UK approves GSK Covid drug, appears effective against Omicron

 

The antibody treatment, sotrovimab, "was found to be safe and effective at reducing the risk of hospitalisation and death in people with mild to moderate COVID-19 infection who are at an increased risk of developing severe disease," said the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

LONDON, DEC 2: British regulators on Thursday approved a GlaxoSmithKline drug to treat those at high risk of developing severe Covid-19 symptoms, with the manufacturer saying it appears effective against the new Omicron variant.

 

The antibody treatment, sotrovimab, "was found to be safe and effective at reducing the risk of hospitalisation and death in people with mild to moderate COVID-19 infection who are at an increased risk of developing severe disease," said the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

 

Preclinical data showed that the drug "retains activity against key mutations of the new Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant," GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) said in a statement.

 

"To date, sotrovimab has demonstrated ongoing activity against all tested variants of concern and interest defined by the World Health Organization (WHO)," it added.

 

Testing is ongoing "to confirm the neutralizing activity of sotrovimab against the combination of all the Omicron mutations with the intent to provide an update by the end of 2021."

 

A single dose of the drug was found to reduce the risk of hospitalization and death by 79 percent in high-risk adults with symptomatic COVID-19 infection, according to the MHRA.

 

Sotrovimab was developed by Britain's GSK and Vir Biotechnology based out of California.

 

It is a monoclonal antibody, a type of protein that attaches to the spike protein of the coronavirus, reducing its ability to enter the body's cells.

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Courtesy Anews

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Pakistan's most Extensive Cardiometabolic Study for the Healthy Young Population

ISLAMABAD, NOV 22: Getz Pharma Pvt. Ltd.,in partnership withTabba Heart Institute, announced the launch of Pakistan Study of Premature Coronary Atherosclerosis in Young Adults (PAK- SEHAT)

Cardiovascular diseases continue to have a significant impact across the world among different populations. To address the issue of the rising health burden of ASCVD in Pakistan, Getz Pharma Pvt. Ltd and Tabba Heart Institute (THI) formally launched PAK-SEHAT- Pakistan Study of Premature Coronary Atherosclerosis in Young Adults, a nationwide study conducted through Pakistan's first state of art mobile lab. PAK SEHAT project is the largest, first-of-its-kind, longitudinal cohort study on Atherosclerotic Risk Assessment in Pakistani Population. This 10-year joint venture of Getz Pharma &THI (PAK SEHAT) will help determine risk factors for coronary heart disease so that early detection can be done and disease can be prevented rather than treated. 

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, causing approximately 32% of annual deaths. The risk of cholesterol-associated CVD varies among different ethnicities; however, the risk is four fold in the South Asian (SA) Population compared to other races. Furthermore, almost 75% of all CVD deaths are in low and middle-income countries (LMIC), where there are finite health resources and a multitude of health-seeking barriers. 

The state of heart diseases in Pakistan also reflects a concerning picture. According to the World Health Organization data published in 2018, coronary heart disease deaths in Pakistan reached 20% of total deaths, and Pakistan ranks 18 in cardiac mortality in the global ranking. Moreover, the numbers of potential CVD risk factors, including hypertension and diabetes, are also alarming in Pakistan, with 50% hypertension and 17.1% diabetes in the adult population. There is a drastic shift in CVD occurrence in young ages in the SA population, as evidenced by the groundbreaking INTERHEART study suggesting 10.6% of SA participants presented with a heart attack at <40 years of age. Therefore, this study primarily envisions screening the Pakistani individuals at a younger age to prevent increasing CVD burden in the future.

This study aims to recruit healthy volunteers <40 years of age, from selected urban and rural areas of Pakistan, who are asymptomatic and have no cardiovascular disease. This would allow for assessing the participants' risk factor profiles and follow them up for at least five years to document the incidence of ASCVD. The objectives of PAK SEHAT includes: 

1. To characterize the prevalence and severity of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis among young Pakistani men and women free of clinical CVD

2. To understand the impact, in terms of 5-year rates of cardiovascular events, by using the prognostic information provided by cardiac CTA and the other study tests and measurements to optimize cardiovascular prevention management in young Pakistanis.

While Pakistan is the second-most populous country in South Asia, most of the data on the prevalence of ASCVD from South Asian regions is derived from India. As a result, the Pakistani Population is highly underrepresented in global research, as there is currently no comprehensive database on the native Pakistani Population to assess the likelihood of developing ASCVD. Due to this high burden of disease, there is an urgent need for primary prevention and early screening for ASCVD in Pakistan. 

The findings from a study of this scale can provide groundbreaking results. It would help in informing future health policy targeting the native Pakistani Population, and it would allow early interventions for patients with risk of ASCVD from a younger age. Getz Pharma and Tabba Heart Institute are proud to lead an initiative of this scale with the aim to contribute to the growing research database in Pakistan and promote early screening and prevention for cardiovascular diseases in the country.

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6 ways to eat your way to better mental health

 

From a young age, we are taught that eating well helps us look and feel our physical best. What we are not always told is that good nutrition significantly affects our mental health, too.

A healthy, well-balanced diet can help us think clearly and feel more alert.

It can also improve concentration and attention span.

Cookbook author Chantal Lascaris shares below six helpful (and admittedly, delicious) suggestions to keep in mind when it comes to eating your way to improve mental and physical well-being.

Eat your vegetables – raw

From the staples lettuce and spinach to chopped carrots and cucumber, raw vegetables are packed with fibre and plant compounds that offer an array of benefits for your health.

Skeptical?

You don’t just need to take the salad queen’s words for it – a study of 422 young adults found that eating raw vegetables was associated with good mental health and mood.

Go nuts

While you may not have previously thought to include nuts and seeds in your salads, options like pistachios, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, almonds, and peanuts, all make for highly nutritious additions!

A word of caution, however, is to look for the raw or dry-roasted varieties to ensure you aren’t crunching on something that’s loaded with added salt, sugar, and other preservatives.

A protein fix

Eating salads doesn’t mean that you need to cut chicken, fish, or meat from your diet.

Several studies have shown a direct link between meat consumption and lower levels of depression and anxiety.

Right as grain

Adding whole grains, such as cooked brown rice, quinoa, and barley, to your salads brings a new texture to the dish, with a variety of new flavours as well.

Available at most grocery stores, they’re a good source of fibre and protein, helping you to feel full and satisfied for longer.

A fruitful outcome

Even though most people tend to think of salads as a combination of vegetables, fresh fruit can be added as a different and delicious topping – with added health benefits!

The nutrients found in both fruit and vegetables can have a positive impact on our brain chemistry, which in turn positively influences our mood, memory, and cognitive abilities.

A diet that’s high in these things also tends to reduce the risk of being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder – making regular salads as good for you, as they are to eat!

Herbs and more herbs

You’re likely no stranger to using herbs to add flavour or fragrance to a dish.

And doing so with your salads brings its own benefits.

Fresh herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, parsley, sage, and coriander, bring unique flavours to any salad, as well as some interesting health effects.

Research has shown, for example, that a compound in rosemary and sage may have anticancer properties, while cilantro may help to fight inflammation.

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Courtesy iol

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Ground Breaking of PIMS Maternal and Child Health Center Expansion

ISLAMABAD, OCT 21: Construction of the extension of Intensive Care at Maternal and Child Care Centre and Children’s Hospital was launched at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad.

The grant assistance from Japan worth $32 million (3.62 billion Japanese Yen) was signed in Tokyo two years ago.     

On this special occasion, MATSUDA Kuninori, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, expressed his respect to all those who worked hard to start this project amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prior to this, in this August, Japan extended another grant assistance of $31.4 million to establish a new Maternal and Child Health Center at Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences in Hyderabad.

Ambassador MATSUDA commented, “PIMS and Liaquat University are symbols of Japan's health development assistance to Pakistan in the north and south of the country, respectively.

I am sure that the two institutions will make a significant contribution to the improvement of maternal and child health as regional medical hubs.”

Chief Representative of JICA Pakistan Office, FURUTA Shigeki also remarked, “The project has been long-awaited in order to respond to the growing needs of clinically high-risk perinatal cases from all over Pakistan.

In this project, high quality medical treatment will be provided to severely ill mothers and children, accommodating 300 patients at Maternal Foetal Intensive Care unit, and 1,100 patients at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit a year.”

According to the current plan, the construction will be completed in April 2023.

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Japan provides equipment worth USD 6.59 million for Pakistan’s COVID-19 response

ISLAMABAD, OCT 21: Cold chain optimization equipment worth USD 6.59 million funded by the Government of Japan and procured through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for enhancing national capacity to store COVID-19, was today handed over to the Government of Pakistan.

The Parliamentary Secretary on Health, Dr. Nausheen Hamid received the cold chain equipment from the Ambassador of Japan, MATSUDA Kuninori, in presence of the UNICEF Representative in Pakistan, Aida Girma, at a ceremony held in the National Emergency Operation Centre, Expanded Programme for Immunization (EPI).

“We greatly value the significant contributions made by Japan during the last 70 years of its diplomatic relations with Pakistan,” said Dr. Nausheen Hamid. “Over the years, our two countries have partnered in various sectors including health, education, power and many other. I affirm our strong desire to further deepen and broaden our bilateral ties with Japan.”

“The Expanded Programme for Immunization in Pakistan has a strong cold chain system that is considered the backbone of the programme as it handles and stores massive quantities of vaccines inclusive of all kinds of COVID-19 vaccines.

It is, however, important to know that the cold chain system can be risky in countries which have extreme temperatures and the power supply is unreliable. I am grateful to the Government of Japan for providing this cold chain optimization equipment for vaccine storage and ensuring quality check as it would definitely strengthen our existing system,” she added.

The equipment procured through funds from Japan, include power generators, voltage regulators and temperature monitoring devices which will enhance vaccine storage capacity of EPI, especially at provincial and district level where power outage and voltage fluctuation is frequent.

The new equipment would help to ensure optimum temperature control at storage facilities thus maintaining the efficacy of the Covid-19 vaccine. 

Japanese funds will also be used for strengthening the capacity of health care staff to handle the cold chain equipment.

Japan has extended a total of $23.5 million grant assistance to Pakistan for its counter-COVID19 measures including provision of hygiene items, medical equipment, and training of health care staff.

Speaking at the event, Ambassador MATSUDA stressed that Japan has prioritized the health sector as part of its development cooperation policy for Pakistan for decades, including Maternal & Child Health, Polio Eradication, Routine Immunization and Counter-COVID-19 measures.

He expressed his hope to open a new area of cooperation in the future partnership between Japan and Pakistan in the health sector, suggesting that tackling diabetes could be one of the candidates.

 “I am looking forward to seeing a new chapter added to the friendship between Japan and Pakistan on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries next year,” the ambassador said.

As part of COVID 19 pandemic response UNICEF has been assisting the Government of Pakistan in procuring CoVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX facility.

It has also procured cold chain, laboratory and personal protective equipment and handed over to the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination.

“Today’s ceremony reinforces the high level and longstanding support of the Government of Japan to UNICEF in its efforts to procure vaccines and essential equipment for strengthening immunization services in Pakistan,” said Aida Girma, UNICEF Representative in Pakistan.

“May it be routine immunization or the large-scale COVID-19 vaccination drive, storage of vaccines at optimum temperature is essential to maintain their efficacy and effectiveness.

The cold chain support equipment being handed over to the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination today, will help in making vaccines available to people across the country, especially the marginalised and those living in hard to reach areas, Ms. Girma said.”

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