My take on online drug retail for Indian Express

A couple of weeks ago, I met senior executives from Bengaluru start-up PM Health & Life Care. The company is getting ready to fire off an online marketplace for prescription drugs that connects chemists to consumers. I was surprised with the timing; that they would choose to reach out when just a little before, the …

Advertisement

Here I go again. My column on fixed dose combos for the Indian Express #pharma #safety

The Indian Express edit page today carries a column I wrote on fixed dose combinations (FDCs) post the Lancet article. For the record, the Lancet shone the light on a plethora of FDCs of the diabetes drug metformin with others that, they believe, have no rationale to be on the market. I have used the …

Unassuming billionaire : I profile Dilip Shanghvi for Outlook magazine

The media, it appears, cannot have enough of Dilip Shanghvi, the 60-year old founder and controlling stakeholder of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries. That's not surprising if you consider that on March 4 he overtook Mukesh Ambani, the second-generation oil-to-telecoms tycoon and arguably India's most influential businessman, to become the richest Indian. Of course, just because Shanghvi …

Thermometers, BP monitors and other vital stuff that India DOES NOT regulate #MedTech #safety

The Indian medical devices sector has lately been in the news for the government's decision to liberate foreign direct investment controls on it. There is also some movement on the regulatory front with a decision to set up government-recognised medical device testing laboratories in the country. Apothecurry's guest columnist Dr Ravindra Ghooi revisits the one …

Apollo Hospitals’ takeover of Nova Specialty : what it means #indiahealth

Earlier this month, Apollo Health and Lifestyle Limited (AHLL), owned by the Chennai-based Apollo Hospitals group, acquired Nova Specialty Hospitals, a chain of short-stay surgery hospitals, from Nova Medical Centres. The deal piqued my interest for more than one reason. I spoke to Neeraj Garg, CEO, of AHLL, and Mahesh Reddy, co-founder and director of …

Will India’s new #FDI policy in #MedTech have the intended effect?

India has decided to liberate foreign direct investment (FDI) in the medical devices sector from the conditions imposed on its pharmaceutical cousins. This begs the question : to what end? To recap, from January 21, FDI in medical devices will qualify for automatic approval of up to 100 per cent. Notably, this is irrespective of …

India #Pharma 2014 : A quick look back. Part Three #pricing #nppa

The holiday season approaches, so here’s a quick look at the year that was for Indian Pharma, before we disappear into a haze of year-end festivities. It’s a mixed bag (what year isn’t?) including stuff that could influence the way things work in the years ahead. For convenience, I’ve divided up what I think are …

India #Pharma 2014 : A quick look back. Part Two #clinicaltrials #pharmacovigilance

The holiday season approaches, so here’s a quick look at the year that was for Indian Pharma, before we disappear into a haze of year-end festivities. It’s a mixed bag (what year isn’t?) including stuff that could influence the way things work in the years ahead. For convenience, I’ve divided up what I think are …

India #Pharma 2014 : A quick look back – Part One #quality

The holiday season approaches, so here's a quick look at the year that was for Indian Pharma, before we disappear into a haze of year-end festivities. It's a mixed bag (what year isn't?) including stuff that could influence the way things work in the years ahead. For convenience, I've divided up what I think are …

Bilaspur, Chikalguda and the dichotomy of Indian public healthcare #indiahealth

India's latest healthcare shame is a shoddily-conducted government sterilisation drive that proved fatal for 13 women in rural Chhattisgarh. The tale that unfolded in Bilaspur has more than its share of dystopic elements : unhygienic surgical instruments, tainted drugs and women reportedly herded like cattle (or lured like prey) onto the operating table, surgeries completed …