news bytes
the population,” said
Mr Sam Santhosh,
Chairman, MedGenome.
launch of the Claria
Carrier Screening Test.
The unique ‘Claria Carrier
screening Test’ is based
on the Next Generation
Sequencing (NGS)
technology and leverages
the Indian population
genetic variant database
created by Sir Ganga Ram
Hospital over the last
twenty years. Therefore
enabling MedGenome to
develop a highly focussed
and cost effective test to
screen for diseases and
genetic variations that
are very specific to Indian
population. The Claria
Carrier screening test is
revolutionary in terms of
the breadth and depth of
coverage of disease areas
that it can screen for.
“ We believe our Claria
Carrier screening test
developed in collaboration
with Sir Ganga Ram
Hospital will help in
creating a large impact
in India and benefit
a significant part of
82
BioVoiceNews | April 2017
Estimated 17 %
of Indian cancer
patients report
disease at last stage
As informed by Indian
Council of Medical
Research (ICMR), the
estimated incidence of
cancer patients in the
country for the year 2016
is Fourteen Lakh, Fifty
One Thousand Four
Hundred Seventeen
(14,51,417). As reported
by ICMR as per
“Consolidated Report
on Hospital Based
Cancer Registry: 2012-
14”, it is estimated that
approximately 17 percent
patients report when
the disease has spread
throughout the body
which is the end stage
of the disease. This was
stated by the Minister
of State (Health and
Family Welfare), Mrs
Anupriya Patel recently
in the Parliament.
The National Cancer
Registry Programme is
already implemented
by National Centre for
Disease Informatics
and Research (NCDIR),
Bengaluru, under the
aegis of Indian Council
of Medical Research.
Mandatory for
hospitals to issue
patient’s bill with
separate cost of
coronary stents
The National
Pharmaceuticals Pricing
Authority (NPPA), under
Ministry of Chemicals &
Fertilizers, has directed
hospitals to issue detailed
bills to the patients,
specifically and separately
mentioning the cost of the
Coronary Stents, along
with the brand name of
the manufacturer and
importer, batch number
and other details.
All State Governments
and State Drug
Controllers have been
advised to exercise the
power of entry, search
and seizure as per Para
30 of Drugs Price Control
Order (DPCO), 2013 if
manufacturers, importers
or distributors try to the
create artificial shortage
of stents. Government
has had two rounds of
discussions with the Stent
companies, which in turn