The tenure of Dr V G Somani as the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has been extended by three months for the second time, according to an order issued by the Union Health Ministry.

New Delhi [India], October 6 (ANI): National Regulatory Authority, CDSCO has requested the World Health Organization (WHO) to share the report on the establishment of "causal relation to death" with the medical products manufactured by a Haryana-based company, Maiden Pharmaceutical Limited, a press release said.

New Delhi [India], October 6 (ANI): After the World Health Organization (WHO) issued an alert on four India-made cough and cold syrups used for paediatric groups, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has taken up an urgent investigation in this regard.

New Delhi [India], August 17 (ANI): The tenure of Dr V G Somani as the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has been extended by three months, according to an order issued by the Union Health Ministry.

New Delhi [India], February 9 (ANI): Mumbai based innovation-driven global pharma company Glenmark has launched Nitric Oxide Nasal Spray (FabiSpray) in India, in partnership with SaNOtize, for treatment of adult patients suffering from COVID-19.

New Delhi [India], December 28 (ANI): After reviewing all applications and data, the Subject Expert Committee (SEC), a body under India's drug regulator, has recommended granting the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to Serum Institute of India's COVID-19 vaccine Covovax and Corbevax vaccine that is manufactured by Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical firm Biological E, for those above 18 years of age, official sources told ANI.   

New Delhi [India], December 26 (ANI): Covaxin has shown that it has a very good immune response in children in trials, Chairman of India's COVID-19 Working Group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) Dr NK Arora said on Sunday.

New Delhi Dec 25 PTI Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Saturday that vaccination against COVID-19 for children between 15-18 years will start from January 3 while precaution dose for healthcare and frontline workers would be administered from January 10 decisions that come amid rising Covid cases linked to the Omicron variant of the virusIn an address to the nation he said the precaution dose will also be available for citizens above 60 years of age and with comorbidities on the advice of their doctor from January 10 next year as well The precaution dose denotes a third dose of the vaccine for the fully vaccinated but Modi refrained from using the term booster dose as it is generally referred Amid Christmas and the coming new year festivities Modi asked people to be alert and take all preventive measures but added that they should avoid panic as he reassured them about the health measures in place to deal with any exigenciesAdministration of nasal vaccine and worlds first DNA vaccine against Covid will soon start in India as well he said The prime minister said global experience shows that following all preventive measures at a personal level is big weapon to fight Covid and so is vaccinationThis is time to be careful while engaging in festivities he saidI would urge all of you not to panic be careful and alert Remember to mask up and keep washing hands Modi saidNoting that India started giving the vaccine to its citizens from January 16 this year Modi said due to the peoples collective effort and will India has crossed the unprecedented and very difficult milestone of having administered 141 crore vaccine dosesToday more than 61 per cent of Indias adult population has received both doses of the vaccine Similarly about 90 per cent of the adult population has received single dose of the vaccine he saidUnderlining that he was sharing key decisions with the people of the country on the occasion of Christmas Modi said that vaccination for children between the age of 15 years to 18 years will start in the country on January 3 2022This will reduce the worries of children going to schools and colleges and their parents and boost the fight against the pandemic Modi said adding that the move is also likely to aid in normalisation of teaching in schoolsWe all have experienced that the corona warriors healthcare and frontline workers made a huge contribution in keeping the country safe in this fight They still spend a lot of his time in the service of oronavirus patients he saidTherefore from the point of view of precaution the government has decided that precaution dose of vaccine will be administered to healthcare and frontline workers from January 10 Monday Modi said This will strengthen the confidence of healthcare and frontline workers he saidGiving an overview of healthcare infrastructure in the nation Modi said that as the virus is mutating our confidence to take on challenges is also multiplyingOur innovative spirit is also growing The country today has 18 lakh isolation beds 5 lakh oxygen supported beds 140000 ICU beds If ICU and non-ICU beds are taken together there are about 90000 beds for children Today the country has over 3000 PSA oxygen plants functioning and four lakh oxygen cylinders have been provided across the country he saidStates are being helped to prepare a buffer dose of necessary medicines They are also being provided with adequate testing kits he saidLauding scientists and health workers he said the seriousness of vaccine was identified very early and along with research on it work was also focussed on approval process supply chain distribution training IT support system and certification Modi emphasised that Indias fight against the virus has from the very beginning been based on scientific principles scientific consultation and scientific method Eleven-month vaccine campaign the prime minister said has brought relief and normalcy in the everyday lives of the countrymen Economic activities have been encouraging compared to many countries of the world he said while noting that alertness remains of paramount importance He also cautioned against efforts to spread rumours confusion and fear by some quarters Modis address came on a day officials said the Drugs Controller General of India DCGI has granted emergency use authorisation to indigenously-developed Bharat Biotechs Covaxin for children above 12 years with certain conditions It is the second vaccine to receive the regulators nod for use among those below 18 years after Zydus Cadilas needle-free COVID-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D PTI ASKKR ANB ANB

New Delhi [India], September 15 (ANI): The Drug Controller General of India has given its approval to the single-dose COVID-19 vaccine version of the Sputnik V vaccine 'Sputnik Light' to conduct trials on the Indian population to check whether the vaccine gives a similar immune response in trials similar to what it has shown on the Russian population.

New Delhi [India], September 14 (ANI): The discussion on the pricing of Zydus Cadila's COVID-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D is underway, said Dr VK Paul, Member (Health) NITI Aayog on Tuesday.