Durvalumab to treat biliary tract cancer ( BTC ) in India . BTC is a group of rare and aggressive gastrointestinal ( GI ) cancers that form in the cells of the bile ducts ( cholangiocarcinoma ), gallbladder or ampulla of Vater ( where the bile duct and pancreatic duct connect to the small intestine ). More than 30,000 new cases of BTCs are seen in India every year with 90 % of them diagnosed in the advanced stage . In fact , statistics show a high incidence of gall bladder cancer in the northern part of India . “ This milestone approval now becomes the only immunotherapy-based combination treatment option in the country that offers significantly improved survival rates ,” said Dr Anil Kukreja , Vice-President , Medical Affairs and Regulatory , AstraZeneca India .
Potential polymer-degrading bacteria isolated
Researchers from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Institute of Microbial Technology ( CSIR-IMTech ) have recently explored bacterial communities associated with red , brown , and green macroalgae marine seaweeds , to isolate bacteria with potential for degrading polymers . A team comprising Pravin Kumar , Ashish Verma , Shiva S . Sundharam , Anup Kumar Ojha , and Srinivasan Krishnamurthi of CSIR-IMTech has explored the intertidal coastal region of Goa and Maharashtra for their research . Hydrolysis of commonly present plant-based polysaccharides on these bacteria was done to find their potential for degrading polymer . India produces approximately 350 billion tons of organic waste
from agriculture , and most of it remains untreated and underutilized . The biodegradation of these difficult-to-degrade materials using bacteria capable of breaking them down into simpler materials can mitigate the pollution .
Thermo Fisher Scientific launches real-time PCR kits for detection of infectious diseases
Designed to deliver confidence and reliability for diagnostic development and testing , the Applied Biosystems™ TaqPath™ PCR kits for infectious diseases such as Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis ( MTB MDR ), M . Tuberculosis complex ( MTB ), Hepatitis B Virus ( HBV ), Hepatitis C Virus ( HCV ), Human Immunodeficiency Virus ( HIV ), and for genetic analysis ( HLA B27 ), have received licensing rights by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation ( CDSCO ) and will be manufactured in India in association with Mylab Discovery Solutions . The Applied Biosystems™ TaqPath™ PCR kits have been analytically- and clinically-validated for use in patient care for disease screening and diagnosis , monitoring of therapeutic response and disease progression , and identification of genetic risk factors . Thermo Fisher Scientific offers a complete qPCR ecosystem , which includes the Applied Biosystems QuantStudio 5 Dx Real- Time PCR System and upcoming QuantStudio 7 Pro Dx Real-Time PCR Systems designed to simplify workflows .
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BioVoiceNews | March 2023