a permanent job instead of embarking on my entrepreneurial journey. I was told that women should prioritise stability over adventure. However, I am fortunate to have a very supportive family who always push me to exceed my limits and support me in all my decisions."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Exiting the vicious circle</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The foundation for achieving gender parity in STEM careers is laid during the crucial years of education. Schools and educational institutions play an important role in challenging these stereotypes and encouraging girls to explore their interests in science and technology. STEM-focused educational programmes, workshops, and extracurricular activities can help break down gender-based barriers from a young age. Scholarships and mentorship programmes can encourage girls to pursue science education.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To encourage more women to pursue careers in STEM and foster an inclusive and diverse workforce, it is important to adopt unbiased recruitment practices, create a supportive environment for their progress, and implement flexible work arrangements.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is a growing emphasis on incorporating diverse perspectives in STEM curricula. Highlighting the contributions of women scientists and engineers in textbooks and classroom discussions can inspire both girls and boys, challenging preconceived notions about gender roles in these fields. There should be more networking events, conferences and platforms that specifically focus on women in STEM to provide valuable opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing. These spaces not only celebrate the achievements of women in the field but also facilitate the exchange of ideas and strategies to overcome common challenges.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emphasising the pivotal role women play in shaping a sustainable future through scientific leadership, <strong>Melody Lopez, Director and Chief of Staff Crayon Software Experts India</strong> says &ldquo;Fostering women's leadership in science is not just about gender equality but also a catalyst for achieving sustainable development goals. The theme reflects a call to action, urging communities, governments, and organisations to provide equal opportunities for women and girls in science, ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making processes.&rdquo; She further says &ldquo;As we champion women and girls in science leadership, let us embrace this new era, where their voices, ideas, and leadership propel us toward a brighter, more sustainable future for all.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The journey towards gender parity in STEM careers in India could be challenging, but the momentum for change is growing.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><strong>Gunjan Sharma</strong></strong></p> <p><em><strong>gunjan.sharma@mmactiv.com</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => 'Gunjan Sharma ', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24271', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => '“There is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation”', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_27_at_5_20_34_pm-24271.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'there-is-a-significant-gap-in-the-infrastructure-required-for-ai-implementation', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Artificial Intelligence (AI) has completely changed the way we see the world today. How do you see AI revolutionising drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry? Can AI help in discovering new drug molecules that could help treat deadly and chronic diseases like cancers and AIDS?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The future of human life is completely impacted by AI. Particularly its emergence in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry will have a vital impact on disease control and new drug discoveries.&nbsp;AI is poised to revolutionise drug discovery in several ways. It can drastically reduce the time needed to discover and develop new drugs. AI can be used to help suggest novel combinations for treating fatal diseases and even predict treatment outcomes. Additionally, AI facilitates personalised medicine by tailoring treatments to individual patients, which can ultimately speed up the development of new therapies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key challenges in implementing AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly in the context of regulatory compliance?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I feel, the pharma and healthcare organisations in India are yet to gear up for AI. Many are still in the process of adapting to the advancements in the pharmaceutical industry brought about by digitalisation. Despite this progress, the majority of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are not adequately prepared to integrate AI into their operations. AI adoption, beyond platforms like Chat GPT, remains in its infancy and requires further exploration and validation. Moreover, there is a pressing need to harmonise regulatory compliances, particularly in manufacturing standards outlined by the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH). This entails the implementation of electronic documentation systems and global alignment on regulatory practices to ensure both qualitative and compliant manufacturing and healthcare delivery systems. Additionally, there is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation, including the necessary hardware, software, and skilled professionals, which remains to be addressed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a specific example where AI has been successfully utilised to discover or develop a new drug?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although AI is currently making strides in drug discovery, its continual evolution opens up a multitude of possibilities in terms of drug candidates, their structures, and the discovery process. This versatility allows for the pinpointing of targeted molecules tailored to specific therapies or multiple therapeutic discoveries. A recent example highlighting this potential is Insilico Medicine's Pharma.AI, which is revolutionising drug discovery with its suite of AI-powered tools. PandaOmics, for instance, drastically reduces the time required for multi-omics target discovery, from several months to a few clicks. Similarly, Chemistry42 employs machine learning for de novo drug design, generating lead-like molecules within a week. Additionally, InClinico provides an invaluable tool for efficient clinical trial management, identifying potential weaknesses in trial design and predicting success rates. Collectively, these tools are streamlining the traditionally lengthy drug discovery process, accelerating the pursuit of breakthrough medicine.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you envision the role of AI evolving in personalised medicine and patient care?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I believe AI could be groundbreaking by using large amounts of data from healthy and sick people. It could help analyse specific therapeutic segments quickly to see how drugs work over time and improve their formulations. It would also support Phase IV clinical trials, especially in monitoring drug safety (Pharmacovigilance). Overall, AI in personalised medicine and patient care has the potential to improve healthcare, make treatments better, and give patients more control over their health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the ethical considerations that need to be addressed when deploying AI in healthcare settings?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The primary concern lies in protecting patient identity, which can be achieved through AI by masking identities in documentation, albeit in previously challenging areas. The rigidity and security levels of AI coding stand out as effective measures for safeguarding patient identity compared to traditional masking systems. However, the implementation of AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly concerning regulatory compliance, presents various challenges and ethical considerations. These include ensuring data privacy and security, adhering to diverse regulations, deciphering complex AI algorithms, managing the time and cost implications, addressing potential biases perpetuated by AI algorithms, integrating solutions into existing systems, navigating complex ethical and legal considerations, determining accountability and liability for decisions made, preserving patient autonomy and consent, and conducting real-time reviews for corrections.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How can AI help address the challenges of drug resistance in infectious diseases?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The emergence of drug resistance in infectious diseases poses a significant healthcare challenge. However, AI offers a promising solution by playing a crucial role in addressing this issue. Through predictive analytics, AI can forecast which drugs may become ineffective against evolving pathogens, allowing for proactive adjustments in treatment strategies. Furthermore, AI aids in the discovery of alternative treatments, the development of more effective medications, and the customisation of treatment plans tailored to individual patients. By providing real-time insights into the changing landscape of drug resistance, AI enables healthcare professionals to adapt swiftly, ultimately enhancing the efficacy of treatments and improving patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What strategies can be employed to ensure the fairness and transparency of AI algorithms in healthcare decision-making?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To maintain trust, mitigate bias, and foster equitable outcomes, it is crucial to prioritise fairness and transparency in the use of AI algorithms for healthcare decision-making. Some of the strategies to achieve this include ensuring transparency of both data and algorithms, promoting diversity and inclusivity in the development process, conducting external validation and evaluation, and establishing regulatory frameworks and guidelines.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you see AI impacting the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services globally?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While AI offers significant potential for improving the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services on a global scale, there are challenges to overcome. These include ensuring fair access to AI-driven technologies, addressing concerns regarding data privacy and security, and navigating regulatory and ethical issues. Collaboration among various stakeholders, such as governments, healthcare providers, technology developers, and community organisations, is vital to fully realise the benefits of AI in enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key factors hindering the adoption of AI in pharmaceutical research and development?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pharmaceutical companies face several challenges when it comes to using AI in research and development. Firstly, they require high-quality and comprehensive datasets to effectively train AI models. Secondly, they must adhere to strict regulatory guidelines set by government agencies. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies often possess proprietary data and intellectual property that may not be easily compatible with AI systems. Finally, the significant investment required to implement AI technology presents a barrier to adoption for many companies in the industry.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a case where AI-driven predictive modelling has significantly improved clinical trial outcomes or drug efficacy in the Healthcare system?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's important to note that using AI in the healthcare system, along with a thorough review of relevant literature from sources like PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and EMBASE, is significant. Integrating AI into healthcare has the potential to greatly improve disease diagnosis, treatment selection, and clinical laboratory testing. AI tools can analyse large sets of data and find patterns, outperforming humans in many healthcare tasks. AI brings higher accuracy, lower costs, and time savings, while also reducing human errors. It can revolutionise personalised medicine, optimise medication dosages, improve population health management, set guidelines, offer virtual health assistants, support mental health care, enhance patient education, and strengthen patient-physician trust.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, AI can be used in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) by using machine learning algorithms to predict drug-drug interactions. By analysing large sets of patient data, these algorithms can detect potential drug interactions. This helps to decrease the risk of adverse drug reactions, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Amguth Raju</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>hyderabad@mmactiv.com&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => 'Amguth Raju', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17'), array('articleId' => '24280', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Effectively Eliminating Drug-resistant TB', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/tb-24280.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'effectively-eliminating-drug-resistant-tb', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has the highest burden of TB, with two deaths occurring every three minutes from the disease. The country recorded a staggering 28 lakh cases in 2022, accounting for 27 per cent of the global cases, according to WHO.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India initiated the TB Free India campaign with the ambitious goal of eradicating TB by 2025, a milestone set five years earlier than the target outlined by the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Despite facing setbacks due to COVID-19, the nation doubled down on its efforts, resulting in notable progress. The India TB Report 2023 heralded 2022 as a pivotal year in TB surveillance, noting a significant achievement with a record-high notification of 24.2 lakh TB cases, representing an increase of over 13 per cent compared to 2021.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The latest WHO Global TB Report 2023 acknowledged and praised India's efforts in its fight against TB, particularly highlighting the effectiveness of its case detection strategies. The report emphasised that India's intensified case detection strategies led to the highest-ever notification of cases in 2022, surpassing pre-COVID levels. The government's key initiatives, such as specialised active case finding drives, the scaling up of molecular diagnostics to block levels, decentralisation of screening services through Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, and private sector engagement, have significantly reduced the gap in missing cases.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Road to elimination&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the country has made remarkable progress in its fight against TB, the adoption of additional strategies such as shorter treatment regimens, the development of vaccines, and a renewed focus on nutrition could prove to be game-changers in its goal of eliminating TB for good.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The BPaL regimen, composed of Bedaquiline, Pretomanid and Linezolid, presents a promising alternative for a shorter, safer and more tolerable treatment option for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). Lasting only 26 weeks, it contrasts sharply with conventional DR-TB treatments, which can span 18 to 21 months and entail the consumption of over 4,000 to 5,000 tablets. Endorsed by the US FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) in 2019 and the WHO in 2022, the BPaL regimen has been implemented in more than 70 countries, including South Africa, Ukraine, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;The older, conventional regimen for drug-resistant TB included prolonged use of injections with other drugs. This was associated with increased incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), implementation challenges under the programme and inconvenience to the patients. The new TB drug regimen uses the newer oral drugs like Bedaquiline, Delamanid or Pretomanid, or the repurposed drugs such as linezolid, clofazimine, etc. These regimens are injection free and have lesser pill burden leading to more acceptance among the TB patients besides reducing the implementation challenges due to the use of injections. They have the ability to kill the actively multiplying drug-resistant TB bacteria faster and a sustained killing of the bacteria to prevent the recurrence of the TB disease among the patients. These regimens have shown improved treatment success rates under field conditions under the national programme,&rdquo; said <strong>Dr Rupak Singla, Head of Department, National Institute of TB &amp; Respiratory Diseases, New Delhi</strong>.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Singla further said &ldquo;To combat the adverse drug reactions of these regimen, specially due to drug linezolid, various regimens using different dosages and durations of linezolid have demonstrated reduced incidence of ADRs maintaining the efficacy of the regimen. Hence, these newer treatment drug regimens could reduce the global burden of drug-resistant TB. However, the requirement of a good quality laboratory network, availability and higher cost of the drugs continue to pose a challenge.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new regimen is shorter, easier on patients and improves treatment adherence, resulting in better outcomes compared to previous drug regimens.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Talking about the potential implications of the new TB drug regimen on India&rsquo;s TB control efforts, Dr Singla stated, &ldquo;The cure rate for previous conventional TB regimen for multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) was to the tune of around 50 per cent and for Extensively drug-resistant-TB (XDR-TB), less than 30 per cent. The new TB drug regimen has the potential for significant improvement in treatment success rates for MDR-TB as well as XDR-TB.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In India the national data shows that more than 36,000 drug-resistant TB patients have been initiated on shorter oral Bedaquiline-containing regimen and more than 92,000 patients have been initiated on longer oral regimen till date. Treatment success rates of shorter oral regimen for the cohort April-September 2022 (around 12,000 patients) is 69 per cent and of longer oral regimen for the cohort January-September 2021 (around 15,000 patients) is 71 per cent. The improved success rates of new drug regimens is likely to translate into less number of deaths due to TB, reduced period of infectiousness of TB patients and reduced transmission of TB to others in the community leading to reduced incidence of TB.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Studies at the 2023 Union World Conference on Lung Health affirm WHO-endorsed regimens' effectiveness, surpassing traditional 18- to 24-month treatments. The goal is to urge high-burden DR-TB countries to update guidelines and offer shorter treatments to all patients in need. Only 40 per cent of the 410,000 people with DR-TB in 2022 had access to the shorter regimen, as per a WHO report.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A group of experts in the country have stressed the need for introducing the BPaL regimen in the TB control programme of the country. B<strong>lessina Kumar, CEO, Global Coalition of TB Advocates, New Delhi</strong> emphasised the potential cost savings associated with its adoption, citing studies estimating a global annual savings of $740 million. With India accounting for a significant portion of global multi-drug, rifampicin-resistant (MDR/RR-TB) treated patients, she suggested that the country could save nearly $250 million per year through the implementation of this regimen. India will likely roll out the new regime soon.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>TB Vaccine</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vaccination holds promise as a game-changer for TB elimination. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is conducting phase III trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two vaccines: VPM1002 and MIP (Mycobacterium indicus pranii). VPM1002 is a live vaccine based on recombinant BCG, modified for better safety and efficacy. MIP or Immuvac, originally developed for leprosy, is a whole-cell TB vaccine candidate. The trial aims to assess the effectiveness of these vaccines in preventing TB disease, among 12,721 individuals exposed to TB at home (referred to as household contacts). Enrollment for the study is complete, with participant follow-up currently ongoing, according to the pipeline report 2022 by the Treatment Action Group.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bharat Biotech is partnering with the Spanish firm BIOFABRI to develop, manufacture, and distribute a new tuberculosis vaccine across over 70 countries in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The TB vaccine candidate by Bharat Biotech is set to enter phase-III trials soon.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Lancet study highlighted the pivotal role of nutrition in TB management. The&nbsp; Reducing Activation of Tuberculosis by Improvement of Nutritional Status (RATIONS) trial demonstrated that providing food baskets to TB patients and their households reduced all forms of TB by nearly 40 per cent and infectious TB by almost 50 per cent. In 2018, the Indian government launched the 'Nikshay Poshan Yojana,' a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to offer nutrition support to TB patients. Since its inception, the scheme has disbursed approximately Rs 2613 crore to over 95 lakh TB patients.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has indeed made significant strides in addressing TB; however, the battle against the disease is far from over. Despite enhanced detection and surveillance efforts, there's&nbsp; a need to adopt newer strategies to combat TB effectively. Advances in R&amp;D of vaccines, access to newer drug regimens, enhanced focus on nutrition will all help in propelling TB elimination goals.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Ayesha Siddiqui&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ayesha Siddiqui', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24272', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Prioritising Women’s Health & Wellbeing ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2036811071-24272.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: gettyimages', 'pageSlug' => 'prioritising-womens-health-wellbeing-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a new report from the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute launched at Davos in January 2024, women may live longer than men, on average, but they spend 25 per cent more of their lives in debilitating health. The report said improving diagnostics, data on women-specific conditions like ovarian cancer, and directing more investments towards women&rsquo;s health and research is needed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In particular, McKinsey research finds that less than 2 per cent of healthcare research and innovation is invested in female-specific conditions beyond cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This &lsquo;women&rsquo;s health gap&rsquo; equates to 75 million years of life lost due to poor health or early death each year. Closing the gap would benefit 3.9 billion women, giving them an extra seven healthy days a year, or an average of 500 days over a lifetime. Further, it could boost the global economy by $1 trillion by 2040 from fewer early deaths and health conditions, and a greater capacity for women to contribute to the economy and society.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a result of these findings, the final hours of the World Economic Forum in Davos saw the launch of a new Global Alliance for Women&rsquo;s Health, which has the broad ambition of &lsquo;re-shaping the future of women&rsquo;s health and the global economy.&rsquo; The health alliance will pledge new commitments from governments, philanthropies, and pharmaceutical companies, among others, across three pillars i.e. financing, science and innovation, and agenda-setting. So far, partners have pledged $55 million to improve women&rsquo;s health outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">With International Women&rsquo;s Day 2024 being themed around &lsquo;Inspiring inclusion&rsquo;, we see governments across the globe putting the much-needed emphasis on women&rsquo;s healthcare. For instance, the UAE has set out wide-ranging plans to bolster healthcare services for women, by approving the &lsquo;National Policy for Improving Women&rsquo;s Health&rsquo; for providing the highest healthcare services quality for women, whether curative, preventive or rehabilitative services. Similarly, the Irish government is paving the way for a longer-term comprehensive Women&rsquo;s Health Strategy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in England are being urged to help shape reproductive health policy, as the government seeks views on periods, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and menopause for health strategy. Likewise, the Biden administration recently announced a White House initiative to improve how the federal government approaches and funds research into the health of women, who make up more than half of the US population but remain understudied and underrepresented in health research.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, of course, is not far behind in this initiative. The Interim Budget 2024-25 announcement that took place on February 1, 2024, laid focus on encouraging vaccination for girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years for the prevention of cervical cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Besides these government initiatives, multiple efforts are also being made by the industry players to improve women&rsquo;s health. For example, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zurzuvae as the first and only oral treatment approved for women with postpartum depression, developed by American pharmaceutical company Biogen. The US FDA has also recently approved a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription for the first time in the US, a milestone that could significantly expand access to contraception. The pill&rsquo;s manufacturer, Perrigo Company is based in Dublin.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Further, biotech companies in the UK and Korea are embarking on the world's first prospective study of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered breast cancer detection, to streamline diagnosis, and tackle radiologist shortages. On the other hand, startups in India have developed groundbreaking multi-cancer detection tests specifically designed for high-risk and asymptomatic women.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quality, affordability, and accessibility, particularly in the context of women&rsquo;s health, are very critical aspects of ensuring well-being. This calls for greater mobilisation across sectors to invest in women&rsquo;s health, keeping in mind the imperatives of equity and integral care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Manbeena Chawla</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Executive Editor</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(</span><a href="mailto:manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com"><span style="font-weight: 400;">manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></p>', 'sequence' => '5', 'guestAuthor' => 'Dr Manbeena Chawla', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '101'), array('articleId' => '24270', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Establishing Ethical Frameworks for Equitable Use of AI in Healthcare ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/21-24270.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'establishing-ethical-frameworks-for-equitable-use-of-ai-in-healthcare-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The global healthcare landscape is witnessing a seismic transformation driven by AI technologies. From therapeutics to diagnostics, hospital operations to clinical decision-making, AI is making significant strides across diverse applications. According to Statista, the value of AI in the global healthcare market was $11 billion in 2021, projected to reach an estimated $188 billion by 2030. This staggering growth, at a compounded annual rate of 37 per cent, underscores the immense potential AI holds in reshaping the future of healthcare.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Transforming Medical Research and Imaging Analysis</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The impact of AI is not limited to specific segments; it spans the entire healthcare ecosystem. One critical domain experiencing a revolution is medical research, as AI expedites drug discovery processes. Through machine learning algorithms, researchers can predict the success rate of chemical compounds, significantly reducing the time and resources required for experimentation. This not only accelerates the pace of innovation but also holds the promise of bringing new, effective treatments to patients more rapidly.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the realm of medical imaging analysis, AI is proving to be a game-changer. It enables the rapid and accurate detection of anomalies in MRI scans, X-rays, and CT scans. Radiologists benefit from quicker identification of potential life-threatening issues, minimising human errors and enhancing diagnostic accuracy. This not only saves crucial time but also improves patient outcomes, particularly in cases where early detection is paramount.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Data-Driven Healthcare</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">AI is revolutionising the traditional landscape of diagnosis and treatment by providing clinicians with unprecedented data-driven insights. Machine learning algorithms analyse extensive patient data to identify patterns and correlations, facilitating more accurate and timely diagnosis. Personalised treatment plans based on individual patient characteristics are now a reality, enhancing the effectiveness of medical interventions. The ability to tailor treatments to specific patient profiles leads to improved outcomes and a more efficient allocation of healthcare resources.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Real-time assessment of treatment effectiveness by AI tools further contributes to improved clinical outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. Monitoring and adjusting treatment plans based on real-world data ensure that patients receive the most effective interventions tailored to their individual responses. This not only enhances patient care but also contributes to the sustainability of healthcare systems worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Predictive analysis, powered by AI, enables healthcare providers to forecast potential outcomes based on historical data and real-time health information. Identifying patients at risk of specific conditions allows for early intervention, preventing complications and improving overall healthcare efficiency. Large-scale population data analysis can also detect trends and outbreaks of infectious diseases before they become widespread, a critical capability showcased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability to anticipate and mitigate health crises is a testament to the power of AI in safeguarding public health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Patient-Centric Approach</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The integration of AI into healthcare is not solely about clinical applications; it extends to improving the overall patient experience. Streamlining appointment scheduling, providing remote monitoring solutions, and offering personalised treatment plans based on individual medical records contribute to a more patient-centric approach. AI-driven chatbots responding to routine medical inquiries reduce stress and save time for both patients and healthcare providers, fostering a more efficient and accessible healthcare system.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the promises of AI in healthcare, challenges persist. Blind spots in data access and collection, privacy concerns, data misuse, and regulatory ambiguities are roadblocks to widespread adoption. In India, a rapidly growing player in AI-based healthcare, progress is evident, but there is still a long way to go. The ambitious goals of universal healthcare delivery and affordability through AI remain distant, requiring continued innovation and collaboration.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, a major player in the global healthcare sector, is rapidly embracing AI. The National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence by NITI Aayog highlights the potential of AI to address challenges such as a shortage of qualified healthcare professionals and non-uniform accessibility to healthcare across the country. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, AI expenditure in India is projected to reach $11.78 billion by 2025, contributing significantly to the country's economy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite challenges, AI's potential to revolutionise healthcare is undeniable. As technology continues to advance, AI's applications in telemedicine, genomics, robotics, and 3D printing will expand. Workforce training and collaboration between medical professionals and AI developers will be crucial for maximising the benefits of AI. The integration of AI with other emerging technologies holds the key to shaping the future of medical care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we delve deeper into the integration of AI in healthcare, it's imperative to address the ethical considerations surrounding this revolutionary technology. The responsible use of AI in medical settings demands careful navigation of issues such as patient privacy, data security, and bias in algorithms.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Privacy concerns arise from the vast amounts of sensitive patient data being processed by AI systems. Ensuring robust data protection measures, stringent encryption, and transparent data usage policies become paramount to build and maintain public trust in AI-driven healthcare solutions.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The potential for bias in AI algorithms poses another ethical challenge. If the datasets used to train AI models are not representative or if biased historical data is fed into the algorithms, it can perpetuate existing inequalities in healthcare. Striking a balance in dataset curation and continuous monitoring of algorithmic outputs is crucial to mitigate bias and ensure equitable healthcare outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moreover, the explainability of AI decisions becomes crucial, especially in critical medical scenarios. Ensuring that AI models provide interpretable insights aids healthcare professionals in understanding and trusting AI-generated recommendations, fostering collaboration between humans and machines.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In conclusion, AI is not just a buzzword but a transformative force reshaping the healthcare industry. From diagnosis to treatment, AI is proving its mettle by delivering accurate, personalised, and efficient healthcare solutions. While challenges persist, the trajectory of AI in healthcare is pointing towards a future where technology and human expertise converge to provide optimal patient care. As we stand at the intersection of technology and healthcare, the role of AI in shaping the future of medicine is more promising than ever.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As AI continues to evolve, it is crucial for stakeholders&mdash;be they healthcare providers, policymakers, or technology developers&mdash;to collaborate in establishing ethical frameworks that ensure the responsible and equitable use of AI in healthcare. The ongoing dialogue around ethical considerations is vital to ensure that AI remains a force for good in healthcare, driving positive change for patients and society at large.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&amp;D, Murata Vios</strong></em></p>', 'sequence' => '6', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&D, Murata Vios', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17')), 'trendingTopicsList' => array(array('articleId' => '24283', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => '83.5% of adults in India underestimate shingles risk: Global GSK survey', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shingles_large-24283.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => '83-5-of-adults-in-india-underestimate-shingles-risk-global-gsk-survey', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical (GSK) has released new data from a globally commissioned survey funded by them. The survey finds notable gaps in understanding of shingles risk among individuals aged above 50 years, a group that is most susceptible to the disease.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey conducted amongst 3,500 adults aged 50 and over from 12 countries, assessed respondents&rsquo; understanding of shingles, what triggers it, and its impact on people&rsquo;s lives.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey in&nbsp;India&nbsp;involved 500 participants, with 250 respondents who spoke Hindi and another 250 who spoke English. The data, launched in time for Shingles Awareness Week 2024 (26 February&nbsp;2024 &ndash; 3 March 2024), finds a widespread lack of understanding of shingles and its lifetime risk.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The findings show that globally, a significantly high proportion of those surveyed do not understand their risk of developing shingles,&nbsp;with&nbsp;86%&nbsp;underestimating&nbsp;that&nbsp;risk.<font size="1">&nbsp;</font>In India, 81% of the English-speaking and 86% &nbsp;of the Hindi-speaking respondents surveyed underestimate the risk of shingles<sup>.</sup></p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In India,&nbsp;amongst the &nbsp;English-speaking respondents, 22% believe that 1 in 1000 adults are at risk of developing shingles.<sup>&nbsp;</sup>Amongst the Hindi-speaking respondents,18% believe that 1 in 1000 adults is at risk of developing shingles.&nbsp;</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In&nbsp;reality,&nbsp;most&nbsp;adults already&nbsp;have&nbsp;the&nbsp;virus that&nbsp;causes&nbsp;shingles present in&nbsp;their bodies by&nbsp;the&nbsp;age&nbsp;of 50,&nbsp;which may&nbsp;reactivate with&nbsp;advancing&nbsp;age.&nbsp;Shingles&nbsp;is&nbsp;caused&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;reactivation&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;varicella-zoster&nbsp;virus&nbsp;(VZV),&nbsp;the same virus that causes chickenpox.&nbsp;As people age, the strength of their immune response to infection wanes, and this increases their risk of developing shingles.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Rashmi Hegde, Executive Vice President - Medical Affairs, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, India, said,&nbsp;&ldquo;The survey findings underscore the need to raise awareness about shingles risk in adults over 50.&nbsp; Shingles can significantly disrupt the daily lives of ageing adults and cause them a great deal of discomfort."</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24230', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Fujifilm launches advanced endoscopic ultrasound machine ALOKA ARIETTA 850 in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/fuji-24230.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'fujifilm-launches-advanced-endoscopic-ultrasound-machine-aloka-arietta-850-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Fujifilm India, a pioneer in diagnostic imaging and information systems, has launched the ground breaking ALOKA ARIETTA 850 Diagnostic Ultrasound System in India with its first-ever installation at Fortis Hospital in Bengaluru.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Representing a remarkable advancement in endoscopic technologies, the high-tech ultrasound system aims to enhance diagnostic precision and image clarity for gastrointestinal diseases in the region.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">In India, contemporary lifestyles and changing dietary choices are leading to the deteriorating digestive health of the population, adding to the growing prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Addressing this, Fujifilm India&rsquo;S&nbsp;ALOKA ARIETTA 850&nbsp;Endoscopic Ultrasound Machine at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru is a significant step in providing world-class diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients against these GI-related diseases, performing targeted treatments such as Pancreatic pseudo cyst drainage (without surgery), targeted delivery of treatment in Pancreatic cancers.&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) is a minimally invasive method for assessing malignancies affecting the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract and neighbouring organs or tissues. With this high degree of accuracy in both diagnostic and therapeutic capacities, it allows doctors to precisely examine organs like the lungs, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, lymph nodes and nearby affected areas.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">EUS also facilitates the extraction of tissue or fluid samples through a thin needle, eliminating the need for a separate biopsy procedure. Additionally, it improves the staging of cancers with accurate sampling provided by Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) and Fine Needle Biopsy (FNB). Furthermore, EUS proves valuable in cases of altered anatomy and among cancer patients for various therapeutic procedures.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">ALOKA ARIETTA 850 stands out from conventional endoscopic ultrasound machines with a range of superior features. The machine generates image quality with 7 million digital channels in its B mode. This system also incorporates HD-THI for deeper penetration, ensuring accurate diagnoses, along with combi-elastography, pure symphonic architecture and CHI-TIC and Inflow Time Mapping for clearer visibility by reducing noise and enhancing the completeness and continuity of tissue boundaries.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '91'), array('articleId' => '24229', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Bengaluru researchers develop paper-based platform to detect antibiotic-resistant bacteria', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shutterstock_157198133-24229.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'bengaluru-researchers-develop-paper-based-platform-to-detect-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">A paper-based platform developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru could help quickly detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant, disease-causing bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Dr Uday Maitra, Professor at the Department of Organic Chemistry, IISc, and collaborators have developed a rapid diagnosis protocol that uses a luminescent paper-based platform to detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The approach developed by the IISc and JNCASR team involves incorporating biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (BCA) within a supramolecular hydrogel matrix containing terbium cholate (TbCh). This hydrogel normally emits green fluorescence when UV light is shined on it.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The next step was to find a way to make the technology inexpensive. Currently used diagnostics instruments are costly, which drives up the price for testing.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team collaborated with a Chennai-based company called Adiuvo Diagnostics to design a customised, portable and miniature imaging device, named Illuminate Fluorescence Reader. Infusing the hydrogel in a sheet of paper as the medium reduced the cost significantly. The instrument is fitted with different LEDs that shine UV radiation as required. Green fluorescence from the enzyme is captured by a built-in camera, and a dedicated software app measures the intensity, which can help quantify the bacterial load.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team from IISc tied up with Jayanta Haldar&rsquo;s research group from JNCASR to check their approach on urine samples. As the next step, the researchers plan to tie up with hospitals to test this technology with samples from patients.</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58'), array('articleId' => '24163', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Theme for National Science Day sets in as ‘Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat’', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/nsd-24163.png', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'theme-for-national-science-day-sets-in-as-indigenous-technologies-for-viksit-bharat', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science &amp; Technology Dr Jitendra Singh released the theme for the "National Science Day 2024", titled "Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat".</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) theme for this year&rsquo;s celebration reflects a strategic focus on promoting public appreciation for Science, Technology and Innovation and accomplishments of Indian scientists to address challenges through home-grown technologies for over-all well-being.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The theme not only marks a new era but also presents an opportunity for public and scientific fraternity, both domestically and internationally, to collaborate, work together, and contribute to the well-being of India and humanity as a whole. While emphasising the importance of making India&nbsp;<em>Atmanirbhar&nbsp;</em>through science, it underscores the need to address subjects that hold significance for humanity as a whole.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on 28 February to commemorate the discovery of the &lsquo;Raman Effect&rsquo;. Government of India designated 28 February as National Science Day in 1986. On this day Sir C.V. Raman announced the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930. On this occasion, theme-based science communication activities are carried out all over the country. The theme launch will trigger celebrations of NSD specially in schools &amp; colleges throughout the country.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science &amp; Technology (DST) said that as we embark on the celebration of NSD and move ahead with the launch of the theme for 2024, it is clearly evident that our scientific endeavours have the power to shape not only the future of our nation but also contribute significantly towards global advancement.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58')), 'mostReadArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24286', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Qiagen launches AI-derived biomedical knowledge base to accelerate data-driven drug discovery', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2-24286.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'qiagen-launches-ai-derived-biomedical-knowledge-base-to-accelerate-data-driven-drug-discovery', 'page1' => '<p align="justify">US-based Qiagen has announced the launch of Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI, a new generative AI-driven knowledge base designed to propel drug discovery in the pharma and biotech industries. This new offering is designed for data scientists and bioinformaticians who are looking for the most comprehensive knowledge graphs to fuel data-driven drug discovery.</p> <p align="justify">Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI is built on a massive dataset of biomedical literature and other scientific sources. It identifies and extracts causal relationships between genes, diseases, drugs and other biological entities with artificial intelligence (AI), generating over 600 million more biomedical relationships than its complement, Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD. This expansive knowledge base helps data scientists understand disease mechanisms, identify drug targets or biomarkers and explore strategies for repurposing existing drugs. Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI provides the most complete picture of biomedical relationships, including edge cases and novel relationships.</p> <p align="justify">While Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD is manually curated and known for its high quality and accuracy, Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI contains over 25x more relationships, allowing data scientists to generate new insights. Both knowledge bases can be used to provide both high-quality and high-quantity biomedical relationships data for data scientists and bioinformaticians to mine and validate.</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '60'), array('articleId' => '24284', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'IIT Kanpur partners with UP government to enhance tele-medicine using AI', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_28_at_3_48_48_pm-24284.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'iit-kanpur-partners-with-up-government-to-enhance-tele-medicine-using-ai', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">The Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and the Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to revolutionise healthcare delivery and advance tele-medicine facilities in the state through the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI).</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU was signed by Ranjan Kumar IAS, Secretary, Health &amp; Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Professor Sandeep Verma, Professor-In-Charge, Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Kanpur, in the presence of&nbsp;other dignitaries.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU outlines several key areas of collaboration, including anchoring tele-medicine hubs and enhancing the quality of tele-medicine services, implementing AI-based solutions to address population health impact, developing point-of-care diagnostics to drive program improvements, conducting competency-based capacity building for health cadres, and utilizing database predictions and analysis for informed decision-making.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">This will help the Department to make optimal use of the UP Digital Health Stack (UP-DHS) and ensure that every citizen of the state, wherever they are, will be able to access healthcare when needed. In Uttar Pradesh, UP-DHS is making significant strides in implementation, with foundational NHS elements deployed across all health administrative units and the rollout of essential healthcare applications well underway.</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '100'), array('articleId' => '24282', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Medtech firm Stryker expands prototype and testing facility in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/styker-24282.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'medtech-firm-stryker-expands-prototype-and-testing-facility-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker, a global leader in medical technologies, has officially expanded its prototype and testing facility in India, marking significant growth of its R&amp;D footprint in the country.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This advanced 55,600-square-foot facility integrates cutting-edge infrastructure, enhanced microbiology capabilities, and a talented team to drive innovation and ensure product quality across its medical technology portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Investing in innovation from India is a focus area for Stryker," said&nbsp;Ram Rangarajan, Vice President of Stryker Global Technology Center, India. "This new lab represents our commitment to developing medical technologies that improve patient outcomes and comply with the highest regulatory standards."</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker's new facility is dedicated to the rigorous life cycle testing of medical devices. The new lab boasts several key features:</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Prototyping and product assurance hub:&nbsp;Equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure for plastic 3D printing,&nbsp;metal machining, and a diverse range of testing capabilities,&nbsp;the lab supports prototyping and product assurance across Stryker's entire product portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Expanded microbiology competency:&nbsp;The lab strengthens Stryker's ability to conduct comprehensive microbiological testing,&nbsp;ensuring the safety and efficacy of its medical technologies.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Talented team of engineers and microbiologists:&nbsp; Highly skilled engineers and microbiologists will use the advanced equipment and expertise to develop innovative solutions that positively impact patients around the world.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '93'), array('articleId' => '24262', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Miltenyi Biotec to open Cell and Gene Therapy Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/gene-24262.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'miltenyi-biotec-to-open-cell-and-gene-therapy-centre-of-excellence-in-hyderabad', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">German firm Miltenyi Biotec is launching operations in India with its first office and investing to set up Miltenyi Innovation and Technology Center as Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Hyderabad.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This COE will be one of its first of its kind in India where scientists, researchers, industry experts and clinicians can get classroom to hands-on trainings on cell and gene therapy approaches right from proof of concept to pre-clinical / clinical development and commercialisation. This CoE also will provide Indian researchers, scientists and clinicians easier access to expertise, research, and manufacturing solutions.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Each year, more than 10,000 patients are treated with cell products using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies. More than&nbsp; 950 investigational new drug (IND) applications as well as investigational device exemptions (IDE) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies and platforms.&nbsp;&nbsp;In doing so, the company is well poised to enable local development and manufacturing in India to drive affordable and&nbsp;accessible CGT therapies by academia and industry for Indian as well as global patients.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Boris Stoffel,&nbsp;Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s Managing Director, highlighted that the company intends to seek opportunities to catalyse development of CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T cell clinical development and manufacturing, with the prospect of bringing centralised and point-of-care CAR T cell therapy to hospitals across India.</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 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'siteId' => '2', 'sourceId' => '2', 'userId' => '4', 'lastUpdatedByUserId' => '26', 'articleType' => 'Static', 'language' => null, 'blogType' => null, 'pageSlug' => 'footer-top-left', 'magazineIssue' => null, 'pullquote' => null, 'restrictionType' => null, 'seoKeyword' => null, 'articleReadCount' => '0'), 'subsectionAlias' => 'segments', 'subsection' => 'Segments', 'section' => '', 'sectionId' => '', 'aliasName' => '', 'leadershipArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24267', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'What’s Shaking Up India’s Life Sciences Real Estate Sector?', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/bs1-24267.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'whats-shaking-up-indias-life-sciences-real-estate-sector', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2021,&nbsp; a California-based life sciences real estate development company acquired Hotel Buckminster. This acquisition was done to redevelop the closed hotel into a life science lab space. Again in May 2021, a facility that housed the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive was transformed into a new life sciences lab on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the same year in India, a Canadian Pension Fund along with a Singapore-based wealth and asset management firm jointly invested $100 million (Rs 7.5 billion) in life sciences R&amp;D facilities in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. This investment, according to reports, proved to be a stepping stone for more equity investments in this segment. On February 6, 2024, life sciences real estate developer, Rx Propellant announced an initial investment of $75 million in phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai Research (NMR) District, as part of its continued regional expansion strategy across India.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In all the four developments mentioned above, it is clear that post-pandemic, the demand for life sciences-related real estate has significantly increased. Both greenfield and brownfield projects have surged, as the pandemic fuelled the demand for locally manufactured pharma and medical products.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, in the last few decades, has witnessed the IT and manufacturing sectors invest heavily in real estate and infrastructure. But in the post-pandemic era, we see life sciences companies require space to innovate, for R&amp;D, and manufacture at scale.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Fast-evolving life sciences market&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India is one of the fastest-growing life sciences markets in the world and the sector is poised to see multi-fold growth by 2030 led by a fast-increasing population, rising life expectancy, a strong industrial base and inclusive government initiatives. In addition, India&rsquo;s demographic dividend, strong industrial base and policy push are known to be the growth drivers for the life sciences sector in the country.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The increasing government spending on the healthcare sector, cost benefits in terms of affordable manpower &amp; real estate expenses, and the availability of a large talent pool are the catalysts of life sciences growth in India. Schemes like Production Linked Incentive (PLI)&nbsp; have boosted domestic manufacturing which&nbsp; has resulted in the need for more space in industrial and tech parks. Also, global exports of pharmaceutical and biotechnology products and medical devices from the country have forced many companies to invest in capacity building and human resources.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Notably, India ranks second globally in terms of the number of US FDA-certified plants located outside the US, closely followed by China. Strengths of this kind and the constantly evolving sector are&nbsp; furthering the requirement for large-scale&nbsp; manufacturing, MSMEs, wet laboratories, R&amp;D hubs, incubators, and data centres&nbsp; coupled with other IT &amp; ES support.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the next decade, it is estimated that the requirement for life sciences R&amp;D real estate in India is likely to grow to somewhere between $16 billion (Rs 1,200 billion) and $34 billion (Rs 2,550 billion) as per conservative and optimistic scenarios.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Push from PEs and VCs</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India&rsquo;s life sciences R&amp;D real estate is emerging as a high-potential asset class for institutional investors. Aided by exponential global demand growth, geopolitical environment, policies initiatives, and skilled workforce this sector is rapidly transforming.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Atul Bhardwaj, Business Head, Lighthouse Canton Real Estate</strong>, indicates that both domestic and international investors are demonstrating a strong interest in India's life sciences real estate market. According to Bhardwaj, private equity firms, venture capitalists, and real estate developers are actively investing significant capital in the development of specialised facilities to meet the requirements of life sciences companies. He says, &ldquo;Biotechnology parks and clusters are emerging as key focal points for life sciences research and manufacturing in India. These specialised hubs offer world-class infrastructure, shared amenities, and a collaborative ecosystem that encourages innovation and cooperation among industry stakeholders, academic institutions, and research organisations.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Citing one other compelling factor of the life sciences real estate market to surge, Bhardwaj, says, &ldquo;This sector's operational model does not accommodate the concept of working from home, which presents a compelling opportunity for real estate developers. The recent pandemic underscored the resilience of the pharmaceutical sector. While many industries, including office realty, experienced significant disruptions, the pharmaceutical sector's demand for space significantly increased, further cementing its critical role in the global economy.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Arvind Nandan, Managing Director &ndash; Research &amp; Consulting, Savills India</strong>, says, &ldquo;Venture Capital funding into the life sciences industry in India stood at $448 million (Rs 34 billion) in 2021 through August, almost 3x of the annual average of the previous years, making it clear that this segment will play a pivotal role in the overall growth of the Indian Real Estate industry.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Adopting the asset light model</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We know that globally organisations across all sectors &ndash; be it small or big &ndash; are undergoing massive digital transformation and smart business strategies that are sustainable and cost-effective are implemented. Owing to that, businesses are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to scale up faster, which has given rise to many alternate models of operations, including the concept of going asset-light.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Asset-light model offers a strategic approach where companies minimise their ownership of physical assets (such as buildings or land). Companies go asset-light by owning fewer capital-intensive assets compared to their operational assets. By doing this, life sciences companies focus on their core competencies (such as research, development, and production) and avoid heavy investments in real estate.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Merck &amp; Co., Inc. (MSD outside the US and Canada) is a prime example of an asset-light pharmaceutical company. Merck collaborates with specialised Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisations (CDMOs) for various stages of drug development and production. By leveraging external partners, they avoid heavy capital expenditure on building and maintaining several of their own manufacturing facilities.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sharing his view on the asset light model, <strong>Rx Propellant&rsquo;s CEO Milind Ravi</strong>, says, &ldquo;While traditionally dominated by &lsquo;user-owned&rsquo; models, an evident but slow shift to &lsquo;asset-light&rsquo; options in India indicates growing demand for agile growth-ready infrastructure. With its increased focus on innovation, India&rsquo;s life sciences market is expected to grow threefold in the next decade, reaching $130 billion by 2030. This in turn is set to generate demand for over 100 million square feet of specialised infrastructure across several existing ecosystems including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Vizag, and Pune among others.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another aspect to asset-light operations is the advantage companies draw from sharing infrastructure elements. Atul Bhardwaj opines that the model of providing comprehensive amenities under one roof offers significant benefits to companies by eliminating the need for capital expenditure on individual pieces of equipment such as chillers and DG sets. This approach, he says, not only reduces the initial capital outlay but also lowers the overall opex for companies, as costs related to maintenance, security, and technical manpower are shared.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;This cost model is particularly advantageous, as it would otherwise be a substantial financial burden for a company to bear alone for its standalone unit. Real estate developers who offer high-quality infrastructure can further reduce a company's upfront expenses by providing essential utilities like nitrogen generators and vacuum systems. A multi-tenanted building thus emerges as a mutually beneficial arrangement for both developers and tenant companies,&rdquo; says Bhardwaj.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Sustainable infrastructure&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In almost every industry, the board members, shareholders advocate the importance of the mandates of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) of business operations. The threat of climate change has prompted many industries to develop environmental strategies to reduce their carbon footprints, with the life sciences industry on the top of the pyramid.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Being climate conscious has brought in new concepts in smart buildings and other digitally supported facilities and infrastructure models. Open floor plans, shared workspaces, and flexible furniture are some of today&rsquo;s trends that are known to foster interaction and knowledge sharing, similar to what's seen in modern IT work spaces. This shift in life sciences too encourages cross-disciplinary research, faster problem-solving, and quicker innovation and most importantly sharing resources.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Emerging trends in innovation have seen an increase in demand for next-gen spaces with flexible workspaces, integration of wet lab-computation stations, highly sensitive zones for increasingly sophisticated equipment and process flow optimisation. New developments designed to accommodate such variables offer sustainable long-term solutions,&rdquo; Milind Ravi opines from his experience.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Also, leading life sciences companies in India prefer to operate from large-scale clusters that can meet both their office and R&amp;D needs. Startups and MSMEs are also increasingly opting to locate themselves in prominent clusters with a clear industrial positioning and abundant R&amp;D resources. Genome Valley (Hyderabad) and Electronic City (Bengaluru) are great examples of such collaborative ecosystems.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">So, if, today, we were to walk into any of India&rsquo;s life sciences parks, we would be delighted to see those spaces being built on modern modular designs having mobile equipment and reconfigurable layouts, with amazing aesthetics and classy landscaping.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">What will also be evident is that the traditional life sciences technicians confining themselves to sterile laboratories would be ancient. Today&rsquo;s workplaces recognise the need for a more holistic environment with sprawling cafeterias, breakout huddles, and interactive/entertainment spaces. Apart from being modern with the changing times, such amenities are considered by the HR department as a way to attract and retain talent.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Leasing: a preferred business model&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Savills, in its report titled </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unlocking Opportunities: Life Sciences and Real Estate in India&rsquo;, indicates that leasing properties to the biotech industry can provide a steady stream of rental income and long-term investment potential for real estate developers.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since life sciences is a rapidly growing and promising sector with significant investments and advancements, by leasing to them, real estate companies become part of their growth story, giving them the advantage of increased long-term value and brand association.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Leasing also brings about several advantages to realtors. Life sciences companies typically require specific and tailored facilities, leading to lesser turnover compared to other commercial leases. This translates to reduced management costs and higher occupancy rates. Also, life sciences companies often require long-term leases due to the complex nature of their facilities and research projects. This stability translates to predictable and dependable income for the real estate companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking from his company&rsquo;s perspective, Milind Ravi,</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> says,&nbsp;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;We bring a very inclusive approach to support companies of all scales not just with infrastructure, but a gamut of ecosystem services that play a pivotal role in their overall experience. We lease laboratory spaces on tailored models based on the need, timelines, intended use and life-stage of our tenant partners. Our standard offering constitutes modular spaces in shared or dedicated formats &ndash; in both &lsquo;warm shell&rsquo; and &lsquo;plug-and-play&rsquo; models as part of integrated and life science-focussed clusters. Apart from this, we also deliver built-to-suit campuses in required specifications of the tenant.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;While our facilities are built for multi-tenancy where each organisation can work independently, we are also working towards developing co-working laboratory spaces with shared equipment and amenities. These are becoming increasingly popular, especially among startups and small research teams,&rdquo; says Milind Ravi.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Growth is certain</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A report titled &lsquo;Life Sciences Industry &amp; Real Estate Perspective 2024: Putting Asia Pacific under the microscope&rsquo; by global real estate company JLL sheds light on India&rsquo;s pharma industry's growth trajectory. While the pandemic undeniably spurred investment due to the vaccine race, the report emphasizes that interest was already on the rise owing to the ongoing breakthroughs in areas like immuno-oncology and neonatology. This pre-existing momentum, fuelled by technological advancements, has directly translated into increased commercial real estate leasing within the pharma sector. This may be true to India&rsquo;s life sciences sector too.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">JLL stresses on the fact that when companies get funding from venture capitalists, they need lab space in order to deliver as soon as possible. Also, sizeable investments bring with them a plethora of life sciences jobs, which can also spur development of housing, retail and other urban amenities that serve the people who live and work for the expanding companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">From Bhardwaj&rsquo;s inputs we can infer that India has a robust domestic market, bolstered further by the Government of India's </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;Jan Aushadhi&rsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> scheme, aimed at providing quality generic medicines at affordable prices to its citizens. As the third-largest exporter of pharmaceuticals by volume and the thirteenth by value, the demand for space is going to grow.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the pharma industry presents sufficient scope, the medical device industry is not any less. Considered as the sunrise sector, the medical devices industry is estimated to reach $50 billion by 2030. In the last five years, the export of medical devices has been increasing at a rate of 9.37 per cent. India&rsquo;s policy to allow 100 per cent foreign investment under an automatic route in the medical devices sector has helped attract significant investments, which has further pushed the demand for real estate. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the medical device industry in India has also helped augment the domestic manufacturing and in reducing dependence on imports. Hence, manufacturing hubs are being set up in many economic zones of the country. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We can therefore conclude with the evidence that there is immense potential for life sciences real estate development to surge in India. Though the country has limited core life sciences real estate investable stock at present, majority of the growth will come from developing new facilities that entail typical development and leasing risks. The stakeholders, however, forecast an increasing investor appetite for Indian life sciences real estate as the sector gains scale over time.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Anusha Ashwin</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => 'Anusha Ashwin', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24273', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'Dissecting Gender Disparity', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/women-24273.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'dissecting-gender-disparity', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in the Indian healthcare industry are mainly concentrated in low-paying frontline positions. In India, 29 per cent of medical doctors, 80 per cent of nursing staff (including midwives), and nearly 100 per cent of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are women. Despite this, women hold only 18 per cent of healthcare leadership positions and continue to earn 34 per cent less than their male counterparts.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are the outcomes of the study titled &lsquo;An Unbalanced Scale - Exploring the Female Leadership Gap in India's Healthcare Sector&rsquo; from Dasra, a non-profit organisation. The&nbsp; study revealed that the Indian healthcare sector, one of the country's largest employers, has experienced substantial growth. It takes a closer look at women's representation in healthcare and the leadership opportunities available to them.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><strong>Inspiring leaders</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"What is concerning is the gap between the proportion of women in healthcare and those who occupy leadership positions. At entry levels, women's representation in sales, marketing, and operations ranges from 40-50 per cent. However, this significantly drops to 15-20 per cent in senior roles," says <strong>Shailja Mehta, Director at Dasra</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is behind this gender gap in leadership positions? Societal norms, cultural expectations and implicit biases against women are some of the main factors that&nbsp;have contributed to the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions. &ldquo;It is a complex issue. The lack of female role models and mentors perpetuates this gender gap," says Shailja.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some believe that one of the primary reasons for the skewed gender ratio in STEM is the stereotyping that begins early in life. Societal expectations often push girls towards more traditionally feminine roles, diverting them away from technical and scientific fields. As a result, fewer women choose STEM education and careers. While others argue that the current gap is a reflection of what was happening 20 years ago, when fewer women entered science careers.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;&ldquo;Today&rsquo;s leaders represent those who entered the field 15-20 years back. Now that the number of women entering these fields has significantly increased in recent years, we will see a lot of women leaders in the coming years. In fact, a major proportion of startups are led by women. They have the capability to do it,&rdquo; <strong>Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, former director, National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) Pune</strong>, says, "The situation is definitely improving. For more women to take leadership roles, changes are required at the family, community and industry level."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Dr Pragya Yadav, senior scientist at the National Institute of Virology, Pune</strong>, who played an instrumental role in the development of Covaxin, agrees. "The situation has certainly improved, but school-going girls should have access to reputable colleges and safe residential facilities for pursuing science as a subject for the real change to occur. Besides, they need support in equal measure, from their families and the industry when raising their children. If they lose that time, catching up becomes difficult,&rdquo; she says. &nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Furthermore, this support should not be seen as an extra favour to women, but rather as their right. Children are the future and the environment they experience while growing up is crucial to their growth and development. It is the duty of both families and society, not just mothers alone, to provide a safe and suitable environment for them," she added. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Manya Jha, a young entrepreneur and founder of Morphedo Technologies</strong>, a deep tech startup in aerospace and defence, medical device engineering, IoT and embedded systems, faced the challenge of balancing child care and her career after the birth of her daughter. To tackle this challenge, she established a small child care centre at her office.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Starting just 20 days after my daughter was born, I brought her to my workplace every day. I made space in my cabin where she could stay with me. Until she was 7 months old, my husband and I took care of her in the shared cabin (during COVID-19 period). At the time of her birth, my startup was also at a crucial stage,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Both my daughter and my company required my personal attention. There were instances when I had to attend important meetings with senior scientists while holding my one-month-old daughter. I believe it's all about the confidence with which you pursue your career."</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today, Manya's company has around&nbsp; 40 employees and the child care centre is now available to all new mothers, offering support in looking after their children while at work.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, despite the challenges, there has been a noticeable shift in the narrative over the past decade, with the number of women leaders emerging in STEM careers increasing slowly but steadily. And these women are not only excelling &nbsp;in their respective fields but also helping dismantling barriers that hinder the progress of other aspiring women.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several prominent women leaders are setting an example for others. Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr Priya Abraham, Director of the National Institute of Virology, biotech stalwart &nbsp;Kiran Majumdar-Shaw,&nbsp; and entrepreneurs like Dr Kavita Iyer Rodrigues and Vasanthi Ramachandran represent some of the most sought after leaders in the industry.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Women are leading more than 30 per cent of the startups incubated at our centre. In many others, they are co-founders or hold significant positions," says <strong>Dr Manisha Premnath, COO of Venture Center</strong>, an incubation centre in Pune that helps startups grow.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Breaking the glass ceiling</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While there is a rise of women leaders in the health and biotech sector, it is important to acknowledge the challenges they continue to face. Stereotypes, biases, and a lack of institutional support still exist. The &lsquo;glass ceiling&rsquo; phenomenon persists, making it difficult for women to reach the highest levels of leadership. A male-centric workplace culture, coupled with a lack of flexibility and understanding regarding work-life balance, discourage women from pursuing or sustaining leadership roles.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The biggest challenge that women face is breaking these stereotypes and breaking free from the vicious cycle of work and life. They need to step out of their comfort zones, or rather, their safe zones, and then there will be no stopping them. Fortunately, nowadays there are several schemes and funds available to support women," says <strong>Dr Deeksha Bhartiya, Founder of Genomiki</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coming from a very traditional, yet ambitious family, Dr Deeksha got married at a young age and encountered challenges in maintaining a balance between her personal and professional life. However, she didn't allow these challenges to deter her from pursuing her doctoral studies and career. "There were many senior male scientists who advised me to take up a permanent job instead of embarking on my entrepreneurial journey. I was told that women should prioritise stability over adventure. However, I am fortunate to have a very supportive family who always push me to exceed my limits and support me in all my decisions."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Exiting the vicious circle</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The foundation for achieving gender parity in STEM careers is laid during the crucial years of education. Schools and educational institutions play an important role in challenging these stereotypes and encouraging girls to explore their interests in science and technology. STEM-focused educational programmes, workshops, and extracurricular activities can help break down gender-based barriers from a young age. Scholarships and mentorship programmes can encourage girls to pursue science education.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To encourage more women to pursue careers in STEM and foster an inclusive and diverse workforce, it is important to adopt unbiased recruitment practices, create a supportive environment for their progress, and implement flexible work arrangements.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is a growing emphasis on incorporating diverse perspectives in STEM curricula. Highlighting the contributions of women scientists and engineers in textbooks and classroom discussions can inspire both girls and boys, challenging preconceived notions about gender roles in these fields. There should be more networking events, conferences and platforms that specifically focus on women in STEM to provide valuable opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing. These spaces not only celebrate the achievements of women in the field but also facilitate the exchange of ideas and strategies to overcome common challenges.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emphasising the pivotal role women play in shaping a sustainable future through scientific leadership, <strong>Melody Lopez, Director and Chief of Staff Crayon Software Experts India</strong> says &ldquo;Fostering women's leadership in science is not just about gender equality but also a catalyst for achieving sustainable development goals. The theme reflects a call to action, urging communities, governments, and organisations to provide equal opportunities for women and girls in science, ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making processes.&rdquo; She further says &ldquo;As we champion women and girls in science leadership, let us embrace this new era, where their voices, ideas, and leadership propel us toward a brighter, more sustainable future for all.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The journey towards gender parity in STEM careers in India could be challenging, but the momentum for change is growing.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><strong>Gunjan Sharma</strong></strong></p> <p><em><strong>gunjan.sharma@mmactiv.com</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => 'Gunjan Sharma ', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24271', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => '“There is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation”', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_27_at_5_20_34_pm-24271.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'there-is-a-significant-gap-in-the-infrastructure-required-for-ai-implementation', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Artificial Intelligence (AI) has completely changed the way we see the world today. How do you see AI revolutionising drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry? Can AI help in discovering new drug molecules that could help treat deadly and chronic diseases like cancers and AIDS?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The future of human life is completely impacted by AI. Particularly its emergence in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry will have a vital impact on disease control and new drug discoveries.&nbsp;AI is poised to revolutionise drug discovery in several ways. It can drastically reduce the time needed to discover and develop new drugs. AI can be used to help suggest novel combinations for treating fatal diseases and even predict treatment outcomes. Additionally, AI facilitates personalised medicine by tailoring treatments to individual patients, which can ultimately speed up the development of new therapies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key challenges in implementing AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly in the context of regulatory compliance?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I feel, the pharma and healthcare organisations in India are yet to gear up for AI. Many are still in the process of adapting to the advancements in the pharmaceutical industry brought about by digitalisation. Despite this progress, the majority of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are not adequately prepared to integrate AI into their operations. AI adoption, beyond platforms like Chat GPT, remains in its infancy and requires further exploration and validation. Moreover, there is a pressing need to harmonise regulatory compliances, particularly in manufacturing standards outlined by the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH). This entails the implementation of electronic documentation systems and global alignment on regulatory practices to ensure both qualitative and compliant manufacturing and healthcare delivery systems. Additionally, there is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation, including the necessary hardware, software, and skilled professionals, which remains to be addressed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a specific example where AI has been successfully utilised to discover or develop a new drug?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although AI is currently making strides in drug discovery, its continual evolution opens up a multitude of possibilities in terms of drug candidates, their structures, and the discovery process. This versatility allows for the pinpointing of targeted molecules tailored to specific therapies or multiple therapeutic discoveries. A recent example highlighting this potential is Insilico Medicine's Pharma.AI, which is revolutionising drug discovery with its suite of AI-powered tools. PandaOmics, for instance, drastically reduces the time required for multi-omics target discovery, from several months to a few clicks. Similarly, Chemistry42 employs machine learning for de novo drug design, generating lead-like molecules within a week. Additionally, InClinico provides an invaluable tool for efficient clinical trial management, identifying potential weaknesses in trial design and predicting success rates. Collectively, these tools are streamlining the traditionally lengthy drug discovery process, accelerating the pursuit of breakthrough medicine.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you envision the role of AI evolving in personalised medicine and patient care?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I believe AI could be groundbreaking by using large amounts of data from healthy and sick people. It could help analyse specific therapeutic segments quickly to see how drugs work over time and improve their formulations. It would also support Phase IV clinical trials, especially in monitoring drug safety (Pharmacovigilance). Overall, AI in personalised medicine and patient care has the potential to improve healthcare, make treatments better, and give patients more control over their health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the ethical considerations that need to be addressed when deploying AI in healthcare settings?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The primary concern lies in protecting patient identity, which can be achieved through AI by masking identities in documentation, albeit in previously challenging areas. The rigidity and security levels of AI coding stand out as effective measures for safeguarding patient identity compared to traditional masking systems. However, the implementation of AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly concerning regulatory compliance, presents various challenges and ethical considerations. These include ensuring data privacy and security, adhering to diverse regulations, deciphering complex AI algorithms, managing the time and cost implications, addressing potential biases perpetuated by AI algorithms, integrating solutions into existing systems, navigating complex ethical and legal considerations, determining accountability and liability for decisions made, preserving patient autonomy and consent, and conducting real-time reviews for corrections.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How can AI help address the challenges of drug resistance in infectious diseases?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The emergence of drug resistance in infectious diseases poses a significant healthcare challenge. However, AI offers a promising solution by playing a crucial role in addressing this issue. Through predictive analytics, AI can forecast which drugs may become ineffective against evolving pathogens, allowing for proactive adjustments in treatment strategies. Furthermore, AI aids in the discovery of alternative treatments, the development of more effective medications, and the customisation of treatment plans tailored to individual patients. By providing real-time insights into the changing landscape of drug resistance, AI enables healthcare professionals to adapt swiftly, ultimately enhancing the efficacy of treatments and improving patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What strategies can be employed to ensure the fairness and transparency of AI algorithms in healthcare decision-making?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To maintain trust, mitigate bias, and foster equitable outcomes, it is crucial to prioritise fairness and transparency in the use of AI algorithms for healthcare decision-making. Some of the strategies to achieve this include ensuring transparency of both data and algorithms, promoting diversity and inclusivity in the development process, conducting external validation and evaluation, and establishing regulatory frameworks and guidelines.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you see AI impacting the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services globally?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While AI offers significant potential for improving the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services on a global scale, there are challenges to overcome. These include ensuring fair access to AI-driven technologies, addressing concerns regarding data privacy and security, and navigating regulatory and ethical issues. Collaboration among various stakeholders, such as governments, healthcare providers, technology developers, and community organisations, is vital to fully realise the benefits of AI in enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key factors hindering the adoption of AI in pharmaceutical research and development?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pharmaceutical companies face several challenges when it comes to using AI in research and development. Firstly, they require high-quality and comprehensive datasets to effectively train AI models. Secondly, they must adhere to strict regulatory guidelines set by government agencies. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies often possess proprietary data and intellectual property that may not be easily compatible with AI systems. Finally, the significant investment required to implement AI technology presents a barrier to adoption for many companies in the industry.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a case where AI-driven predictive modelling has significantly improved clinical trial outcomes or drug efficacy in the Healthcare system?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's important to note that using AI in the healthcare system, along with a thorough review of relevant literature from sources like PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and EMBASE, is significant. Integrating AI into healthcare has the potential to greatly improve disease diagnosis, treatment selection, and clinical laboratory testing. AI tools can analyse large sets of data and find patterns, outperforming humans in many healthcare tasks. AI brings higher accuracy, lower costs, and time savings, while also reducing human errors. It can revolutionise personalised medicine, optimise medication dosages, improve population health management, set guidelines, offer virtual health assistants, support mental health care, enhance patient education, and strengthen patient-physician trust.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, AI can be used in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) by using machine learning algorithms to predict drug-drug interactions. By analysing large sets of patient data, these algorithms can detect potential drug interactions. This helps to decrease the risk of adverse drug reactions, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Amguth Raju</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>hyderabad@mmactiv.com&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => 'Amguth Raju', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17'), array('articleId' => '24280', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Effectively Eliminating Drug-resistant TB', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/tb-24280.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'effectively-eliminating-drug-resistant-tb', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has the highest burden of TB, with two deaths occurring every three minutes from the disease. The country recorded a staggering 28 lakh cases in 2022, accounting for 27 per cent of the global cases, according to WHO.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India initiated the TB Free India campaign with the ambitious goal of eradicating TB by 2025, a milestone set five years earlier than the target outlined by the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Despite facing setbacks due to COVID-19, the nation doubled down on its efforts, resulting in notable progress. The India TB Report 2023 heralded 2022 as a pivotal year in TB surveillance, noting a significant achievement with a record-high notification of 24.2 lakh TB cases, representing an increase of over 13 per cent compared to 2021.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The latest WHO Global TB Report 2023 acknowledged and praised India's efforts in its fight against TB, particularly highlighting the effectiveness of its case detection strategies. The report emphasised that India's intensified case detection strategies led to the highest-ever notification of cases in 2022, surpassing pre-COVID levels. The government's key initiatives, such as specialised active case finding drives, the scaling up of molecular diagnostics to block levels, decentralisation of screening services through Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, and private sector engagement, have significantly reduced the gap in missing cases.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Road to elimination&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the country has made remarkable progress in its fight against TB, the adoption of additional strategies such as shorter treatment regimens, the development of vaccines, and a renewed focus on nutrition could prove to be game-changers in its goal of eliminating TB for good.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The BPaL regimen, composed of Bedaquiline, Pretomanid and Linezolid, presents a promising alternative for a shorter, safer and more tolerable treatment option for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). Lasting only 26 weeks, it contrasts sharply with conventional DR-TB treatments, which can span 18 to 21 months and entail the consumption of over 4,000 to 5,000 tablets. Endorsed by the US FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) in 2019 and the WHO in 2022, the BPaL regimen has been implemented in more than 70 countries, including South Africa, Ukraine, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;The older, conventional regimen for drug-resistant TB included prolonged use of injections with other drugs. This was associated with increased incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), implementation challenges under the programme and inconvenience to the patients. The new TB drug regimen uses the newer oral drugs like Bedaquiline, Delamanid or Pretomanid, or the repurposed drugs such as linezolid, clofazimine, etc. These regimens are injection free and have lesser pill burden leading to more acceptance among the TB patients besides reducing the implementation challenges due to the use of injections. They have the ability to kill the actively multiplying drug-resistant TB bacteria faster and a sustained killing of the bacteria to prevent the recurrence of the TB disease among the patients. These regimens have shown improved treatment success rates under field conditions under the national programme,&rdquo; said <strong>Dr Rupak Singla, Head of Department, National Institute of TB &amp; Respiratory Diseases, New Delhi</strong>.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Singla further said &ldquo;To combat the adverse drug reactions of these regimen, specially due to drug linezolid, various regimens using different dosages and durations of linezolid have demonstrated reduced incidence of ADRs maintaining the efficacy of the regimen. Hence, these newer treatment drug regimens could reduce the global burden of drug-resistant TB. However, the requirement of a good quality laboratory network, availability and higher cost of the drugs continue to pose a challenge.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new regimen is shorter, easier on patients and improves treatment adherence, resulting in better outcomes compared to previous drug regimens.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Talking about the potential implications of the new TB drug regimen on India&rsquo;s TB control efforts, Dr Singla stated, &ldquo;The cure rate for previous conventional TB regimen for multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) was to the tune of around 50 per cent and for Extensively drug-resistant-TB (XDR-TB), less than 30 per cent. The new TB drug regimen has the potential for significant improvement in treatment success rates for MDR-TB as well as XDR-TB.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In India the national data shows that more than 36,000 drug-resistant TB patients have been initiated on shorter oral Bedaquiline-containing regimen and more than 92,000 patients have been initiated on longer oral regimen till date. Treatment success rates of shorter oral regimen for the cohort April-September 2022 (around 12,000 patients) is 69 per cent and of longer oral regimen for the cohort January-September 2021 (around 15,000 patients) is 71 per cent. The improved success rates of new drug regimens is likely to translate into less number of deaths due to TB, reduced period of infectiousness of TB patients and reduced transmission of TB to others in the community leading to reduced incidence of TB.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Studies at the 2023 Union World Conference on Lung Health affirm WHO-endorsed regimens' effectiveness, surpassing traditional 18- to 24-month treatments. The goal is to urge high-burden DR-TB countries to update guidelines and offer shorter treatments to all patients in need. Only 40 per cent of the 410,000 people with DR-TB in 2022 had access to the shorter regimen, as per a WHO report.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A group of experts in the country have stressed the need for introducing the BPaL regimen in the TB control programme of the country. B<strong>lessina Kumar, CEO, Global Coalition of TB Advocates, New Delhi</strong> emphasised the potential cost savings associated with its adoption, citing studies estimating a global annual savings of $740 million. With India accounting for a significant portion of global multi-drug, rifampicin-resistant (MDR/RR-TB) treated patients, she suggested that the country could save nearly $250 million per year through the implementation of this regimen. India will likely roll out the new regime soon.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>TB Vaccine</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vaccination holds promise as a game-changer for TB elimination. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is conducting phase III trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two vaccines: VPM1002 and MIP (Mycobacterium indicus pranii). VPM1002 is a live vaccine based on recombinant BCG, modified for better safety and efficacy. MIP or Immuvac, originally developed for leprosy, is a whole-cell TB vaccine candidate. The trial aims to assess the effectiveness of these vaccines in preventing TB disease, among 12,721 individuals exposed to TB at home (referred to as household contacts). Enrollment for the study is complete, with participant follow-up currently ongoing, according to the pipeline report 2022 by the Treatment Action Group.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bharat Biotech is partnering with the Spanish firm BIOFABRI to develop, manufacture, and distribute a new tuberculosis vaccine across over 70 countries in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The TB vaccine candidate by Bharat Biotech is set to enter phase-III trials soon.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Lancet study highlighted the pivotal role of nutrition in TB management. The&nbsp; Reducing Activation of Tuberculosis by Improvement of Nutritional Status (RATIONS) trial demonstrated that providing food baskets to TB patients and their households reduced all forms of TB by nearly 40 per cent and infectious TB by almost 50 per cent. In 2018, the Indian government launched the 'Nikshay Poshan Yojana,' a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to offer nutrition support to TB patients. Since its inception, the scheme has disbursed approximately Rs 2613 crore to over 95 lakh TB patients.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has indeed made significant strides in addressing TB; however, the battle against the disease is far from over. Despite enhanced detection and surveillance efforts, there's&nbsp; a need to adopt newer strategies to combat TB effectively. Advances in R&amp;D of vaccines, access to newer drug regimens, enhanced focus on nutrition will all help in propelling TB elimination goals.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Ayesha Siddiqui&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ayesha Siddiqui', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24272', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Prioritising Women’s Health & Wellbeing ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2036811071-24272.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: gettyimages', 'pageSlug' => 'prioritising-womens-health-wellbeing-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a new report from the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute launched at Davos in January 2024, women may live longer than men, on average, but they spend 25 per cent more of their lives in debilitating health. The report said improving diagnostics, data on women-specific conditions like ovarian cancer, and directing more investments towards women&rsquo;s health and research is needed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In particular, McKinsey research finds that less than 2 per cent of healthcare research and innovation is invested in female-specific conditions beyond cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This &lsquo;women&rsquo;s health gap&rsquo; equates to 75 million years of life lost due to poor health or early death each year. Closing the gap would benefit 3.9 billion women, giving them an extra seven healthy days a year, or an average of 500 days over a lifetime. Further, it could boost the global economy by $1 trillion by 2040 from fewer early deaths and health conditions, and a greater capacity for women to contribute to the economy and society.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a result of these findings, the final hours of the World Economic Forum in Davos saw the launch of a new Global Alliance for Women&rsquo;s Health, which has the broad ambition of &lsquo;re-shaping the future of women&rsquo;s health and the global economy.&rsquo; The health alliance will pledge new commitments from governments, philanthropies, and pharmaceutical companies, among others, across three pillars i.e. financing, science and innovation, and agenda-setting. So far, partners have pledged $55 million to improve women&rsquo;s health outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">With International Women&rsquo;s Day 2024 being themed around &lsquo;Inspiring inclusion&rsquo;, we see governments across the globe putting the much-needed emphasis on women&rsquo;s healthcare. For instance, the UAE has set out wide-ranging plans to bolster healthcare services for women, by approving the &lsquo;National Policy for Improving Women&rsquo;s Health&rsquo; for providing the highest healthcare services quality for women, whether curative, preventive or rehabilitative services. Similarly, the Irish government is paving the way for a longer-term comprehensive Women&rsquo;s Health Strategy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in England are being urged to help shape reproductive health policy, as the government seeks views on periods, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and menopause for health strategy. Likewise, the Biden administration recently announced a White House initiative to improve how the federal government approaches and funds research into the health of women, who make up more than half of the US population but remain understudied and underrepresented in health research.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, of course, is not far behind in this initiative. The Interim Budget 2024-25 announcement that took place on February 1, 2024, laid focus on encouraging vaccination for girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years for the prevention of cervical cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Besides these government initiatives, multiple efforts are also being made by the industry players to improve women&rsquo;s health. For example, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zurzuvae as the first and only oral treatment approved for women with postpartum depression, developed by American pharmaceutical company Biogen. The US FDA has also recently approved a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription for the first time in the US, a milestone that could significantly expand access to contraception. The pill&rsquo;s manufacturer, Perrigo Company is based in Dublin.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Further, biotech companies in the UK and Korea are embarking on the world's first prospective study of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered breast cancer detection, to streamline diagnosis, and tackle radiologist shortages. On the other hand, startups in India have developed groundbreaking multi-cancer detection tests specifically designed for high-risk and asymptomatic women.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quality, affordability, and accessibility, particularly in the context of women&rsquo;s health, are very critical aspects of ensuring well-being. This calls for greater mobilisation across sectors to invest in women&rsquo;s health, keeping in mind the imperatives of equity and integral care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Manbeena Chawla</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Executive Editor</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(</span><a href="mailto:manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com"><span style="font-weight: 400;">manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></p>', 'sequence' => '5', 'guestAuthor' => 'Dr Manbeena Chawla', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '101'), array('articleId' => '24270', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Establishing Ethical Frameworks for Equitable Use of AI in Healthcare ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/21-24270.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'establishing-ethical-frameworks-for-equitable-use-of-ai-in-healthcare-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The global healthcare landscape is witnessing a seismic transformation driven by AI technologies. From therapeutics to diagnostics, hospital operations to clinical decision-making, AI is making significant strides across diverse applications. According to Statista, the value of AI in the global healthcare market was $11 billion in 2021, projected to reach an estimated $188 billion by 2030. This staggering growth, at a compounded annual rate of 37 per cent, underscores the immense potential AI holds in reshaping the future of healthcare.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Transforming Medical Research and Imaging Analysis</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The impact of AI is not limited to specific segments; it spans the entire healthcare ecosystem. One critical domain experiencing a revolution is medical research, as AI expedites drug discovery processes. Through machine learning algorithms, researchers can predict the success rate of chemical compounds, significantly reducing the time and resources required for experimentation. This not only accelerates the pace of innovation but also holds the promise of bringing new, effective treatments to patients more rapidly.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the realm of medical imaging analysis, AI is proving to be a game-changer. It enables the rapid and accurate detection of anomalies in MRI scans, X-rays, and CT scans. Radiologists benefit from quicker identification of potential life-threatening issues, minimising human errors and enhancing diagnostic accuracy. This not only saves crucial time but also improves patient outcomes, particularly in cases where early detection is paramount.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Data-Driven Healthcare</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">AI is revolutionising the traditional landscape of diagnosis and treatment by providing clinicians with unprecedented data-driven insights. Machine learning algorithms analyse extensive patient data to identify patterns and correlations, facilitating more accurate and timely diagnosis. Personalised treatment plans based on individual patient characteristics are now a reality, enhancing the effectiveness of medical interventions. The ability to tailor treatments to specific patient profiles leads to improved outcomes and a more efficient allocation of healthcare resources.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Real-time assessment of treatment effectiveness by AI tools further contributes to improved clinical outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. Monitoring and adjusting treatment plans based on real-world data ensure that patients receive the most effective interventions tailored to their individual responses. This not only enhances patient care but also contributes to the sustainability of healthcare systems worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Predictive analysis, powered by AI, enables healthcare providers to forecast potential outcomes based on historical data and real-time health information. Identifying patients at risk of specific conditions allows for early intervention, preventing complications and improving overall healthcare efficiency. Large-scale population data analysis can also detect trends and outbreaks of infectious diseases before they become widespread, a critical capability showcased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability to anticipate and mitigate health crises is a testament to the power of AI in safeguarding public health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Patient-Centric Approach</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The integration of AI into healthcare is not solely about clinical applications; it extends to improving the overall patient experience. Streamlining appointment scheduling, providing remote monitoring solutions, and offering personalised treatment plans based on individual medical records contribute to a more patient-centric approach. AI-driven chatbots responding to routine medical inquiries reduce stress and save time for both patients and healthcare providers, fostering a more efficient and accessible healthcare system.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the promises of AI in healthcare, challenges persist. Blind spots in data access and collection, privacy concerns, data misuse, and regulatory ambiguities are roadblocks to widespread adoption. In India, a rapidly growing player in AI-based healthcare, progress is evident, but there is still a long way to go. The ambitious goals of universal healthcare delivery and affordability through AI remain distant, requiring continued innovation and collaboration.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, a major player in the global healthcare sector, is rapidly embracing AI. The National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence by NITI Aayog highlights the potential of AI to address challenges such as a shortage of qualified healthcare professionals and non-uniform accessibility to healthcare across the country. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, AI expenditure in India is projected to reach $11.78 billion by 2025, contributing significantly to the country's economy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite challenges, AI's potential to revolutionise healthcare is undeniable. As technology continues to advance, AI's applications in telemedicine, genomics, robotics, and 3D printing will expand. Workforce training and collaboration between medical professionals and AI developers will be crucial for maximising the benefits of AI. The integration of AI with other emerging technologies holds the key to shaping the future of medical care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we delve deeper into the integration of AI in healthcare, it's imperative to address the ethical considerations surrounding this revolutionary technology. The responsible use of AI in medical settings demands careful navigation of issues such as patient privacy, data security, and bias in algorithms.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Privacy concerns arise from the vast amounts of sensitive patient data being processed by AI systems. Ensuring robust data protection measures, stringent encryption, and transparent data usage policies become paramount to build and maintain public trust in AI-driven healthcare solutions.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The potential for bias in AI algorithms poses another ethical challenge. If the datasets used to train AI models are not representative or if biased historical data is fed into the algorithms, it can perpetuate existing inequalities in healthcare. Striking a balance in dataset curation and continuous monitoring of algorithmic outputs is crucial to mitigate bias and ensure equitable healthcare outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moreover, the explainability of AI decisions becomes crucial, especially in critical medical scenarios. Ensuring that AI models provide interpretable insights aids healthcare professionals in understanding and trusting AI-generated recommendations, fostering collaboration between humans and machines.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In conclusion, AI is not just a buzzword but a transformative force reshaping the healthcare industry. From diagnosis to treatment, AI is proving its mettle by delivering accurate, personalised, and efficient healthcare solutions. While challenges persist, the trajectory of AI in healthcare is pointing towards a future where technology and human expertise converge to provide optimal patient care. As we stand at the intersection of technology and healthcare, the role of AI in shaping the future of medicine is more promising than ever.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As AI continues to evolve, it is crucial for stakeholders&mdash;be they healthcare providers, policymakers, or technology developers&mdash;to collaborate in establishing ethical frameworks that ensure the responsible and equitable use of AI in healthcare. The ongoing dialogue around ethical considerations is vital to ensure that AI remains a force for good in healthcare, driving positive change for patients and society at large.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&amp;D, Murata Vios</strong></em></p>', 'sequence' => '6', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&D, Murata Vios', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17')), 'trendingTopicsList' => array(array('articleId' => '24283', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => '83.5% of adults in India underestimate shingles risk: Global GSK survey', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shingles_large-24283.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => '83-5-of-adults-in-india-underestimate-shingles-risk-global-gsk-survey', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical (GSK) has released new data from a globally commissioned survey funded by them. The survey finds notable gaps in understanding of shingles risk among individuals aged above 50 years, a group that is most susceptible to the disease.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey conducted amongst 3,500 adults aged 50 and over from 12 countries, assessed respondents&rsquo; understanding of shingles, what triggers it, and its impact on people&rsquo;s lives.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey in&nbsp;India&nbsp;involved 500 participants, with 250 respondents who spoke Hindi and another 250 who spoke English. The data, launched in time for Shingles Awareness Week 2024 (26 February&nbsp;2024 &ndash; 3 March 2024), finds a widespread lack of understanding of shingles and its lifetime risk.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The findings show that globally, a significantly high proportion of those surveyed do not understand their risk of developing shingles,&nbsp;with&nbsp;86%&nbsp;underestimating&nbsp;that&nbsp;risk.<font size="1">&nbsp;</font>In India, 81% of the English-speaking and 86% &nbsp;of the Hindi-speaking respondents surveyed underestimate the risk of shingles<sup>.</sup></p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In India,&nbsp;amongst the &nbsp;English-speaking respondents, 22% believe that 1 in 1000 adults are at risk of developing shingles.<sup>&nbsp;</sup>Amongst the Hindi-speaking respondents,18% believe that 1 in 1000 adults is at risk of developing shingles.&nbsp;</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In&nbsp;reality,&nbsp;most&nbsp;adults already&nbsp;have&nbsp;the&nbsp;virus that&nbsp;causes&nbsp;shingles present in&nbsp;their bodies by&nbsp;the&nbsp;age&nbsp;of 50,&nbsp;which may&nbsp;reactivate with&nbsp;advancing&nbsp;age.&nbsp;Shingles&nbsp;is&nbsp;caused&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;reactivation&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;varicella-zoster&nbsp;virus&nbsp;(VZV),&nbsp;the same virus that causes chickenpox.&nbsp;As people age, the strength of their immune response to infection wanes, and this increases their risk of developing shingles.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Rashmi Hegde, Executive Vice President - Medical Affairs, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, India, said,&nbsp;&ldquo;The survey findings underscore the need to raise awareness about shingles risk in adults over 50.&nbsp; Shingles can significantly disrupt the daily lives of ageing adults and cause them a great deal of discomfort."</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24230', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Fujifilm launches advanced endoscopic ultrasound machine ALOKA ARIETTA 850 in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/fuji-24230.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'fujifilm-launches-advanced-endoscopic-ultrasound-machine-aloka-arietta-850-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Fujifilm India, a pioneer in diagnostic imaging and information systems, has launched the ground breaking ALOKA ARIETTA 850 Diagnostic Ultrasound System in India with its first-ever installation at Fortis Hospital in Bengaluru.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Representing a remarkable advancement in endoscopic technologies, the high-tech ultrasound system aims to enhance diagnostic precision and image clarity for gastrointestinal diseases in the region.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">In India, contemporary lifestyles and changing dietary choices are leading to the deteriorating digestive health of the population, adding to the growing prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Addressing this, Fujifilm India&rsquo;S&nbsp;ALOKA ARIETTA 850&nbsp;Endoscopic Ultrasound Machine at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru is a significant step in providing world-class diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients against these GI-related diseases, performing targeted treatments such as Pancreatic pseudo cyst drainage (without surgery), targeted delivery of treatment in Pancreatic cancers.&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) is a minimally invasive method for assessing malignancies affecting the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract and neighbouring organs or tissues. With this high degree of accuracy in both diagnostic and therapeutic capacities, it allows doctors to precisely examine organs like the lungs, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, lymph nodes and nearby affected areas.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">EUS also facilitates the extraction of tissue or fluid samples through a thin needle, eliminating the need for a separate biopsy procedure. Additionally, it improves the staging of cancers with accurate sampling provided by Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) and Fine Needle Biopsy (FNB). Furthermore, EUS proves valuable in cases of altered anatomy and among cancer patients for various therapeutic procedures.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">ALOKA ARIETTA 850 stands out from conventional endoscopic ultrasound machines with a range of superior features. The machine generates image quality with 7 million digital channels in its B mode. This system also incorporates HD-THI for deeper penetration, ensuring accurate diagnoses, along with combi-elastography, pure symphonic architecture and CHI-TIC and Inflow Time Mapping for clearer visibility by reducing noise and enhancing the completeness and continuity of tissue boundaries.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '91'), array('articleId' => '24229', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Bengaluru researchers develop paper-based platform to detect antibiotic-resistant bacteria', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shutterstock_157198133-24229.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'bengaluru-researchers-develop-paper-based-platform-to-detect-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">A paper-based platform developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru could help quickly detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant, disease-causing bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Dr Uday Maitra, Professor at the Department of Organic Chemistry, IISc, and collaborators have developed a rapid diagnosis protocol that uses a luminescent paper-based platform to detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The approach developed by the IISc and JNCASR team involves incorporating biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (BCA) within a supramolecular hydrogel matrix containing terbium cholate (TbCh). This hydrogel normally emits green fluorescence when UV light is shined on it.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The next step was to find a way to make the technology inexpensive. Currently used diagnostics instruments are costly, which drives up the price for testing.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team collaborated with a Chennai-based company called Adiuvo Diagnostics to design a customised, portable and miniature imaging device, named Illuminate Fluorescence Reader. Infusing the hydrogel in a sheet of paper as the medium reduced the cost significantly. The instrument is fitted with different LEDs that shine UV radiation as required. Green fluorescence from the enzyme is captured by a built-in camera, and a dedicated software app measures the intensity, which can help quantify the bacterial load.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team from IISc tied up with Jayanta Haldar&rsquo;s research group from JNCASR to check their approach on urine samples. As the next step, the researchers plan to tie up with hospitals to test this technology with samples from patients.</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58'), array('articleId' => '24163', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Theme for National Science Day sets in as ‘Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat’', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/nsd-24163.png', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'theme-for-national-science-day-sets-in-as-indigenous-technologies-for-viksit-bharat', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science &amp; Technology Dr Jitendra Singh released the theme for the "National Science Day 2024", titled "Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat".</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) theme for this year&rsquo;s celebration reflects a strategic focus on promoting public appreciation for Science, Technology and Innovation and accomplishments of Indian scientists to address challenges through home-grown technologies for over-all well-being.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The theme not only marks a new era but also presents an opportunity for public and scientific fraternity, both domestically and internationally, to collaborate, work together, and contribute to the well-being of India and humanity as a whole. While emphasising the importance of making India&nbsp;<em>Atmanirbhar&nbsp;</em>through science, it underscores the need to address subjects that hold significance for humanity as a whole.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on 28 February to commemorate the discovery of the &lsquo;Raman Effect&rsquo;. Government of India designated 28 February as National Science Day in 1986. On this day Sir C.V. Raman announced the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930. On this occasion, theme-based science communication activities are carried out all over the country. The theme launch will trigger celebrations of NSD specially in schools &amp; colleges throughout the country.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science &amp; Technology (DST) said that as we embark on the celebration of NSD and move ahead with the launch of the theme for 2024, it is clearly evident that our scientific endeavours have the power to shape not only the future of our nation but also contribute significantly towards global advancement.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58')), 'mostReadArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24286', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Qiagen launches AI-derived biomedical knowledge base to accelerate data-driven drug discovery', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2-24286.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'qiagen-launches-ai-derived-biomedical-knowledge-base-to-accelerate-data-driven-drug-discovery', 'page1' => '<p align="justify">US-based Qiagen has announced the launch of Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI, a new generative AI-driven knowledge base designed to propel drug discovery in the pharma and biotech industries. This new offering is designed for data scientists and bioinformaticians who are looking for the most comprehensive knowledge graphs to fuel data-driven drug discovery.</p> <p align="justify">Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI is built on a massive dataset of biomedical literature and other scientific sources. It identifies and extracts causal relationships between genes, diseases, drugs and other biological entities with artificial intelligence (AI), generating over 600 million more biomedical relationships than its complement, Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD. This expansive knowledge base helps data scientists understand disease mechanisms, identify drug targets or biomarkers and explore strategies for repurposing existing drugs. Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI provides the most complete picture of biomedical relationships, including edge cases and novel relationships.</p> <p align="justify">While Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD is manually curated and known for its high quality and accuracy, Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI contains over 25x more relationships, allowing data scientists to generate new insights. Both knowledge bases can be used to provide both high-quality and high-quantity biomedical relationships data for data scientists and bioinformaticians to mine and validate.</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '60'), array('articleId' => '24284', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'IIT Kanpur partners with UP government to enhance tele-medicine using AI', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_28_at_3_48_48_pm-24284.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'iit-kanpur-partners-with-up-government-to-enhance-tele-medicine-using-ai', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">The Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and the Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to revolutionise healthcare delivery and advance tele-medicine facilities in the state through the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI).</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU was signed by Ranjan Kumar IAS, Secretary, Health &amp; Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Professor Sandeep Verma, Professor-In-Charge, Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Kanpur, in the presence of&nbsp;other dignitaries.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU outlines several key areas of collaboration, including anchoring tele-medicine hubs and enhancing the quality of tele-medicine services, implementing AI-based solutions to address population health impact, developing point-of-care diagnostics to drive program improvements, conducting competency-based capacity building for health cadres, and utilizing database predictions and analysis for informed decision-making.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">This will help the Department to make optimal use of the UP Digital Health Stack (UP-DHS) and ensure that every citizen of the state, wherever they are, will be able to access healthcare when needed. In Uttar Pradesh, UP-DHS is making significant strides in implementation, with foundational NHS elements deployed across all health administrative units and the rollout of essential healthcare applications well underway.</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '100'), array('articleId' => '24282', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Medtech firm Stryker expands prototype and testing facility in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/styker-24282.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'medtech-firm-stryker-expands-prototype-and-testing-facility-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker, a global leader in medical technologies, has officially expanded its prototype and testing facility in India, marking significant growth of its R&amp;D footprint in the country.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This advanced 55,600-square-foot facility integrates cutting-edge infrastructure, enhanced microbiology capabilities, and a talented team to drive innovation and ensure product quality across its medical technology portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Investing in innovation from India is a focus area for Stryker," said&nbsp;Ram Rangarajan, Vice President of Stryker Global Technology Center, India. "This new lab represents our commitment to developing medical technologies that improve patient outcomes and comply with the highest regulatory standards."</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker's new facility is dedicated to the rigorous life cycle testing of medical devices. The new lab boasts several key features:</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Prototyping and product assurance hub:&nbsp;Equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure for plastic 3D printing,&nbsp;metal machining, and a diverse range of testing capabilities,&nbsp;the lab supports prototyping and product assurance across Stryker's entire product portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Expanded microbiology competency:&nbsp;The lab strengthens Stryker's ability to conduct comprehensive microbiological testing,&nbsp;ensuring the safety and efficacy of its medical technologies.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Talented team of engineers and microbiologists:&nbsp; Highly skilled engineers and microbiologists will use the advanced equipment and expertise to develop innovative solutions that positively impact patients around the world.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '93'), array('articleId' => '24262', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Miltenyi Biotec to open Cell and Gene Therapy Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/gene-24262.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'miltenyi-biotec-to-open-cell-and-gene-therapy-centre-of-excellence-in-hyderabad', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">German firm Miltenyi Biotec is launching operations in India with its first office and investing to set up Miltenyi Innovation and Technology Center as Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Hyderabad.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This COE will be one of its first of its kind in India where scientists, researchers, industry experts and clinicians can get classroom to hands-on trainings on cell and gene therapy approaches right from proof of concept to pre-clinical / clinical development and commercialisation. This CoE also will provide Indian researchers, scientists and clinicians easier access to expertise, research, and manufacturing solutions.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Each year, more than 10,000 patients are treated with cell products using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies. More than&nbsp; 950 investigational new drug (IND) applications as well as investigational device exemptions (IDE) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies and platforms.&nbsp;&nbsp;In doing so, the company is well poised to enable local development and manufacturing in India to drive affordable and&nbsp;accessible CGT therapies by academia and industry for Indian as well as global patients.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Boris Stoffel,&nbsp;Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s Managing Director, highlighted that the company intends to seek opportunities to catalyse development of CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T cell clinical development and manufacturing, with the prospect of bringing centralised and point-of-care CAR T cell therapy to hospitals across India.</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 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Buckminster. This acquisition was done to redevelop the closed hotel into a life science lab space. Again in May 2021, a facility that housed the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive was transformed into a new life sciences lab on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the same year in India, a Canadian Pension Fund along with a Singapore-based wealth and asset management firm jointly invested $100 million (Rs 7.5 billion) in life sciences R&amp;D facilities in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. This investment, according to reports, proved to be a stepping stone for more equity investments in this segment. On February 6, 2024, life sciences real estate developer, Rx Propellant announced an initial investment of $75 million in phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai Research (NMR) District, as part of its continued regional expansion strategy across India.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In all the four developments mentioned above, it is clear that post-pandemic, the demand for life sciences-related real estate has significantly increased. Both greenfield and brownfield projects have surged, as the pandemic fuelled the demand for locally manufactured pharma and medical products.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, in the last few decades, has witnessed the IT and manufacturing sectors invest heavily in real estate and infrastructure. But in the post-pandemic era, we see life sciences companies require space to innovate, for R&amp;D, and manufacture at scale.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Fast-evolving life sciences market&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India is one of the fastest-growing life sciences markets in the world and the sector is poised to see multi-fold growth by 2030 led by a fast-increasing population, rising life expectancy, a strong industrial base and inclusive government initiatives. In addition, India&rsquo;s demographic dividend, strong industrial base and policy push are known to be the growth drivers for the life sciences sector in the country.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The increasing government spending on the healthcare sector, cost benefits in terms of affordable manpower &amp; real estate expenses, and the availability of a large talent pool are the catalysts of life sciences growth in India. Schemes like Production Linked Incentive (PLI)&nbsp; have boosted domestic manufacturing which&nbsp; has resulted in the need for more space in industrial and tech parks. Also, global exports of pharmaceutical and biotechnology products and medical devices from the country have forced many companies to invest in capacity building and human resources.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Notably, India ranks second globally in terms of the number of US FDA-certified plants located outside the US, closely followed by China. Strengths of this kind and the constantly evolving sector are&nbsp; furthering the requirement for large-scale&nbsp; manufacturing, MSMEs, wet laboratories, R&amp;D hubs, incubators, and data centres&nbsp; coupled with other IT &amp; ES support.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the next decade, it is estimated that the requirement for life sciences R&amp;D real estate in India is likely to grow to somewhere between $16 billion (Rs 1,200 billion) and $34 billion (Rs 2,550 billion) as per conservative and optimistic scenarios.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Push from PEs and VCs</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India&rsquo;s life sciences R&amp;D real estate is emerging as a high-potential asset class for institutional investors. Aided by exponential global demand growth, geopolitical environment, policies initiatives, and skilled workforce this sector is rapidly transforming.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Atul Bhardwaj, Business Head, Lighthouse Canton Real Estate</strong>, indicates that both domestic and international investors are demonstrating a strong interest in India's life sciences real estate market. According to Bhardwaj, private equity firms, venture capitalists, and real estate developers are actively investing significant capital in the development of specialised facilities to meet the requirements of life sciences companies. He says, &ldquo;Biotechnology parks and clusters are emerging as key focal points for life sciences research and manufacturing in India. These specialised hubs offer world-class infrastructure, shared amenities, and a collaborative ecosystem that encourages innovation and cooperation among industry stakeholders, academic institutions, and research organisations.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Citing one other compelling factor of the life sciences real estate market to surge, Bhardwaj, says, &ldquo;This sector's operational model does not accommodate the concept of working from home, which presents a compelling opportunity for real estate developers. The recent pandemic underscored the resilience of the pharmaceutical sector. While many industries, including office realty, experienced significant disruptions, the pharmaceutical sector's demand for space significantly increased, further cementing its critical role in the global economy.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Arvind Nandan, Managing Director &ndash; Research &amp; Consulting, Savills India</strong>, says, &ldquo;Venture Capital funding into the life sciences industry in India stood at $448 million (Rs 34 billion) in 2021 through August, almost 3x of the annual average of the previous years, making it clear that this segment will play a pivotal role in the overall growth of the Indian Real Estate industry.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Adopting the asset light model</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We know that globally organisations across all sectors &ndash; be it small or big &ndash; are undergoing massive digital transformation and smart business strategies that are sustainable and cost-effective are implemented. Owing to that, businesses are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to scale up faster, which has given rise to many alternate models of operations, including the concept of going asset-light.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Asset-light model offers a strategic approach where companies minimise their ownership of physical assets (such as buildings or land). Companies go asset-light by owning fewer capital-intensive assets compared to their operational assets. By doing this, life sciences companies focus on their core competencies (such as research, development, and production) and avoid heavy investments in real estate.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Merck &amp; Co., Inc. (MSD outside the US and Canada) is a prime example of an asset-light pharmaceutical company. Merck collaborates with specialised Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisations (CDMOs) for various stages of drug development and production. By leveraging external partners, they avoid heavy capital expenditure on building and maintaining several of their own manufacturing facilities.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sharing his view on the asset light model, <strong>Rx Propellant&rsquo;s CEO Milind Ravi</strong>, says, &ldquo;While traditionally dominated by &lsquo;user-owned&rsquo; models, an evident but slow shift to &lsquo;asset-light&rsquo; options in India indicates growing demand for agile growth-ready infrastructure. With its increased focus on innovation, India&rsquo;s life sciences market is expected to grow threefold in the next decade, reaching $130 billion by 2030. This in turn is set to generate demand for over 100 million square feet of specialised infrastructure across several existing ecosystems including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Vizag, and Pune among others.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another aspect to asset-light operations is the advantage companies draw from sharing infrastructure elements. Atul Bhardwaj opines that the model of providing comprehensive amenities under one roof offers significant benefits to companies by eliminating the need for capital expenditure on individual pieces of equipment such as chillers and DG sets. This approach, he says, not only reduces the initial capital outlay but also lowers the overall opex for companies, as costs related to maintenance, security, and technical manpower are shared.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;This cost model is particularly advantageous, as it would otherwise be a substantial financial burden for a company to bear alone for its standalone unit. Real estate developers who offer high-quality infrastructure can further reduce a company's upfront expenses by providing essential utilities like nitrogen generators and vacuum systems. A multi-tenanted building thus emerges as a mutually beneficial arrangement for both developers and tenant companies,&rdquo; says Bhardwaj.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Sustainable infrastructure&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In almost every industry, the board members, shareholders advocate the importance of the mandates of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) of business operations. The threat of climate change has prompted many industries to develop environmental strategies to reduce their carbon footprints, with the life sciences industry on the top of the pyramid.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Being climate conscious has brought in new concepts in smart buildings and other digitally supported facilities and infrastructure models. Open floor plans, shared workspaces, and flexible furniture are some of today&rsquo;s trends that are known to foster interaction and knowledge sharing, similar to what's seen in modern IT work spaces. This shift in life sciences too encourages cross-disciplinary research, faster problem-solving, and quicker innovation and most importantly sharing resources.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Emerging trends in innovation have seen an increase in demand for next-gen spaces with flexible workspaces, integration of wet lab-computation stations, highly sensitive zones for increasingly sophisticated equipment and process flow optimisation. New developments designed to accommodate such variables offer sustainable long-term solutions,&rdquo; Milind Ravi opines from his experience.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Also, leading life sciences companies in India prefer to operate from large-scale clusters that can meet both their office and R&amp;D needs. Startups and MSMEs are also increasingly opting to locate themselves in prominent clusters with a clear industrial positioning and abundant R&amp;D resources. Genome Valley (Hyderabad) and Electronic City (Bengaluru) are great examples of such collaborative ecosystems.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">So, if, today, we were to walk into any of India&rsquo;s life sciences parks, we would be delighted to see those spaces being built on modern modular designs having mobile equipment and reconfigurable layouts, with amazing aesthetics and classy landscaping.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">What will also be evident is that the traditional life sciences technicians confining themselves to sterile laboratories would be ancient. Today&rsquo;s workplaces recognise the need for a more holistic environment with sprawling cafeterias, breakout huddles, and interactive/entertainment spaces. Apart from being modern with the changing times, such amenities are considered by the HR department as a way to attract and retain talent.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Leasing: a preferred business model&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Savills, in its report titled </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unlocking Opportunities: Life Sciences and Real Estate in India&rsquo;, indicates that leasing properties to the biotech industry can provide a steady stream of rental income and long-term investment potential for real estate developers.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since life sciences is a rapidly growing and promising sector with significant investments and advancements, by leasing to them, real estate companies become part of their growth story, giving them the advantage of increased long-term value and brand association.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Leasing also brings about several advantages to realtors. Life sciences companies typically require specific and tailored facilities, leading to lesser turnover compared to other commercial leases. This translates to reduced management costs and higher occupancy rates. Also, life sciences companies often require long-term leases due to the complex nature of their facilities and research projects. This stability translates to predictable and dependable income for the real estate companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking from his company&rsquo;s perspective, Milind Ravi,</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> says,&nbsp;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;We bring a very inclusive approach to support companies of all scales not just with infrastructure, but a gamut of ecosystem services that play a pivotal role in their overall experience. We lease laboratory spaces on tailored models based on the need, timelines, intended use and life-stage of our tenant partners. Our standard offering constitutes modular spaces in shared or dedicated formats &ndash; in both &lsquo;warm shell&rsquo; and &lsquo;plug-and-play&rsquo; models as part of integrated and life science-focussed clusters. Apart from this, we also deliver built-to-suit campuses in required specifications of the tenant.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;While our facilities are built for multi-tenancy where each organisation can work independently, we are also working towards developing co-working laboratory spaces with shared equipment and amenities. These are becoming increasingly popular, especially among startups and small research teams,&rdquo; says Milind Ravi.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Growth is certain</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A report titled &lsquo;Life Sciences Industry &amp; Real Estate Perspective 2024: Putting Asia Pacific under the microscope&rsquo; by global real estate company JLL sheds light on India&rsquo;s pharma industry's growth trajectory. While the pandemic undeniably spurred investment due to the vaccine race, the report emphasizes that interest was already on the rise owing to the ongoing breakthroughs in areas like immuno-oncology and neonatology. This pre-existing momentum, fuelled by technological advancements, has directly translated into increased commercial real estate leasing within the pharma sector. This may be true to India&rsquo;s life sciences sector too.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">JLL stresses on the fact that when companies get funding from venture capitalists, they need lab space in order to deliver as soon as possible. Also, sizeable investments bring with them a plethora of life sciences jobs, which can also spur development of housing, retail and other urban amenities that serve the people who live and work for the expanding companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">From Bhardwaj&rsquo;s inputs we can infer that India has a robust domestic market, bolstered further by the Government of India's </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;Jan Aushadhi&rsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> scheme, aimed at providing quality generic medicines at affordable prices to its citizens. As the third-largest exporter of pharmaceuticals by volume and the thirteenth by value, the demand for space is going to grow.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the pharma industry presents sufficient scope, the medical device industry is not any less. Considered as the sunrise sector, the medical devices industry is estimated to reach $50 billion by 2030. In the last five years, the export of medical devices has been increasing at a rate of 9.37 per cent. India&rsquo;s policy to allow 100 per cent foreign investment under an automatic route in the medical devices sector has helped attract significant investments, which has further pushed the demand for real estate. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the medical device industry in India has also helped augment the domestic manufacturing and in reducing dependence on imports. Hence, manufacturing hubs are being set up in many economic zones of the country. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We can therefore conclude with the evidence that there is immense potential for life sciences real estate development to surge in India. Though the country has limited core life sciences real estate investable stock at present, majority of the growth will come from developing new facilities that entail typical development and leasing risks. The stakeholders, however, forecast an increasing investor appetite for Indian life sciences real estate as the sector gains scale over time.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Anusha Ashwin</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => 'Anusha Ashwin', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24273', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'Dissecting Gender Disparity', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/women-24273.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'dissecting-gender-disparity', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in the Indian healthcare industry are mainly concentrated in low-paying frontline positions. In India, 29 per cent of medical doctors, 80 per cent of nursing staff (including midwives), and nearly 100 per cent of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are women. Despite this, women hold only 18 per cent of healthcare leadership positions and continue to earn 34 per cent less than their male counterparts.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are the outcomes of the study titled &lsquo;An Unbalanced Scale - Exploring the Female Leadership Gap in India's Healthcare Sector&rsquo; from Dasra, a non-profit organisation. The&nbsp; study revealed that the Indian healthcare sector, one of the country's largest employers, has experienced substantial growth. It takes a closer look at women's representation in healthcare and the leadership opportunities available to them.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><strong>Inspiring leaders</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"What is concerning is the gap between the proportion of women in healthcare and those who occupy leadership positions. At entry levels, women's representation in sales, marketing, and operations ranges from 40-50 per cent. However, this significantly drops to 15-20 per cent in senior roles," says <strong>Shailja Mehta, Director at Dasra</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is behind this gender gap in leadership positions? Societal norms, cultural expectations and implicit biases against women are some of the main factors that&nbsp;have contributed to the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions. &ldquo;It is a complex issue. The lack of female role models and mentors perpetuates this gender gap," says Shailja.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some believe that one of the primary reasons for the skewed gender ratio in STEM is the stereotyping that begins early in life. Societal expectations often push girls towards more traditionally feminine roles, diverting them away from technical and scientific fields. As a result, fewer women choose STEM education and careers. While others argue that the current gap is a reflection of what was happening 20 years ago, when fewer women entered science careers.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;&ldquo;Today&rsquo;s leaders represent those who entered the field 15-20 years back. Now that the number of women entering these fields has significantly increased in recent years, we will see a lot of women leaders in the coming years. In fact, a major proportion of startups are led by women. They have the capability to do it,&rdquo; <strong>Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, former director, National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) Pune</strong>, says, "The situation is definitely improving. For more women to take leadership roles, changes are required at the family, community and industry level."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Dr Pragya Yadav, senior scientist at the National Institute of Virology, Pune</strong>, who played an instrumental role in the development of Covaxin, agrees. "The situation has certainly improved, but school-going girls should have access to reputable colleges and safe residential facilities for pursuing science as a subject for the real change to occur. Besides, they need support in equal measure, from their families and the industry when raising their children. If they lose that time, catching up becomes difficult,&rdquo; she says. &nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Furthermore, this support should not be seen as an extra favour to women, but rather as their right. Children are the future and the environment they experience while growing up is crucial to their growth and development. It is the duty of both families and society, not just mothers alone, to provide a safe and suitable environment for them," she added. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Manya Jha, a young entrepreneur and founder of Morphedo Technologies</strong>, a deep tech startup in aerospace and defence, medical device engineering, IoT and embedded systems, faced the challenge of balancing child care and her career after the birth of her daughter. To tackle this challenge, she established a small child care centre at her office.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Starting just 20 days after my daughter was born, I brought her to my workplace every day. I made space in my cabin where she could stay with me. Until she was 7 months old, my husband and I took care of her in the shared cabin (during COVID-19 period). At the time of her birth, my startup was also at a crucial stage,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Both my daughter and my company required my personal attention. There were instances when I had to attend important meetings with senior scientists while holding my one-month-old daughter. I believe it's all about the confidence with which you pursue your career."</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today, Manya's company has around&nbsp; 40 employees and the child care centre is now available to all new mothers, offering support in looking after their children while at work.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, despite the challenges, there has been a noticeable shift in the narrative over the past decade, with the number of women leaders emerging in STEM careers increasing slowly but steadily. And these women are not only excelling &nbsp;in their respective fields but also helping dismantling barriers that hinder the progress of other aspiring women.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several prominent women leaders are setting an example for others. Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr Priya Abraham, Director of the National Institute of Virology, biotech stalwart &nbsp;Kiran Majumdar-Shaw,&nbsp; and entrepreneurs like Dr Kavita Iyer Rodrigues and Vasanthi Ramachandran represent some of the most sought after leaders in the industry.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Women are leading more than 30 per cent of the startups incubated at our centre. In many others, they are co-founders or hold significant positions," says <strong>Dr Manisha Premnath, COO of Venture Center</strong>, an incubation centre in Pune that helps startups grow.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Breaking the glass ceiling</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While there is a rise of women leaders in the health and biotech sector, it is important to acknowledge the challenges they continue to face. Stereotypes, biases, and a lack of institutional support still exist. The &lsquo;glass ceiling&rsquo; phenomenon persists, making it difficult for women to reach the highest levels of leadership. A male-centric workplace culture, coupled with a lack of flexibility and understanding regarding work-life balance, discourage women from pursuing or sustaining leadership roles.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The biggest challenge that women face is breaking these stereotypes and breaking free from the vicious cycle of work and life. They need to step out of their comfort zones, or rather, their safe zones, and then there will be no stopping them. Fortunately, nowadays there are several schemes and funds available to support women," says <strong>Dr Deeksha Bhartiya, Founder of Genomiki</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coming from a very traditional, yet ambitious family, Dr Deeksha got married at a young age and encountered challenges in maintaining a balance between her personal and professional life. However, she didn't allow these challenges to deter her from pursuing her doctoral studies and career. "There were many senior male scientists who advised me to take up a permanent job instead of embarking on my entrepreneurial journey. I was told that women should prioritise stability over adventure. However, I am fortunate to have a very supportive family who always push me to exceed my limits and support me in all my decisions."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Exiting the vicious circle</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The foundation for achieving gender parity in STEM careers is laid during the crucial years of education. Schools and educational institutions play an important role in challenging these stereotypes and encouraging girls to explore their interests in science and technology. STEM-focused educational programmes, workshops, and extracurricular activities can help break down gender-based barriers from a young age. Scholarships and mentorship programmes can encourage girls to pursue science education.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To encourage more women to pursue careers in STEM and foster an inclusive and diverse workforce, it is important to adopt unbiased recruitment practices, create a supportive environment for their progress, and implement flexible work arrangements.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is a growing emphasis on incorporating diverse perspectives in STEM curricula. Highlighting the contributions of women scientists and engineers in textbooks and classroom discussions can inspire both girls and boys, challenging preconceived notions about gender roles in these fields. There should be more networking events, conferences and platforms that specifically focus on women in STEM to provide valuable opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing. These spaces not only celebrate the achievements of women in the field but also facilitate the exchange of ideas and strategies to overcome common challenges.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emphasising the pivotal role women play in shaping a sustainable future through scientific leadership, <strong>Melody Lopez, Director and Chief of Staff Crayon Software Experts India</strong> says &ldquo;Fostering women's leadership in science is not just about gender equality but also a catalyst for achieving sustainable development goals. The theme reflects a call to action, urging communities, governments, and organisations to provide equal opportunities for women and girls in science, ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making processes.&rdquo; She further says &ldquo;As we champion women and girls in science leadership, let us embrace this new era, where their voices, ideas, and leadership propel us toward a brighter, more sustainable future for all.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The journey towards gender parity in STEM careers in India could be challenging, but the momentum for change is growing.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><strong>Gunjan Sharma</strong></strong></p> <p><em><strong>gunjan.sharma@mmactiv.com</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => 'Gunjan Sharma ', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24271', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => '“There is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation”', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_27_at_5_20_34_pm-24271.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'there-is-a-significant-gap-in-the-infrastructure-required-for-ai-implementation', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Artificial Intelligence (AI) has completely changed the way we see the world today. How do you see AI revolutionising drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry? Can AI help in discovering new drug molecules that could help treat deadly and chronic diseases like cancers and AIDS?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The future of human life is completely impacted by AI. Particularly its emergence in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry will have a vital impact on disease control and new drug discoveries.&nbsp;AI is poised to revolutionise drug discovery in several ways. It can drastically reduce the time needed to discover and develop new drugs. AI can be used to help suggest novel combinations for treating fatal diseases and even predict treatment outcomes. Additionally, AI facilitates personalised medicine by tailoring treatments to individual patients, which can ultimately speed up the development of new therapies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key challenges in implementing AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly in the context of regulatory compliance?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I feel, the pharma and healthcare organisations in India are yet to gear up for AI. Many are still in the process of adapting to the advancements in the pharmaceutical industry brought about by digitalisation. Despite this progress, the majority of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are not adequately prepared to integrate AI into their operations. AI adoption, beyond platforms like Chat GPT, remains in its infancy and requires further exploration and validation. Moreover, there is a pressing need to harmonise regulatory compliances, particularly in manufacturing standards outlined by the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH). This entails the implementation of electronic documentation systems and global alignment on regulatory practices to ensure both qualitative and compliant manufacturing and healthcare delivery systems. Additionally, there is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation, including the necessary hardware, software, and skilled professionals, which remains to be addressed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a specific example where AI has been successfully utilised to discover or develop a new drug?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although AI is currently making strides in drug discovery, its continual evolution opens up a multitude of possibilities in terms of drug candidates, their structures, and the discovery process. This versatility allows for the pinpointing of targeted molecules tailored to specific therapies or multiple therapeutic discoveries. A recent example highlighting this potential is Insilico Medicine's Pharma.AI, which is revolutionising drug discovery with its suite of AI-powered tools. PandaOmics, for instance, drastically reduces the time required for multi-omics target discovery, from several months to a few clicks. Similarly, Chemistry42 employs machine learning for de novo drug design, generating lead-like molecules within a week. Additionally, InClinico provides an invaluable tool for efficient clinical trial management, identifying potential weaknesses in trial design and predicting success rates. Collectively, these tools are streamlining the traditionally lengthy drug discovery process, accelerating the pursuit of breakthrough medicine.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you envision the role of AI evolving in personalised medicine and patient care?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I believe AI could be groundbreaking by using large amounts of data from healthy and sick people. It could help analyse specific therapeutic segments quickly to see how drugs work over time and improve their formulations. It would also support Phase IV clinical trials, especially in monitoring drug safety (Pharmacovigilance). Overall, AI in personalised medicine and patient care has the potential to improve healthcare, make treatments better, and give patients more control over their health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the ethical considerations that need to be addressed when deploying AI in healthcare settings?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The primary concern lies in protecting patient identity, which can be achieved through AI by masking identities in documentation, albeit in previously challenging areas. The rigidity and security levels of AI coding stand out as effective measures for safeguarding patient identity compared to traditional masking systems. However, the implementation of AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly concerning regulatory compliance, presents various challenges and ethical considerations. These include ensuring data privacy and security, adhering to diverse regulations, deciphering complex AI algorithms, managing the time and cost implications, addressing potential biases perpetuated by AI algorithms, integrating solutions into existing systems, navigating complex ethical and legal considerations, determining accountability and liability for decisions made, preserving patient autonomy and consent, and conducting real-time reviews for corrections.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How can AI help address the challenges of drug resistance in infectious diseases?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The emergence of drug resistance in infectious diseases poses a significant healthcare challenge. However, AI offers a promising solution by playing a crucial role in addressing this issue. Through predictive analytics, AI can forecast which drugs may become ineffective against evolving pathogens, allowing for proactive adjustments in treatment strategies. Furthermore, AI aids in the discovery of alternative treatments, the development of more effective medications, and the customisation of treatment plans tailored to individual patients. By providing real-time insights into the changing landscape of drug resistance, AI enables healthcare professionals to adapt swiftly, ultimately enhancing the efficacy of treatments and improving patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What strategies can be employed to ensure the fairness and transparency of AI algorithms in healthcare decision-making?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To maintain trust, mitigate bias, and foster equitable outcomes, it is crucial to prioritise fairness and transparency in the use of AI algorithms for healthcare decision-making. Some of the strategies to achieve this include ensuring transparency of both data and algorithms, promoting diversity and inclusivity in the development process, conducting external validation and evaluation, and establishing regulatory frameworks and guidelines.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you see AI impacting the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services globally?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While AI offers significant potential for improving the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services on a global scale, there are challenges to overcome. These include ensuring fair access to AI-driven technologies, addressing concerns regarding data privacy and security, and navigating regulatory and ethical issues. Collaboration among various stakeholders, such as governments, healthcare providers, technology developers, and community organisations, is vital to fully realise the benefits of AI in enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key factors hindering the adoption of AI in pharmaceutical research and development?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pharmaceutical companies face several challenges when it comes to using AI in research and development. Firstly, they require high-quality and comprehensive datasets to effectively train AI models. Secondly, they must adhere to strict regulatory guidelines set by government agencies. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies often possess proprietary data and intellectual property that may not be easily compatible with AI systems. Finally, the significant investment required to implement AI technology presents a barrier to adoption for many companies in the industry.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a case where AI-driven predictive modelling has significantly improved clinical trial outcomes or drug efficacy in the Healthcare system?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's important to note that using AI in the healthcare system, along with a thorough review of relevant literature from sources like PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and EMBASE, is significant. Integrating AI into healthcare has the potential to greatly improve disease diagnosis, treatment selection, and clinical laboratory testing. AI tools can analyse large sets of data and find patterns, outperforming humans in many healthcare tasks. AI brings higher accuracy, lower costs, and time savings, while also reducing human errors. It can revolutionise personalised medicine, optimise medication dosages, improve population health management, set guidelines, offer virtual health assistants, support mental health care, enhance patient education, and strengthen patient-physician trust.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, AI can be used in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) by using machine learning algorithms to predict drug-drug interactions. By analysing large sets of patient data, these algorithms can detect potential drug interactions. This helps to decrease the risk of adverse drug reactions, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Amguth Raju</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>hyderabad@mmactiv.com&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => 'Amguth Raju', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17'), array('articleId' => '24280', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Effectively Eliminating Drug-resistant TB', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/tb-24280.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'effectively-eliminating-drug-resistant-tb', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has the highest burden of TB, with two deaths occurring every three minutes from the disease. The country recorded a staggering 28 lakh cases in 2022, accounting for 27 per cent of the global cases, according to WHO.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India initiated the TB Free India campaign with the ambitious goal of eradicating TB by 2025, a milestone set five years earlier than the target outlined by the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Despite facing setbacks due to COVID-19, the nation doubled down on its efforts, resulting in notable progress. The India TB Report 2023 heralded 2022 as a pivotal year in TB surveillance, noting a significant achievement with a record-high notification of 24.2 lakh TB cases, representing an increase of over 13 per cent compared to 2021.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The latest WHO Global TB Report 2023 acknowledged and praised India's efforts in its fight against TB, particularly highlighting the effectiveness of its case detection strategies. The report emphasised that India's intensified case detection strategies led to the highest-ever notification of cases in 2022, surpassing pre-COVID levels. The government's key initiatives, such as specialised active case finding drives, the scaling up of molecular diagnostics to block levels, decentralisation of screening services through Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, and private sector engagement, have significantly reduced the gap in missing cases.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Road to elimination&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the country has made remarkable progress in its fight against TB, the adoption of additional strategies such as shorter treatment regimens, the development of vaccines, and a renewed focus on nutrition could prove to be game-changers in its goal of eliminating TB for good.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The BPaL regimen, composed of Bedaquiline, Pretomanid and Linezolid, presents a promising alternative for a shorter, safer and more tolerable treatment option for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). Lasting only 26 weeks, it contrasts sharply with conventional DR-TB treatments, which can span 18 to 21 months and entail the consumption of over 4,000 to 5,000 tablets. Endorsed by the US FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) in 2019 and the WHO in 2022, the BPaL regimen has been implemented in more than 70 countries, including South Africa, Ukraine, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;The older, conventional regimen for drug-resistant TB included prolonged use of injections with other drugs. This was associated with increased incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), implementation challenges under the programme and inconvenience to the patients. The new TB drug regimen uses the newer oral drugs like Bedaquiline, Delamanid or Pretomanid, or the repurposed drugs such as linezolid, clofazimine, etc. These regimens are injection free and have lesser pill burden leading to more acceptance among the TB patients besides reducing the implementation challenges due to the use of injections. They have the ability to kill the actively multiplying drug-resistant TB bacteria faster and a sustained killing of the bacteria to prevent the recurrence of the TB disease among the patients. These regimens have shown improved treatment success rates under field conditions under the national programme,&rdquo; said <strong>Dr Rupak Singla, Head of Department, National Institute of TB &amp; Respiratory Diseases, New Delhi</strong>.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Singla further said &ldquo;To combat the adverse drug reactions of these regimen, specially due to drug linezolid, various regimens using different dosages and durations of linezolid have demonstrated reduced incidence of ADRs maintaining the efficacy of the regimen. Hence, these newer treatment drug regimens could reduce the global burden of drug-resistant TB. However, the requirement of a good quality laboratory network, availability and higher cost of the drugs continue to pose a challenge.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new regimen is shorter, easier on patients and improves treatment adherence, resulting in better outcomes compared to previous drug regimens.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Talking about the potential implications of the new TB drug regimen on India&rsquo;s TB control efforts, Dr Singla stated, &ldquo;The cure rate for previous conventional TB regimen for multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) was to the tune of around 50 per cent and for Extensively drug-resistant-TB (XDR-TB), less than 30 per cent. The new TB drug regimen has the potential for significant improvement in treatment success rates for MDR-TB as well as XDR-TB.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In India the national data shows that more than 36,000 drug-resistant TB patients have been initiated on shorter oral Bedaquiline-containing regimen and more than 92,000 patients have been initiated on longer oral regimen till date. Treatment success rates of shorter oral regimen for the cohort April-September 2022 (around 12,000 patients) is 69 per cent and of longer oral regimen for the cohort January-September 2021 (around 15,000 patients) is 71 per cent. The improved success rates of new drug regimens is likely to translate into less number of deaths due to TB, reduced period of infectiousness of TB patients and reduced transmission of TB to others in the community leading to reduced incidence of TB.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Studies at the 2023 Union World Conference on Lung Health affirm WHO-endorsed regimens' effectiveness, surpassing traditional 18- to 24-month treatments. The goal is to urge high-burden DR-TB countries to update guidelines and offer shorter treatments to all patients in need. Only 40 per cent of the 410,000 people with DR-TB in 2022 had access to the shorter regimen, as per a WHO report.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A group of experts in the country have stressed the need for introducing the BPaL regimen in the TB control programme of the country. B<strong>lessina Kumar, CEO, Global Coalition of TB Advocates, New Delhi</strong> emphasised the potential cost savings associated with its adoption, citing studies estimating a global annual savings of $740 million. With India accounting for a significant portion of global multi-drug, rifampicin-resistant (MDR/RR-TB) treated patients, she suggested that the country could save nearly $250 million per year through the implementation of this regimen. India will likely roll out the new regime soon.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>TB Vaccine</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vaccination holds promise as a game-changer for TB elimination. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is conducting phase III trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two vaccines: VPM1002 and MIP (Mycobacterium indicus pranii). VPM1002 is a live vaccine based on recombinant BCG, modified for better safety and efficacy. MIP or Immuvac, originally developed for leprosy, is a whole-cell TB vaccine candidate. The trial aims to assess the effectiveness of these vaccines in preventing TB disease, among 12,721 individuals exposed to TB at home (referred to as household contacts). Enrollment for the study is complete, with participant follow-up currently ongoing, according to the pipeline report 2022 by the Treatment Action Group.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bharat Biotech is partnering with the Spanish firm BIOFABRI to develop, manufacture, and distribute a new tuberculosis vaccine across over 70 countries in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The TB vaccine candidate by Bharat Biotech is set to enter phase-III trials soon.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Lancet study highlighted the pivotal role of nutrition in TB management. The&nbsp; Reducing Activation of Tuberculosis by Improvement of Nutritional Status (RATIONS) trial demonstrated that providing food baskets to TB patients and their households reduced all forms of TB by nearly 40 per cent and infectious TB by almost 50 per cent. In 2018, the Indian government launched the 'Nikshay Poshan Yojana,' a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to offer nutrition support to TB patients. Since its inception, the scheme has disbursed approximately Rs 2613 crore to over 95 lakh TB patients.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has indeed made significant strides in addressing TB; however, the battle against the disease is far from over. Despite enhanced detection and surveillance efforts, there's&nbsp; a need to adopt newer strategies to combat TB effectively. Advances in R&amp;D of vaccines, access to newer drug regimens, enhanced focus on nutrition will all help in propelling TB elimination goals.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Ayesha Siddiqui&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ayesha Siddiqui', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24272', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Prioritising Women’s Health & Wellbeing ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2036811071-24272.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: gettyimages', 'pageSlug' => 'prioritising-womens-health-wellbeing-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a new report from the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute launched at Davos in January 2024, women may live longer than men, on average, but they spend 25 per cent more of their lives in debilitating health. The report said improving diagnostics, data on women-specific conditions like ovarian cancer, and directing more investments towards women&rsquo;s health and research is needed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In particular, McKinsey research finds that less than 2 per cent of healthcare research and innovation is invested in female-specific conditions beyond cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This &lsquo;women&rsquo;s health gap&rsquo; equates to 75 million years of life lost due to poor health or early death each year. Closing the gap would benefit 3.9 billion women, giving them an extra seven healthy days a year, or an average of 500 days over a lifetime. Further, it could boost the global economy by $1 trillion by 2040 from fewer early deaths and health conditions, and a greater capacity for women to contribute to the economy and society.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a result of these findings, the final hours of the World Economic Forum in Davos saw the launch of a new Global Alliance for Women&rsquo;s Health, which has the broad ambition of &lsquo;re-shaping the future of women&rsquo;s health and the global economy.&rsquo; The health alliance will pledge new commitments from governments, philanthropies, and pharmaceutical companies, among others, across three pillars i.e. financing, science and innovation, and agenda-setting. So far, partners have pledged $55 million to improve women&rsquo;s health outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">With International Women&rsquo;s Day 2024 being themed around &lsquo;Inspiring inclusion&rsquo;, we see governments across the globe putting the much-needed emphasis on women&rsquo;s healthcare. For instance, the UAE has set out wide-ranging plans to bolster healthcare services for women, by approving the &lsquo;National Policy for Improving Women&rsquo;s Health&rsquo; for providing the highest healthcare services quality for women, whether curative, preventive or rehabilitative services. Similarly, the Irish government is paving the way for a longer-term comprehensive Women&rsquo;s Health Strategy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in England are being urged to help shape reproductive health policy, as the government seeks views on periods, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and menopause for health strategy. Likewise, the Biden administration recently announced a White House initiative to improve how the federal government approaches and funds research into the health of women, who make up more than half of the US population but remain understudied and underrepresented in health research.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, of course, is not far behind in this initiative. The Interim Budget 2024-25 announcement that took place on February 1, 2024, laid focus on encouraging vaccination for girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years for the prevention of cervical cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Besides these government initiatives, multiple efforts are also being made by the industry players to improve women&rsquo;s health. For example, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zurzuvae as the first and only oral treatment approved for women with postpartum depression, developed by American pharmaceutical company Biogen. The US FDA has also recently approved a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription for the first time in the US, a milestone that could significantly expand access to contraception. The pill&rsquo;s manufacturer, Perrigo Company is based in Dublin.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Further, biotech companies in the UK and Korea are embarking on the world's first prospective study of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered breast cancer detection, to streamline diagnosis, and tackle radiologist shortages. On the other hand, startups in India have developed groundbreaking multi-cancer detection tests specifically designed for high-risk and asymptomatic women.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quality, affordability, and accessibility, particularly in the context of women&rsquo;s health, are very critical aspects of ensuring well-being. This calls for greater mobilisation across sectors to invest in women&rsquo;s health, keeping in mind the imperatives of equity and integral care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Manbeena Chawla</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Executive Editor</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(</span><a href="mailto:manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com"><span style="font-weight: 400;">manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></p>', 'sequence' => '5', 'guestAuthor' => 'Dr Manbeena Chawla', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '101'), array('articleId' => '24270', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Establishing Ethical Frameworks for Equitable Use of AI in Healthcare ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/21-24270.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'establishing-ethical-frameworks-for-equitable-use-of-ai-in-healthcare-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The global healthcare landscape is witnessing a seismic transformation driven by AI technologies. From therapeutics to diagnostics, hospital operations to clinical decision-making, AI is making significant strides across diverse applications. According to Statista, the value of AI in the global healthcare market was $11 billion in 2021, projected to reach an estimated $188 billion by 2030. This staggering growth, at a compounded annual rate of 37 per cent, underscores the immense potential AI holds in reshaping the future of healthcare.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Transforming Medical Research and Imaging Analysis</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The impact of AI is not limited to specific segments; it spans the entire healthcare ecosystem. One critical domain experiencing a revolution is medical research, as AI expedites drug discovery processes. Through machine learning algorithms, researchers can predict the success rate of chemical compounds, significantly reducing the time and resources required for experimentation. This not only accelerates the pace of innovation but also holds the promise of bringing new, effective treatments to patients more rapidly.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the realm of medical imaging analysis, AI is proving to be a game-changer. It enables the rapid and accurate detection of anomalies in MRI scans, X-rays, and CT scans. Radiologists benefit from quicker identification of potential life-threatening issues, minimising human errors and enhancing diagnostic accuracy. This not only saves crucial time but also improves patient outcomes, particularly in cases where early detection is paramount.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Data-Driven Healthcare</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">AI is revolutionising the traditional landscape of diagnosis and treatment by providing clinicians with unprecedented data-driven insights. Machine learning algorithms analyse extensive patient data to identify patterns and correlations, facilitating more accurate and timely diagnosis. Personalised treatment plans based on individual patient characteristics are now a reality, enhancing the effectiveness of medical interventions. The ability to tailor treatments to specific patient profiles leads to improved outcomes and a more efficient allocation of healthcare resources.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Real-time assessment of treatment effectiveness by AI tools further contributes to improved clinical outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. Monitoring and adjusting treatment plans based on real-world data ensure that patients receive the most effective interventions tailored to their individual responses. This not only enhances patient care but also contributes to the sustainability of healthcare systems worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Predictive analysis, powered by AI, enables healthcare providers to forecast potential outcomes based on historical data and real-time health information. Identifying patients at risk of specific conditions allows for early intervention, preventing complications and improving overall healthcare efficiency. Large-scale population data analysis can also detect trends and outbreaks of infectious diseases before they become widespread, a critical capability showcased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability to anticipate and mitigate health crises is a testament to the power of AI in safeguarding public health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Patient-Centric Approach</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The integration of AI into healthcare is not solely about clinical applications; it extends to improving the overall patient experience. Streamlining appointment scheduling, providing remote monitoring solutions, and offering personalised treatment plans based on individual medical records contribute to a more patient-centric approach. AI-driven chatbots responding to routine medical inquiries reduce stress and save time for both patients and healthcare providers, fostering a more efficient and accessible healthcare system.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the promises of AI in healthcare, challenges persist. Blind spots in data access and collection, privacy concerns, data misuse, and regulatory ambiguities are roadblocks to widespread adoption. In India, a rapidly growing player in AI-based healthcare, progress is evident, but there is still a long way to go. The ambitious goals of universal healthcare delivery and affordability through AI remain distant, requiring continued innovation and collaboration.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, a major player in the global healthcare sector, is rapidly embracing AI. The National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence by NITI Aayog highlights the potential of AI to address challenges such as a shortage of qualified healthcare professionals and non-uniform accessibility to healthcare across the country. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, AI expenditure in India is projected to reach $11.78 billion by 2025, contributing significantly to the country's economy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite challenges, AI's potential to revolutionise healthcare is undeniable. As technology continues to advance, AI's applications in telemedicine, genomics, robotics, and 3D printing will expand. Workforce training and collaboration between medical professionals and AI developers will be crucial for maximising the benefits of AI. The integration of AI with other emerging technologies holds the key to shaping the future of medical care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we delve deeper into the integration of AI in healthcare, it's imperative to address the ethical considerations surrounding this revolutionary technology. The responsible use of AI in medical settings demands careful navigation of issues such as patient privacy, data security, and bias in algorithms.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Privacy concerns arise from the vast amounts of sensitive patient data being processed by AI systems. Ensuring robust data protection measures, stringent encryption, and transparent data usage policies become paramount to build and maintain public trust in AI-driven healthcare solutions.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The potential for bias in AI algorithms poses another ethical challenge. If the datasets used to train AI models are not representative or if biased historical data is fed into the algorithms, it can perpetuate existing inequalities in healthcare. Striking a balance in dataset curation and continuous monitoring of algorithmic outputs is crucial to mitigate bias and ensure equitable healthcare outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moreover, the explainability of AI decisions becomes crucial, especially in critical medical scenarios. Ensuring that AI models provide interpretable insights aids healthcare professionals in understanding and trusting AI-generated recommendations, fostering collaboration between humans and machines.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In conclusion, AI is not just a buzzword but a transformative force reshaping the healthcare industry. From diagnosis to treatment, AI is proving its mettle by delivering accurate, personalised, and efficient healthcare solutions. While challenges persist, the trajectory of AI in healthcare is pointing towards a future where technology and human expertise converge to provide optimal patient care. As we stand at the intersection of technology and healthcare, the role of AI in shaping the future of medicine is more promising than ever.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As AI continues to evolve, it is crucial for stakeholders&mdash;be they healthcare providers, policymakers, or technology developers&mdash;to collaborate in establishing ethical frameworks that ensure the responsible and equitable use of AI in healthcare. The ongoing dialogue around ethical considerations is vital to ensure that AI remains a force for good in healthcare, driving positive change for patients and society at large.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&amp;D, Murata Vios</strong></em></p>', 'sequence' => '6', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&D, Murata Vios', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17')), 'trendingTopicsList' => array(array('articleId' => '24283', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => '83.5% of adults in India underestimate shingles risk: Global GSK survey', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shingles_large-24283.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => '83-5-of-adults-in-india-underestimate-shingles-risk-global-gsk-survey', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical (GSK) has released new data from a globally commissioned survey funded by them. The survey finds notable gaps in understanding of shingles risk among individuals aged above 50 years, a group that is most susceptible to the disease.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey conducted amongst 3,500 adults aged 50 and over from 12 countries, assessed respondents&rsquo; understanding of shingles, what triggers it, and its impact on people&rsquo;s lives.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey in&nbsp;India&nbsp;involved 500 participants, with 250 respondents who spoke Hindi and another 250 who spoke English. The data, launched in time for Shingles Awareness Week 2024 (26 February&nbsp;2024 &ndash; 3 March 2024), finds a widespread lack of understanding of shingles and its lifetime risk.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The findings show that globally, a significantly high proportion of those surveyed do not understand their risk of developing shingles,&nbsp;with&nbsp;86%&nbsp;underestimating&nbsp;that&nbsp;risk.<font size="1">&nbsp;</font>In India, 81% of the English-speaking and 86% &nbsp;of the Hindi-speaking respondents surveyed underestimate the risk of shingles<sup>.</sup></p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In India,&nbsp;amongst the &nbsp;English-speaking respondents, 22% believe that 1 in 1000 adults are at risk of developing shingles.<sup>&nbsp;</sup>Amongst the Hindi-speaking respondents,18% believe that 1 in 1000 adults is at risk of developing shingles.&nbsp;</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In&nbsp;reality,&nbsp;most&nbsp;adults already&nbsp;have&nbsp;the&nbsp;virus that&nbsp;causes&nbsp;shingles present in&nbsp;their bodies by&nbsp;the&nbsp;age&nbsp;of 50,&nbsp;which may&nbsp;reactivate with&nbsp;advancing&nbsp;age.&nbsp;Shingles&nbsp;is&nbsp;caused&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;reactivation&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;varicella-zoster&nbsp;virus&nbsp;(VZV),&nbsp;the same virus that causes chickenpox.&nbsp;As people age, the strength of their immune response to infection wanes, and this increases their risk of developing shingles.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Rashmi Hegde, Executive Vice President - Medical Affairs, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, India, said,&nbsp;&ldquo;The survey findings underscore the need to raise awareness about shingles risk in adults over 50.&nbsp; Shingles can significantly disrupt the daily lives of ageing adults and cause them a great deal of discomfort."</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24230', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Fujifilm launches advanced endoscopic ultrasound machine ALOKA ARIETTA 850 in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/fuji-24230.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'fujifilm-launches-advanced-endoscopic-ultrasound-machine-aloka-arietta-850-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Fujifilm India, a pioneer in diagnostic imaging and information systems, has launched the ground breaking ALOKA ARIETTA 850 Diagnostic Ultrasound System in India with its first-ever installation at Fortis Hospital in Bengaluru.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Representing a remarkable advancement in endoscopic technologies, the high-tech ultrasound system aims to enhance diagnostic precision and image clarity for gastrointestinal diseases in the region.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">In India, contemporary lifestyles and changing dietary choices are leading to the deteriorating digestive health of the population, adding to the growing prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Addressing this, Fujifilm India&rsquo;S&nbsp;ALOKA ARIETTA 850&nbsp;Endoscopic Ultrasound Machine at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru is a significant step in providing world-class diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients against these GI-related diseases, performing targeted treatments such as Pancreatic pseudo cyst drainage (without surgery), targeted delivery of treatment in Pancreatic cancers.&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) is a minimally invasive method for assessing malignancies affecting the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract and neighbouring organs or tissues. With this high degree of accuracy in both diagnostic and therapeutic capacities, it allows doctors to precisely examine organs like the lungs, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, lymph nodes and nearby affected areas.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">EUS also facilitates the extraction of tissue or fluid samples through a thin needle, eliminating the need for a separate biopsy procedure. Additionally, it improves the staging of cancers with accurate sampling provided by Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) and Fine Needle Biopsy (FNB). Furthermore, EUS proves valuable in cases of altered anatomy and among cancer patients for various therapeutic procedures.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">ALOKA ARIETTA 850 stands out from conventional endoscopic ultrasound machines with a range of superior features. The machine generates image quality with 7 million digital channels in its B mode. This system also incorporates HD-THI for deeper penetration, ensuring accurate diagnoses, along with combi-elastography, pure symphonic architecture and CHI-TIC and Inflow Time Mapping for clearer visibility by reducing noise and enhancing the completeness and continuity of tissue boundaries.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '91'), array('articleId' => '24229', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Bengaluru researchers develop paper-based platform to detect antibiotic-resistant bacteria', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shutterstock_157198133-24229.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'bengaluru-researchers-develop-paper-based-platform-to-detect-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">A paper-based platform developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru could help quickly detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant, disease-causing bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Dr Uday Maitra, Professor at the Department of Organic Chemistry, IISc, and collaborators have developed a rapid diagnosis protocol that uses a luminescent paper-based platform to detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The approach developed by the IISc and JNCASR team involves incorporating biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (BCA) within a supramolecular hydrogel matrix containing terbium cholate (TbCh). This hydrogel normally emits green fluorescence when UV light is shined on it.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The next step was to find a way to make the technology inexpensive. Currently used diagnostics instruments are costly, which drives up the price for testing.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team collaborated with a Chennai-based company called Adiuvo Diagnostics to design a customised, portable and miniature imaging device, named Illuminate Fluorescence Reader. Infusing the hydrogel in a sheet of paper as the medium reduced the cost significantly. The instrument is fitted with different LEDs that shine UV radiation as required. Green fluorescence from the enzyme is captured by a built-in camera, and a dedicated software app measures the intensity, which can help quantify the bacterial load.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team from IISc tied up with Jayanta Haldar&rsquo;s research group from JNCASR to check their approach on urine samples. As the next step, the researchers plan to tie up with hospitals to test this technology with samples from patients.</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58'), array('articleId' => '24163', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Theme for National Science Day sets in as ‘Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat’', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/nsd-24163.png', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'theme-for-national-science-day-sets-in-as-indigenous-technologies-for-viksit-bharat', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science &amp; Technology Dr Jitendra Singh released the theme for the "National Science Day 2024", titled "Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat".</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) theme for this year&rsquo;s celebration reflects a strategic focus on promoting public appreciation for Science, Technology and Innovation and accomplishments of Indian scientists to address challenges through home-grown technologies for over-all well-being.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The theme not only marks a new era but also presents an opportunity for public and scientific fraternity, both domestically and internationally, to collaborate, work together, and contribute to the well-being of India and humanity as a whole. While emphasising the importance of making India&nbsp;<em>Atmanirbhar&nbsp;</em>through science, it underscores the need to address subjects that hold significance for humanity as a whole.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on 28 February to commemorate the discovery of the &lsquo;Raman Effect&rsquo;. Government of India designated 28 February as National Science Day in 1986. On this day Sir C.V. Raman announced the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930. On this occasion, theme-based science communication activities are carried out all over the country. The theme launch will trigger celebrations of NSD specially in schools &amp; colleges throughout the country.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science &amp; Technology (DST) said that as we embark on the celebration of NSD and move ahead with the launch of the theme for 2024, it is clearly evident that our scientific endeavours have the power to shape not only the future of our nation but also contribute significantly towards global advancement.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58')), 'mostReadArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24286', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Qiagen launches AI-derived biomedical knowledge base to accelerate data-driven drug discovery', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2-24286.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'qiagen-launches-ai-derived-biomedical-knowledge-base-to-accelerate-data-driven-drug-discovery', 'page1' => '<p align="justify">US-based Qiagen has announced the launch of Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI, a new generative AI-driven knowledge base designed to propel drug discovery in the pharma and biotech industries. This new offering is designed for data scientists and bioinformaticians who are looking for the most comprehensive knowledge graphs to fuel data-driven drug discovery.</p> <p align="justify">Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI is built on a massive dataset of biomedical literature and other scientific sources. It identifies and extracts causal relationships between genes, diseases, drugs and other biological entities with artificial intelligence (AI), generating over 600 million more biomedical relationships than its complement, Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD. This expansive knowledge base helps data scientists understand disease mechanisms, identify drug targets or biomarkers and explore strategies for repurposing existing drugs. Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI provides the most complete picture of biomedical relationships, including edge cases and novel relationships.</p> <p align="justify">While Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD is manually curated and known for its high quality and accuracy, Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI contains over 25x more relationships, allowing data scientists to generate new insights. Both knowledge bases can be used to provide both high-quality and high-quantity biomedical relationships data for data scientists and bioinformaticians to mine and validate.</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '60'), array('articleId' => '24284', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'IIT Kanpur partners with UP government to enhance tele-medicine using AI', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_28_at_3_48_48_pm-24284.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'iit-kanpur-partners-with-up-government-to-enhance-tele-medicine-using-ai', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">The Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and the Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to revolutionise healthcare delivery and advance tele-medicine facilities in the state through the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI).</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU was signed by Ranjan Kumar IAS, Secretary, Health &amp; Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Professor Sandeep Verma, Professor-In-Charge, Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Kanpur, in the presence of&nbsp;other dignitaries.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU outlines several key areas of collaboration, including anchoring tele-medicine hubs and enhancing the quality of tele-medicine services, implementing AI-based solutions to address population health impact, developing point-of-care diagnostics to drive program improvements, conducting competency-based capacity building for health cadres, and utilizing database predictions and analysis for informed decision-making.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">This will help the Department to make optimal use of the UP Digital Health Stack (UP-DHS) and ensure that every citizen of the state, wherever they are, will be able to access healthcare when needed. In Uttar Pradesh, UP-DHS is making significant strides in implementation, with foundational NHS elements deployed across all health administrative units and the rollout of essential healthcare applications well underway.</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '100'), array('articleId' => '24282', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Medtech firm Stryker expands prototype and testing facility in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/styker-24282.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'medtech-firm-stryker-expands-prototype-and-testing-facility-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker, a global leader in medical technologies, has officially expanded its prototype and testing facility in India, marking significant growth of its R&amp;D footprint in the country.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This advanced 55,600-square-foot facility integrates cutting-edge infrastructure, enhanced microbiology capabilities, and a talented team to drive innovation and ensure product quality across its medical technology portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Investing in innovation from India is a focus area for Stryker," said&nbsp;Ram Rangarajan, Vice President of Stryker Global Technology Center, India. "This new lab represents our commitment to developing medical technologies that improve patient outcomes and comply with the highest regulatory standards."</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker's new facility is dedicated to the rigorous life cycle testing of medical devices. The new lab boasts several key features:</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Prototyping and product assurance hub:&nbsp;Equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure for plastic 3D printing,&nbsp;metal machining, and a diverse range of testing capabilities,&nbsp;the lab supports prototyping and product assurance across Stryker's entire product portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Expanded microbiology competency:&nbsp;The lab strengthens Stryker's ability to conduct comprehensive microbiological testing,&nbsp;ensuring the safety and efficacy of its medical technologies.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Talented team of engineers and microbiologists:&nbsp; Highly skilled engineers and microbiologists will use the advanced equipment and expertise to develop innovative solutions that positively impact patients around the world.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '93'), array('articleId' => '24262', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Miltenyi Biotec to open Cell and Gene Therapy Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/gene-24262.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'miltenyi-biotec-to-open-cell-and-gene-therapy-centre-of-excellence-in-hyderabad', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">German firm Miltenyi Biotec is launching operations in India with its first office and investing to set up Miltenyi Innovation and Technology Center as Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Hyderabad.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This COE will be one of its first of its kind in India where scientists, researchers, industry experts and clinicians can get classroom to hands-on trainings on cell and gene therapy approaches right from proof of concept to pre-clinical / clinical development and commercialisation. This CoE also will provide Indian researchers, scientists and clinicians easier access to expertise, research, and manufacturing solutions.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Each year, more than 10,000 patients are treated with cell products using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies. More than&nbsp; 950 investigational new drug (IND) applications as well as investigational device exemptions (IDE) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies and platforms.&nbsp;&nbsp;In doing so, the company is well poised to enable local development and manufacturing in India to drive affordable and&nbsp;accessible CGT therapies by academia and industry for Indian as well as global patients.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Boris Stoffel,&nbsp;Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s Managing Director, highlighted that the company intends to seek opportunities to catalyse development of CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T cell clinical development and manufacturing, with the prospect of bringing centralised and point-of-care CAR T cell therapy to hospitals across India.</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 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'parentSectionId' => '25', 'siteId' => '2', 'status' => '1')))), 'footerTopLeftDetail' => array('articleId' => '129', 'articleTitle' => 'Footer Top Left', 'seoTitle' => null, 'seoSummary' => null, 'seoGenerator' => null, 'seoAuthor' => null, 'seoAppName' => null, 'subheading' => 'Subscribe to BioSpectrum India', 'titleText' => '', 'titleUrl' => 'http://www.biospectrumindia.com/BSI_forms/subscription_reg_mgz.php', 'introDescription' => '', 'page1' => '', 'page2' => null, 'page3' => null, 'page4' => null, 'page5' => null, 'guestAuthor' => null, 'remark' => null, 'primaryMedium' => 'Text', 'flashNews' => '0', 'specialFeature' => '0', 'city' => null, 'imagePath' => 'uploads/static/bsi_march_2024_issue_cover_page_jpg_1_-129.jpg', 'imageTitle' => '', 'sequence' => '129', 'publishDateTime' => null, 'expiryDateTime' => null, 'displayDate' => null, 'editingNotes' => '', 'lastUpdationDate' => object(DateTime), 'creationDate' => object(DateTime), 'status' => 'Published', 'contentTypeId' => '15', 'siteId' => '2', 'sourceId' => '2', 'userId' => '4', 'lastUpdatedByUserId' => '26', 'articleType' => 'Static', 'language' => null, 'blogType' => null, 'pageSlug' => 'footer-top-left', 'magazineIssue' => null, 'pullquote' => null, 'restrictionType' => null, 'seoKeyword' => null, 'articleReadCount' => '0'), 'subsectionAlias' => 'segments', 'subsection' => 'Segments', 'section' => '', 'sectionId' => '', 'aliasName' => '', 'leadershipArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24267', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'What’s Shaking Up India’s Life Sciences Real Estate Sector?', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/bs1-24267.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'whats-shaking-up-indias-life-sciences-real-estate-sector', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2021,&nbsp; a California-based life sciences real estate development company acquired Hotel Buckminster. This acquisition was done to redevelop the closed hotel into a life science lab space. Again in May 2021, a facility that housed the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive was transformed into a new life sciences lab on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the same year in India, a Canadian Pension Fund along with a Singapore-based wealth and asset management firm jointly invested $100 million (Rs 7.5 billion) in life sciences R&amp;D facilities in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. This investment, according to reports, proved to be a stepping stone for more equity investments in this segment. On February 6, 2024, life sciences real estate developer, Rx Propellant announced an initial investment of $75 million in phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai Research (NMR) District, as part of its continued regional expansion strategy across India.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In all the four developments mentioned above, it is clear that post-pandemic, the demand for life sciences-related real estate has significantly increased. Both greenfield and brownfield projects have surged, as the pandemic fuelled the demand for locally manufactured pharma and medical products.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, in the last few decades, has witnessed the IT and manufacturing sectors invest heavily in real estate and infrastructure. But in the post-pandemic era, we see life sciences companies require space to innovate, for R&amp;D, and manufacture at scale.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Fast-evolving life sciences market&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India is one of the fastest-growing life sciences markets in the world and the sector is poised to see multi-fold growth by 2030 led by a fast-increasing population, rising life expectancy, a strong industrial base and inclusive government initiatives. In addition, India&rsquo;s demographic dividend, strong industrial base and policy push are known to be the growth drivers for the life sciences sector in the country.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The increasing government spending on the healthcare sector, cost benefits in terms of affordable manpower &amp; real estate expenses, and the availability of a large talent pool are the catalysts of life sciences growth in India. Schemes like Production Linked Incentive (PLI)&nbsp; have boosted domestic manufacturing which&nbsp; has resulted in the need for more space in industrial and tech parks. Also, global exports of pharmaceutical and biotechnology products and medical devices from the country have forced many companies to invest in capacity building and human resources.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Notably, India ranks second globally in terms of the number of US FDA-certified plants located outside the US, closely followed by China. Strengths of this kind and the constantly evolving sector are&nbsp; furthering the requirement for large-scale&nbsp; manufacturing, MSMEs, wet laboratories, R&amp;D hubs, incubators, and data centres&nbsp; coupled with other IT &amp; ES support.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the next decade, it is estimated that the requirement for life sciences R&amp;D real estate in India is likely to grow to somewhere between $16 billion (Rs 1,200 billion) and $34 billion (Rs 2,550 billion) as per conservative and optimistic scenarios.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Push from PEs and VCs</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India&rsquo;s life sciences R&amp;D real estate is emerging as a high-potential asset class for institutional investors. Aided by exponential global demand growth, geopolitical environment, policies initiatives, and skilled workforce this sector is rapidly transforming.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Atul Bhardwaj, Business Head, Lighthouse Canton Real Estate</strong>, indicates that both domestic and international investors are demonstrating a strong interest in India's life sciences real estate market. According to Bhardwaj, private equity firms, venture capitalists, and real estate developers are actively investing significant capital in the development of specialised facilities to meet the requirements of life sciences companies. He says, &ldquo;Biotechnology parks and clusters are emerging as key focal points for life sciences research and manufacturing in India. These specialised hubs offer world-class infrastructure, shared amenities, and a collaborative ecosystem that encourages innovation and cooperation among industry stakeholders, academic institutions, and research organisations.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Citing one other compelling factor of the life sciences real estate market to surge, Bhardwaj, says, &ldquo;This sector's operational model does not accommodate the concept of working from home, which presents a compelling opportunity for real estate developers. The recent pandemic underscored the resilience of the pharmaceutical sector. While many industries, including office realty, experienced significant disruptions, the pharmaceutical sector's demand for space significantly increased, further cementing its critical role in the global economy.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Arvind Nandan, Managing Director &ndash; Research &amp; Consulting, Savills India</strong>, says, &ldquo;Venture Capital funding into the life sciences industry in India stood at $448 million (Rs 34 billion) in 2021 through August, almost 3x of the annual average of the previous years, making it clear that this segment will play a pivotal role in the overall growth of the Indian Real Estate industry.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Adopting the asset light model</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We know that globally organisations across all sectors &ndash; be it small or big &ndash; are undergoing massive digital transformation and smart business strategies that are sustainable and cost-effective are implemented. Owing to that, businesses are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to scale up faster, which has given rise to many alternate models of operations, including the concept of going asset-light.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Asset-light model offers a strategic approach where companies minimise their ownership of physical assets (such as buildings or land). Companies go asset-light by owning fewer capital-intensive assets compared to their operational assets. By doing this, life sciences companies focus on their core competencies (such as research, development, and production) and avoid heavy investments in real estate.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Merck &amp; Co., Inc. (MSD outside the US and Canada) is a prime example of an asset-light pharmaceutical company. Merck collaborates with specialised Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisations (CDMOs) for various stages of drug development and production. By leveraging external partners, they avoid heavy capital expenditure on building and maintaining several of their own manufacturing facilities.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sharing his view on the asset light model, <strong>Rx Propellant&rsquo;s CEO Milind Ravi</strong>, says, &ldquo;While traditionally dominated by &lsquo;user-owned&rsquo; models, an evident but slow shift to &lsquo;asset-light&rsquo; options in India indicates growing demand for agile growth-ready infrastructure. With its increased focus on innovation, India&rsquo;s life sciences market is expected to grow threefold in the next decade, reaching $130 billion by 2030. This in turn is set to generate demand for over 100 million square feet of specialised infrastructure across several existing ecosystems including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Vizag, and Pune among others.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another aspect to asset-light operations is the advantage companies draw from sharing infrastructure elements. Atul Bhardwaj opines that the model of providing comprehensive amenities under one roof offers significant benefits to companies by eliminating the need for capital expenditure on individual pieces of equipment such as chillers and DG sets. This approach, he says, not only reduces the initial capital outlay but also lowers the overall opex for companies, as costs related to maintenance, security, and technical manpower are shared.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;This cost model is particularly advantageous, as it would otherwise be a substantial financial burden for a company to bear alone for its standalone unit. Real estate developers who offer high-quality infrastructure can further reduce a company's upfront expenses by providing essential utilities like nitrogen generators and vacuum systems. A multi-tenanted building thus emerges as a mutually beneficial arrangement for both developers and tenant companies,&rdquo; says Bhardwaj.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Sustainable infrastructure&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In almost every industry, the board members, shareholders advocate the importance of the mandates of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) of business operations. The threat of climate change has prompted many industries to develop environmental strategies to reduce their carbon footprints, with the life sciences industry on the top of the pyramid.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Being climate conscious has brought in new concepts in smart buildings and other digitally supported facilities and infrastructure models. Open floor plans, shared workspaces, and flexible furniture are some of today&rsquo;s trends that are known to foster interaction and knowledge sharing, similar to what's seen in modern IT work spaces. This shift in life sciences too encourages cross-disciplinary research, faster problem-solving, and quicker innovation and most importantly sharing resources.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Emerging trends in innovation have seen an increase in demand for next-gen spaces with flexible workspaces, integration of wet lab-computation stations, highly sensitive zones for increasingly sophisticated equipment and process flow optimisation. New developments designed to accommodate such variables offer sustainable long-term solutions,&rdquo; Milind Ravi opines from his experience.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Also, leading life sciences companies in India prefer to operate from large-scale clusters that can meet both their office and R&amp;D needs. Startups and MSMEs are also increasingly opting to locate themselves in prominent clusters with a clear industrial positioning and abundant R&amp;D resources. Genome Valley (Hyderabad) and Electronic City (Bengaluru) are great examples of such collaborative ecosystems.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">So, if, today, we were to walk into any of India&rsquo;s life sciences parks, we would be delighted to see those spaces being built on modern modular designs having mobile equipment and reconfigurable layouts, with amazing aesthetics and classy landscaping.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">What will also be evident is that the traditional life sciences technicians confining themselves to sterile laboratories would be ancient. Today&rsquo;s workplaces recognise the need for a more holistic environment with sprawling cafeterias, breakout huddles, and interactive/entertainment spaces. Apart from being modern with the changing times, such amenities are considered by the HR department as a way to attract and retain talent.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Leasing: a preferred business model&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Savills, in its report titled </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unlocking Opportunities: Life Sciences and Real Estate in India&rsquo;, indicates that leasing properties to the biotech industry can provide a steady stream of rental income and long-term investment potential for real estate developers.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since life sciences is a rapidly growing and promising sector with significant investments and advancements, by leasing to them, real estate companies become part of their growth story, giving them the advantage of increased long-term value and brand association.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Leasing also brings about several advantages to realtors. Life sciences companies typically require specific and tailored facilities, leading to lesser turnover compared to other commercial leases. This translates to reduced management costs and higher occupancy rates. Also, life sciences companies often require long-term leases due to the complex nature of their facilities and research projects. This stability translates to predictable and dependable income for the real estate companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking from his company&rsquo;s perspective, Milind Ravi,</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> says,&nbsp;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;We bring a very inclusive approach to support companies of all scales not just with infrastructure, but a gamut of ecosystem services that play a pivotal role in their overall experience. We lease laboratory spaces on tailored models based on the need, timelines, intended use and life-stage of our tenant partners. Our standard offering constitutes modular spaces in shared or dedicated formats &ndash; in both &lsquo;warm shell&rsquo; and &lsquo;plug-and-play&rsquo; models as part of integrated and life science-focussed clusters. Apart from this, we also deliver built-to-suit campuses in required specifications of the tenant.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;While our facilities are built for multi-tenancy where each organisation can work independently, we are also working towards developing co-working laboratory spaces with shared equipment and amenities. These are becoming increasingly popular, especially among startups and small research teams,&rdquo; says Milind Ravi.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Growth is certain</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A report titled &lsquo;Life Sciences Industry &amp; Real Estate Perspective 2024: Putting Asia Pacific under the microscope&rsquo; by global real estate company JLL sheds light on India&rsquo;s pharma industry's growth trajectory. While the pandemic undeniably spurred investment due to the vaccine race, the report emphasizes that interest was already on the rise owing to the ongoing breakthroughs in areas like immuno-oncology and neonatology. This pre-existing momentum, fuelled by technological advancements, has directly translated into increased commercial real estate leasing within the pharma sector. This may be true to India&rsquo;s life sciences sector too.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">JLL stresses on the fact that when companies get funding from venture capitalists, they need lab space in order to deliver as soon as possible. Also, sizeable investments bring with them a plethora of life sciences jobs, which can also spur development of housing, retail and other urban amenities that serve the people who live and work for the expanding companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">From Bhardwaj&rsquo;s inputs we can infer that India has a robust domestic market, bolstered further by the Government of India's </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;Jan Aushadhi&rsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> scheme, aimed at providing quality generic medicines at affordable prices to its citizens. As the third-largest exporter of pharmaceuticals by volume and the thirteenth by value, the demand for space is going to grow.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the pharma industry presents sufficient scope, the medical device industry is not any less. Considered as the sunrise sector, the medical devices industry is estimated to reach $50 billion by 2030. In the last five years, the export of medical devices has been increasing at a rate of 9.37 per cent. India&rsquo;s policy to allow 100 per cent foreign investment under an automatic route in the medical devices sector has helped attract significant investments, which has further pushed the demand for real estate. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the medical device industry in India has also helped augment the domestic manufacturing and in reducing dependence on imports. Hence, manufacturing hubs are being set up in many economic zones of the country. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We can therefore conclude with the evidence that there is immense potential for life sciences real estate development to surge in India. Though the country has limited core life sciences real estate investable stock at present, majority of the growth will come from developing new facilities that entail typical development and leasing risks. The stakeholders, however, forecast an increasing investor appetite for Indian life sciences real estate as the sector gains scale over time.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Anusha Ashwin</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => 'Anusha Ashwin', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24273', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'Dissecting Gender Disparity', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/women-24273.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'dissecting-gender-disparity', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in the Indian healthcare industry are mainly concentrated in low-paying frontline positions. In India, 29 per cent of medical doctors, 80 per cent of nursing staff (including midwives), and nearly 100 per cent of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are women. Despite this, women hold only 18 per cent of healthcare leadership positions and continue to earn 34 per cent less than their male counterparts.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are the outcomes of the study titled &lsquo;An Unbalanced Scale - Exploring the Female Leadership Gap in India's Healthcare Sector&rsquo; from Dasra, a non-profit organisation. The&nbsp; study revealed that the Indian healthcare sector, one of the country's largest employers, has experienced substantial growth. It takes a closer look at women's representation in healthcare and the leadership opportunities available to them.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><strong>Inspiring leaders</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"What is concerning is the gap between the proportion of women in healthcare and those who occupy leadership positions. At entry levels, women's representation in sales, marketing, and operations ranges from 40-50 per cent. However, this significantly drops to 15-20 per cent in senior roles," says <strong>Shailja Mehta, Director at Dasra</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is behind this gender gap in leadership positions? Societal norms, cultural expectations and implicit biases against women are some of the main factors that&nbsp;have contributed to the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions. &ldquo;It is a complex issue. The lack of female role models and mentors perpetuates this gender gap," says Shailja.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some believe that one of the primary reasons for the skewed gender ratio in STEM is the stereotyping that begins early in life. Societal expectations often push girls towards more traditionally feminine roles, diverting them away from technical and scientific fields. As a result, fewer women choose STEM education and careers. While others argue that the current gap is a reflection of what was happening 20 years ago, when fewer women entered science careers.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;&ldquo;Today&rsquo;s leaders represent those who entered the field 15-20 years back. Now that the number of women entering these fields has significantly increased in recent years, we will see a lot of women leaders in the coming years. In fact, a major proportion of startups are led by women. They have the capability to do it,&rdquo; <strong>Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, former director, National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) Pune</strong>, says, "The situation is definitely improving. For more women to take leadership roles, changes are required at the family, community and industry level."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Dr Pragya Yadav, senior scientist at the National Institute of Virology, Pune</strong>, who played an instrumental role in the development of Covaxin, agrees. "The situation has certainly improved, but school-going girls should have access to reputable colleges and safe residential facilities for pursuing science as a subject for the real change to occur. Besides, they need support in equal measure, from their families and the industry when raising their children. If they lose that time, catching up becomes difficult,&rdquo; she says. &nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Furthermore, this support should not be seen as an extra favour to women, but rather as their right. Children are the future and the environment they experience while growing up is crucial to their growth and development. It is the duty of both families and society, not just mothers alone, to provide a safe and suitable environment for them," she added. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Manya Jha, a young entrepreneur and founder of Morphedo Technologies</strong>, a deep tech startup in aerospace and defence, medical device engineering, IoT and embedded systems, faced the challenge of balancing child care and her career after the birth of her daughter. To tackle this challenge, she established a small child care centre at her office.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Starting just 20 days after my daughter was born, I brought her to my workplace every day. I made space in my cabin where she could stay with me. Until she was 7 months old, my husband and I took care of her in the shared cabin (during COVID-19 period). At the time of her birth, my startup was also at a crucial stage,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Both my daughter and my company required my personal attention. There were instances when I had to attend important meetings with senior scientists while holding my one-month-old daughter. I believe it's all about the confidence with which you pursue your career."</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today, Manya's company has around&nbsp; 40 employees and the child care centre is now available to all new mothers, offering support in looking after their children while at work.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, despite the challenges, there has been a noticeable shift in the narrative over the past decade, with the number of women leaders emerging in STEM careers increasing slowly but steadily. And these women are not only excelling &nbsp;in their respective fields but also helping dismantling barriers that hinder the progress of other aspiring women.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several prominent women leaders are setting an example for others. Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr Priya Abraham, Director of the National Institute of Virology, biotech stalwart &nbsp;Kiran Majumdar-Shaw,&nbsp; and entrepreneurs like Dr Kavita Iyer Rodrigues and Vasanthi Ramachandran represent some of the most sought after leaders in the industry.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Women are leading more than 30 per cent of the startups incubated at our centre. In many others, they are co-founders or hold significant positions," says <strong>Dr Manisha Premnath, COO of Venture Center</strong>, an incubation centre in Pune that helps startups grow.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Breaking the glass ceiling</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While there is a rise of women leaders in the health and biotech sector, it is important to acknowledge the challenges they continue to face. Stereotypes, biases, and a lack of institutional support still exist. The &lsquo;glass ceiling&rsquo; phenomenon persists, making it difficult for women to reach the highest levels of leadership. A male-centric workplace culture, coupled with a lack of flexibility and understanding regarding work-life balance, discourage women from pursuing or sustaining leadership roles.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The biggest challenge that women face is breaking these stereotypes and breaking free from the vicious cycle of work and life. They need to step out of their comfort zones, or rather, their safe zones, and then there will be no stopping them. Fortunately, nowadays there are several schemes and funds available to support women," says <strong>Dr Deeksha Bhartiya, Founder of Genomiki</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coming from a very traditional, yet ambitious family, Dr Deeksha got married at a young age and encountered challenges in maintaining a balance between her personal and professional life. However, she didn't allow these challenges to deter her from pursuing her doctoral studies and career. "There were many senior male scientists who advised me to take up a permanent job instead of embarking on my entrepreneurial journey. I was told that women should prioritise stability over adventure. However, I am fortunate to have a very supportive family who always push me to exceed my limits and support me in all my decisions."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Exiting the vicious circle</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The foundation for achieving gender parity in STEM careers is laid during the crucial years of education. Schools and educational institutions play an important role in challenging these stereotypes and encouraging girls to explore their interests in science and technology. STEM-focused educational programmes, workshops, and extracurricular activities can help break down gender-based barriers from a young age. Scholarships and mentorship programmes can encourage girls to pursue science education.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To encourage more women to pursue careers in STEM and foster an inclusive and diverse workforce, it is important to adopt unbiased recruitment practices, create a supportive environment for their progress, and implement flexible work arrangements.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is a growing emphasis on incorporating diverse perspectives in STEM curricula. Highlighting the contributions of women scientists and engineers in textbooks and classroom discussions can inspire both girls and boys, challenging preconceived notions about gender roles in these fields. There should be more networking events, conferences and platforms that specifically focus on women in STEM to provide valuable opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing. These spaces not only celebrate the achievements of women in the field but also facilitate the exchange of ideas and strategies to overcome common challenges.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emphasising the pivotal role women play in shaping a sustainable future through scientific leadership, <strong>Melody Lopez, Director and Chief of Staff Crayon Software Experts India</strong> says &ldquo;Fostering women's leadership in science is not just about gender equality but also a catalyst for achieving sustainable development goals. The theme reflects a call to action, urging communities, governments, and organisations to provide equal opportunities for women and girls in science, ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making processes.&rdquo; She further says &ldquo;As we champion women and girls in science leadership, let us embrace this new era, where their voices, ideas, and leadership propel us toward a brighter, more sustainable future for all.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The journey towards gender parity in STEM careers in India could be challenging, but the momentum for change is growing.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><strong>Gunjan Sharma</strong></strong></p> <p><em><strong>gunjan.sharma@mmactiv.com</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => 'Gunjan Sharma ', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24271', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => '“There is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation”', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_27_at_5_20_34_pm-24271.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'there-is-a-significant-gap-in-the-infrastructure-required-for-ai-implementation', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Artificial Intelligence (AI) has completely changed the way we see the world today. How do you see AI revolutionising drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry? Can AI help in discovering new drug molecules that could help treat deadly and chronic diseases like cancers and AIDS?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The future of human life is completely impacted by AI. Particularly its emergence in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry will have a vital impact on disease control and new drug discoveries.&nbsp;AI is poised to revolutionise drug discovery in several ways. It can drastically reduce the time needed to discover and develop new drugs. AI can be used to help suggest novel combinations for treating fatal diseases and even predict treatment outcomes. Additionally, AI facilitates personalised medicine by tailoring treatments to individual patients, which can ultimately speed up the development of new therapies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key challenges in implementing AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly in the context of regulatory compliance?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I feel, the pharma and healthcare organisations in India are yet to gear up for AI. Many are still in the process of adapting to the advancements in the pharmaceutical industry brought about by digitalisation. Despite this progress, the majority of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are not adequately prepared to integrate AI into their operations. AI adoption, beyond platforms like Chat GPT, remains in its infancy and requires further exploration and validation. Moreover, there is a pressing need to harmonise regulatory compliances, particularly in manufacturing standards outlined by the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH). This entails the implementation of electronic documentation systems and global alignment on regulatory practices to ensure both qualitative and compliant manufacturing and healthcare delivery systems. Additionally, there is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation, including the necessary hardware, software, and skilled professionals, which remains to be addressed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a specific example where AI has been successfully utilised to discover or develop a new drug?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although AI is currently making strides in drug discovery, its continual evolution opens up a multitude of possibilities in terms of drug candidates, their structures, and the discovery process. This versatility allows for the pinpointing of targeted molecules tailored to specific therapies or multiple therapeutic discoveries. A recent example highlighting this potential is Insilico Medicine's Pharma.AI, which is revolutionising drug discovery with its suite of AI-powered tools. PandaOmics, for instance, drastically reduces the time required for multi-omics target discovery, from several months to a few clicks. Similarly, Chemistry42 employs machine learning for de novo drug design, generating lead-like molecules within a week. Additionally, InClinico provides an invaluable tool for efficient clinical trial management, identifying potential weaknesses in trial design and predicting success rates. Collectively, these tools are streamlining the traditionally lengthy drug discovery process, accelerating the pursuit of breakthrough medicine.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you envision the role of AI evolving in personalised medicine and patient care?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I believe AI could be groundbreaking by using large amounts of data from healthy and sick people. It could help analyse specific therapeutic segments quickly to see how drugs work over time and improve their formulations. It would also support Phase IV clinical trials, especially in monitoring drug safety (Pharmacovigilance). Overall, AI in personalised medicine and patient care has the potential to improve healthcare, make treatments better, and give patients more control over their health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the ethical considerations that need to be addressed when deploying AI in healthcare settings?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The primary concern lies in protecting patient identity, which can be achieved through AI by masking identities in documentation, albeit in previously challenging areas. The rigidity and security levels of AI coding stand out as effective measures for safeguarding patient identity compared to traditional masking systems. However, the implementation of AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly concerning regulatory compliance, presents various challenges and ethical considerations. These include ensuring data privacy and security, adhering to diverse regulations, deciphering complex AI algorithms, managing the time and cost implications, addressing potential biases perpetuated by AI algorithms, integrating solutions into existing systems, navigating complex ethical and legal considerations, determining accountability and liability for decisions made, preserving patient autonomy and consent, and conducting real-time reviews for corrections.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How can AI help address the challenges of drug resistance in infectious diseases?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The emergence of drug resistance in infectious diseases poses a significant healthcare challenge. However, AI offers a promising solution by playing a crucial role in addressing this issue. Through predictive analytics, AI can forecast which drugs may become ineffective against evolving pathogens, allowing for proactive adjustments in treatment strategies. Furthermore, AI aids in the discovery of alternative treatments, the development of more effective medications, and the customisation of treatment plans tailored to individual patients. By providing real-time insights into the changing landscape of drug resistance, AI enables healthcare professionals to adapt swiftly, ultimately enhancing the efficacy of treatments and improving patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What strategies can be employed to ensure the fairness and transparency of AI algorithms in healthcare decision-making?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To maintain trust, mitigate bias, and foster equitable outcomes, it is crucial to prioritise fairness and transparency in the use of AI algorithms for healthcare decision-making. Some of the strategies to achieve this include ensuring transparency of both data and algorithms, promoting diversity and inclusivity in the development process, conducting external validation and evaluation, and establishing regulatory frameworks and guidelines.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you see AI impacting the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services globally?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While AI offers significant potential for improving the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services on a global scale, there are challenges to overcome. These include ensuring fair access to AI-driven technologies, addressing concerns regarding data privacy and security, and navigating regulatory and ethical issues. Collaboration among various stakeholders, such as governments, healthcare providers, technology developers, and community organisations, is vital to fully realise the benefits of AI in enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key factors hindering the adoption of AI in pharmaceutical research and development?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pharmaceutical companies face several challenges when it comes to using AI in research and development. Firstly, they require high-quality and comprehensive datasets to effectively train AI models. Secondly, they must adhere to strict regulatory guidelines set by government agencies. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies often possess proprietary data and intellectual property that may not be easily compatible with AI systems. Finally, the significant investment required to implement AI technology presents a barrier to adoption for many companies in the industry.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a case where AI-driven predictive modelling has significantly improved clinical trial outcomes or drug efficacy in the Healthcare system?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's important to note that using AI in the healthcare system, along with a thorough review of relevant literature from sources like PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and EMBASE, is significant. Integrating AI into healthcare has the potential to greatly improve disease diagnosis, treatment selection, and clinical laboratory testing. AI tools can analyse large sets of data and find patterns, outperforming humans in many healthcare tasks. AI brings higher accuracy, lower costs, and time savings, while also reducing human errors. It can revolutionise personalised medicine, optimise medication dosages, improve population health management, set guidelines, offer virtual health assistants, support mental health care, enhance patient education, and strengthen patient-physician trust.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, AI can be used in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) by using machine learning algorithms to predict drug-drug interactions. By analysing large sets of patient data, these algorithms can detect potential drug interactions. This helps to decrease the risk of adverse drug reactions, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Amguth Raju</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>hyderabad@mmactiv.com&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => 'Amguth Raju', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17'), array('articleId' => '24280', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Effectively Eliminating Drug-resistant TB', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/tb-24280.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'effectively-eliminating-drug-resistant-tb', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has the highest burden of TB, with two deaths occurring every three minutes from the disease. The country recorded a staggering 28 lakh cases in 2022, accounting for 27 per cent of the global cases, according to WHO.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India initiated the TB Free India campaign with the ambitious goal of eradicating TB by 2025, a milestone set five years earlier than the target outlined by the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Despite facing setbacks due to COVID-19, the nation doubled down on its efforts, resulting in notable progress. The India TB Report 2023 heralded 2022 as a pivotal year in TB surveillance, noting a significant achievement with a record-high notification of 24.2 lakh TB cases, representing an increase of over 13 per cent compared to 2021.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The latest WHO Global TB Report 2023 acknowledged and praised India's efforts in its fight against TB, particularly highlighting the effectiveness of its case detection strategies. The report emphasised that India's intensified case detection strategies led to the highest-ever notification of cases in 2022, surpassing pre-COVID levels. The government's key initiatives, such as specialised active case finding drives, the scaling up of molecular diagnostics to block levels, decentralisation of screening services through Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, and private sector engagement, have significantly reduced the gap in missing cases.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Road to elimination&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the country has made remarkable progress in its fight against TB, the adoption of additional strategies such as shorter treatment regimens, the development of vaccines, and a renewed focus on nutrition could prove to be game-changers in its goal of eliminating TB for good.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The BPaL regimen, composed of Bedaquiline, Pretomanid and Linezolid, presents a promising alternative for a shorter, safer and more tolerable treatment option for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). Lasting only 26 weeks, it contrasts sharply with conventional DR-TB treatments, which can span 18 to 21 months and entail the consumption of over 4,000 to 5,000 tablets. Endorsed by the US FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) in 2019 and the WHO in 2022, the BPaL regimen has been implemented in more than 70 countries, including South Africa, Ukraine, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;The older, conventional regimen for drug-resistant TB included prolonged use of injections with other drugs. This was associated with increased incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), implementation challenges under the programme and inconvenience to the patients. The new TB drug regimen uses the newer oral drugs like Bedaquiline, Delamanid or Pretomanid, or the repurposed drugs such as linezolid, clofazimine, etc. These regimens are injection free and have lesser pill burden leading to more acceptance among the TB patients besides reducing the implementation challenges due to the use of injections. They have the ability to kill the actively multiplying drug-resistant TB bacteria faster and a sustained killing of the bacteria to prevent the recurrence of the TB disease among the patients. These regimens have shown improved treatment success rates under field conditions under the national programme,&rdquo; said <strong>Dr Rupak Singla, Head of Department, National Institute of TB &amp; Respiratory Diseases, New Delhi</strong>.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Singla further said &ldquo;To combat the adverse drug reactions of these regimen, specially due to drug linezolid, various regimens using different dosages and durations of linezolid have demonstrated reduced incidence of ADRs maintaining the efficacy of the regimen. Hence, these newer treatment drug regimens could reduce the global burden of drug-resistant TB. However, the requirement of a good quality laboratory network, availability and higher cost of the drugs continue to pose a challenge.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new regimen is shorter, easier on patients and improves treatment adherence, resulting in better outcomes compared to previous drug regimens.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Talking about the potential implications of the new TB drug regimen on India&rsquo;s TB control efforts, Dr Singla stated, &ldquo;The cure rate for previous conventional TB regimen for multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) was to the tune of around 50 per cent and for Extensively drug-resistant-TB (XDR-TB), less than 30 per cent. The new TB drug regimen has the potential for significant improvement in treatment success rates for MDR-TB as well as XDR-TB.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In India the national data shows that more than 36,000 drug-resistant TB patients have been initiated on shorter oral Bedaquiline-containing regimen and more than 92,000 patients have been initiated on longer oral regimen till date. Treatment success rates of shorter oral regimen for the cohort April-September 2022 (around 12,000 patients) is 69 per cent and of longer oral regimen for the cohort January-September 2021 (around 15,000 patients) is 71 per cent. The improved success rates of new drug regimens is likely to translate into less number of deaths due to TB, reduced period of infectiousness of TB patients and reduced transmission of TB to others in the community leading to reduced incidence of TB.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Studies at the 2023 Union World Conference on Lung Health affirm WHO-endorsed regimens' effectiveness, surpassing traditional 18- to 24-month treatments. The goal is to urge high-burden DR-TB countries to update guidelines and offer shorter treatments to all patients in need. Only 40 per cent of the 410,000 people with DR-TB in 2022 had access to the shorter regimen, as per a WHO report.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A group of experts in the country have stressed the need for introducing the BPaL regimen in the TB control programme of the country. B<strong>lessina Kumar, CEO, Global Coalition of TB Advocates, New Delhi</strong> emphasised the potential cost savings associated with its adoption, citing studies estimating a global annual savings of $740 million. With India accounting for a significant portion of global multi-drug, rifampicin-resistant (MDR/RR-TB) treated patients, she suggested that the country could save nearly $250 million per year through the implementation of this regimen. India will likely roll out the new regime soon.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>TB Vaccine</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vaccination holds promise as a game-changer for TB elimination. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is conducting phase III trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two vaccines: VPM1002 and MIP (Mycobacterium indicus pranii). VPM1002 is a live vaccine based on recombinant BCG, modified for better safety and efficacy. MIP or Immuvac, originally developed for leprosy, is a whole-cell TB vaccine candidate. The trial aims to assess the effectiveness of these vaccines in preventing TB disease, among 12,721 individuals exposed to TB at home (referred to as household contacts). Enrollment for the study is complete, with participant follow-up currently ongoing, according to the pipeline report 2022 by the Treatment Action Group.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bharat Biotech is partnering with the Spanish firm BIOFABRI to develop, manufacture, and distribute a new tuberculosis vaccine across over 70 countries in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The TB vaccine candidate by Bharat Biotech is set to enter phase-III trials soon.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Lancet study highlighted the pivotal role of nutrition in TB management. The&nbsp; Reducing Activation of Tuberculosis by Improvement of Nutritional Status (RATIONS) trial demonstrated that providing food baskets to TB patients and their households reduced all forms of TB by nearly 40 per cent and infectious TB by almost 50 per cent. In 2018, the Indian government launched the 'Nikshay Poshan Yojana,' a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to offer nutrition support to TB patients. Since its inception, the scheme has disbursed approximately Rs 2613 crore to over 95 lakh TB patients.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has indeed made significant strides in addressing TB; however, the battle against the disease is far from over. Despite enhanced detection and surveillance efforts, there's&nbsp; a need to adopt newer strategies to combat TB effectively. Advances in R&amp;D of vaccines, access to newer drug regimens, enhanced focus on nutrition will all help in propelling TB elimination goals.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Ayesha Siddiqui&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ayesha Siddiqui', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24272', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Prioritising Women’s Health & Wellbeing ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2036811071-24272.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: gettyimages', 'pageSlug' => 'prioritising-womens-health-wellbeing-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a new report from the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute launched at Davos in January 2024, women may live longer than men, on average, but they spend 25 per cent more of their lives in debilitating health. The report said improving diagnostics, data on women-specific conditions like ovarian cancer, and directing more investments towards women&rsquo;s health and research is needed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In particular, McKinsey research finds that less than 2 per cent of healthcare research and innovation is invested in female-specific conditions beyond cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This &lsquo;women&rsquo;s health gap&rsquo; equates to 75 million years of life lost due to poor health or early death each year. Closing the gap would benefit 3.9 billion women, giving them an extra seven healthy days a year, or an average of 500 days over a lifetime. Further, it could boost the global economy by $1 trillion by 2040 from fewer early deaths and health conditions, and a greater capacity for women to contribute to the economy and society.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a result of these findings, the final hours of the World Economic Forum in Davos saw the launch of a new Global Alliance for Women&rsquo;s Health, which has the broad ambition of &lsquo;re-shaping the future of women&rsquo;s health and the global economy.&rsquo; The health alliance will pledge new commitments from governments, philanthropies, and pharmaceutical companies, among others, across three pillars i.e. financing, science and innovation, and agenda-setting. So far, partners have pledged $55 million to improve women&rsquo;s health outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">With International Women&rsquo;s Day 2024 being themed around &lsquo;Inspiring inclusion&rsquo;, we see governments across the globe putting the much-needed emphasis on women&rsquo;s healthcare. For instance, the UAE has set out wide-ranging plans to bolster healthcare services for women, by approving the &lsquo;National Policy for Improving Women&rsquo;s Health&rsquo; for providing the highest healthcare services quality for women, whether curative, preventive or rehabilitative services. Similarly, the Irish government is paving the way for a longer-term comprehensive Women&rsquo;s Health Strategy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in England are being urged to help shape reproductive health policy, as the government seeks views on periods, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and menopause for health strategy. Likewise, the Biden administration recently announced a White House initiative to improve how the federal government approaches and funds research into the health of women, who make up more than half of the US population but remain understudied and underrepresented in health research.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, of course, is not far behind in this initiative. The Interim Budget 2024-25 announcement that took place on February 1, 2024, laid focus on encouraging vaccination for girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years for the prevention of cervical cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Besides these government initiatives, multiple efforts are also being made by the industry players to improve women&rsquo;s health. For example, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zurzuvae as the first and only oral treatment approved for women with postpartum depression, developed by American pharmaceutical company Biogen. The US FDA has also recently approved a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription for the first time in the US, a milestone that could significantly expand access to contraception. The pill&rsquo;s manufacturer, Perrigo Company is based in Dublin.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Further, biotech companies in the UK and Korea are embarking on the world's first prospective study of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered breast cancer detection, to streamline diagnosis, and tackle radiologist shortages. On the other hand, startups in India have developed groundbreaking multi-cancer detection tests specifically designed for high-risk and asymptomatic women.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quality, affordability, and accessibility, particularly in the context of women&rsquo;s health, are very critical aspects of ensuring well-being. This calls for greater mobilisation across sectors to invest in women&rsquo;s health, keeping in mind the imperatives of equity and integral care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Manbeena Chawla</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Executive Editor</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(</span><a href="mailto:manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com"><span style="font-weight: 400;">manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></p>', 'sequence' => '5', 'guestAuthor' => 'Dr Manbeena Chawla', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '101'), array('articleId' => '24270', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Establishing Ethical Frameworks for Equitable Use of AI in Healthcare ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/21-24270.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'establishing-ethical-frameworks-for-equitable-use-of-ai-in-healthcare-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The global healthcare landscape is witnessing a seismic transformation driven by AI technologies. From therapeutics to diagnostics, hospital operations to clinical decision-making, AI is making significant strides across diverse applications. According to Statista, the value of AI in the global healthcare market was $11 billion in 2021, projected to reach an estimated $188 billion by 2030. This staggering growth, at a compounded annual rate of 37 per cent, underscores the immense potential AI holds in reshaping the future of healthcare.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Transforming Medical Research and Imaging Analysis</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The impact of AI is not limited to specific segments; it spans the entire healthcare ecosystem. One critical domain experiencing a revolution is medical research, as AI expedites drug discovery processes. Through machine learning algorithms, researchers can predict the success rate of chemical compounds, significantly reducing the time and resources required for experimentation. This not only accelerates the pace of innovation but also holds the promise of bringing new, effective treatments to patients more rapidly.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the realm of medical imaging analysis, AI is proving to be a game-changer. It enables the rapid and accurate detection of anomalies in MRI scans, X-rays, and CT scans. Radiologists benefit from quicker identification of potential life-threatening issues, minimising human errors and enhancing diagnostic accuracy. This not only saves crucial time but also improves patient outcomes, particularly in cases where early detection is paramount.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Data-Driven Healthcare</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">AI is revolutionising the traditional landscape of diagnosis and treatment by providing clinicians with unprecedented data-driven insights. Machine learning algorithms analyse extensive patient data to identify patterns and correlations, facilitating more accurate and timely diagnosis. Personalised treatment plans based on individual patient characteristics are now a reality, enhancing the effectiveness of medical interventions. The ability to tailor treatments to specific patient profiles leads to improved outcomes and a more efficient allocation of healthcare resources.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Real-time assessment of treatment effectiveness by AI tools further contributes to improved clinical outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. Monitoring and adjusting treatment plans based on real-world data ensure that patients receive the most effective interventions tailored to their individual responses. This not only enhances patient care but also contributes to the sustainability of healthcare systems worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Predictive analysis, powered by AI, enables healthcare providers to forecast potential outcomes based on historical data and real-time health information. Identifying patients at risk of specific conditions allows for early intervention, preventing complications and improving overall healthcare efficiency. Large-scale population data analysis can also detect trends and outbreaks of infectious diseases before they become widespread, a critical capability showcased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability to anticipate and mitigate health crises is a testament to the power of AI in safeguarding public health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Patient-Centric Approach</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The integration of AI into healthcare is not solely about clinical applications; it extends to improving the overall patient experience. Streamlining appointment scheduling, providing remote monitoring solutions, and offering personalised treatment plans based on individual medical records contribute to a more patient-centric approach. AI-driven chatbots responding to routine medical inquiries reduce stress and save time for both patients and healthcare providers, fostering a more efficient and accessible healthcare system.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the promises of AI in healthcare, challenges persist. Blind spots in data access and collection, privacy concerns, data misuse, and regulatory ambiguities are roadblocks to widespread adoption. In India, a rapidly growing player in AI-based healthcare, progress is evident, but there is still a long way to go. The ambitious goals of universal healthcare delivery and affordability through AI remain distant, requiring continued innovation and collaboration.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, a major player in the global healthcare sector, is rapidly embracing AI. The National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence by NITI Aayog highlights the potential of AI to address challenges such as a shortage of qualified healthcare professionals and non-uniform accessibility to healthcare across the country. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, AI expenditure in India is projected to reach $11.78 billion by 2025, contributing significantly to the country's economy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite challenges, AI's potential to revolutionise healthcare is undeniable. As technology continues to advance, AI's applications in telemedicine, genomics, robotics, and 3D printing will expand. Workforce training and collaboration between medical professionals and AI developers will be crucial for maximising the benefits of AI. The integration of AI with other emerging technologies holds the key to shaping the future of medical care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we delve deeper into the integration of AI in healthcare, it's imperative to address the ethical considerations surrounding this revolutionary technology. The responsible use of AI in medical settings demands careful navigation of issues such as patient privacy, data security, and bias in algorithms.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Privacy concerns arise from the vast amounts of sensitive patient data being processed by AI systems. Ensuring robust data protection measures, stringent encryption, and transparent data usage policies become paramount to build and maintain public trust in AI-driven healthcare solutions.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The potential for bias in AI algorithms poses another ethical challenge. If the datasets used to train AI models are not representative or if biased historical data is fed into the algorithms, it can perpetuate existing inequalities in healthcare. Striking a balance in dataset curation and continuous monitoring of algorithmic outputs is crucial to mitigate bias and ensure equitable healthcare outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moreover, the explainability of AI decisions becomes crucial, especially in critical medical scenarios. Ensuring that AI models provide interpretable insights aids healthcare professionals in understanding and trusting AI-generated recommendations, fostering collaboration between humans and machines.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In conclusion, AI is not just a buzzword but a transformative force reshaping the healthcare industry. From diagnosis to treatment, AI is proving its mettle by delivering accurate, personalised, and efficient healthcare solutions. While challenges persist, the trajectory of AI in healthcare is pointing towards a future where technology and human expertise converge to provide optimal patient care. As we stand at the intersection of technology and healthcare, the role of AI in shaping the future of medicine is more promising than ever.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As AI continues to evolve, it is crucial for stakeholders&mdash;be they healthcare providers, policymakers, or technology developers&mdash;to collaborate in establishing ethical frameworks that ensure the responsible and equitable use of AI in healthcare. The ongoing dialogue around ethical considerations is vital to ensure that AI remains a force for good in healthcare, driving positive change for patients and society at large.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&amp;D, Murata Vios</strong></em></p>', 'sequence' => '6', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&D, Murata Vios', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17')), 'trendingTopicsList' => array(array('articleId' => '24283', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => '83.5% of adults in India underestimate shingles risk: Global GSK survey', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shingles_large-24283.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => '83-5-of-adults-in-india-underestimate-shingles-risk-global-gsk-survey', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical (GSK) has released new data from a globally commissioned survey funded by them. The survey finds notable gaps in understanding of shingles risk among individuals aged above 50 years, a group that is most susceptible to the disease.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey conducted amongst 3,500 adults aged 50 and over from 12 countries, assessed respondents&rsquo; understanding of shingles, what triggers it, and its impact on people&rsquo;s lives.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey in&nbsp;India&nbsp;involved 500 participants, with 250 respondents who spoke Hindi and another 250 who spoke English. The data, launched in time for Shingles Awareness Week 2024 (26 February&nbsp;2024 &ndash; 3 March 2024), finds a widespread lack of understanding of shingles and its lifetime risk.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The findings show that globally, a significantly high proportion of those surveyed do not understand their risk of developing shingles,&nbsp;with&nbsp;86%&nbsp;underestimating&nbsp;that&nbsp;risk.<font size="1">&nbsp;</font>In India, 81% of the English-speaking and 86% &nbsp;of the Hindi-speaking respondents surveyed underestimate the risk of shingles<sup>.</sup></p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In India,&nbsp;amongst the &nbsp;English-speaking respondents, 22% believe that 1 in 1000 adults are at risk of developing shingles.<sup>&nbsp;</sup>Amongst the Hindi-speaking respondents,18% believe that 1 in 1000 adults is at risk of developing shingles.&nbsp;</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In&nbsp;reality,&nbsp;most&nbsp;adults already&nbsp;have&nbsp;the&nbsp;virus that&nbsp;causes&nbsp;shingles present in&nbsp;their bodies by&nbsp;the&nbsp;age&nbsp;of 50,&nbsp;which may&nbsp;reactivate with&nbsp;advancing&nbsp;age.&nbsp;Shingles&nbsp;is&nbsp;caused&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;reactivation&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;varicella-zoster&nbsp;virus&nbsp;(VZV),&nbsp;the same virus that causes chickenpox.&nbsp;As people age, the strength of their immune response to infection wanes, and this increases their risk of developing shingles.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Rashmi Hegde, Executive Vice President - Medical Affairs, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, India, said,&nbsp;&ldquo;The survey findings underscore the need to raise awareness about shingles risk in adults over 50.&nbsp; Shingles can significantly disrupt the daily lives of ageing adults and cause them a great deal of discomfort."</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24230', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Fujifilm launches advanced endoscopic ultrasound machine ALOKA ARIETTA 850 in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/fuji-24230.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'fujifilm-launches-advanced-endoscopic-ultrasound-machine-aloka-arietta-850-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Fujifilm India, a pioneer in diagnostic imaging and information systems, has launched the ground breaking ALOKA ARIETTA 850 Diagnostic Ultrasound System in India with its first-ever installation at Fortis Hospital in Bengaluru.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Representing a remarkable advancement in endoscopic technologies, the high-tech ultrasound system aims to enhance diagnostic precision and image clarity for gastrointestinal diseases in the region.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">In India, contemporary lifestyles and changing dietary choices are leading to the deteriorating digestive health of the population, adding to the growing prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Addressing this, Fujifilm India&rsquo;S&nbsp;ALOKA ARIETTA 850&nbsp;Endoscopic Ultrasound Machine at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru is a significant step in providing world-class diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients against these GI-related diseases, performing targeted treatments such as Pancreatic pseudo cyst drainage (without surgery), targeted delivery of treatment in Pancreatic cancers.&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) is a minimally invasive method for assessing malignancies affecting the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract and neighbouring organs or tissues. With this high degree of accuracy in both diagnostic and therapeutic capacities, it allows doctors to precisely examine organs like the lungs, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, lymph nodes and nearby affected areas.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">EUS also facilitates the extraction of tissue or fluid samples through a thin needle, eliminating the need for a separate biopsy procedure. Additionally, it improves the staging of cancers with accurate sampling provided by Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) and Fine Needle Biopsy (FNB). Furthermore, EUS proves valuable in cases of altered anatomy and among cancer patients for various therapeutic procedures.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">ALOKA ARIETTA 850 stands out from conventional endoscopic ultrasound machines with a range of superior features. The machine generates image quality with 7 million digital channels in its B mode. This system also incorporates HD-THI for deeper penetration, ensuring accurate diagnoses, along with combi-elastography, pure symphonic architecture and CHI-TIC and Inflow Time Mapping for clearer visibility by reducing noise and enhancing the completeness and continuity of tissue boundaries.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '91'), array('articleId' => '24229', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Bengaluru researchers develop paper-based platform to detect antibiotic-resistant bacteria', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shutterstock_157198133-24229.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'bengaluru-researchers-develop-paper-based-platform-to-detect-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">A paper-based platform developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru could help quickly detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant, disease-causing bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Dr Uday Maitra, Professor at the Department of Organic Chemistry, IISc, and collaborators have developed a rapid diagnosis protocol that uses a luminescent paper-based platform to detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The approach developed by the IISc and JNCASR team involves incorporating biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (BCA) within a supramolecular hydrogel matrix containing terbium cholate (TbCh). This hydrogel normally emits green fluorescence when UV light is shined on it.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The next step was to find a way to make the technology inexpensive. Currently used diagnostics instruments are costly, which drives up the price for testing.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team collaborated with a Chennai-based company called Adiuvo Diagnostics to design a customised, portable and miniature imaging device, named Illuminate Fluorescence Reader. Infusing the hydrogel in a sheet of paper as the medium reduced the cost significantly. The instrument is fitted with different LEDs that shine UV radiation as required. Green fluorescence from the enzyme is captured by a built-in camera, and a dedicated software app measures the intensity, which can help quantify the bacterial load.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team from IISc tied up with Jayanta Haldar&rsquo;s research group from JNCASR to check their approach on urine samples. As the next step, the researchers plan to tie up with hospitals to test this technology with samples from patients.</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58'), array('articleId' => '24163', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Theme for National Science Day sets in as ‘Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat’', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/nsd-24163.png', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'theme-for-national-science-day-sets-in-as-indigenous-technologies-for-viksit-bharat', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science &amp; Technology Dr Jitendra Singh released the theme for the "National Science Day 2024", titled "Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat".</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) theme for this year&rsquo;s celebration reflects a strategic focus on promoting public appreciation for Science, Technology and Innovation and accomplishments of Indian scientists to address challenges through home-grown technologies for over-all well-being.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The theme not only marks a new era but also presents an opportunity for public and scientific fraternity, both domestically and internationally, to collaborate, work together, and contribute to the well-being of India and humanity as a whole. While emphasising the importance of making India&nbsp;<em>Atmanirbhar&nbsp;</em>through science, it underscores the need to address subjects that hold significance for humanity as a whole.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on 28 February to commemorate the discovery of the &lsquo;Raman Effect&rsquo;. Government of India designated 28 February as National Science Day in 1986. On this day Sir C.V. Raman announced the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930. On this occasion, theme-based science communication activities are carried out all over the country. The theme launch will trigger celebrations of NSD specially in schools &amp; colleges throughout the country.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science &amp; Technology (DST) said that as we embark on the celebration of NSD and move ahead with the launch of the theme for 2024, it is clearly evident that our scientific endeavours have the power to shape not only the future of our nation but also contribute significantly towards global advancement.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58')), 'mostReadArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24286', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Qiagen launches AI-derived biomedical knowledge base to accelerate data-driven drug discovery', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2-24286.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'qiagen-launches-ai-derived-biomedical-knowledge-base-to-accelerate-data-driven-drug-discovery', 'page1' => '<p align="justify">US-based Qiagen has announced the launch of Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI, a new generative AI-driven knowledge base designed to propel drug discovery in the pharma and biotech industries. This new offering is designed for data scientists and bioinformaticians who are looking for the most comprehensive knowledge graphs to fuel data-driven drug discovery.</p> <p align="justify">Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI is built on a massive dataset of biomedical literature and other scientific sources. It identifies and extracts causal relationships between genes, diseases, drugs and other biological entities with artificial intelligence (AI), generating over 600 million more biomedical relationships than its complement, Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD. This expansive knowledge base helps data scientists understand disease mechanisms, identify drug targets or biomarkers and explore strategies for repurposing existing drugs. Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI provides the most complete picture of biomedical relationships, including edge cases and novel relationships.</p> <p align="justify">While Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD is manually curated and known for its high quality and accuracy, Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI contains over 25x more relationships, allowing data scientists to generate new insights. Both knowledge bases can be used to provide both high-quality and high-quantity biomedical relationships data for data scientists and bioinformaticians to mine and validate.</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '60'), array('articleId' => '24284', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'IIT Kanpur partners with UP government to enhance tele-medicine using AI', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_28_at_3_48_48_pm-24284.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'iit-kanpur-partners-with-up-government-to-enhance-tele-medicine-using-ai', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">The Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and the Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to revolutionise healthcare delivery and advance tele-medicine facilities in the state through the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI).</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU was signed by Ranjan Kumar IAS, Secretary, Health &amp; Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Professor Sandeep Verma, Professor-In-Charge, Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Kanpur, in the presence of&nbsp;other dignitaries.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU outlines several key areas of collaboration, including anchoring tele-medicine hubs and enhancing the quality of tele-medicine services, implementing AI-based solutions to address population health impact, developing point-of-care diagnostics to drive program improvements, conducting competency-based capacity building for health cadres, and utilizing database predictions and analysis for informed decision-making.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">This will help the Department to make optimal use of the UP Digital Health Stack (UP-DHS) and ensure that every citizen of the state, wherever they are, will be able to access healthcare when needed. In Uttar Pradesh, UP-DHS is making significant strides in implementation, with foundational NHS elements deployed across all health administrative units and the rollout of essential healthcare applications well underway.</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '100'), array('articleId' => '24282', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Medtech firm Stryker expands prototype and testing facility in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/styker-24282.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'medtech-firm-stryker-expands-prototype-and-testing-facility-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker, a global leader in medical technologies, has officially expanded its prototype and testing facility in India, marking significant growth of its R&amp;D footprint in the country.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This advanced 55,600-square-foot facility integrates cutting-edge infrastructure, enhanced microbiology capabilities, and a talented team to drive innovation and ensure product quality across its medical technology portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Investing in innovation from India is a focus area for Stryker," said&nbsp;Ram Rangarajan, Vice President of Stryker Global Technology Center, India. "This new lab represents our commitment to developing medical technologies that improve patient outcomes and comply with the highest regulatory standards."</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker's new facility is dedicated to the rigorous life cycle testing of medical devices. The new lab boasts several key features:</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Prototyping and product assurance hub:&nbsp;Equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure for plastic 3D printing,&nbsp;metal machining, and a diverse range of testing capabilities,&nbsp;the lab supports prototyping and product assurance across Stryker's entire product portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Expanded microbiology competency:&nbsp;The lab strengthens Stryker's ability to conduct comprehensive microbiological testing,&nbsp;ensuring the safety and efficacy of its medical technologies.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Talented team of engineers and microbiologists:&nbsp; Highly skilled engineers and microbiologists will use the advanced equipment and expertise to develop innovative solutions that positively impact patients around the world.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '93'), array('articleId' => '24262', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Miltenyi Biotec to open Cell and Gene Therapy Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/gene-24262.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'miltenyi-biotec-to-open-cell-and-gene-therapy-centre-of-excellence-in-hyderabad', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">German firm Miltenyi Biotec is launching operations in India with its first office and investing to set up Miltenyi Innovation and Technology Center as Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Hyderabad.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This COE will be one of its first of its kind in India where scientists, researchers, industry experts and clinicians can get classroom to hands-on trainings on cell and gene therapy approaches right from proof of concept to pre-clinical / clinical development and commercialisation. This CoE also will provide Indian researchers, scientists and clinicians easier access to expertise, research, and manufacturing solutions.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Each year, more than 10,000 patients are treated with cell products using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies. More than&nbsp; 950 investigational new drug (IND) applications as well as investigational device exemptions (IDE) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies and platforms.&nbsp;&nbsp;In doing so, the company is well poised to enable local development and manufacturing in India to drive affordable and&nbsp;accessible CGT therapies by academia and industry for Indian as well as global patients.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Boris Stoffel,&nbsp;Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s Managing Director, highlighted that the company intends to seek opportunities to catalyse development of CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T cell clinical development and manufacturing, with the prospect of bringing centralised and point-of-care CAR T cell therapy to hospitals across India.</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 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'siteId' => '2', 'sourceId' => '2', 'userId' => '4', 'lastUpdatedByUserId' => '26', 'articleType' => 'Static', 'language' => null, 'blogType' => null, 'pageSlug' => 'footer-top-left', 'magazineIssue' => null, 'pullquote' => null, 'restrictionType' => null, 'seoKeyword' => null, 'articleReadCount' => '0'), 'subsectionAlias' => 'segments', 'subsection' => 'Segments', 'section' => '', 'sectionId' => '', 'aliasName' => '', 'leadershipArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24267', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'What’s Shaking Up India’s Life Sciences Real Estate Sector?', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/bs1-24267.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'whats-shaking-up-indias-life-sciences-real-estate-sector', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2021,&nbsp; a California-based life sciences real estate development company acquired Hotel Buckminster. This acquisition was done to redevelop the closed hotel into a life science lab space. Again in May 2021, a facility that housed the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive was transformed into a new life sciences lab on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the same year in India, a Canadian Pension Fund along with a Singapore-based wealth and asset management firm jointly invested $100 million (Rs 7.5 billion) in life sciences R&amp;D facilities in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. This investment, according to reports, proved to be a stepping stone for more equity investments in this segment. On February 6, 2024, life sciences real estate developer, Rx Propellant announced an initial investment of $75 million in phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai Research (NMR) District, as part of its continued regional expansion strategy across India.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In all the four developments mentioned above, it is clear that post-pandemic, the demand for life sciences-related real estate has significantly increased. Both greenfield and brownfield projects have surged, as the pandemic fuelled the demand for locally manufactured pharma and medical products.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, in the last few decades, has witnessed the IT and manufacturing sectors invest heavily in real estate and infrastructure. But in the post-pandemic era, we see life sciences companies require space to innovate, for R&amp;D, and manufacture at scale.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Fast-evolving life sciences market&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India is one of the fastest-growing life sciences markets in the world and the sector is poised to see multi-fold growth by 2030 led by a fast-increasing population, rising life expectancy, a strong industrial base and inclusive government initiatives. In addition, India&rsquo;s demographic dividend, strong industrial base and policy push are known to be the growth drivers for the life sciences sector in the country.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The increasing government spending on the healthcare sector, cost benefits in terms of affordable manpower &amp; real estate expenses, and the availability of a large talent pool are the catalysts of life sciences growth in India. Schemes like Production Linked Incentive (PLI)&nbsp; have boosted domestic manufacturing which&nbsp; has resulted in the need for more space in industrial and tech parks. Also, global exports of pharmaceutical and biotechnology products and medical devices from the country have forced many companies to invest in capacity building and human resources.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Notably, India ranks second globally in terms of the number of US FDA-certified plants located outside the US, closely followed by China. Strengths of this kind and the constantly evolving sector are&nbsp; furthering the requirement for large-scale&nbsp; manufacturing, MSMEs, wet laboratories, R&amp;D hubs, incubators, and data centres&nbsp; coupled with other IT &amp; ES support.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the next decade, it is estimated that the requirement for life sciences R&amp;D real estate in India is likely to grow to somewhere between $16 billion (Rs 1,200 billion) and $34 billion (Rs 2,550 billion) as per conservative and optimistic scenarios.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Push from PEs and VCs</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India&rsquo;s life sciences R&amp;D real estate is emerging as a high-potential asset class for institutional investors. Aided by exponential global demand growth, geopolitical environment, policies initiatives, and skilled workforce this sector is rapidly transforming.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Atul Bhardwaj, Business Head, Lighthouse Canton Real Estate</strong>, indicates that both domestic and international investors are demonstrating a strong interest in India's life sciences real estate market. According to Bhardwaj, private equity firms, venture capitalists, and real estate developers are actively investing significant capital in the development of specialised facilities to meet the requirements of life sciences companies. He says, &ldquo;Biotechnology parks and clusters are emerging as key focal points for life sciences research and manufacturing in India. These specialised hubs offer world-class infrastructure, shared amenities, and a collaborative ecosystem that encourages innovation and cooperation among industry stakeholders, academic institutions, and research organisations.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Citing one other compelling factor of the life sciences real estate market to surge, Bhardwaj, says, &ldquo;This sector's operational model does not accommodate the concept of working from home, which presents a compelling opportunity for real estate developers. The recent pandemic underscored the resilience of the pharmaceutical sector. While many industries, including office realty, experienced significant disruptions, the pharmaceutical sector's demand for space significantly increased, further cementing its critical role in the global economy.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Arvind Nandan, Managing Director &ndash; Research &amp; Consulting, Savills India</strong>, says, &ldquo;Venture Capital funding into the life sciences industry in India stood at $448 million (Rs 34 billion) in 2021 through August, almost 3x of the annual average of the previous years, making it clear that this segment will play a pivotal role in the overall growth of the Indian Real Estate industry.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Adopting the asset light model</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We know that globally organisations across all sectors &ndash; be it small or big &ndash; are undergoing massive digital transformation and smart business strategies that are sustainable and cost-effective are implemented. Owing to that, businesses are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to scale up faster, which has given rise to many alternate models of operations, including the concept of going asset-light.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Asset-light model offers a strategic approach where companies minimise their ownership of physical assets (such as buildings or land). Companies go asset-light by owning fewer capital-intensive assets compared to their operational assets. By doing this, life sciences companies focus on their core competencies (such as research, development, and production) and avoid heavy investments in real estate.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Merck &amp; Co., Inc. (MSD outside the US and Canada) is a prime example of an asset-light pharmaceutical company. Merck collaborates with specialised Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisations (CDMOs) for various stages of drug development and production. By leveraging external partners, they avoid heavy capital expenditure on building and maintaining several of their own manufacturing facilities.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sharing his view on the asset light model, <strong>Rx Propellant&rsquo;s CEO Milind Ravi</strong>, says, &ldquo;While traditionally dominated by &lsquo;user-owned&rsquo; models, an evident but slow shift to &lsquo;asset-light&rsquo; options in India indicates growing demand for agile growth-ready infrastructure. With its increased focus on innovation, India&rsquo;s life sciences market is expected to grow threefold in the next decade, reaching $130 billion by 2030. This in turn is set to generate demand for over 100 million square feet of specialised infrastructure across several existing ecosystems including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Vizag, and Pune among others.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another aspect to asset-light operations is the advantage companies draw from sharing infrastructure elements. Atul Bhardwaj opines that the model of providing comprehensive amenities under one roof offers significant benefits to companies by eliminating the need for capital expenditure on individual pieces of equipment such as chillers and DG sets. This approach, he says, not only reduces the initial capital outlay but also lowers the overall opex for companies, as costs related to maintenance, security, and technical manpower are shared.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;This cost model is particularly advantageous, as it would otherwise be a substantial financial burden for a company to bear alone for its standalone unit. Real estate developers who offer high-quality infrastructure can further reduce a company's upfront expenses by providing essential utilities like nitrogen generators and vacuum systems. A multi-tenanted building thus emerges as a mutually beneficial arrangement for both developers and tenant companies,&rdquo; says Bhardwaj.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Sustainable infrastructure&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In almost every industry, the board members, shareholders advocate the importance of the mandates of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) of business operations. The threat of climate change has prompted many industries to develop environmental strategies to reduce their carbon footprints, with the life sciences industry on the top of the pyramid.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Being climate conscious has brought in new concepts in smart buildings and other digitally supported facilities and infrastructure models. Open floor plans, shared workspaces, and flexible furniture are some of today&rsquo;s trends that are known to foster interaction and knowledge sharing, similar to what's seen in modern IT work spaces. This shift in life sciences too encourages cross-disciplinary research, faster problem-solving, and quicker innovation and most importantly sharing resources.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Emerging trends in innovation have seen an increase in demand for next-gen spaces with flexible workspaces, integration of wet lab-computation stations, highly sensitive zones for increasingly sophisticated equipment and process flow optimisation. New developments designed to accommodate such variables offer sustainable long-term solutions,&rdquo; Milind Ravi opines from his experience.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Also, leading life sciences companies in India prefer to operate from large-scale clusters that can meet both their office and R&amp;D needs. Startups and MSMEs are also increasingly opting to locate themselves in prominent clusters with a clear industrial positioning and abundant R&amp;D resources. Genome Valley (Hyderabad) and Electronic City (Bengaluru) are great examples of such collaborative ecosystems.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">So, if, today, we were to walk into any of India&rsquo;s life sciences parks, we would be delighted to see those spaces being built on modern modular designs having mobile equipment and reconfigurable layouts, with amazing aesthetics and classy landscaping.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">What will also be evident is that the traditional life sciences technicians confining themselves to sterile laboratories would be ancient. Today&rsquo;s workplaces recognise the need for a more holistic environment with sprawling cafeterias, breakout huddles, and interactive/entertainment spaces. Apart from being modern with the changing times, such amenities are considered by the HR department as a way to attract and retain talent.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Leasing: a preferred business model&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Savills, in its report titled </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unlocking Opportunities: Life Sciences and Real Estate in India&rsquo;, indicates that leasing properties to the biotech industry can provide a steady stream of rental income and long-term investment potential for real estate developers.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since life sciences is a rapidly growing and promising sector with significant investments and advancements, by leasing to them, real estate companies become part of their growth story, giving them the advantage of increased long-term value and brand association.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Leasing also brings about several advantages to realtors. Life sciences companies typically require specific and tailored facilities, leading to lesser turnover compared to other commercial leases. This translates to reduced management costs and higher occupancy rates. Also, life sciences companies often require long-term leases due to the complex nature of their facilities and research projects. This stability translates to predictable and dependable income for the real estate companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking from his company&rsquo;s perspective, Milind Ravi,</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> says,&nbsp;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;We bring a very inclusive approach to support companies of all scales not just with infrastructure, but a gamut of ecosystem services that play a pivotal role in their overall experience. We lease laboratory spaces on tailored models based on the need, timelines, intended use and life-stage of our tenant partners. Our standard offering constitutes modular spaces in shared or dedicated formats &ndash; in both &lsquo;warm shell&rsquo; and &lsquo;plug-and-play&rsquo; models as part of integrated and life science-focussed clusters. Apart from this, we also deliver built-to-suit campuses in required specifications of the tenant.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;While our facilities are built for multi-tenancy where each organisation can work independently, we are also working towards developing co-working laboratory spaces with shared equipment and amenities. These are becoming increasingly popular, especially among startups and small research teams,&rdquo; says Milind Ravi.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Growth is certain</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A report titled &lsquo;Life Sciences Industry &amp; Real Estate Perspective 2024: Putting Asia Pacific under the microscope&rsquo; by global real estate company JLL sheds light on India&rsquo;s pharma industry's growth trajectory. While the pandemic undeniably spurred investment due to the vaccine race, the report emphasizes that interest was already on the rise owing to the ongoing breakthroughs in areas like immuno-oncology and neonatology. This pre-existing momentum, fuelled by technological advancements, has directly translated into increased commercial real estate leasing within the pharma sector. This may be true to India&rsquo;s life sciences sector too.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">JLL stresses on the fact that when companies get funding from venture capitalists, they need lab space in order to deliver as soon as possible. Also, sizeable investments bring with them a plethora of life sciences jobs, which can also spur development of housing, retail and other urban amenities that serve the people who live and work for the expanding companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">From Bhardwaj&rsquo;s inputs we can infer that India has a robust domestic market, bolstered further by the Government of India's </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;Jan Aushadhi&rsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> scheme, aimed at providing quality generic medicines at affordable prices to its citizens. As the third-largest exporter of pharmaceuticals by volume and the thirteenth by value, the demand for space is going to grow.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the pharma industry presents sufficient scope, the medical device industry is not any less. Considered as the sunrise sector, the medical devices industry is estimated to reach $50 billion by 2030. In the last five years, the export of medical devices has been increasing at a rate of 9.37 per cent. India&rsquo;s policy to allow 100 per cent foreign investment under an automatic route in the medical devices sector has helped attract significant investments, which has further pushed the demand for real estate. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the medical device industry in India has also helped augment the domestic manufacturing and in reducing dependence on imports. Hence, manufacturing hubs are being set up in many economic zones of the country. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We can therefore conclude with the evidence that there is immense potential for life sciences real estate development to surge in India. Though the country has limited core life sciences real estate investable stock at present, majority of the growth will come from developing new facilities that entail typical development and leasing risks. The stakeholders, however, forecast an increasing investor appetite for Indian life sciences real estate as the sector gains scale over time.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Anusha Ashwin</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => 'Anusha Ashwin', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24273', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'Dissecting Gender Disparity', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/women-24273.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'dissecting-gender-disparity', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in the Indian healthcare industry are mainly concentrated in low-paying frontline positions. In India, 29 per cent of medical doctors, 80 per cent of nursing staff (including midwives), and nearly 100 per cent of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are women. Despite this, women hold only 18 per cent of healthcare leadership positions and continue to earn 34 per cent less than their male counterparts.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are the outcomes of the study titled &lsquo;An Unbalanced Scale - Exploring the Female Leadership Gap in India's Healthcare Sector&rsquo; from Dasra, a non-profit organisation. The&nbsp; study revealed that the Indian healthcare sector, one of the country's largest employers, has experienced substantial growth. It takes a closer look at women's representation in healthcare and the leadership opportunities available to them.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><strong>Inspiring leaders</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"What is concerning is the gap between the proportion of women in healthcare and those who occupy leadership positions. At entry levels, women's representation in sales, marketing, and operations ranges from 40-50 per cent. However, this significantly drops to 15-20 per cent in senior roles," says <strong>Shailja Mehta, Director at Dasra</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is behind this gender gap in leadership positions? Societal norms, cultural expectations and implicit biases against women are some of the main factors that&nbsp;have contributed to the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions. &ldquo;It is a complex issue. The lack of female role models and mentors perpetuates this gender gap," says Shailja.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some believe that one of the primary reasons for the skewed gender ratio in STEM is the stereotyping that begins early in life. Societal expectations often push girls towards more traditionally feminine roles, diverting them away from technical and scientific fields. As a result, fewer women choose STEM education and careers. While others argue that the current gap is a reflection of what was happening 20 years ago, when fewer women entered science careers.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;&ldquo;Today&rsquo;s leaders represent those who entered the field 15-20 years back. Now that the number of women entering these fields has significantly increased in recent years, we will see a lot of women leaders in the coming years. In fact, a major proportion of startups are led by women. They have the capability to do it,&rdquo; <strong>Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, former director, National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) Pune</strong>, says, "The situation is definitely improving. For more women to take leadership roles, changes are required at the family, community and industry level."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Dr Pragya Yadav, senior scientist at the National Institute of Virology, Pune</strong>, who played an instrumental role in the development of Covaxin, agrees. "The situation has certainly improved, but school-going girls should have access to reputable colleges and safe residential facilities for pursuing science as a subject for the real change to occur. Besides, they need support in equal measure, from their families and the industry when raising their children. If they lose that time, catching up becomes difficult,&rdquo; she says. &nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Furthermore, this support should not be seen as an extra favour to women, but rather as their right. Children are the future and the environment they experience while growing up is crucial to their growth and development. It is the duty of both families and society, not just mothers alone, to provide a safe and suitable environment for them," she added. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Manya Jha, a young entrepreneur and founder of Morphedo Technologies</strong>, a deep tech startup in aerospace and defence, medical device engineering, IoT and embedded systems, faced the challenge of balancing child care and her career after the birth of her daughter. To tackle this challenge, she established a small child care centre at her office.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Starting just 20 days after my daughter was born, I brought her to my workplace every day. I made space in my cabin where she could stay with me. Until she was 7 months old, my husband and I took care of her in the shared cabin (during COVID-19 period). At the time of her birth, my startup was also at a crucial stage,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Both my daughter and my company required my personal attention. There were instances when I had to attend important meetings with senior scientists while holding my one-month-old daughter. I believe it's all about the confidence with which you pursue your career."</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today, Manya's company has around&nbsp; 40 employees and the child care centre is now available to all new mothers, offering support in looking after their children while at work.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, despite the challenges, there has been a noticeable shift in the narrative over the past decade, with the number of women leaders emerging in STEM careers increasing slowly but steadily. And these women are not only excelling &nbsp;in their respective fields but also helping dismantling barriers that hinder the progress of other aspiring women.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several prominent women leaders are setting an example for others. Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr Priya Abraham, Director of the National Institute of Virology, biotech stalwart &nbsp;Kiran Majumdar-Shaw,&nbsp; and entrepreneurs like Dr Kavita Iyer Rodrigues and Vasanthi Ramachandran represent some of the most sought after leaders in the industry.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Women are leading more than 30 per cent of the startups incubated at our centre. In many others, they are co-founders or hold significant positions," says <strong>Dr Manisha Premnath, COO of Venture Center</strong>, an incubation centre in Pune that helps startups grow.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Breaking the glass ceiling</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While there is a rise of women leaders in the health and biotech sector, it is important to acknowledge the challenges they continue to face. Stereotypes, biases, and a lack of institutional support still exist. The &lsquo;glass ceiling&rsquo; phenomenon persists, making it difficult for women to reach the highest levels of leadership. A male-centric workplace culture, coupled with a lack of flexibility and understanding regarding work-life balance, discourage women from pursuing or sustaining leadership roles.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The biggest challenge that women face is breaking these stereotypes and breaking free from the vicious cycle of work and life. They need to step out of their comfort zones, or rather, their safe zones, and then there will be no stopping them. Fortunately, nowadays there are several schemes and funds available to support women," says <strong>Dr Deeksha Bhartiya, Founder of Genomiki</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coming from a very traditional, yet ambitious family, Dr Deeksha got married at a young age and encountered challenges in maintaining a balance between her personal and professional life. However, she didn't allow these challenges to deter her from pursuing her doctoral studies and career. "There were many senior male scientists who advised me to take up a permanent job instead of embarking on my entrepreneurial journey. I was told that women should prioritise stability over adventure. However, I am fortunate to have a very supportive family who always push me to exceed my limits and support me in all my decisions."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Exiting the vicious circle</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The foundation for achieving gender parity in STEM careers is laid during the crucial years of education. Schools and educational institutions play an important role in challenging these stereotypes and encouraging girls to explore their interests in science and technology. STEM-focused educational programmes, workshops, and extracurricular activities can help break down gender-based barriers from a young age. Scholarships and mentorship programmes can encourage girls to pursue science education.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To encourage more women to pursue careers in STEM and foster an inclusive and diverse workforce, it is important to adopt unbiased recruitment practices, create a supportive environment for their progress, and implement flexible work arrangements.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is a growing emphasis on incorporating diverse perspectives in STEM curricula. Highlighting the contributions of women scientists and engineers in textbooks and classroom discussions can inspire both girls and boys, challenging preconceived notions about gender roles in these fields. There should be more networking events, conferences and platforms that specifically focus on women in STEM to provide valuable opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing. These spaces not only celebrate the achievements of women in the field but also facilitate the exchange of ideas and strategies to overcome common challenges.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emphasising the pivotal role women play in shaping a sustainable future through scientific leadership, <strong>Melody Lopez, Director and Chief of Staff Crayon Software Experts India</strong> says &ldquo;Fostering women's leadership in science is not just about gender equality but also a catalyst for achieving sustainable development goals. The theme reflects a call to action, urging communities, governments, and organisations to provide equal opportunities for women and girls in science, ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making processes.&rdquo; She further says &ldquo;As we champion women and girls in science leadership, let us embrace this new era, where their voices, ideas, and leadership propel us toward a brighter, more sustainable future for all.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The journey towards gender parity in STEM careers in India could be challenging, but the momentum for change is growing.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><strong>Gunjan Sharma</strong></strong></p> <p><em><strong>gunjan.sharma@mmactiv.com</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => 'Gunjan Sharma ', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24271', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => '“There is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation”', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_27_at_5_20_34_pm-24271.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'there-is-a-significant-gap-in-the-infrastructure-required-for-ai-implementation', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Artificial Intelligence (AI) has completely changed the way we see the world today. How do you see AI revolutionising drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry? Can AI help in discovering new drug molecules that could help treat deadly and chronic diseases like cancers and AIDS?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The future of human life is completely impacted by AI. Particularly its emergence in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry will have a vital impact on disease control and new drug discoveries.&nbsp;AI is poised to revolutionise drug discovery in several ways. It can drastically reduce the time needed to discover and develop new drugs. AI can be used to help suggest novel combinations for treating fatal diseases and even predict treatment outcomes. Additionally, AI facilitates personalised medicine by tailoring treatments to individual patients, which can ultimately speed up the development of new therapies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key challenges in implementing AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly in the context of regulatory compliance?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I feel, the pharma and healthcare organisations in India are yet to gear up for AI. Many are still in the process of adapting to the advancements in the pharmaceutical industry brought about by digitalisation. Despite this progress, the majority of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are not adequately prepared to integrate AI into their operations. AI adoption, beyond platforms like Chat GPT, remains in its infancy and requires further exploration and validation. Moreover, there is a pressing need to harmonise regulatory compliances, particularly in manufacturing standards outlined by the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH). This entails the implementation of electronic documentation systems and global alignment on regulatory practices to ensure both qualitative and compliant manufacturing and healthcare delivery systems. Additionally, there is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation, including the necessary hardware, software, and skilled professionals, which remains to be addressed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a specific example where AI has been successfully utilised to discover or develop a new drug?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although AI is currently making strides in drug discovery, its continual evolution opens up a multitude of possibilities in terms of drug candidates, their structures, and the discovery process. This versatility allows for the pinpointing of targeted molecules tailored to specific therapies or multiple therapeutic discoveries. A recent example highlighting this potential is Insilico Medicine's Pharma.AI, which is revolutionising drug discovery with its suite of AI-powered tools. PandaOmics, for instance, drastically reduces the time required for multi-omics target discovery, from several months to a few clicks. Similarly, Chemistry42 employs machine learning for de novo drug design, generating lead-like molecules within a week. Additionally, InClinico provides an invaluable tool for efficient clinical trial management, identifying potential weaknesses in trial design and predicting success rates. Collectively, these tools are streamlining the traditionally lengthy drug discovery process, accelerating the pursuit of breakthrough medicine.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you envision the role of AI evolving in personalised medicine and patient care?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I believe AI could be groundbreaking by using large amounts of data from healthy and sick people. It could help analyse specific therapeutic segments quickly to see how drugs work over time and improve their formulations. It would also support Phase IV clinical trials, especially in monitoring drug safety (Pharmacovigilance). Overall, AI in personalised medicine and patient care has the potential to improve healthcare, make treatments better, and give patients more control over their health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the ethical considerations that need to be addressed when deploying AI in healthcare settings?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The primary concern lies in protecting patient identity, which can be achieved through AI by masking identities in documentation, albeit in previously challenging areas. The rigidity and security levels of AI coding stand out as effective measures for safeguarding patient identity compared to traditional masking systems. However, the implementation of AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly concerning regulatory compliance, presents various challenges and ethical considerations. These include ensuring data privacy and security, adhering to diverse regulations, deciphering complex AI algorithms, managing the time and cost implications, addressing potential biases perpetuated by AI algorithms, integrating solutions into existing systems, navigating complex ethical and legal considerations, determining accountability and liability for decisions made, preserving patient autonomy and consent, and conducting real-time reviews for corrections.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How can AI help address the challenges of drug resistance in infectious diseases?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The emergence of drug resistance in infectious diseases poses a significant healthcare challenge. However, AI offers a promising solution by playing a crucial role in addressing this issue. Through predictive analytics, AI can forecast which drugs may become ineffective against evolving pathogens, allowing for proactive adjustments in treatment strategies. Furthermore, AI aids in the discovery of alternative treatments, the development of more effective medications, and the customisation of treatment plans tailored to individual patients. By providing real-time insights into the changing landscape of drug resistance, AI enables healthcare professionals to adapt swiftly, ultimately enhancing the efficacy of treatments and improving patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What strategies can be employed to ensure the fairness and transparency of AI algorithms in healthcare decision-making?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To maintain trust, mitigate bias, and foster equitable outcomes, it is crucial to prioritise fairness and transparency in the use of AI algorithms for healthcare decision-making. Some of the strategies to achieve this include ensuring transparency of both data and algorithms, promoting diversity and inclusivity in the development process, conducting external validation and evaluation, and establishing regulatory frameworks and guidelines.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you see AI impacting the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services globally?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While AI offers significant potential for improving the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services on a global scale, there are challenges to overcome. These include ensuring fair access to AI-driven technologies, addressing concerns regarding data privacy and security, and navigating regulatory and ethical issues. Collaboration among various stakeholders, such as governments, healthcare providers, technology developers, and community organisations, is vital to fully realise the benefits of AI in enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key factors hindering the adoption of AI in pharmaceutical research and development?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pharmaceutical companies face several challenges when it comes to using AI in research and development. Firstly, they require high-quality and comprehensive datasets to effectively train AI models. Secondly, they must adhere to strict regulatory guidelines set by government agencies. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies often possess proprietary data and intellectual property that may not be easily compatible with AI systems. Finally, the significant investment required to implement AI technology presents a barrier to adoption for many companies in the industry.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a case where AI-driven predictive modelling has significantly improved clinical trial outcomes or drug efficacy in the Healthcare system?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's important to note that using AI in the healthcare system, along with a thorough review of relevant literature from sources like PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and EMBASE, is significant. Integrating AI into healthcare has the potential to greatly improve disease diagnosis, treatment selection, and clinical laboratory testing. AI tools can analyse large sets of data and find patterns, outperforming humans in many healthcare tasks. AI brings higher accuracy, lower costs, and time savings, while also reducing human errors. It can revolutionise personalised medicine, optimise medication dosages, improve population health management, set guidelines, offer virtual health assistants, support mental health care, enhance patient education, and strengthen patient-physician trust.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, AI can be used in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) by using machine learning algorithms to predict drug-drug interactions. By analysing large sets of patient data, these algorithms can detect potential drug interactions. This helps to decrease the risk of adverse drug reactions, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Amguth Raju</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>hyderabad@mmactiv.com&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => 'Amguth Raju', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17'), array('articleId' => '24280', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Effectively Eliminating Drug-resistant TB', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/tb-24280.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'effectively-eliminating-drug-resistant-tb', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has the highest burden of TB, with two deaths occurring every three minutes from the disease. The country recorded a staggering 28 lakh cases in 2022, accounting for 27 per cent of the global cases, according to WHO.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India initiated the TB Free India campaign with the ambitious goal of eradicating TB by 2025, a milestone set five years earlier than the target outlined by the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Despite facing setbacks due to COVID-19, the nation doubled down on its efforts, resulting in notable progress. The India TB Report 2023 heralded 2022 as a pivotal year in TB surveillance, noting a significant achievement with a record-high notification of 24.2 lakh TB cases, representing an increase of over 13 per cent compared to 2021.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The latest WHO Global TB Report 2023 acknowledged and praised India's efforts in its fight against TB, particularly highlighting the effectiveness of its case detection strategies. The report emphasised that India's intensified case detection strategies led to the highest-ever notification of cases in 2022, surpassing pre-COVID levels. The government's key initiatives, such as specialised active case finding drives, the scaling up of molecular diagnostics to block levels, decentralisation of screening services through Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, and private sector engagement, have significantly reduced the gap in missing cases.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Road to elimination&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the country has made remarkable progress in its fight against TB, the adoption of additional strategies such as shorter treatment regimens, the development of vaccines, and a renewed focus on nutrition could prove to be game-changers in its goal of eliminating TB for good.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The BPaL regimen, composed of Bedaquiline, Pretomanid and Linezolid, presents a promising alternative for a shorter, safer and more tolerable treatment option for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). Lasting only 26 weeks, it contrasts sharply with conventional DR-TB treatments, which can span 18 to 21 months and entail the consumption of over 4,000 to 5,000 tablets. Endorsed by the US FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) in 2019 and the WHO in 2022, the BPaL regimen has been implemented in more than 70 countries, including South Africa, Ukraine, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;The older, conventional regimen for drug-resistant TB included prolonged use of injections with other drugs. This was associated with increased incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), implementation challenges under the programme and inconvenience to the patients. The new TB drug regimen uses the newer oral drugs like Bedaquiline, Delamanid or Pretomanid, or the repurposed drugs such as linezolid, clofazimine, etc. These regimens are injection free and have lesser pill burden leading to more acceptance among the TB patients besides reducing the implementation challenges due to the use of injections. They have the ability to kill the actively multiplying drug-resistant TB bacteria faster and a sustained killing of the bacteria to prevent the recurrence of the TB disease among the patients. These regimens have shown improved treatment success rates under field conditions under the national programme,&rdquo; said <strong>Dr Rupak Singla, Head of Department, National Institute of TB &amp; Respiratory Diseases, New Delhi</strong>.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Singla further said &ldquo;To combat the adverse drug reactions of these regimen, specially due to drug linezolid, various regimens using different dosages and durations of linezolid have demonstrated reduced incidence of ADRs maintaining the efficacy of the regimen. Hence, these newer treatment drug regimens could reduce the global burden of drug-resistant TB. However, the requirement of a good quality laboratory network, availability and higher cost of the drugs continue to pose a challenge.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new regimen is shorter, easier on patients and improves treatment adherence, resulting in better outcomes compared to previous drug regimens.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Talking about the potential implications of the new TB drug regimen on India&rsquo;s TB control efforts, Dr Singla stated, &ldquo;The cure rate for previous conventional TB regimen for multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) was to the tune of around 50 per cent and for Extensively drug-resistant-TB (XDR-TB), less than 30 per cent. The new TB drug regimen has the potential for significant improvement in treatment success rates for MDR-TB as well as XDR-TB.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In India the national data shows that more than 36,000 drug-resistant TB patients have been initiated on shorter oral Bedaquiline-containing regimen and more than 92,000 patients have been initiated on longer oral regimen till date. Treatment success rates of shorter oral regimen for the cohort April-September 2022 (around 12,000 patients) is 69 per cent and of longer oral regimen for the cohort January-September 2021 (around 15,000 patients) is 71 per cent. The improved success rates of new drug regimens is likely to translate into less number of deaths due to TB, reduced period of infectiousness of TB patients and reduced transmission of TB to others in the community leading to reduced incidence of TB.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Studies at the 2023 Union World Conference on Lung Health affirm WHO-endorsed regimens' effectiveness, surpassing traditional 18- to 24-month treatments. The goal is to urge high-burden DR-TB countries to update guidelines and offer shorter treatments to all patients in need. Only 40 per cent of the 410,000 people with DR-TB in 2022 had access to the shorter regimen, as per a WHO report.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A group of experts in the country have stressed the need for introducing the BPaL regimen in the TB control programme of the country. B<strong>lessina Kumar, CEO, Global Coalition of TB Advocates, New Delhi</strong> emphasised the potential cost savings associated with its adoption, citing studies estimating a global annual savings of $740 million. With India accounting for a significant portion of global multi-drug, rifampicin-resistant (MDR/RR-TB) treated patients, she suggested that the country could save nearly $250 million per year through the implementation of this regimen. India will likely roll out the new regime soon.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>TB Vaccine</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vaccination holds promise as a game-changer for TB elimination. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is conducting phase III trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two vaccines: VPM1002 and MIP (Mycobacterium indicus pranii). VPM1002 is a live vaccine based on recombinant BCG, modified for better safety and efficacy. MIP or Immuvac, originally developed for leprosy, is a whole-cell TB vaccine candidate. The trial aims to assess the effectiveness of these vaccines in preventing TB disease, among 12,721 individuals exposed to TB at home (referred to as household contacts). Enrollment for the study is complete, with participant follow-up currently ongoing, according to the pipeline report 2022 by the Treatment Action Group.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bharat Biotech is partnering with the Spanish firm BIOFABRI to develop, manufacture, and distribute a new tuberculosis vaccine across over 70 countries in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The TB vaccine candidate by Bharat Biotech is set to enter phase-III trials soon.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Lancet study highlighted the pivotal role of nutrition in TB management. The&nbsp; Reducing Activation of Tuberculosis by Improvement of Nutritional Status (RATIONS) trial demonstrated that providing food baskets to TB patients and their households reduced all forms of TB by nearly 40 per cent and infectious TB by almost 50 per cent. In 2018, the Indian government launched the 'Nikshay Poshan Yojana,' a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to offer nutrition support to TB patients. Since its inception, the scheme has disbursed approximately Rs 2613 crore to over 95 lakh TB patients.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has indeed made significant strides in addressing TB; however, the battle against the disease is far from over. Despite enhanced detection and surveillance efforts, there's&nbsp; a need to adopt newer strategies to combat TB effectively. Advances in R&amp;D of vaccines, access to newer drug regimens, enhanced focus on nutrition will all help in propelling TB elimination goals.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Ayesha Siddiqui&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ayesha Siddiqui', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24272', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Prioritising Women’s Health & Wellbeing ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2036811071-24272.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: gettyimages', 'pageSlug' => 'prioritising-womens-health-wellbeing-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a new report from the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute launched at Davos in January 2024, women may live longer than men, on average, but they spend 25 per cent more of their lives in debilitating health. The report said improving diagnostics, data on women-specific conditions like ovarian cancer, and directing more investments towards women&rsquo;s health and research is needed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In particular, McKinsey research finds that less than 2 per cent of healthcare research and innovation is invested in female-specific conditions beyond cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This &lsquo;women&rsquo;s health gap&rsquo; equates to 75 million years of life lost due to poor health or early death each year. Closing the gap would benefit 3.9 billion women, giving them an extra seven healthy days a year, or an average of 500 days over a lifetime. Further, it could boost the global economy by $1 trillion by 2040 from fewer early deaths and health conditions, and a greater capacity for women to contribute to the economy and society.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a result of these findings, the final hours of the World Economic Forum in Davos saw the launch of a new Global Alliance for Women&rsquo;s Health, which has the broad ambition of &lsquo;re-shaping the future of women&rsquo;s health and the global economy.&rsquo; The health alliance will pledge new commitments from governments, philanthropies, and pharmaceutical companies, among others, across three pillars i.e. financing, science and innovation, and agenda-setting. So far, partners have pledged $55 million to improve women&rsquo;s health outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">With International Women&rsquo;s Day 2024 being themed around &lsquo;Inspiring inclusion&rsquo;, we see governments across the globe putting the much-needed emphasis on women&rsquo;s healthcare. For instance, the UAE has set out wide-ranging plans to bolster healthcare services for women, by approving the &lsquo;National Policy for Improving Women&rsquo;s Health&rsquo; for providing the highest healthcare services quality for women, whether curative, preventive or rehabilitative services. Similarly, the Irish government is paving the way for a longer-term comprehensive Women&rsquo;s Health Strategy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in England are being urged to help shape reproductive health policy, as the government seeks views on periods, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and menopause for health strategy. Likewise, the Biden administration recently announced a White House initiative to improve how the federal government approaches and funds research into the health of women, who make up more than half of the US population but remain understudied and underrepresented in health research.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, of course, is not far behind in this initiative. The Interim Budget 2024-25 announcement that took place on February 1, 2024, laid focus on encouraging vaccination for girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years for the prevention of cervical cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Besides these government initiatives, multiple efforts are also being made by the industry players to improve women&rsquo;s health. For example, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zurzuvae as the first and only oral treatment approved for women with postpartum depression, developed by American pharmaceutical company Biogen. The US FDA has also recently approved a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription for the first time in the US, a milestone that could significantly expand access to contraception. The pill&rsquo;s manufacturer, Perrigo Company is based in Dublin.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Further, biotech companies in the UK and Korea are embarking on the world's first prospective study of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered breast cancer detection, to streamline diagnosis, and tackle radiologist shortages. On the other hand, startups in India have developed groundbreaking multi-cancer detection tests specifically designed for high-risk and asymptomatic women.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quality, affordability, and accessibility, particularly in the context of women&rsquo;s health, are very critical aspects of ensuring well-being. This calls for greater mobilisation across sectors to invest in women&rsquo;s health, keeping in mind the imperatives of equity and integral care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Manbeena Chawla</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Executive Editor</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(</span><a href="mailto:manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com"><span style="font-weight: 400;">manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></p>', 'sequence' => '5', 'guestAuthor' => 'Dr Manbeena Chawla', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '101'), array('articleId' => '24270', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Establishing Ethical Frameworks for Equitable Use of AI in Healthcare ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/21-24270.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'establishing-ethical-frameworks-for-equitable-use-of-ai-in-healthcare-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The global healthcare landscape is witnessing a seismic transformation driven by AI technologies. From therapeutics to diagnostics, hospital operations to clinical decision-making, AI is making significant strides across diverse applications. According to Statista, the value of AI in the global healthcare market was $11 billion in 2021, projected to reach an estimated $188 billion by 2030. This staggering growth, at a compounded annual rate of 37 per cent, underscores the immense potential AI holds in reshaping the future of healthcare.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Transforming Medical Research and Imaging Analysis</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The impact of AI is not limited to specific segments; it spans the entire healthcare ecosystem. One critical domain experiencing a revolution is medical research, as AI expedites drug discovery processes. Through machine learning algorithms, researchers can predict the success rate of chemical compounds, significantly reducing the time and resources required for experimentation. This not only accelerates the pace of innovation but also holds the promise of bringing new, effective treatments to patients more rapidly.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the realm of medical imaging analysis, AI is proving to be a game-changer. It enables the rapid and accurate detection of anomalies in MRI scans, X-rays, and CT scans. Radiologists benefit from quicker identification of potential life-threatening issues, minimising human errors and enhancing diagnostic accuracy. This not only saves crucial time but also improves patient outcomes, particularly in cases where early detection is paramount.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Data-Driven Healthcare</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">AI is revolutionising the traditional landscape of diagnosis and treatment by providing clinicians with unprecedented data-driven insights. Machine learning algorithms analyse extensive patient data to identify patterns and correlations, facilitating more accurate and timely diagnosis. Personalised treatment plans based on individual patient characteristics are now a reality, enhancing the effectiveness of medical interventions. The ability to tailor treatments to specific patient profiles leads to improved outcomes and a more efficient allocation of healthcare resources.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Real-time assessment of treatment effectiveness by AI tools further contributes to improved clinical outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. Monitoring and adjusting treatment plans based on real-world data ensure that patients receive the most effective interventions tailored to their individual responses. This not only enhances patient care but also contributes to the sustainability of healthcare systems worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Predictive analysis, powered by AI, enables healthcare providers to forecast potential outcomes based on historical data and real-time health information. Identifying patients at risk of specific conditions allows for early intervention, preventing complications and improving overall healthcare efficiency. Large-scale population data analysis can also detect trends and outbreaks of infectious diseases before they become widespread, a critical capability showcased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability to anticipate and mitigate health crises is a testament to the power of AI in safeguarding public health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Patient-Centric Approach</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The integration of AI into healthcare is not solely about clinical applications; it extends to improving the overall patient experience. Streamlining appointment scheduling, providing remote monitoring solutions, and offering personalised treatment plans based on individual medical records contribute to a more patient-centric approach. AI-driven chatbots responding to routine medical inquiries reduce stress and save time for both patients and healthcare providers, fostering a more efficient and accessible healthcare system.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the promises of AI in healthcare, challenges persist. Blind spots in data access and collection, privacy concerns, data misuse, and regulatory ambiguities are roadblocks to widespread adoption. In India, a rapidly growing player in AI-based healthcare, progress is evident, but there is still a long way to go. The ambitious goals of universal healthcare delivery and affordability through AI remain distant, requiring continued innovation and collaboration.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, a major player in the global healthcare sector, is rapidly embracing AI. The National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence by NITI Aayog highlights the potential of AI to address challenges such as a shortage of qualified healthcare professionals and non-uniform accessibility to healthcare across the country. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, AI expenditure in India is projected to reach $11.78 billion by 2025, contributing significantly to the country's economy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite challenges, AI's potential to revolutionise healthcare is undeniable. As technology continues to advance, AI's applications in telemedicine, genomics, robotics, and 3D printing will expand. Workforce training and collaboration between medical professionals and AI developers will be crucial for maximising the benefits of AI. The integration of AI with other emerging technologies holds the key to shaping the future of medical care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we delve deeper into the integration of AI in healthcare, it's imperative to address the ethical considerations surrounding this revolutionary technology. The responsible use of AI in medical settings demands careful navigation of issues such as patient privacy, data security, and bias in algorithms.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Privacy concerns arise from the vast amounts of sensitive patient data being processed by AI systems. Ensuring robust data protection measures, stringent encryption, and transparent data usage policies become paramount to build and maintain public trust in AI-driven healthcare solutions.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The potential for bias in AI algorithms poses another ethical challenge. If the datasets used to train AI models are not representative or if biased historical data is fed into the algorithms, it can perpetuate existing inequalities in healthcare. Striking a balance in dataset curation and continuous monitoring of algorithmic outputs is crucial to mitigate bias and ensure equitable healthcare outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moreover, the explainability of AI decisions becomes crucial, especially in critical medical scenarios. Ensuring that AI models provide interpretable insights aids healthcare professionals in understanding and trusting AI-generated recommendations, fostering collaboration between humans and machines.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In conclusion, AI is not just a buzzword but a transformative force reshaping the healthcare industry. From diagnosis to treatment, AI is proving its mettle by delivering accurate, personalised, and efficient healthcare solutions. While challenges persist, the trajectory of AI in healthcare is pointing towards a future where technology and human expertise converge to provide optimal patient care. As we stand at the intersection of technology and healthcare, the role of AI in shaping the future of medicine is more promising than ever.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As AI continues to evolve, it is crucial for stakeholders&mdash;be they healthcare providers, policymakers, or technology developers&mdash;to collaborate in establishing ethical frameworks that ensure the responsible and equitable use of AI in healthcare. The ongoing dialogue around ethical considerations is vital to ensure that AI remains a force for good in healthcare, driving positive change for patients and society at large.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&amp;D, Murata Vios</strong></em></p>', 'sequence' => '6', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&D, Murata Vios', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17')), 'trendingTopicsList' => array(array('articleId' => '24283', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => '83.5% of adults in India underestimate shingles risk: Global GSK survey', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shingles_large-24283.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => '83-5-of-adults-in-india-underestimate-shingles-risk-global-gsk-survey', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical (GSK) has released new data from a globally commissioned survey funded by them. The survey finds notable gaps in understanding of shingles risk among individuals aged above 50 years, a group that is most susceptible to the disease.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey conducted amongst 3,500 adults aged 50 and over from 12 countries, assessed respondents&rsquo; understanding of shingles, what triggers it, and its impact on people&rsquo;s lives.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey in&nbsp;India&nbsp;involved 500 participants, with 250 respondents who spoke Hindi and another 250 who spoke English. The data, launched in time for Shingles Awareness Week 2024 (26 February&nbsp;2024 &ndash; 3 March 2024), finds a widespread lack of understanding of shingles and its lifetime risk.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The findings show that globally, a significantly high proportion of those surveyed do not understand their risk of developing shingles,&nbsp;with&nbsp;86%&nbsp;underestimating&nbsp;that&nbsp;risk.<font size="1">&nbsp;</font>In India, 81% of the English-speaking and 86% &nbsp;of the Hindi-speaking respondents surveyed underestimate the risk of shingles<sup>.</sup></p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In India,&nbsp;amongst the &nbsp;English-speaking respondents, 22% believe that 1 in 1000 adults are at risk of developing shingles.<sup>&nbsp;</sup>Amongst the Hindi-speaking respondents,18% believe that 1 in 1000 adults is at risk of developing shingles.&nbsp;</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In&nbsp;reality,&nbsp;most&nbsp;adults already&nbsp;have&nbsp;the&nbsp;virus that&nbsp;causes&nbsp;shingles present in&nbsp;their bodies by&nbsp;the&nbsp;age&nbsp;of 50,&nbsp;which may&nbsp;reactivate with&nbsp;advancing&nbsp;age.&nbsp;Shingles&nbsp;is&nbsp;caused&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;reactivation&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;varicella-zoster&nbsp;virus&nbsp;(VZV),&nbsp;the same virus that causes chickenpox.&nbsp;As people age, the strength of their immune response to infection wanes, and this increases their risk of developing shingles.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Rashmi Hegde, Executive Vice President - Medical Affairs, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, India, said,&nbsp;&ldquo;The survey findings underscore the need to raise awareness about shingles risk in adults over 50.&nbsp; Shingles can significantly disrupt the daily lives of ageing adults and cause them a great deal of discomfort."</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24230', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Fujifilm launches advanced endoscopic ultrasound machine ALOKA ARIETTA 850 in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/fuji-24230.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'fujifilm-launches-advanced-endoscopic-ultrasound-machine-aloka-arietta-850-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Fujifilm India, a pioneer in diagnostic imaging and information systems, has launched the ground breaking ALOKA ARIETTA 850 Diagnostic Ultrasound System in India with its first-ever installation at Fortis Hospital in Bengaluru.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Representing a remarkable advancement in endoscopic technologies, the high-tech ultrasound system aims to enhance diagnostic precision and image clarity for gastrointestinal diseases in the region.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">In India, contemporary lifestyles and changing dietary choices are leading to the deteriorating digestive health of the population, adding to the growing prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Addressing this, Fujifilm India&rsquo;S&nbsp;ALOKA ARIETTA 850&nbsp;Endoscopic Ultrasound Machine at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru is a significant step in providing world-class diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients against these GI-related diseases, performing targeted treatments such as Pancreatic pseudo cyst drainage (without surgery), targeted delivery of treatment in Pancreatic cancers.&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) is a minimally invasive method for assessing malignancies affecting the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract and neighbouring organs or tissues. With this high degree of accuracy in both diagnostic and therapeutic capacities, it allows doctors to precisely examine organs like the lungs, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, lymph nodes and nearby affected areas.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">EUS also facilitates the extraction of tissue or fluid samples through a thin needle, eliminating the need for a separate biopsy procedure. Additionally, it improves the staging of cancers with accurate sampling provided by Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) and Fine Needle Biopsy (FNB). Furthermore, EUS proves valuable in cases of altered anatomy and among cancer patients for various therapeutic procedures.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">ALOKA ARIETTA 850 stands out from conventional endoscopic ultrasound machines with a range of superior features. The machine generates image quality with 7 million digital channels in its B mode. This system also incorporates HD-THI for deeper penetration, ensuring accurate diagnoses, along with combi-elastography, pure symphonic architecture and CHI-TIC and Inflow Time Mapping for clearer visibility by reducing noise and enhancing the completeness and continuity of tissue boundaries.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '91'), array('articleId' => '24229', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Bengaluru researchers develop paper-based platform to detect antibiotic-resistant bacteria', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shutterstock_157198133-24229.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'bengaluru-researchers-develop-paper-based-platform-to-detect-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">A paper-based platform developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru could help quickly detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant, disease-causing bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Dr Uday Maitra, Professor at the Department of Organic Chemistry, IISc, and collaborators have developed a rapid diagnosis protocol that uses a luminescent paper-based platform to detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The approach developed by the IISc and JNCASR team involves incorporating biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (BCA) within a supramolecular hydrogel matrix containing terbium cholate (TbCh). This hydrogel normally emits green fluorescence when UV light is shined on it.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The next step was to find a way to make the technology inexpensive. Currently used diagnostics instruments are costly, which drives up the price for testing.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team collaborated with a Chennai-based company called Adiuvo Diagnostics to design a customised, portable and miniature imaging device, named Illuminate Fluorescence Reader. Infusing the hydrogel in a sheet of paper as the medium reduced the cost significantly. The instrument is fitted with different LEDs that shine UV radiation as required. Green fluorescence from the enzyme is captured by a built-in camera, and a dedicated software app measures the intensity, which can help quantify the bacterial load.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team from IISc tied up with Jayanta Haldar&rsquo;s research group from JNCASR to check their approach on urine samples. As the next step, the researchers plan to tie up with hospitals to test this technology with samples from patients.</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58'), array('articleId' => '24163', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Theme for National Science Day sets in as ‘Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat’', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/nsd-24163.png', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'theme-for-national-science-day-sets-in-as-indigenous-technologies-for-viksit-bharat', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science &amp; Technology Dr Jitendra Singh released the theme for the "National Science Day 2024", titled "Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat".</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) theme for this year&rsquo;s celebration reflects a strategic focus on promoting public appreciation for Science, Technology and Innovation and accomplishments of Indian scientists to address challenges through home-grown technologies for over-all well-being.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The theme not only marks a new era but also presents an opportunity for public and scientific fraternity, both domestically and internationally, to collaborate, work together, and contribute to the well-being of India and humanity as a whole. While emphasising the importance of making India&nbsp;<em>Atmanirbhar&nbsp;</em>through science, it underscores the need to address subjects that hold significance for humanity as a whole.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on 28 February to commemorate the discovery of the &lsquo;Raman Effect&rsquo;. Government of India designated 28 February as National Science Day in 1986. On this day Sir C.V. Raman announced the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930. On this occasion, theme-based science communication activities are carried out all over the country. The theme launch will trigger celebrations of NSD specially in schools &amp; colleges throughout the country.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science &amp; Technology (DST) said that as we embark on the celebration of NSD and move ahead with the launch of the theme for 2024, it is clearly evident that our scientific endeavours have the power to shape not only the future of our nation but also contribute significantly towards global advancement.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58')), 'mostReadArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24286', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Qiagen launches AI-derived biomedical knowledge base to accelerate data-driven drug discovery', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2-24286.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'qiagen-launches-ai-derived-biomedical-knowledge-base-to-accelerate-data-driven-drug-discovery', 'page1' => '<p align="justify">US-based Qiagen has announced the launch of Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI, a new generative AI-driven knowledge base designed to propel drug discovery in the pharma and biotech industries. This new offering is designed for data scientists and bioinformaticians who are looking for the most comprehensive knowledge graphs to fuel data-driven drug discovery.</p> <p align="justify">Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI is built on a massive dataset of biomedical literature and other scientific sources. It identifies and extracts causal relationships between genes, diseases, drugs and other biological entities with artificial intelligence (AI), generating over 600 million more biomedical relationships than its complement, Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD. This expansive knowledge base helps data scientists understand disease mechanisms, identify drug targets or biomarkers and explore strategies for repurposing existing drugs. Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI provides the most complete picture of biomedical relationships, including edge cases and novel relationships.</p> <p align="justify">While Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD is manually curated and known for its high quality and accuracy, Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI contains over 25x more relationships, allowing data scientists to generate new insights. Both knowledge bases can be used to provide both high-quality and high-quantity biomedical relationships data for data scientists and bioinformaticians to mine and validate.</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '60'), array('articleId' => '24284', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'IIT Kanpur partners with UP government to enhance tele-medicine using AI', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_28_at_3_48_48_pm-24284.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'iit-kanpur-partners-with-up-government-to-enhance-tele-medicine-using-ai', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">The Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and the Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to revolutionise healthcare delivery and advance tele-medicine facilities in the state through the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI).</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU was signed by Ranjan Kumar IAS, Secretary, Health &amp; Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Professor Sandeep Verma, Professor-In-Charge, Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Kanpur, in the presence of&nbsp;other dignitaries.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU outlines several key areas of collaboration, including anchoring tele-medicine hubs and enhancing the quality of tele-medicine services, implementing AI-based solutions to address population health impact, developing point-of-care diagnostics to drive program improvements, conducting competency-based capacity building for health cadres, and utilizing database predictions and analysis for informed decision-making.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">This will help the Department to make optimal use of the UP Digital Health Stack (UP-DHS) and ensure that every citizen of the state, wherever they are, will be able to access healthcare when needed. In Uttar Pradesh, UP-DHS is making significant strides in implementation, with foundational NHS elements deployed across all health administrative units and the rollout of essential healthcare applications well underway.</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '100'), array('articleId' => '24282', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Medtech firm Stryker expands prototype and testing facility in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/styker-24282.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'medtech-firm-stryker-expands-prototype-and-testing-facility-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker, a global leader in medical technologies, has officially expanded its prototype and testing facility in India, marking significant growth of its R&amp;D footprint in the country.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This advanced 55,600-square-foot facility integrates cutting-edge infrastructure, enhanced microbiology capabilities, and a talented team to drive innovation and ensure product quality across its medical technology portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Investing in innovation from India is a focus area for Stryker," said&nbsp;Ram Rangarajan, Vice President of Stryker Global Technology Center, India. "This new lab represents our commitment to developing medical technologies that improve patient outcomes and comply with the highest regulatory standards."</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker's new facility is dedicated to the rigorous life cycle testing of medical devices. The new lab boasts several key features:</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Prototyping and product assurance hub:&nbsp;Equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure for plastic 3D printing,&nbsp;metal machining, and a diverse range of testing capabilities,&nbsp;the lab supports prototyping and product assurance across Stryker's entire product portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Expanded microbiology competency:&nbsp;The lab strengthens Stryker's ability to conduct comprehensive microbiological testing,&nbsp;ensuring the safety and efficacy of its medical technologies.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Talented team of engineers and microbiologists:&nbsp; Highly skilled engineers and microbiologists will use the advanced equipment and expertise to develop innovative solutions that positively impact patients around the world.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '93'), array('articleId' => '24262', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Miltenyi Biotec to open Cell and Gene Therapy Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/gene-24262.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'miltenyi-biotec-to-open-cell-and-gene-therapy-centre-of-excellence-in-hyderabad', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">German firm Miltenyi Biotec is launching operations in India with its first office and investing to set up Miltenyi Innovation and Technology Center as Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Hyderabad.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This COE will be one of its first of its kind in India where scientists, researchers, industry experts and clinicians can get classroom to hands-on trainings on cell and gene therapy approaches right from proof of concept to pre-clinical / clinical development and commercialisation. This CoE also will provide Indian researchers, scientists and clinicians easier access to expertise, research, and manufacturing solutions.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Each year, more than 10,000 patients are treated with cell products using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies. More than&nbsp; 950 investigational new drug (IND) applications as well as investigational device exemptions (IDE) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies and platforms.&nbsp;&nbsp;In doing so, the company is well poised to enable local development and manufacturing in India to drive affordable and&nbsp;accessible CGT therapies by academia and industry for Indian as well as global patients.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Boris Stoffel,&nbsp;Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s Managing Director, highlighted that the company intends to seek opportunities to catalyse development of CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T cell clinical development and manufacturing, with the prospect of bringing centralised and point-of-care CAR T cell therapy to hospitals across India.</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 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Buckminster. This acquisition was done to redevelop the closed hotel into a life science lab space. Again in May 2021, a facility that housed the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive was transformed into a new life sciences lab on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the same year in India, a Canadian Pension Fund along with a Singapore-based wealth and asset management firm jointly invested $100 million (Rs 7.5 billion) in life sciences R&amp;D facilities in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. This investment, according to reports, proved to be a stepping stone for more equity investments in this segment. On February 6, 2024, life sciences real estate developer, Rx Propellant announced an initial investment of $75 million in phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai Research (NMR) District, as part of its continued regional expansion strategy across India.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In all the four developments mentioned above, it is clear that post-pandemic, the demand for life sciences-related real estate has significantly increased. Both greenfield and brownfield projects have surged, as the pandemic fuelled the demand for locally manufactured pharma and medical products.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, in the last few decades, has witnessed the IT and manufacturing sectors invest heavily in real estate and infrastructure. But in the post-pandemic era, we see life sciences companies require space to innovate, for R&amp;D, and manufacture at scale.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Fast-evolving life sciences market&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India is one of the fastest-growing life sciences markets in the world and the sector is poised to see multi-fold growth by 2030 led by a fast-increasing population, rising life expectancy, a strong industrial base and inclusive government initiatives. In addition, India&rsquo;s demographic dividend, strong industrial base and policy push are known to be the growth drivers for the life sciences sector in the country.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The increasing government spending on the healthcare sector, cost benefits in terms of affordable manpower &amp; real estate expenses, and the availability of a large talent pool are the catalysts of life sciences growth in India. Schemes like Production Linked Incentive (PLI)&nbsp; have boosted domestic manufacturing which&nbsp; has resulted in the need for more space in industrial and tech parks. Also, global exports of pharmaceutical and biotechnology products and medical devices from the country have forced many companies to invest in capacity building and human resources.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Notably, India ranks second globally in terms of the number of US FDA-certified plants located outside the US, closely followed by China. Strengths of this kind and the constantly evolving sector are&nbsp; furthering the requirement for large-scale&nbsp; manufacturing, MSMEs, wet laboratories, R&amp;D hubs, incubators, and data centres&nbsp; coupled with other IT &amp; ES support.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the next decade, it is estimated that the requirement for life sciences R&amp;D real estate in India is likely to grow to somewhere between $16 billion (Rs 1,200 billion) and $34 billion (Rs 2,550 billion) as per conservative and optimistic scenarios.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Push from PEs and VCs</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India&rsquo;s life sciences R&amp;D real estate is emerging as a high-potential asset class for institutional investors. Aided by exponential global demand growth, geopolitical environment, policies initiatives, and skilled workforce this sector is rapidly transforming.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Atul Bhardwaj, Business Head, Lighthouse Canton Real Estate</strong>, indicates that both domestic and international investors are demonstrating a strong interest in India's life sciences real estate market. According to Bhardwaj, private equity firms, venture capitalists, and real estate developers are actively investing significant capital in the development of specialised facilities to meet the requirements of life sciences companies. He says, &ldquo;Biotechnology parks and clusters are emerging as key focal points for life sciences research and manufacturing in India. These specialised hubs offer world-class infrastructure, shared amenities, and a collaborative ecosystem that encourages innovation and cooperation among industry stakeholders, academic institutions, and research organisations.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Citing one other compelling factor of the life sciences real estate market to surge, Bhardwaj, says, &ldquo;This sector's operational model does not accommodate the concept of working from home, which presents a compelling opportunity for real estate developers. The recent pandemic underscored the resilience of the pharmaceutical sector. While many industries, including office realty, experienced significant disruptions, the pharmaceutical sector's demand for space significantly increased, further cementing its critical role in the global economy.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Arvind Nandan, Managing Director &ndash; Research &amp; Consulting, Savills India</strong>, says, &ldquo;Venture Capital funding into the life sciences industry in India stood at $448 million (Rs 34 billion) in 2021 through August, almost 3x of the annual average of the previous years, making it clear that this segment will play a pivotal role in the overall growth of the Indian Real Estate industry.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Adopting the asset light model</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We know that globally organisations across all sectors &ndash; be it small or big &ndash; are undergoing massive digital transformation and smart business strategies that are sustainable and cost-effective are implemented. Owing to that, businesses are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to scale up faster, which has given rise to many alternate models of operations, including the concept of going asset-light.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Asset-light model offers a strategic approach where companies minimise their ownership of physical assets (such as buildings or land). Companies go asset-light by owning fewer capital-intensive assets compared to their operational assets. By doing this, life sciences companies focus on their core competencies (such as research, development, and production) and avoid heavy investments in real estate.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Merck &amp; Co., Inc. (MSD outside the US and Canada) is a prime example of an asset-light pharmaceutical company. Merck collaborates with specialised Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisations (CDMOs) for various stages of drug development and production. By leveraging external partners, they avoid heavy capital expenditure on building and maintaining several of their own manufacturing facilities.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sharing his view on the asset light model, <strong>Rx Propellant&rsquo;s CEO Milind Ravi</strong>, says, &ldquo;While traditionally dominated by &lsquo;user-owned&rsquo; models, an evident but slow shift to &lsquo;asset-light&rsquo; options in India indicates growing demand for agile growth-ready infrastructure. With its increased focus on innovation, India&rsquo;s life sciences market is expected to grow threefold in the next decade, reaching $130 billion by 2030. This in turn is set to generate demand for over 100 million square feet of specialised infrastructure across several existing ecosystems including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Vizag, and Pune among others.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another aspect to asset-light operations is the advantage companies draw from sharing infrastructure elements. Atul Bhardwaj opines that the model of providing comprehensive amenities under one roof offers significant benefits to companies by eliminating the need for capital expenditure on individual pieces of equipment such as chillers and DG sets. This approach, he says, not only reduces the initial capital outlay but also lowers the overall opex for companies, as costs related to maintenance, security, and technical manpower are shared.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;This cost model is particularly advantageous, as it would otherwise be a substantial financial burden for a company to bear alone for its standalone unit. Real estate developers who offer high-quality infrastructure can further reduce a company's upfront expenses by providing essential utilities like nitrogen generators and vacuum systems. A multi-tenanted building thus emerges as a mutually beneficial arrangement for both developers and tenant companies,&rdquo; says Bhardwaj.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Sustainable infrastructure&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In almost every industry, the board members, shareholders advocate the importance of the mandates of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) of business operations. The threat of climate change has prompted many industries to develop environmental strategies to reduce their carbon footprints, with the life sciences industry on the top of the pyramid.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Being climate conscious has brought in new concepts in smart buildings and other digitally supported facilities and infrastructure models. Open floor plans, shared workspaces, and flexible furniture are some of today&rsquo;s trends that are known to foster interaction and knowledge sharing, similar to what's seen in modern IT work spaces. This shift in life sciences too encourages cross-disciplinary research, faster problem-solving, and quicker innovation and most importantly sharing resources.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Emerging trends in innovation have seen an increase in demand for next-gen spaces with flexible workspaces, integration of wet lab-computation stations, highly sensitive zones for increasingly sophisticated equipment and process flow optimisation. New developments designed to accommodate such variables offer sustainable long-term solutions,&rdquo; Milind Ravi opines from his experience.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Also, leading life sciences companies in India prefer to operate from large-scale clusters that can meet both their office and R&amp;D needs. Startups and MSMEs are also increasingly opting to locate themselves in prominent clusters with a clear industrial positioning and abundant R&amp;D resources. Genome Valley (Hyderabad) and Electronic City (Bengaluru) are great examples of such collaborative ecosystems.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">So, if, today, we were to walk into any of India&rsquo;s life sciences parks, we would be delighted to see those spaces being built on modern modular designs having mobile equipment and reconfigurable layouts, with amazing aesthetics and classy landscaping.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">What will also be evident is that the traditional life sciences technicians confining themselves to sterile laboratories would be ancient. Today&rsquo;s workplaces recognise the need for a more holistic environment with sprawling cafeterias, breakout huddles, and interactive/entertainment spaces. Apart from being modern with the changing times, such amenities are considered by the HR department as a way to attract and retain talent.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Leasing: a preferred business model&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Savills, in its report titled </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unlocking Opportunities: Life Sciences and Real Estate in India&rsquo;, indicates that leasing properties to the biotech industry can provide a steady stream of rental income and long-term investment potential for real estate developers.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since life sciences is a rapidly growing and promising sector with significant investments and advancements, by leasing to them, real estate companies become part of their growth story, giving them the advantage of increased long-term value and brand association.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Leasing also brings about several advantages to realtors. Life sciences companies typically require specific and tailored facilities, leading to lesser turnover compared to other commercial leases. This translates to reduced management costs and higher occupancy rates. Also, life sciences companies often require long-term leases due to the complex nature of their facilities and research projects. This stability translates to predictable and dependable income for the real estate companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking from his company&rsquo;s perspective, Milind Ravi,</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> says,&nbsp;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;We bring a very inclusive approach to support companies of all scales not just with infrastructure, but a gamut of ecosystem services that play a pivotal role in their overall experience. We lease laboratory spaces on tailored models based on the need, timelines, intended use and life-stage of our tenant partners. Our standard offering constitutes modular spaces in shared or dedicated formats &ndash; in both &lsquo;warm shell&rsquo; and &lsquo;plug-and-play&rsquo; models as part of integrated and life science-focussed clusters. Apart from this, we also deliver built-to-suit campuses in required specifications of the tenant.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;While our facilities are built for multi-tenancy where each organisation can work independently, we are also working towards developing co-working laboratory spaces with shared equipment and amenities. These are becoming increasingly popular, especially among startups and small research teams,&rdquo; says Milind Ravi.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Growth is certain</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A report titled &lsquo;Life Sciences Industry &amp; Real Estate Perspective 2024: Putting Asia Pacific under the microscope&rsquo; by global real estate company JLL sheds light on India&rsquo;s pharma industry's growth trajectory. While the pandemic undeniably spurred investment due to the vaccine race, the report emphasizes that interest was already on the rise owing to the ongoing breakthroughs in areas like immuno-oncology and neonatology. This pre-existing momentum, fuelled by technological advancements, has directly translated into increased commercial real estate leasing within the pharma sector. This may be true to India&rsquo;s life sciences sector too.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">JLL stresses on the fact that when companies get funding from venture capitalists, they need lab space in order to deliver as soon as possible. Also, sizeable investments bring with them a plethora of life sciences jobs, which can also spur development of housing, retail and other urban amenities that serve the people who live and work for the expanding companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">From Bhardwaj&rsquo;s inputs we can infer that India has a robust domestic market, bolstered further by the Government of India's </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;Jan Aushadhi&rsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> scheme, aimed at providing quality generic medicines at affordable prices to its citizens. As the third-largest exporter of pharmaceuticals by volume and the thirteenth by value, the demand for space is going to grow.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the pharma industry presents sufficient scope, the medical device industry is not any less. Considered as the sunrise sector, the medical devices industry is estimated to reach $50 billion by 2030. In the last five years, the export of medical devices has been increasing at a rate of 9.37 per cent. India&rsquo;s policy to allow 100 per cent foreign investment under an automatic route in the medical devices sector has helped attract significant investments, which has further pushed the demand for real estate. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the medical device industry in India has also helped augment the domestic manufacturing and in reducing dependence on imports. Hence, manufacturing hubs are being set up in many economic zones of the country. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We can therefore conclude with the evidence that there is immense potential for life sciences real estate development to surge in India. Though the country has limited core life sciences real estate investable stock at present, majority of the growth will come from developing new facilities that entail typical development and leasing risks. The stakeholders, however, forecast an increasing investor appetite for Indian life sciences real estate as the sector gains scale over time.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Anusha Ashwin</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => 'Anusha Ashwin', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24273', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'Dissecting Gender Disparity', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/women-24273.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'dissecting-gender-disparity', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in the Indian healthcare industry are mainly concentrated in low-paying frontline positions. In India, 29 per cent of medical doctors, 80 per cent of nursing staff (including midwives), and nearly 100 per cent of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are women. Despite this, women hold only 18 per cent of healthcare leadership positions and continue to earn 34 per cent less than their male counterparts.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are the outcomes of the study titled &lsquo;An Unbalanced Scale - Exploring the Female Leadership Gap in India's Healthcare Sector&rsquo; from Dasra, a non-profit organisation. The&nbsp; study revealed that the Indian healthcare sector, one of the country's largest employers, has experienced substantial growth. It takes a closer look at women's representation in healthcare and the leadership opportunities available to them.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><strong>Inspiring leaders</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"What is concerning is the gap between the proportion of women in healthcare and those who occupy leadership positions. At entry levels, women's representation in sales, marketing, and operations ranges from 40-50 per cent. However, this significantly drops to 15-20 per cent in senior roles," says <strong>Shailja Mehta, Director at Dasra</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is behind this gender gap in leadership positions? Societal norms, cultural expectations and implicit biases against women are some of the main factors that&nbsp;have contributed to the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions. &ldquo;It is a complex issue. The lack of female role models and mentors perpetuates this gender gap," says Shailja.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some believe that one of the primary reasons for the skewed gender ratio in STEM is the stereotyping that begins early in life. Societal expectations often push girls towards more traditionally feminine roles, diverting them away from technical and scientific fields. As a result, fewer women choose STEM education and careers. While others argue that the current gap is a reflection of what was happening 20 years ago, when fewer women entered science careers.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;&ldquo;Today&rsquo;s leaders represent those who entered the field 15-20 years back. Now that the number of women entering these fields has significantly increased in recent years, we will see a lot of women leaders in the coming years. In fact, a major proportion of startups are led by women. They have the capability to do it,&rdquo; <strong>Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, former director, National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) Pune</strong>, says, "The situation is definitely improving. For more women to take leadership roles, changes are required at the family, community and industry level."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Dr Pragya Yadav, senior scientist at the National Institute of Virology, Pune</strong>, who played an instrumental role in the development of Covaxin, agrees. "The situation has certainly improved, but school-going girls should have access to reputable colleges and safe residential facilities for pursuing science as a subject for the real change to occur. Besides, they need support in equal measure, from their families and the industry when raising their children. If they lose that time, catching up becomes difficult,&rdquo; she says. &nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Furthermore, this support should not be seen as an extra favour to women, but rather as their right. Children are the future and the environment they experience while growing up is crucial to their growth and development. It is the duty of both families and society, not just mothers alone, to provide a safe and suitable environment for them," she added. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Manya Jha, a young entrepreneur and founder of Morphedo Technologies</strong>, a deep tech startup in aerospace and defence, medical device engineering, IoT and embedded systems, faced the challenge of balancing child care and her career after the birth of her daughter. To tackle this challenge, she established a small child care centre at her office.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Starting just 20 days after my daughter was born, I brought her to my workplace every day. I made space in my cabin where she could stay with me. Until she was 7 months old, my husband and I took care of her in the shared cabin (during COVID-19 period). At the time of her birth, my startup was also at a crucial stage,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Both my daughter and my company required my personal attention. There were instances when I had to attend important meetings with senior scientists while holding my one-month-old daughter. I believe it's all about the confidence with which you pursue your career."</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today, Manya's company has around&nbsp; 40 employees and the child care centre is now available to all new mothers, offering support in looking after their children while at work.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, despite the challenges, there has been a noticeable shift in the narrative over the past decade, with the number of women leaders emerging in STEM careers increasing slowly but steadily. And these women are not only excelling &nbsp;in their respective fields but also helping dismantling barriers that hinder the progress of other aspiring women.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several prominent women leaders are setting an example for others. Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr Priya Abraham, Director of the National Institute of Virology, biotech stalwart &nbsp;Kiran Majumdar-Shaw,&nbsp; and entrepreneurs like Dr Kavita Iyer Rodrigues and Vasanthi Ramachandran represent some of the most sought after leaders in the industry.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Women are leading more than 30 per cent of the startups incubated at our centre. In many others, they are co-founders or hold significant positions," says <strong>Dr Manisha Premnath, COO of Venture Center</strong>, an incubation centre in Pune that helps startups grow.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Breaking the glass ceiling</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While there is a rise of women leaders in the health and biotech sector, it is important to acknowledge the challenges they continue to face. Stereotypes, biases, and a lack of institutional support still exist. The &lsquo;glass ceiling&rsquo; phenomenon persists, making it difficult for women to reach the highest levels of leadership. A male-centric workplace culture, coupled with a lack of flexibility and understanding regarding work-life balance, discourage women from pursuing or sustaining leadership roles.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The biggest challenge that women face is breaking these stereotypes and breaking free from the vicious cycle of work and life. They need to step out of their comfort zones, or rather, their safe zones, and then there will be no stopping them. Fortunately, nowadays there are several schemes and funds available to support women," says <strong>Dr Deeksha Bhartiya, Founder of Genomiki</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coming from a very traditional, yet ambitious family, Dr Deeksha got married at a young age and encountered challenges in maintaining a balance between her personal and professional life. However, she didn't allow these challenges to deter her from pursuing her doctoral studies and career. "There were many senior male scientists who advised me to take up a permanent job instead of embarking on my entrepreneurial journey. I was told that women should prioritise stability over adventure. However, I am fortunate to have a very supportive family who always push me to exceed my limits and support me in all my decisions."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Exiting the vicious circle</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The foundation for achieving gender parity in STEM careers is laid during the crucial years of education. Schools and educational institutions play an important role in challenging these stereotypes and encouraging girls to explore their interests in science and technology. STEM-focused educational programmes, workshops, and extracurricular activities can help break down gender-based barriers from a young age. Scholarships and mentorship programmes can encourage girls to pursue science education.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To encourage more women to pursue careers in STEM and foster an inclusive and diverse workforce, it is important to adopt unbiased recruitment practices, create a supportive environment for their progress, and implement flexible work arrangements.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is a growing emphasis on incorporating diverse perspectives in STEM curricula. Highlighting the contributions of women scientists and engineers in textbooks and classroom discussions can inspire both girls and boys, challenging preconceived notions about gender roles in these fields. There should be more networking events, conferences and platforms that specifically focus on women in STEM to provide valuable opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing. These spaces not only celebrate the achievements of women in the field but also facilitate the exchange of ideas and strategies to overcome common challenges.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emphasising the pivotal role women play in shaping a sustainable future through scientific leadership, <strong>Melody Lopez, Director and Chief of Staff Crayon Software Experts India</strong> says &ldquo;Fostering women's leadership in science is not just about gender equality but also a catalyst for achieving sustainable development goals. The theme reflects a call to action, urging communities, governments, and organisations to provide equal opportunities for women and girls in science, ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making processes.&rdquo; She further says &ldquo;As we champion women and girls in science leadership, let us embrace this new era, where their voices, ideas, and leadership propel us toward a brighter, more sustainable future for all.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The journey towards gender parity in STEM careers in India could be challenging, but the momentum for change is growing.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><strong>Gunjan Sharma</strong></strong></p> <p><em><strong>gunjan.sharma@mmactiv.com</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => 'Gunjan Sharma ', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24271', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => '“There is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation”', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_27_at_5_20_34_pm-24271.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'there-is-a-significant-gap-in-the-infrastructure-required-for-ai-implementation', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Artificial Intelligence (AI) has completely changed the way we see the world today. How do you see AI revolutionising drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry? Can AI help in discovering new drug molecules that could help treat deadly and chronic diseases like cancers and AIDS?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The future of human life is completely impacted by AI. Particularly its emergence in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry will have a vital impact on disease control and new drug discoveries.&nbsp;AI is poised to revolutionise drug discovery in several ways. It can drastically reduce the time needed to discover and develop new drugs. AI can be used to help suggest novel combinations for treating fatal diseases and even predict treatment outcomes. Additionally, AI facilitates personalised medicine by tailoring treatments to individual patients, which can ultimately speed up the development of new therapies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key challenges in implementing AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly in the context of regulatory compliance?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I feel, the pharma and healthcare organisations in India are yet to gear up for AI. Many are still in the process of adapting to the advancements in the pharmaceutical industry brought about by digitalisation. Despite this progress, the majority of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are not adequately prepared to integrate AI into their operations. AI adoption, beyond platforms like Chat GPT, remains in its infancy and requires further exploration and validation. Moreover, there is a pressing need to harmonise regulatory compliances, particularly in manufacturing standards outlined by the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH). This entails the implementation of electronic documentation systems and global alignment on regulatory practices to ensure both qualitative and compliant manufacturing and healthcare delivery systems. Additionally, there is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation, including the necessary hardware, software, and skilled professionals, which remains to be addressed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a specific example where AI has been successfully utilised to discover or develop a new drug?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although AI is currently making strides in drug discovery, its continual evolution opens up a multitude of possibilities in terms of drug candidates, their structures, and the discovery process. This versatility allows for the pinpointing of targeted molecules tailored to specific therapies or multiple therapeutic discoveries. A recent example highlighting this potential is Insilico Medicine's Pharma.AI, which is revolutionising drug discovery with its suite of AI-powered tools. PandaOmics, for instance, drastically reduces the time required for multi-omics target discovery, from several months to a few clicks. Similarly, Chemistry42 employs machine learning for de novo drug design, generating lead-like molecules within a week. Additionally, InClinico provides an invaluable tool for efficient clinical trial management, identifying potential weaknesses in trial design and predicting success rates. Collectively, these tools are streamlining the traditionally lengthy drug discovery process, accelerating the pursuit of breakthrough medicine.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you envision the role of AI evolving in personalised medicine and patient care?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I believe AI could be groundbreaking by using large amounts of data from healthy and sick people. It could help analyse specific therapeutic segments quickly to see how drugs work over time and improve their formulations. It would also support Phase IV clinical trials, especially in monitoring drug safety (Pharmacovigilance). Overall, AI in personalised medicine and patient care has the potential to improve healthcare, make treatments better, and give patients more control over their health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the ethical considerations that need to be addressed when deploying AI in healthcare settings?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The primary concern lies in protecting patient identity, which can be achieved through AI by masking identities in documentation, albeit in previously challenging areas. The rigidity and security levels of AI coding stand out as effective measures for safeguarding patient identity compared to traditional masking systems. However, the implementation of AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly concerning regulatory compliance, presents various challenges and ethical considerations. These include ensuring data privacy and security, adhering to diverse regulations, deciphering complex AI algorithms, managing the time and cost implications, addressing potential biases perpetuated by AI algorithms, integrating solutions into existing systems, navigating complex ethical and legal considerations, determining accountability and liability for decisions made, preserving patient autonomy and consent, and conducting real-time reviews for corrections.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How can AI help address the challenges of drug resistance in infectious diseases?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The emergence of drug resistance in infectious diseases poses a significant healthcare challenge. However, AI offers a promising solution by playing a crucial role in addressing this issue. Through predictive analytics, AI can forecast which drugs may become ineffective against evolving pathogens, allowing for proactive adjustments in treatment strategies. Furthermore, AI aids in the discovery of alternative treatments, the development of more effective medications, and the customisation of treatment plans tailored to individual patients. By providing real-time insights into the changing landscape of drug resistance, AI enables healthcare professionals to adapt swiftly, ultimately enhancing the efficacy of treatments and improving patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What strategies can be employed to ensure the fairness and transparency of AI algorithms in healthcare decision-making?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To maintain trust, mitigate bias, and foster equitable outcomes, it is crucial to prioritise fairness and transparency in the use of AI algorithms for healthcare decision-making. Some of the strategies to achieve this include ensuring transparency of both data and algorithms, promoting diversity and inclusivity in the development process, conducting external validation and evaluation, and establishing regulatory frameworks and guidelines.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you see AI impacting the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services globally?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While AI offers significant potential for improving the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services on a global scale, there are challenges to overcome. These include ensuring fair access to AI-driven technologies, addressing concerns regarding data privacy and security, and navigating regulatory and ethical issues. Collaboration among various stakeholders, such as governments, healthcare providers, technology developers, and community organisations, is vital to fully realise the benefits of AI in enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key factors hindering the adoption of AI in pharmaceutical research and development?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pharmaceutical companies face several challenges when it comes to using AI in research and development. Firstly, they require high-quality and comprehensive datasets to effectively train AI models. Secondly, they must adhere to strict regulatory guidelines set by government agencies. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies often possess proprietary data and intellectual property that may not be easily compatible with AI systems. Finally, the significant investment required to implement AI technology presents a barrier to adoption for many companies in the industry.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a case where AI-driven predictive modelling has significantly improved clinical trial outcomes or drug efficacy in the Healthcare system?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's important to note that using AI in the healthcare system, along with a thorough review of relevant literature from sources like PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and EMBASE, is significant. Integrating AI into healthcare has the potential to greatly improve disease diagnosis, treatment selection, and clinical laboratory testing. AI tools can analyse large sets of data and find patterns, outperforming humans in many healthcare tasks. AI brings higher accuracy, lower costs, and time savings, while also reducing human errors. It can revolutionise personalised medicine, optimise medication dosages, improve population health management, set guidelines, offer virtual health assistants, support mental health care, enhance patient education, and strengthen patient-physician trust.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, AI can be used in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) by using machine learning algorithms to predict drug-drug interactions. By analysing large sets of patient data, these algorithms can detect potential drug interactions. This helps to decrease the risk of adverse drug reactions, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Amguth Raju</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>hyderabad@mmactiv.com&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => 'Amguth Raju', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17'), array('articleId' => '24280', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Effectively Eliminating Drug-resistant TB', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/tb-24280.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'effectively-eliminating-drug-resistant-tb', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has the highest burden of TB, with two deaths occurring every three minutes from the disease. The country recorded a staggering 28 lakh cases in 2022, accounting for 27 per cent of the global cases, according to WHO.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India initiated the TB Free India campaign with the ambitious goal of eradicating TB by 2025, a milestone set five years earlier than the target outlined by the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Despite facing setbacks due to COVID-19, the nation doubled down on its efforts, resulting in notable progress. The India TB Report 2023 heralded 2022 as a pivotal year in TB surveillance, noting a significant achievement with a record-high notification of 24.2 lakh TB cases, representing an increase of over 13 per cent compared to 2021.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The latest WHO Global TB Report 2023 acknowledged and praised India's efforts in its fight against TB, particularly highlighting the effectiveness of its case detection strategies. The report emphasised that India's intensified case detection strategies led to the highest-ever notification of cases in 2022, surpassing pre-COVID levels. The government's key initiatives, such as specialised active case finding drives, the scaling up of molecular diagnostics to block levels, decentralisation of screening services through Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, and private sector engagement, have significantly reduced the gap in missing cases.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Road to elimination&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the country has made remarkable progress in its fight against TB, the adoption of additional strategies such as shorter treatment regimens, the development of vaccines, and a renewed focus on nutrition could prove to be game-changers in its goal of eliminating TB for good.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The BPaL regimen, composed of Bedaquiline, Pretomanid and Linezolid, presents a promising alternative for a shorter, safer and more tolerable treatment option for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). Lasting only 26 weeks, it contrasts sharply with conventional DR-TB treatments, which can span 18 to 21 months and entail the consumption of over 4,000 to 5,000 tablets. Endorsed by the US FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) in 2019 and the WHO in 2022, the BPaL regimen has been implemented in more than 70 countries, including South Africa, Ukraine, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;The older, conventional regimen for drug-resistant TB included prolonged use of injections with other drugs. This was associated with increased incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), implementation challenges under the programme and inconvenience to the patients. The new TB drug regimen uses the newer oral drugs like Bedaquiline, Delamanid or Pretomanid, or the repurposed drugs such as linezolid, clofazimine, etc. These regimens are injection free and have lesser pill burden leading to more acceptance among the TB patients besides reducing the implementation challenges due to the use of injections. They have the ability to kill the actively multiplying drug-resistant TB bacteria faster and a sustained killing of the bacteria to prevent the recurrence of the TB disease among the patients. These regimens have shown improved treatment success rates under field conditions under the national programme,&rdquo; said <strong>Dr Rupak Singla, Head of Department, National Institute of TB &amp; Respiratory Diseases, New Delhi</strong>.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Singla further said &ldquo;To combat the adverse drug reactions of these regimen, specially due to drug linezolid, various regimens using different dosages and durations of linezolid have demonstrated reduced incidence of ADRs maintaining the efficacy of the regimen. Hence, these newer treatment drug regimens could reduce the global burden of drug-resistant TB. However, the requirement of a good quality laboratory network, availability and higher cost of the drugs continue to pose a challenge.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new regimen is shorter, easier on patients and improves treatment adherence, resulting in better outcomes compared to previous drug regimens.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Talking about the potential implications of the new TB drug regimen on India&rsquo;s TB control efforts, Dr Singla stated, &ldquo;The cure rate for previous conventional TB regimen for multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) was to the tune of around 50 per cent and for Extensively drug-resistant-TB (XDR-TB), less than 30 per cent. The new TB drug regimen has the potential for significant improvement in treatment success rates for MDR-TB as well as XDR-TB.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In India the national data shows that more than 36,000 drug-resistant TB patients have been initiated on shorter oral Bedaquiline-containing regimen and more than 92,000 patients have been initiated on longer oral regimen till date. Treatment success rates of shorter oral regimen for the cohort April-September 2022 (around 12,000 patients) is 69 per cent and of longer oral regimen for the cohort January-September 2021 (around 15,000 patients) is 71 per cent. The improved success rates of new drug regimens is likely to translate into less number of deaths due to TB, reduced period of infectiousness of TB patients and reduced transmission of TB to others in the community leading to reduced incidence of TB.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Studies at the 2023 Union World Conference on Lung Health affirm WHO-endorsed regimens' effectiveness, surpassing traditional 18- to 24-month treatments. The goal is to urge high-burden DR-TB countries to update guidelines and offer shorter treatments to all patients in need. Only 40 per cent of the 410,000 people with DR-TB in 2022 had access to the shorter regimen, as per a WHO report.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A group of experts in the country have stressed the need for introducing the BPaL regimen in the TB control programme of the country. B<strong>lessina Kumar, CEO, Global Coalition of TB Advocates, New Delhi</strong> emphasised the potential cost savings associated with its adoption, citing studies estimating a global annual savings of $740 million. With India accounting for a significant portion of global multi-drug, rifampicin-resistant (MDR/RR-TB) treated patients, she suggested that the country could save nearly $250 million per year through the implementation of this regimen. India will likely roll out the new regime soon.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>TB Vaccine</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vaccination holds promise as a game-changer for TB elimination. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is conducting phase III trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two vaccines: VPM1002 and MIP (Mycobacterium indicus pranii). VPM1002 is a live vaccine based on recombinant BCG, modified for better safety and efficacy. MIP or Immuvac, originally developed for leprosy, is a whole-cell TB vaccine candidate. The trial aims to assess the effectiveness of these vaccines in preventing TB disease, among 12,721 individuals exposed to TB at home (referred to as household contacts). Enrollment for the study is complete, with participant follow-up currently ongoing, according to the pipeline report 2022 by the Treatment Action Group.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bharat Biotech is partnering with the Spanish firm BIOFABRI to develop, manufacture, and distribute a new tuberculosis vaccine across over 70 countries in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The TB vaccine candidate by Bharat Biotech is set to enter phase-III trials soon.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Lancet study highlighted the pivotal role of nutrition in TB management. The&nbsp; Reducing Activation of Tuberculosis by Improvement of Nutritional Status (RATIONS) trial demonstrated that providing food baskets to TB patients and their households reduced all forms of TB by nearly 40 per cent and infectious TB by almost 50 per cent. In 2018, the Indian government launched the 'Nikshay Poshan Yojana,' a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to offer nutrition support to TB patients. Since its inception, the scheme has disbursed approximately Rs 2613 crore to over 95 lakh TB patients.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has indeed made significant strides in addressing TB; however, the battle against the disease is far from over. Despite enhanced detection and surveillance efforts, there's&nbsp; a need to adopt newer strategies to combat TB effectively. Advances in R&amp;D of vaccines, access to newer drug regimens, enhanced focus on nutrition will all help in propelling TB elimination goals.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Ayesha Siddiqui&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ayesha Siddiqui', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24272', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Prioritising Women’s Health & Wellbeing ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2036811071-24272.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: gettyimages', 'pageSlug' => 'prioritising-womens-health-wellbeing-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a new report from the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute launched at Davos in January 2024, women may live longer than men, on average, but they spend 25 per cent more of their lives in debilitating health. The report said improving diagnostics, data on women-specific conditions like ovarian cancer, and directing more investments towards women&rsquo;s health and research is needed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In particular, McKinsey research finds that less than 2 per cent of healthcare research and innovation is invested in female-specific conditions beyond cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This &lsquo;women&rsquo;s health gap&rsquo; equates to 75 million years of life lost due to poor health or early death each year. Closing the gap would benefit 3.9 billion women, giving them an extra seven healthy days a year, or an average of 500 days over a lifetime. Further, it could boost the global economy by $1 trillion by 2040 from fewer early deaths and health conditions, and a greater capacity for women to contribute to the economy and society.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a result of these findings, the final hours of the World Economic Forum in Davos saw the launch of a new Global Alliance for Women&rsquo;s Health, which has the broad ambition of &lsquo;re-shaping the future of women&rsquo;s health and the global economy.&rsquo; The health alliance will pledge new commitments from governments, philanthropies, and pharmaceutical companies, among others, across three pillars i.e. financing, science and innovation, and agenda-setting. So far, partners have pledged $55 million to improve women&rsquo;s health outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">With International Women&rsquo;s Day 2024 being themed around &lsquo;Inspiring inclusion&rsquo;, we see governments across the globe putting the much-needed emphasis on women&rsquo;s healthcare. For instance, the UAE has set out wide-ranging plans to bolster healthcare services for women, by approving the &lsquo;National Policy for Improving Women&rsquo;s Health&rsquo; for providing the highest healthcare services quality for women, whether curative, preventive or rehabilitative services. Similarly, the Irish government is paving the way for a longer-term comprehensive Women&rsquo;s Health Strategy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in England are being urged to help shape reproductive health policy, as the government seeks views on periods, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and menopause for health strategy. Likewise, the Biden administration recently announced a White House initiative to improve how the federal government approaches and funds research into the health of women, who make up more than half of the US population but remain understudied and underrepresented in health research.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, of course, is not far behind in this initiative. The Interim Budget 2024-25 announcement that took place on February 1, 2024, laid focus on encouraging vaccination for girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years for the prevention of cervical cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Besides these government initiatives, multiple efforts are also being made by the industry players to improve women&rsquo;s health. For example, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zurzuvae as the first and only oral treatment approved for women with postpartum depression, developed by American pharmaceutical company Biogen. The US FDA has also recently approved a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription for the first time in the US, a milestone that could significantly expand access to contraception. The pill&rsquo;s manufacturer, Perrigo Company is based in Dublin.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Further, biotech companies in the UK and Korea are embarking on the world's first prospective study of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered breast cancer detection, to streamline diagnosis, and tackle radiologist shortages. On the other hand, startups in India have developed groundbreaking multi-cancer detection tests specifically designed for high-risk and asymptomatic women.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quality, affordability, and accessibility, particularly in the context of women&rsquo;s health, are very critical aspects of ensuring well-being. This calls for greater mobilisation across sectors to invest in women&rsquo;s health, keeping in mind the imperatives of equity and integral care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Manbeena Chawla</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Executive Editor</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(</span><a href="mailto:manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com"><span style="font-weight: 400;">manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></p>', 'sequence' => '5', 'guestAuthor' => 'Dr Manbeena Chawla', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '101'), array('articleId' => '24270', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Establishing Ethical Frameworks for Equitable Use of AI in Healthcare ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/21-24270.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'establishing-ethical-frameworks-for-equitable-use-of-ai-in-healthcare-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The global healthcare landscape is witnessing a seismic transformation driven by AI technologies. From therapeutics to diagnostics, hospital operations to clinical decision-making, AI is making significant strides across diverse applications. According to Statista, the value of AI in the global healthcare market was $11 billion in 2021, projected to reach an estimated $188 billion by 2030. This staggering growth, at a compounded annual rate of 37 per cent, underscores the immense potential AI holds in reshaping the future of healthcare.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Transforming Medical Research and Imaging Analysis</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The impact of AI is not limited to specific segments; it spans the entire healthcare ecosystem. One critical domain experiencing a revolution is medical research, as AI expedites drug discovery processes. Through machine learning algorithms, researchers can predict the success rate of chemical compounds, significantly reducing the time and resources required for experimentation. This not only accelerates the pace of innovation but also holds the promise of bringing new, effective treatments to patients more rapidly.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the realm of medical imaging analysis, AI is proving to be a game-changer. It enables the rapid and accurate detection of anomalies in MRI scans, X-rays, and CT scans. Radiologists benefit from quicker identification of potential life-threatening issues, minimising human errors and enhancing diagnostic accuracy. This not only saves crucial time but also improves patient outcomes, particularly in cases where early detection is paramount.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Data-Driven Healthcare</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">AI is revolutionising the traditional landscape of diagnosis and treatment by providing clinicians with unprecedented data-driven insights. Machine learning algorithms analyse extensive patient data to identify patterns and correlations, facilitating more accurate and timely diagnosis. Personalised treatment plans based on individual patient characteristics are now a reality, enhancing the effectiveness of medical interventions. The ability to tailor treatments to specific patient profiles leads to improved outcomes and a more efficient allocation of healthcare resources.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Real-time assessment of treatment effectiveness by AI tools further contributes to improved clinical outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. Monitoring and adjusting treatment plans based on real-world data ensure that patients receive the most effective interventions tailored to their individual responses. This not only enhances patient care but also contributes to the sustainability of healthcare systems worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Predictive analysis, powered by AI, enables healthcare providers to forecast potential outcomes based on historical data and real-time health information. Identifying patients at risk of specific conditions allows for early intervention, preventing complications and improving overall healthcare efficiency. Large-scale population data analysis can also detect trends and outbreaks of infectious diseases before they become widespread, a critical capability showcased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability to anticipate and mitigate health crises is a testament to the power of AI in safeguarding public health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Patient-Centric Approach</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The integration of AI into healthcare is not solely about clinical applications; it extends to improving the overall patient experience. Streamlining appointment scheduling, providing remote monitoring solutions, and offering personalised treatment plans based on individual medical records contribute to a more patient-centric approach. AI-driven chatbots responding to routine medical inquiries reduce stress and save time for both patients and healthcare providers, fostering a more efficient and accessible healthcare system.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the promises of AI in healthcare, challenges persist. Blind spots in data access and collection, privacy concerns, data misuse, and regulatory ambiguities are roadblocks to widespread adoption. In India, a rapidly growing player in AI-based healthcare, progress is evident, but there is still a long way to go. The ambitious goals of universal healthcare delivery and affordability through AI remain distant, requiring continued innovation and collaboration.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, a major player in the global healthcare sector, is rapidly embracing AI. The National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence by NITI Aayog highlights the potential of AI to address challenges such as a shortage of qualified healthcare professionals and non-uniform accessibility to healthcare across the country. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, AI expenditure in India is projected to reach $11.78 billion by 2025, contributing significantly to the country's economy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite challenges, AI's potential to revolutionise healthcare is undeniable. As technology continues to advance, AI's applications in telemedicine, genomics, robotics, and 3D printing will expand. Workforce training and collaboration between medical professionals and AI developers will be crucial for maximising the benefits of AI. The integration of AI with other emerging technologies holds the key to shaping the future of medical care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we delve deeper into the integration of AI in healthcare, it's imperative to address the ethical considerations surrounding this revolutionary technology. The responsible use of AI in medical settings demands careful navigation of issues such as patient privacy, data security, and bias in algorithms.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Privacy concerns arise from the vast amounts of sensitive patient data being processed by AI systems. Ensuring robust data protection measures, stringent encryption, and transparent data usage policies become paramount to build and maintain public trust in AI-driven healthcare solutions.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The potential for bias in AI algorithms poses another ethical challenge. If the datasets used to train AI models are not representative or if biased historical data is fed into the algorithms, it can perpetuate existing inequalities in healthcare. Striking a balance in dataset curation and continuous monitoring of algorithmic outputs is crucial to mitigate bias and ensure equitable healthcare outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moreover, the explainability of AI decisions becomes crucial, especially in critical medical scenarios. Ensuring that AI models provide interpretable insights aids healthcare professionals in understanding and trusting AI-generated recommendations, fostering collaboration between humans and machines.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In conclusion, AI is not just a buzzword but a transformative force reshaping the healthcare industry. From diagnosis to treatment, AI is proving its mettle by delivering accurate, personalised, and efficient healthcare solutions. While challenges persist, the trajectory of AI in healthcare is pointing towards a future where technology and human expertise converge to provide optimal patient care. As we stand at the intersection of technology and healthcare, the role of AI in shaping the future of medicine is more promising than ever.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As AI continues to evolve, it is crucial for stakeholders&mdash;be they healthcare providers, policymakers, or technology developers&mdash;to collaborate in establishing ethical frameworks that ensure the responsible and equitable use of AI in healthcare. The ongoing dialogue around ethical considerations is vital to ensure that AI remains a force for good in healthcare, driving positive change for patients and society at large.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&amp;D, Murata Vios</strong></em></p>', 'sequence' => '6', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&D, Murata Vios', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17')), 'trendingTopicsList' => array(array('articleId' => '24283', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => '83.5% of adults in India underestimate shingles risk: Global GSK survey', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shingles_large-24283.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => '83-5-of-adults-in-india-underestimate-shingles-risk-global-gsk-survey', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical (GSK) has released new data from a globally commissioned survey funded by them. The survey finds notable gaps in understanding of shingles risk among individuals aged above 50 years, a group that is most susceptible to the disease.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey conducted amongst 3,500 adults aged 50 and over from 12 countries, assessed respondents&rsquo; understanding of shingles, what triggers it, and its impact on people&rsquo;s lives.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey in&nbsp;India&nbsp;involved 500 participants, with 250 respondents who spoke Hindi and another 250 who spoke English. The data, launched in time for Shingles Awareness Week 2024 (26 February&nbsp;2024 &ndash; 3 March 2024), finds a widespread lack of understanding of shingles and its lifetime risk.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The findings show that globally, a significantly high proportion of those surveyed do not understand their risk of developing shingles,&nbsp;with&nbsp;86%&nbsp;underestimating&nbsp;that&nbsp;risk.<font size="1">&nbsp;</font>In India, 81% of the English-speaking and 86% &nbsp;of the Hindi-speaking respondents surveyed underestimate the risk of shingles<sup>.</sup></p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In India,&nbsp;amongst the &nbsp;English-speaking respondents, 22% believe that 1 in 1000 adults are at risk of developing shingles.<sup>&nbsp;</sup>Amongst the Hindi-speaking respondents,18% believe that 1 in 1000 adults is at risk of developing shingles.&nbsp;</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In&nbsp;reality,&nbsp;most&nbsp;adults already&nbsp;have&nbsp;the&nbsp;virus that&nbsp;causes&nbsp;shingles present in&nbsp;their bodies by&nbsp;the&nbsp;age&nbsp;of 50,&nbsp;which may&nbsp;reactivate with&nbsp;advancing&nbsp;age.&nbsp;Shingles&nbsp;is&nbsp;caused&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;reactivation&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;varicella-zoster&nbsp;virus&nbsp;(VZV),&nbsp;the same virus that causes chickenpox.&nbsp;As people age, the strength of their immune response to infection wanes, and this increases their risk of developing shingles.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Rashmi Hegde, Executive Vice President - Medical Affairs, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, India, said,&nbsp;&ldquo;The survey findings underscore the need to raise awareness about shingles risk in adults over 50.&nbsp; Shingles can significantly disrupt the daily lives of ageing adults and cause them a great deal of discomfort."</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24230', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Fujifilm launches advanced endoscopic ultrasound machine ALOKA ARIETTA 850 in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/fuji-24230.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'fujifilm-launches-advanced-endoscopic-ultrasound-machine-aloka-arietta-850-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Fujifilm India, a pioneer in diagnostic imaging and information systems, has launched the ground breaking ALOKA ARIETTA 850 Diagnostic Ultrasound System in India with its first-ever installation at Fortis Hospital in Bengaluru.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Representing a remarkable advancement in endoscopic technologies, the high-tech ultrasound system aims to enhance diagnostic precision and image clarity for gastrointestinal diseases in the region.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">In India, contemporary lifestyles and changing dietary choices are leading to the deteriorating digestive health of the population, adding to the growing prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Addressing this, Fujifilm India&rsquo;S&nbsp;ALOKA ARIETTA 850&nbsp;Endoscopic Ultrasound Machine at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru is a significant step in providing world-class diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients against these GI-related diseases, performing targeted treatments such as Pancreatic pseudo cyst drainage (without surgery), targeted delivery of treatment in Pancreatic cancers.&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) is a minimally invasive method for assessing malignancies affecting the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract and neighbouring organs or tissues. With this high degree of accuracy in both diagnostic and therapeutic capacities, it allows doctors to precisely examine organs like the lungs, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, lymph nodes and nearby affected areas.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">EUS also facilitates the extraction of tissue or fluid samples through a thin needle, eliminating the need for a separate biopsy procedure. Additionally, it improves the staging of cancers with accurate sampling provided by Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) and Fine Needle Biopsy (FNB). Furthermore, EUS proves valuable in cases of altered anatomy and among cancer patients for various therapeutic procedures.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">ALOKA ARIETTA 850 stands out from conventional endoscopic ultrasound machines with a range of superior features. The machine generates image quality with 7 million digital channels in its B mode. This system also incorporates HD-THI for deeper penetration, ensuring accurate diagnoses, along with combi-elastography, pure symphonic architecture and CHI-TIC and Inflow Time Mapping for clearer visibility by reducing noise and enhancing the completeness and continuity of tissue boundaries.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '91'), array('articleId' => '24229', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Bengaluru researchers develop paper-based platform to detect antibiotic-resistant bacteria', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shutterstock_157198133-24229.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'bengaluru-researchers-develop-paper-based-platform-to-detect-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">A paper-based platform developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru could help quickly detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant, disease-causing bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Dr Uday Maitra, Professor at the Department of Organic Chemistry, IISc, and collaborators have developed a rapid diagnosis protocol that uses a luminescent paper-based platform to detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The approach developed by the IISc and JNCASR team involves incorporating biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (BCA) within a supramolecular hydrogel matrix containing terbium cholate (TbCh). This hydrogel normally emits green fluorescence when UV light is shined on it.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The next step was to find a way to make the technology inexpensive. Currently used diagnostics instruments are costly, which drives up the price for testing.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team collaborated with a Chennai-based company called Adiuvo Diagnostics to design a customised, portable and miniature imaging device, named Illuminate Fluorescence Reader. Infusing the hydrogel in a sheet of paper as the medium reduced the cost significantly. The instrument is fitted with different LEDs that shine UV radiation as required. Green fluorescence from the enzyme is captured by a built-in camera, and a dedicated software app measures the intensity, which can help quantify the bacterial load.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team from IISc tied up with Jayanta Haldar&rsquo;s research group from JNCASR to check their approach on urine samples. As the next step, the researchers plan to tie up with hospitals to test this technology with samples from patients.</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58'), array('articleId' => '24163', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Theme for National Science Day sets in as ‘Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat’', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/nsd-24163.png', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'theme-for-national-science-day-sets-in-as-indigenous-technologies-for-viksit-bharat', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science &amp; Technology Dr Jitendra Singh released the theme for the "National Science Day 2024", titled "Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat".</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) theme for this year&rsquo;s celebration reflects a strategic focus on promoting public appreciation for Science, Technology and Innovation and accomplishments of Indian scientists to address challenges through home-grown technologies for over-all well-being.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The theme not only marks a new era but also presents an opportunity for public and scientific fraternity, both domestically and internationally, to collaborate, work together, and contribute to the well-being of India and humanity as a whole. While emphasising the importance of making India&nbsp;<em>Atmanirbhar&nbsp;</em>through science, it underscores the need to address subjects that hold significance for humanity as a whole.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on 28 February to commemorate the discovery of the &lsquo;Raman Effect&rsquo;. Government of India designated 28 February as National Science Day in 1986. On this day Sir C.V. Raman announced the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930. On this occasion, theme-based science communication activities are carried out all over the country. The theme launch will trigger celebrations of NSD specially in schools &amp; colleges throughout the country.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science &amp; Technology (DST) said that as we embark on the celebration of NSD and move ahead with the launch of the theme for 2024, it is clearly evident that our scientific endeavours have the power to shape not only the future of our nation but also contribute significantly towards global advancement.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58')), 'mostReadArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24286', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Qiagen launches AI-derived biomedical knowledge base to accelerate data-driven drug discovery', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2-24286.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'qiagen-launches-ai-derived-biomedical-knowledge-base-to-accelerate-data-driven-drug-discovery', 'page1' => '<p align="justify">US-based Qiagen has announced the launch of Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI, a new generative AI-driven knowledge base designed to propel drug discovery in the pharma and biotech industries. This new offering is designed for data scientists and bioinformaticians who are looking for the most comprehensive knowledge graphs to fuel data-driven drug discovery.</p> <p align="justify">Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI is built on a massive dataset of biomedical literature and other scientific sources. It identifies and extracts causal relationships between genes, diseases, drugs and other biological entities with artificial intelligence (AI), generating over 600 million more biomedical relationships than its complement, Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD. This expansive knowledge base helps data scientists understand disease mechanisms, identify drug targets or biomarkers and explore strategies for repurposing existing drugs. Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI provides the most complete picture of biomedical relationships, including edge cases and novel relationships.</p> <p align="justify">While Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD is manually curated and known for its high quality and accuracy, Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI contains over 25x more relationships, allowing data scientists to generate new insights. Both knowledge bases can be used to provide both high-quality and high-quantity biomedical relationships data for data scientists and bioinformaticians to mine and validate.</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '60'), array('articleId' => '24284', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'IIT Kanpur partners with UP government to enhance tele-medicine using AI', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_28_at_3_48_48_pm-24284.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'iit-kanpur-partners-with-up-government-to-enhance-tele-medicine-using-ai', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">The Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and the Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to revolutionise healthcare delivery and advance tele-medicine facilities in the state through the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI).</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU was signed by Ranjan Kumar IAS, Secretary, Health &amp; Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Professor Sandeep Verma, Professor-In-Charge, Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Kanpur, in the presence of&nbsp;other dignitaries.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU outlines several key areas of collaboration, including anchoring tele-medicine hubs and enhancing the quality of tele-medicine services, implementing AI-based solutions to address population health impact, developing point-of-care diagnostics to drive program improvements, conducting competency-based capacity building for health cadres, and utilizing database predictions and analysis for informed decision-making.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">This will help the Department to make optimal use of the UP Digital Health Stack (UP-DHS) and ensure that every citizen of the state, wherever they are, will be able to access healthcare when needed. In Uttar Pradesh, UP-DHS is making significant strides in implementation, with foundational NHS elements deployed across all health administrative units and the rollout of essential healthcare applications well underway.</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '100'), array('articleId' => '24282', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Medtech firm Stryker expands prototype and testing facility in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/styker-24282.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'medtech-firm-stryker-expands-prototype-and-testing-facility-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker, a global leader in medical technologies, has officially expanded its prototype and testing facility in India, marking significant growth of its R&amp;D footprint in the country.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This advanced 55,600-square-foot facility integrates cutting-edge infrastructure, enhanced microbiology capabilities, and a talented team to drive innovation and ensure product quality across its medical technology portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Investing in innovation from India is a focus area for Stryker," said&nbsp;Ram Rangarajan, Vice President of Stryker Global Technology Center, India. "This new lab represents our commitment to developing medical technologies that improve patient outcomes and comply with the highest regulatory standards."</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker's new facility is dedicated to the rigorous life cycle testing of medical devices. The new lab boasts several key features:</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Prototyping and product assurance hub:&nbsp;Equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure for plastic 3D printing,&nbsp;metal machining, and a diverse range of testing capabilities,&nbsp;the lab supports prototyping and product assurance across Stryker's entire product portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Expanded microbiology competency:&nbsp;The lab strengthens Stryker's ability to conduct comprehensive microbiological testing,&nbsp;ensuring the safety and efficacy of its medical technologies.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Talented team of engineers and microbiologists:&nbsp; Highly skilled engineers and microbiologists will use the advanced equipment and expertise to develop innovative solutions that positively impact patients around the world.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '93'), array('articleId' => '24262', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Miltenyi Biotec to open Cell and Gene Therapy Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/gene-24262.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'miltenyi-biotec-to-open-cell-and-gene-therapy-centre-of-excellence-in-hyderabad', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">German firm Miltenyi Biotec is launching operations in India with its first office and investing to set up Miltenyi Innovation and Technology Center as Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Hyderabad.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This COE will be one of its first of its kind in India where scientists, researchers, industry experts and clinicians can get classroom to hands-on trainings on cell and gene therapy approaches right from proof of concept to pre-clinical / clinical development and commercialisation. This CoE also will provide Indian researchers, scientists and clinicians easier access to expertise, research, and manufacturing solutions.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Each year, more than 10,000 patients are treated with cell products using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies. More than&nbsp; 950 investigational new drug (IND) applications as well as investigational device exemptions (IDE) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies and platforms.&nbsp;&nbsp;In doing so, the company is well poised to enable local development and manufacturing in India to drive affordable and&nbsp;accessible CGT therapies by academia and industry for Indian as well as global patients.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Boris Stoffel,&nbsp;Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s Managing Director, highlighted that the company intends to seek opportunities to catalyse development of CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T cell clinical development and manufacturing, with the prospect of bringing centralised and point-of-care CAR T cell therapy to hospitals across India.</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 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'parentSectionId' => '25', 'siteId' => '2', 'status' => '1')))), 'footerTopLeftDetail' => array('articleId' => '129', 'articleTitle' => 'Footer Top Left', 'seoTitle' => null, 'seoSummary' => null, 'seoGenerator' => null, 'seoAuthor' => null, 'seoAppName' => null, 'subheading' => 'Subscribe to BioSpectrum India', 'titleText' => '', 'titleUrl' => 'http://www.biospectrumindia.com/BSI_forms/subscription_reg_mgz.php', 'introDescription' => '', 'page1' => '', 'page2' => null, 'page3' => null, 'page4' => null, 'page5' => null, 'guestAuthor' => null, 'remark' => null, 'primaryMedium' => 'Text', 'flashNews' => '0', 'specialFeature' => '0', 'city' => null, 'imagePath' => 'uploads/static/bsi_march_2024_issue_cover_page_jpg_1_-129.jpg', 'imageTitle' => '', 'sequence' => '129', 'publishDateTime' => null, 'expiryDateTime' => null, 'displayDate' => null, 'editingNotes' => '', 'lastUpdationDate' => object(DateTime), 'creationDate' => object(DateTime), 'status' => 'Published', 'contentTypeId' => '15', 'siteId' => '2', 'sourceId' => '2', 'userId' => '4', 'lastUpdatedByUserId' => '26', 'articleType' => 'Static', 'language' => null, 'blogType' => null, 'pageSlug' => 'footer-top-left', 'magazineIssue' => null, 'pullquote' => null, 'restrictionType' => null, 'seoKeyword' => null, 'articleReadCount' => '0'), 'subsectionAlias' => 'segments', 'subsection' => 'Segments', 'section' => '', 'sectionId' => '', 'aliasName' => '', 'leadershipArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24267', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'What’s Shaking Up India’s Life Sciences Real Estate Sector?', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/bs1-24267.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'whats-shaking-up-indias-life-sciences-real-estate-sector', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2021,&nbsp; a California-based life sciences real estate development company acquired Hotel Buckminster. This acquisition was done to redevelop the closed hotel into a life science lab space. Again in May 2021, a facility that housed the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive was transformed into a new life sciences lab on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the same year in India, a Canadian Pension Fund along with a Singapore-based wealth and asset management firm jointly invested $100 million (Rs 7.5 billion) in life sciences R&amp;D facilities in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. This investment, according to reports, proved to be a stepping stone for more equity investments in this segment. On February 6, 2024, life sciences real estate developer, Rx Propellant announced an initial investment of $75 million in phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai Research (NMR) District, as part of its continued regional expansion strategy across India.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In all the four developments mentioned above, it is clear that post-pandemic, the demand for life sciences-related real estate has significantly increased. Both greenfield and brownfield projects have surged, as the pandemic fuelled the demand for locally manufactured pharma and medical products.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, in the last few decades, has witnessed the IT and manufacturing sectors invest heavily in real estate and infrastructure. But in the post-pandemic era, we see life sciences companies require space to innovate, for R&amp;D, and manufacture at scale.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Fast-evolving life sciences market&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India is one of the fastest-growing life sciences markets in the world and the sector is poised to see multi-fold growth by 2030 led by a fast-increasing population, rising life expectancy, a strong industrial base and inclusive government initiatives. In addition, India&rsquo;s demographic dividend, strong industrial base and policy push are known to be the growth drivers for the life sciences sector in the country.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The increasing government spending on the healthcare sector, cost benefits in terms of affordable manpower &amp; real estate expenses, and the availability of a large talent pool are the catalysts of life sciences growth in India. Schemes like Production Linked Incentive (PLI)&nbsp; have boosted domestic manufacturing which&nbsp; has resulted in the need for more space in industrial and tech parks. Also, global exports of pharmaceutical and biotechnology products and medical devices from the country have forced many companies to invest in capacity building and human resources.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Notably, India ranks second globally in terms of the number of US FDA-certified plants located outside the US, closely followed by China. Strengths of this kind and the constantly evolving sector are&nbsp; furthering the requirement for large-scale&nbsp; manufacturing, MSMEs, wet laboratories, R&amp;D hubs, incubators, and data centres&nbsp; coupled with other IT &amp; ES support.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the next decade, it is estimated that the requirement for life sciences R&amp;D real estate in India is likely to grow to somewhere between $16 billion (Rs 1,200 billion) and $34 billion (Rs 2,550 billion) as per conservative and optimistic scenarios.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Push from PEs and VCs</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India&rsquo;s life sciences R&amp;D real estate is emerging as a high-potential asset class for institutional investors. Aided by exponential global demand growth, geopolitical environment, policies initiatives, and skilled workforce this sector is rapidly transforming.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Atul Bhardwaj, Business Head, Lighthouse Canton Real Estate</strong>, indicates that both domestic and international investors are demonstrating a strong interest in India's life sciences real estate market. According to Bhardwaj, private equity firms, venture capitalists, and real estate developers are actively investing significant capital in the development of specialised facilities to meet the requirements of life sciences companies. He says, &ldquo;Biotechnology parks and clusters are emerging as key focal points for life sciences research and manufacturing in India. These specialised hubs offer world-class infrastructure, shared amenities, and a collaborative ecosystem that encourages innovation and cooperation among industry stakeholders, academic institutions, and research organisations.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Citing one other compelling factor of the life sciences real estate market to surge, Bhardwaj, says, &ldquo;This sector's operational model does not accommodate the concept of working from home, which presents a compelling opportunity for real estate developers. The recent pandemic underscored the resilience of the pharmaceutical sector. While many industries, including office realty, experienced significant disruptions, the pharmaceutical sector's demand for space significantly increased, further cementing its critical role in the global economy.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Arvind Nandan, Managing Director &ndash; Research &amp; Consulting, Savills India</strong>, says, &ldquo;Venture Capital funding into the life sciences industry in India stood at $448 million (Rs 34 billion) in 2021 through August, almost 3x of the annual average of the previous years, making it clear that this segment will play a pivotal role in the overall growth of the Indian Real Estate industry.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Adopting the asset light model</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We know that globally organisations across all sectors &ndash; be it small or big &ndash; are undergoing massive digital transformation and smart business strategies that are sustainable and cost-effective are implemented. Owing to that, businesses are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to scale up faster, which has given rise to many alternate models of operations, including the concept of going asset-light.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Asset-light model offers a strategic approach where companies minimise their ownership of physical assets (such as buildings or land). Companies go asset-light by owning fewer capital-intensive assets compared to their operational assets. By doing this, life sciences companies focus on their core competencies (such as research, development, and production) and avoid heavy investments in real estate.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Merck &amp; Co., Inc. (MSD outside the US and Canada) is a prime example of an asset-light pharmaceutical company. Merck collaborates with specialised Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisations (CDMOs) for various stages of drug development and production. By leveraging external partners, they avoid heavy capital expenditure on building and maintaining several of their own manufacturing facilities.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sharing his view on the asset light model, <strong>Rx Propellant&rsquo;s CEO Milind Ravi</strong>, says, &ldquo;While traditionally dominated by &lsquo;user-owned&rsquo; models, an evident but slow shift to &lsquo;asset-light&rsquo; options in India indicates growing demand for agile growth-ready infrastructure. With its increased focus on innovation, India&rsquo;s life sciences market is expected to grow threefold in the next decade, reaching $130 billion by 2030. This in turn is set to generate demand for over 100 million square feet of specialised infrastructure across several existing ecosystems including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Vizag, and Pune among others.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another aspect to asset-light operations is the advantage companies draw from sharing infrastructure elements. Atul Bhardwaj opines that the model of providing comprehensive amenities under one roof offers significant benefits to companies by eliminating the need for capital expenditure on individual pieces of equipment such as chillers and DG sets. This approach, he says, not only reduces the initial capital outlay but also lowers the overall opex for companies, as costs related to maintenance, security, and technical manpower are shared.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;This cost model is particularly advantageous, as it would otherwise be a substantial financial burden for a company to bear alone for its standalone unit. Real estate developers who offer high-quality infrastructure can further reduce a company's upfront expenses by providing essential utilities like nitrogen generators and vacuum systems. A multi-tenanted building thus emerges as a mutually beneficial arrangement for both developers and tenant companies,&rdquo; says Bhardwaj.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Sustainable infrastructure&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In almost every industry, the board members, shareholders advocate the importance of the mandates of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) of business operations. The threat of climate change has prompted many industries to develop environmental strategies to reduce their carbon footprints, with the life sciences industry on the top of the pyramid.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Being climate conscious has brought in new concepts in smart buildings and other digitally supported facilities and infrastructure models. Open floor plans, shared workspaces, and flexible furniture are some of today&rsquo;s trends that are known to foster interaction and knowledge sharing, similar to what's seen in modern IT work spaces. This shift in life sciences too encourages cross-disciplinary research, faster problem-solving, and quicker innovation and most importantly sharing resources.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Emerging trends in innovation have seen an increase in demand for next-gen spaces with flexible workspaces, integration of wet lab-computation stations, highly sensitive zones for increasingly sophisticated equipment and process flow optimisation. New developments designed to accommodate such variables offer sustainable long-term solutions,&rdquo; Milind Ravi opines from his experience.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Also, leading life sciences companies in India prefer to operate from large-scale clusters that can meet both their office and R&amp;D needs. Startups and MSMEs are also increasingly opting to locate themselves in prominent clusters with a clear industrial positioning and abundant R&amp;D resources. Genome Valley (Hyderabad) and Electronic City (Bengaluru) are great examples of such collaborative ecosystems.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">So, if, today, we were to walk into any of India&rsquo;s life sciences parks, we would be delighted to see those spaces being built on modern modular designs having mobile equipment and reconfigurable layouts, with amazing aesthetics and classy landscaping.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">What will also be evident is that the traditional life sciences technicians confining themselves to sterile laboratories would be ancient. Today&rsquo;s workplaces recognise the need for a more holistic environment with sprawling cafeterias, breakout huddles, and interactive/entertainment spaces. Apart from being modern with the changing times, such amenities are considered by the HR department as a way to attract and retain talent.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Leasing: a preferred business model&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Savills, in its report titled </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unlocking Opportunities: Life Sciences and Real Estate in India&rsquo;, indicates that leasing properties to the biotech industry can provide a steady stream of rental income and long-term investment potential for real estate developers.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since life sciences is a rapidly growing and promising sector with significant investments and advancements, by leasing to them, real estate companies become part of their growth story, giving them the advantage of increased long-term value and brand association.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Leasing also brings about several advantages to realtors. Life sciences companies typically require specific and tailored facilities, leading to lesser turnover compared to other commercial leases. This translates to reduced management costs and higher occupancy rates. Also, life sciences companies often require long-term leases due to the complex nature of their facilities and research projects. This stability translates to predictable and dependable income for the real estate companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking from his company&rsquo;s perspective, Milind Ravi,</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> says,&nbsp;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;We bring a very inclusive approach to support companies of all scales not just with infrastructure, but a gamut of ecosystem services that play a pivotal role in their overall experience. We lease laboratory spaces on tailored models based on the need, timelines, intended use and life-stage of our tenant partners. Our standard offering constitutes modular spaces in shared or dedicated formats &ndash; in both &lsquo;warm shell&rsquo; and &lsquo;plug-and-play&rsquo; models as part of integrated and life science-focussed clusters. Apart from this, we also deliver built-to-suit campuses in required specifications of the tenant.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;While our facilities are built for multi-tenancy where each organisation can work independently, we are also working towards developing co-working laboratory spaces with shared equipment and amenities. These are becoming increasingly popular, especially among startups and small research teams,&rdquo; says Milind Ravi.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Growth is certain</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A report titled &lsquo;Life Sciences Industry &amp; Real Estate Perspective 2024: Putting Asia Pacific under the microscope&rsquo; by global real estate company JLL sheds light on India&rsquo;s pharma industry's growth trajectory. While the pandemic undeniably spurred investment due to the vaccine race, the report emphasizes that interest was already on the rise owing to the ongoing breakthroughs in areas like immuno-oncology and neonatology. This pre-existing momentum, fuelled by technological advancements, has directly translated into increased commercial real estate leasing within the pharma sector. This may be true to India&rsquo;s life sciences sector too.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">JLL stresses on the fact that when companies get funding from venture capitalists, they need lab space in order to deliver as soon as possible. Also, sizeable investments bring with them a plethora of life sciences jobs, which can also spur development of housing, retail and other urban amenities that serve the people who live and work for the expanding companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">From Bhardwaj&rsquo;s inputs we can infer that India has a robust domestic market, bolstered further by the Government of India's </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;Jan Aushadhi&rsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> scheme, aimed at providing quality generic medicines at affordable prices to its citizens. As the third-largest exporter of pharmaceuticals by volume and the thirteenth by value, the demand for space is going to grow.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the pharma industry presents sufficient scope, the medical device industry is not any less. Considered as the sunrise sector, the medical devices industry is estimated to reach $50 billion by 2030. In the last five years, the export of medical devices has been increasing at a rate of 9.37 per cent. India&rsquo;s policy to allow 100 per cent foreign investment under an automatic route in the medical devices sector has helped attract significant investments, which has further pushed the demand for real estate. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the medical device industry in India has also helped augment the domestic manufacturing and in reducing dependence on imports. Hence, manufacturing hubs are being set up in many economic zones of the country. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We can therefore conclude with the evidence that there is immense potential for life sciences real estate development to surge in India. Though the country has limited core life sciences real estate investable stock at present, majority of the growth will come from developing new facilities that entail typical development and leasing risks. The stakeholders, however, forecast an increasing investor appetite for Indian life sciences real estate as the sector gains scale over time.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Anusha Ashwin</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => 'Anusha Ashwin', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24273', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'Dissecting Gender Disparity', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/women-24273.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'dissecting-gender-disparity', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in the Indian healthcare industry are mainly concentrated in low-paying frontline positions. In India, 29 per cent of medical doctors, 80 per cent of nursing staff (including midwives), and nearly 100 per cent of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are women. Despite this, women hold only 18 per cent of healthcare leadership positions and continue to earn 34 per cent less than their male counterparts.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are the outcomes of the study titled &lsquo;An Unbalanced Scale - Exploring the Female Leadership Gap in India's Healthcare Sector&rsquo; from Dasra, a non-profit organisation. The&nbsp; study revealed that the Indian healthcare sector, one of the country's largest employers, has experienced substantial growth. It takes a closer look at women's representation in healthcare and the leadership opportunities available to them.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><strong>Inspiring leaders</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"What is concerning is the gap between the proportion of women in healthcare and those who occupy leadership positions. At entry levels, women's representation in sales, marketing, and operations ranges from 40-50 per cent. However, this significantly drops to 15-20 per cent in senior roles," says <strong>Shailja Mehta, Director at Dasra</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is behind this gender gap in leadership positions? Societal norms, cultural expectations and implicit biases against women are some of the main factors that&nbsp;have contributed to the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions. &ldquo;It is a complex issue. The lack of female role models and mentors perpetuates this gender gap," says Shailja.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some believe that one of the primary reasons for the skewed gender ratio in STEM is the stereotyping that begins early in life. Societal expectations often push girls towards more traditionally feminine roles, diverting them away from technical and scientific fields. As a result, fewer women choose STEM education and careers. While others argue that the current gap is a reflection of what was happening 20 years ago, when fewer women entered science careers.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;&ldquo;Today&rsquo;s leaders represent those who entered the field 15-20 years back. Now that the number of women entering these fields has significantly increased in recent years, we will see a lot of women leaders in the coming years. In fact, a major proportion of startups are led by women. They have the capability to do it,&rdquo; <strong>Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, former director, National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) Pune</strong>, says, "The situation is definitely improving. For more women to take leadership roles, changes are required at the family, community and industry level."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Dr Pragya Yadav, senior scientist at the National Institute of Virology, Pune</strong>, who played an instrumental role in the development of Covaxin, agrees. "The situation has certainly improved, but school-going girls should have access to reputable colleges and safe residential facilities for pursuing science as a subject for the real change to occur. Besides, they need support in equal measure, from their families and the industry when raising their children. If they lose that time, catching up becomes difficult,&rdquo; she says. &nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Furthermore, this support should not be seen as an extra favour to women, but rather as their right. Children are the future and the environment they experience while growing up is crucial to their growth and development. It is the duty of both families and society, not just mothers alone, to provide a safe and suitable environment for them," she added. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Manya Jha, a young entrepreneur and founder of Morphedo Technologies</strong>, a deep tech startup in aerospace and defence, medical device engineering, IoT and embedded systems, faced the challenge of balancing child care and her career after the birth of her daughter. To tackle this challenge, she established a small child care centre at her office.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Starting just 20 days after my daughter was born, I brought her to my workplace every day. I made space in my cabin where she could stay with me. Until she was 7 months old, my husband and I took care of her in the shared cabin (during COVID-19 period). At the time of her birth, my startup was also at a crucial stage,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Both my daughter and my company required my personal attention. There were instances when I had to attend important meetings with senior scientists while holding my one-month-old daughter. I believe it's all about the confidence with which you pursue your career."</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today, Manya's company has around&nbsp; 40 employees and the child care centre is now available to all new mothers, offering support in looking after their children while at work.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, despite the challenges, there has been a noticeable shift in the narrative over the past decade, with the number of women leaders emerging in STEM careers increasing slowly but steadily. And these women are not only excelling &nbsp;in their respective fields but also helping dismantling barriers that hinder the progress of other aspiring women.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several prominent women leaders are setting an example for others. Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr Priya Abraham, Director of the National Institute of Virology, biotech stalwart &nbsp;Kiran Majumdar-Shaw,&nbsp; and entrepreneurs like Dr Kavita Iyer Rodrigues and Vasanthi Ramachandran represent some of the most sought after leaders in the industry.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Women are leading more than 30 per cent of the startups incubated at our centre. In many others, they are co-founders or hold significant positions," says <strong>Dr Manisha Premnath, COO of Venture Center</strong>, an incubation centre in Pune that helps startups grow.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Breaking the glass ceiling</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While there is a rise of women leaders in the health and biotech sector, it is important to acknowledge the challenges they continue to face. Stereotypes, biases, and a lack of institutional support still exist. The &lsquo;glass ceiling&rsquo; phenomenon persists, making it difficult for women to reach the highest levels of leadership. A male-centric workplace culture, coupled with a lack of flexibility and understanding regarding work-life balance, discourage women from pursuing or sustaining leadership roles.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The biggest challenge that women face is breaking these stereotypes and breaking free from the vicious cycle of work and life. They need to step out of their comfort zones, or rather, their safe zones, and then there will be no stopping them. Fortunately, nowadays there are several schemes and funds available to support women," says <strong>Dr Deeksha Bhartiya, Founder of Genomiki</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coming from a very traditional, yet ambitious family, Dr Deeksha got married at a young age and encountered challenges in maintaining a balance between her personal and professional life. However, she didn't allow these challenges to deter her from pursuing her doctoral studies and career. "There were many senior male scientists who advised me to take up a permanent job instead of embarking on my entrepreneurial journey. I was told that women should prioritise stability over adventure. However, I am fortunate to have a very supportive family who always push me to exceed my limits and support me in all my decisions."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Exiting the vicious circle</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The foundation for achieving gender parity in STEM careers is laid during the crucial years of education. Schools and educational institutions play an important role in challenging these stereotypes and encouraging girls to explore their interests in science and technology. STEM-focused educational programmes, workshops, and extracurricular activities can help break down gender-based barriers from a young age. Scholarships and mentorship programmes can encourage girls to pursue science education.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To encourage more women to pursue careers in STEM and foster an inclusive and diverse workforce, it is important to adopt unbiased recruitment practices, create a supportive environment for their progress, and implement flexible work arrangements.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is a growing emphasis on incorporating diverse perspectives in STEM curricula. Highlighting the contributions of women scientists and engineers in textbooks and classroom discussions can inspire both girls and boys, challenging preconceived notions about gender roles in these fields. There should be more networking events, conferences and platforms that specifically focus on women in STEM to provide valuable opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing. These spaces not only celebrate the achievements of women in the field but also facilitate the exchange of ideas and strategies to overcome common challenges.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emphasising the pivotal role women play in shaping a sustainable future through scientific leadership, <strong>Melody Lopez, Director and Chief of Staff Crayon Software Experts India</strong> says &ldquo;Fostering women's leadership in science is not just about gender equality but also a catalyst for achieving sustainable development goals. The theme reflects a call to action, urging communities, governments, and organisations to provide equal opportunities for women and girls in science, ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making processes.&rdquo; She further says &ldquo;As we champion women and girls in science leadership, let us embrace this new era, where their voices, ideas, and leadership propel us toward a brighter, more sustainable future for all.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The journey towards gender parity in STEM careers in India could be challenging, but the momentum for change is growing.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><strong>Gunjan Sharma</strong></strong></p> <p><em><strong>gunjan.sharma@mmactiv.com</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => 'Gunjan Sharma ', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24271', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => '“There is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation”', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_27_at_5_20_34_pm-24271.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'there-is-a-significant-gap-in-the-infrastructure-required-for-ai-implementation', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Artificial Intelligence (AI) has completely changed the way we see the world today. How do you see AI revolutionising drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry? Can AI help in discovering new drug molecules that could help treat deadly and chronic diseases like cancers and AIDS?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The future of human life is completely impacted by AI. Particularly its emergence in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry will have a vital impact on disease control and new drug discoveries.&nbsp;AI is poised to revolutionise drug discovery in several ways. It can drastically reduce the time needed to discover and develop new drugs. AI can be used to help suggest novel combinations for treating fatal diseases and even predict treatment outcomes. Additionally, AI facilitates personalised medicine by tailoring treatments to individual patients, which can ultimately speed up the development of new therapies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key challenges in implementing AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly in the context of regulatory compliance?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I feel, the pharma and healthcare organisations in India are yet to gear up for AI. Many are still in the process of adapting to the advancements in the pharmaceutical industry brought about by digitalisation. Despite this progress, the majority of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are not adequately prepared to integrate AI into their operations. AI adoption, beyond platforms like Chat GPT, remains in its infancy and requires further exploration and validation. Moreover, there is a pressing need to harmonise regulatory compliances, particularly in manufacturing standards outlined by the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH). This entails the implementation of electronic documentation systems and global alignment on regulatory practices to ensure both qualitative and compliant manufacturing and healthcare delivery systems. Additionally, there is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation, including the necessary hardware, software, and skilled professionals, which remains to be addressed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a specific example where AI has been successfully utilised to discover or develop a new drug?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although AI is currently making strides in drug discovery, its continual evolution opens up a multitude of possibilities in terms of drug candidates, their structures, and the discovery process. This versatility allows for the pinpointing of targeted molecules tailored to specific therapies or multiple therapeutic discoveries. A recent example highlighting this potential is Insilico Medicine's Pharma.AI, which is revolutionising drug discovery with its suite of AI-powered tools. PandaOmics, for instance, drastically reduces the time required for multi-omics target discovery, from several months to a few clicks. Similarly, Chemistry42 employs machine learning for de novo drug design, generating lead-like molecules within a week. Additionally, InClinico provides an invaluable tool for efficient clinical trial management, identifying potential weaknesses in trial design and predicting success rates. Collectively, these tools are streamlining the traditionally lengthy drug discovery process, accelerating the pursuit of breakthrough medicine.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you envision the role of AI evolving in personalised medicine and patient care?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I believe AI could be groundbreaking by using large amounts of data from healthy and sick people. It could help analyse specific therapeutic segments quickly to see how drugs work over time and improve their formulations. It would also support Phase IV clinical trials, especially in monitoring drug safety (Pharmacovigilance). Overall, AI in personalised medicine and patient care has the potential to improve healthcare, make treatments better, and give patients more control over their health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the ethical considerations that need to be addressed when deploying AI in healthcare settings?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The primary concern lies in protecting patient identity, which can be achieved through AI by masking identities in documentation, albeit in previously challenging areas. The rigidity and security levels of AI coding stand out as effective measures for safeguarding patient identity compared to traditional masking systems. However, the implementation of AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly concerning regulatory compliance, presents various challenges and ethical considerations. These include ensuring data privacy and security, adhering to diverse regulations, deciphering complex AI algorithms, managing the time and cost implications, addressing potential biases perpetuated by AI algorithms, integrating solutions into existing systems, navigating complex ethical and legal considerations, determining accountability and liability for decisions made, preserving patient autonomy and consent, and conducting real-time reviews for corrections.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How can AI help address the challenges of drug resistance in infectious diseases?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The emergence of drug resistance in infectious diseases poses a significant healthcare challenge. However, AI offers a promising solution by playing a crucial role in addressing this issue. Through predictive analytics, AI can forecast which drugs may become ineffective against evolving pathogens, allowing for proactive adjustments in treatment strategies. Furthermore, AI aids in the discovery of alternative treatments, the development of more effective medications, and the customisation of treatment plans tailored to individual patients. By providing real-time insights into the changing landscape of drug resistance, AI enables healthcare professionals to adapt swiftly, ultimately enhancing the efficacy of treatments and improving patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What strategies can be employed to ensure the fairness and transparency of AI algorithms in healthcare decision-making?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To maintain trust, mitigate bias, and foster equitable outcomes, it is crucial to prioritise fairness and transparency in the use of AI algorithms for healthcare decision-making. Some of the strategies to achieve this include ensuring transparency of both data and algorithms, promoting diversity and inclusivity in the development process, conducting external validation and evaluation, and establishing regulatory frameworks and guidelines.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you see AI impacting the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services globally?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While AI offers significant potential for improving the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services on a global scale, there are challenges to overcome. These include ensuring fair access to AI-driven technologies, addressing concerns regarding data privacy and security, and navigating regulatory and ethical issues. Collaboration among various stakeholders, such as governments, healthcare providers, technology developers, and community organisations, is vital to fully realise the benefits of AI in enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key factors hindering the adoption of AI in pharmaceutical research and development?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pharmaceutical companies face several challenges when it comes to using AI in research and development. Firstly, they require high-quality and comprehensive datasets to effectively train AI models. Secondly, they must adhere to strict regulatory guidelines set by government agencies. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies often possess proprietary data and intellectual property that may not be easily compatible with AI systems. Finally, the significant investment required to implement AI technology presents a barrier to adoption for many companies in the industry.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a case where AI-driven predictive modelling has significantly improved clinical trial outcomes or drug efficacy in the Healthcare system?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's important to note that using AI in the healthcare system, along with a thorough review of relevant literature from sources like PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and EMBASE, is significant. Integrating AI into healthcare has the potential to greatly improve disease diagnosis, treatment selection, and clinical laboratory testing. AI tools can analyse large sets of data and find patterns, outperforming humans in many healthcare tasks. AI brings higher accuracy, lower costs, and time savings, while also reducing human errors. It can revolutionise personalised medicine, optimise medication dosages, improve population health management, set guidelines, offer virtual health assistants, support mental health care, enhance patient education, and strengthen patient-physician trust.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, AI can be used in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) by using machine learning algorithms to predict drug-drug interactions. By analysing large sets of patient data, these algorithms can detect potential drug interactions. This helps to decrease the risk of adverse drug reactions, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Amguth Raju</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>hyderabad@mmactiv.com&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => 'Amguth Raju', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17'), array('articleId' => '24280', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Effectively Eliminating Drug-resistant TB', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/tb-24280.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'effectively-eliminating-drug-resistant-tb', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has the highest burden of TB, with two deaths occurring every three minutes from the disease. The country recorded a staggering 28 lakh cases in 2022, accounting for 27 per cent of the global cases, according to WHO.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India initiated the TB Free India campaign with the ambitious goal of eradicating TB by 2025, a milestone set five years earlier than the target outlined by the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Despite facing setbacks due to COVID-19, the nation doubled down on its efforts, resulting in notable progress. The India TB Report 2023 heralded 2022 as a pivotal year in TB surveillance, noting a significant achievement with a record-high notification of 24.2 lakh TB cases, representing an increase of over 13 per cent compared to 2021.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The latest WHO Global TB Report 2023 acknowledged and praised India's efforts in its fight against TB, particularly highlighting the effectiveness of its case detection strategies. The report emphasised that India's intensified case detection strategies led to the highest-ever notification of cases in 2022, surpassing pre-COVID levels. The government's key initiatives, such as specialised active case finding drives, the scaling up of molecular diagnostics to block levels, decentralisation of screening services through Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, and private sector engagement, have significantly reduced the gap in missing cases.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Road to elimination&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the country has made remarkable progress in its fight against TB, the adoption of additional strategies such as shorter treatment regimens, the development of vaccines, and a renewed focus on nutrition could prove to be game-changers in its goal of eliminating TB for good.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The BPaL regimen, composed of Bedaquiline, Pretomanid and Linezolid, presents a promising alternative for a shorter, safer and more tolerable treatment option for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). Lasting only 26 weeks, it contrasts sharply with conventional DR-TB treatments, which can span 18 to 21 months and entail the consumption of over 4,000 to 5,000 tablets. Endorsed by the US FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) in 2019 and the WHO in 2022, the BPaL regimen has been implemented in more than 70 countries, including South Africa, Ukraine, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;The older, conventional regimen for drug-resistant TB included prolonged use of injections with other drugs. This was associated with increased incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), implementation challenges under the programme and inconvenience to the patients. The new TB drug regimen uses the newer oral drugs like Bedaquiline, Delamanid or Pretomanid, or the repurposed drugs such as linezolid, clofazimine, etc. These regimens are injection free and have lesser pill burden leading to more acceptance among the TB patients besides reducing the implementation challenges due to the use of injections. They have the ability to kill the actively multiplying drug-resistant TB bacteria faster and a sustained killing of the bacteria to prevent the recurrence of the TB disease among the patients. These regimens have shown improved treatment success rates under field conditions under the national programme,&rdquo; said <strong>Dr Rupak Singla, Head of Department, National Institute of TB &amp; Respiratory Diseases, New Delhi</strong>.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Singla further said &ldquo;To combat the adverse drug reactions of these regimen, specially due to drug linezolid, various regimens using different dosages and durations of linezolid have demonstrated reduced incidence of ADRs maintaining the efficacy of the regimen. Hence, these newer treatment drug regimens could reduce the global burden of drug-resistant TB. However, the requirement of a good quality laboratory network, availability and higher cost of the drugs continue to pose a challenge.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new regimen is shorter, easier on patients and improves treatment adherence, resulting in better outcomes compared to previous drug regimens.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Talking about the potential implications of the new TB drug regimen on India&rsquo;s TB control efforts, Dr Singla stated, &ldquo;The cure rate for previous conventional TB regimen for multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) was to the tune of around 50 per cent and for Extensively drug-resistant-TB (XDR-TB), less than 30 per cent. The new TB drug regimen has the potential for significant improvement in treatment success rates for MDR-TB as well as XDR-TB.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In India the national data shows that more than 36,000 drug-resistant TB patients have been initiated on shorter oral Bedaquiline-containing regimen and more than 92,000 patients have been initiated on longer oral regimen till date. Treatment success rates of shorter oral regimen for the cohort April-September 2022 (around 12,000 patients) is 69 per cent and of longer oral regimen for the cohort January-September 2021 (around 15,000 patients) is 71 per cent. The improved success rates of new drug regimens is likely to translate into less number of deaths due to TB, reduced period of infectiousness of TB patients and reduced transmission of TB to others in the community leading to reduced incidence of TB.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Studies at the 2023 Union World Conference on Lung Health affirm WHO-endorsed regimens' effectiveness, surpassing traditional 18- to 24-month treatments. The goal is to urge high-burden DR-TB countries to update guidelines and offer shorter treatments to all patients in need. Only 40 per cent of the 410,000 people with DR-TB in 2022 had access to the shorter regimen, as per a WHO report.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A group of experts in the country have stressed the need for introducing the BPaL regimen in the TB control programme of the country. B<strong>lessina Kumar, CEO, Global Coalition of TB Advocates, New Delhi</strong> emphasised the potential cost savings associated with its adoption, citing studies estimating a global annual savings of $740 million. With India accounting for a significant portion of global multi-drug, rifampicin-resistant (MDR/RR-TB) treated patients, she suggested that the country could save nearly $250 million per year through the implementation of this regimen. India will likely roll out the new regime soon.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>TB Vaccine</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vaccination holds promise as a game-changer for TB elimination. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is conducting phase III trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two vaccines: VPM1002 and MIP (Mycobacterium indicus pranii). VPM1002 is a live vaccine based on recombinant BCG, modified for better safety and efficacy. MIP or Immuvac, originally developed for leprosy, is a whole-cell TB vaccine candidate. The trial aims to assess the effectiveness of these vaccines in preventing TB disease, among 12,721 individuals exposed to TB at home (referred to as household contacts). Enrollment for the study is complete, with participant follow-up currently ongoing, according to the pipeline report 2022 by the Treatment Action Group.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bharat Biotech is partnering with the Spanish firm BIOFABRI to develop, manufacture, and distribute a new tuberculosis vaccine across over 70 countries in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The TB vaccine candidate by Bharat Biotech is set to enter phase-III trials soon.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Lancet study highlighted the pivotal role of nutrition in TB management. The&nbsp; Reducing Activation of Tuberculosis by Improvement of Nutritional Status (RATIONS) trial demonstrated that providing food baskets to TB patients and their households reduced all forms of TB by nearly 40 per cent and infectious TB by almost 50 per cent. In 2018, the Indian government launched the 'Nikshay Poshan Yojana,' a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to offer nutrition support to TB patients. Since its inception, the scheme has disbursed approximately Rs 2613 crore to over 95 lakh TB patients.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has indeed made significant strides in addressing TB; however, the battle against the disease is far from over. Despite enhanced detection and surveillance efforts, there's&nbsp; a need to adopt newer strategies to combat TB effectively. Advances in R&amp;D of vaccines, access to newer drug regimens, enhanced focus on nutrition will all help in propelling TB elimination goals.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Ayesha Siddiqui&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ayesha Siddiqui', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24272', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Prioritising Women’s Health & Wellbeing ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2036811071-24272.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: gettyimages', 'pageSlug' => 'prioritising-womens-health-wellbeing-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a new report from the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute launched at Davos in January 2024, women may live longer than men, on average, but they spend 25 per cent more of their lives in debilitating health. The report said improving diagnostics, data on women-specific conditions like ovarian cancer, and directing more investments towards women&rsquo;s health and research is needed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In particular, McKinsey research finds that less than 2 per cent of healthcare research and innovation is invested in female-specific conditions beyond cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This &lsquo;women&rsquo;s health gap&rsquo; equates to 75 million years of life lost due to poor health or early death each year. Closing the gap would benefit 3.9 billion women, giving them an extra seven healthy days a year, or an average of 500 days over a lifetime. Further, it could boost the global economy by $1 trillion by 2040 from fewer early deaths and health conditions, and a greater capacity for women to contribute to the economy and society.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a result of these findings, the final hours of the World Economic Forum in Davos saw the launch of a new Global Alliance for Women&rsquo;s Health, which has the broad ambition of &lsquo;re-shaping the future of women&rsquo;s health and the global economy.&rsquo; The health alliance will pledge new commitments from governments, philanthropies, and pharmaceutical companies, among others, across three pillars i.e. financing, science and innovation, and agenda-setting. So far, partners have pledged $55 million to improve women&rsquo;s health outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">With International Women&rsquo;s Day 2024 being themed around &lsquo;Inspiring inclusion&rsquo;, we see governments across the globe putting the much-needed emphasis on women&rsquo;s healthcare. For instance, the UAE has set out wide-ranging plans to bolster healthcare services for women, by approving the &lsquo;National Policy for Improving Women&rsquo;s Health&rsquo; for providing the highest healthcare services quality for women, whether curative, preventive or rehabilitative services. Similarly, the Irish government is paving the way for a longer-term comprehensive Women&rsquo;s Health Strategy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in England are being urged to help shape reproductive health policy, as the government seeks views on periods, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and menopause for health strategy. Likewise, the Biden administration recently announced a White House initiative to improve how the federal government approaches and funds research into the health of women, who make up more than half of the US population but remain understudied and underrepresented in health research.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, of course, is not far behind in this initiative. The Interim Budget 2024-25 announcement that took place on February 1, 2024, laid focus on encouraging vaccination for girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years for the prevention of cervical cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Besides these government initiatives, multiple efforts are also being made by the industry players to improve women&rsquo;s health. For example, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zurzuvae as the first and only oral treatment approved for women with postpartum depression, developed by American pharmaceutical company Biogen. The US FDA has also recently approved a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription for the first time in the US, a milestone that could significantly expand access to contraception. The pill&rsquo;s manufacturer, Perrigo Company is based in Dublin.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Further, biotech companies in the UK and Korea are embarking on the world's first prospective study of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered breast cancer detection, to streamline diagnosis, and tackle radiologist shortages. On the other hand, startups in India have developed groundbreaking multi-cancer detection tests specifically designed for high-risk and asymptomatic women.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quality, affordability, and accessibility, particularly in the context of women&rsquo;s health, are very critical aspects of ensuring well-being. This calls for greater mobilisation across sectors to invest in women&rsquo;s health, keeping in mind the imperatives of equity and integral care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Manbeena Chawla</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Executive Editor</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(</span><a href="mailto:manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com"><span style="font-weight: 400;">manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></p>', 'sequence' => '5', 'guestAuthor' => 'Dr Manbeena Chawla', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '101'), array('articleId' => '24270', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Establishing Ethical Frameworks for Equitable Use of AI in Healthcare ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/21-24270.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'establishing-ethical-frameworks-for-equitable-use-of-ai-in-healthcare-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The global healthcare landscape is witnessing a seismic transformation driven by AI technologies. From therapeutics to diagnostics, hospital operations to clinical decision-making, AI is making significant strides across diverse applications. According to Statista, the value of AI in the global healthcare market was $11 billion in 2021, projected to reach an estimated $188 billion by 2030. This staggering growth, at a compounded annual rate of 37 per cent, underscores the immense potential AI holds in reshaping the future of healthcare.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Transforming Medical Research and Imaging Analysis</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The impact of AI is not limited to specific segments; it spans the entire healthcare ecosystem. One critical domain experiencing a revolution is medical research, as AI expedites drug discovery processes. Through machine learning algorithms, researchers can predict the success rate of chemical compounds, significantly reducing the time and resources required for experimentation. This not only accelerates the pace of innovation but also holds the promise of bringing new, effective treatments to patients more rapidly.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the realm of medical imaging analysis, AI is proving to be a game-changer. It enables the rapid and accurate detection of anomalies in MRI scans, X-rays, and CT scans. Radiologists benefit from quicker identification of potential life-threatening issues, minimising human errors and enhancing diagnostic accuracy. This not only saves crucial time but also improves patient outcomes, particularly in cases where early detection is paramount.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Data-Driven Healthcare</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">AI is revolutionising the traditional landscape of diagnosis and treatment by providing clinicians with unprecedented data-driven insights. Machine learning algorithms analyse extensive patient data to identify patterns and correlations, facilitating more accurate and timely diagnosis. Personalised treatment plans based on individual patient characteristics are now a reality, enhancing the effectiveness of medical interventions. The ability to tailor treatments to specific patient profiles leads to improved outcomes and a more efficient allocation of healthcare resources.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Real-time assessment of treatment effectiveness by AI tools further contributes to improved clinical outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. Monitoring and adjusting treatment plans based on real-world data ensure that patients receive the most effective interventions tailored to their individual responses. This not only enhances patient care but also contributes to the sustainability of healthcare systems worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Predictive analysis, powered by AI, enables healthcare providers to forecast potential outcomes based on historical data and real-time health information. Identifying patients at risk of specific conditions allows for early intervention, preventing complications and improving overall healthcare efficiency. Large-scale population data analysis can also detect trends and outbreaks of infectious diseases before they become widespread, a critical capability showcased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability to anticipate and mitigate health crises is a testament to the power of AI in safeguarding public health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Patient-Centric Approach</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The integration of AI into healthcare is not solely about clinical applications; it extends to improving the overall patient experience. Streamlining appointment scheduling, providing remote monitoring solutions, and offering personalised treatment plans based on individual medical records contribute to a more patient-centric approach. AI-driven chatbots responding to routine medical inquiries reduce stress and save time for both patients and healthcare providers, fostering a more efficient and accessible healthcare system.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the promises of AI in healthcare, challenges persist. Blind spots in data access and collection, privacy concerns, data misuse, and regulatory ambiguities are roadblocks to widespread adoption. In India, a rapidly growing player in AI-based healthcare, progress is evident, but there is still a long way to go. The ambitious goals of universal healthcare delivery and affordability through AI remain distant, requiring continued innovation and collaboration.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, a major player in the global healthcare sector, is rapidly embracing AI. The National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence by NITI Aayog highlights the potential of AI to address challenges such as a shortage of qualified healthcare professionals and non-uniform accessibility to healthcare across the country. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, AI expenditure in India is projected to reach $11.78 billion by 2025, contributing significantly to the country's economy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite challenges, AI's potential to revolutionise healthcare is undeniable. As technology continues to advance, AI's applications in telemedicine, genomics, robotics, and 3D printing will expand. Workforce training and collaboration between medical professionals and AI developers will be crucial for maximising the benefits of AI. The integration of AI with other emerging technologies holds the key to shaping the future of medical care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we delve deeper into the integration of AI in healthcare, it's imperative to address the ethical considerations surrounding this revolutionary technology. The responsible use of AI in medical settings demands careful navigation of issues such as patient privacy, data security, and bias in algorithms.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Privacy concerns arise from the vast amounts of sensitive patient data being processed by AI systems. Ensuring robust data protection measures, stringent encryption, and transparent data usage policies become paramount to build and maintain public trust in AI-driven healthcare solutions.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The potential for bias in AI algorithms poses another ethical challenge. If the datasets used to train AI models are not representative or if biased historical data is fed into the algorithms, it can perpetuate existing inequalities in healthcare. Striking a balance in dataset curation and continuous monitoring of algorithmic outputs is crucial to mitigate bias and ensure equitable healthcare outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moreover, the explainability of AI decisions becomes crucial, especially in critical medical scenarios. Ensuring that AI models provide interpretable insights aids healthcare professionals in understanding and trusting AI-generated recommendations, fostering collaboration between humans and machines.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In conclusion, AI is not just a buzzword but a transformative force reshaping the healthcare industry. From diagnosis to treatment, AI is proving its mettle by delivering accurate, personalised, and efficient healthcare solutions. While challenges persist, the trajectory of AI in healthcare is pointing towards a future where technology and human expertise converge to provide optimal patient care. As we stand at the intersection of technology and healthcare, the role of AI in shaping the future of medicine is more promising than ever.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As AI continues to evolve, it is crucial for stakeholders&mdash;be they healthcare providers, policymakers, or technology developers&mdash;to collaborate in establishing ethical frameworks that ensure the responsible and equitable use of AI in healthcare. The ongoing dialogue around ethical considerations is vital to ensure that AI remains a force for good in healthcare, driving positive change for patients and society at large.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&amp;D, Murata Vios</strong></em></p>', 'sequence' => '6', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&D, Murata Vios', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17')), 'trendingTopicsList' => array(array('articleId' => '24283', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => '83.5% of adults in India underestimate shingles risk: Global GSK survey', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shingles_large-24283.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => '83-5-of-adults-in-india-underestimate-shingles-risk-global-gsk-survey', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical (GSK) has released new data from a globally commissioned survey funded by them. The survey finds notable gaps in understanding of shingles risk among individuals aged above 50 years, a group that is most susceptible to the disease.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey conducted amongst 3,500 adults aged 50 and over from 12 countries, assessed respondents&rsquo; understanding of shingles, what triggers it, and its impact on people&rsquo;s lives.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey in&nbsp;India&nbsp;involved 500 participants, with 250 respondents who spoke Hindi and another 250 who spoke English. The data, launched in time for Shingles Awareness Week 2024 (26 February&nbsp;2024 &ndash; 3 March 2024), finds a widespread lack of understanding of shingles and its lifetime risk.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The findings show that globally, a significantly high proportion of those surveyed do not understand their risk of developing shingles,&nbsp;with&nbsp;86%&nbsp;underestimating&nbsp;that&nbsp;risk.<font size="1">&nbsp;</font>In India, 81% of the English-speaking and 86% &nbsp;of the Hindi-speaking respondents surveyed underestimate the risk of shingles<sup>.</sup></p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In India,&nbsp;amongst the &nbsp;English-speaking respondents, 22% believe that 1 in 1000 adults are at risk of developing shingles.<sup>&nbsp;</sup>Amongst the Hindi-speaking respondents,18% believe that 1 in 1000 adults is at risk of developing shingles.&nbsp;</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In&nbsp;reality,&nbsp;most&nbsp;adults already&nbsp;have&nbsp;the&nbsp;virus that&nbsp;causes&nbsp;shingles present in&nbsp;their bodies by&nbsp;the&nbsp;age&nbsp;of 50,&nbsp;which may&nbsp;reactivate with&nbsp;advancing&nbsp;age.&nbsp;Shingles&nbsp;is&nbsp;caused&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;reactivation&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;varicella-zoster&nbsp;virus&nbsp;(VZV),&nbsp;the same virus that causes chickenpox.&nbsp;As people age, the strength of their immune response to infection wanes, and this increases their risk of developing shingles.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Rashmi Hegde, Executive Vice President - Medical Affairs, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, India, said,&nbsp;&ldquo;The survey findings underscore the need to raise awareness about shingles risk in adults over 50.&nbsp; Shingles can significantly disrupt the daily lives of ageing adults and cause them a great deal of discomfort."</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24230', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Fujifilm launches advanced endoscopic ultrasound machine ALOKA ARIETTA 850 in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/fuji-24230.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'fujifilm-launches-advanced-endoscopic-ultrasound-machine-aloka-arietta-850-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Fujifilm India, a pioneer in diagnostic imaging and information systems, has launched the ground breaking ALOKA ARIETTA 850 Diagnostic Ultrasound System in India with its first-ever installation at Fortis Hospital in Bengaluru.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Representing a remarkable advancement in endoscopic technologies, the high-tech ultrasound system aims to enhance diagnostic precision and image clarity for gastrointestinal diseases in the region.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">In India, contemporary lifestyles and changing dietary choices are leading to the deteriorating digestive health of the population, adding to the growing prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Addressing this, Fujifilm India&rsquo;S&nbsp;ALOKA ARIETTA 850&nbsp;Endoscopic Ultrasound Machine at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru is a significant step in providing world-class diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients against these GI-related diseases, performing targeted treatments such as Pancreatic pseudo cyst drainage (without surgery), targeted delivery of treatment in Pancreatic cancers.&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) is a minimally invasive method for assessing malignancies affecting the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract and neighbouring organs or tissues. With this high degree of accuracy in both diagnostic and therapeutic capacities, it allows doctors to precisely examine organs like the lungs, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, lymph nodes and nearby affected areas.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">EUS also facilitates the extraction of tissue or fluid samples through a thin needle, eliminating the need for a separate biopsy procedure. Additionally, it improves the staging of cancers with accurate sampling provided by Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) and Fine Needle Biopsy (FNB). Furthermore, EUS proves valuable in cases of altered anatomy and among cancer patients for various therapeutic procedures.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">ALOKA ARIETTA 850 stands out from conventional endoscopic ultrasound machines with a range of superior features. The machine generates image quality with 7 million digital channels in its B mode. This system also incorporates HD-THI for deeper penetration, ensuring accurate diagnoses, along with combi-elastography, pure symphonic architecture and CHI-TIC and Inflow Time Mapping for clearer visibility by reducing noise and enhancing the completeness and continuity of tissue boundaries.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '91'), array('articleId' => '24229', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Bengaluru researchers develop paper-based platform to detect antibiotic-resistant bacteria', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shutterstock_157198133-24229.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'bengaluru-researchers-develop-paper-based-platform-to-detect-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">A paper-based platform developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru could help quickly detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant, disease-causing bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Dr Uday Maitra, Professor at the Department of Organic Chemistry, IISc, and collaborators have developed a rapid diagnosis protocol that uses a luminescent paper-based platform to detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The approach developed by the IISc and JNCASR team involves incorporating biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (BCA) within a supramolecular hydrogel matrix containing terbium cholate (TbCh). This hydrogel normally emits green fluorescence when UV light is shined on it.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The next step was to find a way to make the technology inexpensive. Currently used diagnostics instruments are costly, which drives up the price for testing.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team collaborated with a Chennai-based company called Adiuvo Diagnostics to design a customised, portable and miniature imaging device, named Illuminate Fluorescence Reader. Infusing the hydrogel in a sheet of paper as the medium reduced the cost significantly. The instrument is fitted with different LEDs that shine UV radiation as required. Green fluorescence from the enzyme is captured by a built-in camera, and a dedicated software app measures the intensity, which can help quantify the bacterial load.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team from IISc tied up with Jayanta Haldar&rsquo;s research group from JNCASR to check their approach on urine samples. As the next step, the researchers plan to tie up with hospitals to test this technology with samples from patients.</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58'), array('articleId' => '24163', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Theme for National Science Day sets in as ‘Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat’', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/nsd-24163.png', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'theme-for-national-science-day-sets-in-as-indigenous-technologies-for-viksit-bharat', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science &amp; Technology Dr Jitendra Singh released the theme for the "National Science Day 2024", titled "Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat".</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) theme for this year&rsquo;s celebration reflects a strategic focus on promoting public appreciation for Science, Technology and Innovation and accomplishments of Indian scientists to address challenges through home-grown technologies for over-all well-being.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The theme not only marks a new era but also presents an opportunity for public and scientific fraternity, both domestically and internationally, to collaborate, work together, and contribute to the well-being of India and humanity as a whole. While emphasising the importance of making India&nbsp;<em>Atmanirbhar&nbsp;</em>through science, it underscores the need to address subjects that hold significance for humanity as a whole.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on 28 February to commemorate the discovery of the &lsquo;Raman Effect&rsquo;. Government of India designated 28 February as National Science Day in 1986. On this day Sir C.V. Raman announced the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930. On this occasion, theme-based science communication activities are carried out all over the country. The theme launch will trigger celebrations of NSD specially in schools &amp; colleges throughout the country.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science &amp; Technology (DST) said that as we embark on the celebration of NSD and move ahead with the launch of the theme for 2024, it is clearly evident that our scientific endeavours have the power to shape not only the future of our nation but also contribute significantly towards global advancement.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58')), 'mostReadArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24286', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Qiagen launches AI-derived biomedical knowledge base to accelerate data-driven drug discovery', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2-24286.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'qiagen-launches-ai-derived-biomedical-knowledge-base-to-accelerate-data-driven-drug-discovery', 'page1' => '<p align="justify">US-based Qiagen has announced the launch of Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI, a new generative AI-driven knowledge base designed to propel drug discovery in the pharma and biotech industries. This new offering is designed for data scientists and bioinformaticians who are looking for the most comprehensive knowledge graphs to fuel data-driven drug discovery.</p> <p align="justify">Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI is built on a massive dataset of biomedical literature and other scientific sources. It identifies and extracts causal relationships between genes, diseases, drugs and other biological entities with artificial intelligence (AI), generating over 600 million more biomedical relationships than its complement, Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD. This expansive knowledge base helps data scientists understand disease mechanisms, identify drug targets or biomarkers and explore strategies for repurposing existing drugs. Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI provides the most complete picture of biomedical relationships, including edge cases and novel relationships.</p> <p align="justify">While Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD is manually curated and known for its high quality and accuracy, Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI contains over 25x more relationships, allowing data scientists to generate new insights. Both knowledge bases can be used to provide both high-quality and high-quantity biomedical relationships data for data scientists and bioinformaticians to mine and validate.</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '60'), array('articleId' => '24284', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'IIT Kanpur partners with UP government to enhance tele-medicine using AI', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_28_at_3_48_48_pm-24284.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'iit-kanpur-partners-with-up-government-to-enhance-tele-medicine-using-ai', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">The Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and the Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to revolutionise healthcare delivery and advance tele-medicine facilities in the state through the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI).</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU was signed by Ranjan Kumar IAS, Secretary, Health &amp; Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Professor Sandeep Verma, Professor-In-Charge, Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Kanpur, in the presence of&nbsp;other dignitaries.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU outlines several key areas of collaboration, including anchoring tele-medicine hubs and enhancing the quality of tele-medicine services, implementing AI-based solutions to address population health impact, developing point-of-care diagnostics to drive program improvements, conducting competency-based capacity building for health cadres, and utilizing database predictions and analysis for informed decision-making.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">This will help the Department to make optimal use of the UP Digital Health Stack (UP-DHS) and ensure that every citizen of the state, wherever they are, will be able to access healthcare when needed. In Uttar Pradesh, UP-DHS is making significant strides in implementation, with foundational NHS elements deployed across all health administrative units and the rollout of essential healthcare applications well underway.</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '100'), array('articleId' => '24282', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Medtech firm Stryker expands prototype and testing facility in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/styker-24282.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'medtech-firm-stryker-expands-prototype-and-testing-facility-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker, a global leader in medical technologies, has officially expanded its prototype and testing facility in India, marking significant growth of its R&amp;D footprint in the country.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This advanced 55,600-square-foot facility integrates cutting-edge infrastructure, enhanced microbiology capabilities, and a talented team to drive innovation and ensure product quality across its medical technology portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Investing in innovation from India is a focus area for Stryker," said&nbsp;Ram Rangarajan, Vice President of Stryker Global Technology Center, India. "This new lab represents our commitment to developing medical technologies that improve patient outcomes and comply with the highest regulatory standards."</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker's new facility is dedicated to the rigorous life cycle testing of medical devices. The new lab boasts several key features:</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Prototyping and product assurance hub:&nbsp;Equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure for plastic 3D printing,&nbsp;metal machining, and a diverse range of testing capabilities,&nbsp;the lab supports prototyping and product assurance across Stryker's entire product portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Expanded microbiology competency:&nbsp;The lab strengthens Stryker's ability to conduct comprehensive microbiological testing,&nbsp;ensuring the safety and efficacy of its medical technologies.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Talented team of engineers and microbiologists:&nbsp; Highly skilled engineers and microbiologists will use the advanced equipment and expertise to develop innovative solutions that positively impact patients around the world.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '93'), array('articleId' => '24262', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Miltenyi Biotec to open Cell and Gene Therapy Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/gene-24262.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'miltenyi-biotec-to-open-cell-and-gene-therapy-centre-of-excellence-in-hyderabad', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">German firm Miltenyi Biotec is launching operations in India with its first office and investing to set up Miltenyi Innovation and Technology Center as Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Hyderabad.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This COE will be one of its first of its kind in India where scientists, researchers, industry experts and clinicians can get classroom to hands-on trainings on cell and gene therapy approaches right from proof of concept to pre-clinical / clinical development and commercialisation. This CoE also will provide Indian researchers, scientists and clinicians easier access to expertise, research, and manufacturing solutions.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Each year, more than 10,000 patients are treated with cell products using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies. More than&nbsp; 950 investigational new drug (IND) applications as well as investigational device exemptions (IDE) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies and platforms.&nbsp;&nbsp;In doing so, the company is well poised to enable local development and manufacturing in India to drive affordable and&nbsp;accessible CGT therapies by academia and industry for Indian as well as global patients.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Boris Stoffel,&nbsp;Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s Managing Director, highlighted that the company intends to seek opportunities to catalyse development of CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T cell clinical development and manufacturing, with the prospect of bringing centralised and point-of-care CAR T cell therapy to hospitals across India.</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 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'siteId' => '2', 'sourceId' => '2', 'userId' => '4', 'lastUpdatedByUserId' => '26', 'articleType' => 'Static', 'language' => null, 'blogType' => null, 'pageSlug' => 'footer-top-left', 'magazineIssue' => null, 'pullquote' => null, 'restrictionType' => null, 'seoKeyword' => null, 'articleReadCount' => '0'), 'subsectionAlias' => 'segments', 'subsection' => 'Segments', 'section' => '', 'sectionId' => '', 'aliasName' => '', 'leadershipArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24267', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'What’s Shaking Up India’s Life Sciences Real Estate Sector?', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/bs1-24267.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'whats-shaking-up-indias-life-sciences-real-estate-sector', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2021,&nbsp; a California-based life sciences real estate development company acquired Hotel Buckminster. This acquisition was done to redevelop the closed hotel into a life science lab space. Again in May 2021, a facility that housed the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive was transformed into a new life sciences lab on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the same year in India, a Canadian Pension Fund along with a Singapore-based wealth and asset management firm jointly invested $100 million (Rs 7.5 billion) in life sciences R&amp;D facilities in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. This investment, according to reports, proved to be a stepping stone for more equity investments in this segment. On February 6, 2024, life sciences real estate developer, Rx Propellant announced an initial investment of $75 million in phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai Research (NMR) District, as part of its continued regional expansion strategy across India.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In all the four developments mentioned above, it is clear that post-pandemic, the demand for life sciences-related real estate has significantly increased. Both greenfield and brownfield projects have surged, as the pandemic fuelled the demand for locally manufactured pharma and medical products.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, in the last few decades, has witnessed the IT and manufacturing sectors invest heavily in real estate and infrastructure. But in the post-pandemic era, we see life sciences companies require space to innovate, for R&amp;D, and manufacture at scale.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Fast-evolving life sciences market&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India is one of the fastest-growing life sciences markets in the world and the sector is poised to see multi-fold growth by 2030 led by a fast-increasing population, rising life expectancy, a strong industrial base and inclusive government initiatives. In addition, India&rsquo;s demographic dividend, strong industrial base and policy push are known to be the growth drivers for the life sciences sector in the country.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The increasing government spending on the healthcare sector, cost benefits in terms of affordable manpower &amp; real estate expenses, and the availability of a large talent pool are the catalysts of life sciences growth in India. Schemes like Production Linked Incentive (PLI)&nbsp; have boosted domestic manufacturing which&nbsp; has resulted in the need for more space in industrial and tech parks. Also, global exports of pharmaceutical and biotechnology products and medical devices from the country have forced many companies to invest in capacity building and human resources.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Notably, India ranks second globally in terms of the number of US FDA-certified plants located outside the US, closely followed by China. Strengths of this kind and the constantly evolving sector are&nbsp; furthering the requirement for large-scale&nbsp; manufacturing, MSMEs, wet laboratories, R&amp;D hubs, incubators, and data centres&nbsp; coupled with other IT &amp; ES support.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the next decade, it is estimated that the requirement for life sciences R&amp;D real estate in India is likely to grow to somewhere between $16 billion (Rs 1,200 billion) and $34 billion (Rs 2,550 billion) as per conservative and optimistic scenarios.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Push from PEs and VCs</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India&rsquo;s life sciences R&amp;D real estate is emerging as a high-potential asset class for institutional investors. Aided by exponential global demand growth, geopolitical environment, policies initiatives, and skilled workforce this sector is rapidly transforming.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Atul Bhardwaj, Business Head, Lighthouse Canton Real Estate</strong>, indicates that both domestic and international investors are demonstrating a strong interest in India's life sciences real estate market. According to Bhardwaj, private equity firms, venture capitalists, and real estate developers are actively investing significant capital in the development of specialised facilities to meet the requirements of life sciences companies. He says, &ldquo;Biotechnology parks and clusters are emerging as key focal points for life sciences research and manufacturing in India. These specialised hubs offer world-class infrastructure, shared amenities, and a collaborative ecosystem that encourages innovation and cooperation among industry stakeholders, academic institutions, and research organisations.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Citing one other compelling factor of the life sciences real estate market to surge, Bhardwaj, says, &ldquo;This sector's operational model does not accommodate the concept of working from home, which presents a compelling opportunity for real estate developers. The recent pandemic underscored the resilience of the pharmaceutical sector. While many industries, including office realty, experienced significant disruptions, the pharmaceutical sector's demand for space significantly increased, further cementing its critical role in the global economy.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Arvind Nandan, Managing Director &ndash; Research &amp; Consulting, Savills India</strong>, says, &ldquo;Venture Capital funding into the life sciences industry in India stood at $448 million (Rs 34 billion) in 2021 through August, almost 3x of the annual average of the previous years, making it clear that this segment will play a pivotal role in the overall growth of the Indian Real Estate industry.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Adopting the asset light model</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We know that globally organisations across all sectors &ndash; be it small or big &ndash; are undergoing massive digital transformation and smart business strategies that are sustainable and cost-effective are implemented. Owing to that, businesses are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to scale up faster, which has given rise to many alternate models of operations, including the concept of going asset-light.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Asset-light model offers a strategic approach where companies minimise their ownership of physical assets (such as buildings or land). Companies go asset-light by owning fewer capital-intensive assets compared to their operational assets. By doing this, life sciences companies focus on their core competencies (such as research, development, and production) and avoid heavy investments in real estate.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Merck &amp; Co., Inc. (MSD outside the US and Canada) is a prime example of an asset-light pharmaceutical company. Merck collaborates with specialised Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisations (CDMOs) for various stages of drug development and production. By leveraging external partners, they avoid heavy capital expenditure on building and maintaining several of their own manufacturing facilities.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sharing his view on the asset light model, <strong>Rx Propellant&rsquo;s CEO Milind Ravi</strong>, says, &ldquo;While traditionally dominated by &lsquo;user-owned&rsquo; models, an evident but slow shift to &lsquo;asset-light&rsquo; options in India indicates growing demand for agile growth-ready infrastructure. With its increased focus on innovation, India&rsquo;s life sciences market is expected to grow threefold in the next decade, reaching $130 billion by 2030. This in turn is set to generate demand for over 100 million square feet of specialised infrastructure across several existing ecosystems including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Vizag, and Pune among others.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another aspect to asset-light operations is the advantage companies draw from sharing infrastructure elements. Atul Bhardwaj opines that the model of providing comprehensive amenities under one roof offers significant benefits to companies by eliminating the need for capital expenditure on individual pieces of equipment such as chillers and DG sets. This approach, he says, not only reduces the initial capital outlay but also lowers the overall opex for companies, as costs related to maintenance, security, and technical manpower are shared.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;This cost model is particularly advantageous, as it would otherwise be a substantial financial burden for a company to bear alone for its standalone unit. Real estate developers who offer high-quality infrastructure can further reduce a company's upfront expenses by providing essential utilities like nitrogen generators and vacuum systems. A multi-tenanted building thus emerges as a mutually beneficial arrangement for both developers and tenant companies,&rdquo; says Bhardwaj.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Sustainable infrastructure&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In almost every industry, the board members, shareholders advocate the importance of the mandates of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) of business operations. The threat of climate change has prompted many industries to develop environmental strategies to reduce their carbon footprints, with the life sciences industry on the top of the pyramid.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Being climate conscious has brought in new concepts in smart buildings and other digitally supported facilities and infrastructure models. Open floor plans, shared workspaces, and flexible furniture are some of today&rsquo;s trends that are known to foster interaction and knowledge sharing, similar to what's seen in modern IT work spaces. This shift in life sciences too encourages cross-disciplinary research, faster problem-solving, and quicker innovation and most importantly sharing resources.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Emerging trends in innovation have seen an increase in demand for next-gen spaces with flexible workspaces, integration of wet lab-computation stations, highly sensitive zones for increasingly sophisticated equipment and process flow optimisation. New developments designed to accommodate such variables offer sustainable long-term solutions,&rdquo; Milind Ravi opines from his experience.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Also, leading life sciences companies in India prefer to operate from large-scale clusters that can meet both their office and R&amp;D needs. Startups and MSMEs are also increasingly opting to locate themselves in prominent clusters with a clear industrial positioning and abundant R&amp;D resources. Genome Valley (Hyderabad) and Electronic City (Bengaluru) are great examples of such collaborative ecosystems.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">So, if, today, we were to walk into any of India&rsquo;s life sciences parks, we would be delighted to see those spaces being built on modern modular designs having mobile equipment and reconfigurable layouts, with amazing aesthetics and classy landscaping.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">What will also be evident is that the traditional life sciences technicians confining themselves to sterile laboratories would be ancient. Today&rsquo;s workplaces recognise the need for a more holistic environment with sprawling cafeterias, breakout huddles, and interactive/entertainment spaces. Apart from being modern with the changing times, such amenities are considered by the HR department as a way to attract and retain talent.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Leasing: a preferred business model&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Savills, in its report titled </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unlocking Opportunities: Life Sciences and Real Estate in India&rsquo;, indicates that leasing properties to the biotech industry can provide a steady stream of rental income and long-term investment potential for real estate developers.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since life sciences is a rapidly growing and promising sector with significant investments and advancements, by leasing to them, real estate companies become part of their growth story, giving them the advantage of increased long-term value and brand association.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Leasing also brings about several advantages to realtors. Life sciences companies typically require specific and tailored facilities, leading to lesser turnover compared to other commercial leases. This translates to reduced management costs and higher occupancy rates. Also, life sciences companies often require long-term leases due to the complex nature of their facilities and research projects. This stability translates to predictable and dependable income for the real estate companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking from his company&rsquo;s perspective, Milind Ravi,</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> says,&nbsp;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;We bring a very inclusive approach to support companies of all scales not just with infrastructure, but a gamut of ecosystem services that play a pivotal role in their overall experience. We lease laboratory spaces on tailored models based on the need, timelines, intended use and life-stage of our tenant partners. Our standard offering constitutes modular spaces in shared or dedicated formats &ndash; in both &lsquo;warm shell&rsquo; and &lsquo;plug-and-play&rsquo; models as part of integrated and life science-focussed clusters. Apart from this, we also deliver built-to-suit campuses in required specifications of the tenant.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;While our facilities are built for multi-tenancy where each organisation can work independently, we are also working towards developing co-working laboratory spaces with shared equipment and amenities. These are becoming increasingly popular, especially among startups and small research teams,&rdquo; says Milind Ravi.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Growth is certain</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A report titled &lsquo;Life Sciences Industry &amp; Real Estate Perspective 2024: Putting Asia Pacific under the microscope&rsquo; by global real estate company JLL sheds light on India&rsquo;s pharma industry's growth trajectory. While the pandemic undeniably spurred investment due to the vaccine race, the report emphasizes that interest was already on the rise owing to the ongoing breakthroughs in areas like immuno-oncology and neonatology. This pre-existing momentum, fuelled by technological advancements, has directly translated into increased commercial real estate leasing within the pharma sector. This may be true to India&rsquo;s life sciences sector too.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">JLL stresses on the fact that when companies get funding from venture capitalists, they need lab space in order to deliver as soon as possible. Also, sizeable investments bring with them a plethora of life sciences jobs, which can also spur development of housing, retail and other urban amenities that serve the people who live and work for the expanding companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">From Bhardwaj&rsquo;s inputs we can infer that India has a robust domestic market, bolstered further by the Government of India's </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;Jan Aushadhi&rsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> scheme, aimed at providing quality generic medicines at affordable prices to its citizens. As the third-largest exporter of pharmaceuticals by volume and the thirteenth by value, the demand for space is going to grow.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the pharma industry presents sufficient scope, the medical device industry is not any less. Considered as the sunrise sector, the medical devices industry is estimated to reach $50 billion by 2030. In the last five years, the export of medical devices has been increasing at a rate of 9.37 per cent. India&rsquo;s policy to allow 100 per cent foreign investment under an automatic route in the medical devices sector has helped attract significant investments, which has further pushed the demand for real estate. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the medical device industry in India has also helped augment the domestic manufacturing and in reducing dependence on imports. Hence, manufacturing hubs are being set up in many economic zones of the country. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We can therefore conclude with the evidence that there is immense potential for life sciences real estate development to surge in India. Though the country has limited core life sciences real estate investable stock at present, majority of the growth will come from developing new facilities that entail typical development and leasing risks. The stakeholders, however, forecast an increasing investor appetite for Indian life sciences real estate as the sector gains scale over time.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Anusha Ashwin</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => 'Anusha Ashwin', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24273', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'Dissecting Gender Disparity', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/women-24273.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'dissecting-gender-disparity', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in the Indian healthcare industry are mainly concentrated in low-paying frontline positions. In India, 29 per cent of medical doctors, 80 per cent of nursing staff (including midwives), and nearly 100 per cent of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are women. Despite this, women hold only 18 per cent of healthcare leadership positions and continue to earn 34 per cent less than their male counterparts.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are the outcomes of the study titled &lsquo;An Unbalanced Scale - Exploring the Female Leadership Gap in India's Healthcare Sector&rsquo; from Dasra, a non-profit organisation. The&nbsp; study revealed that the Indian healthcare sector, one of the country's largest employers, has experienced substantial growth. It takes a closer look at women's representation in healthcare and the leadership opportunities available to them.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><strong>Inspiring leaders</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"What is concerning is the gap between the proportion of women in healthcare and those who occupy leadership positions. At entry levels, women's representation in sales, marketing, and operations ranges from 40-50 per cent. However, this significantly drops to 15-20 per cent in senior roles," says <strong>Shailja Mehta, Director at Dasra</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is behind this gender gap in leadership positions? Societal norms, cultural expectations and implicit biases against women are some of the main factors that&nbsp;have contributed to the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions. &ldquo;It is a complex issue. The lack of female role models and mentors perpetuates this gender gap," says Shailja.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some believe that one of the primary reasons for the skewed gender ratio in STEM is the stereotyping that begins early in life. Societal expectations often push girls towards more traditionally feminine roles, diverting them away from technical and scientific fields. As a result, fewer women choose STEM education and careers. While others argue that the current gap is a reflection of what was happening 20 years ago, when fewer women entered science careers.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;&ldquo;Today&rsquo;s leaders represent those who entered the field 15-20 years back. Now that the number of women entering these fields has significantly increased in recent years, we will see a lot of women leaders in the coming years. In fact, a major proportion of startups are led by women. They have the capability to do it,&rdquo; <strong>Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, former director, National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) Pune</strong>, says, "The situation is definitely improving. For more women to take leadership roles, changes are required at the family, community and industry level."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Dr Pragya Yadav, senior scientist at the National Institute of Virology, Pune</strong>, who played an instrumental role in the development of Covaxin, agrees. "The situation has certainly improved, but school-going girls should have access to reputable colleges and safe residential facilities for pursuing science as a subject for the real change to occur. Besides, they need support in equal measure, from their families and the industry when raising their children. If they lose that time, catching up becomes difficult,&rdquo; she says. &nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Furthermore, this support should not be seen as an extra favour to women, but rather as their right. Children are the future and the environment they experience while growing up is crucial to their growth and development. It is the duty of both families and society, not just mothers alone, to provide a safe and suitable environment for them," she added. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Manya Jha, a young entrepreneur and founder of Morphedo Technologies</strong>, a deep tech startup in aerospace and defence, medical device engineering, IoT and embedded systems, faced the challenge of balancing child care and her career after the birth of her daughter. To tackle this challenge, she established a small child care centre at her office.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Starting just 20 days after my daughter was born, I brought her to my workplace every day. I made space in my cabin where she could stay with me. Until she was 7 months old, my husband and I took care of her in the shared cabin (during COVID-19 period). At the time of her birth, my startup was also at a crucial stage,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Both my daughter and my company required my personal attention. There were instances when I had to attend important meetings with senior scientists while holding my one-month-old daughter. I believe it's all about the confidence with which you pursue your career."</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today, Manya's company has around&nbsp; 40 employees and the child care centre is now available to all new mothers, offering support in looking after their children while at work.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, despite the challenges, there has been a noticeable shift in the narrative over the past decade, with the number of women leaders emerging in STEM careers increasing slowly but steadily. And these women are not only excelling &nbsp;in their respective fields but also helping dismantling barriers that hinder the progress of other aspiring women.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several prominent women leaders are setting an example for others. Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr Priya Abraham, Director of the National Institute of Virology, biotech stalwart &nbsp;Kiran Majumdar-Shaw,&nbsp; and entrepreneurs like Dr Kavita Iyer Rodrigues and Vasanthi Ramachandran represent some of the most sought after leaders in the industry.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Women are leading more than 30 per cent of the startups incubated at our centre. In many others, they are co-founders or hold significant positions," says <strong>Dr Manisha Premnath, COO of Venture Center</strong>, an incubation centre in Pune that helps startups grow.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Breaking the glass ceiling</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While there is a rise of women leaders in the health and biotech sector, it is important to acknowledge the challenges they continue to face. Stereotypes, biases, and a lack of institutional support still exist. The &lsquo;glass ceiling&rsquo; phenomenon persists, making it difficult for women to reach the highest levels of leadership. A male-centric workplace culture, coupled with a lack of flexibility and understanding regarding work-life balance, discourage women from pursuing or sustaining leadership roles.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The biggest challenge that women face is breaking these stereotypes and breaking free from the vicious cycle of work and life. They need to step out of their comfort zones, or rather, their safe zones, and then there will be no stopping them. Fortunately, nowadays there are several schemes and funds available to support women," says <strong>Dr Deeksha Bhartiya, Founder of Genomiki</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coming from a very traditional, yet ambitious family, Dr Deeksha got married at a young age and encountered challenges in maintaining a balance between her personal and professional life. However, she didn't allow these challenges to deter her from pursuing her doctoral studies and career. "There were many senior male scientists who advised me to take up a permanent job instead of embarking on my entrepreneurial journey. I was told that women should prioritise stability over adventure. However, I am fortunate to have a very supportive family who always push me to exceed my limits and support me in all my decisions."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Exiting the vicious circle</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The foundation for achieving gender parity in STEM careers is laid during the crucial years of education. Schools and educational institutions play an important role in challenging these stereotypes and encouraging girls to explore their interests in science and technology. STEM-focused educational programmes, workshops, and extracurricular activities can help break down gender-based barriers from a young age. Scholarships and mentorship programmes can encourage girls to pursue science education.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To encourage more women to pursue careers in STEM and foster an inclusive and diverse workforce, it is important to adopt unbiased recruitment practices, create a supportive environment for their progress, and implement flexible work arrangements.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is a growing emphasis on incorporating diverse perspectives in STEM curricula. Highlighting the contributions of women scientists and engineers in textbooks and classroom discussions can inspire both girls and boys, challenging preconceived notions about gender roles in these fields. There should be more networking events, conferences and platforms that specifically focus on women in STEM to provide valuable opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing. These spaces not only celebrate the achievements of women in the field but also facilitate the exchange of ideas and strategies to overcome common challenges.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emphasising the pivotal role women play in shaping a sustainable future through scientific leadership, <strong>Melody Lopez, Director and Chief of Staff Crayon Software Experts India</strong> says &ldquo;Fostering women's leadership in science is not just about gender equality but also a catalyst for achieving sustainable development goals. The theme reflects a call to action, urging communities, governments, and organisations to provide equal opportunities for women and girls in science, ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making processes.&rdquo; She further says &ldquo;As we champion women and girls in science leadership, let us embrace this new era, where their voices, ideas, and leadership propel us toward a brighter, more sustainable future for all.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The journey towards gender parity in STEM careers in India could be challenging, but the momentum for change is growing.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><strong>Gunjan Sharma</strong></strong></p> <p><em><strong>gunjan.sharma@mmactiv.com</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => 'Gunjan Sharma ', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24271', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => '“There is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation”', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_27_at_5_20_34_pm-24271.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'there-is-a-significant-gap-in-the-infrastructure-required-for-ai-implementation', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Artificial Intelligence (AI) has completely changed the way we see the world today. How do you see AI revolutionising drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry? Can AI help in discovering new drug molecules that could help treat deadly and chronic diseases like cancers and AIDS?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The future of human life is completely impacted by AI. Particularly its emergence in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry will have a vital impact on disease control and new drug discoveries.&nbsp;AI is poised to revolutionise drug discovery in several ways. It can drastically reduce the time needed to discover and develop new drugs. AI can be used to help suggest novel combinations for treating fatal diseases and even predict treatment outcomes. Additionally, AI facilitates personalised medicine by tailoring treatments to individual patients, which can ultimately speed up the development of new therapies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key challenges in implementing AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly in the context of regulatory compliance?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I feel, the pharma and healthcare organisations in India are yet to gear up for AI. Many are still in the process of adapting to the advancements in the pharmaceutical industry brought about by digitalisation. Despite this progress, the majority of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are not adequately prepared to integrate AI into their operations. AI adoption, beyond platforms like Chat GPT, remains in its infancy and requires further exploration and validation. Moreover, there is a pressing need to harmonise regulatory compliances, particularly in manufacturing standards outlined by the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH). This entails the implementation of electronic documentation systems and global alignment on regulatory practices to ensure both qualitative and compliant manufacturing and healthcare delivery systems. Additionally, there is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation, including the necessary hardware, software, and skilled professionals, which remains to be addressed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a specific example where AI has been successfully utilised to discover or develop a new drug?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although AI is currently making strides in drug discovery, its continual evolution opens up a multitude of possibilities in terms of drug candidates, their structures, and the discovery process. This versatility allows for the pinpointing of targeted molecules tailored to specific therapies or multiple therapeutic discoveries. A recent example highlighting this potential is Insilico Medicine's Pharma.AI, which is revolutionising drug discovery with its suite of AI-powered tools. PandaOmics, for instance, drastically reduces the time required for multi-omics target discovery, from several months to a few clicks. Similarly, Chemistry42 employs machine learning for de novo drug design, generating lead-like molecules within a week. Additionally, InClinico provides an invaluable tool for efficient clinical trial management, identifying potential weaknesses in trial design and predicting success rates. Collectively, these tools are streamlining the traditionally lengthy drug discovery process, accelerating the pursuit of breakthrough medicine.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you envision the role of AI evolving in personalised medicine and patient care?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I believe AI could be groundbreaking by using large amounts of data from healthy and sick people. It could help analyse specific therapeutic segments quickly to see how drugs work over time and improve their formulations. It would also support Phase IV clinical trials, especially in monitoring drug safety (Pharmacovigilance). Overall, AI in personalised medicine and patient care has the potential to improve healthcare, make treatments better, and give patients more control over their health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the ethical considerations that need to be addressed when deploying AI in healthcare settings?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The primary concern lies in protecting patient identity, which can be achieved through AI by masking identities in documentation, albeit in previously challenging areas. The rigidity and security levels of AI coding stand out as effective measures for safeguarding patient identity compared to traditional masking systems. However, the implementation of AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly concerning regulatory compliance, presents various challenges and ethical considerations. These include ensuring data privacy and security, adhering to diverse regulations, deciphering complex AI algorithms, managing the time and cost implications, addressing potential biases perpetuated by AI algorithms, integrating solutions into existing systems, navigating complex ethical and legal considerations, determining accountability and liability for decisions made, preserving patient autonomy and consent, and conducting real-time reviews for corrections.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How can AI help address the challenges of drug resistance in infectious diseases?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The emergence of drug resistance in infectious diseases poses a significant healthcare challenge. However, AI offers a promising solution by playing a crucial role in addressing this issue. Through predictive analytics, AI can forecast which drugs may become ineffective against evolving pathogens, allowing for proactive adjustments in treatment strategies. Furthermore, AI aids in the discovery of alternative treatments, the development of more effective medications, and the customisation of treatment plans tailored to individual patients. By providing real-time insights into the changing landscape of drug resistance, AI enables healthcare professionals to adapt swiftly, ultimately enhancing the efficacy of treatments and improving patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What strategies can be employed to ensure the fairness and transparency of AI algorithms in healthcare decision-making?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To maintain trust, mitigate bias, and foster equitable outcomes, it is crucial to prioritise fairness and transparency in the use of AI algorithms for healthcare decision-making. Some of the strategies to achieve this include ensuring transparency of both data and algorithms, promoting diversity and inclusivity in the development process, conducting external validation and evaluation, and establishing regulatory frameworks and guidelines.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you see AI impacting the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services globally?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While AI offers significant potential for improving the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services on a global scale, there are challenges to overcome. These include ensuring fair access to AI-driven technologies, addressing concerns regarding data privacy and security, and navigating regulatory and ethical issues. Collaboration among various stakeholders, such as governments, healthcare providers, technology developers, and community organisations, is vital to fully realise the benefits of AI in enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key factors hindering the adoption of AI in pharmaceutical research and development?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pharmaceutical companies face several challenges when it comes to using AI in research and development. Firstly, they require high-quality and comprehensive datasets to effectively train AI models. Secondly, they must adhere to strict regulatory guidelines set by government agencies. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies often possess proprietary data and intellectual property that may not be easily compatible with AI systems. Finally, the significant investment required to implement AI technology presents a barrier to adoption for many companies in the industry.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a case where AI-driven predictive modelling has significantly improved clinical trial outcomes or drug efficacy in the Healthcare system?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's important to note that using AI in the healthcare system, along with a thorough review of relevant literature from sources like PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and EMBASE, is significant. Integrating AI into healthcare has the potential to greatly improve disease diagnosis, treatment selection, and clinical laboratory testing. AI tools can analyse large sets of data and find patterns, outperforming humans in many healthcare tasks. AI brings higher accuracy, lower costs, and time savings, while also reducing human errors. It can revolutionise personalised medicine, optimise medication dosages, improve population health management, set guidelines, offer virtual health assistants, support mental health care, enhance patient education, and strengthen patient-physician trust.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, AI can be used in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) by using machine learning algorithms to predict drug-drug interactions. By analysing large sets of patient data, these algorithms can detect potential drug interactions. This helps to decrease the risk of adverse drug reactions, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Amguth Raju</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>hyderabad@mmactiv.com&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => 'Amguth Raju', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17'), array('articleId' => '24280', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Effectively Eliminating Drug-resistant TB', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/tb-24280.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'effectively-eliminating-drug-resistant-tb', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has the highest burden of TB, with two deaths occurring every three minutes from the disease. The country recorded a staggering 28 lakh cases in 2022, accounting for 27 per cent of the global cases, according to WHO.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India initiated the TB Free India campaign with the ambitious goal of eradicating TB by 2025, a milestone set five years earlier than the target outlined by the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Despite facing setbacks due to COVID-19, the nation doubled down on its efforts, resulting in notable progress. The India TB Report 2023 heralded 2022 as a pivotal year in TB surveillance, noting a significant achievement with a record-high notification of 24.2 lakh TB cases, representing an increase of over 13 per cent compared to 2021.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The latest WHO Global TB Report 2023 acknowledged and praised India's efforts in its fight against TB, particularly highlighting the effectiveness of its case detection strategies. The report emphasised that India's intensified case detection strategies led to the highest-ever notification of cases in 2022, surpassing pre-COVID levels. The government's key initiatives, such as specialised active case finding drives, the scaling up of molecular diagnostics to block levels, decentralisation of screening services through Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, and private sector engagement, have significantly reduced the gap in missing cases.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Road to elimination&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the country has made remarkable progress in its fight against TB, the adoption of additional strategies such as shorter treatment regimens, the development of vaccines, and a renewed focus on nutrition could prove to be game-changers in its goal of eliminating TB for good.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The BPaL regimen, composed of Bedaquiline, Pretomanid and Linezolid, presents a promising alternative for a shorter, safer and more tolerable treatment option for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). Lasting only 26 weeks, it contrasts sharply with conventional DR-TB treatments, which can span 18 to 21 months and entail the consumption of over 4,000 to 5,000 tablets. Endorsed by the US FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) in 2019 and the WHO in 2022, the BPaL regimen has been implemented in more than 70 countries, including South Africa, Ukraine, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;The older, conventional regimen for drug-resistant TB included prolonged use of injections with other drugs. This was associated with increased incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), implementation challenges under the programme and inconvenience to the patients. The new TB drug regimen uses the newer oral drugs like Bedaquiline, Delamanid or Pretomanid, or the repurposed drugs such as linezolid, clofazimine, etc. These regimens are injection free and have lesser pill burden leading to more acceptance among the TB patients besides reducing the implementation challenges due to the use of injections. They have the ability to kill the actively multiplying drug-resistant TB bacteria faster and a sustained killing of the bacteria to prevent the recurrence of the TB disease among the patients. These regimens have shown improved treatment success rates under field conditions under the national programme,&rdquo; said <strong>Dr Rupak Singla, Head of Department, National Institute of TB &amp; Respiratory Diseases, New Delhi</strong>.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Singla further said &ldquo;To combat the adverse drug reactions of these regimen, specially due to drug linezolid, various regimens using different dosages and durations of linezolid have demonstrated reduced incidence of ADRs maintaining the efficacy of the regimen. Hence, these newer treatment drug regimens could reduce the global burden of drug-resistant TB. However, the requirement of a good quality laboratory network, availability and higher cost of the drugs continue to pose a challenge.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new regimen is shorter, easier on patients and improves treatment adherence, resulting in better outcomes compared to previous drug regimens.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Talking about the potential implications of the new TB drug regimen on India&rsquo;s TB control efforts, Dr Singla stated, &ldquo;The cure rate for previous conventional TB regimen for multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) was to the tune of around 50 per cent and for Extensively drug-resistant-TB (XDR-TB), less than 30 per cent. The new TB drug regimen has the potential for significant improvement in treatment success rates for MDR-TB as well as XDR-TB.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In India the national data shows that more than 36,000 drug-resistant TB patients have been initiated on shorter oral Bedaquiline-containing regimen and more than 92,000 patients have been initiated on longer oral regimen till date. Treatment success rates of shorter oral regimen for the cohort April-September 2022 (around 12,000 patients) is 69 per cent and of longer oral regimen for the cohort January-September 2021 (around 15,000 patients) is 71 per cent. The improved success rates of new drug regimens is likely to translate into less number of deaths due to TB, reduced period of infectiousness of TB patients and reduced transmission of TB to others in the community leading to reduced incidence of TB.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Studies at the 2023 Union World Conference on Lung Health affirm WHO-endorsed regimens' effectiveness, surpassing traditional 18- to 24-month treatments. The goal is to urge high-burden DR-TB countries to update guidelines and offer shorter treatments to all patients in need. Only 40 per cent of the 410,000 people with DR-TB in 2022 had access to the shorter regimen, as per a WHO report.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A group of experts in the country have stressed the need for introducing the BPaL regimen in the TB control programme of the country. B<strong>lessina Kumar, CEO, Global Coalition of TB Advocates, New Delhi</strong> emphasised the potential cost savings associated with its adoption, citing studies estimating a global annual savings of $740 million. With India accounting for a significant portion of global multi-drug, rifampicin-resistant (MDR/RR-TB) treated patients, she suggested that the country could save nearly $250 million per year through the implementation of this regimen. India will likely roll out the new regime soon.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>TB Vaccine</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vaccination holds promise as a game-changer for TB elimination. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is conducting phase III trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two vaccines: VPM1002 and MIP (Mycobacterium indicus pranii). VPM1002 is a live vaccine based on recombinant BCG, modified for better safety and efficacy. MIP or Immuvac, originally developed for leprosy, is a whole-cell TB vaccine candidate. The trial aims to assess the effectiveness of these vaccines in preventing TB disease, among 12,721 individuals exposed to TB at home (referred to as household contacts). Enrollment for the study is complete, with participant follow-up currently ongoing, according to the pipeline report 2022 by the Treatment Action Group.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bharat Biotech is partnering with the Spanish firm BIOFABRI to develop, manufacture, and distribute a new tuberculosis vaccine across over 70 countries in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The TB vaccine candidate by Bharat Biotech is set to enter phase-III trials soon.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Lancet study highlighted the pivotal role of nutrition in TB management. The&nbsp; Reducing Activation of Tuberculosis by Improvement of Nutritional Status (RATIONS) trial demonstrated that providing food baskets to TB patients and their households reduced all forms of TB by nearly 40 per cent and infectious TB by almost 50 per cent. In 2018, the Indian government launched the 'Nikshay Poshan Yojana,' a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to offer nutrition support to TB patients. Since its inception, the scheme has disbursed approximately Rs 2613 crore to over 95 lakh TB patients.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has indeed made significant strides in addressing TB; however, the battle against the disease is far from over. Despite enhanced detection and surveillance efforts, there's&nbsp; a need to adopt newer strategies to combat TB effectively. Advances in R&amp;D of vaccines, access to newer drug regimens, enhanced focus on nutrition will all help in propelling TB elimination goals.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Ayesha Siddiqui&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ayesha Siddiqui', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24272', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Prioritising Women’s Health & Wellbeing ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2036811071-24272.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: gettyimages', 'pageSlug' => 'prioritising-womens-health-wellbeing-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a new report from the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute launched at Davos in January 2024, women may live longer than men, on average, but they spend 25 per cent more of their lives in debilitating health. The report said improving diagnostics, data on women-specific conditions like ovarian cancer, and directing more investments towards women&rsquo;s health and research is needed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In particular, McKinsey research finds that less than 2 per cent of healthcare research and innovation is invested in female-specific conditions beyond cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This &lsquo;women&rsquo;s health gap&rsquo; equates to 75 million years of life lost due to poor health or early death each year. Closing the gap would benefit 3.9 billion women, giving them an extra seven healthy days a year, or an average of 500 days over a lifetime. Further, it could boost the global economy by $1 trillion by 2040 from fewer early deaths and health conditions, and a greater capacity for women to contribute to the economy and society.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a result of these findings, the final hours of the World Economic Forum in Davos saw the launch of a new Global Alliance for Women&rsquo;s Health, which has the broad ambition of &lsquo;re-shaping the future of women&rsquo;s health and the global economy.&rsquo; The health alliance will pledge new commitments from governments, philanthropies, and pharmaceutical companies, among others, across three pillars i.e. financing, science and innovation, and agenda-setting. So far, partners have pledged $55 million to improve women&rsquo;s health outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">With International Women&rsquo;s Day 2024 being themed around &lsquo;Inspiring inclusion&rsquo;, we see governments across the globe putting the much-needed emphasis on women&rsquo;s healthcare. For instance, the UAE has set out wide-ranging plans to bolster healthcare services for women, by approving the &lsquo;National Policy for Improving Women&rsquo;s Health&rsquo; for providing the highest healthcare services quality for women, whether curative, preventive or rehabilitative services. Similarly, the Irish government is paving the way for a longer-term comprehensive Women&rsquo;s Health Strategy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in England are being urged to help shape reproductive health policy, as the government seeks views on periods, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and menopause for health strategy. Likewise, the Biden administration recently announced a White House initiative to improve how the federal government approaches and funds research into the health of women, who make up more than half of the US population but remain understudied and underrepresented in health research.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, of course, is not far behind in this initiative. The Interim Budget 2024-25 announcement that took place on February 1, 2024, laid focus on encouraging vaccination for girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years for the prevention of cervical cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Besides these government initiatives, multiple efforts are also being made by the industry players to improve women&rsquo;s health. For example, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zurzuvae as the first and only oral treatment approved for women with postpartum depression, developed by American pharmaceutical company Biogen. The US FDA has also recently approved a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription for the first time in the US, a milestone that could significantly expand access to contraception. The pill&rsquo;s manufacturer, Perrigo Company is based in Dublin.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Further, biotech companies in the UK and Korea are embarking on the world's first prospective study of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered breast cancer detection, to streamline diagnosis, and tackle radiologist shortages. On the other hand, startups in India have developed groundbreaking multi-cancer detection tests specifically designed for high-risk and asymptomatic women.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quality, affordability, and accessibility, particularly in the context of women&rsquo;s health, are very critical aspects of ensuring well-being. This calls for greater mobilisation across sectors to invest in women&rsquo;s health, keeping in mind the imperatives of equity and integral care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Manbeena Chawla</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Executive Editor</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(</span><a href="mailto:manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com"><span style="font-weight: 400;">manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></p>', 'sequence' => '5', 'guestAuthor' => 'Dr Manbeena Chawla', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '101'), array('articleId' => '24270', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Establishing Ethical Frameworks for Equitable Use of AI in Healthcare ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/21-24270.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'establishing-ethical-frameworks-for-equitable-use-of-ai-in-healthcare-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The global healthcare landscape is witnessing a seismic transformation driven by AI technologies. From therapeutics to diagnostics, hospital operations to clinical decision-making, AI is making significant strides across diverse applications. According to Statista, the value of AI in the global healthcare market was $11 billion in 2021, projected to reach an estimated $188 billion by 2030. This staggering growth, at a compounded annual rate of 37 per cent, underscores the immense potential AI holds in reshaping the future of healthcare.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Transforming Medical Research and Imaging Analysis</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The impact of AI is not limited to specific segments; it spans the entire healthcare ecosystem. One critical domain experiencing a revolution is medical research, as AI expedites drug discovery processes. Through machine learning algorithms, researchers can predict the success rate of chemical compounds, significantly reducing the time and resources required for experimentation. This not only accelerates the pace of innovation but also holds the promise of bringing new, effective treatments to patients more rapidly.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the realm of medical imaging analysis, AI is proving to be a game-changer. It enables the rapid and accurate detection of anomalies in MRI scans, X-rays, and CT scans. Radiologists benefit from quicker identification of potential life-threatening issues, minimising human errors and enhancing diagnostic accuracy. This not only saves crucial time but also improves patient outcomes, particularly in cases where early detection is paramount.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Data-Driven Healthcare</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">AI is revolutionising the traditional landscape of diagnosis and treatment by providing clinicians with unprecedented data-driven insights. Machine learning algorithms analyse extensive patient data to identify patterns and correlations, facilitating more accurate and timely diagnosis. Personalised treatment plans based on individual patient characteristics are now a reality, enhancing the effectiveness of medical interventions. The ability to tailor treatments to specific patient profiles leads to improved outcomes and a more efficient allocation of healthcare resources.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Real-time assessment of treatment effectiveness by AI tools further contributes to improved clinical outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. Monitoring and adjusting treatment plans based on real-world data ensure that patients receive the most effective interventions tailored to their individual responses. This not only enhances patient care but also contributes to the sustainability of healthcare systems worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Predictive analysis, powered by AI, enables healthcare providers to forecast potential outcomes based on historical data and real-time health information. Identifying patients at risk of specific conditions allows for early intervention, preventing complications and improving overall healthcare efficiency. Large-scale population data analysis can also detect trends and outbreaks of infectious diseases before they become widespread, a critical capability showcased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability to anticipate and mitigate health crises is a testament to the power of AI in safeguarding public health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Patient-Centric Approach</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The integration of AI into healthcare is not solely about clinical applications; it extends to improving the overall patient experience. Streamlining appointment scheduling, providing remote monitoring solutions, and offering personalised treatment plans based on individual medical records contribute to a more patient-centric approach. AI-driven chatbots responding to routine medical inquiries reduce stress and save time for both patients and healthcare providers, fostering a more efficient and accessible healthcare system.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the promises of AI in healthcare, challenges persist. Blind spots in data access and collection, privacy concerns, data misuse, and regulatory ambiguities are roadblocks to widespread adoption. In India, a rapidly growing player in AI-based healthcare, progress is evident, but there is still a long way to go. The ambitious goals of universal healthcare delivery and affordability through AI remain distant, requiring continued innovation and collaboration.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, a major player in the global healthcare sector, is rapidly embracing AI. The National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence by NITI Aayog highlights the potential of AI to address challenges such as a shortage of qualified healthcare professionals and non-uniform accessibility to healthcare across the country. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, AI expenditure in India is projected to reach $11.78 billion by 2025, contributing significantly to the country's economy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite challenges, AI's potential to revolutionise healthcare is undeniable. As technology continues to advance, AI's applications in telemedicine, genomics, robotics, and 3D printing will expand. Workforce training and collaboration between medical professionals and AI developers will be crucial for maximising the benefits of AI. The integration of AI with other emerging technologies holds the key to shaping the future of medical care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we delve deeper into the integration of AI in healthcare, it's imperative to address the ethical considerations surrounding this revolutionary technology. The responsible use of AI in medical settings demands careful navigation of issues such as patient privacy, data security, and bias in algorithms.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Privacy concerns arise from the vast amounts of sensitive patient data being processed by AI systems. Ensuring robust data protection measures, stringent encryption, and transparent data usage policies become paramount to build and maintain public trust in AI-driven healthcare solutions.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The potential for bias in AI algorithms poses another ethical challenge. If the datasets used to train AI models are not representative or if biased historical data is fed into the algorithms, it can perpetuate existing inequalities in healthcare. Striking a balance in dataset curation and continuous monitoring of algorithmic outputs is crucial to mitigate bias and ensure equitable healthcare outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moreover, the explainability of AI decisions becomes crucial, especially in critical medical scenarios. Ensuring that AI models provide interpretable insights aids healthcare professionals in understanding and trusting AI-generated recommendations, fostering collaboration between humans and machines.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In conclusion, AI is not just a buzzword but a transformative force reshaping the healthcare industry. From diagnosis to treatment, AI is proving its mettle by delivering accurate, personalised, and efficient healthcare solutions. While challenges persist, the trajectory of AI in healthcare is pointing towards a future where technology and human expertise converge to provide optimal patient care. As we stand at the intersection of technology and healthcare, the role of AI in shaping the future of medicine is more promising than ever.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As AI continues to evolve, it is crucial for stakeholders&mdash;be they healthcare providers, policymakers, or technology developers&mdash;to collaborate in establishing ethical frameworks that ensure the responsible and equitable use of AI in healthcare. The ongoing dialogue around ethical considerations is vital to ensure that AI remains a force for good in healthcare, driving positive change for patients and society at large.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&amp;D, Murata Vios</strong></em></p>', 'sequence' => '6', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&D, Murata Vios', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17')), 'trendingTopicsList' => array(array('articleId' => '24283', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => '83.5% of adults in India underestimate shingles risk: Global GSK survey', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shingles_large-24283.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => '83-5-of-adults-in-india-underestimate-shingles-risk-global-gsk-survey', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical (GSK) has released new data from a globally commissioned survey funded by them. The survey finds notable gaps in understanding of shingles risk among individuals aged above 50 years, a group that is most susceptible to the disease.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey conducted amongst 3,500 adults aged 50 and over from 12 countries, assessed respondents&rsquo; understanding of shingles, what triggers it, and its impact on people&rsquo;s lives.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey in&nbsp;India&nbsp;involved 500 participants, with 250 respondents who spoke Hindi and another 250 who spoke English. The data, launched in time for Shingles Awareness Week 2024 (26 February&nbsp;2024 &ndash; 3 March 2024), finds a widespread lack of understanding of shingles and its lifetime risk.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The findings show that globally, a significantly high proportion of those surveyed do not understand their risk of developing shingles,&nbsp;with&nbsp;86%&nbsp;underestimating&nbsp;that&nbsp;risk.<font size="1">&nbsp;</font>In India, 81% of the English-speaking and 86% &nbsp;of the Hindi-speaking respondents surveyed underestimate the risk of shingles<sup>.</sup></p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In India,&nbsp;amongst the &nbsp;English-speaking respondents, 22% believe that 1 in 1000 adults are at risk of developing shingles.<sup>&nbsp;</sup>Amongst the Hindi-speaking respondents,18% believe that 1 in 1000 adults is at risk of developing shingles.&nbsp;</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In&nbsp;reality,&nbsp;most&nbsp;adults already&nbsp;have&nbsp;the&nbsp;virus that&nbsp;causes&nbsp;shingles present in&nbsp;their bodies by&nbsp;the&nbsp;age&nbsp;of 50,&nbsp;which may&nbsp;reactivate with&nbsp;advancing&nbsp;age.&nbsp;Shingles&nbsp;is&nbsp;caused&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;reactivation&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;varicella-zoster&nbsp;virus&nbsp;(VZV),&nbsp;the same virus that causes chickenpox.&nbsp;As people age, the strength of their immune response to infection wanes, and this increases their risk of developing shingles.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Rashmi Hegde, Executive Vice President - Medical Affairs, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, India, said,&nbsp;&ldquo;The survey findings underscore the need to raise awareness about shingles risk in adults over 50.&nbsp; Shingles can significantly disrupt the daily lives of ageing adults and cause them a great deal of discomfort."</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24230', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Fujifilm launches advanced endoscopic ultrasound machine ALOKA ARIETTA 850 in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/fuji-24230.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'fujifilm-launches-advanced-endoscopic-ultrasound-machine-aloka-arietta-850-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Fujifilm India, a pioneer in diagnostic imaging and information systems, has launched the ground breaking ALOKA ARIETTA 850 Diagnostic Ultrasound System in India with its first-ever installation at Fortis Hospital in Bengaluru.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Representing a remarkable advancement in endoscopic technologies, the high-tech ultrasound system aims to enhance diagnostic precision and image clarity for gastrointestinal diseases in the region.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">In India, contemporary lifestyles and changing dietary choices are leading to the deteriorating digestive health of the population, adding to the growing prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Addressing this, Fujifilm India&rsquo;S&nbsp;ALOKA ARIETTA 850&nbsp;Endoscopic Ultrasound Machine at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru is a significant step in providing world-class diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients against these GI-related diseases, performing targeted treatments such as Pancreatic pseudo cyst drainage (without surgery), targeted delivery of treatment in Pancreatic cancers.&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) is a minimally invasive method for assessing malignancies affecting the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract and neighbouring organs or tissues. With this high degree of accuracy in both diagnostic and therapeutic capacities, it allows doctors to precisely examine organs like the lungs, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, lymph nodes and nearby affected areas.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">EUS also facilitates the extraction of tissue or fluid samples through a thin needle, eliminating the need for a separate biopsy procedure. Additionally, it improves the staging of cancers with accurate sampling provided by Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) and Fine Needle Biopsy (FNB). Furthermore, EUS proves valuable in cases of altered anatomy and among cancer patients for various therapeutic procedures.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">ALOKA ARIETTA 850 stands out from conventional endoscopic ultrasound machines with a range of superior features. The machine generates image quality with 7 million digital channels in its B mode. This system also incorporates HD-THI for deeper penetration, ensuring accurate diagnoses, along with combi-elastography, pure symphonic architecture and CHI-TIC and Inflow Time Mapping for clearer visibility by reducing noise and enhancing the completeness and continuity of tissue boundaries.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '91'), array('articleId' => '24229', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Bengaluru researchers develop paper-based platform to detect antibiotic-resistant bacteria', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shutterstock_157198133-24229.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'bengaluru-researchers-develop-paper-based-platform-to-detect-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">A paper-based platform developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru could help quickly detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant, disease-causing bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Dr Uday Maitra, Professor at the Department of Organic Chemistry, IISc, and collaborators have developed a rapid diagnosis protocol that uses a luminescent paper-based platform to detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The approach developed by the IISc and JNCASR team involves incorporating biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (BCA) within a supramolecular hydrogel matrix containing terbium cholate (TbCh). This hydrogel normally emits green fluorescence when UV light is shined on it.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The next step was to find a way to make the technology inexpensive. Currently used diagnostics instruments are costly, which drives up the price for testing.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team collaborated with a Chennai-based company called Adiuvo Diagnostics to design a customised, portable and miniature imaging device, named Illuminate Fluorescence Reader. Infusing the hydrogel in a sheet of paper as the medium reduced the cost significantly. The instrument is fitted with different LEDs that shine UV radiation as required. Green fluorescence from the enzyme is captured by a built-in camera, and a dedicated software app measures the intensity, which can help quantify the bacterial load.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team from IISc tied up with Jayanta Haldar&rsquo;s research group from JNCASR to check their approach on urine samples. As the next step, the researchers plan to tie up with hospitals to test this technology with samples from patients.</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58'), array('articleId' => '24163', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Theme for National Science Day sets in as ‘Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat’', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/nsd-24163.png', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'theme-for-national-science-day-sets-in-as-indigenous-technologies-for-viksit-bharat', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science &amp; Technology Dr Jitendra Singh released the theme for the "National Science Day 2024", titled "Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat".</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) theme for this year&rsquo;s celebration reflects a strategic focus on promoting public appreciation for Science, Technology and Innovation and accomplishments of Indian scientists to address challenges through home-grown technologies for over-all well-being.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The theme not only marks a new era but also presents an opportunity for public and scientific fraternity, both domestically and internationally, to collaborate, work together, and contribute to the well-being of India and humanity as a whole. While emphasising the importance of making India&nbsp;<em>Atmanirbhar&nbsp;</em>through science, it underscores the need to address subjects that hold significance for humanity as a whole.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on 28 February to commemorate the discovery of the &lsquo;Raman Effect&rsquo;. Government of India designated 28 February as National Science Day in 1986. On this day Sir C.V. Raman announced the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930. On this occasion, theme-based science communication activities are carried out all over the country. The theme launch will trigger celebrations of NSD specially in schools &amp; colleges throughout the country.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science &amp; Technology (DST) said that as we embark on the celebration of NSD and move ahead with the launch of the theme for 2024, it is clearly evident that our scientific endeavours have the power to shape not only the future of our nation but also contribute significantly towards global advancement.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58')), 'mostReadArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24286', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Qiagen launches AI-derived biomedical knowledge base to accelerate data-driven drug discovery', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2-24286.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'qiagen-launches-ai-derived-biomedical-knowledge-base-to-accelerate-data-driven-drug-discovery', 'page1' => '<p align="justify">US-based Qiagen has announced the launch of Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI, a new generative AI-driven knowledge base designed to propel drug discovery in the pharma and biotech industries. This new offering is designed for data scientists and bioinformaticians who are looking for the most comprehensive knowledge graphs to fuel data-driven drug discovery.</p> <p align="justify">Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI is built on a massive dataset of biomedical literature and other scientific sources. It identifies and extracts causal relationships between genes, diseases, drugs and other biological entities with artificial intelligence (AI), generating over 600 million more biomedical relationships than its complement, Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD. This expansive knowledge base helps data scientists understand disease mechanisms, identify drug targets or biomarkers and explore strategies for repurposing existing drugs. Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI provides the most complete picture of biomedical relationships, including edge cases and novel relationships.</p> <p align="justify">While Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD is manually curated and known for its high quality and accuracy, Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI contains over 25x more relationships, allowing data scientists to generate new insights. Both knowledge bases can be used to provide both high-quality and high-quantity biomedical relationships data for data scientists and bioinformaticians to mine and validate.</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '60'), array('articleId' => '24284', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'IIT Kanpur partners with UP government to enhance tele-medicine using AI', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_28_at_3_48_48_pm-24284.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'iit-kanpur-partners-with-up-government-to-enhance-tele-medicine-using-ai', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">The Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and the Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to revolutionise healthcare delivery and advance tele-medicine facilities in the state through the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI).</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU was signed by Ranjan Kumar IAS, Secretary, Health &amp; Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Professor Sandeep Verma, Professor-In-Charge, Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Kanpur, in the presence of&nbsp;other dignitaries.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU outlines several key areas of collaboration, including anchoring tele-medicine hubs and enhancing the quality of tele-medicine services, implementing AI-based solutions to address population health impact, developing point-of-care diagnostics to drive program improvements, conducting competency-based capacity building for health cadres, and utilizing database predictions and analysis for informed decision-making.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">This will help the Department to make optimal use of the UP Digital Health Stack (UP-DHS) and ensure that every citizen of the state, wherever they are, will be able to access healthcare when needed. In Uttar Pradesh, UP-DHS is making significant strides in implementation, with foundational NHS elements deployed across all health administrative units and the rollout of essential healthcare applications well underway.</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '100'), array('articleId' => '24282', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Medtech firm Stryker expands prototype and testing facility in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/styker-24282.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'medtech-firm-stryker-expands-prototype-and-testing-facility-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker, a global leader in medical technologies, has officially expanded its prototype and testing facility in India, marking significant growth of its R&amp;D footprint in the country.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This advanced 55,600-square-foot facility integrates cutting-edge infrastructure, enhanced microbiology capabilities, and a talented team to drive innovation and ensure product quality across its medical technology portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Investing in innovation from India is a focus area for Stryker," said&nbsp;Ram Rangarajan, Vice President of Stryker Global Technology Center, India. "This new lab represents our commitment to developing medical technologies that improve patient outcomes and comply with the highest regulatory standards."</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker's new facility is dedicated to the rigorous life cycle testing of medical devices. The new lab boasts several key features:</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Prototyping and product assurance hub:&nbsp;Equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure for plastic 3D printing,&nbsp;metal machining, and a diverse range of testing capabilities,&nbsp;the lab supports prototyping and product assurance across Stryker's entire product portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Expanded microbiology competency:&nbsp;The lab strengthens Stryker's ability to conduct comprehensive microbiological testing,&nbsp;ensuring the safety and efficacy of its medical technologies.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Talented team of engineers and microbiologists:&nbsp; Highly skilled engineers and microbiologists will use the advanced equipment and expertise to develop innovative solutions that positively impact patients around the world.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '93'), array('articleId' => '24262', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Miltenyi Biotec to open Cell and Gene Therapy Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/gene-24262.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'miltenyi-biotec-to-open-cell-and-gene-therapy-centre-of-excellence-in-hyderabad', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">German firm Miltenyi Biotec is launching operations in India with its first office and investing to set up Miltenyi Innovation and Technology Center as Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Hyderabad.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This COE will be one of its first of its kind in India where scientists, researchers, industry experts and clinicians can get classroom to hands-on trainings on cell and gene therapy approaches right from proof of concept to pre-clinical / clinical development and commercialisation. This CoE also will provide Indian researchers, scientists and clinicians easier access to expertise, research, and manufacturing solutions.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Each year, more than 10,000 patients are treated with cell products using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies. More than&nbsp; 950 investigational new drug (IND) applications as well as investigational device exemptions (IDE) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies and platforms.&nbsp;&nbsp;In doing so, the company is well poised to enable local development and manufacturing in India to drive affordable and&nbsp;accessible CGT therapies by academia and industry for Indian as well as global patients.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Boris Stoffel,&nbsp;Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s Managing Director, highlighted that the company intends to seek opportunities to catalyse development of CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T cell clinical development and manufacturing, with the prospect of bringing centralised and point-of-care CAR T cell therapy to hospitals across India.</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '96')), 'pollQuestionDetails' => array('pollQuestionId' => '74', 'title' => 'Is India witnessing increasing demand for life sciences-related real estate?', 'slug' => 'is-india-witnessing-increasing-demand-for-life-sciences-related-real-estate', 'question' => '', 'status' => '1', 'deleteStatus' => '0', 'lastUpdationDate' => object(DateTime), 'creationDate' => object(DateTime), 'userId' => '10', 'siteId' => '2', 'pollOptionList' => array(array('pollOptionId' => '206', 'option' => 'Yes', 'clicks' => '2', 'pollQuestionId' => '74'), array('pollOptionId' => '207', 'option' => 'No', 'clicks' => '2', 'pollQuestionId' => '74'), array('pollOptionId' => '208', 'option' => 'May be', 'clicks' => '2', 'pollQuestionId' => '74'))), 'articleList' => array()), 'assetic' => array('debug' => true, 'vars' => object(ValueContainer), 'use_controller' => false), 'app' => object(GlobalVariables)), array('angular' => array(object(__TwigTemplate_d77dc5cbce83a4064a64c325ed06ed30c11d35b6cf8ff966441a1a01ed96912c), 'block_angular'), 'col_md_8' => array(object(__TwigTemplate_d77dc5cbce83a4064a64c325ed06ed30c11d35b6cf8ff966441a1a01ed96912c), 'block_col_md_8'), 'pagesScript' => array(object(__TwigTemplate_d77dc5cbce83a4064a64c325ed06ed30c11d35b6cf8ff966441a1a01ed96912c), 'block_pagesScript')))
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object(DateTime), 'status' => 'Published', 'contentTypeId' => '15', 'siteId' => '2', 'sourceId' => '2', 'userId' => '4', 'lastUpdatedByUserId' => '26', 'articleType' => 'Static', 'language' => null, 'blogType' => null, 'pageSlug' => 'footer-top-left', 'magazineIssue' => null, 'pullquote' => null, 'restrictionType' => null, 'seoKeyword' => null, 'articleReadCount' => '0'), 'subsectionAlias' => 'segments', 'subsection' => 'Segments', 'section' => '', 'sectionId' => '', 'aliasName' => '', 'leadershipArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24267', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'What’s Shaking Up India’s Life Sciences Real Estate Sector?', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/bs1-24267.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'whats-shaking-up-indias-life-sciences-real-estate-sector', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2021,&nbsp; a California-based life sciences real estate development company acquired Hotel Buckminster. This acquisition was done to redevelop the closed hotel into a life science lab space. Again in May 2021, a facility that housed the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive was transformed into a new life sciences lab on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the same year in India, a Canadian Pension Fund along with a Singapore-based wealth and asset management firm jointly invested $100 million (Rs 7.5 billion) in life sciences R&amp;D facilities in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. This investment, according to reports, proved to be a stepping stone for more equity investments in this segment. On February 6, 2024, life sciences real estate developer, Rx Propellant announced an initial investment of $75 million in phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai Research (NMR) District, as part of its continued regional expansion strategy across India.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In all the four developments mentioned above, it is clear that post-pandemic, the demand for life sciences-related real estate has significantly increased. Both greenfield and brownfield projects have surged, as the pandemic fuelled the demand for locally manufactured pharma and medical products.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, in the last few decades, has witnessed the IT and manufacturing sectors invest heavily in real estate and infrastructure. But in the post-pandemic era, we see life sciences companies require space to innovate, for R&amp;D, and manufacture at scale.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Fast-evolving life sciences market&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India is one of the fastest-growing life sciences markets in the world and the sector is poised to see multi-fold growth by 2030 led by a fast-increasing population, rising life expectancy, a strong industrial base and inclusive government initiatives. In addition, India&rsquo;s demographic dividend, strong industrial base and policy push are known to be the growth drivers for the life sciences sector in the country.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The increasing government spending on the healthcare sector, cost benefits in terms of affordable manpower &amp; real estate expenses, and the availability of a large talent pool are the catalysts of life sciences growth in India. Schemes like Production Linked Incentive (PLI)&nbsp; have boosted domestic manufacturing which&nbsp; has resulted in the need for more space in industrial and tech parks. Also, global exports of pharmaceutical and biotechnology products and medical devices from the country have forced many companies to invest in capacity building and human resources.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Notably, India ranks second globally in terms of the number of US FDA-certified plants located outside the US, closely followed by China. Strengths of this kind and the constantly evolving sector are&nbsp; furthering the requirement for large-scale&nbsp; manufacturing, MSMEs, wet laboratories, R&amp;D hubs, incubators, and data centres&nbsp; coupled with other IT &amp; ES support.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the next decade, it is estimated that the requirement for life sciences R&amp;D real estate in India is likely to grow to somewhere between $16 billion (Rs 1,200 billion) and $34 billion (Rs 2,550 billion) as per conservative and optimistic scenarios.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Push from PEs and VCs</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India&rsquo;s life sciences R&amp;D real estate is emerging as a high-potential asset class for institutional investors. Aided by exponential global demand growth, geopolitical environment, policies initiatives, and skilled workforce this sector is rapidly transforming.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Atul Bhardwaj, Business Head, Lighthouse Canton Real Estate</strong>, indicates that both domestic and international investors are demonstrating a strong interest in India's life sciences real estate market. According to Bhardwaj, private equity firms, venture capitalists, and real estate developers are actively investing significant capital in the development of specialised facilities to meet the requirements of life sciences companies. He says, &ldquo;Biotechnology parks and clusters are emerging as key focal points for life sciences research and manufacturing in India. These specialised hubs offer world-class infrastructure, shared amenities, and a collaborative ecosystem that encourages innovation and cooperation among industry stakeholders, academic institutions, and research organisations.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Citing one other compelling factor of the life sciences real estate market to surge, Bhardwaj, says, &ldquo;This sector's operational model does not accommodate the concept of working from home, which presents a compelling opportunity for real estate developers. The recent pandemic underscored the resilience of the pharmaceutical sector. While many industries, including office realty, experienced significant disruptions, the pharmaceutical sector's demand for space significantly increased, further cementing its critical role in the global economy.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Arvind Nandan, Managing Director &ndash; Research &amp; Consulting, Savills India</strong>, says, &ldquo;Venture Capital funding into the life sciences industry in India stood at $448 million (Rs 34 billion) in 2021 through August, almost 3x of the annual average of the previous years, making it clear that this segment will play a pivotal role in the overall growth of the Indian Real Estate industry.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Adopting the asset light model</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We know that globally organisations across all sectors &ndash; be it small or big &ndash; are undergoing massive digital transformation and smart business strategies that are sustainable and cost-effective are implemented. Owing to that, businesses are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to scale up faster, which has given rise to many alternate models of operations, including the concept of going asset-light.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Asset-light model offers a strategic approach where companies minimise their ownership of physical assets (such as buildings or land). Companies go asset-light by owning fewer capital-intensive assets compared to their operational assets. By doing this, life sciences companies focus on their core competencies (such as research, development, and production) and avoid heavy investments in real estate.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Merck &amp; Co., Inc. (MSD outside the US and Canada) is a prime example of an asset-light pharmaceutical company. Merck collaborates with specialised Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisations (CDMOs) for various stages of drug development and production. By leveraging external partners, they avoid heavy capital expenditure on building and maintaining several of their own manufacturing facilities.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sharing his view on the asset light model, <strong>Rx Propellant&rsquo;s CEO Milind Ravi</strong>, says, &ldquo;While traditionally dominated by &lsquo;user-owned&rsquo; models, an evident but slow shift to &lsquo;asset-light&rsquo; options in India indicates growing demand for agile growth-ready infrastructure. With its increased focus on innovation, India&rsquo;s life sciences market is expected to grow threefold in the next decade, reaching $130 billion by 2030. This in turn is set to generate demand for over 100 million square feet of specialised infrastructure across several existing ecosystems including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Vizag, and Pune among others.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another aspect to asset-light operations is the advantage companies draw from sharing infrastructure elements. Atul Bhardwaj opines that the model of providing comprehensive amenities under one roof offers significant benefits to companies by eliminating the need for capital expenditure on individual pieces of equipment such as chillers and DG sets. This approach, he says, not only reduces the initial capital outlay but also lowers the overall opex for companies, as costs related to maintenance, security, and technical manpower are shared.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;This cost model is particularly advantageous, as it would otherwise be a substantial financial burden for a company to bear alone for its standalone unit. Real estate developers who offer high-quality infrastructure can further reduce a company's upfront expenses by providing essential utilities like nitrogen generators and vacuum systems. A multi-tenanted building thus emerges as a mutually beneficial arrangement for both developers and tenant companies,&rdquo; says Bhardwaj.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Sustainable infrastructure&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In almost every industry, the board members, shareholders advocate the importance of the mandates of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) of business operations. The threat of climate change has prompted many industries to develop environmental strategies to reduce their carbon footprints, with the life sciences industry on the top of the pyramid.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Being climate conscious has brought in new concepts in smart buildings and other digitally supported facilities and infrastructure models. Open floor plans, shared workspaces, and flexible furniture are some of today&rsquo;s trends that are known to foster interaction and knowledge sharing, similar to what's seen in modern IT work spaces. This shift in life sciences too encourages cross-disciplinary research, faster problem-solving, and quicker innovation and most importantly sharing resources.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Emerging trends in innovation have seen an increase in demand for next-gen spaces with flexible workspaces, integration of wet lab-computation stations, highly sensitive zones for increasingly sophisticated equipment and process flow optimisation. New developments designed to accommodate such variables offer sustainable long-term solutions,&rdquo; Milind Ravi opines from his experience.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Also, leading life sciences companies in India prefer to operate from large-scale clusters that can meet both their office and R&amp;D needs. Startups and MSMEs are also increasingly opting to locate themselves in prominent clusters with a clear industrial positioning and abundant R&amp;D resources. Genome Valley (Hyderabad) and Electronic City (Bengaluru) are great examples of such collaborative ecosystems.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">So, if, today, we were to walk into any of India&rsquo;s life sciences parks, we would be delighted to see those spaces being built on modern modular designs having mobile equipment and reconfigurable layouts, with amazing aesthetics and classy landscaping.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">What will also be evident is that the traditional life sciences technicians confining themselves to sterile laboratories would be ancient. Today&rsquo;s workplaces recognise the need for a more holistic environment with sprawling cafeterias, breakout huddles, and interactive/entertainment spaces. Apart from being modern with the changing times, such amenities are considered by the HR department as a way to attract and retain talent.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Leasing: a preferred business model&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Savills, in its report titled </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unlocking Opportunities: Life Sciences and Real Estate in India&rsquo;, indicates that leasing properties to the biotech industry can provide a steady stream of rental income and long-term investment potential for real estate developers.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since life sciences is a rapidly growing and promising sector with significant investments and advancements, by leasing to them, real estate companies become part of their growth story, giving them the advantage of increased long-term value and brand association.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Leasing also brings about several advantages to realtors. Life sciences companies typically require specific and tailored facilities, leading to lesser turnover compared to other commercial leases. This translates to reduced management costs and higher occupancy rates. Also, life sciences companies often require long-term leases due to the complex nature of their facilities and research projects. This stability translates to predictable and dependable income for the real estate companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking from his company&rsquo;s perspective, Milind Ravi,</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> says,&nbsp;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;We bring a very inclusive approach to support companies of all scales not just with infrastructure, but a gamut of ecosystem services that play a pivotal role in their overall experience. We lease laboratory spaces on tailored models based on the need, timelines, intended use and life-stage of our tenant partners. Our standard offering constitutes modular spaces in shared or dedicated formats &ndash; in both &lsquo;warm shell&rsquo; and &lsquo;plug-and-play&rsquo; models as part of integrated and life science-focussed clusters. Apart from this, we also deliver built-to-suit campuses in required specifications of the tenant.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;While our facilities are built for multi-tenancy where each organisation can work independently, we are also working towards developing co-working laboratory spaces with shared equipment and amenities. These are becoming increasingly popular, especially among startups and small research teams,&rdquo; says Milind Ravi.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Growth is certain</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A report titled &lsquo;Life Sciences Industry &amp; Real Estate Perspective 2024: Putting Asia Pacific under the microscope&rsquo; by global real estate company JLL sheds light on India&rsquo;s pharma industry's growth trajectory. While the pandemic undeniably spurred investment due to the vaccine race, the report emphasizes that interest was already on the rise owing to the ongoing breakthroughs in areas like immuno-oncology and neonatology. This pre-existing momentum, fuelled by technological advancements, has directly translated into increased commercial real estate leasing within the pharma sector. This may be true to India&rsquo;s life sciences sector too.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">JLL stresses on the fact that when companies get funding from venture capitalists, they need lab space in order to deliver as soon as possible. Also, sizeable investments bring with them a plethora of life sciences jobs, which can also spur development of housing, retail and other urban amenities that serve the people who live and work for the expanding companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">From Bhardwaj&rsquo;s inputs we can infer that India has a robust domestic market, bolstered further by the Government of India's </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;Jan Aushadhi&rsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> scheme, aimed at providing quality generic medicines at affordable prices to its citizens. As the third-largest exporter of pharmaceuticals by volume and the thirteenth by value, the demand for space is going to grow.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the pharma industry presents sufficient scope, the medical device industry is not any less. Considered as the sunrise sector, the medical devices industry is estimated to reach $50 billion by 2030. In the last five years, the export of medical devices has been increasing at a rate of 9.37 per cent. India&rsquo;s policy to allow 100 per cent foreign investment under an automatic route in the medical devices sector has helped attract significant investments, which has further pushed the demand for real estate. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the medical device industry in India has also helped augment the domestic manufacturing and in reducing dependence on imports. Hence, manufacturing hubs are being set up in many economic zones of the country. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We can therefore conclude with the evidence that there is immense potential for life sciences real estate development to surge in India. Though the country has limited core life sciences real estate investable stock at present, majority of the growth will come from developing new facilities that entail typical development and leasing risks. The stakeholders, however, forecast an increasing investor appetite for Indian life sciences real estate as the sector gains scale over time.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Anusha Ashwin</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => 'Anusha Ashwin', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24273', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'Dissecting Gender Disparity', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/women-24273.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'dissecting-gender-disparity', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in the Indian healthcare industry are mainly concentrated in low-paying frontline positions. In India, 29 per cent of medical doctors, 80 per cent of nursing staff (including midwives), and nearly 100 per cent of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are women. Despite this, women hold only 18 per cent of healthcare leadership positions and continue to earn 34 per cent less than their male counterparts.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are the outcomes of the study titled &lsquo;An Unbalanced Scale - Exploring the Female Leadership Gap in India's Healthcare Sector&rsquo; from Dasra, a non-profit organisation. The&nbsp; study revealed that the Indian healthcare sector, one of the country's largest employers, has experienced substantial growth. It takes a closer look at women's representation in healthcare and the leadership opportunities available to them.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><strong>Inspiring leaders</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"What is concerning is the gap between the proportion of women in healthcare and those who occupy leadership positions. At entry levels, women's representation in sales, marketing, and operations ranges from 40-50 per cent. However, this significantly drops to 15-20 per cent in senior roles," says <strong>Shailja Mehta, Director at Dasra</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is behind this gender gap in leadership positions? Societal norms, cultural expectations and implicit biases against women are some of the main factors that&nbsp;have contributed to the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions. &ldquo;It is a complex issue. The lack of female role models and mentors perpetuates this gender gap," says Shailja.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some believe that one of the primary reasons for the skewed gender ratio in STEM is the stereotyping that begins early in life. Societal expectations often push girls towards more traditionally feminine roles, diverting them away from technical and scientific fields. As a result, fewer women choose STEM education and careers. While others argue that the current gap is a reflection of what was happening 20 years ago, when fewer women entered science careers.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;&ldquo;Today&rsquo;s leaders represent those who entered the field 15-20 years back. Now that the number of women entering these fields has significantly increased in recent years, we will see a lot of women leaders in the coming years. In fact, a major proportion of startups are led by women. They have the capability to do it,&rdquo; <strong>Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, former director, National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) Pune</strong>, says, "The situation is definitely improving. For more women to take leadership roles, changes are required at the family, community and industry level."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Dr Pragya Yadav, senior scientist at the National Institute of Virology, Pune</strong>, who played an instrumental role in the development of Covaxin, agrees. "The situation has certainly improved, but school-going girls should have access to reputable colleges and safe residential facilities for pursuing science as a subject for the real change to occur. Besides, they need support in equal measure, from their families and the industry when raising their children. If they lose that time, catching up becomes difficult,&rdquo; she says. &nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Furthermore, this support should not be seen as an extra favour to women, but rather as their right. Children are the future and the environment they experience while growing up is crucial to their growth and development. It is the duty of both families and society, not just mothers alone, to provide a safe and suitable environment for them," she added. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Manya Jha, a young entrepreneur and founder of Morphedo Technologies</strong>, a deep tech startup in aerospace and defence, medical device engineering, IoT and embedded systems, faced the challenge of balancing child care and her career after the birth of her daughter. To tackle this challenge, she established a small child care centre at her office.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Starting just 20 days after my daughter was born, I brought her to my workplace every day. I made space in my cabin where she could stay with me. Until she was 7 months old, my husband and I took care of her in the shared cabin (during COVID-19 period). At the time of her birth, my startup was also at a crucial stage,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Both my daughter and my company required my personal attention. There were instances when I had to attend important meetings with senior scientists while holding my one-month-old daughter. I believe it's all about the confidence with which you pursue your career."</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today, Manya's company has around&nbsp; 40 employees and the child care centre is now available to all new mothers, offering support in looking after their children while at work.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, despite the challenges, there has been a noticeable shift in the narrative over the past decade, with the number of women leaders emerging in STEM careers increasing slowly but steadily. And these women are not only excelling &nbsp;in their respective fields but also helping dismantling barriers that hinder the progress of other aspiring women.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several prominent women leaders are setting an example for others. Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr Priya Abraham, Director of the National Institute of Virology, biotech stalwart &nbsp;Kiran Majumdar-Shaw,&nbsp; and entrepreneurs like Dr Kavita Iyer Rodrigues and Vasanthi Ramachandran represent some of the most sought after leaders in the industry.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Women are leading more than 30 per cent of the startups incubated at our centre. In many others, they are co-founders or hold significant positions," says <strong>Dr Manisha Premnath, COO of Venture Center</strong>, an incubation centre in Pune that helps startups grow.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Breaking the glass ceiling</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While there is a rise of women leaders in the health and biotech sector, it is important to acknowledge the challenges they continue to face. Stereotypes, biases, and a lack of institutional support still exist. The &lsquo;glass ceiling&rsquo; phenomenon persists, making it difficult for women to reach the highest levels of leadership. A male-centric workplace culture, coupled with a lack of flexibility and understanding regarding work-life balance, discourage women from pursuing or sustaining leadership roles.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The biggest challenge that women face is breaking these stereotypes and breaking free from the vicious cycle of work and life. They need to step out of their comfort zones, or rather, their safe zones, and then there will be no stopping them. Fortunately, nowadays there are several schemes and funds available to support women," says <strong>Dr Deeksha Bhartiya, Founder of Genomiki</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coming from a very traditional, yet ambitious family, Dr Deeksha got married at a young age and encountered challenges in maintaining a balance between her personal and professional life. However, she didn't allow these challenges to deter her from pursuing her doctoral studies and career. "There were many senior male scientists who advised me to take up a permanent job instead of embarking on my entrepreneurial journey. I was told that women should prioritise stability over adventure. However, I am fortunate to have a very supportive family who always push me to exceed my limits and support me in all my decisions."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Exiting the vicious circle</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The foundation for achieving gender parity in STEM careers is laid during the crucial years of education. Schools and educational institutions play an important role in challenging these stereotypes and encouraging girls to explore their interests in science and technology. STEM-focused educational programmes, workshops, and extracurricular activities can help break down gender-based barriers from a young age. Scholarships and mentorship programmes can encourage girls to pursue science education.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To encourage more women to pursue careers in STEM and foster an inclusive and diverse workforce, it is important to adopt unbiased recruitment practices, create a supportive environment for their progress, and implement flexible work arrangements.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is a growing emphasis on incorporating diverse perspectives in STEM curricula. Highlighting the contributions of women scientists and engineers in textbooks and classroom discussions can inspire both girls and boys, challenging preconceived notions about gender roles in these fields. There should be more networking events, conferences and platforms that specifically focus on women in STEM to provide valuable opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing. These spaces not only celebrate the achievements of women in the field but also facilitate the exchange of ideas and strategies to overcome common challenges.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emphasising the pivotal role women play in shaping a sustainable future through scientific leadership, <strong>Melody Lopez, Director and Chief of Staff Crayon Software Experts India</strong> says &ldquo;Fostering women's leadership in science is not just about gender equality but also a catalyst for achieving sustainable development goals. The theme reflects a call to action, urging communities, governments, and organisations to provide equal opportunities for women and girls in science, ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making processes.&rdquo; She further says &ldquo;As we champion women and girls in science leadership, let us embrace this new era, where their voices, ideas, and leadership propel us toward a brighter, more sustainable future for all.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The journey towards gender parity in STEM careers in India could be challenging, but the momentum for change is growing.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><strong>Gunjan Sharma</strong></strong></p> <p><em><strong>gunjan.sharma@mmactiv.com</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => 'Gunjan Sharma ', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24271', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => '“There is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation”', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_27_at_5_20_34_pm-24271.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'there-is-a-significant-gap-in-the-infrastructure-required-for-ai-implementation', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Artificial Intelligence (AI) has completely changed the way we see the world today. How do you see AI revolutionising drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry? Can AI help in discovering new drug molecules that could help treat deadly and chronic diseases like cancers and AIDS?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The future of human life is completely impacted by AI. Particularly its emergence in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry will have a vital impact on disease control and new drug discoveries.&nbsp;AI is poised to revolutionise drug discovery in several ways. It can drastically reduce the time needed to discover and develop new drugs. AI can be used to help suggest novel combinations for treating fatal diseases and even predict treatment outcomes. Additionally, AI facilitates personalised medicine by tailoring treatments to individual patients, which can ultimately speed up the development of new therapies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key challenges in implementing AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly in the context of regulatory compliance?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I feel, the pharma and healthcare organisations in India are yet to gear up for AI. Many are still in the process of adapting to the advancements in the pharmaceutical industry brought about by digitalisation. Despite this progress, the majority of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are not adequately prepared to integrate AI into their operations. AI adoption, beyond platforms like Chat GPT, remains in its infancy and requires further exploration and validation. Moreover, there is a pressing need to harmonise regulatory compliances, particularly in manufacturing standards outlined by the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH). This entails the implementation of electronic documentation systems and global alignment on regulatory practices to ensure both qualitative and compliant manufacturing and healthcare delivery systems. Additionally, there is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation, including the necessary hardware, software, and skilled professionals, which remains to be addressed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a specific example where AI has been successfully utilised to discover or develop a new drug?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although AI is currently making strides in drug discovery, its continual evolution opens up a multitude of possibilities in terms of drug candidates, their structures, and the discovery process. This versatility allows for the pinpointing of targeted molecules tailored to specific therapies or multiple therapeutic discoveries. A recent example highlighting this potential is Insilico Medicine's Pharma.AI, which is revolutionising drug discovery with its suite of AI-powered tools. PandaOmics, for instance, drastically reduces the time required for multi-omics target discovery, from several months to a few clicks. Similarly, Chemistry42 employs machine learning for de novo drug design, generating lead-like molecules within a week. Additionally, InClinico provides an invaluable tool for efficient clinical trial management, identifying potential weaknesses in trial design and predicting success rates. Collectively, these tools are streamlining the traditionally lengthy drug discovery process, accelerating the pursuit of breakthrough medicine.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you envision the role of AI evolving in personalised medicine and patient care?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I believe AI could be groundbreaking by using large amounts of data from healthy and sick people. It could help analyse specific therapeutic segments quickly to see how drugs work over time and improve their formulations. It would also support Phase IV clinical trials, especially in monitoring drug safety (Pharmacovigilance). Overall, AI in personalised medicine and patient care has the potential to improve healthcare, make treatments better, and give patients more control over their health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the ethical considerations that need to be addressed when deploying AI in healthcare settings?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The primary concern lies in protecting patient identity, which can be achieved through AI by masking identities in documentation, albeit in previously challenging areas. The rigidity and security levels of AI coding stand out as effective measures for safeguarding patient identity compared to traditional masking systems. However, the implementation of AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly concerning regulatory compliance, presents various challenges and ethical considerations. These include ensuring data privacy and security, adhering to diverse regulations, deciphering complex AI algorithms, managing the time and cost implications, addressing potential biases perpetuated by AI algorithms, integrating solutions into existing systems, navigating complex ethical and legal considerations, determining accountability and liability for decisions made, preserving patient autonomy and consent, and conducting real-time reviews for corrections.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How can AI help address the challenges of drug resistance in infectious diseases?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The emergence of drug resistance in infectious diseases poses a significant healthcare challenge. However, AI offers a promising solution by playing a crucial role in addressing this issue. Through predictive analytics, AI can forecast which drugs may become ineffective against evolving pathogens, allowing for proactive adjustments in treatment strategies. Furthermore, AI aids in the discovery of alternative treatments, the development of more effective medications, and the customisation of treatment plans tailored to individual patients. By providing real-time insights into the changing landscape of drug resistance, AI enables healthcare professionals to adapt swiftly, ultimately enhancing the efficacy of treatments and improving patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What strategies can be employed to ensure the fairness and transparency of AI algorithms in healthcare decision-making?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To maintain trust, mitigate bias, and foster equitable outcomes, it is crucial to prioritise fairness and transparency in the use of AI algorithms for healthcare decision-making. Some of the strategies to achieve this include ensuring transparency of both data and algorithms, promoting diversity and inclusivity in the development process, conducting external validation and evaluation, and establishing regulatory frameworks and guidelines.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you see AI impacting the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services globally?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While AI offers significant potential for improving the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services on a global scale, there are challenges to overcome. These include ensuring fair access to AI-driven technologies, addressing concerns regarding data privacy and security, and navigating regulatory and ethical issues. Collaboration among various stakeholders, such as governments, healthcare providers, technology developers, and community organisations, is vital to fully realise the benefits of AI in enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key factors hindering the adoption of AI in pharmaceutical research and development?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pharmaceutical companies face several challenges when it comes to using AI in research and development. Firstly, they require high-quality and comprehensive datasets to effectively train AI models. Secondly, they must adhere to strict regulatory guidelines set by government agencies. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies often possess proprietary data and intellectual property that may not be easily compatible with AI systems. Finally, the significant investment required to implement AI technology presents a barrier to adoption for many companies in the industry.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a case where AI-driven predictive modelling has significantly improved clinical trial outcomes or drug efficacy in the Healthcare system?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's important to note that using AI in the healthcare system, along with a thorough review of relevant literature from sources like PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and EMBASE, is significant. Integrating AI into healthcare has the potential to greatly improve disease diagnosis, treatment selection, and clinical laboratory testing. AI tools can analyse large sets of data and find patterns, outperforming humans in many healthcare tasks. AI brings higher accuracy, lower costs, and time savings, while also reducing human errors. It can revolutionise personalised medicine, optimise medication dosages, improve population health management, set guidelines, offer virtual health assistants, support mental health care, enhance patient education, and strengthen patient-physician trust.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, AI can be used in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) by using machine learning algorithms to predict drug-drug interactions. By analysing large sets of patient data, these algorithms can detect potential drug interactions. This helps to decrease the risk of adverse drug reactions, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Amguth Raju</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>hyderabad@mmactiv.com&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => 'Amguth Raju', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17'), array('articleId' => '24280', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Effectively Eliminating Drug-resistant TB', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/tb-24280.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'effectively-eliminating-drug-resistant-tb', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has the highest burden of TB, with two deaths occurring every three minutes from the disease. The country recorded a staggering 28 lakh cases in 2022, accounting for 27 per cent of the global cases, according to WHO.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India initiated the TB Free India campaign with the ambitious goal of eradicating TB by 2025, a milestone set five years earlier than the target outlined by the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Despite facing setbacks due to COVID-19, the nation doubled down on its efforts, resulting in notable progress. The India TB Report 2023 heralded 2022 as a pivotal year in TB surveillance, noting a significant achievement with a record-high notification of 24.2 lakh TB cases, representing an increase of over 13 per cent compared to 2021.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The latest WHO Global TB Report 2023 acknowledged and praised India's efforts in its fight against TB, particularly highlighting the effectiveness of its case detection strategies. The report emphasised that India's intensified case detection strategies led to the highest-ever notification of cases in 2022, surpassing pre-COVID levels. The government's key initiatives, such as specialised active case finding drives, the scaling up of molecular diagnostics to block levels, decentralisation of screening services through Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, and private sector engagement, have significantly reduced the gap in missing cases.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Road to elimination&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the country has made remarkable progress in its fight against TB, the adoption of additional strategies such as shorter treatment regimens, the development of vaccines, and a renewed focus on nutrition could prove to be game-changers in its goal of eliminating TB for good.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The BPaL regimen, composed of Bedaquiline, Pretomanid and Linezolid, presents a promising alternative for a shorter, safer and more tolerable treatment option for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). Lasting only 26 weeks, it contrasts sharply with conventional DR-TB treatments, which can span 18 to 21 months and entail the consumption of over 4,000 to 5,000 tablets. Endorsed by the US FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) in 2019 and the WHO in 2022, the BPaL regimen has been implemented in more than 70 countries, including South Africa, Ukraine, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;The older, conventional regimen for drug-resistant TB included prolonged use of injections with other drugs. This was associated with increased incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), implementation challenges under the programme and inconvenience to the patients. The new TB drug regimen uses the newer oral drugs like Bedaquiline, Delamanid or Pretomanid, or the repurposed drugs such as linezolid, clofazimine, etc. These regimens are injection free and have lesser pill burden leading to more acceptance among the TB patients besides reducing the implementation challenges due to the use of injections. They have the ability to kill the actively multiplying drug-resistant TB bacteria faster and a sustained killing of the bacteria to prevent the recurrence of the TB disease among the patients. These regimens have shown improved treatment success rates under field conditions under the national programme,&rdquo; said <strong>Dr Rupak Singla, Head of Department, National Institute of TB &amp; Respiratory Diseases, New Delhi</strong>.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Singla further said &ldquo;To combat the adverse drug reactions of these regimen, specially due to drug linezolid, various regimens using different dosages and durations of linezolid have demonstrated reduced incidence of ADRs maintaining the efficacy of the regimen. Hence, these newer treatment drug regimens could reduce the global burden of drug-resistant TB. However, the requirement of a good quality laboratory network, availability and higher cost of the drugs continue to pose a challenge.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new regimen is shorter, easier on patients and improves treatment adherence, resulting in better outcomes compared to previous drug regimens.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Talking about the potential implications of the new TB drug regimen on India&rsquo;s TB control efforts, Dr Singla stated, &ldquo;The cure rate for previous conventional TB regimen for multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) was to the tune of around 50 per cent and for Extensively drug-resistant-TB (XDR-TB), less than 30 per cent. The new TB drug regimen has the potential for significant improvement in treatment success rates for MDR-TB as well as XDR-TB.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In India the national data shows that more than 36,000 drug-resistant TB patients have been initiated on shorter oral Bedaquiline-containing regimen and more than 92,000 patients have been initiated on longer oral regimen till date. Treatment success rates of shorter oral regimen for the cohort April-September 2022 (around 12,000 patients) is 69 per cent and of longer oral regimen for the cohort January-September 2021 (around 15,000 patients) is 71 per cent. The improved success rates of new drug regimens is likely to translate into less number of deaths due to TB, reduced period of infectiousness of TB patients and reduced transmission of TB to others in the community leading to reduced incidence of TB.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Studies at the 2023 Union World Conference on Lung Health affirm WHO-endorsed regimens' effectiveness, surpassing traditional 18- to 24-month treatments. The goal is to urge high-burden DR-TB countries to update guidelines and offer shorter treatments to all patients in need. Only 40 per cent of the 410,000 people with DR-TB in 2022 had access to the shorter regimen, as per a WHO report.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A group of experts in the country have stressed the need for introducing the BPaL regimen in the TB control programme of the country. B<strong>lessina Kumar, CEO, Global Coalition of TB Advocates, New Delhi</strong> emphasised the potential cost savings associated with its adoption, citing studies estimating a global annual savings of $740 million. With India accounting for a significant portion of global multi-drug, rifampicin-resistant (MDR/RR-TB) treated patients, she suggested that the country could save nearly $250 million per year through the implementation of this regimen. India will likely roll out the new regime soon.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>TB Vaccine</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vaccination holds promise as a game-changer for TB elimination. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is conducting phase III trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two vaccines: VPM1002 and MIP (Mycobacterium indicus pranii). VPM1002 is a live vaccine based on recombinant BCG, modified for better safety and efficacy. MIP or Immuvac, originally developed for leprosy, is a whole-cell TB vaccine candidate. The trial aims to assess the effectiveness of these vaccines in preventing TB disease, among 12,721 individuals exposed to TB at home (referred to as household contacts). Enrollment for the study is complete, with participant follow-up currently ongoing, according to the pipeline report 2022 by the Treatment Action Group.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bharat Biotech is partnering with the Spanish firm BIOFABRI to develop, manufacture, and distribute a new tuberculosis vaccine across over 70 countries in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The TB vaccine candidate by Bharat Biotech is set to enter phase-III trials soon.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Lancet study highlighted the pivotal role of nutrition in TB management. The&nbsp; Reducing Activation of Tuberculosis by Improvement of Nutritional Status (RATIONS) trial demonstrated that providing food baskets to TB patients and their households reduced all forms of TB by nearly 40 per cent and infectious TB by almost 50 per cent. In 2018, the Indian government launched the 'Nikshay Poshan Yojana,' a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to offer nutrition support to TB patients. Since its inception, the scheme has disbursed approximately Rs 2613 crore to over 95 lakh TB patients.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has indeed made significant strides in addressing TB; however, the battle against the disease is far from over. Despite enhanced detection and surveillance efforts, there's&nbsp; a need to adopt newer strategies to combat TB effectively. Advances in R&amp;D of vaccines, access to newer drug regimens, enhanced focus on nutrition will all help in propelling TB elimination goals.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Ayesha Siddiqui&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ayesha Siddiqui', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24272', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Prioritising Women’s Health & Wellbeing ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2036811071-24272.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: gettyimages', 'pageSlug' => 'prioritising-womens-health-wellbeing-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a new report from the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute launched at Davos in January 2024, women may live longer than men, on average, but they spend 25 per cent more of their lives in debilitating health. The report said improving diagnostics, data on women-specific conditions like ovarian cancer, and directing more investments towards women&rsquo;s health and research is needed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In particular, McKinsey research finds that less than 2 per cent of healthcare research and innovation is invested in female-specific conditions beyond cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This &lsquo;women&rsquo;s health gap&rsquo; equates to 75 million years of life lost due to poor health or early death each year. Closing the gap would benefit 3.9 billion women, giving them an extra seven healthy days a year, or an average of 500 days over a lifetime. Further, it could boost the global economy by $1 trillion by 2040 from fewer early deaths and health conditions, and a greater capacity for women to contribute to the economy and society.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a result of these findings, the final hours of the World Economic Forum in Davos saw the launch of a new Global Alliance for Women&rsquo;s Health, which has the broad ambition of &lsquo;re-shaping the future of women&rsquo;s health and the global economy.&rsquo; The health alliance will pledge new commitments from governments, philanthropies, and pharmaceutical companies, among others, across three pillars i.e. financing, science and innovation, and agenda-setting. So far, partners have pledged $55 million to improve women&rsquo;s health outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">With International Women&rsquo;s Day 2024 being themed around &lsquo;Inspiring inclusion&rsquo;, we see governments across the globe putting the much-needed emphasis on women&rsquo;s healthcare. For instance, the UAE has set out wide-ranging plans to bolster healthcare services for women, by approving the &lsquo;National Policy for Improving Women&rsquo;s Health&rsquo; for providing the highest healthcare services quality for women, whether curative, preventive or rehabilitative services. Similarly, the Irish government is paving the way for a longer-term comprehensive Women&rsquo;s Health Strategy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in England are being urged to help shape reproductive health policy, as the government seeks views on periods, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and menopause for health strategy. Likewise, the Biden administration recently announced a White House initiative to improve how the federal government approaches and funds research into the health of women, who make up more than half of the US population but remain understudied and underrepresented in health research.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, of course, is not far behind in this initiative. The Interim Budget 2024-25 announcement that took place on February 1, 2024, laid focus on encouraging vaccination for girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years for the prevention of cervical cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Besides these government initiatives, multiple efforts are also being made by the industry players to improve women&rsquo;s health. For example, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zurzuvae as the first and only oral treatment approved for women with postpartum depression, developed by American pharmaceutical company Biogen. The US FDA has also recently approved a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription for the first time in the US, a milestone that could significantly expand access to contraception. The pill&rsquo;s manufacturer, Perrigo Company is based in Dublin.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Further, biotech companies in the UK and Korea are embarking on the world's first prospective study of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered breast cancer detection, to streamline diagnosis, and tackle radiologist shortages. On the other hand, startups in India have developed groundbreaking multi-cancer detection tests specifically designed for high-risk and asymptomatic women.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quality, affordability, and accessibility, particularly in the context of women&rsquo;s health, are very critical aspects of ensuring well-being. This calls for greater mobilisation across sectors to invest in women&rsquo;s health, keeping in mind the imperatives of equity and integral care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Manbeena Chawla</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Executive Editor</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(</span><a href="mailto:manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com"><span style="font-weight: 400;">manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></p>', 'sequence' => '5', 'guestAuthor' => 'Dr Manbeena Chawla', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '101'), array('articleId' => '24270', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Establishing Ethical Frameworks for Equitable Use of AI in Healthcare ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/21-24270.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'establishing-ethical-frameworks-for-equitable-use-of-ai-in-healthcare-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The global healthcare landscape is witnessing a seismic transformation driven by AI technologies. From therapeutics to diagnostics, hospital operations to clinical decision-making, AI is making significant strides across diverse applications. According to Statista, the value of AI in the global healthcare market was $11 billion in 2021, projected to reach an estimated $188 billion by 2030. This staggering growth, at a compounded annual rate of 37 per cent, underscores the immense potential AI holds in reshaping the future of healthcare.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Transforming Medical Research and Imaging Analysis</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The impact of AI is not limited to specific segments; it spans the entire healthcare ecosystem. One critical domain experiencing a revolution is medical research, as AI expedites drug discovery processes. Through machine learning algorithms, researchers can predict the success rate of chemical compounds, significantly reducing the time and resources required for experimentation. This not only accelerates the pace of innovation but also holds the promise of bringing new, effective treatments to patients more rapidly.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the realm of medical imaging analysis, AI is proving to be a game-changer. It enables the rapid and accurate detection of anomalies in MRI scans, X-rays, and CT scans. Radiologists benefit from quicker identification of potential life-threatening issues, minimising human errors and enhancing diagnostic accuracy. This not only saves crucial time but also improves patient outcomes, particularly in cases where early detection is paramount.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Data-Driven Healthcare</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">AI is revolutionising the traditional landscape of diagnosis and treatment by providing clinicians with unprecedented data-driven insights. Machine learning algorithms analyse extensive patient data to identify patterns and correlations, facilitating more accurate and timely diagnosis. Personalised treatment plans based on individual patient characteristics are now a reality, enhancing the effectiveness of medical interventions. The ability to tailor treatments to specific patient profiles leads to improved outcomes and a more efficient allocation of healthcare resources.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Real-time assessment of treatment effectiveness by AI tools further contributes to improved clinical outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. Monitoring and adjusting treatment plans based on real-world data ensure that patients receive the most effective interventions tailored to their individual responses. This not only enhances patient care but also contributes to the sustainability of healthcare systems worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Predictive analysis, powered by AI, enables healthcare providers to forecast potential outcomes based on historical data and real-time health information. Identifying patients at risk of specific conditions allows for early intervention, preventing complications and improving overall healthcare efficiency. Large-scale population data analysis can also detect trends and outbreaks of infectious diseases before they become widespread, a critical capability showcased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability to anticipate and mitigate health crises is a testament to the power of AI in safeguarding public health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Patient-Centric Approach</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The integration of AI into healthcare is not solely about clinical applications; it extends to improving the overall patient experience. Streamlining appointment scheduling, providing remote monitoring solutions, and offering personalised treatment plans based on individual medical records contribute to a more patient-centric approach. AI-driven chatbots responding to routine medical inquiries reduce stress and save time for both patients and healthcare providers, fostering a more efficient and accessible healthcare system.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the promises of AI in healthcare, challenges persist. Blind spots in data access and collection, privacy concerns, data misuse, and regulatory ambiguities are roadblocks to widespread adoption. In India, a rapidly growing player in AI-based healthcare, progress is evident, but there is still a long way to go. The ambitious goals of universal healthcare delivery and affordability through AI remain distant, requiring continued innovation and collaboration.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, a major player in the global healthcare sector, is rapidly embracing AI. The National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence by NITI Aayog highlights the potential of AI to address challenges such as a shortage of qualified healthcare professionals and non-uniform accessibility to healthcare across the country. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, AI expenditure in India is projected to reach $11.78 billion by 2025, contributing significantly to the country's economy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite challenges, AI's potential to revolutionise healthcare is undeniable. As technology continues to advance, AI's applications in telemedicine, genomics, robotics, and 3D printing will expand. Workforce training and collaboration between medical professionals and AI developers will be crucial for maximising the benefits of AI. The integration of AI with other emerging technologies holds the key to shaping the future of medical care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we delve deeper into the integration of AI in healthcare, it's imperative to address the ethical considerations surrounding this revolutionary technology. The responsible use of AI in medical settings demands careful navigation of issues such as patient privacy, data security, and bias in algorithms.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Privacy concerns arise from the vast amounts of sensitive patient data being processed by AI systems. Ensuring robust data protection measures, stringent encryption, and transparent data usage policies become paramount to build and maintain public trust in AI-driven healthcare solutions.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The potential for bias in AI algorithms poses another ethical challenge. If the datasets used to train AI models are not representative or if biased historical data is fed into the algorithms, it can perpetuate existing inequalities in healthcare. Striking a balance in dataset curation and continuous monitoring of algorithmic outputs is crucial to mitigate bias and ensure equitable healthcare outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moreover, the explainability of AI decisions becomes crucial, especially in critical medical scenarios. Ensuring that AI models provide interpretable insights aids healthcare professionals in understanding and trusting AI-generated recommendations, fostering collaboration between humans and machines.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In conclusion, AI is not just a buzzword but a transformative force reshaping the healthcare industry. From diagnosis to treatment, AI is proving its mettle by delivering accurate, personalised, and efficient healthcare solutions. While challenges persist, the trajectory of AI in healthcare is pointing towards a future where technology and human expertise converge to provide optimal patient care. As we stand at the intersection of technology and healthcare, the role of AI in shaping the future of medicine is more promising than ever.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As AI continues to evolve, it is crucial for stakeholders&mdash;be they healthcare providers, policymakers, or technology developers&mdash;to collaborate in establishing ethical frameworks that ensure the responsible and equitable use of AI in healthcare. The ongoing dialogue around ethical considerations is vital to ensure that AI remains a force for good in healthcare, driving positive change for patients and society at large.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&amp;D, Murata Vios</strong></em></p>', 'sequence' => '6', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&D, Murata Vios', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17')), 'trendingTopicsList' => array(array('articleId' => '24283', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => '83.5% of adults in India underestimate shingles risk: Global GSK survey', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shingles_large-24283.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => '83-5-of-adults-in-india-underestimate-shingles-risk-global-gsk-survey', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical (GSK) has released new data from a globally commissioned survey funded by them. The survey finds notable gaps in understanding of shingles risk among individuals aged above 50 years, a group that is most susceptible to the disease.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey conducted amongst 3,500 adults aged 50 and over from 12 countries, assessed respondents&rsquo; understanding of shingles, what triggers it, and its impact on people&rsquo;s lives.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey in&nbsp;India&nbsp;involved 500 participants, with 250 respondents who spoke Hindi and another 250 who spoke English. The data, launched in time for Shingles Awareness Week 2024 (26 February&nbsp;2024 &ndash; 3 March 2024), finds a widespread lack of understanding of shingles and its lifetime risk.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The findings show that globally, a significantly high proportion of those surveyed do not understand their risk of developing shingles,&nbsp;with&nbsp;86%&nbsp;underestimating&nbsp;that&nbsp;risk.<font size="1">&nbsp;</font>In India, 81% of the English-speaking and 86% &nbsp;of the Hindi-speaking respondents surveyed underestimate the risk of shingles<sup>.</sup></p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In India,&nbsp;amongst the &nbsp;English-speaking respondents, 22% believe that 1 in 1000 adults are at risk of developing shingles.<sup>&nbsp;</sup>Amongst the Hindi-speaking respondents,18% believe that 1 in 1000 adults is at risk of developing shingles.&nbsp;</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In&nbsp;reality,&nbsp;most&nbsp;adults already&nbsp;have&nbsp;the&nbsp;virus that&nbsp;causes&nbsp;shingles present in&nbsp;their bodies by&nbsp;the&nbsp;age&nbsp;of 50,&nbsp;which may&nbsp;reactivate with&nbsp;advancing&nbsp;age.&nbsp;Shingles&nbsp;is&nbsp;caused&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;reactivation&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;varicella-zoster&nbsp;virus&nbsp;(VZV),&nbsp;the same virus that causes chickenpox.&nbsp;As people age, the strength of their immune response to infection wanes, and this increases their risk of developing shingles.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Rashmi Hegde, Executive Vice President - Medical Affairs, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, India, said,&nbsp;&ldquo;The survey findings underscore the need to raise awareness about shingles risk in adults over 50.&nbsp; Shingles can significantly disrupt the daily lives of ageing adults and cause them a great deal of discomfort."</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24230', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Fujifilm launches advanced endoscopic ultrasound machine ALOKA ARIETTA 850 in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/fuji-24230.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'fujifilm-launches-advanced-endoscopic-ultrasound-machine-aloka-arietta-850-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Fujifilm India, a pioneer in diagnostic imaging and information systems, has launched the ground breaking ALOKA ARIETTA 850 Diagnostic Ultrasound System in India with its first-ever installation at Fortis Hospital in Bengaluru.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Representing a remarkable advancement in endoscopic technologies, the high-tech ultrasound system aims to enhance diagnostic precision and image clarity for gastrointestinal diseases in the region.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">In India, contemporary lifestyles and changing dietary choices are leading to the deteriorating digestive health of the population, adding to the growing prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Addressing this, Fujifilm India&rsquo;S&nbsp;ALOKA ARIETTA 850&nbsp;Endoscopic Ultrasound Machine at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru is a significant step in providing world-class diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients against these GI-related diseases, performing targeted treatments such as Pancreatic pseudo cyst drainage (without surgery), targeted delivery of treatment in Pancreatic cancers.&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) is a minimally invasive method for assessing malignancies affecting the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract and neighbouring organs or tissues. With this high degree of accuracy in both diagnostic and therapeutic capacities, it allows doctors to precisely examine organs like the lungs, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, lymph nodes and nearby affected areas.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">EUS also facilitates the extraction of tissue or fluid samples through a thin needle, eliminating the need for a separate biopsy procedure. Additionally, it improves the staging of cancers with accurate sampling provided by Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) and Fine Needle Biopsy (FNB). Furthermore, EUS proves valuable in cases of altered anatomy and among cancer patients for various therapeutic procedures.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">ALOKA ARIETTA 850 stands out from conventional endoscopic ultrasound machines with a range of superior features. The machine generates image quality with 7 million digital channels in its B mode. This system also incorporates HD-THI for deeper penetration, ensuring accurate diagnoses, along with combi-elastography, pure symphonic architecture and CHI-TIC and Inflow Time Mapping for clearer visibility by reducing noise and enhancing the completeness and continuity of tissue boundaries.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '91'), array('articleId' => '24229', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Bengaluru researchers develop paper-based platform to detect antibiotic-resistant bacteria', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shutterstock_157198133-24229.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'bengaluru-researchers-develop-paper-based-platform-to-detect-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">A paper-based platform developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru could help quickly detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant, disease-causing bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Dr Uday Maitra, Professor at the Department of Organic Chemistry, IISc, and collaborators have developed a rapid diagnosis protocol that uses a luminescent paper-based platform to detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The approach developed by the IISc and JNCASR team involves incorporating biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (BCA) within a supramolecular hydrogel matrix containing terbium cholate (TbCh). This hydrogel normally emits green fluorescence when UV light is shined on it.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The next step was to find a way to make the technology inexpensive. Currently used diagnostics instruments are costly, which drives up the price for testing.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team collaborated with a Chennai-based company called Adiuvo Diagnostics to design a customised, portable and miniature imaging device, named Illuminate Fluorescence Reader. Infusing the hydrogel in a sheet of paper as the medium reduced the cost significantly. The instrument is fitted with different LEDs that shine UV radiation as required. Green fluorescence from the enzyme is captured by a built-in camera, and a dedicated software app measures the intensity, which can help quantify the bacterial load.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team from IISc tied up with Jayanta Haldar&rsquo;s research group from JNCASR to check their approach on urine samples. As the next step, the researchers plan to tie up with hospitals to test this technology with samples from patients.</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58'), array('articleId' => '24163', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Theme for National Science Day sets in as ‘Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat’', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/nsd-24163.png', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'theme-for-national-science-day-sets-in-as-indigenous-technologies-for-viksit-bharat', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science &amp; Technology Dr Jitendra Singh released the theme for the "National Science Day 2024", titled "Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat".</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) theme for this year&rsquo;s celebration reflects a strategic focus on promoting public appreciation for Science, Technology and Innovation and accomplishments of Indian scientists to address challenges through home-grown technologies for over-all well-being.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The theme not only marks a new era but also presents an opportunity for public and scientific fraternity, both domestically and internationally, to collaborate, work together, and contribute to the well-being of India and humanity as a whole. While emphasising the importance of making India&nbsp;<em>Atmanirbhar&nbsp;</em>through science, it underscores the need to address subjects that hold significance for humanity as a whole.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on 28 February to commemorate the discovery of the &lsquo;Raman Effect&rsquo;. Government of India designated 28 February as National Science Day in 1986. On this day Sir C.V. Raman announced the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930. On this occasion, theme-based science communication activities are carried out all over the country. The theme launch will trigger celebrations of NSD specially in schools &amp; colleges throughout the country.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science &amp; Technology (DST) said that as we embark on the celebration of NSD and move ahead with the launch of the theme for 2024, it is clearly evident that our scientific endeavours have the power to shape not only the future of our nation but also contribute significantly towards global advancement.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58')), 'mostReadArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24286', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Qiagen launches AI-derived biomedical knowledge base to accelerate data-driven drug discovery', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2-24286.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'qiagen-launches-ai-derived-biomedical-knowledge-base-to-accelerate-data-driven-drug-discovery', 'page1' => '<p align="justify">US-based Qiagen has announced the launch of Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI, a new generative AI-driven knowledge base designed to propel drug discovery in the pharma and biotech industries. This new offering is designed for data scientists and bioinformaticians who are looking for the most comprehensive knowledge graphs to fuel data-driven drug discovery.</p> <p align="justify">Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI is built on a massive dataset of biomedical literature and other scientific sources. It identifies and extracts causal relationships between genes, diseases, drugs and other biological entities with artificial intelligence (AI), generating over 600 million more biomedical relationships than its complement, Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD. This expansive knowledge base helps data scientists understand disease mechanisms, identify drug targets or biomarkers and explore strategies for repurposing existing drugs. Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI provides the most complete picture of biomedical relationships, including edge cases and novel relationships.</p> <p align="justify">While Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD is manually curated and known for its high quality and accuracy, Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI contains over 25x more relationships, allowing data scientists to generate new insights. Both knowledge bases can be used to provide both high-quality and high-quantity biomedical relationships data for data scientists and bioinformaticians to mine and validate.</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '60'), array('articleId' => '24284', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'IIT Kanpur partners with UP government to enhance tele-medicine using AI', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_28_at_3_48_48_pm-24284.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'iit-kanpur-partners-with-up-government-to-enhance-tele-medicine-using-ai', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">The Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and the Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to revolutionise healthcare delivery and advance tele-medicine facilities in the state through the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI).</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU was signed by Ranjan Kumar IAS, Secretary, Health &amp; Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Professor Sandeep Verma, Professor-In-Charge, Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Kanpur, in the presence of&nbsp;other dignitaries.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU outlines several key areas of collaboration, including anchoring tele-medicine hubs and enhancing the quality of tele-medicine services, implementing AI-based solutions to address population health impact, developing point-of-care diagnostics to drive program improvements, conducting competency-based capacity building for health cadres, and utilizing database predictions and analysis for informed decision-making.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">This will help the Department to make optimal use of the UP Digital Health Stack (UP-DHS) and ensure that every citizen of the state, wherever they are, will be able to access healthcare when needed. In Uttar Pradesh, UP-DHS is making significant strides in implementation, with foundational NHS elements deployed across all health administrative units and the rollout of essential healthcare applications well underway.</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '100'), array('articleId' => '24282', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Medtech firm Stryker expands prototype and testing facility in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/styker-24282.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'medtech-firm-stryker-expands-prototype-and-testing-facility-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker, a global leader in medical technologies, has officially expanded its prototype and testing facility in India, marking significant growth of its R&amp;D footprint in the country.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This advanced 55,600-square-foot facility integrates cutting-edge infrastructure, enhanced microbiology capabilities, and a talented team to drive innovation and ensure product quality across its medical technology portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Investing in innovation from India is a focus area for Stryker," said&nbsp;Ram Rangarajan, Vice President of Stryker Global Technology Center, India. "This new lab represents our commitment to developing medical technologies that improve patient outcomes and comply with the highest regulatory standards."</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker's new facility is dedicated to the rigorous life cycle testing of medical devices. The new lab boasts several key features:</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Prototyping and product assurance hub:&nbsp;Equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure for plastic 3D printing,&nbsp;metal machining, and a diverse range of testing capabilities,&nbsp;the lab supports prototyping and product assurance across Stryker's entire product portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Expanded microbiology competency:&nbsp;The lab strengthens Stryker's ability to conduct comprehensive microbiological testing,&nbsp;ensuring the safety and efficacy of its medical technologies.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Talented team of engineers and microbiologists:&nbsp; Highly skilled engineers and microbiologists will use the advanced equipment and expertise to develop innovative solutions that positively impact patients around the world.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '93'), array('articleId' => '24262', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Miltenyi Biotec to open Cell and Gene Therapy Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/gene-24262.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'miltenyi-biotec-to-open-cell-and-gene-therapy-centre-of-excellence-in-hyderabad', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">German firm Miltenyi Biotec is launching operations in India with its first office and investing to set up Miltenyi Innovation and Technology Center as Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Hyderabad.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This COE will be one of its first of its kind in India where scientists, researchers, industry experts and clinicians can get classroom to hands-on trainings on cell and gene therapy approaches right from proof of concept to pre-clinical / clinical development and commercialisation. This CoE also will provide Indian researchers, scientists and clinicians easier access to expertise, research, and manufacturing solutions.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Each year, more than 10,000 patients are treated with cell products using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies. More than&nbsp; 950 investigational new drug (IND) applications as well as investigational device exemptions (IDE) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies and platforms.&nbsp;&nbsp;In doing so, the company is well poised to enable local development and manufacturing in India to drive affordable and&nbsp;accessible CGT therapies by academia and industry for Indian as well as global patients.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Boris Stoffel,&nbsp;Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s Managing Director, highlighted that the company intends to seek opportunities to catalyse development of CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T cell clinical development and manufacturing, with the prospect of bringing centralised and point-of-care CAR T cell therapy to hospitals across India.</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '96')), 'pollQuestionDetails' => array('pollQuestionId' => '74', 'title' => 'Is India witnessing increasing demand for life sciences-related real estate?', 'slug' => 'is-india-witnessing-increasing-demand-for-life-sciences-related-real-estate', 'question' => '', 'status' => '1', 'deleteStatus' => '0', 'lastUpdationDate' => object(DateTime), 'creationDate' => object(DateTime), 'userId' => '10', 'siteId' => '2', 'pollOptionList' => array(array('pollOptionId' => '206', 'option' => 'Yes', 'clicks' => '2', 'pollQuestionId' => '74'), array('pollOptionId' => '207', 'option' => 'No', 'clicks' => '2', 'pollQuestionId' => '74'), array('pollOptionId' => '208', 'option' => 'May be', 'clicks' => '2', 'pollQuestionId' => '74'))), 'articleList' => array()), 'assetic' => array('debug' => true, 'vars' => object(ValueContainer), 'use_controller' => false), 'app' => object(GlobalVariables)), array('angular' => array(object(__TwigTemplate_d77dc5cbce83a4064a64c325ed06ed30c11d35b6cf8ff966441a1a01ed96912c), 'block_angular'), 'col_md_8' => array(object(__TwigTemplate_d77dc5cbce83a4064a64c325ed06ed30c11d35b6cf8ff966441a1a01ed96912c), 'block_col_md_8'), 'pagesScript' => array(object(__TwigTemplate_d77dc5cbce83a4064a64c325ed06ed30c11d35b6cf8ff966441a1a01ed96912c), 'block_pagesScript')))
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'parentSectionId' => '25', 'siteId' => '2', 'status' => '1')))), 'footerTopLeftDetail' => array('articleId' => '129', 'articleTitle' => 'Footer Top Left', 'seoTitle' => null, 'seoSummary' => null, 'seoGenerator' => null, 'seoAuthor' => null, 'seoAppName' => null, 'subheading' => 'Subscribe to BioSpectrum India', 'titleText' => '', 'titleUrl' => 'http://www.biospectrumindia.com/BSI_forms/subscription_reg_mgz.php', 'introDescription' => '', 'page1' => '', 'page2' => null, 'page3' => null, 'page4' => null, 'page5' => null, 'guestAuthor' => null, 'remark' => null, 'primaryMedium' => 'Text', 'flashNews' => '0', 'specialFeature' => '0', 'city' => null, 'imagePath' => 'uploads/static/bsi_march_2024_issue_cover_page_jpg_1_-129.jpg', 'imageTitle' => '', 'sequence' => '129', 'publishDateTime' => null, 'expiryDateTime' => null, 'displayDate' => null, 'editingNotes' => '', 'lastUpdationDate' => object(DateTime), 'creationDate' => object(DateTime), 'status' => 'Published', 'contentTypeId' => '15', 'siteId' => '2', 'sourceId' => '2', 'userId' => '4', 'lastUpdatedByUserId' => '26', 'articleType' => 'Static', 'language' => null, 'blogType' => null, 'pageSlug' => 'footer-top-left', 'magazineIssue' => null, 'pullquote' => null, 'restrictionType' => null, 'seoKeyword' => null, 'articleReadCount' => '0'), 'subsectionAlias' => 'segments', 'subsection' => 'Segments', 'section' => '', 'sectionId' => '', 'aliasName' => '', 'leadershipArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24267', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'What’s Shaking Up India’s Life Sciences Real Estate Sector?', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/bs1-24267.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'whats-shaking-up-indias-life-sciences-real-estate-sector', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2021,&nbsp; a California-based life sciences real estate development company acquired Hotel Buckminster. This acquisition was done to redevelop the closed hotel into a life science lab space. Again in May 2021, a facility that housed the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive was transformed into a new life sciences lab on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the same year in India, a Canadian Pension Fund along with a Singapore-based wealth and asset management firm jointly invested $100 million (Rs 7.5 billion) in life sciences R&amp;D facilities in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. This investment, according to reports, proved to be a stepping stone for more equity investments in this segment. On February 6, 2024, life sciences real estate developer, Rx Propellant announced an initial investment of $75 million in phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai Research (NMR) District, as part of its continued regional expansion strategy across India.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In all the four developments mentioned above, it is clear that post-pandemic, the demand for life sciences-related real estate has significantly increased. Both greenfield and brownfield projects have surged, as the pandemic fuelled the demand for locally manufactured pharma and medical products.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, in the last few decades, has witnessed the IT and manufacturing sectors invest heavily in real estate and infrastructure. But in the post-pandemic era, we see life sciences companies require space to innovate, for R&amp;D, and manufacture at scale.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Fast-evolving life sciences market&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India is one of the fastest-growing life sciences markets in the world and the sector is poised to see multi-fold growth by 2030 led by a fast-increasing population, rising life expectancy, a strong industrial base and inclusive government initiatives. In addition, India&rsquo;s demographic dividend, strong industrial base and policy push are known to be the growth drivers for the life sciences sector in the country.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The increasing government spending on the healthcare sector, cost benefits in terms of affordable manpower &amp; real estate expenses, and the availability of a large talent pool are the catalysts of life sciences growth in India. Schemes like Production Linked Incentive (PLI)&nbsp; have boosted domestic manufacturing which&nbsp; has resulted in the need for more space in industrial and tech parks. Also, global exports of pharmaceutical and biotechnology products and medical devices from the country have forced many companies to invest in capacity building and human resources.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Notably, India ranks second globally in terms of the number of US FDA-certified plants located outside the US, closely followed by China. Strengths of this kind and the constantly evolving sector are&nbsp; furthering the requirement for large-scale&nbsp; manufacturing, MSMEs, wet laboratories, R&amp;D hubs, incubators, and data centres&nbsp; coupled with other IT &amp; ES support.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the next decade, it is estimated that the requirement for life sciences R&amp;D real estate in India is likely to grow to somewhere between $16 billion (Rs 1,200 billion) and $34 billion (Rs 2,550 billion) as per conservative and optimistic scenarios.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Push from PEs and VCs</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India&rsquo;s life sciences R&amp;D real estate is emerging as a high-potential asset class for institutional investors. Aided by exponential global demand growth, geopolitical environment, policies initiatives, and skilled workforce this sector is rapidly transforming.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Atul Bhardwaj, Business Head, Lighthouse Canton Real Estate</strong>, indicates that both domestic and international investors are demonstrating a strong interest in India's life sciences real estate market. According to Bhardwaj, private equity firms, venture capitalists, and real estate developers are actively investing significant capital in the development of specialised facilities to meet the requirements of life sciences companies. He says, &ldquo;Biotechnology parks and clusters are emerging as key focal points for life sciences research and manufacturing in India. These specialised hubs offer world-class infrastructure, shared amenities, and a collaborative ecosystem that encourages innovation and cooperation among industry stakeholders, academic institutions, and research organisations.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Citing one other compelling factor of the life sciences real estate market to surge, Bhardwaj, says, &ldquo;This sector's operational model does not accommodate the concept of working from home, which presents a compelling opportunity for real estate developers. The recent pandemic underscored the resilience of the pharmaceutical sector. While many industries, including office realty, experienced significant disruptions, the pharmaceutical sector's demand for space significantly increased, further cementing its critical role in the global economy.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Arvind Nandan, Managing Director &ndash; Research &amp; Consulting, Savills India</strong>, says, &ldquo;Venture Capital funding into the life sciences industry in India stood at $448 million (Rs 34 billion) in 2021 through August, almost 3x of the annual average of the previous years, making it clear that this segment will play a pivotal role in the overall growth of the Indian Real Estate industry.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Adopting the asset light model</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We know that globally organisations across all sectors &ndash; be it small or big &ndash; are undergoing massive digital transformation and smart business strategies that are sustainable and cost-effective are implemented. Owing to that, businesses are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to scale up faster, which has given rise to many alternate models of operations, including the concept of going asset-light.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Asset-light model offers a strategic approach where companies minimise their ownership of physical assets (such as buildings or land). Companies go asset-light by owning fewer capital-intensive assets compared to their operational assets. By doing this, life sciences companies focus on their core competencies (such as research, development, and production) and avoid heavy investments in real estate.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Merck &amp; Co., Inc. (MSD outside the US and Canada) is a prime example of an asset-light pharmaceutical company. Merck collaborates with specialised Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisations (CDMOs) for various stages of drug development and production. By leveraging external partners, they avoid heavy capital expenditure on building and maintaining several of their own manufacturing facilities.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sharing his view on the asset light model, <strong>Rx Propellant&rsquo;s CEO Milind Ravi</strong>, says, &ldquo;While traditionally dominated by &lsquo;user-owned&rsquo; models, an evident but slow shift to &lsquo;asset-light&rsquo; options in India indicates growing demand for agile growth-ready infrastructure. With its increased focus on innovation, India&rsquo;s life sciences market is expected to grow threefold in the next decade, reaching $130 billion by 2030. This in turn is set to generate demand for over 100 million square feet of specialised infrastructure across several existing ecosystems including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Vizag, and Pune among others.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another aspect to asset-light operations is the advantage companies draw from sharing infrastructure elements. Atul Bhardwaj opines that the model of providing comprehensive amenities under one roof offers significant benefits to companies by eliminating the need for capital expenditure on individual pieces of equipment such as chillers and DG sets. This approach, he says, not only reduces the initial capital outlay but also lowers the overall opex for companies, as costs related to maintenance, security, and technical manpower are shared.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;This cost model is particularly advantageous, as it would otherwise be a substantial financial burden for a company to bear alone for its standalone unit. Real estate developers who offer high-quality infrastructure can further reduce a company's upfront expenses by providing essential utilities like nitrogen generators and vacuum systems. A multi-tenanted building thus emerges as a mutually beneficial arrangement for both developers and tenant companies,&rdquo; says Bhardwaj.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Sustainable infrastructure&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In almost every industry, the board members, shareholders advocate the importance of the mandates of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) of business operations. The threat of climate change has prompted many industries to develop environmental strategies to reduce their carbon footprints, with the life sciences industry on the top of the pyramid.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Being climate conscious has brought in new concepts in smart buildings and other digitally supported facilities and infrastructure models. Open floor plans, shared workspaces, and flexible furniture are some of today&rsquo;s trends that are known to foster interaction and knowledge sharing, similar to what's seen in modern IT work spaces. This shift in life sciences too encourages cross-disciplinary research, faster problem-solving, and quicker innovation and most importantly sharing resources.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Emerging trends in innovation have seen an increase in demand for next-gen spaces with flexible workspaces, integration of wet lab-computation stations, highly sensitive zones for increasingly sophisticated equipment and process flow optimisation. New developments designed to accommodate such variables offer sustainable long-term solutions,&rdquo; Milind Ravi opines from his experience.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Also, leading life sciences companies in India prefer to operate from large-scale clusters that can meet both their office and R&amp;D needs. Startups and MSMEs are also increasingly opting to locate themselves in prominent clusters with a clear industrial positioning and abundant R&amp;D resources. Genome Valley (Hyderabad) and Electronic City (Bengaluru) are great examples of such collaborative ecosystems.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">So, if, today, we were to walk into any of India&rsquo;s life sciences parks, we would be delighted to see those spaces being built on modern modular designs having mobile equipment and reconfigurable layouts, with amazing aesthetics and classy landscaping.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">What will also be evident is that the traditional life sciences technicians confining themselves to sterile laboratories would be ancient. Today&rsquo;s workplaces recognise the need for a more holistic environment with sprawling cafeterias, breakout huddles, and interactive/entertainment spaces. Apart from being modern with the changing times, such amenities are considered by the HR department as a way to attract and retain talent.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Leasing: a preferred business model&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Savills, in its report titled </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unlocking Opportunities: Life Sciences and Real Estate in India&rsquo;, indicates that leasing properties to the biotech industry can provide a steady stream of rental income and long-term investment potential for real estate developers.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since life sciences is a rapidly growing and promising sector with significant investments and advancements, by leasing to them, real estate companies become part of their growth story, giving them the advantage of increased long-term value and brand association.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Leasing also brings about several advantages to realtors. Life sciences companies typically require specific and tailored facilities, leading to lesser turnover compared to other commercial leases. This translates to reduced management costs and higher occupancy rates. Also, life sciences companies often require long-term leases due to the complex nature of their facilities and research projects. This stability translates to predictable and dependable income for the real estate companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking from his company&rsquo;s perspective, Milind Ravi,</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> says,&nbsp;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;We bring a very inclusive approach to support companies of all scales not just with infrastructure, but a gamut of ecosystem services that play a pivotal role in their overall experience. We lease laboratory spaces on tailored models based on the need, timelines, intended use and life-stage of our tenant partners. Our standard offering constitutes modular spaces in shared or dedicated formats &ndash; in both &lsquo;warm shell&rsquo; and &lsquo;plug-and-play&rsquo; models as part of integrated and life science-focussed clusters. Apart from this, we also deliver built-to-suit campuses in required specifications of the tenant.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;While our facilities are built for multi-tenancy where each organisation can work independently, we are also working towards developing co-working laboratory spaces with shared equipment and amenities. These are becoming increasingly popular, especially among startups and small research teams,&rdquo; says Milind Ravi.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Growth is certain</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A report titled &lsquo;Life Sciences Industry &amp; Real Estate Perspective 2024: Putting Asia Pacific under the microscope&rsquo; by global real estate company JLL sheds light on India&rsquo;s pharma industry's growth trajectory. While the pandemic undeniably spurred investment due to the vaccine race, the report emphasizes that interest was already on the rise owing to the ongoing breakthroughs in areas like immuno-oncology and neonatology. This pre-existing momentum, fuelled by technological advancements, has directly translated into increased commercial real estate leasing within the pharma sector. This may be true to India&rsquo;s life sciences sector too.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">JLL stresses on the fact that when companies get funding from venture capitalists, they need lab space in order to deliver as soon as possible. Also, sizeable investments bring with them a plethora of life sciences jobs, which can also spur development of housing, retail and other urban amenities that serve the people who live and work for the expanding companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">From Bhardwaj&rsquo;s inputs we can infer that India has a robust domestic market, bolstered further by the Government of India's </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;Jan Aushadhi&rsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> scheme, aimed at providing quality generic medicines at affordable prices to its citizens. As the third-largest exporter of pharmaceuticals by volume and the thirteenth by value, the demand for space is going to grow.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the pharma industry presents sufficient scope, the medical device industry is not any less. Considered as the sunrise sector, the medical devices industry is estimated to reach $50 billion by 2030. In the last five years, the export of medical devices has been increasing at a rate of 9.37 per cent. India&rsquo;s policy to allow 100 per cent foreign investment under an automatic route in the medical devices sector has helped attract significant investments, which has further pushed the demand for real estate. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the medical device industry in India has also helped augment the domestic manufacturing and in reducing dependence on imports. Hence, manufacturing hubs are being set up in many economic zones of the country. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We can therefore conclude with the evidence that there is immense potential for life sciences real estate development to surge in India. Though the country has limited core life sciences real estate investable stock at present, majority of the growth will come from developing new facilities that entail typical development and leasing risks. The stakeholders, however, forecast an increasing investor appetite for Indian life sciences real estate as the sector gains scale over time.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Anusha Ashwin</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => 'Anusha Ashwin', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24273', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'Dissecting Gender Disparity', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/women-24273.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'dissecting-gender-disparity', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in the Indian healthcare industry are mainly concentrated in low-paying frontline positions. In India, 29 per cent of medical doctors, 80 per cent of nursing staff (including midwives), and nearly 100 per cent of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are women. Despite this, women hold only 18 per cent of healthcare leadership positions and continue to earn 34 per cent less than their male counterparts.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are the outcomes of the study titled &lsquo;An Unbalanced Scale - Exploring the Female Leadership Gap in India's Healthcare Sector&rsquo; from Dasra, a non-profit organisation. The&nbsp; study revealed that the Indian healthcare sector, one of the country's largest employers, has experienced substantial growth. It takes a closer look at women's representation in healthcare and the leadership opportunities available to them.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><strong>Inspiring leaders</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"What is concerning is the gap between the proportion of women in healthcare and those who occupy leadership positions. At entry levels, women's representation in sales, marketing, and operations ranges from 40-50 per cent. However, this significantly drops to 15-20 per cent in senior roles," says <strong>Shailja Mehta, Director at Dasra</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is behind this gender gap in leadership positions? Societal norms, cultural expectations and implicit biases against women are some of the main factors that&nbsp;have contributed to the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions. &ldquo;It is a complex issue. The lack of female role models and mentors perpetuates this gender gap," says Shailja.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some believe that one of the primary reasons for the skewed gender ratio in STEM is the stereotyping that begins early in life. Societal expectations often push girls towards more traditionally feminine roles, diverting them away from technical and scientific fields. As a result, fewer women choose STEM education and careers. While others argue that the current gap is a reflection of what was happening 20 years ago, when fewer women entered science careers.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;&ldquo;Today&rsquo;s leaders represent those who entered the field 15-20 years back. Now that the number of women entering these fields has significantly increased in recent years, we will see a lot of women leaders in the coming years. In fact, a major proportion of startups are led by women. They have the capability to do it,&rdquo; <strong>Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, former director, National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) Pune</strong>, says, "The situation is definitely improving. For more women to take leadership roles, changes are required at the family, community and industry level."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Dr Pragya Yadav, senior scientist at the National Institute of Virology, Pune</strong>, who played an instrumental role in the development of Covaxin, agrees. "The situation has certainly improved, but school-going girls should have access to reputable colleges and safe residential facilities for pursuing science as a subject for the real change to occur. Besides, they need support in equal measure, from their families and the industry when raising their children. If they lose that time, catching up becomes difficult,&rdquo; she says. &nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Furthermore, this support should not be seen as an extra favour to women, but rather as their right. Children are the future and the environment they experience while growing up is crucial to their growth and development. It is the duty of both families and society, not just mothers alone, to provide a safe and suitable environment for them," she added. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Manya Jha, a young entrepreneur and founder of Morphedo Technologies</strong>, a deep tech startup in aerospace and defence, medical device engineering, IoT and embedded systems, faced the challenge of balancing child care and her career after the birth of her daughter. To tackle this challenge, she established a small child care centre at her office.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Starting just 20 days after my daughter was born, I brought her to my workplace every day. I made space in my cabin where she could stay with me. Until she was 7 months old, my husband and I took care of her in the shared cabin (during COVID-19 period). At the time of her birth, my startup was also at a crucial stage,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Both my daughter and my company required my personal attention. There were instances when I had to attend important meetings with senior scientists while holding my one-month-old daughter. I believe it's all about the confidence with which you pursue your career."</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today, Manya's company has around&nbsp; 40 employees and the child care centre is now available to all new mothers, offering support in looking after their children while at work.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, despite the challenges, there has been a noticeable shift in the narrative over the past decade, with the number of women leaders emerging in STEM careers increasing slowly but steadily. And these women are not only excelling &nbsp;in their respective fields but also helping dismantling barriers that hinder the progress of other aspiring women.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several prominent women leaders are setting an example for others. Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr Priya Abraham, Director of the National Institute of Virology, biotech stalwart &nbsp;Kiran Majumdar-Shaw,&nbsp; and entrepreneurs like Dr Kavita Iyer Rodrigues and Vasanthi Ramachandran represent some of the most sought after leaders in the industry.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Women are leading more than 30 per cent of the startups incubated at our centre. In many others, they are co-founders or hold significant positions," says <strong>Dr Manisha Premnath, COO of Venture Center</strong>, an incubation centre in Pune that helps startups grow.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Breaking the glass ceiling</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While there is a rise of women leaders in the health and biotech sector, it is important to acknowledge the challenges they continue to face. Stereotypes, biases, and a lack of institutional support still exist. The &lsquo;glass ceiling&rsquo; phenomenon persists, making it difficult for women to reach the highest levels of leadership. A male-centric workplace culture, coupled with a lack of flexibility and understanding regarding work-life balance, discourage women from pursuing or sustaining leadership roles.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The biggest challenge that women face is breaking these stereotypes and breaking free from the vicious cycle of work and life. They need to step out of their comfort zones, or rather, their safe zones, and then there will be no stopping them. Fortunately, nowadays there are several schemes and funds available to support women," says <strong>Dr Deeksha Bhartiya, Founder of Genomiki</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coming from a very traditional, yet ambitious family, Dr Deeksha got married at a young age and encountered challenges in maintaining a balance between her personal and professional life. However, she didn't allow these challenges to deter her from pursuing her doctoral studies and career. "There were many senior male scientists who advised me to take up a permanent job instead of embarking on my entrepreneurial journey. I was told that women should prioritise stability over adventure. However, I am fortunate to have a very supportive family who always push me to exceed my limits and support me in all my decisions."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Exiting the vicious circle</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The foundation for achieving gender parity in STEM careers is laid during the crucial years of education. Schools and educational institutions play an important role in challenging these stereotypes and encouraging girls to explore their interests in science and technology. STEM-focused educational programmes, workshops, and extracurricular activities can help break down gender-based barriers from a young age. Scholarships and mentorship programmes can encourage girls to pursue science education.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To encourage more women to pursue careers in STEM and foster an inclusive and diverse workforce, it is important to adopt unbiased recruitment practices, create a supportive environment for their progress, and implement flexible work arrangements.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is a growing emphasis on incorporating diverse perspectives in STEM curricula. Highlighting the contributions of women scientists and engineers in textbooks and classroom discussions can inspire both girls and boys, challenging preconceived notions about gender roles in these fields. There should be more networking events, conferences and platforms that specifically focus on women in STEM to provide valuable opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing. These spaces not only celebrate the achievements of women in the field but also facilitate the exchange of ideas and strategies to overcome common challenges.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emphasising the pivotal role women play in shaping a sustainable future through scientific leadership, <strong>Melody Lopez, Director and Chief of Staff Crayon Software Experts India</strong> says &ldquo;Fostering women's leadership in science is not just about gender equality but also a catalyst for achieving sustainable development goals. The theme reflects a call to action, urging communities, governments, and organisations to provide equal opportunities for women and girls in science, ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making processes.&rdquo; She further says &ldquo;As we champion women and girls in science leadership, let us embrace this new era, where their voices, ideas, and leadership propel us toward a brighter, more sustainable future for all.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The journey towards gender parity in STEM careers in India could be challenging, but the momentum for change is growing.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><strong>Gunjan Sharma</strong></strong></p> <p><em><strong>gunjan.sharma@mmactiv.com</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => 'Gunjan Sharma ', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24271', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => '“There is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation”', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_27_at_5_20_34_pm-24271.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'there-is-a-significant-gap-in-the-infrastructure-required-for-ai-implementation', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Artificial Intelligence (AI) has completely changed the way we see the world today. How do you see AI revolutionising drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry? Can AI help in discovering new drug molecules that could help treat deadly and chronic diseases like cancers and AIDS?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The future of human life is completely impacted by AI. Particularly its emergence in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry will have a vital impact on disease control and new drug discoveries.&nbsp;AI is poised to revolutionise drug discovery in several ways. It can drastically reduce the time needed to discover and develop new drugs. AI can be used to help suggest novel combinations for treating fatal diseases and even predict treatment outcomes. Additionally, AI facilitates personalised medicine by tailoring treatments to individual patients, which can ultimately speed up the development of new therapies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key challenges in implementing AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly in the context of regulatory compliance?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I feel, the pharma and healthcare organisations in India are yet to gear up for AI. Many are still in the process of adapting to the advancements in the pharmaceutical industry brought about by digitalisation. Despite this progress, the majority of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are not adequately prepared to integrate AI into their operations. AI adoption, beyond platforms like Chat GPT, remains in its infancy and requires further exploration and validation. Moreover, there is a pressing need to harmonise regulatory compliances, particularly in manufacturing standards outlined by the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH). This entails the implementation of electronic documentation systems and global alignment on regulatory practices to ensure both qualitative and compliant manufacturing and healthcare delivery systems. Additionally, there is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation, including the necessary hardware, software, and skilled professionals, which remains to be addressed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a specific example where AI has been successfully utilised to discover or develop a new drug?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although AI is currently making strides in drug discovery, its continual evolution opens up a multitude of possibilities in terms of drug candidates, their structures, and the discovery process. This versatility allows for the pinpointing of targeted molecules tailored to specific therapies or multiple therapeutic discoveries. A recent example highlighting this potential is Insilico Medicine's Pharma.AI, which is revolutionising drug discovery with its suite of AI-powered tools. PandaOmics, for instance, drastically reduces the time required for multi-omics target discovery, from several months to a few clicks. Similarly, Chemistry42 employs machine learning for de novo drug design, generating lead-like molecules within a week. Additionally, InClinico provides an invaluable tool for efficient clinical trial management, identifying potential weaknesses in trial design and predicting success rates. Collectively, these tools are streamlining the traditionally lengthy drug discovery process, accelerating the pursuit of breakthrough medicine.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you envision the role of AI evolving in personalised medicine and patient care?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I believe AI could be groundbreaking by using large amounts of data from healthy and sick people. It could help analyse specific therapeutic segments quickly to see how drugs work over time and improve their formulations. It would also support Phase IV clinical trials, especially in monitoring drug safety (Pharmacovigilance). Overall, AI in personalised medicine and patient care has the potential to improve healthcare, make treatments better, and give patients more control over their health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the ethical considerations that need to be addressed when deploying AI in healthcare settings?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The primary concern lies in protecting patient identity, which can be achieved through AI by masking identities in documentation, albeit in previously challenging areas. The rigidity and security levels of AI coding stand out as effective measures for safeguarding patient identity compared to traditional masking systems. However, the implementation of AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly concerning regulatory compliance, presents various challenges and ethical considerations. These include ensuring data privacy and security, adhering to diverse regulations, deciphering complex AI algorithms, managing the time and cost implications, addressing potential biases perpetuated by AI algorithms, integrating solutions into existing systems, navigating complex ethical and legal considerations, determining accountability and liability for decisions made, preserving patient autonomy and consent, and conducting real-time reviews for corrections.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How can AI help address the challenges of drug resistance in infectious diseases?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The emergence of drug resistance in infectious diseases poses a significant healthcare challenge. However, AI offers a promising solution by playing a crucial role in addressing this issue. Through predictive analytics, AI can forecast which drugs may become ineffective against evolving pathogens, allowing for proactive adjustments in treatment strategies. Furthermore, AI aids in the discovery of alternative treatments, the development of more effective medications, and the customisation of treatment plans tailored to individual patients. By providing real-time insights into the changing landscape of drug resistance, AI enables healthcare professionals to adapt swiftly, ultimately enhancing the efficacy of treatments and improving patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What strategies can be employed to ensure the fairness and transparency of AI algorithms in healthcare decision-making?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To maintain trust, mitigate bias, and foster equitable outcomes, it is crucial to prioritise fairness and transparency in the use of AI algorithms for healthcare decision-making. Some of the strategies to achieve this include ensuring transparency of both data and algorithms, promoting diversity and inclusivity in the development process, conducting external validation and evaluation, and establishing regulatory frameworks and guidelines.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you see AI impacting the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services globally?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While AI offers significant potential for improving the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services on a global scale, there are challenges to overcome. These include ensuring fair access to AI-driven technologies, addressing concerns regarding data privacy and security, and navigating regulatory and ethical issues. Collaboration among various stakeholders, such as governments, healthcare providers, technology developers, and community organisations, is vital to fully realise the benefits of AI in enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key factors hindering the adoption of AI in pharmaceutical research and development?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pharmaceutical companies face several challenges when it comes to using AI in research and development. Firstly, they require high-quality and comprehensive datasets to effectively train AI models. Secondly, they must adhere to strict regulatory guidelines set by government agencies. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies often possess proprietary data and intellectual property that may not be easily compatible with AI systems. Finally, the significant investment required to implement AI technology presents a barrier to adoption for many companies in the industry.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a case where AI-driven predictive modelling has significantly improved clinical trial outcomes or drug efficacy in the Healthcare system?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's important to note that using AI in the healthcare system, along with a thorough review of relevant literature from sources like PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and EMBASE, is significant. Integrating AI into healthcare has the potential to greatly improve disease diagnosis, treatment selection, and clinical laboratory testing. AI tools can analyse large sets of data and find patterns, outperforming humans in many healthcare tasks. AI brings higher accuracy, lower costs, and time savings, while also reducing human errors. It can revolutionise personalised medicine, optimise medication dosages, improve population health management, set guidelines, offer virtual health assistants, support mental health care, enhance patient education, and strengthen patient-physician trust.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, AI can be used in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) by using machine learning algorithms to predict drug-drug interactions. By analysing large sets of patient data, these algorithms can detect potential drug interactions. This helps to decrease the risk of adverse drug reactions, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Amguth Raju</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>hyderabad@mmactiv.com&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => 'Amguth Raju', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17'), array('articleId' => '24280', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Effectively Eliminating Drug-resistant TB', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/tb-24280.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'effectively-eliminating-drug-resistant-tb', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has the highest burden of TB, with two deaths occurring every three minutes from the disease. The country recorded a staggering 28 lakh cases in 2022, accounting for 27 per cent of the global cases, according to WHO.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India initiated the TB Free India campaign with the ambitious goal of eradicating TB by 2025, a milestone set five years earlier than the target outlined by the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Despite facing setbacks due to COVID-19, the nation doubled down on its efforts, resulting in notable progress. The India TB Report 2023 heralded 2022 as a pivotal year in TB surveillance, noting a significant achievement with a record-high notification of 24.2 lakh TB cases, representing an increase of over 13 per cent compared to 2021.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The latest WHO Global TB Report 2023 acknowledged and praised India's efforts in its fight against TB, particularly highlighting the effectiveness of its case detection strategies. The report emphasised that India's intensified case detection strategies led to the highest-ever notification of cases in 2022, surpassing pre-COVID levels. The government's key initiatives, such as specialised active case finding drives, the scaling up of molecular diagnostics to block levels, decentralisation of screening services through Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, and private sector engagement, have significantly reduced the gap in missing cases.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Road to elimination&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the country has made remarkable progress in its fight against TB, the adoption of additional strategies such as shorter treatment regimens, the development of vaccines, and a renewed focus on nutrition could prove to be game-changers in its goal of eliminating TB for good.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The BPaL regimen, composed of Bedaquiline, Pretomanid and Linezolid, presents a promising alternative for a shorter, safer and more tolerable treatment option for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). Lasting only 26 weeks, it contrasts sharply with conventional DR-TB treatments, which can span 18 to 21 months and entail the consumption of over 4,000 to 5,000 tablets. Endorsed by the US FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) in 2019 and the WHO in 2022, the BPaL regimen has been implemented in more than 70 countries, including South Africa, Ukraine, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;The older, conventional regimen for drug-resistant TB included prolonged use of injections with other drugs. This was associated with increased incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), implementation challenges under the programme and inconvenience to the patients. The new TB drug regimen uses the newer oral drugs like Bedaquiline, Delamanid or Pretomanid, or the repurposed drugs such as linezolid, clofazimine, etc. These regimens are injection free and have lesser pill burden leading to more acceptance among the TB patients besides reducing the implementation challenges due to the use of injections. They have the ability to kill the actively multiplying drug-resistant TB bacteria faster and a sustained killing of the bacteria to prevent the recurrence of the TB disease among the patients. These regimens have shown improved treatment success rates under field conditions under the national programme,&rdquo; said <strong>Dr Rupak Singla, Head of Department, National Institute of TB &amp; Respiratory Diseases, New Delhi</strong>.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Singla further said &ldquo;To combat the adverse drug reactions of these regimen, specially due to drug linezolid, various regimens using different dosages and durations of linezolid have demonstrated reduced incidence of ADRs maintaining the efficacy of the regimen. Hence, these newer treatment drug regimens could reduce the global burden of drug-resistant TB. However, the requirement of a good quality laboratory network, availability and higher cost of the drugs continue to pose a challenge.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new regimen is shorter, easier on patients and improves treatment adherence, resulting in better outcomes compared to previous drug regimens.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Talking about the potential implications of the new TB drug regimen on India&rsquo;s TB control efforts, Dr Singla stated, &ldquo;The cure rate for previous conventional TB regimen for multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) was to the tune of around 50 per cent and for Extensively drug-resistant-TB (XDR-TB), less than 30 per cent. The new TB drug regimen has the potential for significant improvement in treatment success rates for MDR-TB as well as XDR-TB.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In India the national data shows that more than 36,000 drug-resistant TB patients have been initiated on shorter oral Bedaquiline-containing regimen and more than 92,000 patients have been initiated on longer oral regimen till date. Treatment success rates of shorter oral regimen for the cohort April-September 2022 (around 12,000 patients) is 69 per cent and of longer oral regimen for the cohort January-September 2021 (around 15,000 patients) is 71 per cent. The improved success rates of new drug regimens is likely to translate into less number of deaths due to TB, reduced period of infectiousness of TB patients and reduced transmission of TB to others in the community leading to reduced incidence of TB.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Studies at the 2023 Union World Conference on Lung Health affirm WHO-endorsed regimens' effectiveness, surpassing traditional 18- to 24-month treatments. The goal is to urge high-burden DR-TB countries to update guidelines and offer shorter treatments to all patients in need. Only 40 per cent of the 410,000 people with DR-TB in 2022 had access to the shorter regimen, as per a WHO report.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A group of experts in the country have stressed the need for introducing the BPaL regimen in the TB control programme of the country. B<strong>lessina Kumar, CEO, Global Coalition of TB Advocates, New Delhi</strong> emphasised the potential cost savings associated with its adoption, citing studies estimating a global annual savings of $740 million. With India accounting for a significant portion of global multi-drug, rifampicin-resistant (MDR/RR-TB) treated patients, she suggested that the country could save nearly $250 million per year through the implementation of this regimen. India will likely roll out the new regime soon.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>TB Vaccine</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vaccination holds promise as a game-changer for TB elimination. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is conducting phase III trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two vaccines: VPM1002 and MIP (Mycobacterium indicus pranii). VPM1002 is a live vaccine based on recombinant BCG, modified for better safety and efficacy. MIP or Immuvac, originally developed for leprosy, is a whole-cell TB vaccine candidate. The trial aims to assess the effectiveness of these vaccines in preventing TB disease, among 12,721 individuals exposed to TB at home (referred to as household contacts). Enrollment for the study is complete, with participant follow-up currently ongoing, according to the pipeline report 2022 by the Treatment Action Group.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bharat Biotech is partnering with the Spanish firm BIOFABRI to develop, manufacture, and distribute a new tuberculosis vaccine across over 70 countries in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The TB vaccine candidate by Bharat Biotech is set to enter phase-III trials soon.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Lancet study highlighted the pivotal role of nutrition in TB management. The&nbsp; Reducing Activation of Tuberculosis by Improvement of Nutritional Status (RATIONS) trial demonstrated that providing food baskets to TB patients and their households reduced all forms of TB by nearly 40 per cent and infectious TB by almost 50 per cent. In 2018, the Indian government launched the 'Nikshay Poshan Yojana,' a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to offer nutrition support to TB patients. Since its inception, the scheme has disbursed approximately Rs 2613 crore to over 95 lakh TB patients.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has indeed made significant strides in addressing TB; however, the battle against the disease is far from over. Despite enhanced detection and surveillance efforts, there's&nbsp; a need to adopt newer strategies to combat TB effectively. Advances in R&amp;D of vaccines, access to newer drug regimens, enhanced focus on nutrition will all help in propelling TB elimination goals.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Ayesha Siddiqui&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ayesha Siddiqui', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24272', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Prioritising Women’s Health & Wellbeing ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2036811071-24272.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: gettyimages', 'pageSlug' => 'prioritising-womens-health-wellbeing-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a new report from the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute launched at Davos in January 2024, women may live longer than men, on average, but they spend 25 per cent more of their lives in debilitating health. The report said improving diagnostics, data on women-specific conditions like ovarian cancer, and directing more investments towards women&rsquo;s health and research is needed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In particular, McKinsey research finds that less than 2 per cent of healthcare research and innovation is invested in female-specific conditions beyond cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This &lsquo;women&rsquo;s health gap&rsquo; equates to 75 million years of life lost due to poor health or early death each year. Closing the gap would benefit 3.9 billion women, giving them an extra seven healthy days a year, or an average of 500 days over a lifetime. Further, it could boost the global economy by $1 trillion by 2040 from fewer early deaths and health conditions, and a greater capacity for women to contribute to the economy and society.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a result of these findings, the final hours of the World Economic Forum in Davos saw the launch of a new Global Alliance for Women&rsquo;s Health, which has the broad ambition of &lsquo;re-shaping the future of women&rsquo;s health and the global economy.&rsquo; The health alliance will pledge new commitments from governments, philanthropies, and pharmaceutical companies, among others, across three pillars i.e. financing, science and innovation, and agenda-setting. So far, partners have pledged $55 million to improve women&rsquo;s health outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">With International Women&rsquo;s Day 2024 being themed around &lsquo;Inspiring inclusion&rsquo;, we see governments across the globe putting the much-needed emphasis on women&rsquo;s healthcare. For instance, the UAE has set out wide-ranging plans to bolster healthcare services for women, by approving the &lsquo;National Policy for Improving Women&rsquo;s Health&rsquo; for providing the highest healthcare services quality for women, whether curative, preventive or rehabilitative services. Similarly, the Irish government is paving the way for a longer-term comprehensive Women&rsquo;s Health Strategy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in England are being urged to help shape reproductive health policy, as the government seeks views on periods, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and menopause for health strategy. Likewise, the Biden administration recently announced a White House initiative to improve how the federal government approaches and funds research into the health of women, who make up more than half of the US population but remain understudied and underrepresented in health research.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, of course, is not far behind in this initiative. The Interim Budget 2024-25 announcement that took place on February 1, 2024, laid focus on encouraging vaccination for girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years for the prevention of cervical cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Besides these government initiatives, multiple efforts are also being made by the industry players to improve women&rsquo;s health. For example, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zurzuvae as the first and only oral treatment approved for women with postpartum depression, developed by American pharmaceutical company Biogen. The US FDA has also recently approved a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription for the first time in the US, a milestone that could significantly expand access to contraception. The pill&rsquo;s manufacturer, Perrigo Company is based in Dublin.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Further, biotech companies in the UK and Korea are embarking on the world's first prospective study of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered breast cancer detection, to streamline diagnosis, and tackle radiologist shortages. On the other hand, startups in India have developed groundbreaking multi-cancer detection tests specifically designed for high-risk and asymptomatic women.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quality, affordability, and accessibility, particularly in the context of women&rsquo;s health, are very critical aspects of ensuring well-being. This calls for greater mobilisation across sectors to invest in women&rsquo;s health, keeping in mind the imperatives of equity and integral care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Manbeena Chawla</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Executive Editor</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(</span><a href="mailto:manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com"><span style="font-weight: 400;">manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></p>', 'sequence' => '5', 'guestAuthor' => 'Dr Manbeena Chawla', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '101'), array('articleId' => '24270', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Establishing Ethical Frameworks for Equitable Use of AI in Healthcare ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/21-24270.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'establishing-ethical-frameworks-for-equitable-use-of-ai-in-healthcare-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The global healthcare landscape is witnessing a seismic transformation driven by AI technologies. From therapeutics to diagnostics, hospital operations to clinical decision-making, AI is making significant strides across diverse applications. According to Statista, the value of AI in the global healthcare market was $11 billion in 2021, projected to reach an estimated $188 billion by 2030. This staggering growth, at a compounded annual rate of 37 per cent, underscores the immense potential AI holds in reshaping the future of healthcare.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Transforming Medical Research and Imaging Analysis</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The impact of AI is not limited to specific segments; it spans the entire healthcare ecosystem. One critical domain experiencing a revolution is medical research, as AI expedites drug discovery processes. Through machine learning algorithms, researchers can predict the success rate of chemical compounds, significantly reducing the time and resources required for experimentation. This not only accelerates the pace of innovation but also holds the promise of bringing new, effective treatments to patients more rapidly.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the realm of medical imaging analysis, AI is proving to be a game-changer. It enables the rapid and accurate detection of anomalies in MRI scans, X-rays, and CT scans. Radiologists benefit from quicker identification of potential life-threatening issues, minimising human errors and enhancing diagnostic accuracy. This not only saves crucial time but also improves patient outcomes, particularly in cases where early detection is paramount.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Data-Driven Healthcare</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">AI is revolutionising the traditional landscape of diagnosis and treatment by providing clinicians with unprecedented data-driven insights. Machine learning algorithms analyse extensive patient data to identify patterns and correlations, facilitating more accurate and timely diagnosis. Personalised treatment plans based on individual patient characteristics are now a reality, enhancing the effectiveness of medical interventions. The ability to tailor treatments to specific patient profiles leads to improved outcomes and a more efficient allocation of healthcare resources.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Real-time assessment of treatment effectiveness by AI tools further contributes to improved clinical outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. Monitoring and adjusting treatment plans based on real-world data ensure that patients receive the most effective interventions tailored to their individual responses. This not only enhances patient care but also contributes to the sustainability of healthcare systems worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Predictive analysis, powered by AI, enables healthcare providers to forecast potential outcomes based on historical data and real-time health information. Identifying patients at risk of specific conditions allows for early intervention, preventing complications and improving overall healthcare efficiency. Large-scale population data analysis can also detect trends and outbreaks of infectious diseases before they become widespread, a critical capability showcased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability to anticipate and mitigate health crises is a testament to the power of AI in safeguarding public health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Patient-Centric Approach</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The integration of AI into healthcare is not solely about clinical applications; it extends to improving the overall patient experience. Streamlining appointment scheduling, providing remote monitoring solutions, and offering personalised treatment plans based on individual medical records contribute to a more patient-centric approach. AI-driven chatbots responding to routine medical inquiries reduce stress and save time for both patients and healthcare providers, fostering a more efficient and accessible healthcare system.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the promises of AI in healthcare, challenges persist. Blind spots in data access and collection, privacy concerns, data misuse, and regulatory ambiguities are roadblocks to widespread adoption. In India, a rapidly growing player in AI-based healthcare, progress is evident, but there is still a long way to go. The ambitious goals of universal healthcare delivery and affordability through AI remain distant, requiring continued innovation and collaboration.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, a major player in the global healthcare sector, is rapidly embracing AI. The National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence by NITI Aayog highlights the potential of AI to address challenges such as a shortage of qualified healthcare professionals and non-uniform accessibility to healthcare across the country. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, AI expenditure in India is projected to reach $11.78 billion by 2025, contributing significantly to the country's economy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite challenges, AI's potential to revolutionise healthcare is undeniable. As technology continues to advance, AI's applications in telemedicine, genomics, robotics, and 3D printing will expand. Workforce training and collaboration between medical professionals and AI developers will be crucial for maximising the benefits of AI. The integration of AI with other emerging technologies holds the key to shaping the future of medical care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we delve deeper into the integration of AI in healthcare, it's imperative to address the ethical considerations surrounding this revolutionary technology. The responsible use of AI in medical settings demands careful navigation of issues such as patient privacy, data security, and bias in algorithms.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Privacy concerns arise from the vast amounts of sensitive patient data being processed by AI systems. Ensuring robust data protection measures, stringent encryption, and transparent data usage policies become paramount to build and maintain public trust in AI-driven healthcare solutions.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The potential for bias in AI algorithms poses another ethical challenge. If the datasets used to train AI models are not representative or if biased historical data is fed into the algorithms, it can perpetuate existing inequalities in healthcare. Striking a balance in dataset curation and continuous monitoring of algorithmic outputs is crucial to mitigate bias and ensure equitable healthcare outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moreover, the explainability of AI decisions becomes crucial, especially in critical medical scenarios. Ensuring that AI models provide interpretable insights aids healthcare professionals in understanding and trusting AI-generated recommendations, fostering collaboration between humans and machines.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In conclusion, AI is not just a buzzword but a transformative force reshaping the healthcare industry. From diagnosis to treatment, AI is proving its mettle by delivering accurate, personalised, and efficient healthcare solutions. While challenges persist, the trajectory of AI in healthcare is pointing towards a future where technology and human expertise converge to provide optimal patient care. As we stand at the intersection of technology and healthcare, the role of AI in shaping the future of medicine is more promising than ever.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As AI continues to evolve, it is crucial for stakeholders&mdash;be they healthcare providers, policymakers, or technology developers&mdash;to collaborate in establishing ethical frameworks that ensure the responsible and equitable use of AI in healthcare. The ongoing dialogue around ethical considerations is vital to ensure that AI remains a force for good in healthcare, driving positive change for patients and society at large.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&amp;D, Murata Vios</strong></em></p>', 'sequence' => '6', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&D, Murata Vios', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17')), 'trendingTopicsList' => array(array('articleId' => '24283', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => '83.5% of adults in India underestimate shingles risk: Global GSK survey', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shingles_large-24283.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => '83-5-of-adults-in-india-underestimate-shingles-risk-global-gsk-survey', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical (GSK) has released new data from a globally commissioned survey funded by them. The survey finds notable gaps in understanding of shingles risk among individuals aged above 50 years, a group that is most susceptible to the disease.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey conducted amongst 3,500 adults aged 50 and over from 12 countries, assessed respondents&rsquo; understanding of shingles, what triggers it, and its impact on people&rsquo;s lives.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey in&nbsp;India&nbsp;involved 500 participants, with 250 respondents who spoke Hindi and another 250 who spoke English. The data, launched in time for Shingles Awareness Week 2024 (26 February&nbsp;2024 &ndash; 3 March 2024), finds a widespread lack of understanding of shingles and its lifetime risk.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The findings show that globally, a significantly high proportion of those surveyed do not understand their risk of developing shingles,&nbsp;with&nbsp;86%&nbsp;underestimating&nbsp;that&nbsp;risk.<font size="1">&nbsp;</font>In India, 81% of the English-speaking and 86% &nbsp;of the Hindi-speaking respondents surveyed underestimate the risk of shingles<sup>.</sup></p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In India,&nbsp;amongst the &nbsp;English-speaking respondents, 22% believe that 1 in 1000 adults are at risk of developing shingles.<sup>&nbsp;</sup>Amongst the Hindi-speaking respondents,18% believe that 1 in 1000 adults is at risk of developing shingles.&nbsp;</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In&nbsp;reality,&nbsp;most&nbsp;adults already&nbsp;have&nbsp;the&nbsp;virus that&nbsp;causes&nbsp;shingles present in&nbsp;their bodies by&nbsp;the&nbsp;age&nbsp;of 50,&nbsp;which may&nbsp;reactivate with&nbsp;advancing&nbsp;age.&nbsp;Shingles&nbsp;is&nbsp;caused&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;reactivation&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;varicella-zoster&nbsp;virus&nbsp;(VZV),&nbsp;the same virus that causes chickenpox.&nbsp;As people age, the strength of their immune response to infection wanes, and this increases their risk of developing shingles.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Rashmi Hegde, Executive Vice President - Medical Affairs, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, India, said,&nbsp;&ldquo;The survey findings underscore the need to raise awareness about shingles risk in adults over 50.&nbsp; Shingles can significantly disrupt the daily lives of ageing adults and cause them a great deal of discomfort."</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24230', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Fujifilm launches advanced endoscopic ultrasound machine ALOKA ARIETTA 850 in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/fuji-24230.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'fujifilm-launches-advanced-endoscopic-ultrasound-machine-aloka-arietta-850-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Fujifilm India, a pioneer in diagnostic imaging and information systems, has launched the ground breaking ALOKA ARIETTA 850 Diagnostic Ultrasound System in India with its first-ever installation at Fortis Hospital in Bengaluru.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Representing a remarkable advancement in endoscopic technologies, the high-tech ultrasound system aims to enhance diagnostic precision and image clarity for gastrointestinal diseases in the region.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">In India, contemporary lifestyles and changing dietary choices are leading to the deteriorating digestive health of the population, adding to the growing prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Addressing this, Fujifilm India&rsquo;S&nbsp;ALOKA ARIETTA 850&nbsp;Endoscopic Ultrasound Machine at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru is a significant step in providing world-class diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients against these GI-related diseases, performing targeted treatments such as Pancreatic pseudo cyst drainage (without surgery), targeted delivery of treatment in Pancreatic cancers.&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) is a minimally invasive method for assessing malignancies affecting the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract and neighbouring organs or tissues. With this high degree of accuracy in both diagnostic and therapeutic capacities, it allows doctors to precisely examine organs like the lungs, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, lymph nodes and nearby affected areas.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">EUS also facilitates the extraction of tissue or fluid samples through a thin needle, eliminating the need for a separate biopsy procedure. Additionally, it improves the staging of cancers with accurate sampling provided by Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) and Fine Needle Biopsy (FNB). Furthermore, EUS proves valuable in cases of altered anatomy and among cancer patients for various therapeutic procedures.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">ALOKA ARIETTA 850 stands out from conventional endoscopic ultrasound machines with a range of superior features. The machine generates image quality with 7 million digital channels in its B mode. This system also incorporates HD-THI for deeper penetration, ensuring accurate diagnoses, along with combi-elastography, pure symphonic architecture and CHI-TIC and Inflow Time Mapping for clearer visibility by reducing noise and enhancing the completeness and continuity of tissue boundaries.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '91'), array('articleId' => '24229', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Bengaluru researchers develop paper-based platform to detect antibiotic-resistant bacteria', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shutterstock_157198133-24229.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'bengaluru-researchers-develop-paper-based-platform-to-detect-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">A paper-based platform developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru could help quickly detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant, disease-causing bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Dr Uday Maitra, Professor at the Department of Organic Chemistry, IISc, and collaborators have developed a rapid diagnosis protocol that uses a luminescent paper-based platform to detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The approach developed by the IISc and JNCASR team involves incorporating biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (BCA) within a supramolecular hydrogel matrix containing terbium cholate (TbCh). This hydrogel normally emits green fluorescence when UV light is shined on it.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The next step was to find a way to make the technology inexpensive. Currently used diagnostics instruments are costly, which drives up the price for testing.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team collaborated with a Chennai-based company called Adiuvo Diagnostics to design a customised, portable and miniature imaging device, named Illuminate Fluorescence Reader. Infusing the hydrogel in a sheet of paper as the medium reduced the cost significantly. The instrument is fitted with different LEDs that shine UV radiation as required. Green fluorescence from the enzyme is captured by a built-in camera, and a dedicated software app measures the intensity, which can help quantify the bacterial load.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team from IISc tied up with Jayanta Haldar&rsquo;s research group from JNCASR to check their approach on urine samples. As the next step, the researchers plan to tie up with hospitals to test this technology with samples from patients.</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58'), array('articleId' => '24163', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Theme for National Science Day sets in as ‘Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat’', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/nsd-24163.png', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'theme-for-national-science-day-sets-in-as-indigenous-technologies-for-viksit-bharat', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science &amp; Technology Dr Jitendra Singh released the theme for the "National Science Day 2024", titled "Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat".</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) theme for this year&rsquo;s celebration reflects a strategic focus on promoting public appreciation for Science, Technology and Innovation and accomplishments of Indian scientists to address challenges through home-grown technologies for over-all well-being.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The theme not only marks a new era but also presents an opportunity for public and scientific fraternity, both domestically and internationally, to collaborate, work together, and contribute to the well-being of India and humanity as a whole. While emphasising the importance of making India&nbsp;<em>Atmanirbhar&nbsp;</em>through science, it underscores the need to address subjects that hold significance for humanity as a whole.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on 28 February to commemorate the discovery of the &lsquo;Raman Effect&rsquo;. Government of India designated 28 February as National Science Day in 1986. On this day Sir C.V. Raman announced the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930. On this occasion, theme-based science communication activities are carried out all over the country. The theme launch will trigger celebrations of NSD specially in schools &amp; colleges throughout the country.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science &amp; Technology (DST) said that as we embark on the celebration of NSD and move ahead with the launch of the theme for 2024, it is clearly evident that our scientific endeavours have the power to shape not only the future of our nation but also contribute significantly towards global advancement.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58')), 'mostReadArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24286', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Qiagen launches AI-derived biomedical knowledge base to accelerate data-driven drug discovery', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2-24286.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'qiagen-launches-ai-derived-biomedical-knowledge-base-to-accelerate-data-driven-drug-discovery', 'page1' => '<p align="justify">US-based Qiagen has announced the launch of Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI, a new generative AI-driven knowledge base designed to propel drug discovery in the pharma and biotech industries. This new offering is designed for data scientists and bioinformaticians who are looking for the most comprehensive knowledge graphs to fuel data-driven drug discovery.</p> <p align="justify">Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI is built on a massive dataset of biomedical literature and other scientific sources. It identifies and extracts causal relationships between genes, diseases, drugs and other biological entities with artificial intelligence (AI), generating over 600 million more biomedical relationships than its complement, Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD. This expansive knowledge base helps data scientists understand disease mechanisms, identify drug targets or biomarkers and explore strategies for repurposing existing drugs. Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI provides the most complete picture of biomedical relationships, including edge cases and novel relationships.</p> <p align="justify">While Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD is manually curated and known for its high quality and accuracy, Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI contains over 25x more relationships, allowing data scientists to generate new insights. Both knowledge bases can be used to provide both high-quality and high-quantity biomedical relationships data for data scientists and bioinformaticians to mine and validate.</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '60'), array('articleId' => '24284', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'IIT Kanpur partners with UP government to enhance tele-medicine using AI', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_28_at_3_48_48_pm-24284.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'iit-kanpur-partners-with-up-government-to-enhance-tele-medicine-using-ai', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">The Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and the Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to revolutionise healthcare delivery and advance tele-medicine facilities in the state through the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI).</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU was signed by Ranjan Kumar IAS, Secretary, Health &amp; Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Professor Sandeep Verma, Professor-In-Charge, Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Kanpur, in the presence of&nbsp;other dignitaries.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU outlines several key areas of collaboration, including anchoring tele-medicine hubs and enhancing the quality of tele-medicine services, implementing AI-based solutions to address population health impact, developing point-of-care diagnostics to drive program improvements, conducting competency-based capacity building for health cadres, and utilizing database predictions and analysis for informed decision-making.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">This will help the Department to make optimal use of the UP Digital Health Stack (UP-DHS) and ensure that every citizen of the state, wherever they are, will be able to access healthcare when needed. In Uttar Pradesh, UP-DHS is making significant strides in implementation, with foundational NHS elements deployed across all health administrative units and the rollout of essential healthcare applications well underway.</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '100'), array('articleId' => '24282', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Medtech firm Stryker expands prototype and testing facility in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/styker-24282.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'medtech-firm-stryker-expands-prototype-and-testing-facility-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker, a global leader in medical technologies, has officially expanded its prototype and testing facility in India, marking significant growth of its R&amp;D footprint in the country.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This advanced 55,600-square-foot facility integrates cutting-edge infrastructure, enhanced microbiology capabilities, and a talented team to drive innovation and ensure product quality across its medical technology portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Investing in innovation from India is a focus area for Stryker," said&nbsp;Ram Rangarajan, Vice President of Stryker Global Technology Center, India. "This new lab represents our commitment to developing medical technologies that improve patient outcomes and comply with the highest regulatory standards."</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker's new facility is dedicated to the rigorous life cycle testing of medical devices. The new lab boasts several key features:</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Prototyping and product assurance hub:&nbsp;Equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure for plastic 3D printing,&nbsp;metal machining, and a diverse range of testing capabilities,&nbsp;the lab supports prototyping and product assurance across Stryker's entire product portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Expanded microbiology competency:&nbsp;The lab strengthens Stryker's ability to conduct comprehensive microbiological testing,&nbsp;ensuring the safety and efficacy of its medical technologies.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Talented team of engineers and microbiologists:&nbsp; Highly skilled engineers and microbiologists will use the advanced equipment and expertise to develop innovative solutions that positively impact patients around the world.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '93'), array('articleId' => '24262', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Miltenyi Biotec to open Cell and Gene Therapy Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/gene-24262.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'miltenyi-biotec-to-open-cell-and-gene-therapy-centre-of-excellence-in-hyderabad', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">German firm Miltenyi Biotec is launching operations in India with its first office and investing to set up Miltenyi Innovation and Technology Center as Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Hyderabad.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This COE will be one of its first of its kind in India where scientists, researchers, industry experts and clinicians can get classroom to hands-on trainings on cell and gene therapy approaches right from proof of concept to pre-clinical / clinical development and commercialisation. This CoE also will provide Indian researchers, scientists and clinicians easier access to expertise, research, and manufacturing solutions.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Each year, more than 10,000 patients are treated with cell products using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies. More than&nbsp; 950 investigational new drug (IND) applications as well as investigational device exemptions (IDE) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies and platforms.&nbsp;&nbsp;In doing so, the company is well poised to enable local development and manufacturing in India to drive affordable and&nbsp;accessible CGT therapies by academia and industry for Indian as well as global patients.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Boris Stoffel,&nbsp;Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s Managing Director, highlighted that the company intends to seek opportunities to catalyse development of CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T cell clinical development and manufacturing, with the prospect of bringing centralised and point-of-care CAR T cell therapy to hospitals across India.</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '96')), 'pollQuestionDetails' => array('pollQuestionId' => '74', 'title' => 'Is India witnessing increasing demand for life sciences-related real estate?', 'slug' => 'is-india-witnessing-increasing-demand-for-life-sciences-related-real-estate', 'question' => '', 'status' => '1', 'deleteStatus' => '0', 'lastUpdationDate' => object(DateTime), 'creationDate' => object(DateTime), 'userId' => '10', 'siteId' => '2', 'pollOptionList' => array(array('pollOptionId' => '206', 'option' => 'Yes', 'clicks' => '2', 'pollQuestionId' => '74'), array('pollOptionId' => '207', 'option' => 'No', 'clicks' => '2', 'pollQuestionId' => '74'), array('pollOptionId' => '208', 'option' => 'May be', 'clicks' => '2', 'pollQuestionId' => '74'))), 'articleList' => array()), 'assetic' => array('debug' => true, 'vars' => object(ValueContainer), 'use_controller' => false), 'app' => object(GlobalVariables)), array('angular' => array(object(__TwigTemplate_d77dc5cbce83a4064a64c325ed06ed30c11d35b6cf8ff966441a1a01ed96912c), 'block_angular'), 'col_md_8' => array(object(__TwigTemplate_d77dc5cbce83a4064a64c325ed06ed30c11d35b6cf8ff966441a1a01ed96912c), 'block_col_md_8'), 'pagesScript' => array(object(__TwigTemplate_d77dc5cbce83a4064a64c325ed06ed30c11d35b6cf8ff966441a1a01ed96912c), 'block_pagesScript')))
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'parentSectionId' => '25', 'siteId' => '2', 'status' => '1')))), 'footerTopLeftDetail' => array('articleId' => '129', 'articleTitle' => 'Footer Top Left', 'seoTitle' => null, 'seoSummary' => null, 'seoGenerator' => null, 'seoAuthor' => null, 'seoAppName' => null, 'subheading' => 'Subscribe to BioSpectrum India', 'titleText' => '', 'titleUrl' => 'http://www.biospectrumindia.com/BSI_forms/subscription_reg_mgz.php', 'introDescription' => '', 'page1' => '', 'page2' => null, 'page3' => null, 'page4' => null, 'page5' => null, 'guestAuthor' => null, 'remark' => null, 'primaryMedium' => 'Text', 'flashNews' => '0', 'specialFeature' => '0', 'city' => null, 'imagePath' => 'uploads/static/bsi_march_2024_issue_cover_page_jpg_1_-129.jpg', 'imageTitle' => '', 'sequence' => '129', 'publishDateTime' => null, 'expiryDateTime' => null, 'displayDate' => null, 'editingNotes' => '', 'lastUpdationDate' => object(DateTime), 'creationDate' => object(DateTime), 'status' => 'Published', 'contentTypeId' => '15', 'siteId' => '2', 'sourceId' => '2', 'userId' => '4', 'lastUpdatedByUserId' => '26', 'articleType' => 'Static', 'language' => null, 'blogType' => null, 'pageSlug' => 'footer-top-left', 'magazineIssue' => null, 'pullquote' => null, 'restrictionType' => null, 'seoKeyword' => null, 'articleReadCount' => '0'), 'subsectionAlias' => 'segments', 'subsection' => 'Segments', 'section' => '', 'sectionId' => '', 'aliasName' => '', 'leadershipArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24267', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'What’s Shaking Up India’s Life Sciences Real Estate Sector?', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/bs1-24267.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'whats-shaking-up-indias-life-sciences-real-estate-sector', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2021,&nbsp; a California-based life sciences real estate development company acquired Hotel Buckminster. This acquisition was done to redevelop the closed hotel into a life science lab space. Again in May 2021, a facility that housed the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive was transformed into a new life sciences lab on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the same year in India, a Canadian Pension Fund along with a Singapore-based wealth and asset management firm jointly invested $100 million (Rs 7.5 billion) in life sciences R&amp;D facilities in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. This investment, according to reports, proved to be a stepping stone for more equity investments in this segment. On February 6, 2024, life sciences real estate developer, Rx Propellant announced an initial investment of $75 million in phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai Research (NMR) District, as part of its continued regional expansion strategy across India.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In all the four developments mentioned above, it is clear that post-pandemic, the demand for life sciences-related real estate has significantly increased. Both greenfield and brownfield projects have surged, as the pandemic fuelled the demand for locally manufactured pharma and medical products.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, in the last few decades, has witnessed the IT and manufacturing sectors invest heavily in real estate and infrastructure. But in the post-pandemic era, we see life sciences companies require space to innovate, for R&amp;D, and manufacture at scale.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Fast-evolving life sciences market&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India is one of the fastest-growing life sciences markets in the world and the sector is poised to see multi-fold growth by 2030 led by a fast-increasing population, rising life expectancy, a strong industrial base and inclusive government initiatives. In addition, India&rsquo;s demographic dividend, strong industrial base and policy push are known to be the growth drivers for the life sciences sector in the country.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The increasing government spending on the healthcare sector, cost benefits in terms of affordable manpower &amp; real estate expenses, and the availability of a large talent pool are the catalysts of life sciences growth in India. Schemes like Production Linked Incentive (PLI)&nbsp; have boosted domestic manufacturing which&nbsp; has resulted in the need for more space in industrial and tech parks. Also, global exports of pharmaceutical and biotechnology products and medical devices from the country have forced many companies to invest in capacity building and human resources.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Notably, India ranks second globally in terms of the number of US FDA-certified plants located outside the US, closely followed by China. Strengths of this kind and the constantly evolving sector are&nbsp; furthering the requirement for large-scale&nbsp; manufacturing, MSMEs, wet laboratories, R&amp;D hubs, incubators, and data centres&nbsp; coupled with other IT &amp; ES support.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the next decade, it is estimated that the requirement for life sciences R&amp;D real estate in India is likely to grow to somewhere between $16 billion (Rs 1,200 billion) and $34 billion (Rs 2,550 billion) as per conservative and optimistic scenarios.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Push from PEs and VCs</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India&rsquo;s life sciences R&amp;D real estate is emerging as a high-potential asset class for institutional investors. Aided by exponential global demand growth, geopolitical environment, policies initiatives, and skilled workforce this sector is rapidly transforming.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Atul Bhardwaj, Business Head, Lighthouse Canton Real Estate</strong>, indicates that both domestic and international investors are demonstrating a strong interest in India's life sciences real estate market. According to Bhardwaj, private equity firms, venture capitalists, and real estate developers are actively investing significant capital in the development of specialised facilities to meet the requirements of life sciences companies. He says, &ldquo;Biotechnology parks and clusters are emerging as key focal points for life sciences research and manufacturing in India. These specialised hubs offer world-class infrastructure, shared amenities, and a collaborative ecosystem that encourages innovation and cooperation among industry stakeholders, academic institutions, and research organisations.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Citing one other compelling factor of the life sciences real estate market to surge, Bhardwaj, says, &ldquo;This sector's operational model does not accommodate the concept of working from home, which presents a compelling opportunity for real estate developers. The recent pandemic underscored the resilience of the pharmaceutical sector. While many industries, including office realty, experienced significant disruptions, the pharmaceutical sector's demand for space significantly increased, further cementing its critical role in the global economy.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Arvind Nandan, Managing Director &ndash; Research &amp; Consulting, Savills India</strong>, says, &ldquo;Venture Capital funding into the life sciences industry in India stood at $448 million (Rs 34 billion) in 2021 through August, almost 3x of the annual average of the previous years, making it clear that this segment will play a pivotal role in the overall growth of the Indian Real Estate industry.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Adopting the asset light model</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We know that globally organisations across all sectors &ndash; be it small or big &ndash; are undergoing massive digital transformation and smart business strategies that are sustainable and cost-effective are implemented. Owing to that, businesses are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to scale up faster, which has given rise to many alternate models of operations, including the concept of going asset-light.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Asset-light model offers a strategic approach where companies minimise their ownership of physical assets (such as buildings or land). Companies go asset-light by owning fewer capital-intensive assets compared to their operational assets. By doing this, life sciences companies focus on their core competencies (such as research, development, and production) and avoid heavy investments in real estate.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Merck &amp; Co., Inc. (MSD outside the US and Canada) is a prime example of an asset-light pharmaceutical company. Merck collaborates with specialised Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisations (CDMOs) for various stages of drug development and production. By leveraging external partners, they avoid heavy capital expenditure on building and maintaining several of their own manufacturing facilities.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sharing his view on the asset light model, <strong>Rx Propellant&rsquo;s CEO Milind Ravi</strong>, says, &ldquo;While traditionally dominated by &lsquo;user-owned&rsquo; models, an evident but slow shift to &lsquo;asset-light&rsquo; options in India indicates growing demand for agile growth-ready infrastructure. With its increased focus on innovation, India&rsquo;s life sciences market is expected to grow threefold in the next decade, reaching $130 billion by 2030. This in turn is set to generate demand for over 100 million square feet of specialised infrastructure across several existing ecosystems including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Vizag, and Pune among others.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another aspect to asset-light operations is the advantage companies draw from sharing infrastructure elements. Atul Bhardwaj opines that the model of providing comprehensive amenities under one roof offers significant benefits to companies by eliminating the need for capital expenditure on individual pieces of equipment such as chillers and DG sets. This approach, he says, not only reduces the initial capital outlay but also lowers the overall opex for companies, as costs related to maintenance, security, and technical manpower are shared.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;This cost model is particularly advantageous, as it would otherwise be a substantial financial burden for a company to bear alone for its standalone unit. Real estate developers who offer high-quality infrastructure can further reduce a company's upfront expenses by providing essential utilities like nitrogen generators and vacuum systems. A multi-tenanted building thus emerges as a mutually beneficial arrangement for both developers and tenant companies,&rdquo; says Bhardwaj.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Sustainable infrastructure&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In almost every industry, the board members, shareholders advocate the importance of the mandates of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) of business operations. The threat of climate change has prompted many industries to develop environmental strategies to reduce their carbon footprints, with the life sciences industry on the top of the pyramid.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Being climate conscious has brought in new concepts in smart buildings and other digitally supported facilities and infrastructure models. Open floor plans, shared workspaces, and flexible furniture are some of today&rsquo;s trends that are known to foster interaction and knowledge sharing, similar to what's seen in modern IT work spaces. This shift in life sciences too encourages cross-disciplinary research, faster problem-solving, and quicker innovation and most importantly sharing resources.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Emerging trends in innovation have seen an increase in demand for next-gen spaces with flexible workspaces, integration of wet lab-computation stations, highly sensitive zones for increasingly sophisticated equipment and process flow optimisation. New developments designed to accommodate such variables offer sustainable long-term solutions,&rdquo; Milind Ravi opines from his experience.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Also, leading life sciences companies in India prefer to operate from large-scale clusters that can meet both their office and R&amp;D needs. Startups and MSMEs are also increasingly opting to locate themselves in prominent clusters with a clear industrial positioning and abundant R&amp;D resources. Genome Valley (Hyderabad) and Electronic City (Bengaluru) are great examples of such collaborative ecosystems.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">So, if, today, we were to walk into any of India&rsquo;s life sciences parks, we would be delighted to see those spaces being built on modern modular designs having mobile equipment and reconfigurable layouts, with amazing aesthetics and classy landscaping.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">What will also be evident is that the traditional life sciences technicians confining themselves to sterile laboratories would be ancient. Today&rsquo;s workplaces recognise the need for a more holistic environment with sprawling cafeterias, breakout huddles, and interactive/entertainment spaces. Apart from being modern with the changing times, such amenities are considered by the HR department as a way to attract and retain talent.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Leasing: a preferred business model&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Savills, in its report titled </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unlocking Opportunities: Life Sciences and Real Estate in India&rsquo;, indicates that leasing properties to the biotech industry can provide a steady stream of rental income and long-term investment potential for real estate developers.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since life sciences is a rapidly growing and promising sector with significant investments and advancements, by leasing to them, real estate companies become part of their growth story, giving them the advantage of increased long-term value and brand association.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Leasing also brings about several advantages to realtors. Life sciences companies typically require specific and tailored facilities, leading to lesser turnover compared to other commercial leases. This translates to reduced management costs and higher occupancy rates. Also, life sciences companies often require long-term leases due to the complex nature of their facilities and research projects. This stability translates to predictable and dependable income for the real estate companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking from his company&rsquo;s perspective, Milind Ravi,</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> says,&nbsp;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;We bring a very inclusive approach to support companies of all scales not just with infrastructure, but a gamut of ecosystem services that play a pivotal role in their overall experience. We lease laboratory spaces on tailored models based on the need, timelines, intended use and life-stage of our tenant partners. Our standard offering constitutes modular spaces in shared or dedicated formats &ndash; in both &lsquo;warm shell&rsquo; and &lsquo;plug-and-play&rsquo; models as part of integrated and life science-focussed clusters. Apart from this, we also deliver built-to-suit campuses in required specifications of the tenant.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;While our facilities are built for multi-tenancy where each organisation can work independently, we are also working towards developing co-working laboratory spaces with shared equipment and amenities. These are becoming increasingly popular, especially among startups and small research teams,&rdquo; says Milind Ravi.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Growth is certain</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A report titled &lsquo;Life Sciences Industry &amp; Real Estate Perspective 2024: Putting Asia Pacific under the microscope&rsquo; by global real estate company JLL sheds light on India&rsquo;s pharma industry's growth trajectory. While the pandemic undeniably spurred investment due to the vaccine race, the report emphasizes that interest was already on the rise owing to the ongoing breakthroughs in areas like immuno-oncology and neonatology. This pre-existing momentum, fuelled by technological advancements, has directly translated into increased commercial real estate leasing within the pharma sector. This may be true to India&rsquo;s life sciences sector too.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">JLL stresses on the fact that when companies get funding from venture capitalists, they need lab space in order to deliver as soon as possible. Also, sizeable investments bring with them a plethora of life sciences jobs, which can also spur development of housing, retail and other urban amenities that serve the people who live and work for the expanding companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">From Bhardwaj&rsquo;s inputs we can infer that India has a robust domestic market, bolstered further by the Government of India's </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;Jan Aushadhi&rsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> scheme, aimed at providing quality generic medicines at affordable prices to its citizens. As the third-largest exporter of pharmaceuticals by volume and the thirteenth by value, the demand for space is going to grow.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the pharma industry presents sufficient scope, the medical device industry is not any less. Considered as the sunrise sector, the medical devices industry is estimated to reach $50 billion by 2030. In the last five years, the export of medical devices has been increasing at a rate of 9.37 per cent. India&rsquo;s policy to allow 100 per cent foreign investment under an automatic route in the medical devices sector has helped attract significant investments, which has further pushed the demand for real estate. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the medical device industry in India has also helped augment the domestic manufacturing and in reducing dependence on imports. Hence, manufacturing hubs are being set up in many economic zones of the country. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We can therefore conclude with the evidence that there is immense potential for life sciences real estate development to surge in India. Though the country has limited core life sciences real estate investable stock at present, majority of the growth will come from developing new facilities that entail typical development and leasing risks. The stakeholders, however, forecast an increasing investor appetite for Indian life sciences real estate as the sector gains scale over time.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Anusha Ashwin</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => 'Anusha Ashwin', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24273', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'Dissecting Gender Disparity', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/women-24273.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'dissecting-gender-disparity', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in the Indian healthcare industry are mainly concentrated in low-paying frontline positions. In India, 29 per cent of medical doctors, 80 per cent of nursing staff (including midwives), and nearly 100 per cent of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are women. Despite this, women hold only 18 per cent of healthcare leadership positions and continue to earn 34 per cent less than their male counterparts.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are the outcomes of the study titled &lsquo;An Unbalanced Scale - Exploring the Female Leadership Gap in India's Healthcare Sector&rsquo; from Dasra, a non-profit organisation. The&nbsp; study revealed that the Indian healthcare sector, one of the country's largest employers, has experienced substantial growth. It takes a closer look at women's representation in healthcare and the leadership opportunities available to them.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><strong>Inspiring leaders</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"What is concerning is the gap between the proportion of women in healthcare and those who occupy leadership positions. At entry levels, women's representation in sales, marketing, and operations ranges from 40-50 per cent. However, this significantly drops to 15-20 per cent in senior roles," says <strong>Shailja Mehta, Director at Dasra</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is behind this gender gap in leadership positions? Societal norms, cultural expectations and implicit biases against women are some of the main factors that&nbsp;have contributed to the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions. &ldquo;It is a complex issue. The lack of female role models and mentors perpetuates this gender gap," says Shailja.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some believe that one of the primary reasons for the skewed gender ratio in STEM is the stereotyping that begins early in life. Societal expectations often push girls towards more traditionally feminine roles, diverting them away from technical and scientific fields. As a result, fewer women choose STEM education and careers. While others argue that the current gap is a reflection of what was happening 20 years ago, when fewer women entered science careers.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;&ldquo;Today&rsquo;s leaders represent those who entered the field 15-20 years back. Now that the number of women entering these fields has significantly increased in recent years, we will see a lot of women leaders in the coming years. In fact, a major proportion of startups are led by women. They have the capability to do it,&rdquo; <strong>Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, former director, National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) Pune</strong>, says, "The situation is definitely improving. For more women to take leadership roles, changes are required at the family, community and industry level."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Dr Pragya Yadav, senior scientist at the National Institute of Virology, Pune</strong>, who played an instrumental role in the development of Covaxin, agrees. "The situation has certainly improved, but school-going girls should have access to reputable colleges and safe residential facilities for pursuing science as a subject for the real change to occur. Besides, they need support in equal measure, from their families and the industry when raising their children. If they lose that time, catching up becomes difficult,&rdquo; she says. &nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Furthermore, this support should not be seen as an extra favour to women, but rather as their right. Children are the future and the environment they experience while growing up is crucial to their growth and development. It is the duty of both families and society, not just mothers alone, to provide a safe and suitable environment for them," she added. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Manya Jha, a young entrepreneur and founder of Morphedo Technologies</strong>, a deep tech startup in aerospace and defence, medical device engineering, IoT and embedded systems, faced the challenge of balancing child care and her career after the birth of her daughter. To tackle this challenge, she established a small child care centre at her office.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Starting just 20 days after my daughter was born, I brought her to my workplace every day. I made space in my cabin where she could stay with me. Until she was 7 months old, my husband and I took care of her in the shared cabin (during COVID-19 period). At the time of her birth, my startup was also at a crucial stage,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Both my daughter and my company required my personal attention. There were instances when I had to attend important meetings with senior scientists while holding my one-month-old daughter. I believe it's all about the confidence with which you pursue your career."</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today, Manya's company has around&nbsp; 40 employees and the child care centre is now available to all new mothers, offering support in looking after their children while at work.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, despite the challenges, there has been a noticeable shift in the narrative over the past decade, with the number of women leaders emerging in STEM careers increasing slowly but steadily. And these women are not only excelling &nbsp;in their respective fields but also helping dismantling barriers that hinder the progress of other aspiring women.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several prominent women leaders are setting an example for others. Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr Priya Abraham, Director of the National Institute of Virology, biotech stalwart &nbsp;Kiran Majumdar-Shaw,&nbsp; and entrepreneurs like Dr Kavita Iyer Rodrigues and Vasanthi Ramachandran represent some of the most sought after leaders in the industry.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Women are leading more than 30 per cent of the startups incubated at our centre. In many others, they are co-founders or hold significant positions," says <strong>Dr Manisha Premnath, COO of Venture Center</strong>, an incubation centre in Pune that helps startups grow.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Breaking the glass ceiling</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While there is a rise of women leaders in the health and biotech sector, it is important to acknowledge the challenges they continue to face. Stereotypes, biases, and a lack of institutional support still exist. The &lsquo;glass ceiling&rsquo; phenomenon persists, making it difficult for women to reach the highest levels of leadership. A male-centric workplace culture, coupled with a lack of flexibility and understanding regarding work-life balance, discourage women from pursuing or sustaining leadership roles.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The biggest challenge that women face is breaking these stereotypes and breaking free from the vicious cycle of work and life. They need to step out of their comfort zones, or rather, their safe zones, and then there will be no stopping them. Fortunately, nowadays there are several schemes and funds available to support women," says <strong>Dr Deeksha Bhartiya, Founder of Genomiki</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coming from a very traditional, yet ambitious family, Dr Deeksha got married at a young age and encountered challenges in maintaining a balance between her personal and professional life. However, she didn't allow these challenges to deter her from pursuing her doctoral studies and career. "There were many senior male scientists who advised me to take up a permanent job instead of embarking on my entrepreneurial journey. I was told that women should prioritise stability over adventure. However, I am fortunate to have a very supportive family who always push me to exceed my limits and support me in all my decisions."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Exiting the vicious circle</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The foundation for achieving gender parity in STEM careers is laid during the crucial years of education. Schools and educational institutions play an important role in challenging these stereotypes and encouraging girls to explore their interests in science and technology. STEM-focused educational programmes, workshops, and extracurricular activities can help break down gender-based barriers from a young age. Scholarships and mentorship programmes can encourage girls to pursue science education.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To encourage more women to pursue careers in STEM and foster an inclusive and diverse workforce, it is important to adopt unbiased recruitment practices, create a supportive environment for their progress, and implement flexible work arrangements.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is a growing emphasis on incorporating diverse perspectives in STEM curricula. Highlighting the contributions of women scientists and engineers in textbooks and classroom discussions can inspire both girls and boys, challenging preconceived notions about gender roles in these fields. There should be more networking events, conferences and platforms that specifically focus on women in STEM to provide valuable opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing. These spaces not only celebrate the achievements of women in the field but also facilitate the exchange of ideas and strategies to overcome common challenges.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emphasising the pivotal role women play in shaping a sustainable future through scientific leadership, <strong>Melody Lopez, Director and Chief of Staff Crayon Software Experts India</strong> says &ldquo;Fostering women's leadership in science is not just about gender equality but also a catalyst for achieving sustainable development goals. The theme reflects a call to action, urging communities, governments, and organisations to provide equal opportunities for women and girls in science, ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making processes.&rdquo; She further says &ldquo;As we champion women and girls in science leadership, let us embrace this new era, where their voices, ideas, and leadership propel us toward a brighter, more sustainable future for all.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The journey towards gender parity in STEM careers in India could be challenging, but the momentum for change is growing.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><strong>Gunjan Sharma</strong></strong></p> <p><em><strong>gunjan.sharma@mmactiv.com</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => 'Gunjan Sharma ', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24271', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => '“There is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation”', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_27_at_5_20_34_pm-24271.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'there-is-a-significant-gap-in-the-infrastructure-required-for-ai-implementation', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Artificial Intelligence (AI) has completely changed the way we see the world today. How do you see AI revolutionising drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry? Can AI help in discovering new drug molecules that could help treat deadly and chronic diseases like cancers and AIDS?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The future of human life is completely impacted by AI. Particularly its emergence in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry will have a vital impact on disease control and new drug discoveries.&nbsp;AI is poised to revolutionise drug discovery in several ways. It can drastically reduce the time needed to discover and develop new drugs. AI can be used to help suggest novel combinations for treating fatal diseases and even predict treatment outcomes. Additionally, AI facilitates personalised medicine by tailoring treatments to individual patients, which can ultimately speed up the development of new therapies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key challenges in implementing AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly in the context of regulatory compliance?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I feel, the pharma and healthcare organisations in India are yet to gear up for AI. Many are still in the process of adapting to the advancements in the pharmaceutical industry brought about by digitalisation. Despite this progress, the majority of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are not adequately prepared to integrate AI into their operations. AI adoption, beyond platforms like Chat GPT, remains in its infancy and requires further exploration and validation. Moreover, there is a pressing need to harmonise regulatory compliances, particularly in manufacturing standards outlined by the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH). This entails the implementation of electronic documentation systems and global alignment on regulatory practices to ensure both qualitative and compliant manufacturing and healthcare delivery systems. Additionally, there is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation, including the necessary hardware, software, and skilled professionals, which remains to be addressed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a specific example where AI has been successfully utilised to discover or develop a new drug?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although AI is currently making strides in drug discovery, its continual evolution opens up a multitude of possibilities in terms of drug candidates, their structures, and the discovery process. This versatility allows for the pinpointing of targeted molecules tailored to specific therapies or multiple therapeutic discoveries. A recent example highlighting this potential is Insilico Medicine's Pharma.AI, which is revolutionising drug discovery with its suite of AI-powered tools. PandaOmics, for instance, drastically reduces the time required for multi-omics target discovery, from several months to a few clicks. Similarly, Chemistry42 employs machine learning for de novo drug design, generating lead-like molecules within a week. Additionally, InClinico provides an invaluable tool for efficient clinical trial management, identifying potential weaknesses in trial design and predicting success rates. Collectively, these tools are streamlining the traditionally lengthy drug discovery process, accelerating the pursuit of breakthrough medicine.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you envision the role of AI evolving in personalised medicine and patient care?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I believe AI could be groundbreaking by using large amounts of data from healthy and sick people. It could help analyse specific therapeutic segments quickly to see how drugs work over time and improve their formulations. It would also support Phase IV clinical trials, especially in monitoring drug safety (Pharmacovigilance). Overall, AI in personalised medicine and patient care has the potential to improve healthcare, make treatments better, and give patients more control over their health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the ethical considerations that need to be addressed when deploying AI in healthcare settings?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The primary concern lies in protecting patient identity, which can be achieved through AI by masking identities in documentation, albeit in previously challenging areas. The rigidity and security levels of AI coding stand out as effective measures for safeguarding patient identity compared to traditional masking systems. However, the implementation of AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly concerning regulatory compliance, presents various challenges and ethical considerations. These include ensuring data privacy and security, adhering to diverse regulations, deciphering complex AI algorithms, managing the time and cost implications, addressing potential biases perpetuated by AI algorithms, integrating solutions into existing systems, navigating complex ethical and legal considerations, determining accountability and liability for decisions made, preserving patient autonomy and consent, and conducting real-time reviews for corrections.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How can AI help address the challenges of drug resistance in infectious diseases?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The emergence of drug resistance in infectious diseases poses a significant healthcare challenge. However, AI offers a promising solution by playing a crucial role in addressing this issue. Through predictive analytics, AI can forecast which drugs may become ineffective against evolving pathogens, allowing for proactive adjustments in treatment strategies. Furthermore, AI aids in the discovery of alternative treatments, the development of more effective medications, and the customisation of treatment plans tailored to individual patients. By providing real-time insights into the changing landscape of drug resistance, AI enables healthcare professionals to adapt swiftly, ultimately enhancing the efficacy of treatments and improving patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What strategies can be employed to ensure the fairness and transparency of AI algorithms in healthcare decision-making?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To maintain trust, mitigate bias, and foster equitable outcomes, it is crucial to prioritise fairness and transparency in the use of AI algorithms for healthcare decision-making. Some of the strategies to achieve this include ensuring transparency of both data and algorithms, promoting diversity and inclusivity in the development process, conducting external validation and evaluation, and establishing regulatory frameworks and guidelines.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you see AI impacting the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services globally?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While AI offers significant potential for improving the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services on a global scale, there are challenges to overcome. These include ensuring fair access to AI-driven technologies, addressing concerns regarding data privacy and security, and navigating regulatory and ethical issues. Collaboration among various stakeholders, such as governments, healthcare providers, technology developers, and community organisations, is vital to fully realise the benefits of AI in enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key factors hindering the adoption of AI in pharmaceutical research and development?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pharmaceutical companies face several challenges when it comes to using AI in research and development. Firstly, they require high-quality and comprehensive datasets to effectively train AI models. Secondly, they must adhere to strict regulatory guidelines set by government agencies. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies often possess proprietary data and intellectual property that may not be easily compatible with AI systems. Finally, the significant investment required to implement AI technology presents a barrier to adoption for many companies in the industry.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a case where AI-driven predictive modelling has significantly improved clinical trial outcomes or drug efficacy in the Healthcare system?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's important to note that using AI in the healthcare system, along with a thorough review of relevant literature from sources like PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and EMBASE, is significant. Integrating AI into healthcare has the potential to greatly improve disease diagnosis, treatment selection, and clinical laboratory testing. AI tools can analyse large sets of data and find patterns, outperforming humans in many healthcare tasks. AI brings higher accuracy, lower costs, and time savings, while also reducing human errors. It can revolutionise personalised medicine, optimise medication dosages, improve population health management, set guidelines, offer virtual health assistants, support mental health care, enhance patient education, and strengthen patient-physician trust.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, AI can be used in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) by using machine learning algorithms to predict drug-drug interactions. By analysing large sets of patient data, these algorithms can detect potential drug interactions. This helps to decrease the risk of adverse drug reactions, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Amguth Raju</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>hyderabad@mmactiv.com&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => 'Amguth Raju', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17'), array('articleId' => '24280', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Effectively Eliminating Drug-resistant TB', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/tb-24280.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'effectively-eliminating-drug-resistant-tb', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has the highest burden of TB, with two deaths occurring every three minutes from the disease. The country recorded a staggering 28 lakh cases in 2022, accounting for 27 per cent of the global cases, according to WHO.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India initiated the TB Free India campaign with the ambitious goal of eradicating TB by 2025, a milestone set five years earlier than the target outlined by the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Despite facing setbacks due to COVID-19, the nation doubled down on its efforts, resulting in notable progress. The India TB Report 2023 heralded 2022 as a pivotal year in TB surveillance, noting a significant achievement with a record-high notification of 24.2 lakh TB cases, representing an increase of over 13 per cent compared to 2021.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The latest WHO Global TB Report 2023 acknowledged and praised India's efforts in its fight against TB, particularly highlighting the effectiveness of its case detection strategies. The report emphasised that India's intensified case detection strategies led to the highest-ever notification of cases in 2022, surpassing pre-COVID levels. The government's key initiatives, such as specialised active case finding drives, the scaling up of molecular diagnostics to block levels, decentralisation of screening services through Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, and private sector engagement, have significantly reduced the gap in missing cases.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Road to elimination&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the country has made remarkable progress in its fight against TB, the adoption of additional strategies such as shorter treatment regimens, the development of vaccines, and a renewed focus on nutrition could prove to be game-changers in its goal of eliminating TB for good.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The BPaL regimen, composed of Bedaquiline, Pretomanid and Linezolid, presents a promising alternative for a shorter, safer and more tolerable treatment option for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). Lasting only 26 weeks, it contrasts sharply with conventional DR-TB treatments, which can span 18 to 21 months and entail the consumption of over 4,000 to 5,000 tablets. Endorsed by the US FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) in 2019 and the WHO in 2022, the BPaL regimen has been implemented in more than 70 countries, including South Africa, Ukraine, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;The older, conventional regimen for drug-resistant TB included prolonged use of injections with other drugs. This was associated with increased incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), implementation challenges under the programme and inconvenience to the patients. The new TB drug regimen uses the newer oral drugs like Bedaquiline, Delamanid or Pretomanid, or the repurposed drugs such as linezolid, clofazimine, etc. These regimens are injection free and have lesser pill burden leading to more acceptance among the TB patients besides reducing the implementation challenges due to the use of injections. They have the ability to kill the actively multiplying drug-resistant TB bacteria faster and a sustained killing of the bacteria to prevent the recurrence of the TB disease among the patients. These regimens have shown improved treatment success rates under field conditions under the national programme,&rdquo; said <strong>Dr Rupak Singla, Head of Department, National Institute of TB &amp; Respiratory Diseases, New Delhi</strong>.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Singla further said &ldquo;To combat the adverse drug reactions of these regimen, specially due to drug linezolid, various regimens using different dosages and durations of linezolid have demonstrated reduced incidence of ADRs maintaining the efficacy of the regimen. Hence, these newer treatment drug regimens could reduce the global burden of drug-resistant TB. However, the requirement of a good quality laboratory network, availability and higher cost of the drugs continue to pose a challenge.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new regimen is shorter, easier on patients and improves treatment adherence, resulting in better outcomes compared to previous drug regimens.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Talking about the potential implications of the new TB drug regimen on India&rsquo;s TB control efforts, Dr Singla stated, &ldquo;The cure rate for previous conventional TB regimen for multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) was to the tune of around 50 per cent and for Extensively drug-resistant-TB (XDR-TB), less than 30 per cent. The new TB drug regimen has the potential for significant improvement in treatment success rates for MDR-TB as well as XDR-TB.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In India the national data shows that more than 36,000 drug-resistant TB patients have been initiated on shorter oral Bedaquiline-containing regimen and more than 92,000 patients have been initiated on longer oral regimen till date. Treatment success rates of shorter oral regimen for the cohort April-September 2022 (around 12,000 patients) is 69 per cent and of longer oral regimen for the cohort January-September 2021 (around 15,000 patients) is 71 per cent. The improved success rates of new drug regimens is likely to translate into less number of deaths due to TB, reduced period of infectiousness of TB patients and reduced transmission of TB to others in the community leading to reduced incidence of TB.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Studies at the 2023 Union World Conference on Lung Health affirm WHO-endorsed regimens' effectiveness, surpassing traditional 18- to 24-month treatments. The goal is to urge high-burden DR-TB countries to update guidelines and offer shorter treatments to all patients in need. Only 40 per cent of the 410,000 people with DR-TB in 2022 had access to the shorter regimen, as per a WHO report.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A group of experts in the country have stressed the need for introducing the BPaL regimen in the TB control programme of the country. B<strong>lessina Kumar, CEO, Global Coalition of TB Advocates, New Delhi</strong> emphasised the potential cost savings associated with its adoption, citing studies estimating a global annual savings of $740 million. With India accounting for a significant portion of global multi-drug, rifampicin-resistant (MDR/RR-TB) treated patients, she suggested that the country could save nearly $250 million per year through the implementation of this regimen. India will likely roll out the new regime soon.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>TB Vaccine</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vaccination holds promise as a game-changer for TB elimination. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is conducting phase III trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two vaccines: VPM1002 and MIP (Mycobacterium indicus pranii). VPM1002 is a live vaccine based on recombinant BCG, modified for better safety and efficacy. MIP or Immuvac, originally developed for leprosy, is a whole-cell TB vaccine candidate. The trial aims to assess the effectiveness of these vaccines in preventing TB disease, among 12,721 individuals exposed to TB at home (referred to as household contacts). Enrollment for the study is complete, with participant follow-up currently ongoing, according to the pipeline report 2022 by the Treatment Action Group.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bharat Biotech is partnering with the Spanish firm BIOFABRI to develop, manufacture, and distribute a new tuberculosis vaccine across over 70 countries in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The TB vaccine candidate by Bharat Biotech is set to enter phase-III trials soon.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Lancet study highlighted the pivotal role of nutrition in TB management. The&nbsp; Reducing Activation of Tuberculosis by Improvement of Nutritional Status (RATIONS) trial demonstrated that providing food baskets to TB patients and their households reduced all forms of TB by nearly 40 per cent and infectious TB by almost 50 per cent. In 2018, the Indian government launched the 'Nikshay Poshan Yojana,' a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to offer nutrition support to TB patients. Since its inception, the scheme has disbursed approximately Rs 2613 crore to over 95 lakh TB patients.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has indeed made significant strides in addressing TB; however, the battle against the disease is far from over. Despite enhanced detection and surveillance efforts, there's&nbsp; a need to adopt newer strategies to combat TB effectively. Advances in R&amp;D of vaccines, access to newer drug regimens, enhanced focus on nutrition will all help in propelling TB elimination goals.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Ayesha Siddiqui&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ayesha Siddiqui', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24272', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Prioritising Women’s Health & Wellbeing ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2036811071-24272.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: gettyimages', 'pageSlug' => 'prioritising-womens-health-wellbeing-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a new report from the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute launched at Davos in January 2024, women may live longer than men, on average, but they spend 25 per cent more of their lives in debilitating health. The report said improving diagnostics, data on women-specific conditions like ovarian cancer, and directing more investments towards women&rsquo;s health and research is needed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In particular, McKinsey research finds that less than 2 per cent of healthcare research and innovation is invested in female-specific conditions beyond cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This &lsquo;women&rsquo;s health gap&rsquo; equates to 75 million years of life lost due to poor health or early death each year. Closing the gap would benefit 3.9 billion women, giving them an extra seven healthy days a year, or an average of 500 days over a lifetime. Further, it could boost the global economy by $1 trillion by 2040 from fewer early deaths and health conditions, and a greater capacity for women to contribute to the economy and society.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a result of these findings, the final hours of the World Economic Forum in Davos saw the launch of a new Global Alliance for Women&rsquo;s Health, which has the broad ambition of &lsquo;re-shaping the future of women&rsquo;s health and the global economy.&rsquo; The health alliance will pledge new commitments from governments, philanthropies, and pharmaceutical companies, among others, across three pillars i.e. financing, science and innovation, and agenda-setting. So far, partners have pledged $55 million to improve women&rsquo;s health outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">With International Women&rsquo;s Day 2024 being themed around &lsquo;Inspiring inclusion&rsquo;, we see governments across the globe putting the much-needed emphasis on women&rsquo;s healthcare. For instance, the UAE has set out wide-ranging plans to bolster healthcare services for women, by approving the &lsquo;National Policy for Improving Women&rsquo;s Health&rsquo; for providing the highest healthcare services quality for women, whether curative, preventive or rehabilitative services. Similarly, the Irish government is paving the way for a longer-term comprehensive Women&rsquo;s Health Strategy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in England are being urged to help shape reproductive health policy, as the government seeks views on periods, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and menopause for health strategy. Likewise, the Biden administration recently announced a White House initiative to improve how the federal government approaches and funds research into the health of women, who make up more than half of the US population but remain understudied and underrepresented in health research.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, of course, is not far behind in this initiative. The Interim Budget 2024-25 announcement that took place on February 1, 2024, laid focus on encouraging vaccination for girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years for the prevention of cervical cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Besides these government initiatives, multiple efforts are also being made by the industry players to improve women&rsquo;s health. For example, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zurzuvae as the first and only oral treatment approved for women with postpartum depression, developed by American pharmaceutical company Biogen. The US FDA has also recently approved a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription for the first time in the US, a milestone that could significantly expand access to contraception. The pill&rsquo;s manufacturer, Perrigo Company is based in Dublin.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Further, biotech companies in the UK and Korea are embarking on the world's first prospective study of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered breast cancer detection, to streamline diagnosis, and tackle radiologist shortages. On the other hand, startups in India have developed groundbreaking multi-cancer detection tests specifically designed for high-risk and asymptomatic women.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quality, affordability, and accessibility, particularly in the context of women&rsquo;s health, are very critical aspects of ensuring well-being. This calls for greater mobilisation across sectors to invest in women&rsquo;s health, keeping in mind the imperatives of equity and integral care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Manbeena Chawla</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Executive Editor</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(</span><a href="mailto:manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com"><span style="font-weight: 400;">manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></p>', 'sequence' => '5', 'guestAuthor' => 'Dr Manbeena Chawla', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '101'), array('articleId' => '24270', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Establishing Ethical Frameworks for Equitable Use of AI in Healthcare ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/21-24270.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'establishing-ethical-frameworks-for-equitable-use-of-ai-in-healthcare-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The global healthcare landscape is witnessing a seismic transformation driven by AI technologies. From therapeutics to diagnostics, hospital operations to clinical decision-making, AI is making significant strides across diverse applications. According to Statista, the value of AI in the global healthcare market was $11 billion in 2021, projected to reach an estimated $188 billion by 2030. This staggering growth, at a compounded annual rate of 37 per cent, underscores the immense potential AI holds in reshaping the future of healthcare.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Transforming Medical Research and Imaging Analysis</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The impact of AI is not limited to specific segments; it spans the entire healthcare ecosystem. One critical domain experiencing a revolution is medical research, as AI expedites drug discovery processes. Through machine learning algorithms, researchers can predict the success rate of chemical compounds, significantly reducing the time and resources required for experimentation. This not only accelerates the pace of innovation but also holds the promise of bringing new, effective treatments to patients more rapidly.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the realm of medical imaging analysis, AI is proving to be a game-changer. It enables the rapid and accurate detection of anomalies in MRI scans, X-rays, and CT scans. Radiologists benefit from quicker identification of potential life-threatening issues, minimising human errors and enhancing diagnostic accuracy. This not only saves crucial time but also improves patient outcomes, particularly in cases where early detection is paramount.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Data-Driven Healthcare</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">AI is revolutionising the traditional landscape of diagnosis and treatment by providing clinicians with unprecedented data-driven insights. Machine learning algorithms analyse extensive patient data to identify patterns and correlations, facilitating more accurate and timely diagnosis. Personalised treatment plans based on individual patient characteristics are now a reality, enhancing the effectiveness of medical interventions. The ability to tailor treatments to specific patient profiles leads to improved outcomes and a more efficient allocation of healthcare resources.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Real-time assessment of treatment effectiveness by AI tools further contributes to improved clinical outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. Monitoring and adjusting treatment plans based on real-world data ensure that patients receive the most effective interventions tailored to their individual responses. This not only enhances patient care but also contributes to the sustainability of healthcare systems worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Predictive analysis, powered by AI, enables healthcare providers to forecast potential outcomes based on historical data and real-time health information. Identifying patients at risk of specific conditions allows for early intervention, preventing complications and improving overall healthcare efficiency. Large-scale population data analysis can also detect trends and outbreaks of infectious diseases before they become widespread, a critical capability showcased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability to anticipate and mitigate health crises is a testament to the power of AI in safeguarding public health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Patient-Centric Approach</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The integration of AI into healthcare is not solely about clinical applications; it extends to improving the overall patient experience. Streamlining appointment scheduling, providing remote monitoring solutions, and offering personalised treatment plans based on individual medical records contribute to a more patient-centric approach. AI-driven chatbots responding to routine medical inquiries reduce stress and save time for both patients and healthcare providers, fostering a more efficient and accessible healthcare system.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the promises of AI in healthcare, challenges persist. Blind spots in data access and collection, privacy concerns, data misuse, and regulatory ambiguities are roadblocks to widespread adoption. In India, a rapidly growing player in AI-based healthcare, progress is evident, but there is still a long way to go. The ambitious goals of universal healthcare delivery and affordability through AI remain distant, requiring continued innovation and collaboration.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, a major player in the global healthcare sector, is rapidly embracing AI. The National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence by NITI Aayog highlights the potential of AI to address challenges such as a shortage of qualified healthcare professionals and non-uniform accessibility to healthcare across the country. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, AI expenditure in India is projected to reach $11.78 billion by 2025, contributing significantly to the country's economy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite challenges, AI's potential to revolutionise healthcare is undeniable. As technology continues to advance, AI's applications in telemedicine, genomics, robotics, and 3D printing will expand. Workforce training and collaboration between medical professionals and AI developers will be crucial for maximising the benefits of AI. The integration of AI with other emerging technologies holds the key to shaping the future of medical care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we delve deeper into the integration of AI in healthcare, it's imperative to address the ethical considerations surrounding this revolutionary technology. The responsible use of AI in medical settings demands careful navigation of issues such as patient privacy, data security, and bias in algorithms.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Privacy concerns arise from the vast amounts of sensitive patient data being processed by AI systems. Ensuring robust data protection measures, stringent encryption, and transparent data usage policies become paramount to build and maintain public trust in AI-driven healthcare solutions.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The potential for bias in AI algorithms poses another ethical challenge. If the datasets used to train AI models are not representative or if biased historical data is fed into the algorithms, it can perpetuate existing inequalities in healthcare. Striking a balance in dataset curation and continuous monitoring of algorithmic outputs is crucial to mitigate bias and ensure equitable healthcare outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moreover, the explainability of AI decisions becomes crucial, especially in critical medical scenarios. Ensuring that AI models provide interpretable insights aids healthcare professionals in understanding and trusting AI-generated recommendations, fostering collaboration between humans and machines.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In conclusion, AI is not just a buzzword but a transformative force reshaping the healthcare industry. From diagnosis to treatment, AI is proving its mettle by delivering accurate, personalised, and efficient healthcare solutions. While challenges persist, the trajectory of AI in healthcare is pointing towards a future where technology and human expertise converge to provide optimal patient care. As we stand at the intersection of technology and healthcare, the role of AI in shaping the future of medicine is more promising than ever.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As AI continues to evolve, it is crucial for stakeholders&mdash;be they healthcare providers, policymakers, or technology developers&mdash;to collaborate in establishing ethical frameworks that ensure the responsible and equitable use of AI in healthcare. The ongoing dialogue around ethical considerations is vital to ensure that AI remains a force for good in healthcare, driving positive change for patients and society at large.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&amp;D, Murata Vios</strong></em></p>', 'sequence' => '6', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&D, Murata Vios', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17')), 'trendingTopicsList' => array(array('articleId' => '24283', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => '83.5% of adults in India underestimate shingles risk: Global GSK survey', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shingles_large-24283.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => '83-5-of-adults-in-india-underestimate-shingles-risk-global-gsk-survey', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical (GSK) has released new data from a globally commissioned survey funded by them. The survey finds notable gaps in understanding of shingles risk among individuals aged above 50 years, a group that is most susceptible to the disease.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey conducted amongst 3,500 adults aged 50 and over from 12 countries, assessed respondents&rsquo; understanding of shingles, what triggers it, and its impact on people&rsquo;s lives.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey in&nbsp;India&nbsp;involved 500 participants, with 250 respondents who spoke Hindi and another 250 who spoke English. The data, launched in time for Shingles Awareness Week 2024 (26 February&nbsp;2024 &ndash; 3 March 2024), finds a widespread lack of understanding of shingles and its lifetime risk.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The findings show that globally, a significantly high proportion of those surveyed do not understand their risk of developing shingles,&nbsp;with&nbsp;86%&nbsp;underestimating&nbsp;that&nbsp;risk.<font size="1">&nbsp;</font>In India, 81% of the English-speaking and 86% &nbsp;of the Hindi-speaking respondents surveyed underestimate the risk of shingles<sup>.</sup></p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In India,&nbsp;amongst the &nbsp;English-speaking respondents, 22% believe that 1 in 1000 adults are at risk of developing shingles.<sup>&nbsp;</sup>Amongst the Hindi-speaking respondents,18% believe that 1 in 1000 adults is at risk of developing shingles.&nbsp;</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In&nbsp;reality,&nbsp;most&nbsp;adults already&nbsp;have&nbsp;the&nbsp;virus that&nbsp;causes&nbsp;shingles present in&nbsp;their bodies by&nbsp;the&nbsp;age&nbsp;of 50,&nbsp;which may&nbsp;reactivate with&nbsp;advancing&nbsp;age.&nbsp;Shingles&nbsp;is&nbsp;caused&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;reactivation&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;varicella-zoster&nbsp;virus&nbsp;(VZV),&nbsp;the same virus that causes chickenpox.&nbsp;As people age, the strength of their immune response to infection wanes, and this increases their risk of developing shingles.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Rashmi Hegde, Executive Vice President - Medical Affairs, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, India, said,&nbsp;&ldquo;The survey findings underscore the need to raise awareness about shingles risk in adults over 50.&nbsp; Shingles can significantly disrupt the daily lives of ageing adults and cause them a great deal of discomfort."</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24230', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Fujifilm launches advanced endoscopic ultrasound machine ALOKA ARIETTA 850 in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/fuji-24230.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'fujifilm-launches-advanced-endoscopic-ultrasound-machine-aloka-arietta-850-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Fujifilm India, a pioneer in diagnostic imaging and information systems, has launched the ground breaking ALOKA ARIETTA 850 Diagnostic Ultrasound System in India with its first-ever installation at Fortis Hospital in Bengaluru.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Representing a remarkable advancement in endoscopic technologies, the high-tech ultrasound system aims to enhance diagnostic precision and image clarity for gastrointestinal diseases in the region.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">In India, contemporary lifestyles and changing dietary choices are leading to the deteriorating digestive health of the population, adding to the growing prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Addressing this, Fujifilm India&rsquo;S&nbsp;ALOKA ARIETTA 850&nbsp;Endoscopic Ultrasound Machine at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru is a significant step in providing world-class diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients against these GI-related diseases, performing targeted treatments such as Pancreatic pseudo cyst drainage (without surgery), targeted delivery of treatment in Pancreatic cancers.&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) is a minimally invasive method for assessing malignancies affecting the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract and neighbouring organs or tissues. With this high degree of accuracy in both diagnostic and therapeutic capacities, it allows doctors to precisely examine organs like the lungs, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, lymph nodes and nearby affected areas.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">EUS also facilitates the extraction of tissue or fluid samples through a thin needle, eliminating the need for a separate biopsy procedure. Additionally, it improves the staging of cancers with accurate sampling provided by Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) and Fine Needle Biopsy (FNB). Furthermore, EUS proves valuable in cases of altered anatomy and among cancer patients for various therapeutic procedures.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">ALOKA ARIETTA 850 stands out from conventional endoscopic ultrasound machines with a range of superior features. The machine generates image quality with 7 million digital channels in its B mode. This system also incorporates HD-THI for deeper penetration, ensuring accurate diagnoses, along with combi-elastography, pure symphonic architecture and CHI-TIC and Inflow Time Mapping for clearer visibility by reducing noise and enhancing the completeness and continuity of tissue boundaries.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '91'), array('articleId' => '24229', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Bengaluru researchers develop paper-based platform to detect antibiotic-resistant bacteria', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shutterstock_157198133-24229.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'bengaluru-researchers-develop-paper-based-platform-to-detect-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">A paper-based platform developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru could help quickly detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant, disease-causing bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Dr Uday Maitra, Professor at the Department of Organic Chemistry, IISc, and collaborators have developed a rapid diagnosis protocol that uses a luminescent paper-based platform to detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The approach developed by the IISc and JNCASR team involves incorporating biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (BCA) within a supramolecular hydrogel matrix containing terbium cholate (TbCh). This hydrogel normally emits green fluorescence when UV light is shined on it.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The next step was to find a way to make the technology inexpensive. Currently used diagnostics instruments are costly, which drives up the price for testing.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team collaborated with a Chennai-based company called Adiuvo Diagnostics to design a customised, portable and miniature imaging device, named Illuminate Fluorescence Reader. Infusing the hydrogel in a sheet of paper as the medium reduced the cost significantly. The instrument is fitted with different LEDs that shine UV radiation as required. Green fluorescence from the enzyme is captured by a built-in camera, and a dedicated software app measures the intensity, which can help quantify the bacterial load.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team from IISc tied up with Jayanta Haldar&rsquo;s research group from JNCASR to check their approach on urine samples. As the next step, the researchers plan to tie up with hospitals to test this technology with samples from patients.</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58'), array('articleId' => '24163', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Theme for National Science Day sets in as ‘Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat’', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/nsd-24163.png', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'theme-for-national-science-day-sets-in-as-indigenous-technologies-for-viksit-bharat', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science &amp; Technology Dr Jitendra Singh released the theme for the "National Science Day 2024", titled "Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat".</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) theme for this year&rsquo;s celebration reflects a strategic focus on promoting public appreciation for Science, Technology and Innovation and accomplishments of Indian scientists to address challenges through home-grown technologies for over-all well-being.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The theme not only marks a new era but also presents an opportunity for public and scientific fraternity, both domestically and internationally, to collaborate, work together, and contribute to the well-being of India and humanity as a whole. While emphasising the importance of making India&nbsp;<em>Atmanirbhar&nbsp;</em>through science, it underscores the need to address subjects that hold significance for humanity as a whole.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on 28 February to commemorate the discovery of the &lsquo;Raman Effect&rsquo;. Government of India designated 28 February as National Science Day in 1986. On this day Sir C.V. Raman announced the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930. On this occasion, theme-based science communication activities are carried out all over the country. The theme launch will trigger celebrations of NSD specially in schools &amp; colleges throughout the country.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science &amp; Technology (DST) said that as we embark on the celebration of NSD and move ahead with the launch of the theme for 2024, it is clearly evident that our scientific endeavours have the power to shape not only the future of our nation but also contribute significantly towards global advancement.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58')), 'mostReadArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24286', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Qiagen launches AI-derived biomedical knowledge base to accelerate data-driven drug discovery', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2-24286.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'qiagen-launches-ai-derived-biomedical-knowledge-base-to-accelerate-data-driven-drug-discovery', 'page1' => '<p align="justify">US-based Qiagen has announced the launch of Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI, a new generative AI-driven knowledge base designed to propel drug discovery in the pharma and biotech industries. This new offering is designed for data scientists and bioinformaticians who are looking for the most comprehensive knowledge graphs to fuel data-driven drug discovery.</p> <p align="justify">Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI is built on a massive dataset of biomedical literature and other scientific sources. It identifies and extracts causal relationships between genes, diseases, drugs and other biological entities with artificial intelligence (AI), generating over 600 million more biomedical relationships than its complement, Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD. This expansive knowledge base helps data scientists understand disease mechanisms, identify drug targets or biomarkers and explore strategies for repurposing existing drugs. Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI provides the most complete picture of biomedical relationships, including edge cases and novel relationships.</p> <p align="justify">While Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD is manually curated and known for its high quality and accuracy, Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI contains over 25x more relationships, allowing data scientists to generate new insights. Both knowledge bases can be used to provide both high-quality and high-quantity biomedical relationships data for data scientists and bioinformaticians to mine and validate.</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '60'), array('articleId' => '24284', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'IIT Kanpur partners with UP government to enhance tele-medicine using AI', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_28_at_3_48_48_pm-24284.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'iit-kanpur-partners-with-up-government-to-enhance-tele-medicine-using-ai', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">The Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and the Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to revolutionise healthcare delivery and advance tele-medicine facilities in the state through the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI).</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU was signed by Ranjan Kumar IAS, Secretary, Health &amp; Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Professor Sandeep Verma, Professor-In-Charge, Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Kanpur, in the presence of&nbsp;other dignitaries.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU outlines several key areas of collaboration, including anchoring tele-medicine hubs and enhancing the quality of tele-medicine services, implementing AI-based solutions to address population health impact, developing point-of-care diagnostics to drive program improvements, conducting competency-based capacity building for health cadres, and utilizing database predictions and analysis for informed decision-making.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">This will help the Department to make optimal use of the UP Digital Health Stack (UP-DHS) and ensure that every citizen of the state, wherever they are, will be able to access healthcare when needed. In Uttar Pradesh, UP-DHS is making significant strides in implementation, with foundational NHS elements deployed across all health administrative units and the rollout of essential healthcare applications well underway.</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '100'), array('articleId' => '24282', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Medtech firm Stryker expands prototype and testing facility in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/styker-24282.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'medtech-firm-stryker-expands-prototype-and-testing-facility-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker, a global leader in medical technologies, has officially expanded its prototype and testing facility in India, marking significant growth of its R&amp;D footprint in the country.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This advanced 55,600-square-foot facility integrates cutting-edge infrastructure, enhanced microbiology capabilities, and a talented team to drive innovation and ensure product quality across its medical technology portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Investing in innovation from India is a focus area for Stryker," said&nbsp;Ram Rangarajan, Vice President of Stryker Global Technology Center, India. "This new lab represents our commitment to developing medical technologies that improve patient outcomes and comply with the highest regulatory standards."</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker's new facility is dedicated to the rigorous life cycle testing of medical devices. The new lab boasts several key features:</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Prototyping and product assurance hub:&nbsp;Equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure for plastic 3D printing,&nbsp;metal machining, and a diverse range of testing capabilities,&nbsp;the lab supports prototyping and product assurance across Stryker's entire product portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Expanded microbiology competency:&nbsp;The lab strengthens Stryker's ability to conduct comprehensive microbiological testing,&nbsp;ensuring the safety and efficacy of its medical technologies.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Talented team of engineers and microbiologists:&nbsp; Highly skilled engineers and microbiologists will use the advanced equipment and expertise to develop innovative solutions that positively impact patients around the world.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '93'), array('articleId' => '24262', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Miltenyi Biotec to open Cell and Gene Therapy Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/gene-24262.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'miltenyi-biotec-to-open-cell-and-gene-therapy-centre-of-excellence-in-hyderabad', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">German firm Miltenyi Biotec is launching operations in India with its first office and investing to set up Miltenyi Innovation and Technology Center as Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Hyderabad.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This COE will be one of its first of its kind in India where scientists, researchers, industry experts and clinicians can get classroom to hands-on trainings on cell and gene therapy approaches right from proof of concept to pre-clinical / clinical development and commercialisation. This CoE also will provide Indian researchers, scientists and clinicians easier access to expertise, research, and manufacturing solutions.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Each year, more than 10,000 patients are treated with cell products using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies. More than&nbsp; 950 investigational new drug (IND) applications as well as investigational device exemptions (IDE) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies and platforms.&nbsp;&nbsp;In doing so, the company is well poised to enable local development and manufacturing in India to drive affordable and&nbsp;accessible CGT therapies by academia and industry for Indian as well as global patients.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Boris Stoffel,&nbsp;Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s Managing Director, highlighted that the company intends to seek opportunities to catalyse development of CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T cell clinical development and manufacturing, with the prospect of bringing centralised and point-of-care CAR T cell therapy to hospitals across India.</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '96')), 'pollQuestionDetails' => array('pollQuestionId' => '74', 'title' => 'Is India witnessing increasing demand for life sciences-related real estate?', 'slug' => 'is-india-witnessing-increasing-demand-for-life-sciences-related-real-estate', 'question' => '', 'status' => '1', 'deleteStatus' => '0', 'lastUpdationDate' => object(DateTime), 'creationDate' => object(DateTime), 'userId' => '10', 'siteId' => '2', 'pollOptionList' => array(array('pollOptionId' => '206', 'option' => 'Yes', 'clicks' => '2', 'pollQuestionId' => '74'), array('pollOptionId' => '207', 'option' => 'No', 'clicks' => '2', 'pollQuestionId' => '74'), array('pollOptionId' => '208', 'option' => 'May be', 'clicks' => '2', 'pollQuestionId' => '74'))), 'articleList' => array())))
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'parentSectionId' => '25', 'siteId' => '2', 'status' => '1')))), 'footerTopLeftDetail' => array('articleId' => '129', 'articleTitle' => 'Footer Top Left', 'seoTitle' => null, 'seoSummary' => null, 'seoGenerator' => null, 'seoAuthor' => null, 'seoAppName' => null, 'subheading' => 'Subscribe to BioSpectrum India', 'titleText' => '', 'titleUrl' => 'http://www.biospectrumindia.com/BSI_forms/subscription_reg_mgz.php', 'introDescription' => '', 'page1' => '', 'page2' => null, 'page3' => null, 'page4' => null, 'page5' => null, 'guestAuthor' => null, 'remark' => null, 'primaryMedium' => 'Text', 'flashNews' => '0', 'specialFeature' => '0', 'city' => null, 'imagePath' => 'uploads/static/bsi_march_2024_issue_cover_page_jpg_1_-129.jpg', 'imageTitle' => '', 'sequence' => '129', 'publishDateTime' => null, 'expiryDateTime' => null, 'displayDate' => null, 'editingNotes' => '', 'lastUpdationDate' => object(DateTime), 'creationDate' => object(DateTime), 'status' => 'Published', 'contentTypeId' => '15', 'siteId' => '2', 'sourceId' => '2', 'userId' => '4', 'lastUpdatedByUserId' => '26', 'articleType' => 'Static', 'language' => null, 'blogType' => null, 'pageSlug' => 'footer-top-left', 'magazineIssue' => null, 'pullquote' => null, 'restrictionType' => null, 'seoKeyword' => null, 'articleReadCount' => '0'), 'subsectionAlias' => 'segments', 'subsection' => 'Segments', 'section' => '', 'sectionId' => '', 'aliasName' => '', 'leadershipArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24267', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'What’s Shaking Up India’s Life Sciences Real Estate Sector?', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/bs1-24267.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'whats-shaking-up-indias-life-sciences-real-estate-sector', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2021,&nbsp; a California-based life sciences real estate development company acquired Hotel Buckminster. This acquisition was done to redevelop the closed hotel into a life science lab space. Again in May 2021, a facility that housed the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive was transformed into a new life sciences lab on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the same year in India, a Canadian Pension Fund along with a Singapore-based wealth and asset management firm jointly invested $100 million (Rs 7.5 billion) in life sciences R&amp;D facilities in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. This investment, according to reports, proved to be a stepping stone for more equity investments in this segment. On February 6, 2024, life sciences real estate developer, Rx Propellant announced an initial investment of $75 million in phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai Research (NMR) District, as part of its continued regional expansion strategy across India.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In all the four developments mentioned above, it is clear that post-pandemic, the demand for life sciences-related real estate has significantly increased. Both greenfield and brownfield projects have surged, as the pandemic fuelled the demand for locally manufactured pharma and medical products.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, in the last few decades, has witnessed the IT and manufacturing sectors invest heavily in real estate and infrastructure. But in the post-pandemic era, we see life sciences companies require space to innovate, for R&amp;D, and manufacture at scale.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Fast-evolving life sciences market&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India is one of the fastest-growing life sciences markets in the world and the sector is poised to see multi-fold growth by 2030 led by a fast-increasing population, rising life expectancy, a strong industrial base and inclusive government initiatives. In addition, India&rsquo;s demographic dividend, strong industrial base and policy push are known to be the growth drivers for the life sciences sector in the country.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The increasing government spending on the healthcare sector, cost benefits in terms of affordable manpower &amp; real estate expenses, and the availability of a large talent pool are the catalysts of life sciences growth in India. Schemes like Production Linked Incentive (PLI)&nbsp; have boosted domestic manufacturing which&nbsp; has resulted in the need for more space in industrial and tech parks. Also, global exports of pharmaceutical and biotechnology products and medical devices from the country have forced many companies to invest in capacity building and human resources.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Notably, India ranks second globally in terms of the number of US FDA-certified plants located outside the US, closely followed by China. Strengths of this kind and the constantly evolving sector are&nbsp; furthering the requirement for large-scale&nbsp; manufacturing, MSMEs, wet laboratories, R&amp;D hubs, incubators, and data centres&nbsp; coupled with other IT &amp; ES support.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the next decade, it is estimated that the requirement for life sciences R&amp;D real estate in India is likely to grow to somewhere between $16 billion (Rs 1,200 billion) and $34 billion (Rs 2,550 billion) as per conservative and optimistic scenarios.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Push from PEs and VCs</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India&rsquo;s life sciences R&amp;D real estate is emerging as a high-potential asset class for institutional investors. Aided by exponential global demand growth, geopolitical environment, policies initiatives, and skilled workforce this sector is rapidly transforming.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Atul Bhardwaj, Business Head, Lighthouse Canton Real Estate</strong>, indicates that both domestic and international investors are demonstrating a strong interest in India's life sciences real estate market. According to Bhardwaj, private equity firms, venture capitalists, and real estate developers are actively investing significant capital in the development of specialised facilities to meet the requirements of life sciences companies. He says, &ldquo;Biotechnology parks and clusters are emerging as key focal points for life sciences research and manufacturing in India. These specialised hubs offer world-class infrastructure, shared amenities, and a collaborative ecosystem that encourages innovation and cooperation among industry stakeholders, academic institutions, and research organisations.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Citing one other compelling factor of the life sciences real estate market to surge, Bhardwaj, says, &ldquo;This sector's operational model does not accommodate the concept of working from home, which presents a compelling opportunity for real estate developers. The recent pandemic underscored the resilience of the pharmaceutical sector. While many industries, including office realty, experienced significant disruptions, the pharmaceutical sector's demand for space significantly increased, further cementing its critical role in the global economy.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Arvind Nandan, Managing Director &ndash; Research &amp; Consulting, Savills India</strong>, says, &ldquo;Venture Capital funding into the life sciences industry in India stood at $448 million (Rs 34 billion) in 2021 through August, almost 3x of the annual average of the previous years, making it clear that this segment will play a pivotal role in the overall growth of the Indian Real Estate industry.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Adopting the asset light model</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We know that globally organisations across all sectors &ndash; be it small or big &ndash; are undergoing massive digital transformation and smart business strategies that are sustainable and cost-effective are implemented. Owing to that, businesses are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to scale up faster, which has given rise to many alternate models of operations, including the concept of going asset-light.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Asset-light model offers a strategic approach where companies minimise their ownership of physical assets (such as buildings or land). Companies go asset-light by owning fewer capital-intensive assets compared to their operational assets. By doing this, life sciences companies focus on their core competencies (such as research, development, and production) and avoid heavy investments in real estate.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Merck &amp; Co., Inc. (MSD outside the US and Canada) is a prime example of an asset-light pharmaceutical company. Merck collaborates with specialised Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisations (CDMOs) for various stages of drug development and production. By leveraging external partners, they avoid heavy capital expenditure on building and maintaining several of their own manufacturing facilities.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sharing his view on the asset light model, <strong>Rx Propellant&rsquo;s CEO Milind Ravi</strong>, says, &ldquo;While traditionally dominated by &lsquo;user-owned&rsquo; models, an evident but slow shift to &lsquo;asset-light&rsquo; options in India indicates growing demand for agile growth-ready infrastructure. With its increased focus on innovation, India&rsquo;s life sciences market is expected to grow threefold in the next decade, reaching $130 billion by 2030. This in turn is set to generate demand for over 100 million square feet of specialised infrastructure across several existing ecosystems including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Vizag, and Pune among others.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another aspect to asset-light operations is the advantage companies draw from sharing infrastructure elements. Atul Bhardwaj opines that the model of providing comprehensive amenities under one roof offers significant benefits to companies by eliminating the need for capital expenditure on individual pieces of equipment such as chillers and DG sets. This approach, he says, not only reduces the initial capital outlay but also lowers the overall opex for companies, as costs related to maintenance, security, and technical manpower are shared.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;This cost model is particularly advantageous, as it would otherwise be a substantial financial burden for a company to bear alone for its standalone unit. Real estate developers who offer high-quality infrastructure can further reduce a company's upfront expenses by providing essential utilities like nitrogen generators and vacuum systems. A multi-tenanted building thus emerges as a mutually beneficial arrangement for both developers and tenant companies,&rdquo; says Bhardwaj.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Sustainable infrastructure&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In almost every industry, the board members, shareholders advocate the importance of the mandates of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) of business operations. The threat of climate change has prompted many industries to develop environmental strategies to reduce their carbon footprints, with the life sciences industry on the top of the pyramid.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Being climate conscious has brought in new concepts in smart buildings and other digitally supported facilities and infrastructure models. Open floor plans, shared workspaces, and flexible furniture are some of today&rsquo;s trends that are known to foster interaction and knowledge sharing, similar to what's seen in modern IT work spaces. This shift in life sciences too encourages cross-disciplinary research, faster problem-solving, and quicker innovation and most importantly sharing resources.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Emerging trends in innovation have seen an increase in demand for next-gen spaces with flexible workspaces, integration of wet lab-computation stations, highly sensitive zones for increasingly sophisticated equipment and process flow optimisation. New developments designed to accommodate such variables offer sustainable long-term solutions,&rdquo; Milind Ravi opines from his experience.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Also, leading life sciences companies in India prefer to operate from large-scale clusters that can meet both their office and R&amp;D needs. Startups and MSMEs are also increasingly opting to locate themselves in prominent clusters with a clear industrial positioning and abundant R&amp;D resources. Genome Valley (Hyderabad) and Electronic City (Bengaluru) are great examples of such collaborative ecosystems.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">So, if, today, we were to walk into any of India&rsquo;s life sciences parks, we would be delighted to see those spaces being built on modern modular designs having mobile equipment and reconfigurable layouts, with amazing aesthetics and classy landscaping.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">What will also be evident is that the traditional life sciences technicians confining themselves to sterile laboratories would be ancient. Today&rsquo;s workplaces recognise the need for a more holistic environment with sprawling cafeterias, breakout huddles, and interactive/entertainment spaces. Apart from being modern with the changing times, such amenities are considered by the HR department as a way to attract and retain talent.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Leasing: a preferred business model&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Savills, in its report titled </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unlocking Opportunities: Life Sciences and Real Estate in India&rsquo;, indicates that leasing properties to the biotech industry can provide a steady stream of rental income and long-term investment potential for real estate developers.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since life sciences is a rapidly growing and promising sector with significant investments and advancements, by leasing to them, real estate companies become part of their growth story, giving them the advantage of increased long-term value and brand association.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Leasing also brings about several advantages to realtors. Life sciences companies typically require specific and tailored facilities, leading to lesser turnover compared to other commercial leases. This translates to reduced management costs and higher occupancy rates. Also, life sciences companies often require long-term leases due to the complex nature of their facilities and research projects. This stability translates to predictable and dependable income for the real estate companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking from his company&rsquo;s perspective, Milind Ravi,</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> says,&nbsp;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;We bring a very inclusive approach to support companies of all scales not just with infrastructure, but a gamut of ecosystem services that play a pivotal role in their overall experience. We lease laboratory spaces on tailored models based on the need, timelines, intended use and life-stage of our tenant partners. Our standard offering constitutes modular spaces in shared or dedicated formats &ndash; in both &lsquo;warm shell&rsquo; and &lsquo;plug-and-play&rsquo; models as part of integrated and life science-focussed clusters. Apart from this, we also deliver built-to-suit campuses in required specifications of the tenant.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;While our facilities are built for multi-tenancy where each organisation can work independently, we are also working towards developing co-working laboratory spaces with shared equipment and amenities. These are becoming increasingly popular, especially among startups and small research teams,&rdquo; says Milind Ravi.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Growth is certain</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A report titled &lsquo;Life Sciences Industry &amp; Real Estate Perspective 2024: Putting Asia Pacific under the microscope&rsquo; by global real estate company JLL sheds light on India&rsquo;s pharma industry's growth trajectory. While the pandemic undeniably spurred investment due to the vaccine race, the report emphasizes that interest was already on the rise owing to the ongoing breakthroughs in areas like immuno-oncology and neonatology. This pre-existing momentum, fuelled by technological advancements, has directly translated into increased commercial real estate leasing within the pharma sector. This may be true to India&rsquo;s life sciences sector too.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">JLL stresses on the fact that when companies get funding from venture capitalists, they need lab space in order to deliver as soon as possible. Also, sizeable investments bring with them a plethora of life sciences jobs, which can also spur development of housing, retail and other urban amenities that serve the people who live and work for the expanding companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">From Bhardwaj&rsquo;s inputs we can infer that India has a robust domestic market, bolstered further by the Government of India's </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;Jan Aushadhi&rsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> scheme, aimed at providing quality generic medicines at affordable prices to its citizens. As the third-largest exporter of pharmaceuticals by volume and the thirteenth by value, the demand for space is going to grow.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the pharma industry presents sufficient scope, the medical device industry is not any less. Considered as the sunrise sector, the medical devices industry is estimated to reach $50 billion by 2030. In the last five years, the export of medical devices has been increasing at a rate of 9.37 per cent. India&rsquo;s policy to allow 100 per cent foreign investment under an automatic route in the medical devices sector has helped attract significant investments, which has further pushed the demand for real estate. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the medical device industry in India has also helped augment the domestic manufacturing and in reducing dependence on imports. Hence, manufacturing hubs are being set up in many economic zones of the country. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We can therefore conclude with the evidence that there is immense potential for life sciences real estate development to surge in India. Though the country has limited core life sciences real estate investable stock at present, majority of the growth will come from developing new facilities that entail typical development and leasing risks. The stakeholders, however, forecast an increasing investor appetite for Indian life sciences real estate as the sector gains scale over time.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Anusha Ashwin</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => 'Anusha Ashwin', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24273', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'Dissecting Gender Disparity', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/women-24273.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'dissecting-gender-disparity', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in the Indian healthcare industry are mainly concentrated in low-paying frontline positions. In India, 29 per cent of medical doctors, 80 per cent of nursing staff (including midwives), and nearly 100 per cent of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are women. Despite this, women hold only 18 per cent of healthcare leadership positions and continue to earn 34 per cent less than their male counterparts.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are the outcomes of the study titled &lsquo;An Unbalanced Scale - Exploring the Female Leadership Gap in India's Healthcare Sector&rsquo; from Dasra, a non-profit organisation. The&nbsp; study revealed that the Indian healthcare sector, one of the country's largest employers, has experienced substantial growth. It takes a closer look at women's representation in healthcare and the leadership opportunities available to them.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><strong>Inspiring leaders</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"What is concerning is the gap between the proportion of women in healthcare and those who occupy leadership positions. At entry levels, women's representation in sales, marketing, and operations ranges from 40-50 per cent. However, this significantly drops to 15-20 per cent in senior roles," says <strong>Shailja Mehta, Director at Dasra</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is behind this gender gap in leadership positions? Societal norms, cultural expectations and implicit biases against women are some of the main factors that&nbsp;have contributed to the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions. &ldquo;It is a complex issue. The lack of female role models and mentors perpetuates this gender gap," says Shailja.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some believe that one of the primary reasons for the skewed gender ratio in STEM is the stereotyping that begins early in life. Societal expectations often push girls towards more traditionally feminine roles, diverting them away from technical and scientific fields. As a result, fewer women choose STEM education and careers. While others argue that the current gap is a reflection of what was happening 20 years ago, when fewer women entered science careers.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;&ldquo;Today&rsquo;s leaders represent those who entered the field 15-20 years back. Now that the number of women entering these fields has significantly increased in recent years, we will see a lot of women leaders in the coming years. In fact, a major proportion of startups are led by women. They have the capability to do it,&rdquo; <strong>Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, former director, National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) Pune</strong>, says, "The situation is definitely improving. For more women to take leadership roles, changes are required at the family, community and industry level."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Dr Pragya Yadav, senior scientist at the National Institute of Virology, Pune</strong>, who played an instrumental role in the development of Covaxin, agrees. "The situation has certainly improved, but school-going girls should have access to reputable colleges and safe residential facilities for pursuing science as a subject for the real change to occur. Besides, they need support in equal measure, from their families and the industry when raising their children. If they lose that time, catching up becomes difficult,&rdquo; she says. &nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Furthermore, this support should not be seen as an extra favour to women, but rather as their right. Children are the future and the environment they experience while growing up is crucial to their growth and development. It is the duty of both families and society, not just mothers alone, to provide a safe and suitable environment for them," she added. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Manya Jha, a young entrepreneur and founder of Morphedo Technologies</strong>, a deep tech startup in aerospace and defence, medical device engineering, IoT and embedded systems, faced the challenge of balancing child care and her career after the birth of her daughter. To tackle this challenge, she established a small child care centre at her office.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Starting just 20 days after my daughter was born, I brought her to my workplace every day. I made space in my cabin where she could stay with me. Until she was 7 months old, my husband and I took care of her in the shared cabin (during COVID-19 period). At the time of her birth, my startup was also at a crucial stage,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Both my daughter and my company required my personal attention. There were instances when I had to attend important meetings with senior scientists while holding my one-month-old daughter. I believe it's all about the confidence with which you pursue your career."</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today, Manya's company has around&nbsp; 40 employees and the child care centre is now available to all new mothers, offering support in looking after their children while at work.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, despite the challenges, there has been a noticeable shift in the narrative over the past decade, with the number of women leaders emerging in STEM careers increasing slowly but steadily. And these women are not only excelling &nbsp;in their respective fields but also helping dismantling barriers that hinder the progress of other aspiring women.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several prominent women leaders are setting an example for others. Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr Priya Abraham, Director of the National Institute of Virology, biotech stalwart &nbsp;Kiran Majumdar-Shaw,&nbsp; and entrepreneurs like Dr Kavita Iyer Rodrigues and Vasanthi Ramachandran represent some of the most sought after leaders in the industry.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Women are leading more than 30 per cent of the startups incubated at our centre. In many others, they are co-founders or hold significant positions," says <strong>Dr Manisha Premnath, COO of Venture Center</strong>, an incubation centre in Pune that helps startups grow.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Breaking the glass ceiling</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While there is a rise of women leaders in the health and biotech sector, it is important to acknowledge the challenges they continue to face. Stereotypes, biases, and a lack of institutional support still exist. The &lsquo;glass ceiling&rsquo; phenomenon persists, making it difficult for women to reach the highest levels of leadership. A male-centric workplace culture, coupled with a lack of flexibility and understanding regarding work-life balance, discourage women from pursuing or sustaining leadership roles.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The biggest challenge that women face is breaking these stereotypes and breaking free from the vicious cycle of work and life. They need to step out of their comfort zones, or rather, their safe zones, and then there will be no stopping them. Fortunately, nowadays there are several schemes and funds available to support women," says <strong>Dr Deeksha Bhartiya, Founder of Genomiki</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coming from a very traditional, yet ambitious family, Dr Deeksha got married at a young age and encountered challenges in maintaining a balance between her personal and professional life. However, she didn't allow these challenges to deter her from pursuing her doctoral studies and career. "There were many senior male scientists who advised me to take up a permanent job instead of embarking on my entrepreneurial journey. I was told that women should prioritise stability over adventure. However, I am fortunate to have a very supportive family who always push me to exceed my limits and support me in all my decisions."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Exiting the vicious circle</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The foundation for achieving gender parity in STEM careers is laid during the crucial years of education. Schools and educational institutions play an important role in challenging these stereotypes and encouraging girls to explore their interests in science and technology. STEM-focused educational programmes, workshops, and extracurricular activities can help break down gender-based barriers from a young age. Scholarships and mentorship programmes can encourage girls to pursue science education.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To encourage more women to pursue careers in STEM and foster an inclusive and diverse workforce, it is important to adopt unbiased recruitment practices, create a supportive environment for their progress, and implement flexible work arrangements.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is a growing emphasis on incorporating diverse perspectives in STEM curricula. Highlighting the contributions of women scientists and engineers in textbooks and classroom discussions can inspire both girls and boys, challenging preconceived notions about gender roles in these fields. There should be more networking events, conferences and platforms that specifically focus on women in STEM to provide valuable opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing. These spaces not only celebrate the achievements of women in the field but also facilitate the exchange of ideas and strategies to overcome common challenges.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emphasising the pivotal role women play in shaping a sustainable future through scientific leadership, <strong>Melody Lopez, Director and Chief of Staff Crayon Software Experts India</strong> says &ldquo;Fostering women's leadership in science is not just about gender equality but also a catalyst for achieving sustainable development goals. The theme reflects a call to action, urging communities, governments, and organisations to provide equal opportunities for women and girls in science, ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making processes.&rdquo; She further says &ldquo;As we champion women and girls in science leadership, let us embrace this new era, where their voices, ideas, and leadership propel us toward a brighter, more sustainable future for all.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The journey towards gender parity in STEM careers in India could be challenging, but the momentum for change is growing.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><strong>Gunjan Sharma</strong></strong></p> <p><em><strong>gunjan.sharma@mmactiv.com</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => 'Gunjan Sharma ', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24271', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => '“There is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation”', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_27_at_5_20_34_pm-24271.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'there-is-a-significant-gap-in-the-infrastructure-required-for-ai-implementation', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Artificial Intelligence (AI) has completely changed the way we see the world today. How do you see AI revolutionising drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry? Can AI help in discovering new drug molecules that could help treat deadly and chronic diseases like cancers and AIDS?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The future of human life is completely impacted by AI. Particularly its emergence in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry will have a vital impact on disease control and new drug discoveries.&nbsp;AI is poised to revolutionise drug discovery in several ways. It can drastically reduce the time needed to discover and develop new drugs. AI can be used to help suggest novel combinations for treating fatal diseases and even predict treatment outcomes. Additionally, AI facilitates personalised medicine by tailoring treatments to individual patients, which can ultimately speed up the development of new therapies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key challenges in implementing AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly in the context of regulatory compliance?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I feel, the pharma and healthcare organisations in India are yet to gear up for AI. Many are still in the process of adapting to the advancements in the pharmaceutical industry brought about by digitalisation. Despite this progress, the majority of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are not adequately prepared to integrate AI into their operations. AI adoption, beyond platforms like Chat GPT, remains in its infancy and requires further exploration and validation. Moreover, there is a pressing need to harmonise regulatory compliances, particularly in manufacturing standards outlined by the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH). This entails the implementation of electronic documentation systems and global alignment on regulatory practices to ensure both qualitative and compliant manufacturing and healthcare delivery systems. Additionally, there is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation, including the necessary hardware, software, and skilled professionals, which remains to be addressed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a specific example where AI has been successfully utilised to discover or develop a new drug?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although AI is currently making strides in drug discovery, its continual evolution opens up a multitude of possibilities in terms of drug candidates, their structures, and the discovery process. This versatility allows for the pinpointing of targeted molecules tailored to specific therapies or multiple therapeutic discoveries. A recent example highlighting this potential is Insilico Medicine's Pharma.AI, which is revolutionising drug discovery with its suite of AI-powered tools. PandaOmics, for instance, drastically reduces the time required for multi-omics target discovery, from several months to a few clicks. Similarly, Chemistry42 employs machine learning for de novo drug design, generating lead-like molecules within a week. Additionally, InClinico provides an invaluable tool for efficient clinical trial management, identifying potential weaknesses in trial design and predicting success rates. Collectively, these tools are streamlining the traditionally lengthy drug discovery process, accelerating the pursuit of breakthrough medicine.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you envision the role of AI evolving in personalised medicine and patient care?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I believe AI could be groundbreaking by using large amounts of data from healthy and sick people. It could help analyse specific therapeutic segments quickly to see how drugs work over time and improve their formulations. It would also support Phase IV clinical trials, especially in monitoring drug safety (Pharmacovigilance). Overall, AI in personalised medicine and patient care has the potential to improve healthcare, make treatments better, and give patients more control over their health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the ethical considerations that need to be addressed when deploying AI in healthcare settings?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The primary concern lies in protecting patient identity, which can be achieved through AI by masking identities in documentation, albeit in previously challenging areas. The rigidity and security levels of AI coding stand out as effective measures for safeguarding patient identity compared to traditional masking systems. However, the implementation of AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly concerning regulatory compliance, presents various challenges and ethical considerations. These include ensuring data privacy and security, adhering to diverse regulations, deciphering complex AI algorithms, managing the time and cost implications, addressing potential biases perpetuated by AI algorithms, integrating solutions into existing systems, navigating complex ethical and legal considerations, determining accountability and liability for decisions made, preserving patient autonomy and consent, and conducting real-time reviews for corrections.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How can AI help address the challenges of drug resistance in infectious diseases?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The emergence of drug resistance in infectious diseases poses a significant healthcare challenge. However, AI offers a promising solution by playing a crucial role in addressing this issue. Through predictive analytics, AI can forecast which drugs may become ineffective against evolving pathogens, allowing for proactive adjustments in treatment strategies. Furthermore, AI aids in the discovery of alternative treatments, the development of more effective medications, and the customisation of treatment plans tailored to individual patients. By providing real-time insights into the changing landscape of drug resistance, AI enables healthcare professionals to adapt swiftly, ultimately enhancing the efficacy of treatments and improving patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What strategies can be employed to ensure the fairness and transparency of AI algorithms in healthcare decision-making?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To maintain trust, mitigate bias, and foster equitable outcomes, it is crucial to prioritise fairness and transparency in the use of AI algorithms for healthcare decision-making. Some of the strategies to achieve this include ensuring transparency of both data and algorithms, promoting diversity and inclusivity in the development process, conducting external validation and evaluation, and establishing regulatory frameworks and guidelines.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you see AI impacting the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services globally?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While AI offers significant potential for improving the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services on a global scale, there are challenges to overcome. These include ensuring fair access to AI-driven technologies, addressing concerns regarding data privacy and security, and navigating regulatory and ethical issues. Collaboration among various stakeholders, such as governments, healthcare providers, technology developers, and community organisations, is vital to fully realise the benefits of AI in enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key factors hindering the adoption of AI in pharmaceutical research and development?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pharmaceutical companies face several challenges when it comes to using AI in research and development. Firstly, they require high-quality and comprehensive datasets to effectively train AI models. Secondly, they must adhere to strict regulatory guidelines set by government agencies. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies often possess proprietary data and intellectual property that may not be easily compatible with AI systems. Finally, the significant investment required to implement AI technology presents a barrier to adoption for many companies in the industry.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a case where AI-driven predictive modelling has significantly improved clinical trial outcomes or drug efficacy in the Healthcare system?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's important to note that using AI in the healthcare system, along with a thorough review of relevant literature from sources like PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and EMBASE, is significant. Integrating AI into healthcare has the potential to greatly improve disease diagnosis, treatment selection, and clinical laboratory testing. AI tools can analyse large sets of data and find patterns, outperforming humans in many healthcare tasks. AI brings higher accuracy, lower costs, and time savings, while also reducing human errors. It can revolutionise personalised medicine, optimise medication dosages, improve population health management, set guidelines, offer virtual health assistants, support mental health care, enhance patient education, and strengthen patient-physician trust.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, AI can be used in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) by using machine learning algorithms to predict drug-drug interactions. By analysing large sets of patient data, these algorithms can detect potential drug interactions. This helps to decrease the risk of adverse drug reactions, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Amguth Raju</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>hyderabad@mmactiv.com&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => 'Amguth Raju', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17'), array('articleId' => '24280', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Effectively Eliminating Drug-resistant TB', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/tb-24280.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'effectively-eliminating-drug-resistant-tb', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has the highest burden of TB, with two deaths occurring every three minutes from the disease. The country recorded a staggering 28 lakh cases in 2022, accounting for 27 per cent of the global cases, according to WHO.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India initiated the TB Free India campaign with the ambitious goal of eradicating TB by 2025, a milestone set five years earlier than the target outlined by the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Despite facing setbacks due to COVID-19, the nation doubled down on its efforts, resulting in notable progress. The India TB Report 2023 heralded 2022 as a pivotal year in TB surveillance, noting a significant achievement with a record-high notification of 24.2 lakh TB cases, representing an increase of over 13 per cent compared to 2021.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The latest WHO Global TB Report 2023 acknowledged and praised India's efforts in its fight against TB, particularly highlighting the effectiveness of its case detection strategies. The report emphasised that India's intensified case detection strategies led to the highest-ever notification of cases in 2022, surpassing pre-COVID levels. The government's key initiatives, such as specialised active case finding drives, the scaling up of molecular diagnostics to block levels, decentralisation of screening services through Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, and private sector engagement, have significantly reduced the gap in missing cases.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Road to elimination&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the country has made remarkable progress in its fight against TB, the adoption of additional strategies such as shorter treatment regimens, the development of vaccines, and a renewed focus on nutrition could prove to be game-changers in its goal of eliminating TB for good.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The BPaL regimen, composed of Bedaquiline, Pretomanid and Linezolid, presents a promising alternative for a shorter, safer and more tolerable treatment option for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). Lasting only 26 weeks, it contrasts sharply with conventional DR-TB treatments, which can span 18 to 21 months and entail the consumption of over 4,000 to 5,000 tablets. Endorsed by the US FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) in 2019 and the WHO in 2022, the BPaL regimen has been implemented in more than 70 countries, including South Africa, Ukraine, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;The older, conventional regimen for drug-resistant TB included prolonged use of injections with other drugs. This was associated with increased incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), implementation challenges under the programme and inconvenience to the patients. The new TB drug regimen uses the newer oral drugs like Bedaquiline, Delamanid or Pretomanid, or the repurposed drugs such as linezolid, clofazimine, etc. These regimens are injection free and have lesser pill burden leading to more acceptance among the TB patients besides reducing the implementation challenges due to the use of injections. They have the ability to kill the actively multiplying drug-resistant TB bacteria faster and a sustained killing of the bacteria to prevent the recurrence of the TB disease among the patients. These regimens have shown improved treatment success rates under field conditions under the national programme,&rdquo; said <strong>Dr Rupak Singla, Head of Department, National Institute of TB &amp; Respiratory Diseases, New Delhi</strong>.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Singla further said &ldquo;To combat the adverse drug reactions of these regimen, specially due to drug linezolid, various regimens using different dosages and durations of linezolid have demonstrated reduced incidence of ADRs maintaining the efficacy of the regimen. Hence, these newer treatment drug regimens could reduce the global burden of drug-resistant TB. However, the requirement of a good quality laboratory network, availability and higher cost of the drugs continue to pose a challenge.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new regimen is shorter, easier on patients and improves treatment adherence, resulting in better outcomes compared to previous drug regimens.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Talking about the potential implications of the new TB drug regimen on India&rsquo;s TB control efforts, Dr Singla stated, &ldquo;The cure rate for previous conventional TB regimen for multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) was to the tune of around 50 per cent and for Extensively drug-resistant-TB (XDR-TB), less than 30 per cent. The new TB drug regimen has the potential for significant improvement in treatment success rates for MDR-TB as well as XDR-TB.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In India the national data shows that more than 36,000 drug-resistant TB patients have been initiated on shorter oral Bedaquiline-containing regimen and more than 92,000 patients have been initiated on longer oral regimen till date. Treatment success rates of shorter oral regimen for the cohort April-September 2022 (around 12,000 patients) is 69 per cent and of longer oral regimen for the cohort January-September 2021 (around 15,000 patients) is 71 per cent. The improved success rates of new drug regimens is likely to translate into less number of deaths due to TB, reduced period of infectiousness of TB patients and reduced transmission of TB to others in the community leading to reduced incidence of TB.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Studies at the 2023 Union World Conference on Lung Health affirm WHO-endorsed regimens' effectiveness, surpassing traditional 18- to 24-month treatments. The goal is to urge high-burden DR-TB countries to update guidelines and offer shorter treatments to all patients in need. Only 40 per cent of the 410,000 people with DR-TB in 2022 had access to the shorter regimen, as per a WHO report.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A group of experts in the country have stressed the need for introducing the BPaL regimen in the TB control programme of the country. B<strong>lessina Kumar, CEO, Global Coalition of TB Advocates, New Delhi</strong> emphasised the potential cost savings associated with its adoption, citing studies estimating a global annual savings of $740 million. With India accounting for a significant portion of global multi-drug, rifampicin-resistant (MDR/RR-TB) treated patients, she suggested that the country could save nearly $250 million per year through the implementation of this regimen. India will likely roll out the new regime soon.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>TB Vaccine</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vaccination holds promise as a game-changer for TB elimination. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is conducting phase III trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two vaccines: VPM1002 and MIP (Mycobacterium indicus pranii). VPM1002 is a live vaccine based on recombinant BCG, modified for better safety and efficacy. MIP or Immuvac, originally developed for leprosy, is a whole-cell TB vaccine candidate. The trial aims to assess the effectiveness of these vaccines in preventing TB disease, among 12,721 individuals exposed to TB at home (referred to as household contacts). Enrollment for the study is complete, with participant follow-up currently ongoing, according to the pipeline report 2022 by the Treatment Action Group.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bharat Biotech is partnering with the Spanish firm BIOFABRI to develop, manufacture, and distribute a new tuberculosis vaccine across over 70 countries in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The TB vaccine candidate by Bharat Biotech is set to enter phase-III trials soon.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Lancet study highlighted the pivotal role of nutrition in TB management. The&nbsp; Reducing Activation of Tuberculosis by Improvement of Nutritional Status (RATIONS) trial demonstrated that providing food baskets to TB patients and their households reduced all forms of TB by nearly 40 per cent and infectious TB by almost 50 per cent. In 2018, the Indian government launched the 'Nikshay Poshan Yojana,' a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to offer nutrition support to TB patients. Since its inception, the scheme has disbursed approximately Rs 2613 crore to over 95 lakh TB patients.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has indeed made significant strides in addressing TB; however, the battle against the disease is far from over. Despite enhanced detection and surveillance efforts, there's&nbsp; a need to adopt newer strategies to combat TB effectively. Advances in R&amp;D of vaccines, access to newer drug regimens, enhanced focus on nutrition will all help in propelling TB elimination goals.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Ayesha Siddiqui&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ayesha Siddiqui', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24272', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Prioritising Women’s Health & Wellbeing ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2036811071-24272.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: gettyimages', 'pageSlug' => 'prioritising-womens-health-wellbeing-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a new report from the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute launched at Davos in January 2024, women may live longer than men, on average, but they spend 25 per cent more of their lives in debilitating health. The report said improving diagnostics, data on women-specific conditions like ovarian cancer, and directing more investments towards women&rsquo;s health and research is needed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In particular, McKinsey research finds that less than 2 per cent of healthcare research and innovation is invested in female-specific conditions beyond cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This &lsquo;women&rsquo;s health gap&rsquo; equates to 75 million years of life lost due to poor health or early death each year. Closing the gap would benefit 3.9 billion women, giving them an extra seven healthy days a year, or an average of 500 days over a lifetime. Further, it could boost the global economy by $1 trillion by 2040 from fewer early deaths and health conditions, and a greater capacity for women to contribute to the economy and society.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a result of these findings, the final hours of the World Economic Forum in Davos saw the launch of a new Global Alliance for Women&rsquo;s Health, which has the broad ambition of &lsquo;re-shaping the future of women&rsquo;s health and the global economy.&rsquo; The health alliance will pledge new commitments from governments, philanthropies, and pharmaceutical companies, among others, across three pillars i.e. financing, science and innovation, and agenda-setting. So far, partners have pledged $55 million to improve women&rsquo;s health outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">With International Women&rsquo;s Day 2024 being themed around &lsquo;Inspiring inclusion&rsquo;, we see governments across the globe putting the much-needed emphasis on women&rsquo;s healthcare. For instance, the UAE has set out wide-ranging plans to bolster healthcare services for women, by approving the &lsquo;National Policy for Improving Women&rsquo;s Health&rsquo; for providing the highest healthcare services quality for women, whether curative, preventive or rehabilitative services. Similarly, the Irish government is paving the way for a longer-term comprehensive Women&rsquo;s Health Strategy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in England are being urged to help shape reproductive health policy, as the government seeks views on periods, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and menopause for health strategy. Likewise, the Biden administration recently announced a White House initiative to improve how the federal government approaches and funds research into the health of women, who make up more than half of the US population but remain understudied and underrepresented in health research.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, of course, is not far behind in this initiative. The Interim Budget 2024-25 announcement that took place on February 1, 2024, laid focus on encouraging vaccination for girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years for the prevention of cervical cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Besides these government initiatives, multiple efforts are also being made by the industry players to improve women&rsquo;s health. For example, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zurzuvae as the first and only oral treatment approved for women with postpartum depression, developed by American pharmaceutical company Biogen. The US FDA has also recently approved a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription for the first time in the US, a milestone that could significantly expand access to contraception. The pill&rsquo;s manufacturer, Perrigo Company is based in Dublin.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Further, biotech companies in the UK and Korea are embarking on the world's first prospective study of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered breast cancer detection, to streamline diagnosis, and tackle radiologist shortages. On the other hand, startups in India have developed groundbreaking multi-cancer detection tests specifically designed for high-risk and asymptomatic women.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quality, affordability, and accessibility, particularly in the context of women&rsquo;s health, are very critical aspects of ensuring well-being. This calls for greater mobilisation across sectors to invest in women&rsquo;s health, keeping in mind the imperatives of equity and integral care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Manbeena Chawla</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Executive Editor</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(</span><a href="mailto:manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com"><span style="font-weight: 400;">manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></p>', 'sequence' => '5', 'guestAuthor' => 'Dr Manbeena Chawla', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '101'), array('articleId' => '24270', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Establishing Ethical Frameworks for Equitable Use of AI in Healthcare ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/21-24270.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'establishing-ethical-frameworks-for-equitable-use-of-ai-in-healthcare-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The global healthcare landscape is witnessing a seismic transformation driven by AI technologies. From therapeutics to diagnostics, hospital operations to clinical decision-making, AI is making significant strides across diverse applications. According to Statista, the value of AI in the global healthcare market was $11 billion in 2021, projected to reach an estimated $188 billion by 2030. This staggering growth, at a compounded annual rate of 37 per cent, underscores the immense potential AI holds in reshaping the future of healthcare.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Transforming Medical Research and Imaging Analysis</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The impact of AI is not limited to specific segments; it spans the entire healthcare ecosystem. One critical domain experiencing a revolution is medical research, as AI expedites drug discovery processes. Through machine learning algorithms, researchers can predict the success rate of chemical compounds, significantly reducing the time and resources required for experimentation. This not only accelerates the pace of innovation but also holds the promise of bringing new, effective treatments to patients more rapidly.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the realm of medical imaging analysis, AI is proving to be a game-changer. It enables the rapid and accurate detection of anomalies in MRI scans, X-rays, and CT scans. Radiologists benefit from quicker identification of potential life-threatening issues, minimising human errors and enhancing diagnostic accuracy. This not only saves crucial time but also improves patient outcomes, particularly in cases where early detection is paramount.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Data-Driven Healthcare</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">AI is revolutionising the traditional landscape of diagnosis and treatment by providing clinicians with unprecedented data-driven insights. Machine learning algorithms analyse extensive patient data to identify patterns and correlations, facilitating more accurate and timely diagnosis. Personalised treatment plans based on individual patient characteristics are now a reality, enhancing the effectiveness of medical interventions. The ability to tailor treatments to specific patient profiles leads to improved outcomes and a more efficient allocation of healthcare resources.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Real-time assessment of treatment effectiveness by AI tools further contributes to improved clinical outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. Monitoring and adjusting treatment plans based on real-world data ensure that patients receive the most effective interventions tailored to their individual responses. This not only enhances patient care but also contributes to the sustainability of healthcare systems worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Predictive analysis, powered by AI, enables healthcare providers to forecast potential outcomes based on historical data and real-time health information. Identifying patients at risk of specific conditions allows for early intervention, preventing complications and improving overall healthcare efficiency. Large-scale population data analysis can also detect trends and outbreaks of infectious diseases before they become widespread, a critical capability showcased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability to anticipate and mitigate health crises is a testament to the power of AI in safeguarding public health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Patient-Centric Approach</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The integration of AI into healthcare is not solely about clinical applications; it extends to improving the overall patient experience. Streamlining appointment scheduling, providing remote monitoring solutions, and offering personalised treatment plans based on individual medical records contribute to a more patient-centric approach. AI-driven chatbots responding to routine medical inquiries reduce stress and save time for both patients and healthcare providers, fostering a more efficient and accessible healthcare system.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the promises of AI in healthcare, challenges persist. Blind spots in data access and collection, privacy concerns, data misuse, and regulatory ambiguities are roadblocks to widespread adoption. In India, a rapidly growing player in AI-based healthcare, progress is evident, but there is still a long way to go. The ambitious goals of universal healthcare delivery and affordability through AI remain distant, requiring continued innovation and collaboration.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, a major player in the global healthcare sector, is rapidly embracing AI. The National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence by NITI Aayog highlights the potential of AI to address challenges such as a shortage of qualified healthcare professionals and non-uniform accessibility to healthcare across the country. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, AI expenditure in India is projected to reach $11.78 billion by 2025, contributing significantly to the country's economy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite challenges, AI's potential to revolutionise healthcare is undeniable. As technology continues to advance, AI's applications in telemedicine, genomics, robotics, and 3D printing will expand. Workforce training and collaboration between medical professionals and AI developers will be crucial for maximising the benefits of AI. The integration of AI with other emerging technologies holds the key to shaping the future of medical care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we delve deeper into the integration of AI in healthcare, it's imperative to address the ethical considerations surrounding this revolutionary technology. The responsible use of AI in medical settings demands careful navigation of issues such as patient privacy, data security, and bias in algorithms.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Privacy concerns arise from the vast amounts of sensitive patient data being processed by AI systems. Ensuring robust data protection measures, stringent encryption, and transparent data usage policies become paramount to build and maintain public trust in AI-driven healthcare solutions.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The potential for bias in AI algorithms poses another ethical challenge. If the datasets used to train AI models are not representative or if biased historical data is fed into the algorithms, it can perpetuate existing inequalities in healthcare. Striking a balance in dataset curation and continuous monitoring of algorithmic outputs is crucial to mitigate bias and ensure equitable healthcare outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moreover, the explainability of AI decisions becomes crucial, especially in critical medical scenarios. Ensuring that AI models provide interpretable insights aids healthcare professionals in understanding and trusting AI-generated recommendations, fostering collaboration between humans and machines.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In conclusion, AI is not just a buzzword but a transformative force reshaping the healthcare industry. From diagnosis to treatment, AI is proving its mettle by delivering accurate, personalised, and efficient healthcare solutions. While challenges persist, the trajectory of AI in healthcare is pointing towards a future where technology and human expertise converge to provide optimal patient care. As we stand at the intersection of technology and healthcare, the role of AI in shaping the future of medicine is more promising than ever.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As AI continues to evolve, it is crucial for stakeholders&mdash;be they healthcare providers, policymakers, or technology developers&mdash;to collaborate in establishing ethical frameworks that ensure the responsible and equitable use of AI in healthcare. The ongoing dialogue around ethical considerations is vital to ensure that AI remains a force for good in healthcare, driving positive change for patients and society at large.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&amp;D, Murata Vios</strong></em></p>', 'sequence' => '6', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&D, Murata Vios', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17')), 'trendingTopicsList' => array(array('articleId' => '24283', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => '83.5% of adults in India underestimate shingles risk: Global GSK survey', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shingles_large-24283.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => '83-5-of-adults-in-india-underestimate-shingles-risk-global-gsk-survey', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical (GSK) has released new data from a globally commissioned survey funded by them. The survey finds notable gaps in understanding of shingles risk among individuals aged above 50 years, a group that is most susceptible to the disease.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey conducted amongst 3,500 adults aged 50 and over from 12 countries, assessed respondents&rsquo; understanding of shingles, what triggers it, and its impact on people&rsquo;s lives.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey in&nbsp;India&nbsp;involved 500 participants, with 250 respondents who spoke Hindi and another 250 who spoke English. The data, launched in time for Shingles Awareness Week 2024 (26 February&nbsp;2024 &ndash; 3 March 2024), finds a widespread lack of understanding of shingles and its lifetime risk.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The findings show that globally, a significantly high proportion of those surveyed do not understand their risk of developing shingles,&nbsp;with&nbsp;86%&nbsp;underestimating&nbsp;that&nbsp;risk.<font size="1">&nbsp;</font>In India, 81% of the English-speaking and 86% &nbsp;of the Hindi-speaking respondents surveyed underestimate the risk of shingles<sup>.</sup></p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In India,&nbsp;amongst the &nbsp;English-speaking respondents, 22% believe that 1 in 1000 adults are at risk of developing shingles.<sup>&nbsp;</sup>Amongst the Hindi-speaking respondents,18% believe that 1 in 1000 adults is at risk of developing shingles.&nbsp;</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In&nbsp;reality,&nbsp;most&nbsp;adults already&nbsp;have&nbsp;the&nbsp;virus that&nbsp;causes&nbsp;shingles present in&nbsp;their bodies by&nbsp;the&nbsp;age&nbsp;of 50,&nbsp;which may&nbsp;reactivate with&nbsp;advancing&nbsp;age.&nbsp;Shingles&nbsp;is&nbsp;caused&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;reactivation&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;varicella-zoster&nbsp;virus&nbsp;(VZV),&nbsp;the same virus that causes chickenpox.&nbsp;As people age, the strength of their immune response to infection wanes, and this increases their risk of developing shingles.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Rashmi Hegde, Executive Vice President - Medical Affairs, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, India, said,&nbsp;&ldquo;The survey findings underscore the need to raise awareness about shingles risk in adults over 50.&nbsp; Shingles can significantly disrupt the daily lives of ageing adults and cause them a great deal of discomfort."</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24230', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Fujifilm launches advanced endoscopic ultrasound machine ALOKA ARIETTA 850 in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/fuji-24230.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'fujifilm-launches-advanced-endoscopic-ultrasound-machine-aloka-arietta-850-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Fujifilm India, a pioneer in diagnostic imaging and information systems, has launched the ground breaking ALOKA ARIETTA 850 Diagnostic Ultrasound System in India with its first-ever installation at Fortis Hospital in Bengaluru.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Representing a remarkable advancement in endoscopic technologies, the high-tech ultrasound system aims to enhance diagnostic precision and image clarity for gastrointestinal diseases in the region.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">In India, contemporary lifestyles and changing dietary choices are leading to the deteriorating digestive health of the population, adding to the growing prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Addressing this, Fujifilm India&rsquo;S&nbsp;ALOKA ARIETTA 850&nbsp;Endoscopic Ultrasound Machine at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru is a significant step in providing world-class diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients against these GI-related diseases, performing targeted treatments such as Pancreatic pseudo cyst drainage (without surgery), targeted delivery of treatment in Pancreatic cancers.&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) is a minimally invasive method for assessing malignancies affecting the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract and neighbouring organs or tissues. With this high degree of accuracy in both diagnostic and therapeutic capacities, it allows doctors to precisely examine organs like the lungs, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, lymph nodes and nearby affected areas.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">EUS also facilitates the extraction of tissue or fluid samples through a thin needle, eliminating the need for a separate biopsy procedure. Additionally, it improves the staging of cancers with accurate sampling provided by Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) and Fine Needle Biopsy (FNB). Furthermore, EUS proves valuable in cases of altered anatomy and among cancer patients for various therapeutic procedures.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">ALOKA ARIETTA 850 stands out from conventional endoscopic ultrasound machines with a range of superior features. The machine generates image quality with 7 million digital channels in its B mode. This system also incorporates HD-THI for deeper penetration, ensuring accurate diagnoses, along with combi-elastography, pure symphonic architecture and CHI-TIC and Inflow Time Mapping for clearer visibility by reducing noise and enhancing the completeness and continuity of tissue boundaries.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '91'), array('articleId' => '24229', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Bengaluru researchers develop paper-based platform to detect antibiotic-resistant bacteria', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shutterstock_157198133-24229.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'bengaluru-researchers-develop-paper-based-platform-to-detect-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">A paper-based platform developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru could help quickly detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant, disease-causing bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Dr Uday Maitra, Professor at the Department of Organic Chemistry, IISc, and collaborators have developed a rapid diagnosis protocol that uses a luminescent paper-based platform to detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The approach developed by the IISc and JNCASR team involves incorporating biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (BCA) within a supramolecular hydrogel matrix containing terbium cholate (TbCh). This hydrogel normally emits green fluorescence when UV light is shined on it.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The next step was to find a way to make the technology inexpensive. Currently used diagnostics instruments are costly, which drives up the price for testing.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team collaborated with a Chennai-based company called Adiuvo Diagnostics to design a customised, portable and miniature imaging device, named Illuminate Fluorescence Reader. Infusing the hydrogel in a sheet of paper as the medium reduced the cost significantly. The instrument is fitted with different LEDs that shine UV radiation as required. Green fluorescence from the enzyme is captured by a built-in camera, and a dedicated software app measures the intensity, which can help quantify the bacterial load.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team from IISc tied up with Jayanta Haldar&rsquo;s research group from JNCASR to check their approach on urine samples. As the next step, the researchers plan to tie up with hospitals to test this technology with samples from patients.</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58'), array('articleId' => '24163', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Theme for National Science Day sets in as ‘Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat’', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/nsd-24163.png', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'theme-for-national-science-day-sets-in-as-indigenous-technologies-for-viksit-bharat', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science &amp; Technology Dr Jitendra Singh released the theme for the "National Science Day 2024", titled "Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat".</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) theme for this year&rsquo;s celebration reflects a strategic focus on promoting public appreciation for Science, Technology and Innovation and accomplishments of Indian scientists to address challenges through home-grown technologies for over-all well-being.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The theme not only marks a new era but also presents an opportunity for public and scientific fraternity, both domestically and internationally, to collaborate, work together, and contribute to the well-being of India and humanity as a whole. While emphasising the importance of making India&nbsp;<em>Atmanirbhar&nbsp;</em>through science, it underscores the need to address subjects that hold significance for humanity as a whole.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on 28 February to commemorate the discovery of the &lsquo;Raman Effect&rsquo;. Government of India designated 28 February as National Science Day in 1986. On this day Sir C.V. Raman announced the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930. On this occasion, theme-based science communication activities are carried out all over the country. The theme launch will trigger celebrations of NSD specially in schools &amp; colleges throughout the country.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science &amp; Technology (DST) said that as we embark on the celebration of NSD and move ahead with the launch of the theme for 2024, it is clearly evident that our scientific endeavours have the power to shape not only the future of our nation but also contribute significantly towards global advancement.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58')), 'mostReadArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24286', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Qiagen launches AI-derived biomedical knowledge base to accelerate data-driven drug discovery', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2-24286.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'qiagen-launches-ai-derived-biomedical-knowledge-base-to-accelerate-data-driven-drug-discovery', 'page1' => '<p align="justify">US-based Qiagen has announced the launch of Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI, a new generative AI-driven knowledge base designed to propel drug discovery in the pharma and biotech industries. This new offering is designed for data scientists and bioinformaticians who are looking for the most comprehensive knowledge graphs to fuel data-driven drug discovery.</p> <p align="justify">Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI is built on a massive dataset of biomedical literature and other scientific sources. It identifies and extracts causal relationships between genes, diseases, drugs and other biological entities with artificial intelligence (AI), generating over 600 million more biomedical relationships than its complement, Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD. This expansive knowledge base helps data scientists understand disease mechanisms, identify drug targets or biomarkers and explore strategies for repurposing existing drugs. Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI provides the most complete picture of biomedical relationships, including edge cases and novel relationships.</p> <p align="justify">While Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD is manually curated and known for its high quality and accuracy, Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI contains over 25x more relationships, allowing data scientists to generate new insights. Both knowledge bases can be used to provide both high-quality and high-quantity biomedical relationships data for data scientists and bioinformaticians to mine and validate.</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '60'), array('articleId' => '24284', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'IIT Kanpur partners with UP government to enhance tele-medicine using AI', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_28_at_3_48_48_pm-24284.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'iit-kanpur-partners-with-up-government-to-enhance-tele-medicine-using-ai', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">The Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and the Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to revolutionise healthcare delivery and advance tele-medicine facilities in the state through the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI).</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU was signed by Ranjan Kumar IAS, Secretary, Health &amp; Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Professor Sandeep Verma, Professor-In-Charge, Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Kanpur, in the presence of&nbsp;other dignitaries.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU outlines several key areas of collaboration, including anchoring tele-medicine hubs and enhancing the quality of tele-medicine services, implementing AI-based solutions to address population health impact, developing point-of-care diagnostics to drive program improvements, conducting competency-based capacity building for health cadres, and utilizing database predictions and analysis for informed decision-making.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">This will help the Department to make optimal use of the UP Digital Health Stack (UP-DHS) and ensure that every citizen of the state, wherever they are, will be able to access healthcare when needed. In Uttar Pradesh, UP-DHS is making significant strides in implementation, with foundational NHS elements deployed across all health administrative units and the rollout of essential healthcare applications well underway.</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '100'), array('articleId' => '24282', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Medtech firm Stryker expands prototype and testing facility in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/styker-24282.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'medtech-firm-stryker-expands-prototype-and-testing-facility-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker, a global leader in medical technologies, has officially expanded its prototype and testing facility in India, marking significant growth of its R&amp;D footprint in the country.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This advanced 55,600-square-foot facility integrates cutting-edge infrastructure, enhanced microbiology capabilities, and a talented team to drive innovation and ensure product quality across its medical technology portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Investing in innovation from India is a focus area for Stryker," said&nbsp;Ram Rangarajan, Vice President of Stryker Global Technology Center, India. "This new lab represents our commitment to developing medical technologies that improve patient outcomes and comply with the highest regulatory standards."</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker's new facility is dedicated to the rigorous life cycle testing of medical devices. The new lab boasts several key features:</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Prototyping and product assurance hub:&nbsp;Equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure for plastic 3D printing,&nbsp;metal machining, and a diverse range of testing capabilities,&nbsp;the lab supports prototyping and product assurance across Stryker's entire product portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Expanded microbiology competency:&nbsp;The lab strengthens Stryker's ability to conduct comprehensive microbiological testing,&nbsp;ensuring the safety and efficacy of its medical technologies.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Talented team of engineers and microbiologists:&nbsp; Highly skilled engineers and microbiologists will use the advanced equipment and expertise to develop innovative solutions that positively impact patients around the world.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '93'), array('articleId' => '24262', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Miltenyi Biotec to open Cell and Gene Therapy Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/gene-24262.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'miltenyi-biotec-to-open-cell-and-gene-therapy-centre-of-excellence-in-hyderabad', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">German firm Miltenyi Biotec is launching operations in India with its first office and investing to set up Miltenyi Innovation and Technology Center as Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Hyderabad.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This COE will be one of its first of its kind in India where scientists, researchers, industry experts and clinicians can get classroom to hands-on trainings on cell and gene therapy approaches right from proof of concept to pre-clinical / clinical development and commercialisation. This CoE also will provide Indian researchers, scientists and clinicians easier access to expertise, research, and manufacturing solutions.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Each year, more than 10,000 patients are treated with cell products using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies. More than&nbsp; 950 investigational new drug (IND) applications as well as investigational device exemptions (IDE) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies and platforms.&nbsp;&nbsp;In doing so, the company is well poised to enable local development and manufacturing in India to drive affordable and&nbsp;accessible CGT therapies by academia and industry for Indian as well as global patients.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Boris Stoffel,&nbsp;Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s Managing Director, highlighted that the company intends to seek opportunities to catalyse development of CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T cell clinical development and manufacturing, with the prospect of bringing centralised and point-of-care CAR T cell therapy to hospitals across India.</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '96')), 'pollQuestionDetails' => array('pollQuestionId' => '74', 'title' => 'Is India witnessing increasing demand for life sciences-related real estate?', 'slug' => 'is-india-witnessing-increasing-demand-for-life-sciences-related-real-estate', 'question' => '', 'status' => '1', 'deleteStatus' => '0', 'lastUpdationDate' => object(DateTime), 'creationDate' => object(DateTime), 'userId' => '10', 'siteId' => '2', 'pollOptionList' => array(array('pollOptionId' => '206', 'option' => 'Yes', 'clicks' => '2', 'pollQuestionId' => '74'), array('pollOptionId' => '207', 'option' => 'No', 'clicks' => '2', 'pollQuestionId' => '74'), array('pollOptionId' => '208', 'option' => 'May be', 'clicks' => '2', 'pollQuestionId' => '74'))), 'articleList' => array())))
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'status' => 'Published', 'contentTypeId' => '15', 'siteId' => '2', 'sourceId' => '2', 'userId' => '4', 'lastUpdatedByUserId' => '26', 'articleType' => 'Static', 'language' => null, 'blogType' => null, 'pageSlug' => 'footer-top-left', 'magazineIssue' => null, 'pullquote' => null, 'restrictionType' => null, 'seoKeyword' => null, 'articleReadCount' => '0'), 'subsectionAlias' => 'segments', 'subsection' => 'Segments', 'section' => '', 'sectionId' => '', 'aliasName' => '', 'leadershipArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24267', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'What’s Shaking Up India’s Life Sciences Real Estate Sector?', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/bs1-24267.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'whats-shaking-up-indias-life-sciences-real-estate-sector', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2021,&nbsp; a California-based life sciences real estate development company acquired Hotel Buckminster. This acquisition was done to redevelop the closed hotel into a life science lab space. Again in May 2021, a facility that housed the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive was transformed into a new life sciences lab on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the same year in India, a Canadian Pension Fund along with a Singapore-based wealth and asset management firm jointly invested $100 million (Rs 7.5 billion) in life sciences R&amp;D facilities in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. This investment, according to reports, proved to be a stepping stone for more equity investments in this segment. On February 6, 2024, life sciences real estate developer, Rx Propellant announced an initial investment of $75 million in phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai Research (NMR) District, as part of its continued regional expansion strategy across India.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In all the four developments mentioned above, it is clear that post-pandemic, the demand for life sciences-related real estate has significantly increased. Both greenfield and brownfield projects have surged, as the pandemic fuelled the demand for locally manufactured pharma and medical products.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, in the last few decades, has witnessed the IT and manufacturing sectors invest heavily in real estate and infrastructure. But in the post-pandemic era, we see life sciences companies require space to innovate, for R&amp;D, and manufacture at scale.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Fast-evolving life sciences market&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India is one of the fastest-growing life sciences markets in the world and the sector is poised to see multi-fold growth by 2030 led by a fast-increasing population, rising life expectancy, a strong industrial base and inclusive government initiatives. In addition, India&rsquo;s demographic dividend, strong industrial base and policy push are known to be the growth drivers for the life sciences sector in the country.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The increasing government spending on the healthcare sector, cost benefits in terms of affordable manpower &amp; real estate expenses, and the availability of a large talent pool are the catalysts of life sciences growth in India. Schemes like Production Linked Incentive (PLI)&nbsp; have boosted domestic manufacturing which&nbsp; has resulted in the need for more space in industrial and tech parks. Also, global exports of pharmaceutical and biotechnology products and medical devices from the country have forced many companies to invest in capacity building and human resources.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Notably, India ranks second globally in terms of the number of US FDA-certified plants located outside the US, closely followed by China. Strengths of this kind and the constantly evolving sector are&nbsp; furthering the requirement for large-scale&nbsp; manufacturing, MSMEs, wet laboratories, R&amp;D hubs, incubators, and data centres&nbsp; coupled with other IT &amp; ES support.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the next decade, it is estimated that the requirement for life sciences R&amp;D real estate in India is likely to grow to somewhere between $16 billion (Rs 1,200 billion) and $34 billion (Rs 2,550 billion) as per conservative and optimistic scenarios.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Push from PEs and VCs</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India&rsquo;s life sciences R&amp;D real estate is emerging as a high-potential asset class for institutional investors. Aided by exponential global demand growth, geopolitical environment, policies initiatives, and skilled workforce this sector is rapidly transforming.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Atul Bhardwaj, Business Head, Lighthouse Canton Real Estate</strong>, indicates that both domestic and international investors are demonstrating a strong interest in India's life sciences real estate market. According to Bhardwaj, private equity firms, venture capitalists, and real estate developers are actively investing significant capital in the development of specialised facilities to meet the requirements of life sciences companies. He says, &ldquo;Biotechnology parks and clusters are emerging as key focal points for life sciences research and manufacturing in India. These specialised hubs offer world-class infrastructure, shared amenities, and a collaborative ecosystem that encourages innovation and cooperation among industry stakeholders, academic institutions, and research organisations.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Citing one other compelling factor of the life sciences real estate market to surge, Bhardwaj, says, &ldquo;This sector's operational model does not accommodate the concept of working from home, which presents a compelling opportunity for real estate developers. The recent pandemic underscored the resilience of the pharmaceutical sector. While many industries, including office realty, experienced significant disruptions, the pharmaceutical sector's demand for space significantly increased, further cementing its critical role in the global economy.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Arvind Nandan, Managing Director &ndash; Research &amp; Consulting, Savills India</strong>, says, &ldquo;Venture Capital funding into the life sciences industry in India stood at $448 million (Rs 34 billion) in 2021 through August, almost 3x of the annual average of the previous years, making it clear that this segment will play a pivotal role in the overall growth of the Indian Real Estate industry.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Adopting the asset light model</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We know that globally organisations across all sectors &ndash; be it small or big &ndash; are undergoing massive digital transformation and smart business strategies that are sustainable and cost-effective are implemented. Owing to that, businesses are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to scale up faster, which has given rise to many alternate models of operations, including the concept of going asset-light.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Asset-light model offers a strategic approach where companies minimise their ownership of physical assets (such as buildings or land). Companies go asset-light by owning fewer capital-intensive assets compared to their operational assets. By doing this, life sciences companies focus on their core competencies (such as research, development, and production) and avoid heavy investments in real estate.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Merck &amp; Co., Inc. (MSD outside the US and Canada) is a prime example of an asset-light pharmaceutical company. Merck collaborates with specialised Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisations (CDMOs) for various stages of drug development and production. By leveraging external partners, they avoid heavy capital expenditure on building and maintaining several of their own manufacturing facilities.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sharing his view on the asset light model, <strong>Rx Propellant&rsquo;s CEO Milind Ravi</strong>, says, &ldquo;While traditionally dominated by &lsquo;user-owned&rsquo; models, an evident but slow shift to &lsquo;asset-light&rsquo; options in India indicates growing demand for agile growth-ready infrastructure. With its increased focus on innovation, India&rsquo;s life sciences market is expected to grow threefold in the next decade, reaching $130 billion by 2030. This in turn is set to generate demand for over 100 million square feet of specialised infrastructure across several existing ecosystems including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Vizag, and Pune among others.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another aspect to asset-light operations is the advantage companies draw from sharing infrastructure elements. Atul Bhardwaj opines that the model of providing comprehensive amenities under one roof offers significant benefits to companies by eliminating the need for capital expenditure on individual pieces of equipment such as chillers and DG sets. This approach, he says, not only reduces the initial capital outlay but also lowers the overall opex for companies, as costs related to maintenance, security, and technical manpower are shared.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;This cost model is particularly advantageous, as it would otherwise be a substantial financial burden for a company to bear alone for its standalone unit. Real estate developers who offer high-quality infrastructure can further reduce a company's upfront expenses by providing essential utilities like nitrogen generators and vacuum systems. A multi-tenanted building thus emerges as a mutually beneficial arrangement for both developers and tenant companies,&rdquo; says Bhardwaj.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Sustainable infrastructure&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In almost every industry, the board members, shareholders advocate the importance of the mandates of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) of business operations. The threat of climate change has prompted many industries to develop environmental strategies to reduce their carbon footprints, with the life sciences industry on the top of the pyramid.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Being climate conscious has brought in new concepts in smart buildings and other digitally supported facilities and infrastructure models. Open floor plans, shared workspaces, and flexible furniture are some of today&rsquo;s trends that are known to foster interaction and knowledge sharing, similar to what's seen in modern IT work spaces. This shift in life sciences too encourages cross-disciplinary research, faster problem-solving, and quicker innovation and most importantly sharing resources.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Emerging trends in innovation have seen an increase in demand for next-gen spaces with flexible workspaces, integration of wet lab-computation stations, highly sensitive zones for increasingly sophisticated equipment and process flow optimisation. New developments designed to accommodate such variables offer sustainable long-term solutions,&rdquo; Milind Ravi opines from his experience.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Also, leading life sciences companies in India prefer to operate from large-scale clusters that can meet both their office and R&amp;D needs. Startups and MSMEs are also increasingly opting to locate themselves in prominent clusters with a clear industrial positioning and abundant R&amp;D resources. Genome Valley (Hyderabad) and Electronic City (Bengaluru) are great examples of such collaborative ecosystems.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">So, if, today, we were to walk into any of India&rsquo;s life sciences parks, we would be delighted to see those spaces being built on modern modular designs having mobile equipment and reconfigurable layouts, with amazing aesthetics and classy landscaping.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">What will also be evident is that the traditional life sciences technicians confining themselves to sterile laboratories would be ancient. Today&rsquo;s workplaces recognise the need for a more holistic environment with sprawling cafeterias, breakout huddles, and interactive/entertainment spaces. Apart from being modern with the changing times, such amenities are considered by the HR department as a way to attract and retain talent.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Leasing: a preferred business model&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Savills, in its report titled </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unlocking Opportunities: Life Sciences and Real Estate in India&rsquo;, indicates that leasing properties to the biotech industry can provide a steady stream of rental income and long-term investment potential for real estate developers.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since life sciences is a rapidly growing and promising sector with significant investments and advancements, by leasing to them, real estate companies become part of their growth story, giving them the advantage of increased long-term value and brand association.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Leasing also brings about several advantages to realtors. Life sciences companies typically require specific and tailored facilities, leading to lesser turnover compared to other commercial leases. This translates to reduced management costs and higher occupancy rates. Also, life sciences companies often require long-term leases due to the complex nature of their facilities and research projects. This stability translates to predictable and dependable income for the real estate companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking from his company&rsquo;s perspective, Milind Ravi,</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> says,&nbsp;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;We bring a very inclusive approach to support companies of all scales not just with infrastructure, but a gamut of ecosystem services that play a pivotal role in their overall experience. We lease laboratory spaces on tailored models based on the need, timelines, intended use and life-stage of our tenant partners. Our standard offering constitutes modular spaces in shared or dedicated formats &ndash; in both &lsquo;warm shell&rsquo; and &lsquo;plug-and-play&rsquo; models as part of integrated and life science-focussed clusters. Apart from this, we also deliver built-to-suit campuses in required specifications of the tenant.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;While our facilities are built for multi-tenancy where each organisation can work independently, we are also working towards developing co-working laboratory spaces with shared equipment and amenities. These are becoming increasingly popular, especially among startups and small research teams,&rdquo; says Milind Ravi.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Growth is certain</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A report titled &lsquo;Life Sciences Industry &amp; Real Estate Perspective 2024: Putting Asia Pacific under the microscope&rsquo; by global real estate company JLL sheds light on India&rsquo;s pharma industry's growth trajectory. While the pandemic undeniably spurred investment due to the vaccine race, the report emphasizes that interest was already on the rise owing to the ongoing breakthroughs in areas like immuno-oncology and neonatology. This pre-existing momentum, fuelled by technological advancements, has directly translated into increased commercial real estate leasing within the pharma sector. This may be true to India&rsquo;s life sciences sector too.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">JLL stresses on the fact that when companies get funding from venture capitalists, they need lab space in order to deliver as soon as possible. Also, sizeable investments bring with them a plethora of life sciences jobs, which can also spur development of housing, retail and other urban amenities that serve the people who live and work for the expanding companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">From Bhardwaj&rsquo;s inputs we can infer that India has a robust domestic market, bolstered further by the Government of India's </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;Jan Aushadhi&rsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> scheme, aimed at providing quality generic medicines at affordable prices to its citizens. As the third-largest exporter of pharmaceuticals by volume and the thirteenth by value, the demand for space is going to grow.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the pharma industry presents sufficient scope, the medical device industry is not any less. Considered as the sunrise sector, the medical devices industry is estimated to reach $50 billion by 2030. In the last five years, the export of medical devices has been increasing at a rate of 9.37 per cent. India&rsquo;s policy to allow 100 per cent foreign investment under an automatic route in the medical devices sector has helped attract significant investments, which has further pushed the demand for real estate. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the medical device industry in India has also helped augment the domestic manufacturing and in reducing dependence on imports. Hence, manufacturing hubs are being set up in many economic zones of the country. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We can therefore conclude with the evidence that there is immense potential for life sciences real estate development to surge in India. Though the country has limited core life sciences real estate investable stock at present, majority of the growth will come from developing new facilities that entail typical development and leasing risks. The stakeholders, however, forecast an increasing investor appetite for Indian life sciences real estate as the sector gains scale over time.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Anusha Ashwin</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => 'Anusha Ashwin', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24273', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'Dissecting Gender Disparity', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/women-24273.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'dissecting-gender-disparity', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in the Indian healthcare industry are mainly concentrated in low-paying frontline positions. In India, 29 per cent of medical doctors, 80 per cent of nursing staff (including midwives), and nearly 100 per cent of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are women. Despite this, women hold only 18 per cent of healthcare leadership positions and continue to earn 34 per cent less than their male counterparts.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are the outcomes of the study titled &lsquo;An Unbalanced Scale - Exploring the Female Leadership Gap in India's Healthcare Sector&rsquo; from Dasra, a non-profit organisation. The&nbsp; study revealed that the Indian healthcare sector, one of the country's largest employers, has experienced substantial growth. It takes a closer look at women's representation in healthcare and the leadership opportunities available to them.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><strong>Inspiring leaders</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"What is concerning is the gap between the proportion of women in healthcare and those who occupy leadership positions. At entry levels, women's representation in sales, marketing, and operations ranges from 40-50 per cent. However, this significantly drops to 15-20 per cent in senior roles," says <strong>Shailja Mehta, Director at Dasra</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is behind this gender gap in leadership positions? Societal norms, cultural expectations and implicit biases against women are some of the main factors that&nbsp;have contributed to the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions. &ldquo;It is a complex issue. The lack of female role models and mentors perpetuates this gender gap," says Shailja.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some believe that one of the primary reasons for the skewed gender ratio in STEM is the stereotyping that begins early in life. Societal expectations often push girls towards more traditionally feminine roles, diverting them away from technical and scientific fields. As a result, fewer women choose STEM education and careers. While others argue that the current gap is a reflection of what was happening 20 years ago, when fewer women entered science careers.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;&ldquo;Today&rsquo;s leaders represent those who entered the field 15-20 years back. Now that the number of women entering these fields has significantly increased in recent years, we will see a lot of women leaders in the coming years. In fact, a major proportion of startups are led by women. They have the capability to do it,&rdquo; <strong>Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, former director, National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) Pune</strong>, says, "The situation is definitely improving. For more women to take leadership roles, changes are required at the family, community and industry level."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Dr Pragya Yadav, senior scientist at the National Institute of Virology, Pune</strong>, who played an instrumental role in the development of Covaxin, agrees. "The situation has certainly improved, but school-going girls should have access to reputable colleges and safe residential facilities for pursuing science as a subject for the real change to occur. Besides, they need support in equal measure, from their families and the industry when raising their children. If they lose that time, catching up becomes difficult,&rdquo; she says. &nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Furthermore, this support should not be seen as an extra favour to women, but rather as their right. Children are the future and the environment they experience while growing up is crucial to their growth and development. It is the duty of both families and society, not just mothers alone, to provide a safe and suitable environment for them," she added. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Manya Jha, a young entrepreneur and founder of Morphedo Technologies</strong>, a deep tech startup in aerospace and defence, medical device engineering, IoT and embedded systems, faced the challenge of balancing child care and her career after the birth of her daughter. To tackle this challenge, she established a small child care centre at her office.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Starting just 20 days after my daughter was born, I brought her to my workplace every day. I made space in my cabin where she could stay with me. Until she was 7 months old, my husband and I took care of her in the shared cabin (during COVID-19 period). At the time of her birth, my startup was also at a crucial stage,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Both my daughter and my company required my personal attention. There were instances when I had to attend important meetings with senior scientists while holding my one-month-old daughter. I believe it's all about the confidence with which you pursue your career."</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today, Manya's company has around&nbsp; 40 employees and the child care centre is now available to all new mothers, offering support in looking after their children while at work.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, despite the challenges, there has been a noticeable shift in the narrative over the past decade, with the number of women leaders emerging in STEM careers increasing slowly but steadily. And these women are not only excelling &nbsp;in their respective fields but also helping dismantling barriers that hinder the progress of other aspiring women.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several prominent women leaders are setting an example for others. Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr Priya Abraham, Director of the National Institute of Virology, biotech stalwart &nbsp;Kiran Majumdar-Shaw,&nbsp; and entrepreneurs like Dr Kavita Iyer Rodrigues and Vasanthi Ramachandran represent some of the most sought after leaders in the industry.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Women are leading more than 30 per cent of the startups incubated at our centre. In many others, they are co-founders or hold significant positions," says <strong>Dr Manisha Premnath, COO of Venture Center</strong>, an incubation centre in Pune that helps startups grow.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Breaking the glass ceiling</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While there is a rise of women leaders in the health and biotech sector, it is important to acknowledge the challenges they continue to face. Stereotypes, biases, and a lack of institutional support still exist. The &lsquo;glass ceiling&rsquo; phenomenon persists, making it difficult for women to reach the highest levels of leadership. A male-centric workplace culture, coupled with a lack of flexibility and understanding regarding work-life balance, discourage women from pursuing or sustaining leadership roles.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The biggest challenge that women face is breaking these stereotypes and breaking free from the vicious cycle of work and life. They need to step out of their comfort zones, or rather, their safe zones, and then there will be no stopping them. Fortunately, nowadays there are several schemes and funds available to support women," says <strong>Dr Deeksha Bhartiya, Founder of Genomiki</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coming from a very traditional, yet ambitious family, Dr Deeksha got married at a young age and encountered challenges in maintaining a balance between her personal and professional life. However, she didn't allow these challenges to deter her from pursuing her doctoral studies and career. "There were many senior male scientists who advised me to take up a permanent job instead of embarking on my entrepreneurial journey. I was told that women should prioritise stability over adventure. However, I am fortunate to have a very supportive family who always push me to exceed my limits and support me in all my decisions."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Exiting the vicious circle</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The foundation for achieving gender parity in STEM careers is laid during the crucial years of education. Schools and educational institutions play an important role in challenging these stereotypes and encouraging girls to explore their interests in science and technology. STEM-focused educational programmes, workshops, and extracurricular activities can help break down gender-based barriers from a young age. Scholarships and mentorship programmes can encourage girls to pursue science education.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To encourage more women to pursue careers in STEM and foster an inclusive and diverse workforce, it is important to adopt unbiased recruitment practices, create a supportive environment for their progress, and implement flexible work arrangements.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is a growing emphasis on incorporating diverse perspectives in STEM curricula. Highlighting the contributions of women scientists and engineers in textbooks and classroom discussions can inspire both girls and boys, challenging preconceived notions about gender roles in these fields. There should be more networking events, conferences and platforms that specifically focus on women in STEM to provide valuable opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing. These spaces not only celebrate the achievements of women in the field but also facilitate the exchange of ideas and strategies to overcome common challenges.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emphasising the pivotal role women play in shaping a sustainable future through scientific leadership, <strong>Melody Lopez, Director and Chief of Staff Crayon Software Experts India</strong> says &ldquo;Fostering women's leadership in science is not just about gender equality but also a catalyst for achieving sustainable development goals. The theme reflects a call to action, urging communities, governments, and organisations to provide equal opportunities for women and girls in science, ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making processes.&rdquo; She further says &ldquo;As we champion women and girls in science leadership, let us embrace this new era, where their voices, ideas, and leadership propel us toward a brighter, more sustainable future for all.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The journey towards gender parity in STEM careers in India could be challenging, but the momentum for change is growing.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><strong>Gunjan Sharma</strong></strong></p> <p><em><strong>gunjan.sharma@mmactiv.com</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => 'Gunjan Sharma ', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24271', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => '“There is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation”', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_27_at_5_20_34_pm-24271.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'there-is-a-significant-gap-in-the-infrastructure-required-for-ai-implementation', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Artificial Intelligence (AI) has completely changed the way we see the world today. How do you see AI revolutionising drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry? Can AI help in discovering new drug molecules that could help treat deadly and chronic diseases like cancers and AIDS?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The future of human life is completely impacted by AI. Particularly its emergence in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry will have a vital impact on disease control and new drug discoveries.&nbsp;AI is poised to revolutionise drug discovery in several ways. It can drastically reduce the time needed to discover and develop new drugs. AI can be used to help suggest novel combinations for treating fatal diseases and even predict treatment outcomes. Additionally, AI facilitates personalised medicine by tailoring treatments to individual patients, which can ultimately speed up the development of new therapies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key challenges in implementing AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly in the context of regulatory compliance?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I feel, the pharma and healthcare organisations in India are yet to gear up for AI. Many are still in the process of adapting to the advancements in the pharmaceutical industry brought about by digitalisation. Despite this progress, the majority of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are not adequately prepared to integrate AI into their operations. AI adoption, beyond platforms like Chat GPT, remains in its infancy and requires further exploration and validation. Moreover, there is a pressing need to harmonise regulatory compliances, particularly in manufacturing standards outlined by the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH). This entails the implementation of electronic documentation systems and global alignment on regulatory practices to ensure both qualitative and compliant manufacturing and healthcare delivery systems. Additionally, there is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation, including the necessary hardware, software, and skilled professionals, which remains to be addressed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a specific example where AI has been successfully utilised to discover or develop a new drug?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although AI is currently making strides in drug discovery, its continual evolution opens up a multitude of possibilities in terms of drug candidates, their structures, and the discovery process. This versatility allows for the pinpointing of targeted molecules tailored to specific therapies or multiple therapeutic discoveries. A recent example highlighting this potential is Insilico Medicine's Pharma.AI, which is revolutionising drug discovery with its suite of AI-powered tools. PandaOmics, for instance, drastically reduces the time required for multi-omics target discovery, from several months to a few clicks. Similarly, Chemistry42 employs machine learning for de novo drug design, generating lead-like molecules within a week. Additionally, InClinico provides an invaluable tool for efficient clinical trial management, identifying potential weaknesses in trial design and predicting success rates. Collectively, these tools are streamlining the traditionally lengthy drug discovery process, accelerating the pursuit of breakthrough medicine.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you envision the role of AI evolving in personalised medicine and patient care?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I believe AI could be groundbreaking by using large amounts of data from healthy and sick people. It could help analyse specific therapeutic segments quickly to see how drugs work over time and improve their formulations. It would also support Phase IV clinical trials, especially in monitoring drug safety (Pharmacovigilance). Overall, AI in personalised medicine and patient care has the potential to improve healthcare, make treatments better, and give patients more control over their health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the ethical considerations that need to be addressed when deploying AI in healthcare settings?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The primary concern lies in protecting patient identity, which can be achieved through AI by masking identities in documentation, albeit in previously challenging areas. The rigidity and security levels of AI coding stand out as effective measures for safeguarding patient identity compared to traditional masking systems. However, the implementation of AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly concerning regulatory compliance, presents various challenges and ethical considerations. These include ensuring data privacy and security, adhering to diverse regulations, deciphering complex AI algorithms, managing the time and cost implications, addressing potential biases perpetuated by AI algorithms, integrating solutions into existing systems, navigating complex ethical and legal considerations, determining accountability and liability for decisions made, preserving patient autonomy and consent, and conducting real-time reviews for corrections.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How can AI help address the challenges of drug resistance in infectious diseases?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The emergence of drug resistance in infectious diseases poses a significant healthcare challenge. However, AI offers a promising solution by playing a crucial role in addressing this issue. Through predictive analytics, AI can forecast which drugs may become ineffective against evolving pathogens, allowing for proactive adjustments in treatment strategies. Furthermore, AI aids in the discovery of alternative treatments, the development of more effective medications, and the customisation of treatment plans tailored to individual patients. By providing real-time insights into the changing landscape of drug resistance, AI enables healthcare professionals to adapt swiftly, ultimately enhancing the efficacy of treatments and improving patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What strategies can be employed to ensure the fairness and transparency of AI algorithms in healthcare decision-making?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To maintain trust, mitigate bias, and foster equitable outcomes, it is crucial to prioritise fairness and transparency in the use of AI algorithms for healthcare decision-making. Some of the strategies to achieve this include ensuring transparency of both data and algorithms, promoting diversity and inclusivity in the development process, conducting external validation and evaluation, and establishing regulatory frameworks and guidelines.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you see AI impacting the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services globally?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While AI offers significant potential for improving the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services on a global scale, there are challenges to overcome. These include ensuring fair access to AI-driven technologies, addressing concerns regarding data privacy and security, and navigating regulatory and ethical issues. Collaboration among various stakeholders, such as governments, healthcare providers, technology developers, and community organisations, is vital to fully realise the benefits of AI in enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key factors hindering the adoption of AI in pharmaceutical research and development?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pharmaceutical companies face several challenges when it comes to using AI in research and development. Firstly, they require high-quality and comprehensive datasets to effectively train AI models. Secondly, they must adhere to strict regulatory guidelines set by government agencies. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies often possess proprietary data and intellectual property that may not be easily compatible with AI systems. Finally, the significant investment required to implement AI technology presents a barrier to adoption for many companies in the industry.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a case where AI-driven predictive modelling has significantly improved clinical trial outcomes or drug efficacy in the Healthcare system?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's important to note that using AI in the healthcare system, along with a thorough review of relevant literature from sources like PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and EMBASE, is significant. Integrating AI into healthcare has the potential to greatly improve disease diagnosis, treatment selection, and clinical laboratory testing. AI tools can analyse large sets of data and find patterns, outperforming humans in many healthcare tasks. AI brings higher accuracy, lower costs, and time savings, while also reducing human errors. It can revolutionise personalised medicine, optimise medication dosages, improve population health management, set guidelines, offer virtual health assistants, support mental health care, enhance patient education, and strengthen patient-physician trust.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, AI can be used in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) by using machine learning algorithms to predict drug-drug interactions. By analysing large sets of patient data, these algorithms can detect potential drug interactions. This helps to decrease the risk of adverse drug reactions, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Amguth Raju</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>hyderabad@mmactiv.com&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => 'Amguth Raju', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17'), array('articleId' => '24280', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Effectively Eliminating Drug-resistant TB', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/tb-24280.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'effectively-eliminating-drug-resistant-tb', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has the highest burden of TB, with two deaths occurring every three minutes from the disease. The country recorded a staggering 28 lakh cases in 2022, accounting for 27 per cent of the global cases, according to WHO.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India initiated the TB Free India campaign with the ambitious goal of eradicating TB by 2025, a milestone set five years earlier than the target outlined by the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Despite facing setbacks due to COVID-19, the nation doubled down on its efforts, resulting in notable progress. The India TB Report 2023 heralded 2022 as a pivotal year in TB surveillance, noting a significant achievement with a record-high notification of 24.2 lakh TB cases, representing an increase of over 13 per cent compared to 2021.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The latest WHO Global TB Report 2023 acknowledged and praised India's efforts in its fight against TB, particularly highlighting the effectiveness of its case detection strategies. The report emphasised that India's intensified case detection strategies led to the highest-ever notification of cases in 2022, surpassing pre-COVID levels. The government's key initiatives, such as specialised active case finding drives, the scaling up of molecular diagnostics to block levels, decentralisation of screening services through Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, and private sector engagement, have significantly reduced the gap in missing cases.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Road to elimination&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the country has made remarkable progress in its fight against TB, the adoption of additional strategies such as shorter treatment regimens, the development of vaccines, and a renewed focus on nutrition could prove to be game-changers in its goal of eliminating TB for good.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The BPaL regimen, composed of Bedaquiline, Pretomanid and Linezolid, presents a promising alternative for a shorter, safer and more tolerable treatment option for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). Lasting only 26 weeks, it contrasts sharply with conventional DR-TB treatments, which can span 18 to 21 months and entail the consumption of over 4,000 to 5,000 tablets. Endorsed by the US FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) in 2019 and the WHO in 2022, the BPaL regimen has been implemented in more than 70 countries, including South Africa, Ukraine, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;The older, conventional regimen for drug-resistant TB included prolonged use of injections with other drugs. This was associated with increased incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), implementation challenges under the programme and inconvenience to the patients. The new TB drug regimen uses the newer oral drugs like Bedaquiline, Delamanid or Pretomanid, or the repurposed drugs such as linezolid, clofazimine, etc. These regimens are injection free and have lesser pill burden leading to more acceptance among the TB patients besides reducing the implementation challenges due to the use of injections. They have the ability to kill the actively multiplying drug-resistant TB bacteria faster and a sustained killing of the bacteria to prevent the recurrence of the TB disease among the patients. These regimens have shown improved treatment success rates under field conditions under the national programme,&rdquo; said <strong>Dr Rupak Singla, Head of Department, National Institute of TB &amp; Respiratory Diseases, New Delhi</strong>.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Singla further said &ldquo;To combat the adverse drug reactions of these regimen, specially due to drug linezolid, various regimens using different dosages and durations of linezolid have demonstrated reduced incidence of ADRs maintaining the efficacy of the regimen. Hence, these newer treatment drug regimens could reduce the global burden of drug-resistant TB. However, the requirement of a good quality laboratory network, availability and higher cost of the drugs continue to pose a challenge.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new regimen is shorter, easier on patients and improves treatment adherence, resulting in better outcomes compared to previous drug regimens.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Talking about the potential implications of the new TB drug regimen on India&rsquo;s TB control efforts, Dr Singla stated, &ldquo;The cure rate for previous conventional TB regimen for multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) was to the tune of around 50 per cent and for Extensively drug-resistant-TB (XDR-TB), less than 30 per cent. The new TB drug regimen has the potential for significant improvement in treatment success rates for MDR-TB as well as XDR-TB.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In India the national data shows that more than 36,000 drug-resistant TB patients have been initiated on shorter oral Bedaquiline-containing regimen and more than 92,000 patients have been initiated on longer oral regimen till date. Treatment success rates of shorter oral regimen for the cohort April-September 2022 (around 12,000 patients) is 69 per cent and of longer oral regimen for the cohort January-September 2021 (around 15,000 patients) is 71 per cent. The improved success rates of new drug regimens is likely to translate into less number of deaths due to TB, reduced period of infectiousness of TB patients and reduced transmission of TB to others in the community leading to reduced incidence of TB.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Studies at the 2023 Union World Conference on Lung Health affirm WHO-endorsed regimens' effectiveness, surpassing traditional 18- to 24-month treatments. The goal is to urge high-burden DR-TB countries to update guidelines and offer shorter treatments to all patients in need. Only 40 per cent of the 410,000 people with DR-TB in 2022 had access to the shorter regimen, as per a WHO report.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A group of experts in the country have stressed the need for introducing the BPaL regimen in the TB control programme of the country. B<strong>lessina Kumar, CEO, Global Coalition of TB Advocates, New Delhi</strong> emphasised the potential cost savings associated with its adoption, citing studies estimating a global annual savings of $740 million. With India accounting for a significant portion of global multi-drug, rifampicin-resistant (MDR/RR-TB) treated patients, she suggested that the country could save nearly $250 million per year through the implementation of this regimen. India will likely roll out the new regime soon.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>TB Vaccine</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vaccination holds promise as a game-changer for TB elimination. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is conducting phase III trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two vaccines: VPM1002 and MIP (Mycobacterium indicus pranii). VPM1002 is a live vaccine based on recombinant BCG, modified for better safety and efficacy. MIP or Immuvac, originally developed for leprosy, is a whole-cell TB vaccine candidate. The trial aims to assess the effectiveness of these vaccines in preventing TB disease, among 12,721 individuals exposed to TB at home (referred to as household contacts). Enrollment for the study is complete, with participant follow-up currently ongoing, according to the pipeline report 2022 by the Treatment Action Group.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bharat Biotech is partnering with the Spanish firm BIOFABRI to develop, manufacture, and distribute a new tuberculosis vaccine across over 70 countries in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The TB vaccine candidate by Bharat Biotech is set to enter phase-III trials soon.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Lancet study highlighted the pivotal role of nutrition in TB management. The&nbsp; Reducing Activation of Tuberculosis by Improvement of Nutritional Status (RATIONS) trial demonstrated that providing food baskets to TB patients and their households reduced all forms of TB by nearly 40 per cent and infectious TB by almost 50 per cent. In 2018, the Indian government launched the 'Nikshay Poshan Yojana,' a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to offer nutrition support to TB patients. Since its inception, the scheme has disbursed approximately Rs 2613 crore to over 95 lakh TB patients.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has indeed made significant strides in addressing TB; however, the battle against the disease is far from over. Despite enhanced detection and surveillance efforts, there's&nbsp; a need to adopt newer strategies to combat TB effectively. Advances in R&amp;D of vaccines, access to newer drug regimens, enhanced focus on nutrition will all help in propelling TB elimination goals.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Ayesha Siddiqui&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ayesha Siddiqui', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24272', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Prioritising Women’s Health & Wellbeing ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2036811071-24272.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: gettyimages', 'pageSlug' => 'prioritising-womens-health-wellbeing-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a new report from the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute launched at Davos in January 2024, women may live longer than men, on average, but they spend 25 per cent more of their lives in debilitating health. The report said improving diagnostics, data on women-specific conditions like ovarian cancer, and directing more investments towards women&rsquo;s health and research is needed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In particular, McKinsey research finds that less than 2 per cent of healthcare research and innovation is invested in female-specific conditions beyond cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This &lsquo;women&rsquo;s health gap&rsquo; equates to 75 million years of life lost due to poor health or early death each year. Closing the gap would benefit 3.9 billion women, giving them an extra seven healthy days a year, or an average of 500 days over a lifetime. Further, it could boost the global economy by $1 trillion by 2040 from fewer early deaths and health conditions, and a greater capacity for women to contribute to the economy and society.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a result of these findings, the final hours of the World Economic Forum in Davos saw the launch of a new Global Alliance for Women&rsquo;s Health, which has the broad ambition of &lsquo;re-shaping the future of women&rsquo;s health and the global economy.&rsquo; The health alliance will pledge new commitments from governments, philanthropies, and pharmaceutical companies, among others, across three pillars i.e. financing, science and innovation, and agenda-setting. So far, partners have pledged $55 million to improve women&rsquo;s health outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">With International Women&rsquo;s Day 2024 being themed around &lsquo;Inspiring inclusion&rsquo;, we see governments across the globe putting the much-needed emphasis on women&rsquo;s healthcare. For instance, the UAE has set out wide-ranging plans to bolster healthcare services for women, by approving the &lsquo;National Policy for Improving Women&rsquo;s Health&rsquo; for providing the highest healthcare services quality for women, whether curative, preventive or rehabilitative services. Similarly, the Irish government is paving the way for a longer-term comprehensive Women&rsquo;s Health Strategy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in England are being urged to help shape reproductive health policy, as the government seeks views on periods, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and menopause for health strategy. Likewise, the Biden administration recently announced a White House initiative to improve how the federal government approaches and funds research into the health of women, who make up more than half of the US population but remain understudied and underrepresented in health research.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, of course, is not far behind in this initiative. The Interim Budget 2024-25 announcement that took place on February 1, 2024, laid focus on encouraging vaccination for girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years for the prevention of cervical cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Besides these government initiatives, multiple efforts are also being made by the industry players to improve women&rsquo;s health. For example, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zurzuvae as the first and only oral treatment approved for women with postpartum depression, developed by American pharmaceutical company Biogen. The US FDA has also recently approved a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription for the first time in the US, a milestone that could significantly expand access to contraception. The pill&rsquo;s manufacturer, Perrigo Company is based in Dublin.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Further, biotech companies in the UK and Korea are embarking on the world's first prospective study of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered breast cancer detection, to streamline diagnosis, and tackle radiologist shortages. On the other hand, startups in India have developed groundbreaking multi-cancer detection tests specifically designed for high-risk and asymptomatic women.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quality, affordability, and accessibility, particularly in the context of women&rsquo;s health, are very critical aspects of ensuring well-being. This calls for greater mobilisation across sectors to invest in women&rsquo;s health, keeping in mind the imperatives of equity and integral care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Manbeena Chawla</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Executive Editor</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(</span><a href="mailto:manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com"><span style="font-weight: 400;">manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></p>', 'sequence' => '5', 'guestAuthor' => 'Dr Manbeena Chawla', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '101'), array('articleId' => '24270', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Establishing Ethical Frameworks for Equitable Use of AI in Healthcare ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/21-24270.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'establishing-ethical-frameworks-for-equitable-use-of-ai-in-healthcare-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The global healthcare landscape is witnessing a seismic transformation driven by AI technologies. From therapeutics to diagnostics, hospital operations to clinical decision-making, AI is making significant strides across diverse applications. According to Statista, the value of AI in the global healthcare market was $11 billion in 2021, projected to reach an estimated $188 billion by 2030. This staggering growth, at a compounded annual rate of 37 per cent, underscores the immense potential AI holds in reshaping the future of healthcare.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Transforming Medical Research and Imaging Analysis</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The impact of AI is not limited to specific segments; it spans the entire healthcare ecosystem. One critical domain experiencing a revolution is medical research, as AI expedites drug discovery processes. Through machine learning algorithms, researchers can predict the success rate of chemical compounds, significantly reducing the time and resources required for experimentation. This not only accelerates the pace of innovation but also holds the promise of bringing new, effective treatments to patients more rapidly.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the realm of medical imaging analysis, AI is proving to be a game-changer. It enables the rapid and accurate detection of anomalies in MRI scans, X-rays, and CT scans. Radiologists benefit from quicker identification of potential life-threatening issues, minimising human errors and enhancing diagnostic accuracy. This not only saves crucial time but also improves patient outcomes, particularly in cases where early detection is paramount.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Data-Driven Healthcare</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">AI is revolutionising the traditional landscape of diagnosis and treatment by providing clinicians with unprecedented data-driven insights. Machine learning algorithms analyse extensive patient data to identify patterns and correlations, facilitating more accurate and timely diagnosis. Personalised treatment plans based on individual patient characteristics are now a reality, enhancing the effectiveness of medical interventions. The ability to tailor treatments to specific patient profiles leads to improved outcomes and a more efficient allocation of healthcare resources.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Real-time assessment of treatment effectiveness by AI tools further contributes to improved clinical outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. Monitoring and adjusting treatment plans based on real-world data ensure that patients receive the most effective interventions tailored to their individual responses. This not only enhances patient care but also contributes to the sustainability of healthcare systems worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Predictive analysis, powered by AI, enables healthcare providers to forecast potential outcomes based on historical data and real-time health information. Identifying patients at risk of specific conditions allows for early intervention, preventing complications and improving overall healthcare efficiency. Large-scale population data analysis can also detect trends and outbreaks of infectious diseases before they become widespread, a critical capability showcased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability to anticipate and mitigate health crises is a testament to the power of AI in safeguarding public health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Patient-Centric Approach</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The integration of AI into healthcare is not solely about clinical applications; it extends to improving the overall patient experience. Streamlining appointment scheduling, providing remote monitoring solutions, and offering personalised treatment plans based on individual medical records contribute to a more patient-centric approach. AI-driven chatbots responding to routine medical inquiries reduce stress and save time for both patients and healthcare providers, fostering a more efficient and accessible healthcare system.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the promises of AI in healthcare, challenges persist. Blind spots in data access and collection, privacy concerns, data misuse, and regulatory ambiguities are roadblocks to widespread adoption. In India, a rapidly growing player in AI-based healthcare, progress is evident, but there is still a long way to go. The ambitious goals of universal healthcare delivery and affordability through AI remain distant, requiring continued innovation and collaboration.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, a major player in the global healthcare sector, is rapidly embracing AI. The National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence by NITI Aayog highlights the potential of AI to address challenges such as a shortage of qualified healthcare professionals and non-uniform accessibility to healthcare across the country. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, AI expenditure in India is projected to reach $11.78 billion by 2025, contributing significantly to the country's economy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite challenges, AI's potential to revolutionise healthcare is undeniable. As technology continues to advance, AI's applications in telemedicine, genomics, robotics, and 3D printing will expand. Workforce training and collaboration between medical professionals and AI developers will be crucial for maximising the benefits of AI. The integration of AI with other emerging technologies holds the key to shaping the future of medical care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we delve deeper into the integration of AI in healthcare, it's imperative to address the ethical considerations surrounding this revolutionary technology. The responsible use of AI in medical settings demands careful navigation of issues such as patient privacy, data security, and bias in algorithms.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Privacy concerns arise from the vast amounts of sensitive patient data being processed by AI systems. Ensuring robust data protection measures, stringent encryption, and transparent data usage policies become paramount to build and maintain public trust in AI-driven healthcare solutions.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The potential for bias in AI algorithms poses another ethical challenge. If the datasets used to train AI models are not representative or if biased historical data is fed into the algorithms, it can perpetuate existing inequalities in healthcare. Striking a balance in dataset curation and continuous monitoring of algorithmic outputs is crucial to mitigate bias and ensure equitable healthcare outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moreover, the explainability of AI decisions becomes crucial, especially in critical medical scenarios. Ensuring that AI models provide interpretable insights aids healthcare professionals in understanding and trusting AI-generated recommendations, fostering collaboration between humans and machines.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In conclusion, AI is not just a buzzword but a transformative force reshaping the healthcare industry. From diagnosis to treatment, AI is proving its mettle by delivering accurate, personalised, and efficient healthcare solutions. While challenges persist, the trajectory of AI in healthcare is pointing towards a future where technology and human expertise converge to provide optimal patient care. As we stand at the intersection of technology and healthcare, the role of AI in shaping the future of medicine is more promising than ever.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As AI continues to evolve, it is crucial for stakeholders&mdash;be they healthcare providers, policymakers, or technology developers&mdash;to collaborate in establishing ethical frameworks that ensure the responsible and equitable use of AI in healthcare. The ongoing dialogue around ethical considerations is vital to ensure that AI remains a force for good in healthcare, driving positive change for patients and society at large.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&amp;D, Murata Vios</strong></em></p>', 'sequence' => '6', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&D, Murata Vios', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17')), 'trendingTopicsList' => array(array('articleId' => '24283', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => '83.5% of adults in India underestimate shingles risk: Global GSK survey', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shingles_large-24283.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => '83-5-of-adults-in-india-underestimate-shingles-risk-global-gsk-survey', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical (GSK) has released new data from a globally commissioned survey funded by them. The survey finds notable gaps in understanding of shingles risk among individuals aged above 50 years, a group that is most susceptible to the disease.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey conducted amongst 3,500 adults aged 50 and over from 12 countries, assessed respondents&rsquo; understanding of shingles, what triggers it, and its impact on people&rsquo;s lives.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey in&nbsp;India&nbsp;involved 500 participants, with 250 respondents who spoke Hindi and another 250 who spoke English. The data, launched in time for Shingles Awareness Week 2024 (26 February&nbsp;2024 &ndash; 3 March 2024), finds a widespread lack of understanding of shingles and its lifetime risk.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The findings show that globally, a significantly high proportion of those surveyed do not understand their risk of developing shingles,&nbsp;with&nbsp;86%&nbsp;underestimating&nbsp;that&nbsp;risk.<font size="1">&nbsp;</font>In India, 81% of the English-speaking and 86% &nbsp;of the Hindi-speaking respondents surveyed underestimate the risk of shingles<sup>.</sup></p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In India,&nbsp;amongst the &nbsp;English-speaking respondents, 22% believe that 1 in 1000 adults are at risk of developing shingles.<sup>&nbsp;</sup>Amongst the Hindi-speaking respondents,18% believe that 1 in 1000 adults is at risk of developing shingles.&nbsp;</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In&nbsp;reality,&nbsp;most&nbsp;adults already&nbsp;have&nbsp;the&nbsp;virus that&nbsp;causes&nbsp;shingles present in&nbsp;their bodies by&nbsp;the&nbsp;age&nbsp;of 50,&nbsp;which may&nbsp;reactivate with&nbsp;advancing&nbsp;age.&nbsp;Shingles&nbsp;is&nbsp;caused&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;reactivation&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;varicella-zoster&nbsp;virus&nbsp;(VZV),&nbsp;the same virus that causes chickenpox.&nbsp;As people age, the strength of their immune response to infection wanes, and this increases their risk of developing shingles.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Rashmi Hegde, Executive Vice President - Medical Affairs, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, India, said,&nbsp;&ldquo;The survey findings underscore the need to raise awareness about shingles risk in adults over 50.&nbsp; Shingles can significantly disrupt the daily lives of ageing adults and cause them a great deal of discomfort."</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24230', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Fujifilm launches advanced endoscopic ultrasound machine ALOKA ARIETTA 850 in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/fuji-24230.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'fujifilm-launches-advanced-endoscopic-ultrasound-machine-aloka-arietta-850-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Fujifilm India, a pioneer in diagnostic imaging and information systems, has launched the ground breaking ALOKA ARIETTA 850 Diagnostic Ultrasound System in India with its first-ever installation at Fortis Hospital in Bengaluru.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Representing a remarkable advancement in endoscopic technologies, the high-tech ultrasound system aims to enhance diagnostic precision and image clarity for gastrointestinal diseases in the region.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">In India, contemporary lifestyles and changing dietary choices are leading to the deteriorating digestive health of the population, adding to the growing prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Addressing this, Fujifilm India&rsquo;S&nbsp;ALOKA ARIETTA 850&nbsp;Endoscopic Ultrasound Machine at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru is a significant step in providing world-class diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients against these GI-related diseases, performing targeted treatments such as Pancreatic pseudo cyst drainage (without surgery), targeted delivery of treatment in Pancreatic cancers.&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) is a minimally invasive method for assessing malignancies affecting the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract and neighbouring organs or tissues. With this high degree of accuracy in both diagnostic and therapeutic capacities, it allows doctors to precisely examine organs like the lungs, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, lymph nodes and nearby affected areas.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">EUS also facilitates the extraction of tissue or fluid samples through a thin needle, eliminating the need for a separate biopsy procedure. Additionally, it improves the staging of cancers with accurate sampling provided by Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) and Fine Needle Biopsy (FNB). Furthermore, EUS proves valuable in cases of altered anatomy and among cancer patients for various therapeutic procedures.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">ALOKA ARIETTA 850 stands out from conventional endoscopic ultrasound machines with a range of superior features. The machine generates image quality with 7 million digital channels in its B mode. This system also incorporates HD-THI for deeper penetration, ensuring accurate diagnoses, along with combi-elastography, pure symphonic architecture and CHI-TIC and Inflow Time Mapping for clearer visibility by reducing noise and enhancing the completeness and continuity of tissue boundaries.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '91'), array('articleId' => '24229', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Bengaluru researchers develop paper-based platform to detect antibiotic-resistant bacteria', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shutterstock_157198133-24229.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'bengaluru-researchers-develop-paper-based-platform-to-detect-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">A paper-based platform developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru could help quickly detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant, disease-causing bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Dr Uday Maitra, Professor at the Department of Organic Chemistry, IISc, and collaborators have developed a rapid diagnosis protocol that uses a luminescent paper-based platform to detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The approach developed by the IISc and JNCASR team involves incorporating biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (BCA) within a supramolecular hydrogel matrix containing terbium cholate (TbCh). This hydrogel normally emits green fluorescence when UV light is shined on it.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The next step was to find a way to make the technology inexpensive. Currently used diagnostics instruments are costly, which drives up the price for testing.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team collaborated with a Chennai-based company called Adiuvo Diagnostics to design a customised, portable and miniature imaging device, named Illuminate Fluorescence Reader. Infusing the hydrogel in a sheet of paper as the medium reduced the cost significantly. The instrument is fitted with different LEDs that shine UV radiation as required. Green fluorescence from the enzyme is captured by a built-in camera, and a dedicated software app measures the intensity, which can help quantify the bacterial load.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team from IISc tied up with Jayanta Haldar&rsquo;s research group from JNCASR to check their approach on urine samples. As the next step, the researchers plan to tie up with hospitals to test this technology with samples from patients.</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58'), array('articleId' => '24163', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Theme for National Science Day sets in as ‘Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat’', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/nsd-24163.png', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'theme-for-national-science-day-sets-in-as-indigenous-technologies-for-viksit-bharat', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science &amp; Technology Dr Jitendra Singh released the theme for the "National Science Day 2024", titled "Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat".</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) theme for this year&rsquo;s celebration reflects a strategic focus on promoting public appreciation for Science, Technology and Innovation and accomplishments of Indian scientists to address challenges through home-grown technologies for over-all well-being.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The theme not only marks a new era but also presents an opportunity for public and scientific fraternity, both domestically and internationally, to collaborate, work together, and contribute to the well-being of India and humanity as a whole. While emphasising the importance of making India&nbsp;<em>Atmanirbhar&nbsp;</em>through science, it underscores the need to address subjects that hold significance for humanity as a whole.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on 28 February to commemorate the discovery of the &lsquo;Raman Effect&rsquo;. Government of India designated 28 February as National Science Day in 1986. On this day Sir C.V. Raman announced the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930. On this occasion, theme-based science communication activities are carried out all over the country. The theme launch will trigger celebrations of NSD specially in schools &amp; colleges throughout the country.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science &amp; Technology (DST) said that as we embark on the celebration of NSD and move ahead with the launch of the theme for 2024, it is clearly evident that our scientific endeavours have the power to shape not only the future of our nation but also contribute significantly towards global advancement.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58')), 'mostReadArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24286', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Qiagen launches AI-derived biomedical knowledge base to accelerate data-driven drug discovery', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2-24286.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'qiagen-launches-ai-derived-biomedical-knowledge-base-to-accelerate-data-driven-drug-discovery', 'page1' => '<p align="justify">US-based Qiagen has announced the launch of Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI, a new generative AI-driven knowledge base designed to propel drug discovery in the pharma and biotech industries. This new offering is designed for data scientists and bioinformaticians who are looking for the most comprehensive knowledge graphs to fuel data-driven drug discovery.</p> <p align="justify">Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI is built on a massive dataset of biomedical literature and other scientific sources. It identifies and extracts causal relationships between genes, diseases, drugs and other biological entities with artificial intelligence (AI), generating over 600 million more biomedical relationships than its complement, Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD. This expansive knowledge base helps data scientists understand disease mechanisms, identify drug targets or biomarkers and explore strategies for repurposing existing drugs. Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI provides the most complete picture of biomedical relationships, including edge cases and novel relationships.</p> <p align="justify">While Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD is manually curated and known for its high quality and accuracy, Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI contains over 25x more relationships, allowing data scientists to generate new insights. Both knowledge bases can be used to provide both high-quality and high-quantity biomedical relationships data for data scientists and bioinformaticians to mine and validate.</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '60'), array('articleId' => '24284', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'IIT Kanpur partners with UP government to enhance tele-medicine using AI', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_28_at_3_48_48_pm-24284.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'iit-kanpur-partners-with-up-government-to-enhance-tele-medicine-using-ai', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">The Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and the Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to revolutionise healthcare delivery and advance tele-medicine facilities in the state through the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI).</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU was signed by Ranjan Kumar IAS, Secretary, Health &amp; Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Professor Sandeep Verma, Professor-In-Charge, Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Kanpur, in the presence of&nbsp;other dignitaries.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU outlines several key areas of collaboration, including anchoring tele-medicine hubs and enhancing the quality of tele-medicine services, implementing AI-based solutions to address population health impact, developing point-of-care diagnostics to drive program improvements, conducting competency-based capacity building for health cadres, and utilizing database predictions and analysis for informed decision-making.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">This will help the Department to make optimal use of the UP Digital Health Stack (UP-DHS) and ensure that every citizen of the state, wherever they are, will be able to access healthcare when needed. In Uttar Pradesh, UP-DHS is making significant strides in implementation, with foundational NHS elements deployed across all health administrative units and the rollout of essential healthcare applications well underway.</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '100'), array('articleId' => '24282', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Medtech firm Stryker expands prototype and testing facility in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/styker-24282.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'medtech-firm-stryker-expands-prototype-and-testing-facility-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker, a global leader in medical technologies, has officially expanded its prototype and testing facility in India, marking significant growth of its R&amp;D footprint in the country.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This advanced 55,600-square-foot facility integrates cutting-edge infrastructure, enhanced microbiology capabilities, and a talented team to drive innovation and ensure product quality across its medical technology portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Investing in innovation from India is a focus area for Stryker," said&nbsp;Ram Rangarajan, Vice President of Stryker Global Technology Center, India. "This new lab represents our commitment to developing medical technologies that improve patient outcomes and comply with the highest regulatory standards."</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker's new facility is dedicated to the rigorous life cycle testing of medical devices. The new lab boasts several key features:</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Prototyping and product assurance hub:&nbsp;Equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure for plastic 3D printing,&nbsp;metal machining, and a diverse range of testing capabilities,&nbsp;the lab supports prototyping and product assurance across Stryker's entire product portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Expanded microbiology competency:&nbsp;The lab strengthens Stryker's ability to conduct comprehensive microbiological testing,&nbsp;ensuring the safety and efficacy of its medical technologies.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Talented team of engineers and microbiologists:&nbsp; Highly skilled engineers and microbiologists will use the advanced equipment and expertise to develop innovative solutions that positively impact patients around the world.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '93'), array('articleId' => '24262', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Miltenyi Biotec to open Cell and Gene Therapy Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/gene-24262.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'miltenyi-biotec-to-open-cell-and-gene-therapy-centre-of-excellence-in-hyderabad', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">German firm Miltenyi Biotec is launching operations in India with its first office and investing to set up Miltenyi Innovation and Technology Center as Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Hyderabad.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This COE will be one of its first of its kind in India where scientists, researchers, industry experts and clinicians can get classroom to hands-on trainings on cell and gene therapy approaches right from proof of concept to pre-clinical / clinical development and commercialisation. This CoE also will provide Indian researchers, scientists and clinicians easier access to expertise, research, and manufacturing solutions.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Each year, more than 10,000 patients are treated with cell products using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies. More than&nbsp; 950 investigational new drug (IND) applications as well as investigational device exemptions (IDE) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies and platforms.&nbsp;&nbsp;In doing so, the company is well poised to enable local development and manufacturing in India to drive affordable and&nbsp;accessible CGT therapies by academia and industry for Indian as well as global patients.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Boris Stoffel,&nbsp;Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s Managing Director, highlighted that the company intends to seek opportunities to catalyse development of CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T cell clinical development and manufacturing, with the prospect of bringing centralised and point-of-care CAR T cell therapy to hospitals across India.</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '96')), 'pollQuestionDetails' => array('pollQuestionId' => '74', 'title' => 'Is India witnessing increasing demand for life sciences-related real estate?', 'slug' => 'is-india-witnessing-increasing-demand-for-life-sciences-related-real-estate', 'question' => '', 'status' => '1', 'deleteStatus' => '0', 'lastUpdationDate' => object(DateTime), 'creationDate' => object(DateTime), 'userId' => '10', 'siteId' => '2', 'pollOptionList' => array(array('pollOptionId' => '206', 'option' => 'Yes', 'clicks' => '2', 'pollQuestionId' => '74'), array('pollOptionId' => '207', 'option' => 'No', 'clicks' => '2', 'pollQuestionId' => '74'), array('pollOptionId' => '208', 'option' => 'May be', 'clicks' => '2', 'pollQuestionId' => '74'))), 'articleList' => array())))
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'aliasName' => 'text-blogs', 'sequence' => '6', 'parentSectionId' => '25', 'siteId' => '2', 'status' => '1')))), 'footerTopLeftDetail' => array('articleId' => '129', 'articleTitle' => 'Footer Top Left', 'seoTitle' => null, 'seoSummary' => null, 'seoGenerator' => null, 'seoAuthor' => null, 'seoAppName' => null, 'subheading' => 'Subscribe to BioSpectrum India', 'titleText' => '', 'titleUrl' => 'http://www.biospectrumindia.com/BSI_forms/subscription_reg_mgz.php', 'introDescription' => '', 'page1' => '', 'page2' => null, 'page3' => null, 'page4' => null, 'page5' => null, 'guestAuthor' => null, 'remark' => null, 'primaryMedium' => 'Text', 'flashNews' => '0', 'specialFeature' => '0', 'city' => null, 'imagePath' => 'uploads/static/bsi_march_2024_issue_cover_page_jpg_1_-129.jpg', 'imageTitle' => '', 'sequence' => '129', 'publishDateTime' => null, 'expiryDateTime' => null, 'displayDate' => null, 'editingNotes' => '', 'lastUpdationDate' => object(DateTime), 'creationDate' => object(DateTime), 'status' => 'Published', 'contentTypeId' => '15', 'siteId' => '2', 'sourceId' => '2', 'userId' => '4', 'lastUpdatedByUserId' => '26', 'articleType' => 'Static', 'language' => null, 'blogType' => null, 'pageSlug' => 'footer-top-left', 'magazineIssue' => null, 'pullquote' => null, 'restrictionType' => null, 'seoKeyword' => null, 'articleReadCount' => '0'), 'subsectionAlias' => 'segments', 'subsection' => 'Segments', 'section' => '', 'sectionId' => '', 'aliasName' => '', 'leadershipArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24267', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'What’s Shaking Up India’s Life Sciences Real Estate Sector?', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/bs1-24267.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'whats-shaking-up-indias-life-sciences-real-estate-sector', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2021,&nbsp; a California-based life sciences real estate development company acquired Hotel Buckminster. This acquisition was done to redevelop the closed hotel into a life science lab space. Again in May 2021, a facility that housed the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive was transformed into a new life sciences lab on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the same year in India, a Canadian Pension Fund along with a Singapore-based wealth and asset management firm jointly invested $100 million (Rs 7.5 billion) in life sciences R&amp;D facilities in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. This investment, according to reports, proved to be a stepping stone for more equity investments in this segment. On February 6, 2024, life sciences real estate developer, Rx Propellant announced an initial investment of $75 million in phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai Research (NMR) District, as part of its continued regional expansion strategy across India.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In all the four developments mentioned above, it is clear that post-pandemic, the demand for life sciences-related real estate has significantly increased. Both greenfield and brownfield projects have surged, as the pandemic fuelled the demand for locally manufactured pharma and medical products.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, in the last few decades, has witnessed the IT and manufacturing sectors invest heavily in real estate and infrastructure. But in the post-pandemic era, we see life sciences companies require space to innovate, for R&amp;D, and manufacture at scale.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Fast-evolving life sciences market&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India is one of the fastest-growing life sciences markets in the world and the sector is poised to see multi-fold growth by 2030 led by a fast-increasing population, rising life expectancy, a strong industrial base and inclusive government initiatives. In addition, India&rsquo;s demographic dividend, strong industrial base and policy push are known to be the growth drivers for the life sciences sector in the country.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The increasing government spending on the healthcare sector, cost benefits in terms of affordable manpower &amp; real estate expenses, and the availability of a large talent pool are the catalysts of life sciences growth in India. Schemes like Production Linked Incentive (PLI)&nbsp; have boosted domestic manufacturing which&nbsp; has resulted in the need for more space in industrial and tech parks. Also, global exports of pharmaceutical and biotechnology products and medical devices from the country have forced many companies to invest in capacity building and human resources.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Notably, India ranks second globally in terms of the number of US FDA-certified plants located outside the US, closely followed by China. Strengths of this kind and the constantly evolving sector are&nbsp; furthering the requirement for large-scale&nbsp; manufacturing, MSMEs, wet laboratories, R&amp;D hubs, incubators, and data centres&nbsp; coupled with other IT &amp; ES support.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the next decade, it is estimated that the requirement for life sciences R&amp;D real estate in India is likely to grow to somewhere between $16 billion (Rs 1,200 billion) and $34 billion (Rs 2,550 billion) as per conservative and optimistic scenarios.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Push from PEs and VCs</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India&rsquo;s life sciences R&amp;D real estate is emerging as a high-potential asset class for institutional investors. Aided by exponential global demand growth, geopolitical environment, policies initiatives, and skilled workforce this sector is rapidly transforming.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Atul Bhardwaj, Business Head, Lighthouse Canton Real Estate</strong>, indicates that both domestic and international investors are demonstrating a strong interest in India's life sciences real estate market. According to Bhardwaj, private equity firms, venture capitalists, and real estate developers are actively investing significant capital in the development of specialised facilities to meet the requirements of life sciences companies. He says, &ldquo;Biotechnology parks and clusters are emerging as key focal points for life sciences research and manufacturing in India. These specialised hubs offer world-class infrastructure, shared amenities, and a collaborative ecosystem that encourages innovation and cooperation among industry stakeholders, academic institutions, and research organisations.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Citing one other compelling factor of the life sciences real estate market to surge, Bhardwaj, says, &ldquo;This sector's operational model does not accommodate the concept of working from home, which presents a compelling opportunity for real estate developers. The recent pandemic underscored the resilience of the pharmaceutical sector. While many industries, including office realty, experienced significant disruptions, the pharmaceutical sector's demand for space significantly increased, further cementing its critical role in the global economy.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Arvind Nandan, Managing Director &ndash; Research &amp; Consulting, Savills India</strong>, says, &ldquo;Venture Capital funding into the life sciences industry in India stood at $448 million (Rs 34 billion) in 2021 through August, almost 3x of the annual average of the previous years, making it clear that this segment will play a pivotal role in the overall growth of the Indian Real Estate industry.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Adopting the asset light model</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We know that globally organisations across all sectors &ndash; be it small or big &ndash; are undergoing massive digital transformation and smart business strategies that are sustainable and cost-effective are implemented. Owing to that, businesses are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to scale up faster, which has given rise to many alternate models of operations, including the concept of going asset-light.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Asset-light model offers a strategic approach where companies minimise their ownership of physical assets (such as buildings or land). Companies go asset-light by owning fewer capital-intensive assets compared to their operational assets. By doing this, life sciences companies focus on their core competencies (such as research, development, and production) and avoid heavy investments in real estate.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Merck &amp; Co., Inc. (MSD outside the US and Canada) is a prime example of an asset-light pharmaceutical company. Merck collaborates with specialised Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisations (CDMOs) for various stages of drug development and production. By leveraging external partners, they avoid heavy capital expenditure on building and maintaining several of their own manufacturing facilities.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sharing his view on the asset light model, <strong>Rx Propellant&rsquo;s CEO Milind Ravi</strong>, says, &ldquo;While traditionally dominated by &lsquo;user-owned&rsquo; models, an evident but slow shift to &lsquo;asset-light&rsquo; options in India indicates growing demand for agile growth-ready infrastructure. With its increased focus on innovation, India&rsquo;s life sciences market is expected to grow threefold in the next decade, reaching $130 billion by 2030. This in turn is set to generate demand for over 100 million square feet of specialised infrastructure across several existing ecosystems including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Vizag, and Pune among others.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another aspect to asset-light operations is the advantage companies draw from sharing infrastructure elements. Atul Bhardwaj opines that the model of providing comprehensive amenities under one roof offers significant benefits to companies by eliminating the need for capital expenditure on individual pieces of equipment such as chillers and DG sets. This approach, he says, not only reduces the initial capital outlay but also lowers the overall opex for companies, as costs related to maintenance, security, and technical manpower are shared.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;This cost model is particularly advantageous, as it would otherwise be a substantial financial burden for a company to bear alone for its standalone unit. Real estate developers who offer high-quality infrastructure can further reduce a company's upfront expenses by providing essential utilities like nitrogen generators and vacuum systems. A multi-tenanted building thus emerges as a mutually beneficial arrangement for both developers and tenant companies,&rdquo; says Bhardwaj.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Sustainable infrastructure&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In almost every industry, the board members, shareholders advocate the importance of the mandates of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) of business operations. The threat of climate change has prompted many industries to develop environmental strategies to reduce their carbon footprints, with the life sciences industry on the top of the pyramid.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Being climate conscious has brought in new concepts in smart buildings and other digitally supported facilities and infrastructure models. Open floor plans, shared workspaces, and flexible furniture are some of today&rsquo;s trends that are known to foster interaction and knowledge sharing, similar to what's seen in modern IT work spaces. This shift in life sciences too encourages cross-disciplinary research, faster problem-solving, and quicker innovation and most importantly sharing resources.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Emerging trends in innovation have seen an increase in demand for next-gen spaces with flexible workspaces, integration of wet lab-computation stations, highly sensitive zones for increasingly sophisticated equipment and process flow optimisation. New developments designed to accommodate such variables offer sustainable long-term solutions,&rdquo; Milind Ravi opines from his experience.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Also, leading life sciences companies in India prefer to operate from large-scale clusters that can meet both their office and R&amp;D needs. Startups and MSMEs are also increasingly opting to locate themselves in prominent clusters with a clear industrial positioning and abundant R&amp;D resources. Genome Valley (Hyderabad) and Electronic City (Bengaluru) are great examples of such collaborative ecosystems.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">So, if, today, we were to walk into any of India&rsquo;s life sciences parks, we would be delighted to see those spaces being built on modern modular designs having mobile equipment and reconfigurable layouts, with amazing aesthetics and classy landscaping.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">What will also be evident is that the traditional life sciences technicians confining themselves to sterile laboratories would be ancient. Today&rsquo;s workplaces recognise the need for a more holistic environment with sprawling cafeterias, breakout huddles, and interactive/entertainment spaces. Apart from being modern with the changing times, such amenities are considered by the HR department as a way to attract and retain talent.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Leasing: a preferred business model&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Savills, in its report titled </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unlocking Opportunities: Life Sciences and Real Estate in India&rsquo;, indicates that leasing properties to the biotech industry can provide a steady stream of rental income and long-term investment potential for real estate developers.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since life sciences is a rapidly growing and promising sector with significant investments and advancements, by leasing to them, real estate companies become part of their growth story, giving them the advantage of increased long-term value and brand association.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Leasing also brings about several advantages to realtors. Life sciences companies typically require specific and tailored facilities, leading to lesser turnover compared to other commercial leases. This translates to reduced management costs and higher occupancy rates. Also, life sciences companies often require long-term leases due to the complex nature of their facilities and research projects. This stability translates to predictable and dependable income for the real estate companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking from his company&rsquo;s perspective, Milind Ravi,</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> says,&nbsp;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;We bring a very inclusive approach to support companies of all scales not just with infrastructure, but a gamut of ecosystem services that play a pivotal role in their overall experience. We lease laboratory spaces on tailored models based on the need, timelines, intended use and life-stage of our tenant partners. Our standard offering constitutes modular spaces in shared or dedicated formats &ndash; in both &lsquo;warm shell&rsquo; and &lsquo;plug-and-play&rsquo; models as part of integrated and life science-focussed clusters. Apart from this, we also deliver built-to-suit campuses in required specifications of the tenant.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;While our facilities are built for multi-tenancy where each organisation can work independently, we are also working towards developing co-working laboratory spaces with shared equipment and amenities. These are becoming increasingly popular, especially among startups and small research teams,&rdquo; says Milind Ravi.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Growth is certain</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A report titled &lsquo;Life Sciences Industry &amp; Real Estate Perspective 2024: Putting Asia Pacific under the microscope&rsquo; by global real estate company JLL sheds light on India&rsquo;s pharma industry's growth trajectory. While the pandemic undeniably spurred investment due to the vaccine race, the report emphasizes that interest was already on the rise owing to the ongoing breakthroughs in areas like immuno-oncology and neonatology. This pre-existing momentum, fuelled by technological advancements, has directly translated into increased commercial real estate leasing within the pharma sector. This may be true to India&rsquo;s life sciences sector too.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">JLL stresses on the fact that when companies get funding from venture capitalists, they need lab space in order to deliver as soon as possible. Also, sizeable investments bring with them a plethora of life sciences jobs, which can also spur development of housing, retail and other urban amenities that serve the people who live and work for the expanding companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">From Bhardwaj&rsquo;s inputs we can infer that India has a robust domestic market, bolstered further by the Government of India's </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;Jan Aushadhi&rsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> scheme, aimed at providing quality generic medicines at affordable prices to its citizens. As the third-largest exporter of pharmaceuticals by volume and the thirteenth by value, the demand for space is going to grow.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the pharma industry presents sufficient scope, the medical device industry is not any less. Considered as the sunrise sector, the medical devices industry is estimated to reach $50 billion by 2030. In the last five years, the export of medical devices has been increasing at a rate of 9.37 per cent. India&rsquo;s policy to allow 100 per cent foreign investment under an automatic route in the medical devices sector has helped attract significant investments, which has further pushed the demand for real estate. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the medical device industry in India has also helped augment the domestic manufacturing and in reducing dependence on imports. Hence, manufacturing hubs are being set up in many economic zones of the country. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We can therefore conclude with the evidence that there is immense potential for life sciences real estate development to surge in India. Though the country has limited core life sciences real estate investable stock at present, majority of the growth will come from developing new facilities that entail typical development and leasing risks. The stakeholders, however, forecast an increasing investor appetite for Indian life sciences real estate as the sector gains scale over time.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Anusha Ashwin</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => 'Anusha Ashwin', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24273', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'Dissecting Gender Disparity', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/women-24273.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'dissecting-gender-disparity', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in the Indian healthcare industry are mainly concentrated in low-paying frontline positions. In India, 29 per cent of medical doctors, 80 per cent of nursing staff (including midwives), and nearly 100 per cent of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are women. Despite this, women hold only 18 per cent of healthcare leadership positions and continue to earn 34 per cent less than their male counterparts.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are the outcomes of the study titled &lsquo;An Unbalanced Scale - Exploring the Female Leadership Gap in India's Healthcare Sector&rsquo; from Dasra, a non-profit organisation. The&nbsp; study revealed that the Indian healthcare sector, one of the country's largest employers, has experienced substantial growth. It takes a closer look at women's representation in healthcare and the leadership opportunities available to them.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><strong>Inspiring leaders</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"What is concerning is the gap between the proportion of women in healthcare and those who occupy leadership positions. At entry levels, women's representation in sales, marketing, and operations ranges from 40-50 per cent. However, this significantly drops to 15-20 per cent in senior roles," says <strong>Shailja Mehta, Director at Dasra</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is behind this gender gap in leadership positions? Societal norms, cultural expectations and implicit biases against women are some of the main factors that&nbsp;have contributed to the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions. &ldquo;It is a complex issue. The lack of female role models and mentors perpetuates this gender gap," says Shailja.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some believe that one of the primary reasons for the skewed gender ratio in STEM is the stereotyping that begins early in life. Societal expectations often push girls towards more traditionally feminine roles, diverting them away from technical and scientific fields. As a result, fewer women choose STEM education and careers. While others argue that the current gap is a reflection of what was happening 20 years ago, when fewer women entered science careers.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;&ldquo;Today&rsquo;s leaders represent those who entered the field 15-20 years back. Now that the number of women entering these fields has significantly increased in recent years, we will see a lot of women leaders in the coming years. In fact, a major proportion of startups are led by women. They have the capability to do it,&rdquo; <strong>Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, former director, National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) Pune</strong>, says, "The situation is definitely improving. For more women to take leadership roles, changes are required at the family, community and industry level."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Dr Pragya Yadav, senior scientist at the National Institute of Virology, Pune</strong>, who played an instrumental role in the development of Covaxin, agrees. "The situation has certainly improved, but school-going girls should have access to reputable colleges and safe residential facilities for pursuing science as a subject for the real change to occur. Besides, they need support in equal measure, from their families and the industry when raising their children. If they lose that time, catching up becomes difficult,&rdquo; she says. &nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Furthermore, this support should not be seen as an extra favour to women, but rather as their right. Children are the future and the environment they experience while growing up is crucial to their growth and development. It is the duty of both families and society, not just mothers alone, to provide a safe and suitable environment for them," she added. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Manya Jha, a young entrepreneur and founder of Morphedo Technologies</strong>, a deep tech startup in aerospace and defence, medical device engineering, IoT and embedded systems, faced the challenge of balancing child care and her career after the birth of her daughter. To tackle this challenge, she established a small child care centre at her office.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Starting just 20 days after my daughter was born, I brought her to my workplace every day. I made space in my cabin where she could stay with me. Until she was 7 months old, my husband and I took care of her in the shared cabin (during COVID-19 period). At the time of her birth, my startup was also at a crucial stage,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Both my daughter and my company required my personal attention. There were instances when I had to attend important meetings with senior scientists while holding my one-month-old daughter. I believe it's all about the confidence with which you pursue your career."</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today, Manya's company has around&nbsp; 40 employees and the child care centre is now available to all new mothers, offering support in looking after their children while at work.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, despite the challenges, there has been a noticeable shift in the narrative over the past decade, with the number of women leaders emerging in STEM careers increasing slowly but steadily. And these women are not only excelling &nbsp;in their respective fields but also helping dismantling barriers that hinder the progress of other aspiring women.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several prominent women leaders are setting an example for others. Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr Priya Abraham, Director of the National Institute of Virology, biotech stalwart &nbsp;Kiran Majumdar-Shaw,&nbsp; and entrepreneurs like Dr Kavita Iyer Rodrigues and Vasanthi Ramachandran represent some of the most sought after leaders in the industry.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Women are leading more than 30 per cent of the startups incubated at our centre. In many others, they are co-founders or hold significant positions," says <strong>Dr Manisha Premnath, COO of Venture Center</strong>, an incubation centre in Pune that helps startups grow.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Breaking the glass ceiling</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While there is a rise of women leaders in the health and biotech sector, it is important to acknowledge the challenges they continue to face. Stereotypes, biases, and a lack of institutional support still exist. The &lsquo;glass ceiling&rsquo; phenomenon persists, making it difficult for women to reach the highest levels of leadership. A male-centric workplace culture, coupled with a lack of flexibility and understanding regarding work-life balance, discourage women from pursuing or sustaining leadership roles.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The biggest challenge that women face is breaking these stereotypes and breaking free from the vicious cycle of work and life. They need to step out of their comfort zones, or rather, their safe zones, and then there will be no stopping them. Fortunately, nowadays there are several schemes and funds available to support women," says <strong>Dr Deeksha Bhartiya, Founder of Genomiki</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coming from a very traditional, yet ambitious family, Dr Deeksha got married at a young age and encountered challenges in maintaining a balance between her personal and professional life. However, she didn't allow these challenges to deter her from pursuing her doctoral studies and career. "There were many senior male scientists who advised me to take up a permanent job instead of embarking on my entrepreneurial journey. I was told that women should prioritise stability over adventure. However, I am fortunate to have a very supportive family who always push me to exceed my limits and support me in all my decisions."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Exiting the vicious circle</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The foundation for achieving gender parity in STEM careers is laid during the crucial years of education. Schools and educational institutions play an important role in challenging these stereotypes and encouraging girls to explore their interests in science and technology. STEM-focused educational programmes, workshops, and extracurricular activities can help break down gender-based barriers from a young age. Scholarships and mentorship programmes can encourage girls to pursue science education.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To encourage more women to pursue careers in STEM and foster an inclusive and diverse workforce, it is important to adopt unbiased recruitment practices, create a supportive environment for their progress, and implement flexible work arrangements.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is a growing emphasis on incorporating diverse perspectives in STEM curricula. Highlighting the contributions of women scientists and engineers in textbooks and classroom discussions can inspire both girls and boys, challenging preconceived notions about gender roles in these fields. There should be more networking events, conferences and platforms that specifically focus on women in STEM to provide valuable opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing. These spaces not only celebrate the achievements of women in the field but also facilitate the exchange of ideas and strategies to overcome common challenges.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emphasising the pivotal role women play in shaping a sustainable future through scientific leadership, <strong>Melody Lopez, Director and Chief of Staff Crayon Software Experts India</strong> says &ldquo;Fostering women's leadership in science is not just about gender equality but also a catalyst for achieving sustainable development goals. The theme reflects a call to action, urging communities, governments, and organisations to provide equal opportunities for women and girls in science, ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making processes.&rdquo; She further says &ldquo;As we champion women and girls in science leadership, let us embrace this new era, where their voices, ideas, and leadership propel us toward a brighter, more sustainable future for all.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The journey towards gender parity in STEM careers in India could be challenging, but the momentum for change is growing.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><strong>Gunjan Sharma</strong></strong></p> <p><em><strong>gunjan.sharma@mmactiv.com</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => 'Gunjan Sharma ', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24271', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => '“There is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation”', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_27_at_5_20_34_pm-24271.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'there-is-a-significant-gap-in-the-infrastructure-required-for-ai-implementation', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Artificial Intelligence (AI) has completely changed the way we see the world today. How do you see AI revolutionising drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry? Can AI help in discovering new drug molecules that could help treat deadly and chronic diseases like cancers and AIDS?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The future of human life is completely impacted by AI. Particularly its emergence in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry will have a vital impact on disease control and new drug discoveries.&nbsp;AI is poised to revolutionise drug discovery in several ways. It can drastically reduce the time needed to discover and develop new drugs. AI can be used to help suggest novel combinations for treating fatal diseases and even predict treatment outcomes. Additionally, AI facilitates personalised medicine by tailoring treatments to individual patients, which can ultimately speed up the development of new therapies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key challenges in implementing AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly in the context of regulatory compliance?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I feel, the pharma and healthcare organisations in India are yet to gear up for AI. Many are still in the process of adapting to the advancements in the pharmaceutical industry brought about by digitalisation. Despite this progress, the majority of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are not adequately prepared to integrate AI into their operations. AI adoption, beyond platforms like Chat GPT, remains in its infancy and requires further exploration and validation. Moreover, there is a pressing need to harmonise regulatory compliances, particularly in manufacturing standards outlined by the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH). This entails the implementation of electronic documentation systems and global alignment on regulatory practices to ensure both qualitative and compliant manufacturing and healthcare delivery systems. Additionally, there is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation, including the necessary hardware, software, and skilled professionals, which remains to be addressed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a specific example where AI has been successfully utilised to discover or develop a new drug?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although AI is currently making strides in drug discovery, its continual evolution opens up a multitude of possibilities in terms of drug candidates, their structures, and the discovery process. This versatility allows for the pinpointing of targeted molecules tailored to specific therapies or multiple therapeutic discoveries. A recent example highlighting this potential is Insilico Medicine's Pharma.AI, which is revolutionising drug discovery with its suite of AI-powered tools. PandaOmics, for instance, drastically reduces the time required for multi-omics target discovery, from several months to a few clicks. Similarly, Chemistry42 employs machine learning for de novo drug design, generating lead-like molecules within a week. Additionally, InClinico provides an invaluable tool for efficient clinical trial management, identifying potential weaknesses in trial design and predicting success rates. Collectively, these tools are streamlining the traditionally lengthy drug discovery process, accelerating the pursuit of breakthrough medicine.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you envision the role of AI evolving in personalised medicine and patient care?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I believe AI could be groundbreaking by using large amounts of data from healthy and sick people. It could help analyse specific therapeutic segments quickly to see how drugs work over time and improve their formulations. It would also support Phase IV clinical trials, especially in monitoring drug safety (Pharmacovigilance). Overall, AI in personalised medicine and patient care has the potential to improve healthcare, make treatments better, and give patients more control over their health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the ethical considerations that need to be addressed when deploying AI in healthcare settings?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The primary concern lies in protecting patient identity, which can be achieved through AI by masking identities in documentation, albeit in previously challenging areas. The rigidity and security levels of AI coding stand out as effective measures for safeguarding patient identity compared to traditional masking systems. However, the implementation of AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly concerning regulatory compliance, presents various challenges and ethical considerations. These include ensuring data privacy and security, adhering to diverse regulations, deciphering complex AI algorithms, managing the time and cost implications, addressing potential biases perpetuated by AI algorithms, integrating solutions into existing systems, navigating complex ethical and legal considerations, determining accountability and liability for decisions made, preserving patient autonomy and consent, and conducting real-time reviews for corrections.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How can AI help address the challenges of drug resistance in infectious diseases?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The emergence of drug resistance in infectious diseases poses a significant healthcare challenge. However, AI offers a promising solution by playing a crucial role in addressing this issue. Through predictive analytics, AI can forecast which drugs may become ineffective against evolving pathogens, allowing for proactive adjustments in treatment strategies. Furthermore, AI aids in the discovery of alternative treatments, the development of more effective medications, and the customisation of treatment plans tailored to individual patients. By providing real-time insights into the changing landscape of drug resistance, AI enables healthcare professionals to adapt swiftly, ultimately enhancing the efficacy of treatments and improving patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What strategies can be employed to ensure the fairness and transparency of AI algorithms in healthcare decision-making?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To maintain trust, mitigate bias, and foster equitable outcomes, it is crucial to prioritise fairness and transparency in the use of AI algorithms for healthcare decision-making. Some of the strategies to achieve this include ensuring transparency of both data and algorithms, promoting diversity and inclusivity in the development process, conducting external validation and evaluation, and establishing regulatory frameworks and guidelines.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you see AI impacting the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services globally?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While AI offers significant potential for improving the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services on a global scale, there are challenges to overcome. These include ensuring fair access to AI-driven technologies, addressing concerns regarding data privacy and security, and navigating regulatory and ethical issues. Collaboration among various stakeholders, such as governments, healthcare providers, technology developers, and community organisations, is vital to fully realise the benefits of AI in enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key factors hindering the adoption of AI in pharmaceutical research and development?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pharmaceutical companies face several challenges when it comes to using AI in research and development. Firstly, they require high-quality and comprehensive datasets to effectively train AI models. Secondly, they must adhere to strict regulatory guidelines set by government agencies. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies often possess proprietary data and intellectual property that may not be easily compatible with AI systems. Finally, the significant investment required to implement AI technology presents a barrier to adoption for many companies in the industry.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a case where AI-driven predictive modelling has significantly improved clinical trial outcomes or drug efficacy in the Healthcare system?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's important to note that using AI in the healthcare system, along with a thorough review of relevant literature from sources like PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and EMBASE, is significant. Integrating AI into healthcare has the potential to greatly improve disease diagnosis, treatment selection, and clinical laboratory testing. AI tools can analyse large sets of data and find patterns, outperforming humans in many healthcare tasks. AI brings higher accuracy, lower costs, and time savings, while also reducing human errors. It can revolutionise personalised medicine, optimise medication dosages, improve population health management, set guidelines, offer virtual health assistants, support mental health care, enhance patient education, and strengthen patient-physician trust.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, AI can be used in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) by using machine learning algorithms to predict drug-drug interactions. By analysing large sets of patient data, these algorithms can detect potential drug interactions. This helps to decrease the risk of adverse drug reactions, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Amguth Raju</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>hyderabad@mmactiv.com&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => 'Amguth Raju', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17'), array('articleId' => '24280', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Effectively Eliminating Drug-resistant TB', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/tb-24280.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'effectively-eliminating-drug-resistant-tb', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has the highest burden of TB, with two deaths occurring every three minutes from the disease. The country recorded a staggering 28 lakh cases in 2022, accounting for 27 per cent of the global cases, according to WHO.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India initiated the TB Free India campaign with the ambitious goal of eradicating TB by 2025, a milestone set five years earlier than the target outlined by the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Despite facing setbacks due to COVID-19, the nation doubled down on its efforts, resulting in notable progress. The India TB Report 2023 heralded 2022 as a pivotal year in TB surveillance, noting a significant achievement with a record-high notification of 24.2 lakh TB cases, representing an increase of over 13 per cent compared to 2021.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The latest WHO Global TB Report 2023 acknowledged and praised India's efforts in its fight against TB, particularly highlighting the effectiveness of its case detection strategies. The report emphasised that India's intensified case detection strategies led to the highest-ever notification of cases in 2022, surpassing pre-COVID levels. The government's key initiatives, such as specialised active case finding drives, the scaling up of molecular diagnostics to block levels, decentralisation of screening services through Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, and private sector engagement, have significantly reduced the gap in missing cases.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Road to elimination&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the country has made remarkable progress in its fight against TB, the adoption of additional strategies such as shorter treatment regimens, the development of vaccines, and a renewed focus on nutrition could prove to be game-changers in its goal of eliminating TB for good.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The BPaL regimen, composed of Bedaquiline, Pretomanid and Linezolid, presents a promising alternative for a shorter, safer and more tolerable treatment option for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). Lasting only 26 weeks, it contrasts sharply with conventional DR-TB treatments, which can span 18 to 21 months and entail the consumption of over 4,000 to 5,000 tablets. Endorsed by the US FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) in 2019 and the WHO in 2022, the BPaL regimen has been implemented in more than 70 countries, including South Africa, Ukraine, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;The older, conventional regimen for drug-resistant TB included prolonged use of injections with other drugs. This was associated with increased incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), implementation challenges under the programme and inconvenience to the patients. The new TB drug regimen uses the newer oral drugs like Bedaquiline, Delamanid or Pretomanid, or the repurposed drugs such as linezolid, clofazimine, etc. These regimens are injection free and have lesser pill burden leading to more acceptance among the TB patients besides reducing the implementation challenges due to the use of injections. They have the ability to kill the actively multiplying drug-resistant TB bacteria faster and a sustained killing of the bacteria to prevent the recurrence of the TB disease among the patients. These regimens have shown improved treatment success rates under field conditions under the national programme,&rdquo; said <strong>Dr Rupak Singla, Head of Department, National Institute of TB &amp; Respiratory Diseases, New Delhi</strong>.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Singla further said &ldquo;To combat the adverse drug reactions of these regimen, specially due to drug linezolid, various regimens using different dosages and durations of linezolid have demonstrated reduced incidence of ADRs maintaining the efficacy of the regimen. Hence, these newer treatment drug regimens could reduce the global burden of drug-resistant TB. However, the requirement of a good quality laboratory network, availability and higher cost of the drugs continue to pose a challenge.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new regimen is shorter, easier on patients and improves treatment adherence, resulting in better outcomes compared to previous drug regimens.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Talking about the potential implications of the new TB drug regimen on India&rsquo;s TB control efforts, Dr Singla stated, &ldquo;The cure rate for previous conventional TB regimen for multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) was to the tune of around 50 per cent and for Extensively drug-resistant-TB (XDR-TB), less than 30 per cent. The new TB drug regimen has the potential for significant improvement in treatment success rates for MDR-TB as well as XDR-TB.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In India the national data shows that more than 36,000 drug-resistant TB patients have been initiated on shorter oral Bedaquiline-containing regimen and more than 92,000 patients have been initiated on longer oral regimen till date. Treatment success rates of shorter oral regimen for the cohort April-September 2022 (around 12,000 patients) is 69 per cent and of longer oral regimen for the cohort January-September 2021 (around 15,000 patients) is 71 per cent. The improved success rates of new drug regimens is likely to translate into less number of deaths due to TB, reduced period of infectiousness of TB patients and reduced transmission of TB to others in the community leading to reduced incidence of TB.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Studies at the 2023 Union World Conference on Lung Health affirm WHO-endorsed regimens' effectiveness, surpassing traditional 18- to 24-month treatments. The goal is to urge high-burden DR-TB countries to update guidelines and offer shorter treatments to all patients in need. Only 40 per cent of the 410,000 people with DR-TB in 2022 had access to the shorter regimen, as per a WHO report.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A group of experts in the country have stressed the need for introducing the BPaL regimen in the TB control programme of the country. B<strong>lessina Kumar, CEO, Global Coalition of TB Advocates, New Delhi</strong> emphasised the potential cost savings associated with its adoption, citing studies estimating a global annual savings of $740 million. With India accounting for a significant portion of global multi-drug, rifampicin-resistant (MDR/RR-TB) treated patients, she suggested that the country could save nearly $250 million per year through the implementation of this regimen. India will likely roll out the new regime soon.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>TB Vaccine</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vaccination holds promise as a game-changer for TB elimination. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is conducting phase III trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two vaccines: VPM1002 and MIP (Mycobacterium indicus pranii). VPM1002 is a live vaccine based on recombinant BCG, modified for better safety and efficacy. MIP or Immuvac, originally developed for leprosy, is a whole-cell TB vaccine candidate. The trial aims to assess the effectiveness of these vaccines in preventing TB disease, among 12,721 individuals exposed to TB at home (referred to as household contacts). Enrollment for the study is complete, with participant follow-up currently ongoing, according to the pipeline report 2022 by the Treatment Action Group.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bharat Biotech is partnering with the Spanish firm BIOFABRI to develop, manufacture, and distribute a new tuberculosis vaccine across over 70 countries in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The TB vaccine candidate by Bharat Biotech is set to enter phase-III trials soon.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Lancet study highlighted the pivotal role of nutrition in TB management. The&nbsp; Reducing Activation of Tuberculosis by Improvement of Nutritional Status (RATIONS) trial demonstrated that providing food baskets to TB patients and their households reduced all forms of TB by nearly 40 per cent and infectious TB by almost 50 per cent. In 2018, the Indian government launched the 'Nikshay Poshan Yojana,' a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to offer nutrition support to TB patients. Since its inception, the scheme has disbursed approximately Rs 2613 crore to over 95 lakh TB patients.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has indeed made significant strides in addressing TB; however, the battle against the disease is far from over. Despite enhanced detection and surveillance efforts, there's&nbsp; a need to adopt newer strategies to combat TB effectively. Advances in R&amp;D of vaccines, access to newer drug regimens, enhanced focus on nutrition will all help in propelling TB elimination goals.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Ayesha Siddiqui&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ayesha Siddiqui', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24272', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Prioritising Women’s Health & Wellbeing ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2036811071-24272.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: gettyimages', 'pageSlug' => 'prioritising-womens-health-wellbeing-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a new report from the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute launched at Davos in January 2024, women may live longer than men, on average, but they spend 25 per cent more of their lives in debilitating health. The report said improving diagnostics, data on women-specific conditions like ovarian cancer, and directing more investments towards women&rsquo;s health and research is needed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In particular, McKinsey research finds that less than 2 per cent of healthcare research and innovation is invested in female-specific conditions beyond cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This &lsquo;women&rsquo;s health gap&rsquo; equates to 75 million years of life lost due to poor health or early death each year. Closing the gap would benefit 3.9 billion women, giving them an extra seven healthy days a year, or an average of 500 days over a lifetime. Further, it could boost the global economy by $1 trillion by 2040 from fewer early deaths and health conditions, and a greater capacity for women to contribute to the economy and society.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a result of these findings, the final hours of the World Economic Forum in Davos saw the launch of a new Global Alliance for Women&rsquo;s Health, which has the broad ambition of &lsquo;re-shaping the future of women&rsquo;s health and the global economy.&rsquo; The health alliance will pledge new commitments from governments, philanthropies, and pharmaceutical companies, among others, across three pillars i.e. financing, science and innovation, and agenda-setting. So far, partners have pledged $55 million to improve women&rsquo;s health outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">With International Women&rsquo;s Day 2024 being themed around &lsquo;Inspiring inclusion&rsquo;, we see governments across the globe putting the much-needed emphasis on women&rsquo;s healthcare. For instance, the UAE has set out wide-ranging plans to bolster healthcare services for women, by approving the &lsquo;National Policy for Improving Women&rsquo;s Health&rsquo; for providing the highest healthcare services quality for women, whether curative, preventive or rehabilitative services. Similarly, the Irish government is paving the way for a longer-term comprehensive Women&rsquo;s Health Strategy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in England are being urged to help shape reproductive health policy, as the government seeks views on periods, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and menopause for health strategy. Likewise, the Biden administration recently announced a White House initiative to improve how the federal government approaches and funds research into the health of women, who make up more than half of the US population but remain understudied and underrepresented in health research.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, of course, is not far behind in this initiative. The Interim Budget 2024-25 announcement that took place on February 1, 2024, laid focus on encouraging vaccination for girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years for the prevention of cervical cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Besides these government initiatives, multiple efforts are also being made by the industry players to improve women&rsquo;s health. For example, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zurzuvae as the first and only oral treatment approved for women with postpartum depression, developed by American pharmaceutical company Biogen. The US FDA has also recently approved a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription for the first time in the US, a milestone that could significantly expand access to contraception. The pill&rsquo;s manufacturer, Perrigo Company is based in Dublin.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Further, biotech companies in the UK and Korea are embarking on the world's first prospective study of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered breast cancer detection, to streamline diagnosis, and tackle radiologist shortages. On the other hand, startups in India have developed groundbreaking multi-cancer detection tests specifically designed for high-risk and asymptomatic women.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quality, affordability, and accessibility, particularly in the context of women&rsquo;s health, are very critical aspects of ensuring well-being. This calls for greater mobilisation across sectors to invest in women&rsquo;s health, keeping in mind the imperatives of equity and integral care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Manbeena Chawla</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Executive Editor</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(</span><a href="mailto:manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com"><span style="font-weight: 400;">manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></p>', 'sequence' => '5', 'guestAuthor' => 'Dr Manbeena Chawla', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '101'), array('articleId' => '24270', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Establishing Ethical Frameworks for Equitable Use of AI in Healthcare ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/21-24270.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'establishing-ethical-frameworks-for-equitable-use-of-ai-in-healthcare-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The global healthcare landscape is witnessing a seismic transformation driven by AI technologies. From therapeutics to diagnostics, hospital operations to clinical decision-making, AI is making significant strides across diverse applications. According to Statista, the value of AI in the global healthcare market was $11 billion in 2021, projected to reach an estimated $188 billion by 2030. This staggering growth, at a compounded annual rate of 37 per cent, underscores the immense potential AI holds in reshaping the future of healthcare.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Transforming Medical Research and Imaging Analysis</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The impact of AI is not limited to specific segments; it spans the entire healthcare ecosystem. One critical domain experiencing a revolution is medical research, as AI expedites drug discovery processes. Through machine learning algorithms, researchers can predict the success rate of chemical compounds, significantly reducing the time and resources required for experimentation. This not only accelerates the pace of innovation but also holds the promise of bringing new, effective treatments to patients more rapidly.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the realm of medical imaging analysis, AI is proving to be a game-changer. It enables the rapid and accurate detection of anomalies in MRI scans, X-rays, and CT scans. Radiologists benefit from quicker identification of potential life-threatening issues, minimising human errors and enhancing diagnostic accuracy. This not only saves crucial time but also improves patient outcomes, particularly in cases where early detection is paramount.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Data-Driven Healthcare</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">AI is revolutionising the traditional landscape of diagnosis and treatment by providing clinicians with unprecedented data-driven insights. Machine learning algorithms analyse extensive patient data to identify patterns and correlations, facilitating more accurate and timely diagnosis. Personalised treatment plans based on individual patient characteristics are now a reality, enhancing the effectiveness of medical interventions. The ability to tailor treatments to specific patient profiles leads to improved outcomes and a more efficient allocation of healthcare resources.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Real-time assessment of treatment effectiveness by AI tools further contributes to improved clinical outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. Monitoring and adjusting treatment plans based on real-world data ensure that patients receive the most effective interventions tailored to their individual responses. This not only enhances patient care but also contributes to the sustainability of healthcare systems worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Predictive analysis, powered by AI, enables healthcare providers to forecast potential outcomes based on historical data and real-time health information. Identifying patients at risk of specific conditions allows for early intervention, preventing complications and improving overall healthcare efficiency. Large-scale population data analysis can also detect trends and outbreaks of infectious diseases before they become widespread, a critical capability showcased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability to anticipate and mitigate health crises is a testament to the power of AI in safeguarding public health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Patient-Centric Approach</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The integration of AI into healthcare is not solely about clinical applications; it extends to improving the overall patient experience. Streamlining appointment scheduling, providing remote monitoring solutions, and offering personalised treatment plans based on individual medical records contribute to a more patient-centric approach. AI-driven chatbots responding to routine medical inquiries reduce stress and save time for both patients and healthcare providers, fostering a more efficient and accessible healthcare system.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the promises of AI in healthcare, challenges persist. Blind spots in data access and collection, privacy concerns, data misuse, and regulatory ambiguities are roadblocks to widespread adoption. In India, a rapidly growing player in AI-based healthcare, progress is evident, but there is still a long way to go. The ambitious goals of universal healthcare delivery and affordability through AI remain distant, requiring continued innovation and collaboration.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, a major player in the global healthcare sector, is rapidly embracing AI. The National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence by NITI Aayog highlights the potential of AI to address challenges such as a shortage of qualified healthcare professionals and non-uniform accessibility to healthcare across the country. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, AI expenditure in India is projected to reach $11.78 billion by 2025, contributing significantly to the country's economy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite challenges, AI's potential to revolutionise healthcare is undeniable. As technology continues to advance, AI's applications in telemedicine, genomics, robotics, and 3D printing will expand. Workforce training and collaboration between medical professionals and AI developers will be crucial for maximising the benefits of AI. The integration of AI with other emerging technologies holds the key to shaping the future of medical care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we delve deeper into the integration of AI in healthcare, it's imperative to address the ethical considerations surrounding this revolutionary technology. The responsible use of AI in medical settings demands careful navigation of issues such as patient privacy, data security, and bias in algorithms.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Privacy concerns arise from the vast amounts of sensitive patient data being processed by AI systems. Ensuring robust data protection measures, stringent encryption, and transparent data usage policies become paramount to build and maintain public trust in AI-driven healthcare solutions.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The potential for bias in AI algorithms poses another ethical challenge. If the datasets used to train AI models are not representative or if biased historical data is fed into the algorithms, it can perpetuate existing inequalities in healthcare. Striking a balance in dataset curation and continuous monitoring of algorithmic outputs is crucial to mitigate bias and ensure equitable healthcare outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moreover, the explainability of AI decisions becomes crucial, especially in critical medical scenarios. Ensuring that AI models provide interpretable insights aids healthcare professionals in understanding and trusting AI-generated recommendations, fostering collaboration between humans and machines.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In conclusion, AI is not just a buzzword but a transformative force reshaping the healthcare industry. From diagnosis to treatment, AI is proving its mettle by delivering accurate, personalised, and efficient healthcare solutions. While challenges persist, the trajectory of AI in healthcare is pointing towards a future where technology and human expertise converge to provide optimal patient care. As we stand at the intersection of technology and healthcare, the role of AI in shaping the future of medicine is more promising than ever.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As AI continues to evolve, it is crucial for stakeholders&mdash;be they healthcare providers, policymakers, or technology developers&mdash;to collaborate in establishing ethical frameworks that ensure the responsible and equitable use of AI in healthcare. The ongoing dialogue around ethical considerations is vital to ensure that AI remains a force for good in healthcare, driving positive change for patients and society at large.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&amp;D, Murata Vios</strong></em></p>', 'sequence' => '6', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&D, Murata Vios', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17')), 'trendingTopicsList' => array(array('articleId' => '24283', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => '83.5% of adults in India underestimate shingles risk: Global GSK survey', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shingles_large-24283.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => '83-5-of-adults-in-india-underestimate-shingles-risk-global-gsk-survey', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical (GSK) has released new data from a globally commissioned survey funded by them. The survey finds notable gaps in understanding of shingles risk among individuals aged above 50 years, a group that is most susceptible to the disease.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey conducted amongst 3,500 adults aged 50 and over from 12 countries, assessed respondents&rsquo; understanding of shingles, what triggers it, and its impact on people&rsquo;s lives.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey in&nbsp;India&nbsp;involved 500 participants, with 250 respondents who spoke Hindi and another 250 who spoke English. The data, launched in time for Shingles Awareness Week 2024 (26 February&nbsp;2024 &ndash; 3 March 2024), finds a widespread lack of understanding of shingles and its lifetime risk.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The findings show that globally, a significantly high proportion of those surveyed do not understand their risk of developing shingles,&nbsp;with&nbsp;86%&nbsp;underestimating&nbsp;that&nbsp;risk.<font size="1">&nbsp;</font>In India, 81% of the English-speaking and 86% &nbsp;of the Hindi-speaking respondents surveyed underestimate the risk of shingles<sup>.</sup></p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In India,&nbsp;amongst the &nbsp;English-speaking respondents, 22% believe that 1 in 1000 adults are at risk of developing shingles.<sup>&nbsp;</sup>Amongst the Hindi-speaking respondents,18% believe that 1 in 1000 adults is at risk of developing shingles.&nbsp;</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In&nbsp;reality,&nbsp;most&nbsp;adults already&nbsp;have&nbsp;the&nbsp;virus that&nbsp;causes&nbsp;shingles present in&nbsp;their bodies by&nbsp;the&nbsp;age&nbsp;of 50,&nbsp;which may&nbsp;reactivate with&nbsp;advancing&nbsp;age.&nbsp;Shingles&nbsp;is&nbsp;caused&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;reactivation&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;varicella-zoster&nbsp;virus&nbsp;(VZV),&nbsp;the same virus that causes chickenpox.&nbsp;As people age, the strength of their immune response to infection wanes, and this increases their risk of developing shingles.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Rashmi Hegde, Executive Vice President - Medical Affairs, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, India, said,&nbsp;&ldquo;The survey findings underscore the need to raise awareness about shingles risk in adults over 50.&nbsp; Shingles can significantly disrupt the daily lives of ageing adults and cause them a great deal of discomfort."</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24230', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Fujifilm launches advanced endoscopic ultrasound machine ALOKA ARIETTA 850 in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/fuji-24230.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'fujifilm-launches-advanced-endoscopic-ultrasound-machine-aloka-arietta-850-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Fujifilm India, a pioneer in diagnostic imaging and information systems, has launched the ground breaking ALOKA ARIETTA 850 Diagnostic Ultrasound System in India with its first-ever installation at Fortis Hospital in Bengaluru.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Representing a remarkable advancement in endoscopic technologies, the high-tech ultrasound system aims to enhance diagnostic precision and image clarity for gastrointestinal diseases in the region.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">In India, contemporary lifestyles and changing dietary choices are leading to the deteriorating digestive health of the population, adding to the growing prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Addressing this, Fujifilm India&rsquo;S&nbsp;ALOKA ARIETTA 850&nbsp;Endoscopic Ultrasound Machine at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru is a significant step in providing world-class diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients against these GI-related diseases, performing targeted treatments such as Pancreatic pseudo cyst drainage (without surgery), targeted delivery of treatment in Pancreatic cancers.&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) is a minimally invasive method for assessing malignancies affecting the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract and neighbouring organs or tissues. With this high degree of accuracy in both diagnostic and therapeutic capacities, it allows doctors to precisely examine organs like the lungs, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, lymph nodes and nearby affected areas.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">EUS also facilitates the extraction of tissue or fluid samples through a thin needle, eliminating the need for a separate biopsy procedure. Additionally, it improves the staging of cancers with accurate sampling provided by Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) and Fine Needle Biopsy (FNB). Furthermore, EUS proves valuable in cases of altered anatomy and among cancer patients for various therapeutic procedures.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">ALOKA ARIETTA 850 stands out from conventional endoscopic ultrasound machines with a range of superior features. The machine generates image quality with 7 million digital channels in its B mode. This system also incorporates HD-THI for deeper penetration, ensuring accurate diagnoses, along with combi-elastography, pure symphonic architecture and CHI-TIC and Inflow Time Mapping for clearer visibility by reducing noise and enhancing the completeness and continuity of tissue boundaries.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '91'), array('articleId' => '24229', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Bengaluru researchers develop paper-based platform to detect antibiotic-resistant bacteria', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shutterstock_157198133-24229.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'bengaluru-researchers-develop-paper-based-platform-to-detect-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">A paper-based platform developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru could help quickly detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant, disease-causing bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Dr Uday Maitra, Professor at the Department of Organic Chemistry, IISc, and collaborators have developed a rapid diagnosis protocol that uses a luminescent paper-based platform to detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The approach developed by the IISc and JNCASR team involves incorporating biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (BCA) within a supramolecular hydrogel matrix containing terbium cholate (TbCh). This hydrogel normally emits green fluorescence when UV light is shined on it.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The next step was to find a way to make the technology inexpensive. Currently used diagnostics instruments are costly, which drives up the price for testing.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team collaborated with a Chennai-based company called Adiuvo Diagnostics to design a customised, portable and miniature imaging device, named Illuminate Fluorescence Reader. Infusing the hydrogel in a sheet of paper as the medium reduced the cost significantly. The instrument is fitted with different LEDs that shine UV radiation as required. Green fluorescence from the enzyme is captured by a built-in camera, and a dedicated software app measures the intensity, which can help quantify the bacterial load.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team from IISc tied up with Jayanta Haldar&rsquo;s research group from JNCASR to check their approach on urine samples. As the next step, the researchers plan to tie up with hospitals to test this technology with samples from patients.</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58'), array('articleId' => '24163', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Theme for National Science Day sets in as ‘Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat’', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/nsd-24163.png', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'theme-for-national-science-day-sets-in-as-indigenous-technologies-for-viksit-bharat', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science &amp; Technology Dr Jitendra Singh released the theme for the "National Science Day 2024", titled "Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat".</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) theme for this year&rsquo;s celebration reflects a strategic focus on promoting public appreciation for Science, Technology and Innovation and accomplishments of Indian scientists to address challenges through home-grown technologies for over-all well-being.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The theme not only marks a new era but also presents an opportunity for public and scientific fraternity, both domestically and internationally, to collaborate, work together, and contribute to the well-being of India and humanity as a whole. While emphasising the importance of making India&nbsp;<em>Atmanirbhar&nbsp;</em>through science, it underscores the need to address subjects that hold significance for humanity as a whole.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on 28 February to commemorate the discovery of the &lsquo;Raman Effect&rsquo;. Government of India designated 28 February as National Science Day in 1986. On this day Sir C.V. Raman announced the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930. On this occasion, theme-based science communication activities are carried out all over the country. The theme launch will trigger celebrations of NSD specially in schools &amp; colleges throughout the country.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science &amp; Technology (DST) said that as we embark on the celebration of NSD and move ahead with the launch of the theme for 2024, it is clearly evident that our scientific endeavours have the power to shape not only the future of our nation but also contribute significantly towards global advancement.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58')), 'mostReadArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24286', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Qiagen launches AI-derived biomedical knowledge base to accelerate data-driven drug discovery', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2-24286.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'qiagen-launches-ai-derived-biomedical-knowledge-base-to-accelerate-data-driven-drug-discovery', 'page1' => '<p align="justify">US-based Qiagen has announced the launch of Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI, a new generative AI-driven knowledge base designed to propel drug discovery in the pharma and biotech industries. This new offering is designed for data scientists and bioinformaticians who are looking for the most comprehensive knowledge graphs to fuel data-driven drug discovery.</p> <p align="justify">Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI is built on a massive dataset of biomedical literature and other scientific sources. It identifies and extracts causal relationships between genes, diseases, drugs and other biological entities with artificial intelligence (AI), generating over 600 million more biomedical relationships than its complement, Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD. This expansive knowledge base helps data scientists understand disease mechanisms, identify drug targets or biomarkers and explore strategies for repurposing existing drugs. Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI provides the most complete picture of biomedical relationships, including edge cases and novel relationships.</p> <p align="justify">While Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD is manually curated and known for its high quality and accuracy, Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI contains over 25x more relationships, allowing data scientists to generate new insights. Both knowledge bases can be used to provide both high-quality and high-quantity biomedical relationships data for data scientists and bioinformaticians to mine and validate.</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '60'), array('articleId' => '24284', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'IIT Kanpur partners with UP government to enhance tele-medicine using AI', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_28_at_3_48_48_pm-24284.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'iit-kanpur-partners-with-up-government-to-enhance-tele-medicine-using-ai', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">The Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and the Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to revolutionise healthcare delivery and advance tele-medicine facilities in the state through the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI).</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU was signed by Ranjan Kumar IAS, Secretary, Health &amp; Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Professor Sandeep Verma, Professor-In-Charge, Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Kanpur, in the presence of&nbsp;other dignitaries.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU outlines several key areas of collaboration, including anchoring tele-medicine hubs and enhancing the quality of tele-medicine services, implementing AI-based solutions to address population health impact, developing point-of-care diagnostics to drive program improvements, conducting competency-based capacity building for health cadres, and utilizing database predictions and analysis for informed decision-making.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">This will help the Department to make optimal use of the UP Digital Health Stack (UP-DHS) and ensure that every citizen of the state, wherever they are, will be able to access healthcare when needed. In Uttar Pradesh, UP-DHS is making significant strides in implementation, with foundational NHS elements deployed across all health administrative units and the rollout of essential healthcare applications well underway.</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '100'), array('articleId' => '24282', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Medtech firm Stryker expands prototype and testing facility in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/styker-24282.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'medtech-firm-stryker-expands-prototype-and-testing-facility-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker, a global leader in medical technologies, has officially expanded its prototype and testing facility in India, marking significant growth of its R&amp;D footprint in the country.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This advanced 55,600-square-foot facility integrates cutting-edge infrastructure, enhanced microbiology capabilities, and a talented team to drive innovation and ensure product quality across its medical technology portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Investing in innovation from India is a focus area for Stryker," said&nbsp;Ram Rangarajan, Vice President of Stryker Global Technology Center, India. "This new lab represents our commitment to developing medical technologies that improve patient outcomes and comply with the highest regulatory standards."</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker's new facility is dedicated to the rigorous life cycle testing of medical devices. The new lab boasts several key features:</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Prototyping and product assurance hub:&nbsp;Equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure for plastic 3D printing,&nbsp;metal machining, and a diverse range of testing capabilities,&nbsp;the lab supports prototyping and product assurance across Stryker's entire product portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Expanded microbiology competency:&nbsp;The lab strengthens Stryker's ability to conduct comprehensive microbiological testing,&nbsp;ensuring the safety and efficacy of its medical technologies.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Talented team of engineers and microbiologists:&nbsp; Highly skilled engineers and microbiologists will use the advanced equipment and expertise to develop innovative solutions that positively impact patients around the world.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '93'), array('articleId' => '24262', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Miltenyi Biotec to open Cell and Gene Therapy Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/gene-24262.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'miltenyi-biotec-to-open-cell-and-gene-therapy-centre-of-excellence-in-hyderabad', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">German firm Miltenyi Biotec is launching operations in India with its first office and investing to set up Miltenyi Innovation and Technology Center as Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Hyderabad.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This COE will be one of its first of its kind in India where scientists, researchers, industry experts and clinicians can get classroom to hands-on trainings on cell and gene therapy approaches right from proof of concept to pre-clinical / clinical development and commercialisation. This CoE also will provide Indian researchers, scientists and clinicians easier access to expertise, research, and manufacturing solutions.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Each year, more than 10,000 patients are treated with cell products using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies. More than&nbsp; 950 investigational new drug (IND) applications as well as investigational device exemptions (IDE) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies and platforms.&nbsp;&nbsp;In doing so, the company is well poised to enable local development and manufacturing in India to drive affordable and&nbsp;accessible CGT therapies by academia and industry for Indian as well as global patients.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Boris Stoffel,&nbsp;Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s Managing Director, highlighted that the company intends to seek opportunities to catalyse development of CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T cell clinical development and manufacturing, with the prospect of bringing centralised and point-of-care CAR T cell therapy to hospitals across India.</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '96')), 'pollQuestionDetails' => array('pollQuestionId' => '74', 'title' => 'Is India witnessing increasing demand for life sciences-related real estate?', 'slug' => 'is-india-witnessing-increasing-demand-for-life-sciences-related-real-estate', 'question' => '', 'status' => '1', 'deleteStatus' => '0', 'lastUpdationDate' => object(DateTime), 'creationDate' => object(DateTime), 'userId' => '10', 'siteId' => '2', 'pollOptionList' => array(array('pollOptionId' => '206', 'option' => 'Yes', 'clicks' => '2', 'pollQuestionId' => '74'), array('pollOptionId' => '207', 'option' => 'No', 'clicks' => '2', 'pollQuestionId' => '74'), array('pollOptionId' => '208', 'option' => 'May be', 'clicks' => '2', 'pollQuestionId' => '74'))), 'articleList' => array())))
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'aliasName' => 'text-blogs', 'sequence' => '6', 'parentSectionId' => '25', 'siteId' => '2', 'status' => '1')))), 'footerTopLeftDetail' => array('articleId' => '129', 'articleTitle' => 'Footer Top Left', 'seoTitle' => null, 'seoSummary' => null, 'seoGenerator' => null, 'seoAuthor' => null, 'seoAppName' => null, 'subheading' => 'Subscribe to BioSpectrum India', 'titleText' => '', 'titleUrl' => 'http://www.biospectrumindia.com/BSI_forms/subscription_reg_mgz.php', 'introDescription' => '', 'page1' => '', 'page2' => null, 'page3' => null, 'page4' => null, 'page5' => null, 'guestAuthor' => null, 'remark' => null, 'primaryMedium' => 'Text', 'flashNews' => '0', 'specialFeature' => '0', 'city' => null, 'imagePath' => 'uploads/static/bsi_march_2024_issue_cover_page_jpg_1_-129.jpg', 'imageTitle' => '', 'sequence' => '129', 'publishDateTime' => null, 'expiryDateTime' => null, 'displayDate' => null, 'editingNotes' => '', 'lastUpdationDate' => object(DateTime), 'creationDate' => object(DateTime), 'status' => 'Published', 'contentTypeId' => '15', 'siteId' => '2', 'sourceId' => '2', 'userId' => '4', 'lastUpdatedByUserId' => '26', 'articleType' => 'Static', 'language' => null, 'blogType' => null, 'pageSlug' => 'footer-top-left', 'magazineIssue' => null, 'pullquote' => null, 'restrictionType' => null, 'seoKeyword' => null, 'articleReadCount' => '0'), 'subsectionAlias' => 'segments', 'subsection' => 'Segments', 'section' => '', 'sectionId' => '', 'aliasName' => '', 'leadershipArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24267', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'What’s Shaking Up India’s Life Sciences Real Estate Sector?', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/bs1-24267.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'whats-shaking-up-indias-life-sciences-real-estate-sector', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2021,&nbsp; a California-based life sciences real estate development company acquired Hotel Buckminster. This acquisition was done to redevelop the closed hotel into a life science lab space. Again in May 2021, a facility that housed the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive was transformed into a new life sciences lab on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the same year in India, a Canadian Pension Fund along with a Singapore-based wealth and asset management firm jointly invested $100 million (Rs 7.5 billion) in life sciences R&amp;D facilities in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. This investment, according to reports, proved to be a stepping stone for more equity investments in this segment. On February 6, 2024, life sciences real estate developer, Rx Propellant announced an initial investment of $75 million in phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai Research (NMR) District, as part of its continued regional expansion strategy across India.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In all the four developments mentioned above, it is clear that post-pandemic, the demand for life sciences-related real estate has significantly increased. Both greenfield and brownfield projects have surged, as the pandemic fuelled the demand for locally manufactured pharma and medical products.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, in the last few decades, has witnessed the IT and manufacturing sectors invest heavily in real estate and infrastructure. But in the post-pandemic era, we see life sciences companies require space to innovate, for R&amp;D, and manufacture at scale.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Fast-evolving life sciences market&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India is one of the fastest-growing life sciences markets in the world and the sector is poised to see multi-fold growth by 2030 led by a fast-increasing population, rising life expectancy, a strong industrial base and inclusive government initiatives. In addition, India&rsquo;s demographic dividend, strong industrial base and policy push are known to be the growth drivers for the life sciences sector in the country.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The increasing government spending on the healthcare sector, cost benefits in terms of affordable manpower &amp; real estate expenses, and the availability of a large talent pool are the catalysts of life sciences growth in India. Schemes like Production Linked Incentive (PLI)&nbsp; have boosted domestic manufacturing which&nbsp; has resulted in the need for more space in industrial and tech parks. Also, global exports of pharmaceutical and biotechnology products and medical devices from the country have forced many companies to invest in capacity building and human resources.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Notably, India ranks second globally in terms of the number of US FDA-certified plants located outside the US, closely followed by China. Strengths of this kind and the constantly evolving sector are&nbsp; furthering the requirement for large-scale&nbsp; manufacturing, MSMEs, wet laboratories, R&amp;D hubs, incubators, and data centres&nbsp; coupled with other IT &amp; ES support.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the next decade, it is estimated that the requirement for life sciences R&amp;D real estate in India is likely to grow to somewhere between $16 billion (Rs 1,200 billion) and $34 billion (Rs 2,550 billion) as per conservative and optimistic scenarios.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Push from PEs and VCs</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India&rsquo;s life sciences R&amp;D real estate is emerging as a high-potential asset class for institutional investors. Aided by exponential global demand growth, geopolitical environment, policies initiatives, and skilled workforce this sector is rapidly transforming.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Atul Bhardwaj, Business Head, Lighthouse Canton Real Estate</strong>, indicates that both domestic and international investors are demonstrating a strong interest in India's life sciences real estate market. According to Bhardwaj, private equity firms, venture capitalists, and real estate developers are actively investing significant capital in the development of specialised facilities to meet the requirements of life sciences companies. He says, &ldquo;Biotechnology parks and clusters are emerging as key focal points for life sciences research and manufacturing in India. These specialised hubs offer world-class infrastructure, shared amenities, and a collaborative ecosystem that encourages innovation and cooperation among industry stakeholders, academic institutions, and research organisations.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Citing one other compelling factor of the life sciences real estate market to surge, Bhardwaj, says, &ldquo;This sector's operational model does not accommodate the concept of working from home, which presents a compelling opportunity for real estate developers. The recent pandemic underscored the resilience of the pharmaceutical sector. While many industries, including office realty, experienced significant disruptions, the pharmaceutical sector's demand for space significantly increased, further cementing its critical role in the global economy.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Arvind Nandan, Managing Director &ndash; Research &amp; Consulting, Savills India</strong>, says, &ldquo;Venture Capital funding into the life sciences industry in India stood at $448 million (Rs 34 billion) in 2021 through August, almost 3x of the annual average of the previous years, making it clear that this segment will play a pivotal role in the overall growth of the Indian Real Estate industry.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Adopting the asset light model</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We know that globally organisations across all sectors &ndash; be it small or big &ndash; are undergoing massive digital transformation and smart business strategies that are sustainable and cost-effective are implemented. Owing to that, businesses are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to scale up faster, which has given rise to many alternate models of operations, including the concept of going asset-light.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Asset-light model offers a strategic approach where companies minimise their ownership of physical assets (such as buildings or land). Companies go asset-light by owning fewer capital-intensive assets compared to their operational assets. By doing this, life sciences companies focus on their core competencies (such as research, development, and production) and avoid heavy investments in real estate.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Merck &amp; Co., Inc. (MSD outside the US and Canada) is a prime example of an asset-light pharmaceutical company. Merck collaborates with specialised Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisations (CDMOs) for various stages of drug development and production. By leveraging external partners, they avoid heavy capital expenditure on building and maintaining several of their own manufacturing facilities.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sharing his view on the asset light model, <strong>Rx Propellant&rsquo;s CEO Milind Ravi</strong>, says, &ldquo;While traditionally dominated by &lsquo;user-owned&rsquo; models, an evident but slow shift to &lsquo;asset-light&rsquo; options in India indicates growing demand for agile growth-ready infrastructure. With its increased focus on innovation, India&rsquo;s life sciences market is expected to grow threefold in the next decade, reaching $130 billion by 2030. This in turn is set to generate demand for over 100 million square feet of specialised infrastructure across several existing ecosystems including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Vizag, and Pune among others.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another aspect to asset-light operations is the advantage companies draw from sharing infrastructure elements. Atul Bhardwaj opines that the model of providing comprehensive amenities under one roof offers significant benefits to companies by eliminating the need for capital expenditure on individual pieces of equipment such as chillers and DG sets. This approach, he says, not only reduces the initial capital outlay but also lowers the overall opex for companies, as costs related to maintenance, security, and technical manpower are shared.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;This cost model is particularly advantageous, as it would otherwise be a substantial financial burden for a company to bear alone for its standalone unit. Real estate developers who offer high-quality infrastructure can further reduce a company's upfront expenses by providing essential utilities like nitrogen generators and vacuum systems. A multi-tenanted building thus emerges as a mutually beneficial arrangement for both developers and tenant companies,&rdquo; says Bhardwaj.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Sustainable infrastructure&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In almost every industry, the board members, shareholders advocate the importance of the mandates of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) of business operations. The threat of climate change has prompted many industries to develop environmental strategies to reduce their carbon footprints, with the life sciences industry on the top of the pyramid.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Being climate conscious has brought in new concepts in smart buildings and other digitally supported facilities and infrastructure models. Open floor plans, shared workspaces, and flexible furniture are some of today&rsquo;s trends that are known to foster interaction and knowledge sharing, similar to what's seen in modern IT work spaces. This shift in life sciences too encourages cross-disciplinary research, faster problem-solving, and quicker innovation and most importantly sharing resources.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Emerging trends in innovation have seen an increase in demand for next-gen spaces with flexible workspaces, integration of wet lab-computation stations, highly sensitive zones for increasingly sophisticated equipment and process flow optimisation. New developments designed to accommodate such variables offer sustainable long-term solutions,&rdquo; Milind Ravi opines from his experience.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Also, leading life sciences companies in India prefer to operate from large-scale clusters that can meet both their office and R&amp;D needs. Startups and MSMEs are also increasingly opting to locate themselves in prominent clusters with a clear industrial positioning and abundant R&amp;D resources. Genome Valley (Hyderabad) and Electronic City (Bengaluru) are great examples of such collaborative ecosystems.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">So, if, today, we were to walk into any of India&rsquo;s life sciences parks, we would be delighted to see those spaces being built on modern modular designs having mobile equipment and reconfigurable layouts, with amazing aesthetics and classy landscaping.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">What will also be evident is that the traditional life sciences technicians confining themselves to sterile laboratories would be ancient. Today&rsquo;s workplaces recognise the need for a more holistic environment with sprawling cafeterias, breakout huddles, and interactive/entertainment spaces. Apart from being modern with the changing times, such amenities are considered by the HR department as a way to attract and retain talent.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Leasing: a preferred business model&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Savills, in its report titled </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unlocking Opportunities: Life Sciences and Real Estate in India&rsquo;, indicates that leasing properties to the biotech industry can provide a steady stream of rental income and long-term investment potential for real estate developers.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since life sciences is a rapidly growing and promising sector with significant investments and advancements, by leasing to them, real estate companies become part of their growth story, giving them the advantage of increased long-term value and brand association.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Leasing also brings about several advantages to realtors. Life sciences companies typically require specific and tailored facilities, leading to lesser turnover compared to other commercial leases. This translates to reduced management costs and higher occupancy rates. Also, life sciences companies often require long-term leases due to the complex nature of their facilities and research projects. This stability translates to predictable and dependable income for the real estate companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking from his company&rsquo;s perspective, Milind Ravi,</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> says,&nbsp;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;We bring a very inclusive approach to support companies of all scales not just with infrastructure, but a gamut of ecosystem services that play a pivotal role in their overall experience. We lease laboratory spaces on tailored models based on the need, timelines, intended use and life-stage of our tenant partners. Our standard offering constitutes modular spaces in shared or dedicated formats &ndash; in both &lsquo;warm shell&rsquo; and &lsquo;plug-and-play&rsquo; models as part of integrated and life science-focussed clusters. Apart from this, we also deliver built-to-suit campuses in required specifications of the tenant.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;While our facilities are built for multi-tenancy where each organisation can work independently, we are also working towards developing co-working laboratory spaces with shared equipment and amenities. These are becoming increasingly popular, especially among startups and small research teams,&rdquo; says Milind Ravi.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Growth is certain</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A report titled &lsquo;Life Sciences Industry &amp; Real Estate Perspective 2024: Putting Asia Pacific under the microscope&rsquo; by global real estate company JLL sheds light on India&rsquo;s pharma industry's growth trajectory. While the pandemic undeniably spurred investment due to the vaccine race, the report emphasizes that interest was already on the rise owing to the ongoing breakthroughs in areas like immuno-oncology and neonatology. This pre-existing momentum, fuelled by technological advancements, has directly translated into increased commercial real estate leasing within the pharma sector. This may be true to India&rsquo;s life sciences sector too.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">JLL stresses on the fact that when companies get funding from venture capitalists, they need lab space in order to deliver as soon as possible. Also, sizeable investments bring with them a plethora of life sciences jobs, which can also spur development of housing, retail and other urban amenities that serve the people who live and work for the expanding companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">From Bhardwaj&rsquo;s inputs we can infer that India has a robust domestic market, bolstered further by the Government of India's </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;Jan Aushadhi&rsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> scheme, aimed at providing quality generic medicines at affordable prices to its citizens. As the third-largest exporter of pharmaceuticals by volume and the thirteenth by value, the demand for space is going to grow.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the pharma industry presents sufficient scope, the medical device industry is not any less. Considered as the sunrise sector, the medical devices industry is estimated to reach $50 billion by 2030. In the last five years, the export of medical devices has been increasing at a rate of 9.37 per cent. India&rsquo;s policy to allow 100 per cent foreign investment under an automatic route in the medical devices sector has helped attract significant investments, which has further pushed the demand for real estate. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the medical device industry in India has also helped augment the domestic manufacturing and in reducing dependence on imports. Hence, manufacturing hubs are being set up in many economic zones of the country. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We can therefore conclude with the evidence that there is immense potential for life sciences real estate development to surge in India. Though the country has limited core life sciences real estate investable stock at present, majority of the growth will come from developing new facilities that entail typical development and leasing risks. The stakeholders, however, forecast an increasing investor appetite for Indian life sciences real estate as the sector gains scale over time.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Anusha Ashwin</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => 'Anusha Ashwin', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24273', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'Dissecting Gender Disparity', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/women-24273.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'dissecting-gender-disparity', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in the Indian healthcare industry are mainly concentrated in low-paying frontline positions. In India, 29 per cent of medical doctors, 80 per cent of nursing staff (including midwives), and nearly 100 per cent of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are women. Despite this, women hold only 18 per cent of healthcare leadership positions and continue to earn 34 per cent less than their male counterparts.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are the outcomes of the study titled &lsquo;An Unbalanced Scale - Exploring the Female Leadership Gap in India's Healthcare Sector&rsquo; from Dasra, a non-profit organisation. The&nbsp; study revealed that the Indian healthcare sector, one of the country's largest employers, has experienced substantial growth. It takes a closer look at women's representation in healthcare and the leadership opportunities available to them.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><strong>Inspiring leaders</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"What is concerning is the gap between the proportion of women in healthcare and those who occupy leadership positions. At entry levels, women's representation in sales, marketing, and operations ranges from 40-50 per cent. However, this significantly drops to 15-20 per cent in senior roles," says <strong>Shailja Mehta, Director at Dasra</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is behind this gender gap in leadership positions? Societal norms, cultural expectations and implicit biases against women are some of the main factors that&nbsp;have contributed to the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions. &ldquo;It is a complex issue. The lack of female role models and mentors perpetuates this gender gap," says Shailja.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some believe that one of the primary reasons for the skewed gender ratio in STEM is the stereotyping that begins early in life. Societal expectations often push girls towards more traditionally feminine roles, diverting them away from technical and scientific fields. As a result, fewer women choose STEM education and careers. While others argue that the current gap is a reflection of what was happening 20 years ago, when fewer women entered science careers.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;&ldquo;Today&rsquo;s leaders represent those who entered the field 15-20 years back. Now that the number of women entering these fields has significantly increased in recent years, we will see a lot of women leaders in the coming years. In fact, a major proportion of startups are led by women. They have the capability to do it,&rdquo; <strong>Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, former director, National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) Pune</strong>, says, "The situation is definitely improving. For more women to take leadership roles, changes are required at the family, community and industry level."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Dr Pragya Yadav, senior scientist at the National Institute of Virology, Pune</strong>, who played an instrumental role in the development of Covaxin, agrees. "The situation has certainly improved, but school-going girls should have access to reputable colleges and safe residential facilities for pursuing science as a subject for the real change to occur. Besides, they need support in equal measure, from their families and the industry when raising their children. If they lose that time, catching up becomes difficult,&rdquo; she says. &nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Furthermore, this support should not be seen as an extra favour to women, but rather as their right. Children are the future and the environment they experience while growing up is crucial to their growth and development. It is the duty of both families and society, not just mothers alone, to provide a safe and suitable environment for them," she added. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Manya Jha, a young entrepreneur and founder of Morphedo Technologies</strong>, a deep tech startup in aerospace and defence, medical device engineering, IoT and embedded systems, faced the challenge of balancing child care and her career after the birth of her daughter. To tackle this challenge, she established a small child care centre at her office.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Starting just 20 days after my daughter was born, I brought her to my workplace every day. I made space in my cabin where she could stay with me. Until she was 7 months old, my husband and I took care of her in the shared cabin (during COVID-19 period). At the time of her birth, my startup was also at a crucial stage,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Both my daughter and my company required my personal attention. There were instances when I had to attend important meetings with senior scientists while holding my one-month-old daughter. I believe it's all about the confidence with which you pursue your career."</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today, Manya's company has around&nbsp; 40 employees and the child care centre is now available to all new mothers, offering support in looking after their children while at work.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, despite the challenges, there has been a noticeable shift in the narrative over the past decade, with the number of women leaders emerging in STEM careers increasing slowly but steadily. And these women are not only excelling &nbsp;in their respective fields but also helping dismantling barriers that hinder the progress of other aspiring women.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several prominent women leaders are setting an example for others. Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr Priya Abraham, Director of the National Institute of Virology, biotech stalwart &nbsp;Kiran Majumdar-Shaw,&nbsp; and entrepreneurs like Dr Kavita Iyer Rodrigues and Vasanthi Ramachandran represent some of the most sought after leaders in the industry.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Women are leading more than 30 per cent of the startups incubated at our centre. In many others, they are co-founders or hold significant positions," says <strong>Dr Manisha Premnath, COO of Venture Center</strong>, an incubation centre in Pune that helps startups grow.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Breaking the glass ceiling</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While there is a rise of women leaders in the health and biotech sector, it is important to acknowledge the challenges they continue to face. Stereotypes, biases, and a lack of institutional support still exist. The &lsquo;glass ceiling&rsquo; phenomenon persists, making it difficult for women to reach the highest levels of leadership. A male-centric workplace culture, coupled with a lack of flexibility and understanding regarding work-life balance, discourage women from pursuing or sustaining leadership roles.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The biggest challenge that women face is breaking these stereotypes and breaking free from the vicious cycle of work and life. They need to step out of their comfort zones, or rather, their safe zones, and then there will be no stopping them. Fortunately, nowadays there are several schemes and funds available to support women," says <strong>Dr Deeksha Bhartiya, Founder of Genomiki</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coming from a very traditional, yet ambitious family, Dr Deeksha got married at a young age and encountered challenges in maintaining a balance between her personal and professional life. However, she didn't allow these challenges to deter her from pursuing her doctoral studies and career. "There were many senior male scientists who advised me to take up a permanent job instead of embarking on my entrepreneurial journey. I was told that women should prioritise stability over adventure. However, I am fortunate to have a very supportive family who always push me to exceed my limits and support me in all my decisions."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Exiting the vicious circle</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The foundation for achieving gender parity in STEM careers is laid during the crucial years of education. Schools and educational institutions play an important role in challenging these stereotypes and encouraging girls to explore their interests in science and technology. STEM-focused educational programmes, workshops, and extracurricular activities can help break down gender-based barriers from a young age. Scholarships and mentorship programmes can encourage girls to pursue science education.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To encourage more women to pursue careers in STEM and foster an inclusive and diverse workforce, it is important to adopt unbiased recruitment practices, create a supportive environment for their progress, and implement flexible work arrangements.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is a growing emphasis on incorporating diverse perspectives in STEM curricula. Highlighting the contributions of women scientists and engineers in textbooks and classroom discussions can inspire both girls and boys, challenging preconceived notions about gender roles in these fields. There should be more networking events, conferences and platforms that specifically focus on women in STEM to provide valuable opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing. These spaces not only celebrate the achievements of women in the field but also facilitate the exchange of ideas and strategies to overcome common challenges.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emphasising the pivotal role women play in shaping a sustainable future through scientific leadership, <strong>Melody Lopez, Director and Chief of Staff Crayon Software Experts India</strong> says &ldquo;Fostering women's leadership in science is not just about gender equality but also a catalyst for achieving sustainable development goals. The theme reflects a call to action, urging communities, governments, and organisations to provide equal opportunities for women and girls in science, ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making processes.&rdquo; She further says &ldquo;As we champion women and girls in science leadership, let us embrace this new era, where their voices, ideas, and leadership propel us toward a brighter, more sustainable future for all.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The journey towards gender parity in STEM careers in India could be challenging, but the momentum for change is growing.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><strong>Gunjan Sharma</strong></strong></p> <p><em><strong>gunjan.sharma@mmactiv.com</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => 'Gunjan Sharma ', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24271', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => '“There is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation”', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_27_at_5_20_34_pm-24271.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'there-is-a-significant-gap-in-the-infrastructure-required-for-ai-implementation', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Artificial Intelligence (AI) has completely changed the way we see the world today. How do you see AI revolutionising drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry? Can AI help in discovering new drug molecules that could help treat deadly and chronic diseases like cancers and AIDS?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The future of human life is completely impacted by AI. Particularly its emergence in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry will have a vital impact on disease control and new drug discoveries.&nbsp;AI is poised to revolutionise drug discovery in several ways. It can drastically reduce the time needed to discover and develop new drugs. AI can be used to help suggest novel combinations for treating fatal diseases and even predict treatment outcomes. Additionally, AI facilitates personalised medicine by tailoring treatments to individual patients, which can ultimately speed up the development of new therapies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key challenges in implementing AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly in the context of regulatory compliance?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I feel, the pharma and healthcare organisations in India are yet to gear up for AI. Many are still in the process of adapting to the advancements in the pharmaceutical industry brought about by digitalisation. Despite this progress, the majority of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are not adequately prepared to integrate AI into their operations. AI adoption, beyond platforms like Chat GPT, remains in its infancy and requires further exploration and validation. Moreover, there is a pressing need to harmonise regulatory compliances, particularly in manufacturing standards outlined by the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH). This entails the implementation of electronic documentation systems and global alignment on regulatory practices to ensure both qualitative and compliant manufacturing and healthcare delivery systems. Additionally, there is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation, including the necessary hardware, software, and skilled professionals, which remains to be addressed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a specific example where AI has been successfully utilised to discover or develop a new drug?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although AI is currently making strides in drug discovery, its continual evolution opens up a multitude of possibilities in terms of drug candidates, their structures, and the discovery process. This versatility allows for the pinpointing of targeted molecules tailored to specific therapies or multiple therapeutic discoveries. A recent example highlighting this potential is Insilico Medicine's Pharma.AI, which is revolutionising drug discovery with its suite of AI-powered tools. PandaOmics, for instance, drastically reduces the time required for multi-omics target discovery, from several months to a few clicks. Similarly, Chemistry42 employs machine learning for de novo drug design, generating lead-like molecules within a week. Additionally, InClinico provides an invaluable tool for efficient clinical trial management, identifying potential weaknesses in trial design and predicting success rates. Collectively, these tools are streamlining the traditionally lengthy drug discovery process, accelerating the pursuit of breakthrough medicine.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you envision the role of AI evolving in personalised medicine and patient care?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I believe AI could be groundbreaking by using large amounts of data from healthy and sick people. It could help analyse specific therapeutic segments quickly to see how drugs work over time and improve their formulations. It would also support Phase IV clinical trials, especially in monitoring drug safety (Pharmacovigilance). Overall, AI in personalised medicine and patient care has the potential to improve healthcare, make treatments better, and give patients more control over their health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the ethical considerations that need to be addressed when deploying AI in healthcare settings?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The primary concern lies in protecting patient identity, which can be achieved through AI by masking identities in documentation, albeit in previously challenging areas. The rigidity and security levels of AI coding stand out as effective measures for safeguarding patient identity compared to traditional masking systems. However, the implementation of AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly concerning regulatory compliance, presents various challenges and ethical considerations. These include ensuring data privacy and security, adhering to diverse regulations, deciphering complex AI algorithms, managing the time and cost implications, addressing potential biases perpetuated by AI algorithms, integrating solutions into existing systems, navigating complex ethical and legal considerations, determining accountability and liability for decisions made, preserving patient autonomy and consent, and conducting real-time reviews for corrections.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How can AI help address the challenges of drug resistance in infectious diseases?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The emergence of drug resistance in infectious diseases poses a significant healthcare challenge. However, AI offers a promising solution by playing a crucial role in addressing this issue. Through predictive analytics, AI can forecast which drugs may become ineffective against evolving pathogens, allowing for proactive adjustments in treatment strategies. Furthermore, AI aids in the discovery of alternative treatments, the development of more effective medications, and the customisation of treatment plans tailored to individual patients. By providing real-time insights into the changing landscape of drug resistance, AI enables healthcare professionals to adapt swiftly, ultimately enhancing the efficacy of treatments and improving patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What strategies can be employed to ensure the fairness and transparency of AI algorithms in healthcare decision-making?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To maintain trust, mitigate bias, and foster equitable outcomes, it is crucial to prioritise fairness and transparency in the use of AI algorithms for healthcare decision-making. Some of the strategies to achieve this include ensuring transparency of both data and algorithms, promoting diversity and inclusivity in the development process, conducting external validation and evaluation, and establishing regulatory frameworks and guidelines.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you see AI impacting the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services globally?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While AI offers significant potential for improving the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services on a global scale, there are challenges to overcome. These include ensuring fair access to AI-driven technologies, addressing concerns regarding data privacy and security, and navigating regulatory and ethical issues. Collaboration among various stakeholders, such as governments, healthcare providers, technology developers, and community organisations, is vital to fully realise the benefits of AI in enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key factors hindering the adoption of AI in pharmaceutical research and development?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pharmaceutical companies face several challenges when it comes to using AI in research and development. Firstly, they require high-quality and comprehensive datasets to effectively train AI models. Secondly, they must adhere to strict regulatory guidelines set by government agencies. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies often possess proprietary data and intellectual property that may not be easily compatible with AI systems. Finally, the significant investment required to implement AI technology presents a barrier to adoption for many companies in the industry.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a case where AI-driven predictive modelling has significantly improved clinical trial outcomes or drug efficacy in the Healthcare system?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's important to note that using AI in the healthcare system, along with a thorough review of relevant literature from sources like PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and EMBASE, is significant. Integrating AI into healthcare has the potential to greatly improve disease diagnosis, treatment selection, and clinical laboratory testing. AI tools can analyse large sets of data and find patterns, outperforming humans in many healthcare tasks. AI brings higher accuracy, lower costs, and time savings, while also reducing human errors. It can revolutionise personalised medicine, optimise medication dosages, improve population health management, set guidelines, offer virtual health assistants, support mental health care, enhance patient education, and strengthen patient-physician trust.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, AI can be used in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) by using machine learning algorithms to predict drug-drug interactions. By analysing large sets of patient data, these algorithms can detect potential drug interactions. This helps to decrease the risk of adverse drug reactions, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Amguth Raju</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>hyderabad@mmactiv.com&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => 'Amguth Raju', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17'), array('articleId' => '24280', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Effectively Eliminating Drug-resistant TB', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/tb-24280.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'effectively-eliminating-drug-resistant-tb', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has the highest burden of TB, with two deaths occurring every three minutes from the disease. The country recorded a staggering 28 lakh cases in 2022, accounting for 27 per cent of the global cases, according to WHO.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India initiated the TB Free India campaign with the ambitious goal of eradicating TB by 2025, a milestone set five years earlier than the target outlined by the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Despite facing setbacks due to COVID-19, the nation doubled down on its efforts, resulting in notable progress. The India TB Report 2023 heralded 2022 as a pivotal year in TB surveillance, noting a significant achievement with a record-high notification of 24.2 lakh TB cases, representing an increase of over 13 per cent compared to 2021.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The latest WHO Global TB Report 2023 acknowledged and praised India's efforts in its fight against TB, particularly highlighting the effectiveness of its case detection strategies. The report emphasised that India's intensified case detection strategies led to the highest-ever notification of cases in 2022, surpassing pre-COVID levels. The government's key initiatives, such as specialised active case finding drives, the scaling up of molecular diagnostics to block levels, decentralisation of screening services through Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, and private sector engagement, have significantly reduced the gap in missing cases.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Road to elimination&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the country has made remarkable progress in its fight against TB, the adoption of additional strategies such as shorter treatment regimens, the development of vaccines, and a renewed focus on nutrition could prove to be game-changers in its goal of eliminating TB for good.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The BPaL regimen, composed of Bedaquiline, Pretomanid and Linezolid, presents a promising alternative for a shorter, safer and more tolerable treatment option for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). Lasting only 26 weeks, it contrasts sharply with conventional DR-TB treatments, which can span 18 to 21 months and entail the consumption of over 4,000 to 5,000 tablets. Endorsed by the US FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) in 2019 and the WHO in 2022, the BPaL regimen has been implemented in more than 70 countries, including South Africa, Ukraine, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;The older, conventional regimen for drug-resistant TB included prolonged use of injections with other drugs. This was associated with increased incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), implementation challenges under the programme and inconvenience to the patients. The new TB drug regimen uses the newer oral drugs like Bedaquiline, Delamanid or Pretomanid, or the repurposed drugs such as linezolid, clofazimine, etc. These regimens are injection free and have lesser pill burden leading to more acceptance among the TB patients besides reducing the implementation challenges due to the use of injections. They have the ability to kill the actively multiplying drug-resistant TB bacteria faster and a sustained killing of the bacteria to prevent the recurrence of the TB disease among the patients. These regimens have shown improved treatment success rates under field conditions under the national programme,&rdquo; said <strong>Dr Rupak Singla, Head of Department, National Institute of TB &amp; Respiratory Diseases, New Delhi</strong>.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Singla further said &ldquo;To combat the adverse drug reactions of these regimen, specially due to drug linezolid, various regimens using different dosages and durations of linezolid have demonstrated reduced incidence of ADRs maintaining the efficacy of the regimen. Hence, these newer treatment drug regimens could reduce the global burden of drug-resistant TB. However, the requirement of a good quality laboratory network, availability and higher cost of the drugs continue to pose a challenge.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new regimen is shorter, easier on patients and improves treatment adherence, resulting in better outcomes compared to previous drug regimens.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Talking about the potential implications of the new TB drug regimen on India&rsquo;s TB control efforts, Dr Singla stated, &ldquo;The cure rate for previous conventional TB regimen for multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) was to the tune of around 50 per cent and for Extensively drug-resistant-TB (XDR-TB), less than 30 per cent. The new TB drug regimen has the potential for significant improvement in treatment success rates for MDR-TB as well as XDR-TB.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In India the national data shows that more than 36,000 drug-resistant TB patients have been initiated on shorter oral Bedaquiline-containing regimen and more than 92,000 patients have been initiated on longer oral regimen till date. Treatment success rates of shorter oral regimen for the cohort April-September 2022 (around 12,000 patients) is 69 per cent and of longer oral regimen for the cohort January-September 2021 (around 15,000 patients) is 71 per cent. The improved success rates of new drug regimens is likely to translate into less number of deaths due to TB, reduced period of infectiousness of TB patients and reduced transmission of TB to others in the community leading to reduced incidence of TB.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Studies at the 2023 Union World Conference on Lung Health affirm WHO-endorsed regimens' effectiveness, surpassing traditional 18- to 24-month treatments. The goal is to urge high-burden DR-TB countries to update guidelines and offer shorter treatments to all patients in need. Only 40 per cent of the 410,000 people with DR-TB in 2022 had access to the shorter regimen, as per a WHO report.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A group of experts in the country have stressed the need for introducing the BPaL regimen in the TB control programme of the country. B<strong>lessina Kumar, CEO, Global Coalition of TB Advocates, New Delhi</strong> emphasised the potential cost savings associated with its adoption, citing studies estimating a global annual savings of $740 million. With India accounting for a significant portion of global multi-drug, rifampicin-resistant (MDR/RR-TB) treated patients, she suggested that the country could save nearly $250 million per year through the implementation of this regimen. India will likely roll out the new regime soon.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>TB Vaccine</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vaccination holds promise as a game-changer for TB elimination. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is conducting phase III trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two vaccines: VPM1002 and MIP (Mycobacterium indicus pranii). VPM1002 is a live vaccine based on recombinant BCG, modified for better safety and efficacy. MIP or Immuvac, originally developed for leprosy, is a whole-cell TB vaccine candidate. The trial aims to assess the effectiveness of these vaccines in preventing TB disease, among 12,721 individuals exposed to TB at home (referred to as household contacts). Enrollment for the study is complete, with participant follow-up currently ongoing, according to the pipeline report 2022 by the Treatment Action Group.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bharat Biotech is partnering with the Spanish firm BIOFABRI to develop, manufacture, and distribute a new tuberculosis vaccine across over 70 countries in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The TB vaccine candidate by Bharat Biotech is set to enter phase-III trials soon.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Lancet study highlighted the pivotal role of nutrition in TB management. The&nbsp; Reducing Activation of Tuberculosis by Improvement of Nutritional Status (RATIONS) trial demonstrated that providing food baskets to TB patients and their households reduced all forms of TB by nearly 40 per cent and infectious TB by almost 50 per cent. In 2018, the Indian government launched the 'Nikshay Poshan Yojana,' a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to offer nutrition support to TB patients. Since its inception, the scheme has disbursed approximately Rs 2613 crore to over 95 lakh TB patients.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has indeed made significant strides in addressing TB; however, the battle against the disease is far from over. Despite enhanced detection and surveillance efforts, there's&nbsp; a need to adopt newer strategies to combat TB effectively. Advances in R&amp;D of vaccines, access to newer drug regimens, enhanced focus on nutrition will all help in propelling TB elimination goals.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Ayesha Siddiqui&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ayesha Siddiqui', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24272', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Prioritising Women’s Health & Wellbeing ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2036811071-24272.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: gettyimages', 'pageSlug' => 'prioritising-womens-health-wellbeing-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a new report from the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute launched at Davos in January 2024, women may live longer than men, on average, but they spend 25 per cent more of their lives in debilitating health. The report said improving diagnostics, data on women-specific conditions like ovarian cancer, and directing more investments towards women&rsquo;s health and research is needed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In particular, McKinsey research finds that less than 2 per cent of healthcare research and innovation is invested in female-specific conditions beyond cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This &lsquo;women&rsquo;s health gap&rsquo; equates to 75 million years of life lost due to poor health or early death each year. Closing the gap would benefit 3.9 billion women, giving them an extra seven healthy days a year, or an average of 500 days over a lifetime. Further, it could boost the global economy by $1 trillion by 2040 from fewer early deaths and health conditions, and a greater capacity for women to contribute to the economy and society.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a result of these findings, the final hours of the World Economic Forum in Davos saw the launch of a new Global Alliance for Women&rsquo;s Health, which has the broad ambition of &lsquo;re-shaping the future of women&rsquo;s health and the global economy.&rsquo; The health alliance will pledge new commitments from governments, philanthropies, and pharmaceutical companies, among others, across three pillars i.e. financing, science and innovation, and agenda-setting. So far, partners have pledged $55 million to improve women&rsquo;s health outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">With International Women&rsquo;s Day 2024 being themed around &lsquo;Inspiring inclusion&rsquo;, we see governments across the globe putting the much-needed emphasis on women&rsquo;s healthcare. For instance, the UAE has set out wide-ranging plans to bolster healthcare services for women, by approving the &lsquo;National Policy for Improving Women&rsquo;s Health&rsquo; for providing the highest healthcare services quality for women, whether curative, preventive or rehabilitative services. Similarly, the Irish government is paving the way for a longer-term comprehensive Women&rsquo;s Health Strategy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in England are being urged to help shape reproductive health policy, as the government seeks views on periods, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and menopause for health strategy. Likewise, the Biden administration recently announced a White House initiative to improve how the federal government approaches and funds research into the health of women, who make up more than half of the US population but remain understudied and underrepresented in health research.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, of course, is not far behind in this initiative. The Interim Budget 2024-25 announcement that took place on February 1, 2024, laid focus on encouraging vaccination for girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years for the prevention of cervical cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Besides these government initiatives, multiple efforts are also being made by the industry players to improve women&rsquo;s health. For example, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zurzuvae as the first and only oral treatment approved for women with postpartum depression, developed by American pharmaceutical company Biogen. The US FDA has also recently approved a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription for the first time in the US, a milestone that could significantly expand access to contraception. The pill&rsquo;s manufacturer, Perrigo Company is based in Dublin.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Further, biotech companies in the UK and Korea are embarking on the world's first prospective study of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered breast cancer detection, to streamline diagnosis, and tackle radiologist shortages. On the other hand, startups in India have developed groundbreaking multi-cancer detection tests specifically designed for high-risk and asymptomatic women.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quality, affordability, and accessibility, particularly in the context of women&rsquo;s health, are very critical aspects of ensuring well-being. This calls for greater mobilisation across sectors to invest in women&rsquo;s health, keeping in mind the imperatives of equity and integral care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Manbeena Chawla</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Executive Editor</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(</span><a href="mailto:manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com"><span style="font-weight: 400;">manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></p>', 'sequence' => '5', 'guestAuthor' => 'Dr Manbeena Chawla', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '101'), array('articleId' => '24270', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Establishing Ethical Frameworks for Equitable Use of AI in Healthcare ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/21-24270.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'establishing-ethical-frameworks-for-equitable-use-of-ai-in-healthcare-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The global healthcare landscape is witnessing a seismic transformation driven by AI technologies. From therapeutics to diagnostics, hospital operations to clinical decision-making, AI is making significant strides across diverse applications. According to Statista, the value of AI in the global healthcare market was $11 billion in 2021, projected to reach an estimated $188 billion by 2030. This staggering growth, at a compounded annual rate of 37 per cent, underscores the immense potential AI holds in reshaping the future of healthcare.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Transforming Medical Research and Imaging Analysis</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The impact of AI is not limited to specific segments; it spans the entire healthcare ecosystem. One critical domain experiencing a revolution is medical research, as AI expedites drug discovery processes. Through machine learning algorithms, researchers can predict the success rate of chemical compounds, significantly reducing the time and resources required for experimentation. This not only accelerates the pace of innovation but also holds the promise of bringing new, effective treatments to patients more rapidly.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the realm of medical imaging analysis, AI is proving to be a game-changer. It enables the rapid and accurate detection of anomalies in MRI scans, X-rays, and CT scans. Radiologists benefit from quicker identification of potential life-threatening issues, minimising human errors and enhancing diagnostic accuracy. This not only saves crucial time but also improves patient outcomes, particularly in cases where early detection is paramount.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Data-Driven Healthcare</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">AI is revolutionising the traditional landscape of diagnosis and treatment by providing clinicians with unprecedented data-driven insights. Machine learning algorithms analyse extensive patient data to identify patterns and correlations, facilitating more accurate and timely diagnosis. Personalised treatment plans based on individual patient characteristics are now a reality, enhancing the effectiveness of medical interventions. The ability to tailor treatments to specific patient profiles leads to improved outcomes and a more efficient allocation of healthcare resources.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Real-time assessment of treatment effectiveness by AI tools further contributes to improved clinical outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. Monitoring and adjusting treatment plans based on real-world data ensure that patients receive the most effective interventions tailored to their individual responses. This not only enhances patient care but also contributes to the sustainability of healthcare systems worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Predictive analysis, powered by AI, enables healthcare providers to forecast potential outcomes based on historical data and real-time health information. Identifying patients at risk of specific conditions allows for early intervention, preventing complications and improving overall healthcare efficiency. Large-scale population data analysis can also detect trends and outbreaks of infectious diseases before they become widespread, a critical capability showcased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability to anticipate and mitigate health crises is a testament to the power of AI in safeguarding public health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Patient-Centric Approach</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The integration of AI into healthcare is not solely about clinical applications; it extends to improving the overall patient experience. Streamlining appointment scheduling, providing remote monitoring solutions, and offering personalised treatment plans based on individual medical records contribute to a more patient-centric approach. AI-driven chatbots responding to routine medical inquiries reduce stress and save time for both patients and healthcare providers, fostering a more efficient and accessible healthcare system.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the promises of AI in healthcare, challenges persist. Blind spots in data access and collection, privacy concerns, data misuse, and regulatory ambiguities are roadblocks to widespread adoption. In India, a rapidly growing player in AI-based healthcare, progress is evident, but there is still a long way to go. The ambitious goals of universal healthcare delivery and affordability through AI remain distant, requiring continued innovation and collaboration.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, a major player in the global healthcare sector, is rapidly embracing AI. The National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence by NITI Aayog highlights the potential of AI to address challenges such as a shortage of qualified healthcare professionals and non-uniform accessibility to healthcare across the country. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, AI expenditure in India is projected to reach $11.78 billion by 2025, contributing significantly to the country's economy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite challenges, AI's potential to revolutionise healthcare is undeniable. As technology continues to advance, AI's applications in telemedicine, genomics, robotics, and 3D printing will expand. Workforce training and collaboration between medical professionals and AI developers will be crucial for maximising the benefits of AI. The integration of AI with other emerging technologies holds the key to shaping the future of medical care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we delve deeper into the integration of AI in healthcare, it's imperative to address the ethical considerations surrounding this revolutionary technology. The responsible use of AI in medical settings demands careful navigation of issues such as patient privacy, data security, and bias in algorithms.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Privacy concerns arise from the vast amounts of sensitive patient data being processed by AI systems. Ensuring robust data protection measures, stringent encryption, and transparent data usage policies become paramount to build and maintain public trust in AI-driven healthcare solutions.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The potential for bias in AI algorithms poses another ethical challenge. If the datasets used to train AI models are not representative or if biased historical data is fed into the algorithms, it can perpetuate existing inequalities in healthcare. Striking a balance in dataset curation and continuous monitoring of algorithmic outputs is crucial to mitigate bias and ensure equitable healthcare outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moreover, the explainability of AI decisions becomes crucial, especially in critical medical scenarios. Ensuring that AI models provide interpretable insights aids healthcare professionals in understanding and trusting AI-generated recommendations, fostering collaboration between humans and machines.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In conclusion, AI is not just a buzzword but a transformative force reshaping the healthcare industry. From diagnosis to treatment, AI is proving its mettle by delivering accurate, personalised, and efficient healthcare solutions. While challenges persist, the trajectory of AI in healthcare is pointing towards a future where technology and human expertise converge to provide optimal patient care. As we stand at the intersection of technology and healthcare, the role of AI in shaping the future of medicine is more promising than ever.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As AI continues to evolve, it is crucial for stakeholders&mdash;be they healthcare providers, policymakers, or technology developers&mdash;to collaborate in establishing ethical frameworks that ensure the responsible and equitable use of AI in healthcare. The ongoing dialogue around ethical considerations is vital to ensure that AI remains a force for good in healthcare, driving positive change for patients and society at large.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&amp;D, Murata Vios</strong></em></p>', 'sequence' => '6', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&D, Murata Vios', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17')), 'trendingTopicsList' => array(array('articleId' => '24283', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => '83.5% of adults in India underestimate shingles risk: Global GSK survey', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shingles_large-24283.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => '83-5-of-adults-in-india-underestimate-shingles-risk-global-gsk-survey', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical (GSK) has released new data from a globally commissioned survey funded by them. The survey finds notable gaps in understanding of shingles risk among individuals aged above 50 years, a group that is most susceptible to the disease.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey conducted amongst 3,500 adults aged 50 and over from 12 countries, assessed respondents&rsquo; understanding of shingles, what triggers it, and its impact on people&rsquo;s lives.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey in&nbsp;India&nbsp;involved 500 participants, with 250 respondents who spoke Hindi and another 250 who spoke English. The data, launched in time for Shingles Awareness Week 2024 (26 February&nbsp;2024 &ndash; 3 March 2024), finds a widespread lack of understanding of shingles and its lifetime risk.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The findings show that globally, a significantly high proportion of those surveyed do not understand their risk of developing shingles,&nbsp;with&nbsp;86%&nbsp;underestimating&nbsp;that&nbsp;risk.<font size="1">&nbsp;</font>In India, 81% of the English-speaking and 86% &nbsp;of the Hindi-speaking respondents surveyed underestimate the risk of shingles<sup>.</sup></p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In India,&nbsp;amongst the &nbsp;English-speaking respondents, 22% believe that 1 in 1000 adults are at risk of developing shingles.<sup>&nbsp;</sup>Amongst the Hindi-speaking respondents,18% believe that 1 in 1000 adults is at risk of developing shingles.&nbsp;</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In&nbsp;reality,&nbsp;most&nbsp;adults already&nbsp;have&nbsp;the&nbsp;virus that&nbsp;causes&nbsp;shingles present in&nbsp;their bodies by&nbsp;the&nbsp;age&nbsp;of 50,&nbsp;which may&nbsp;reactivate with&nbsp;advancing&nbsp;age.&nbsp;Shingles&nbsp;is&nbsp;caused&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;reactivation&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;varicella-zoster&nbsp;virus&nbsp;(VZV),&nbsp;the same virus that causes chickenpox.&nbsp;As people age, the strength of their immune response to infection wanes, and this increases their risk of developing shingles.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Rashmi Hegde, Executive Vice President - Medical Affairs, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, India, said,&nbsp;&ldquo;The survey findings underscore the need to raise awareness about shingles risk in adults over 50.&nbsp; Shingles can significantly disrupt the daily lives of ageing adults and cause them a great deal of discomfort."</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24230', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Fujifilm launches advanced endoscopic ultrasound machine ALOKA ARIETTA 850 in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/fuji-24230.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'fujifilm-launches-advanced-endoscopic-ultrasound-machine-aloka-arietta-850-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Fujifilm India, a pioneer in diagnostic imaging and information systems, has launched the ground breaking ALOKA ARIETTA 850 Diagnostic Ultrasound System in India with its first-ever installation at Fortis Hospital in Bengaluru.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Representing a remarkable advancement in endoscopic technologies, the high-tech ultrasound system aims to enhance diagnostic precision and image clarity for gastrointestinal diseases in the region.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">In India, contemporary lifestyles and changing dietary choices are leading to the deteriorating digestive health of the population, adding to the growing prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Addressing this, Fujifilm India&rsquo;S&nbsp;ALOKA ARIETTA 850&nbsp;Endoscopic Ultrasound Machine at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru is a significant step in providing world-class diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients against these GI-related diseases, performing targeted treatments such as Pancreatic pseudo cyst drainage (without surgery), targeted delivery of treatment in Pancreatic cancers.&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) is a minimally invasive method for assessing malignancies affecting the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract and neighbouring organs or tissues. With this high degree of accuracy in both diagnostic and therapeutic capacities, it allows doctors to precisely examine organs like the lungs, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, lymph nodes and nearby affected areas.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">EUS also facilitates the extraction of tissue or fluid samples through a thin needle, eliminating the need for a separate biopsy procedure. Additionally, it improves the staging of cancers with accurate sampling provided by Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) and Fine Needle Biopsy (FNB). Furthermore, EUS proves valuable in cases of altered anatomy and among cancer patients for various therapeutic procedures.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">ALOKA ARIETTA 850 stands out from conventional endoscopic ultrasound machines with a range of superior features. The machine generates image quality with 7 million digital channels in its B mode. This system also incorporates HD-THI for deeper penetration, ensuring accurate diagnoses, along with combi-elastography, pure symphonic architecture and CHI-TIC and Inflow Time Mapping for clearer visibility by reducing noise and enhancing the completeness and continuity of tissue boundaries.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '91'), array('articleId' => '24229', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Bengaluru researchers develop paper-based platform to detect antibiotic-resistant bacteria', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shutterstock_157198133-24229.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'bengaluru-researchers-develop-paper-based-platform-to-detect-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">A paper-based platform developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru could help quickly detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant, disease-causing bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Dr Uday Maitra, Professor at the Department of Organic Chemistry, IISc, and collaborators have developed a rapid diagnosis protocol that uses a luminescent paper-based platform to detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The approach developed by the IISc and JNCASR team involves incorporating biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (BCA) within a supramolecular hydrogel matrix containing terbium cholate (TbCh). This hydrogel normally emits green fluorescence when UV light is shined on it.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The next step was to find a way to make the technology inexpensive. Currently used diagnostics instruments are costly, which drives up the price for testing.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team collaborated with a Chennai-based company called Adiuvo Diagnostics to design a customised, portable and miniature imaging device, named Illuminate Fluorescence Reader. Infusing the hydrogel in a sheet of paper as the medium reduced the cost significantly. The instrument is fitted with different LEDs that shine UV radiation as required. Green fluorescence from the enzyme is captured by a built-in camera, and a dedicated software app measures the intensity, which can help quantify the bacterial load.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team from IISc tied up with Jayanta Haldar&rsquo;s research group from JNCASR to check their approach on urine samples. As the next step, the researchers plan to tie up with hospitals to test this technology with samples from patients.</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58'), array('articleId' => '24163', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Theme for National Science Day sets in as ‘Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat’', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/nsd-24163.png', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'theme-for-national-science-day-sets-in-as-indigenous-technologies-for-viksit-bharat', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science &amp; Technology Dr Jitendra Singh released the theme for the "National Science Day 2024", titled "Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat".</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) theme for this year&rsquo;s celebration reflects a strategic focus on promoting public appreciation for Science, Technology and Innovation and accomplishments of Indian scientists to address challenges through home-grown technologies for over-all well-being.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The theme not only marks a new era but also presents an opportunity for public and scientific fraternity, both domestically and internationally, to collaborate, work together, and contribute to the well-being of India and humanity as a whole. While emphasising the importance of making India&nbsp;<em>Atmanirbhar&nbsp;</em>through science, it underscores the need to address subjects that hold significance for humanity as a whole.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on 28 February to commemorate the discovery of the &lsquo;Raman Effect&rsquo;. Government of India designated 28 February as National Science Day in 1986. On this day Sir C.V. Raman announced the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930. On this occasion, theme-based science communication activities are carried out all over the country. The theme launch will trigger celebrations of NSD specially in schools &amp; colleges throughout the country.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science &amp; Technology (DST) said that as we embark on the celebration of NSD and move ahead with the launch of the theme for 2024, it is clearly evident that our scientific endeavours have the power to shape not only the future of our nation but also contribute significantly towards global advancement.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58')), 'mostReadArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24286', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Qiagen launches AI-derived biomedical knowledge base to accelerate data-driven drug discovery', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2-24286.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'qiagen-launches-ai-derived-biomedical-knowledge-base-to-accelerate-data-driven-drug-discovery', 'page1' => '<p align="justify">US-based Qiagen has announced the launch of Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI, a new generative AI-driven knowledge base designed to propel drug discovery in the pharma and biotech industries. This new offering is designed for data scientists and bioinformaticians who are looking for the most comprehensive knowledge graphs to fuel data-driven drug discovery.</p> <p align="justify">Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI is built on a massive dataset of biomedical literature and other scientific sources. It identifies and extracts causal relationships between genes, diseases, drugs and other biological entities with artificial intelligence (AI), generating over 600 million more biomedical relationships than its complement, Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD. This expansive knowledge base helps data scientists understand disease mechanisms, identify drug targets or biomarkers and explore strategies for repurposing existing drugs. Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI provides the most complete picture of biomedical relationships, including edge cases and novel relationships.</p> <p align="justify">While Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD is manually curated and known for its high quality and accuracy, Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI contains over 25x more relationships, allowing data scientists to generate new insights. Both knowledge bases can be used to provide both high-quality and high-quantity biomedical relationships data for data scientists and bioinformaticians to mine and validate.</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '60'), array('articleId' => '24284', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'IIT Kanpur partners with UP government to enhance tele-medicine using AI', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_28_at_3_48_48_pm-24284.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'iit-kanpur-partners-with-up-government-to-enhance-tele-medicine-using-ai', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">The Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and the Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to revolutionise healthcare delivery and advance tele-medicine facilities in the state through the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI).</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU was signed by Ranjan Kumar IAS, Secretary, Health &amp; Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Professor Sandeep Verma, Professor-In-Charge, Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Kanpur, in the presence of&nbsp;other dignitaries.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU outlines several key areas of collaboration, including anchoring tele-medicine hubs and enhancing the quality of tele-medicine services, implementing AI-based solutions to address population health impact, developing point-of-care diagnostics to drive program improvements, conducting competency-based capacity building for health cadres, and utilizing database predictions and analysis for informed decision-making.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">This will help the Department to make optimal use of the UP Digital Health Stack (UP-DHS) and ensure that every citizen of the state, wherever they are, will be able to access healthcare when needed. In Uttar Pradesh, UP-DHS is making significant strides in implementation, with foundational NHS elements deployed across all health administrative units and the rollout of essential healthcare applications well underway.</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '100'), array('articleId' => '24282', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Medtech firm Stryker expands prototype and testing facility in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/styker-24282.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'medtech-firm-stryker-expands-prototype-and-testing-facility-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker, a global leader in medical technologies, has officially expanded its prototype and testing facility in India, marking significant growth of its R&amp;D footprint in the country.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This advanced 55,600-square-foot facility integrates cutting-edge infrastructure, enhanced microbiology capabilities, and a talented team to drive innovation and ensure product quality across its medical technology portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Investing in innovation from India is a focus area for Stryker," said&nbsp;Ram Rangarajan, Vice President of Stryker Global Technology Center, India. "This new lab represents our commitment to developing medical technologies that improve patient outcomes and comply with the highest regulatory standards."</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker's new facility is dedicated to the rigorous life cycle testing of medical devices. The new lab boasts several key features:</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Prototyping and product assurance hub:&nbsp;Equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure for plastic 3D printing,&nbsp;metal machining, and a diverse range of testing capabilities,&nbsp;the lab supports prototyping and product assurance across Stryker's entire product portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Expanded microbiology competency:&nbsp;The lab strengthens Stryker's ability to conduct comprehensive microbiological testing,&nbsp;ensuring the safety and efficacy of its medical technologies.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Talented team of engineers and microbiologists:&nbsp; Highly skilled engineers and microbiologists will use the advanced equipment and expertise to develop innovative solutions that positively impact patients around the world.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '93'), array('articleId' => '24262', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Miltenyi Biotec to open Cell and Gene Therapy Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/gene-24262.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'miltenyi-biotec-to-open-cell-and-gene-therapy-centre-of-excellence-in-hyderabad', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">German firm Miltenyi Biotec is launching operations in India with its first office and investing to set up Miltenyi Innovation and Technology Center as Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Hyderabad.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This COE will be one of its first of its kind in India where scientists, researchers, industry experts and clinicians can get classroom to hands-on trainings on cell and gene therapy approaches right from proof of concept to pre-clinical / clinical development and commercialisation. This CoE also will provide Indian researchers, scientists and clinicians easier access to expertise, research, and manufacturing solutions.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Each year, more than 10,000 patients are treated with cell products using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies. More than&nbsp; 950 investigational new drug (IND) applications as well as investigational device exemptions (IDE) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies and platforms.&nbsp;&nbsp;In doing so, the company is well poised to enable local development and manufacturing in India to drive affordable and&nbsp;accessible CGT therapies by academia and industry for Indian as well as global patients.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Boris Stoffel,&nbsp;Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s Managing Director, highlighted that the company intends to seek opportunities to catalyse development of CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T cell clinical development and manufacturing, with the prospect of bringing centralised and point-of-care CAR T cell therapy to hospitals across India.</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '96')), 'pollQuestionDetails' => array('pollQuestionId' => '74', 'title' => 'Is India witnessing increasing demand for life sciences-related real estate?', 'slug' => 'is-india-witnessing-increasing-demand-for-life-sciences-related-real-estate', 'question' => '', 'status' => '1', 'deleteStatus' => '0', 'lastUpdationDate' => object(DateTime), 'creationDate' => object(DateTime), 'userId' => '10', 'siteId' => '2', 'pollOptionList' => array(array('pollOptionId' => '206', 'option' => 'Yes', 'clicks' => '2', 'pollQuestionId' => '74'), array('pollOptionId' => '207', 'option' => 'No', 'clicks' => '2', 'pollQuestionId' => '74'), array('pollOptionId' => '208', 'option' => 'May be', 'clicks' => '2', 'pollQuestionId' => '74'))), 'articleList' => array())))
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=> 'Text blogs', 'aliasName' => 'text-blogs', 'sequence' => '6', 'parentSectionId' => '25', 'siteId' => '2', 'status' => '1')))), 'footerTopLeftDetail' => array('articleId' => '129', 'articleTitle' => 'Footer Top Left', 'seoTitle' => null, 'seoSummary' => null, 'seoGenerator' => null, 'seoAuthor' => null, 'seoAppName' => null, 'subheading' => 'Subscribe to BioSpectrum India', 'titleText' => '', 'titleUrl' => 'http://www.biospectrumindia.com/BSI_forms/subscription_reg_mgz.php', 'introDescription' => '', 'page1' => '', 'page2' => null, 'page3' => null, 'page4' => null, 'page5' => null, 'guestAuthor' => null, 'remark' => null, 'primaryMedium' => 'Text', 'flashNews' => '0', 'specialFeature' => '0', 'city' => null, 'imagePath' => 'uploads/static/bsi_march_2024_issue_cover_page_jpg_1_-129.jpg', 'imageTitle' => '', 'sequence' => '129', 'publishDateTime' => null, 'expiryDateTime' => null, 'displayDate' => null, 'editingNotes' => '', 'lastUpdationDate' => object(DateTime), 'creationDate' => object(DateTime), 'status' => 'Published', 'contentTypeId' => '15', 'siteId' => '2', 'sourceId' => '2', 'userId' => '4', 'lastUpdatedByUserId' => '26', 'articleType' => 'Static', 'language' => null, 'blogType' => null, 'pageSlug' => 'footer-top-left', 'magazineIssue' => null, 'pullquote' => null, 'restrictionType' => null, 'seoKeyword' => null, 'articleReadCount' => '0'), 'subsectionAlias' => 'segments', 'subsection' => 'Segments', 'section' => '', 'sectionId' => '', 'aliasName' => '', 'leadershipArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24267', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'What’s Shaking Up India’s Life Sciences Real Estate Sector?', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/bs1-24267.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'whats-shaking-up-indias-life-sciences-real-estate-sector', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2021,&nbsp; a California-based life sciences real estate development company acquired Hotel Buckminster. This acquisition was done to redevelop the closed hotel into a life science lab space. Again in May 2021, a facility that housed the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive was transformed into a new life sciences lab on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the same year in India, a Canadian Pension Fund along with a Singapore-based wealth and asset management firm jointly invested $100 million (Rs 7.5 billion) in life sciences R&amp;D facilities in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. This investment, according to reports, proved to be a stepping stone for more equity investments in this segment. On February 6, 2024, life sciences real estate developer, Rx Propellant announced an initial investment of $75 million in phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai Research (NMR) District, as part of its continued regional expansion strategy across India.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In all the four developments mentioned above, it is clear that post-pandemic, the demand for life sciences-related real estate has significantly increased. Both greenfield and brownfield projects have surged, as the pandemic fuelled the demand for locally manufactured pharma and medical products.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, in the last few decades, has witnessed the IT and manufacturing sectors invest heavily in real estate and infrastructure. But in the post-pandemic era, we see life sciences companies require space to innovate, for R&amp;D, and manufacture at scale.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Fast-evolving life sciences market&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India is one of the fastest-growing life sciences markets in the world and the sector is poised to see multi-fold growth by 2030 led by a fast-increasing population, rising life expectancy, a strong industrial base and inclusive government initiatives. In addition, India&rsquo;s demographic dividend, strong industrial base and policy push are known to be the growth drivers for the life sciences sector in the country.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The increasing government spending on the healthcare sector, cost benefits in terms of affordable manpower &amp; real estate expenses, and the availability of a large talent pool are the catalysts of life sciences growth in India. Schemes like Production Linked Incentive (PLI)&nbsp; have boosted domestic manufacturing which&nbsp; has resulted in the need for more space in industrial and tech parks. Also, global exports of pharmaceutical and biotechnology products and medical devices from the country have forced many companies to invest in capacity building and human resources.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Notably, India ranks second globally in terms of the number of US FDA-certified plants located outside the US, closely followed by China. Strengths of this kind and the constantly evolving sector are&nbsp; furthering the requirement for large-scale&nbsp; manufacturing, MSMEs, wet laboratories, R&amp;D hubs, incubators, and data centres&nbsp; coupled with other IT &amp; ES support.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the next decade, it is estimated that the requirement for life sciences R&amp;D real estate in India is likely to grow to somewhere between $16 billion (Rs 1,200 billion) and $34 billion (Rs 2,550 billion) as per conservative and optimistic scenarios.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Push from PEs and VCs</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India&rsquo;s life sciences R&amp;D real estate is emerging as a high-potential asset class for institutional investors. Aided by exponential global demand growth, geopolitical environment, policies initiatives, and skilled workforce this sector is rapidly transforming.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Atul Bhardwaj, Business Head, Lighthouse Canton Real Estate</strong>, indicates that both domestic and international investors are demonstrating a strong interest in India's life sciences real estate market. According to Bhardwaj, private equity firms, venture capitalists, and real estate developers are actively investing significant capital in the development of specialised facilities to meet the requirements of life sciences companies. He says, &ldquo;Biotechnology parks and clusters are emerging as key focal points for life sciences research and manufacturing in India. These specialised hubs offer world-class infrastructure, shared amenities, and a collaborative ecosystem that encourages innovation and cooperation among industry stakeholders, academic institutions, and research organisations.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Citing one other compelling factor of the life sciences real estate market to surge, Bhardwaj, says, &ldquo;This sector's operational model does not accommodate the concept of working from home, which presents a compelling opportunity for real estate developers. The recent pandemic underscored the resilience of the pharmaceutical sector. While many industries, including office realty, experienced significant disruptions, the pharmaceutical sector's demand for space significantly increased, further cementing its critical role in the global economy.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Arvind Nandan, Managing Director &ndash; Research &amp; Consulting, Savills India</strong>, says, &ldquo;Venture Capital funding into the life sciences industry in India stood at $448 million (Rs 34 billion) in 2021 through August, almost 3x of the annual average of the previous years, making it clear that this segment will play a pivotal role in the overall growth of the Indian Real Estate industry.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Adopting the asset light model</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We know that globally organisations across all sectors &ndash; be it small or big &ndash; are undergoing massive digital transformation and smart business strategies that are sustainable and cost-effective are implemented. Owing to that, businesses are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to scale up faster, which has given rise to many alternate models of operations, including the concept of going asset-light.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Asset-light model offers a strategic approach where companies minimise their ownership of physical assets (such as buildings or land). Companies go asset-light by owning fewer capital-intensive assets compared to their operational assets. By doing this, life sciences companies focus on their core competencies (such as research, development, and production) and avoid heavy investments in real estate.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Merck &amp; Co., Inc. (MSD outside the US and Canada) is a prime example of an asset-light pharmaceutical company. Merck collaborates with specialised Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisations (CDMOs) for various stages of drug development and production. By leveraging external partners, they avoid heavy capital expenditure on building and maintaining several of their own manufacturing facilities.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sharing his view on the asset light model, <strong>Rx Propellant&rsquo;s CEO Milind Ravi</strong>, says, &ldquo;While traditionally dominated by &lsquo;user-owned&rsquo; models, an evident but slow shift to &lsquo;asset-light&rsquo; options in India indicates growing demand for agile growth-ready infrastructure. With its increased focus on innovation, India&rsquo;s life sciences market is expected to grow threefold in the next decade, reaching $130 billion by 2030. This in turn is set to generate demand for over 100 million square feet of specialised infrastructure across several existing ecosystems including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Vizag, and Pune among others.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another aspect to asset-light operations is the advantage companies draw from sharing infrastructure elements. Atul Bhardwaj opines that the model of providing comprehensive amenities under one roof offers significant benefits to companies by eliminating the need for capital expenditure on individual pieces of equipment such as chillers and DG sets. This approach, he says, not only reduces the initial capital outlay but also lowers the overall opex for companies, as costs related to maintenance, security, and technical manpower are shared.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;This cost model is particularly advantageous, as it would otherwise be a substantial financial burden for a company to bear alone for its standalone unit. Real estate developers who offer high-quality infrastructure can further reduce a company's upfront expenses by providing essential utilities like nitrogen generators and vacuum systems. A multi-tenanted building thus emerges as a mutually beneficial arrangement for both developers and tenant companies,&rdquo; says Bhardwaj.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Sustainable infrastructure&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In almost every industry, the board members, shareholders advocate the importance of the mandates of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) of business operations. The threat of climate change has prompted many industries to develop environmental strategies to reduce their carbon footprints, with the life sciences industry on the top of the pyramid.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Being climate conscious has brought in new concepts in smart buildings and other digitally supported facilities and infrastructure models. Open floor plans, shared workspaces, and flexible furniture are some of today&rsquo;s trends that are known to foster interaction and knowledge sharing, similar to what's seen in modern IT work spaces. This shift in life sciences too encourages cross-disciplinary research, faster problem-solving, and quicker innovation and most importantly sharing resources.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Emerging trends in innovation have seen an increase in demand for next-gen spaces with flexible workspaces, integration of wet lab-computation stations, highly sensitive zones for increasingly sophisticated equipment and process flow optimisation. New developments designed to accommodate such variables offer sustainable long-term solutions,&rdquo; Milind Ravi opines from his experience.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Also, leading life sciences companies in India prefer to operate from large-scale clusters that can meet both their office and R&amp;D needs. Startups and MSMEs are also increasingly opting to locate themselves in prominent clusters with a clear industrial positioning and abundant R&amp;D resources. Genome Valley (Hyderabad) and Electronic City (Bengaluru) are great examples of such collaborative ecosystems.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">So, if, today, we were to walk into any of India&rsquo;s life sciences parks, we would be delighted to see those spaces being built on modern modular designs having mobile equipment and reconfigurable layouts, with amazing aesthetics and classy landscaping.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">What will also be evident is that the traditional life sciences technicians confining themselves to sterile laboratories would be ancient. Today&rsquo;s workplaces recognise the need for a more holistic environment with sprawling cafeterias, breakout huddles, and interactive/entertainment spaces. Apart from being modern with the changing times, such amenities are considered by the HR department as a way to attract and retain talent.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Leasing: a preferred business model&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Savills, in its report titled </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unlocking Opportunities: Life Sciences and Real Estate in India&rsquo;, indicates that leasing properties to the biotech industry can provide a steady stream of rental income and long-term investment potential for real estate developers.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since life sciences is a rapidly growing and promising sector with significant investments and advancements, by leasing to them, real estate companies become part of their growth story, giving them the advantage of increased long-term value and brand association.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Leasing also brings about several advantages to realtors. Life sciences companies typically require specific and tailored facilities, leading to lesser turnover compared to other commercial leases. This translates to reduced management costs and higher occupancy rates. Also, life sciences companies often require long-term leases due to the complex nature of their facilities and research projects. This stability translates to predictable and dependable income for the real estate companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking from his company&rsquo;s perspective, Milind Ravi,</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> says,&nbsp;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;We bring a very inclusive approach to support companies of all scales not just with infrastructure, but a gamut of ecosystem services that play a pivotal role in their overall experience. We lease laboratory spaces on tailored models based on the need, timelines, intended use and life-stage of our tenant partners. Our standard offering constitutes modular spaces in shared or dedicated formats &ndash; in both &lsquo;warm shell&rsquo; and &lsquo;plug-and-play&rsquo; models as part of integrated and life science-focussed clusters. Apart from this, we also deliver built-to-suit campuses in required specifications of the tenant.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;While our facilities are built for multi-tenancy where each organisation can work independently, we are also working towards developing co-working laboratory spaces with shared equipment and amenities. These are becoming increasingly popular, especially among startups and small research teams,&rdquo; says Milind Ravi.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Growth is certain</strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A report titled &lsquo;Life Sciences Industry &amp; Real Estate Perspective 2024: Putting Asia Pacific under the microscope&rsquo; by global real estate company JLL sheds light on India&rsquo;s pharma industry's growth trajectory. While the pandemic undeniably spurred investment due to the vaccine race, the report emphasizes that interest was already on the rise owing to the ongoing breakthroughs in areas like immuno-oncology and neonatology. This pre-existing momentum, fuelled by technological advancements, has directly translated into increased commercial real estate leasing within the pharma sector. This may be true to India&rsquo;s life sciences sector too.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">JLL stresses on the fact that when companies get funding from venture capitalists, they need lab space in order to deliver as soon as possible. Also, sizeable investments bring with them a plethora of life sciences jobs, which can also spur development of housing, retail and other urban amenities that serve the people who live and work for the expanding companies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">From Bhardwaj&rsquo;s inputs we can infer that India has a robust domestic market, bolstered further by the Government of India's </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;Jan Aushadhi&rsquo;</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> scheme, aimed at providing quality generic medicines at affordable prices to its citizens. As the third-largest exporter of pharmaceuticals by volume and the thirteenth by value, the demand for space is going to grow.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the pharma industry presents sufficient scope, the medical device industry is not any less. Considered as the sunrise sector, the medical devices industry is estimated to reach $50 billion by 2030. In the last five years, the export of medical devices has been increasing at a rate of 9.37 per cent. India&rsquo;s policy to allow 100 per cent foreign investment under an automatic route in the medical devices sector has helped attract significant investments, which has further pushed the demand for real estate. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the medical device industry in India has also helped augment the domestic manufacturing and in reducing dependence on imports. Hence, manufacturing hubs are being set up in many economic zones of the country. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We can therefore conclude with the evidence that there is immense potential for life sciences real estate development to surge in India. Though the country has limited core life sciences real estate investable stock at present, majority of the growth will come from developing new facilities that entail typical development and leasing risks. The stakeholders, however, forecast an increasing investor appetite for Indian life sciences real estate as the sector gains scale over time.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Anusha Ashwin</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => 'Anusha Ashwin', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24273', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '7', 'articleTitle' => 'Dissecting Gender Disparity', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/women-24273.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'dissecting-gender-disparity', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in the Indian healthcare industry are mainly concentrated in low-paying frontline positions. In India, 29 per cent of medical doctors, 80 per cent of nursing staff (including midwives), and nearly 100 per cent of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are women. Despite this, women hold only 18 per cent of healthcare leadership positions and continue to earn 34 per cent less than their male counterparts.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are the outcomes of the study titled &lsquo;An Unbalanced Scale - Exploring the Female Leadership Gap in India's Healthcare Sector&rsquo; from Dasra, a non-profit organisation. The&nbsp; study revealed that the Indian healthcare sector, one of the country's largest employers, has experienced substantial growth. It takes a closer look at women's representation in healthcare and the leadership opportunities available to them.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><strong>Inspiring leaders</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"What is concerning is the gap between the proportion of women in healthcare and those who occupy leadership positions. At entry levels, women's representation in sales, marketing, and operations ranges from 40-50 per cent. However, this significantly drops to 15-20 per cent in senior roles," says <strong>Shailja Mehta, Director at Dasra</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is behind this gender gap in leadership positions? Societal norms, cultural expectations and implicit biases against women are some of the main factors that&nbsp;have contributed to the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions. &ldquo;It is a complex issue. The lack of female role models and mentors perpetuates this gender gap," says Shailja.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some believe that one of the primary reasons for the skewed gender ratio in STEM is the stereotyping that begins early in life. Societal expectations often push girls towards more traditionally feminine roles, diverting them away from technical and scientific fields. As a result, fewer women choose STEM education and careers. While others argue that the current gap is a reflection of what was happening 20 years ago, when fewer women entered science careers.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;&ldquo;Today&rsquo;s leaders represent those who entered the field 15-20 years back. Now that the number of women entering these fields has significantly increased in recent years, we will see a lot of women leaders in the coming years. In fact, a major proportion of startups are led by women. They have the capability to do it,&rdquo; <strong>Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, former director, National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) Pune</strong>, says, "The situation is definitely improving. For more women to take leadership roles, changes are required at the family, community and industry level."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Dr Pragya Yadav, senior scientist at the National Institute of Virology, Pune</strong>, who played an instrumental role in the development of Covaxin, agrees. "The situation has certainly improved, but school-going girls should have access to reputable colleges and safe residential facilities for pursuing science as a subject for the real change to occur. Besides, they need support in equal measure, from their families and the industry when raising their children. If they lose that time, catching up becomes difficult,&rdquo; she says. &nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Furthermore, this support should not be seen as an extra favour to women, but rather as their right. Children are the future and the environment they experience while growing up is crucial to their growth and development. It is the duty of both families and society, not just mothers alone, to provide a safe and suitable environment for them," she added. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Manya Jha, a young entrepreneur and founder of Morphedo Technologies</strong>, a deep tech startup in aerospace and defence, medical device engineering, IoT and embedded systems, faced the challenge of balancing child care and her career after the birth of her daughter. To tackle this challenge, she established a small child care centre at her office.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Starting just 20 days after my daughter was born, I brought her to my workplace every day. I made space in my cabin where she could stay with me. Until she was 7 months old, my husband and I took care of her in the shared cabin (during COVID-19 period). At the time of her birth, my startup was also at a crucial stage,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Both my daughter and my company required my personal attention. There were instances when I had to attend important meetings with senior scientists while holding my one-month-old daughter. I believe it's all about the confidence with which you pursue your career."</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today, Manya's company has around&nbsp; 40 employees and the child care centre is now available to all new mothers, offering support in looking after their children while at work.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, despite the challenges, there has been a noticeable shift in the narrative over the past decade, with the number of women leaders emerging in STEM careers increasing slowly but steadily. And these women are not only excelling &nbsp;in their respective fields but also helping dismantling barriers that hinder the progress of other aspiring women.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several prominent women leaders are setting an example for others. Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr Priya Abraham, Director of the National Institute of Virology, biotech stalwart &nbsp;Kiran Majumdar-Shaw,&nbsp; and entrepreneurs like Dr Kavita Iyer Rodrigues and Vasanthi Ramachandran represent some of the most sought after leaders in the industry.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Women are leading more than 30 per cent of the startups incubated at our centre. In many others, they are co-founders or hold significant positions," says <strong>Dr Manisha Premnath, COO of Venture Center</strong>, an incubation centre in Pune that helps startups grow.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Breaking the glass ceiling</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While there is a rise of women leaders in the health and biotech sector, it is important to acknowledge the challenges they continue to face. Stereotypes, biases, and a lack of institutional support still exist. The &lsquo;glass ceiling&rsquo; phenomenon persists, making it difficult for women to reach the highest levels of leadership. A male-centric workplace culture, coupled with a lack of flexibility and understanding regarding work-life balance, discourage women from pursuing or sustaining leadership roles.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The biggest challenge that women face is breaking these stereotypes and breaking free from the vicious cycle of work and life. They need to step out of their comfort zones, or rather, their safe zones, and then there will be no stopping them. Fortunately, nowadays there are several schemes and funds available to support women," says <strong>Dr Deeksha Bhartiya, Founder of Genomiki</strong>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coming from a very traditional, yet ambitious family, Dr Deeksha got married at a young age and encountered challenges in maintaining a balance between her personal and professional life. However, she didn't allow these challenges to deter her from pursuing her doctoral studies and career. "There were many senior male scientists who advised me to take up a permanent job instead of embarking on my entrepreneurial journey. I was told that women should prioritise stability over adventure. However, I am fortunate to have a very supportive family who always push me to exceed my limits and support me in all my decisions."</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Exiting the vicious circle</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The foundation for achieving gender parity in STEM careers is laid during the crucial years of education. Schools and educational institutions play an important role in challenging these stereotypes and encouraging girls to explore their interests in science and technology. STEM-focused educational programmes, workshops, and extracurricular activities can help break down gender-based barriers from a young age. Scholarships and mentorship programmes can encourage girls to pursue science education.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To encourage more women to pursue careers in STEM and foster an inclusive and diverse workforce, it is important to adopt unbiased recruitment practices, create a supportive environment for their progress, and implement flexible work arrangements.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is a growing emphasis on incorporating diverse perspectives in STEM curricula. Highlighting the contributions of women scientists and engineers in textbooks and classroom discussions can inspire both girls and boys, challenging preconceived notions about gender roles in these fields. There should be more networking events, conferences and platforms that specifically focus on women in STEM to provide valuable opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing. These spaces not only celebrate the achievements of women in the field but also facilitate the exchange of ideas and strategies to overcome common challenges.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emphasising the pivotal role women play in shaping a sustainable future through scientific leadership, <strong>Melody Lopez, Director and Chief of Staff Crayon Software Experts India</strong> says &ldquo;Fostering women's leadership in science is not just about gender equality but also a catalyst for achieving sustainable development goals. The theme reflects a call to action, urging communities, governments, and organisations to provide equal opportunities for women and girls in science, ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making processes.&rdquo; She further says &ldquo;As we champion women and girls in science leadership, let us embrace this new era, where their voices, ideas, and leadership propel us toward a brighter, more sustainable future for all.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The journey towards gender parity in STEM careers in India could be challenging, but the momentum for change is growing.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><strong>Gunjan Sharma</strong></strong></p> <p><em><strong>gunjan.sharma@mmactiv.com</strong></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => 'Gunjan Sharma ', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Features', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'features', 'sectionId' => '18'), array('articleId' => '24271', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => '“There is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation”', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_27_at_5_20_34_pm-24271.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'there-is-a-significant-gap-in-the-infrastructure-required-for-ai-implementation', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Artificial Intelligence (AI) has completely changed the way we see the world today. How do you see AI revolutionising drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry? Can AI help in discovering new drug molecules that could help treat deadly and chronic diseases like cancers and AIDS?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The future of human life is completely impacted by AI. Particularly its emergence in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry will have a vital impact on disease control and new drug discoveries.&nbsp;AI is poised to revolutionise drug discovery in several ways. It can drastically reduce the time needed to discover and develop new drugs. AI can be used to help suggest novel combinations for treating fatal diseases and even predict treatment outcomes. Additionally, AI facilitates personalised medicine by tailoring treatments to individual patients, which can ultimately speed up the development of new therapies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key challenges in implementing AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly in the context of regulatory compliance?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I feel, the pharma and healthcare organisations in India are yet to gear up for AI. Many are still in the process of adapting to the advancements in the pharmaceutical industry brought about by digitalisation. Despite this progress, the majority of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are not adequately prepared to integrate AI into their operations. AI adoption, beyond platforms like Chat GPT, remains in its infancy and requires further exploration and validation. Moreover, there is a pressing need to harmonise regulatory compliances, particularly in manufacturing standards outlined by the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH). This entails the implementation of electronic documentation systems and global alignment on regulatory practices to ensure both qualitative and compliant manufacturing and healthcare delivery systems. Additionally, there is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for AI implementation, including the necessary hardware, software, and skilled professionals, which remains to be addressed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a specific example where AI has been successfully utilised to discover or develop a new drug?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although AI is currently making strides in drug discovery, its continual evolution opens up a multitude of possibilities in terms of drug candidates, their structures, and the discovery process. This versatility allows for the pinpointing of targeted molecules tailored to specific therapies or multiple therapeutic discoveries. A recent example highlighting this potential is Insilico Medicine's Pharma.AI, which is revolutionising drug discovery with its suite of AI-powered tools. PandaOmics, for instance, drastically reduces the time required for multi-omics target discovery, from several months to a few clicks. Similarly, Chemistry42 employs machine learning for de novo drug design, generating lead-like molecules within a week. Additionally, InClinico provides an invaluable tool for efficient clinical trial management, identifying potential weaknesses in trial design and predicting success rates. Collectively, these tools are streamlining the traditionally lengthy drug discovery process, accelerating the pursuit of breakthrough medicine.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you envision the role of AI evolving in personalised medicine and patient care?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I believe AI could be groundbreaking by using large amounts of data from healthy and sick people. It could help analyse specific therapeutic segments quickly to see how drugs work over time and improve their formulations. It would also support Phase IV clinical trials, especially in monitoring drug safety (Pharmacovigilance). Overall, AI in personalised medicine and patient care has the potential to improve healthcare, make treatments better, and give patients more control over their health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the ethical considerations that need to be addressed when deploying AI in healthcare settings?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The primary concern lies in protecting patient identity, which can be achieved through AI by masking identities in documentation, albeit in previously challenging areas. The rigidity and security levels of AI coding stand out as effective measures for safeguarding patient identity compared to traditional masking systems. However, the implementation of AI-driven solutions in healthcare, particularly concerning regulatory compliance, presents various challenges and ethical considerations. These include ensuring data privacy and security, adhering to diverse regulations, deciphering complex AI algorithms, managing the time and cost implications, addressing potential biases perpetuated by AI algorithms, integrating solutions into existing systems, navigating complex ethical and legal considerations, determining accountability and liability for decisions made, preserving patient autonomy and consent, and conducting real-time reviews for corrections.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How can AI help address the challenges of drug resistance in infectious diseases?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The emergence of drug resistance in infectious diseases poses a significant healthcare challenge. However, AI offers a promising solution by playing a crucial role in addressing this issue. Through predictive analytics, AI can forecast which drugs may become ineffective against evolving pathogens, allowing for proactive adjustments in treatment strategies. Furthermore, AI aids in the discovery of alternative treatments, the development of more effective medications, and the customisation of treatment plans tailored to individual patients. By providing real-time insights into the changing landscape of drug resistance, AI enables healthcare professionals to adapt swiftly, ultimately enhancing the efficacy of treatments and improving patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What strategies can be employed to ensure the fairness and transparency of AI algorithms in healthcare decision-making?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">To maintain trust, mitigate bias, and foster equitable outcomes, it is crucial to prioritise fairness and transparency in the use of AI algorithms for healthcare decision-making. Some of the strategies to achieve this include ensuring transparency of both data and algorithms, promoting diversity and inclusivity in the development process, conducting external validation and evaluation, and establishing regulatory frameworks and guidelines.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How do you see AI impacting the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services globally?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While AI offers significant potential for improving the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services on a global scale, there are challenges to overcome. These include ensuring fair access to AI-driven technologies, addressing concerns regarding data privacy and security, and navigating regulatory and ethical issues. Collaboration among various stakeholders, such as governments, healthcare providers, technology developers, and community organisations, is vital to fully realise the benefits of AI in enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What are the key factors hindering the adoption of AI in pharmaceutical research and development?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pharmaceutical companies face several challenges when it comes to using AI in research and development. Firstly, they require high-quality and comprehensive datasets to effectively train AI models. Secondly, they must adhere to strict regulatory guidelines set by government agencies. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies often possess proprietary data and intellectual property that may not be easily compatible with AI systems. Finally, the significant investment required to implement AI technology presents a barrier to adoption for many companies in the industry.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Can you discuss a case where AI-driven predictive modelling has significantly improved clinical trial outcomes or drug efficacy in the Healthcare system?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's important to note that using AI in the healthcare system, along with a thorough review of relevant literature from sources like PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and EMBASE, is significant. Integrating AI into healthcare has the potential to greatly improve disease diagnosis, treatment selection, and clinical laboratory testing. AI tools can analyse large sets of data and find patterns, outperforming humans in many healthcare tasks. AI brings higher accuracy, lower costs, and time savings, while also reducing human errors. It can revolutionise personalised medicine, optimise medication dosages, improve population health management, set guidelines, offer virtual health assistants, support mental health care, enhance patient education, and strengthen patient-physician trust.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, AI can be used in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) by using machine learning algorithms to predict drug-drug interactions. By analysing large sets of patient data, these algorithms can detect potential drug interactions. This helps to decrease the risk of adverse drug reactions, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Amguth Raju</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>hyderabad@mmactiv.com&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => 'Amguth Raju', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17'), array('articleId' => '24280', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Effectively Eliminating Drug-resistant TB', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/tb-24280.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'effectively-eliminating-drug-resistant-tb', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has the highest burden of TB, with two deaths occurring every three minutes from the disease. The country recorded a staggering 28 lakh cases in 2022, accounting for 27 per cent of the global cases, according to WHO.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India initiated the TB Free India campaign with the ambitious goal of eradicating TB by 2025, a milestone set five years earlier than the target outlined by the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Despite facing setbacks due to COVID-19, the nation doubled down on its efforts, resulting in notable progress. The India TB Report 2023 heralded 2022 as a pivotal year in TB surveillance, noting a significant achievement with a record-high notification of 24.2 lakh TB cases, representing an increase of over 13 per cent compared to 2021.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The latest WHO Global TB Report 2023 acknowledged and praised India's efforts in its fight against TB, particularly highlighting the effectiveness of its case detection strategies. The report emphasised that India's intensified case detection strategies led to the highest-ever notification of cases in 2022, surpassing pre-COVID levels. The government's key initiatives, such as specialised active case finding drives, the scaling up of molecular diagnostics to block levels, decentralisation of screening services through Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, and private sector engagement, have significantly reduced the gap in missing cases.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Road to elimination&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the country has made remarkable progress in its fight against TB, the adoption of additional strategies such as shorter treatment regimens, the development of vaccines, and a renewed focus on nutrition could prove to be game-changers in its goal of eliminating TB for good.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The BPaL regimen, composed of Bedaquiline, Pretomanid and Linezolid, presents a promising alternative for a shorter, safer and more tolerable treatment option for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). Lasting only 26 weeks, it contrasts sharply with conventional DR-TB treatments, which can span 18 to 21 months and entail the consumption of over 4,000 to 5,000 tablets. Endorsed by the US FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) in 2019 and the WHO in 2022, the BPaL regimen has been implemented in more than 70 countries, including South Africa, Ukraine, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;The older, conventional regimen for drug-resistant TB included prolonged use of injections with other drugs. This was associated with increased incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), implementation challenges under the programme and inconvenience to the patients. The new TB drug regimen uses the newer oral drugs like Bedaquiline, Delamanid or Pretomanid, or the repurposed drugs such as linezolid, clofazimine, etc. These regimens are injection free and have lesser pill burden leading to more acceptance among the TB patients besides reducing the implementation challenges due to the use of injections. They have the ability to kill the actively multiplying drug-resistant TB bacteria faster and a sustained killing of the bacteria to prevent the recurrence of the TB disease among the patients. These regimens have shown improved treatment success rates under field conditions under the national programme,&rdquo; said <strong>Dr Rupak Singla, Head of Department, National Institute of TB &amp; Respiratory Diseases, New Delhi</strong>.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Singla further said &ldquo;To combat the adverse drug reactions of these regimen, specially due to drug linezolid, various regimens using different dosages and durations of linezolid have demonstrated reduced incidence of ADRs maintaining the efficacy of the regimen. Hence, these newer treatment drug regimens could reduce the global burden of drug-resistant TB. However, the requirement of a good quality laboratory network, availability and higher cost of the drugs continue to pose a challenge.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new regimen is shorter, easier on patients and improves treatment adherence, resulting in better outcomes compared to previous drug regimens.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Talking about the potential implications of the new TB drug regimen on India&rsquo;s TB control efforts, Dr Singla stated, &ldquo;The cure rate for previous conventional TB regimen for multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) was to the tune of around 50 per cent and for Extensively drug-resistant-TB (XDR-TB), less than 30 per cent. The new TB drug regimen has the potential for significant improvement in treatment success rates for MDR-TB as well as XDR-TB.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In India the national data shows that more than 36,000 drug-resistant TB patients have been initiated on shorter oral Bedaquiline-containing regimen and more than 92,000 patients have been initiated on longer oral regimen till date. Treatment success rates of shorter oral regimen for the cohort April-September 2022 (around 12,000 patients) is 69 per cent and of longer oral regimen for the cohort January-September 2021 (around 15,000 patients) is 71 per cent. The improved success rates of new drug regimens is likely to translate into less number of deaths due to TB, reduced period of infectiousness of TB patients and reduced transmission of TB to others in the community leading to reduced incidence of TB.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Studies at the 2023 Union World Conference on Lung Health affirm WHO-endorsed regimens' effectiveness, surpassing traditional 18- to 24-month treatments. The goal is to urge high-burden DR-TB countries to update guidelines and offer shorter treatments to all patients in need. Only 40 per cent of the 410,000 people with DR-TB in 2022 had access to the shorter regimen, as per a WHO report.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A group of experts in the country have stressed the need for introducing the BPaL regimen in the TB control programme of the country. B<strong>lessina Kumar, CEO, Global Coalition of TB Advocates, New Delhi</strong> emphasised the potential cost savings associated with its adoption, citing studies estimating a global annual savings of $740 million. With India accounting for a significant portion of global multi-drug, rifampicin-resistant (MDR/RR-TB) treated patients, she suggested that the country could save nearly $250 million per year through the implementation of this regimen. India will likely roll out the new regime soon.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>TB Vaccine</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vaccination holds promise as a game-changer for TB elimination. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is conducting phase III trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two vaccines: VPM1002 and MIP (Mycobacterium indicus pranii). VPM1002 is a live vaccine based on recombinant BCG, modified for better safety and efficacy. MIP or Immuvac, originally developed for leprosy, is a whole-cell TB vaccine candidate. The trial aims to assess the effectiveness of these vaccines in preventing TB disease, among 12,721 individuals exposed to TB at home (referred to as household contacts). Enrollment for the study is complete, with participant follow-up currently ongoing, according to the pipeline report 2022 by the Treatment Action Group.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bharat Biotech is partnering with the Spanish firm BIOFABRI to develop, manufacture, and distribute a new tuberculosis vaccine across over 70 countries in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The TB vaccine candidate by Bharat Biotech is set to enter phase-III trials soon.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Lancet study highlighted the pivotal role of nutrition in TB management. The&nbsp; Reducing Activation of Tuberculosis by Improvement of Nutritional Status (RATIONS) trial demonstrated that providing food baskets to TB patients and their households reduced all forms of TB by nearly 40 per cent and infectious TB by almost 50 per cent. In 2018, the Indian government launched the 'Nikshay Poshan Yojana,' a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to offer nutrition support to TB patients. Since its inception, the scheme has disbursed approximately Rs 2613 crore to over 95 lakh TB patients.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India has indeed made significant strides in addressing TB; however, the battle against the disease is far from over. Despite enhanced detection and surveillance efforts, there's&nbsp; a need to adopt newer strategies to combat TB effectively. Advances in R&amp;D of vaccines, access to newer drug regimens, enhanced focus on nutrition will all help in propelling TB elimination goals.&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Ayesha Siddiqui&nbsp;</strong></p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ayesha Siddiqui', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24272', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Prioritising Women’s Health & Wellbeing ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2036811071-24272.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'Image credit: gettyimages', 'pageSlug' => 'prioritising-womens-health-wellbeing-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a new report from the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute launched at Davos in January 2024, women may live longer than men, on average, but they spend 25 per cent more of their lives in debilitating health. The report said improving diagnostics, data on women-specific conditions like ovarian cancer, and directing more investments towards women&rsquo;s health and research is needed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In particular, McKinsey research finds that less than 2 per cent of healthcare research and innovation is invested in female-specific conditions beyond cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This &lsquo;women&rsquo;s health gap&rsquo; equates to 75 million years of life lost due to poor health or early death each year. Closing the gap would benefit 3.9 billion women, giving them an extra seven healthy days a year, or an average of 500 days over a lifetime. Further, it could boost the global economy by $1 trillion by 2040 from fewer early deaths and health conditions, and a greater capacity for women to contribute to the economy and society.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a result of these findings, the final hours of the World Economic Forum in Davos saw the launch of a new Global Alliance for Women&rsquo;s Health, which has the broad ambition of &lsquo;re-shaping the future of women&rsquo;s health and the global economy.&rsquo; The health alliance will pledge new commitments from governments, philanthropies, and pharmaceutical companies, among others, across three pillars i.e. financing, science and innovation, and agenda-setting. So far, partners have pledged $55 million to improve women&rsquo;s health outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">With International Women&rsquo;s Day 2024 being themed around &lsquo;Inspiring inclusion&rsquo;, we see governments across the globe putting the much-needed emphasis on women&rsquo;s healthcare. For instance, the UAE has set out wide-ranging plans to bolster healthcare services for women, by approving the &lsquo;National Policy for Improving Women&rsquo;s Health&rsquo; for providing the highest healthcare services quality for women, whether curative, preventive or rehabilitative services. Similarly, the Irish government is paving the way for a longer-term comprehensive Women&rsquo;s Health Strategy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women in England are being urged to help shape reproductive health policy, as the government seeks views on periods, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and menopause for health strategy. Likewise, the Biden administration recently announced a White House initiative to improve how the federal government approaches and funds research into the health of women, who make up more than half of the US population but remain understudied and underrepresented in health research.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, of course, is not far behind in this initiative. The Interim Budget 2024-25 announcement that took place on February 1, 2024, laid focus on encouraging vaccination for girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years for the prevention of cervical cancer.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Besides these government initiatives, multiple efforts are also being made by the industry players to improve women&rsquo;s health. For example, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zurzuvae as the first and only oral treatment approved for women with postpartum depression, developed by American pharmaceutical company Biogen. The US FDA has also recently approved a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription for the first time in the US, a milestone that could significantly expand access to contraception. The pill&rsquo;s manufacturer, Perrigo Company is based in Dublin.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Further, biotech companies in the UK and Korea are embarking on the world's first prospective study of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered breast cancer detection, to streamline diagnosis, and tackle radiologist shortages. On the other hand, startups in India have developed groundbreaking multi-cancer detection tests specifically designed for high-risk and asymptomatic women.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quality, affordability, and accessibility, particularly in the context of women&rsquo;s health, are very critical aspects of ensuring well-being. This calls for greater mobilisation across sectors to invest in women&rsquo;s health, keeping in mind the imperatives of equity and integral care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Manbeena Chawla</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Executive Editor</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(</span><a href="mailto:manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com"><span style="font-weight: 400;">manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></p>', 'sequence' => '5', 'guestAuthor' => 'Dr Manbeena Chawla', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '101'), array('articleId' => '24270', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '11', 'articleTitle' => 'Establishing Ethical Frameworks for Equitable Use of AI in Healthcare ', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/21-24270.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'establishing-ethical-frameworks-for-equitable-use-of-ai-in-healthcare-', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The global healthcare landscape is witnessing a seismic transformation driven by AI technologies. From therapeutics to diagnostics, hospital operations to clinical decision-making, AI is making significant strides across diverse applications. According to Statista, the value of AI in the global healthcare market was $11 billion in 2021, projected to reach an estimated $188 billion by 2030. This staggering growth, at a compounded annual rate of 37 per cent, underscores the immense potential AI holds in reshaping the future of healthcare.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Transforming Medical Research and Imaging Analysis</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The impact of AI is not limited to specific segments; it spans the entire healthcare ecosystem. One critical domain experiencing a revolution is medical research, as AI expedites drug discovery processes. Through machine learning algorithms, researchers can predict the success rate of chemical compounds, significantly reducing the time and resources required for experimentation. This not only accelerates the pace of innovation but also holds the promise of bringing new, effective treatments to patients more rapidly.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the realm of medical imaging analysis, AI is proving to be a game-changer. It enables the rapid and accurate detection of anomalies in MRI scans, X-rays, and CT scans. Radiologists benefit from quicker identification of potential life-threatening issues, minimising human errors and enhancing diagnostic accuracy. This not only saves crucial time but also improves patient outcomes, particularly in cases where early detection is paramount.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Data-Driven Healthcare</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">AI is revolutionising the traditional landscape of diagnosis and treatment by providing clinicians with unprecedented data-driven insights. Machine learning algorithms analyse extensive patient data to identify patterns and correlations, facilitating more accurate and timely diagnosis. Personalised treatment plans based on individual patient characteristics are now a reality, enhancing the effectiveness of medical interventions. The ability to tailor treatments to specific patient profiles leads to improved outcomes and a more efficient allocation of healthcare resources.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Real-time assessment of treatment effectiveness by AI tools further contributes to improved clinical outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. Monitoring and adjusting treatment plans based on real-world data ensure that patients receive the most effective interventions tailored to their individual responses. This not only enhances patient care but also contributes to the sustainability of healthcare systems worldwide.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Predictive analysis, powered by AI, enables healthcare providers to forecast potential outcomes based on historical data and real-time health information. Identifying patients at risk of specific conditions allows for early intervention, preventing complications and improving overall healthcare efficiency. Large-scale population data analysis can also detect trends and outbreaks of infectious diseases before they become widespread, a critical capability showcased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability to anticipate and mitigate health crises is a testament to the power of AI in safeguarding public health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Patient-Centric Approach</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The integration of AI into healthcare is not solely about clinical applications; it extends to improving the overall patient experience. Streamlining appointment scheduling, providing remote monitoring solutions, and offering personalised treatment plans based on individual medical records contribute to a more patient-centric approach. AI-driven chatbots responding to routine medical inquiries reduce stress and save time for both patients and healthcare providers, fostering a more efficient and accessible healthcare system.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the promises of AI in healthcare, challenges persist. Blind spots in data access and collection, privacy concerns, data misuse, and regulatory ambiguities are roadblocks to widespread adoption. In India, a rapidly growing player in AI-based healthcare, progress is evident, but there is still a long way to go. The ambitious goals of universal healthcare delivery and affordability through AI remain distant, requiring continued innovation and collaboration.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">India, a major player in the global healthcare sector, is rapidly embracing AI. The National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence by NITI Aayog highlights the potential of AI to address challenges such as a shortage of qualified healthcare professionals and non-uniform accessibility to healthcare across the country. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, AI expenditure in India is projected to reach $11.78 billion by 2025, contributing significantly to the country's economy.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite challenges, AI's potential to revolutionise healthcare is undeniable. As technology continues to advance, AI's applications in telemedicine, genomics, robotics, and 3D printing will expand. Workforce training and collaboration between medical professionals and AI developers will be crucial for maximising the benefits of AI. The integration of AI with other emerging technologies holds the key to shaping the future of medical care.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we delve deeper into the integration of AI in healthcare, it's imperative to address the ethical considerations surrounding this revolutionary technology. The responsible use of AI in medical settings demands careful navigation of issues such as patient privacy, data security, and bias in algorithms.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Privacy concerns arise from the vast amounts of sensitive patient data being processed by AI systems. Ensuring robust data protection measures, stringent encryption, and transparent data usage policies become paramount to build and maintain public trust in AI-driven healthcare solutions.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The potential for bias in AI algorithms poses another ethical challenge. If the datasets used to train AI models are not representative or if biased historical data is fed into the algorithms, it can perpetuate existing inequalities in healthcare. Striking a balance in dataset curation and continuous monitoring of algorithmic outputs is crucial to mitigate bias and ensure equitable healthcare outcomes.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moreover, the explainability of AI decisions becomes crucial, especially in critical medical scenarios. Ensuring that AI models provide interpretable insights aids healthcare professionals in understanding and trusting AI-generated recommendations, fostering collaboration between humans and machines.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In conclusion, AI is not just a buzzword but a transformative force reshaping the healthcare industry. From diagnosis to treatment, AI is proving its mettle by delivering accurate, personalised, and efficient healthcare solutions. While challenges persist, the trajectory of AI in healthcare is pointing towards a future where technology and human expertise converge to provide optimal patient care. As we stand at the intersection of technology and healthcare, the role of AI in shaping the future of medicine is more promising than ever.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As AI continues to evolve, it is crucial for stakeholders&mdash;be they healthcare providers, policymakers, or technology developers&mdash;to collaborate in establishing ethical frameworks that ensure the responsible and equitable use of AI in healthcare. The ongoing dialogue around ethical considerations is vital to ensure that AI remains a force for good in healthcare, driving positive change for patients and society at large.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&amp;D, Murata Vios</strong></em></p>', 'sequence' => '6', 'guestAuthor' => 'Ganesh Subramaniam, VP Engineering, R&D, Murata Vios', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'Views', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'views', 'sectionId' => '17')), 'trendingTopicsList' => array(array('articleId' => '24283', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => '83.5% of adults in India underestimate shingles risk: Global GSK survey', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shingles_large-24283.jpeg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => '83-5-of-adults-in-india-underestimate-shingles-risk-global-gsk-survey', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical (GSK) has released new data from a globally commissioned survey funded by them. The survey finds notable gaps in understanding of shingles risk among individuals aged above 50 years, a group that is most susceptible to the disease.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey conducted amongst 3,500 adults aged 50 and over from 12 countries, assessed respondents&rsquo; understanding of shingles, what triggers it, and its impact on people&rsquo;s lives.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The survey in&nbsp;India&nbsp;involved 500 participants, with 250 respondents who spoke Hindi and another 250 who spoke English. The data, launched in time for Shingles Awareness Week 2024 (26 February&nbsp;2024 &ndash; 3 March 2024), finds a widespread lack of understanding of shingles and its lifetime risk.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">The findings show that globally, a significantly high proportion of those surveyed do not understand their risk of developing shingles,&nbsp;with&nbsp;86%&nbsp;underestimating&nbsp;that&nbsp;risk.<font size="1">&nbsp;</font>In India, 81% of the English-speaking and 86% &nbsp;of the Hindi-speaking respondents surveyed underestimate the risk of shingles<sup>.</sup></p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In India,&nbsp;amongst the &nbsp;English-speaking respondents, 22% believe that 1 in 1000 adults are at risk of developing shingles.<sup>&nbsp;</sup>Amongst the Hindi-speaking respondents,18% believe that 1 in 1000 adults is at risk of developing shingles.&nbsp;</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">In&nbsp;reality,&nbsp;most&nbsp;adults already&nbsp;have&nbsp;the&nbsp;virus that&nbsp;causes&nbsp;shingles present in&nbsp;their bodies by&nbsp;the&nbsp;age&nbsp;of 50,&nbsp;which may&nbsp;reactivate with&nbsp;advancing&nbsp;age.&nbsp;Shingles&nbsp;is&nbsp;caused&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;reactivation&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;varicella-zoster&nbsp;virus&nbsp;(VZV),&nbsp;the same virus that causes chickenpox.&nbsp;As people age, the strength of their immune response to infection wanes, and this increases their risk of developing shingles.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Rashmi Hegde, Executive Vice President - Medical Affairs, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, India, said,&nbsp;&ldquo;The survey findings underscore the need to raise awareness about shingles risk in adults over 50.&nbsp; Shingles can significantly disrupt the daily lives of ageing adults and cause them a great deal of discomfort."</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '73'), array('articleId' => '24230', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Fujifilm launches advanced endoscopic ultrasound machine ALOKA ARIETTA 850 in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/fuji-24230.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'fujifilm-launches-advanced-endoscopic-ultrasound-machine-aloka-arietta-850-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Fujifilm India, a pioneer in diagnostic imaging and information systems, has launched the ground breaking ALOKA ARIETTA 850 Diagnostic Ultrasound System in India with its first-ever installation at Fortis Hospital in Bengaluru.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Representing a remarkable advancement in endoscopic technologies, the high-tech ultrasound system aims to enhance diagnostic precision and image clarity for gastrointestinal diseases in the region.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">In India, contemporary lifestyles and changing dietary choices are leading to the deteriorating digestive health of the population, adding to the growing prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Addressing this, Fujifilm India&rsquo;S&nbsp;ALOKA ARIETTA 850&nbsp;Endoscopic Ultrasound Machine at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru is a significant step in providing world-class diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients against these GI-related diseases, performing targeted treatments such as Pancreatic pseudo cyst drainage (without surgery), targeted delivery of treatment in Pancreatic cancers.&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) is a minimally invasive method for assessing malignancies affecting the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract and neighbouring organs or tissues. With this high degree of accuracy in both diagnostic and therapeutic capacities, it allows doctors to precisely examine organs like the lungs, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, lymph nodes and nearby affected areas.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">EUS also facilitates the extraction of tissue or fluid samples through a thin needle, eliminating the need for a separate biopsy procedure. Additionally, it improves the staging of cancers with accurate sampling provided by Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) and Fine Needle Biopsy (FNB). Furthermore, EUS proves valuable in cases of altered anatomy and among cancer patients for various therapeutic procedures.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">ALOKA ARIETTA 850 stands out from conventional endoscopic ultrasound machines with a range of superior features. The machine generates image quality with 7 million digital channels in its B mode. This system also incorporates HD-THI for deeper penetration, ensuring accurate diagnoses, along with combi-elastography, pure symphonic architecture and CHI-TIC and Inflow Time Mapping for clearer visibility by reducing noise and enhancing the completeness and continuity of tissue boundaries.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '91'), array('articleId' => '24229', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Bengaluru researchers develop paper-based platform to detect antibiotic-resistant bacteria', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/shutterstock_157198133-24229.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'bengaluru-researchers-develop-paper-based-platform-to-detect-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">A paper-based platform developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru could help quickly detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant, disease-causing bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Dr Uday Maitra, Professor at the Department of Organic Chemistry, IISc, and collaborators have developed a rapid diagnosis protocol that uses a luminescent paper-based platform to detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The approach developed by the IISc and JNCASR team involves incorporating biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (BCA) within a supramolecular hydrogel matrix containing terbium cholate (TbCh). This hydrogel normally emits green fluorescence when UV light is shined on it.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The next step was to find a way to make the technology inexpensive. Currently used diagnostics instruments are costly, which drives up the price for testing.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team collaborated with a Chennai-based company called Adiuvo Diagnostics to design a customised, portable and miniature imaging device, named Illuminate Fluorescence Reader. Infusing the hydrogel in a sheet of paper as the medium reduced the cost significantly. The instrument is fitted with different LEDs that shine UV radiation as required. Green fluorescence from the enzyme is captured by a built-in camera, and a dedicated software app measures the intensity, which can help quantify the bacterial load.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The team from IISc tied up with Jayanta Haldar&rsquo;s research group from JNCASR to check their approach on urine samples. As the next step, the researchers plan to tie up with hospitals to test this technology with samples from patients.</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58'), array('articleId' => '24163', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Theme for National Science Day sets in as ‘Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat’', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/nsd-24163.png', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'theme-for-national-science-day-sets-in-as-indigenous-technologies-for-viksit-bharat', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science &amp; Technology Dr Jitendra Singh released the theme for the "National Science Day 2024", titled "Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat".</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) theme for this year&rsquo;s celebration reflects a strategic focus on promoting public appreciation for Science, Technology and Innovation and accomplishments of Indian scientists to address challenges through home-grown technologies for over-all well-being.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The theme not only marks a new era but also presents an opportunity for public and scientific fraternity, both domestically and internationally, to collaborate, work together, and contribute to the well-being of India and humanity as a whole. While emphasising the importance of making India&nbsp;<em>Atmanirbhar&nbsp;</em>through science, it underscores the need to address subjects that hold significance for humanity as a whole.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on 28 February to commemorate the discovery of the &lsquo;Raman Effect&rsquo;. Government of India designated 28 February as National Science Day in 1986. On this day Sir C.V. Raman announced the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930. On this occasion, theme-based science communication activities are carried out all over the country. The theme launch will trigger celebrations of NSD specially in schools &amp; colleges throughout the country.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science &amp; Technology (DST) said that as we embark on the celebration of NSD and move ahead with the launch of the theme for 2024, it is clearly evident that our scientific endeavours have the power to shape not only the future of our nation but also contribute significantly towards global advancement.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '58')), 'mostReadArticleList' => array(array('articleId' => '24286', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Qiagen launches AI-derived biomedical knowledge base to accelerate data-driven drug discovery', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/2-24286.jpg', 'imageTitle' => 'image credit- shutterstock', 'pageSlug' => 'qiagen-launches-ai-derived-biomedical-knowledge-base-to-accelerate-data-driven-drug-discovery', 'page1' => '<p align="justify">US-based Qiagen has announced the launch of Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI, a new generative AI-driven knowledge base designed to propel drug discovery in the pharma and biotech industries. This new offering is designed for data scientists and bioinformaticians who are looking for the most comprehensive knowledge graphs to fuel data-driven drug discovery.</p> <p align="justify">Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI is built on a massive dataset of biomedical literature and other scientific sources. It identifies and extracts causal relationships between genes, diseases, drugs and other biological entities with artificial intelligence (AI), generating over 600 million more biomedical relationships than its complement, Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD. This expansive knowledge base helps data scientists understand disease mechanisms, identify drug targets or biomarkers and explore strategies for repurposing existing drugs. Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI provides the most complete picture of biomedical relationships, including edge cases and novel relationships.</p> <p align="justify">While Qiagen Biomedical KB-HD is manually curated and known for its high quality and accuracy, Qiagen Biomedical KB-AI contains over 25x more relationships, allowing data scientists to generate new insights. Both knowledge bases can be used to provide both high-quality and high-quantity biomedical relationships data for data scientists and bioinformaticians to mine and validate.</p>', 'sequence' => '1', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '60'), array('articleId' => '24284', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'IIT Kanpur partners with UP government to enhance tele-medicine using AI', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/screen_shot_2024_02_28_at_3_48_48_pm-24284.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'iit-kanpur-partners-with-up-government-to-enhance-tele-medicine-using-ai', 'page1' => '<p style="text-align: justify;">The Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and the Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to revolutionise healthcare delivery and advance tele-medicine facilities in the state through the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI).</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU was signed by Ranjan Kumar IAS, Secretary, Health &amp; Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Professor Sandeep Verma, Professor-In-Charge, Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Kanpur, in the presence of&nbsp;other dignitaries.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The MoU outlines several key areas of collaboration, including anchoring tele-medicine hubs and enhancing the quality of tele-medicine services, implementing AI-based solutions to address population health impact, developing point-of-care diagnostics to drive program improvements, conducting competency-based capacity building for health cadres, and utilizing database predictions and analysis for informed decision-making.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">This will help the Department to make optimal use of the UP Digital Health Stack (UP-DHS) and ensure that every citizen of the state, wherever they are, will be able to access healthcare when needed. In Uttar Pradesh, UP-DHS is making significant strides in implementation, with foundational NHS elements deployed across all health administrative units and the rollout of essential healthcare applications well underway.</p>', 'sequence' => '2', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '100'), array('articleId' => '24282', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Medtech firm Stryker expands prototype and testing facility in India', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/styker-24282.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'medtech-firm-stryker-expands-prototype-and-testing-facility-in-india', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker, a global leader in medical technologies, has officially expanded its prototype and testing facility in India, marking significant growth of its R&amp;D footprint in the country.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This advanced 55,600-square-foot facility integrates cutting-edge infrastructure, enhanced microbiology capabilities, and a talented team to drive innovation and ensure product quality across its medical technology portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Investing in innovation from India is a focus area for Stryker," said&nbsp;Ram Rangarajan, Vice President of Stryker Global Technology Center, India. "This new lab represents our commitment to developing medical technologies that improve patient outcomes and comply with the highest regulatory standards."</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Stryker's new facility is dedicated to the rigorous life cycle testing of medical devices. The new lab boasts several key features:</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Prototyping and product assurance hub:&nbsp;Equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure for plastic 3D printing,&nbsp;metal machining, and a diverse range of testing capabilities,&nbsp;the lab supports prototyping and product assurance across Stryker's entire product portfolio.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Expanded microbiology competency:&nbsp;The lab strengthens Stryker's ability to conduct comprehensive microbiological testing,&nbsp;ensuring the safety and efficacy of its medical technologies.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Talented team of engineers and microbiologists:&nbsp; Highly skilled engineers and microbiologists will use the advanced equipment and expertise to develop innovative solutions that positively impact patients around the world.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</p>', 'sequence' => '3', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '93'), array('articleId' => '24262', 'sourceId' => '2', 'contentTypeId' => '4', 'articleTitle' => 'Miltenyi Biotec to open Cell and Gene Therapy Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad', 'imagePath' => 'uploads/articles/gene-24262.png', 'imageTitle' => '', 'pageSlug' => 'miltenyi-biotec-to-open-cell-and-gene-therapy-centre-of-excellence-in-hyderabad', 'page1' => '<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">German firm Miltenyi Biotec is launching operations in India with its first office and investing to set up Miltenyi Innovation and Technology Center as Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Hyderabad.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">This COE will be one of its first of its kind in India where scientists, researchers, industry experts and clinicians can get classroom to hands-on trainings on cell and gene therapy approaches right from proof of concept to pre-clinical / clinical development and commercialisation. This CoE also will provide Indian researchers, scientists and clinicians easier access to expertise, research, and manufacturing solutions.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Each year, more than 10,000 patients are treated with cell products using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies. More than&nbsp; 950 investigational new drug (IND) applications as well as investigational device exemptions (IDE) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are using Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s technologies and platforms.&nbsp;&nbsp;In doing so, the company is well poised to enable local development and manufacturing in India to drive affordable and&nbsp;accessible CGT therapies by academia and industry for Indian as well as global patients.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;">Dr Boris Stoffel,&nbsp;Miltenyi Biotec&rsquo;s Managing Director, highlighted that the company intends to seek opportunities to catalyse development of CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T cell clinical development and manufacturing, with the prospect of bringing centralised and point-of-care CAR T cell therapy to hospitals across India.</p>', 'sequence' => '4', 'guestAuthor' => '', 'displayDate' => object(DateTime), 'publishDateTime' => object(DateTime), 'contentType' => 'News', 'contentTypeSlug' => 'news', 'sectionId' => '96')), 'pollQuestionDetails' => array('pollQuestionId' => '74', 'title' => 'Is India witnessing increasing demand for life sciences-related real estate?', 'slug' => 'is-india-witnessing-increasing-demand-for-life-sciences-related-real-estate', 'question' => '', 'status' => '1', 'deleteStatus' => '0', 'lastUpdationDate' => object(DateTime), 'creationDate' => object(DateTime), 'userId' => '10', 'siteId' => '2', 'pollOptionList' => array(array('pollOptionId' => '206', 'option' => 'Yes', 'clicks' => '2', 'pollQuestionId' => '74'), array('pollOptionId' => '207', 'option' => 'No', 'clicks' => '2', 'pollQuestionId' => '74'), array('pollOptionId' => '208', 'option' => 'May be', 'clicks' => '2', 'pollQuestionId' => '74'))), 'articleList' => array())))
    in app/cache/prod/classes.php at line 8125  +
  25. at TemplateListener ->onKernelView (object(GetResponseForControllerResultEvent), 'kernel.view', object(TraceableEventDispatcher))
  26. at call_user_func (array(object(TemplateListener), 'onKernelView'), object(GetResponseForControllerResultEvent), 'kernel.view', object(TraceableEventDispatcher))
    in vendor/symfony/symfony/src/Symfony/Component/EventDispatcher/Debug/WrappedListener.php at line 61  +
  27. at WrappedListener ->__invoke (object(GetResponseForControllerResultEvent), 'kernel.view', object(ContainerAwareEventDispatcher))
  28. at call_user_func (object(WrappedListener), object(GetResponseForControllerResultEvent), 'kernel.view', object(ContainerAwareEventDispatcher))
    in app/cache/prod/classes.php at line 2223  +
  29. at EventDispatcher ->doDispatch (array(object(WrappedListener)), 'kernel.view', object(GetResponseForControllerResultEvent))
    in app/cache/prod/classes.php at line 2156  +
  30. at EventDispatcher ->dispatch ('kernel.view', object(GetResponseForControllerResultEvent))
    in app/cache/prod/classes.php at line 2317  +
  31. at ContainerAwareEventDispatcher ->dispatch ('kernel.view', object(GetResponseForControllerResultEvent))
    in vendor/symfony/symfony/src/Symfony/Component/EventDispatcher/Debug/TraceableEventDispatcher.php at line 124  +
  32. at TraceableEventDispatcher ->dispatch ('kernel.view', object(GetResponseForControllerResultEvent))
    in app/bootstrap.php.cache at line 3057  +
  33. at HttpKernel ->handleRaw (object(Request), '1')
    in app/bootstrap.php.cache at line 3016  +
  34. at HttpKernel ->handle (object(Request), '1', true)
    in app/bootstrap.php.cache at line 3165  +
  35. at ContainerAwareHttpKernel ->handle (object(Request), '1', true)
    in app/bootstrap.php.cache at line 2406  +
  36. at Kernel ->handle (object(Request))
    in index.php at line 27  +

Logs  -

Stack Trace (Plain Text)  +