Category: Health

New Delhi, April 17 (BNP): Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ayush and Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, on Wednesday inaugurated the two-day “Ayush Chintan Shivir 2026” in the national capital.

The event, which concludes on April 17, is aimed at reviewing progress, strengthening policy direction, and charting a future roadmap for the Ayush sector, officials said.

Addressing the gathering, Jadhav said the Chintan Shivir reflects the government’s commitment to reinforcing policy implementation and institutional capacity in Ayush. He noted that the platform would help assess achievements since the previous conclave and identify gaps for future action. He also underlined the growing role of Ayush in addressing lifestyle diseases through a holistic approach.

Highlighting the government’s focus, the minister pointed to increased budget allocations for education, research, infrastructure, and global outreach. He stressed the need for evidence-based research, innovation, digitalisation, and greater public awareness, expressing confidence that Ayush will play a key role in achieving the “Viksit Bharat 2047” vision.

Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, described the Shivir as an important platform for policy review and long-term planning, adding that efforts are underway to integrate traditional knowledge with modern science and expand global collaboration.

Joint Secretary Alarmelmangai D. said the initiative promotes collaborative policymaking and noted the rising national and international recognition of Ayush systems.

A key highlight of the inaugural session was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) and the General Insurance Council to expand insurance coverage and streamline claim settlements for Ayush treatments.

The minister also launched the Ministry’s official WhatsApp channel to enhance citizen engagement and released a document on revised benchmark rates for insurance coverage of Ayush therapies. A toll-free helpline (1800-11-0008) for Ayush insurance was also introduced.

The first day featured three thematic sessions focusing on review of earlier outcomes, strengthening research and global partnerships, and improving legal preparedness in the sector, officials added.

Accelerating adoption signals a market-wide shift toward employer and consumer-driven, bundled healthcare

Philadelphia, PA — (April 16, 2026) — Tendo, a healthcare technology company committed to putting quality at the center of every care decision, today announced that its Tendo Marketplace has surpassed one million vouchers purchased nationwide, a major milestone in delivering more accessible, high-quality, and price-transparent care.

The Tendo Marketplace serves the needs of individual consumers, navigators, employers, and healthcare providers by bringing together trusted provider networks, quality insights, procedure bundling, claims management, and transparent, all-inclusive pricing into a single shoppable care experience. 

Through Tendo Marketplace, consumers, employees, and navigators can search for procedures, compare provider quality, view upfront bundled pricing, and secure care through a simple voucher purchase, eliminating surprise billing and reducing friction at every step of the care journey. Healthcare providers can create and list bundled procedures, analyze and set procedure pricing, and manage claims and payment processes without the challenges typically associated with things like pre-authorizations, claims denials, and payments to ancillary providers. 

“One million vouchers purchased tells us something fundamental is changing,” said Jennifer Goldsmith, CEO and Co-founder of Tendo. “Employers are taking ownership of how their dollars are spent, demanding quality care at a transparent and predictable cost. Consumers are making care decisions the same way they make every other major purchase – with information, intention, and choice. And providers are freed from the administrative burden of pre-authorizations and claim denials, receiving timely, predictable payment for the quality care they deliver. That’s a structural shift, and it’s only accelerating.”

Patients across the country are already seeing the impact. Testimonials highlight both financial relief and improved access to care, with one user sharing, “It was a life-changing moment… the voucher program helped my family tremendously,” another noting savings of more than 50% on an MRI through the marketplace, and another patient describing: “This is the future of medicine in the U.S., I was able to get long-overdue testing without insurance. It was easy to set up. I’ve been telling all my newly uninsured friends about it—this is the wave of the future.”

The shift toward employer-driven and consumer-led healthcare is accelerating, and the demand for solutions that deliver quality, affordability, and transparency has never been greater. Recognition on TIME’s 2025 World’s Top HealthTech Companies list underscores Tendo’s position at the forefront of that transformation — redefining how care is discovered, evaluated, and accessed. With the Tendo Marketplace, the company is delivering on a simple but powerful promise: every healthcare decision is informed by cost and quality, without compromise.

New Delhi, Apr 15 (BNP): The healthcare sector is expected to report modest revenue growth in the fourth quarter, even as profit margins come under pressure due to challenges in the US generics market, according to a report by Systematix.

The brokerage noted that while demand trends remain steady, overall earnings growth is likely to be limited. A key concern is the so-called “generics cliff” in the US, which is expected to weigh on pricing power and profitability for Indian pharmaceutical exporters.

Despite these pressures, the sector continues to benefit from stable domestic demand and ongoing opportunities in select export markets. However, margin compression is likely to remain a near-term challenge for several companies.

Analysts suggest that while revenue growth may remain moderate, sustained performance will depend on how companies navigate pricing pressures and diversify their product portfolios in global markets.

New Delhi, April 15 (BNP) – The two-day India Pharma 2026 summit concluded with a strong call for increased funding, improved infrastructure and faster execution to drive innovation in India’s pharmaceutical sector.

Organised by the Department of Pharmaceuticals in partnership with industry bodies, the event brought together over 800 delegates and more than 60 speakers across 10 sessions to discuss the future of India’s pharma and biopharma ecosystem.

Discussions on the second day focused on building a robust financing ecosystem, with stakeholders highlighting the need for diverse funding sources such as venture capital, private equity and public-private partnerships to support high-risk, long-cycle research and development.

In the valedictory session, officials emphasised three key enablers for future growth—funding, infrastructure and speed—stressing that coordinated action between government, industry and academia will be critical for global competitiveness.

Industry leaders also called for a shift from volume-driven growth to innovation-led development, focusing on advanced therapeutics and cutting-edge research. The discussions underscored the importance of stronger collaboration, improved market access and sustained investment in R&D.

Participants noted that while India has built a strong base in generics and vaccines, the next phase will depend on its ability to scale innovation and position itself as a global leader in new drug development.

Study will advance into expanded patient populations with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and myelofibrosis (MF)

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., April 15, 2026: CERo Therapeutics Holdings, Inc., (OTCQB: CERO) (“CERo” or the “Company”) an innovative cellular immunotherapy company seeking to advance the next generation of engineered T cell therapeutics that employ phagocytic mechanisms, announces it has dosed the third patient in the second cohort (sixth patient overall) in its Phase 1 CER-1236 clinical trial in hematologic malignancies. The patient had MDS that evolved to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The trial was recently expanded to include earlier forms of MDS and myelofibrosis (MF).

The study continues to progress in accordance with protocol, with patients undergoing monitoring for safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and clinical activity. With more than seven days of follow-up completed after the most recent infusion, CERo continues to evaluate key endpoints across dose levels as it advances through dose escalation.

As previously presented at the February Tandem Meetings in Salt Lake City, CER-1236 has demonstrated no reported cases of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) or immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) of any grade, and no dose-limiting toxicities observed during the 28-day assessment window. Investigators also reported in vivo cell expansion, with peak levels observed between days 10 and 14 following infusion. Additionally, as previously reported, a single patient with inv(3) AML who received four CER-1236 infusions over five months at the lowest dose level achieved 72 consecutive days of platelet transfusion independence. These findings informed the protocol amendment expanding enrollment into patients with MDS and MF.

Robert Sikorski, M.D., Ph.D., CERo Chief Medical Officer, stated, “This is the third patient in the cohort, and completion of the dose-limiting toxicity evaluation period may enable further dose escalation in accordance with the protocol. We continue to evaluate the safety profile and early clinical data as CER-1236 is studied in patient populations with significant unmet need.”

The first-in-human, multi-center, open-label Phase 1/1b study is designed to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of CER-1236. The trial was initially focused on AML patients, including those with relapsed/refractory disease, measurable residual disease, or newly diagnosed TP53-mutated AML, and has since expanded to include transfusion-dependent MDS (TD-MDS), high-risk MDS (HR-MDS), and post-JAK inhibitor myelofibrosis (MF). Primary endpoints include safety and tolerability, while secondary endpoints include pharmacokinetics and measures of clinical response, including overall response rate (ORR), complete response (CR), composite complete response (cCR), and measurable residual disease (MRD).

CERo Chief Executive Officer Chris Ehrlich added, “Dosing our sixth patient and expanding into MDS represents continued execution of the CERTAIN-T trial and an important milestone for CERo. We believe CER-1236 has the potential to address multiple hematologic malignancies, and we look forward to further advancing the study and sharing additional clinical updates.”

Apr 14 (BNP): India has sent a large consignment of BCG vaccines to Afghanistan, reinforcing its support for public health and child immunisation programmes in the neighbouring country.

The shipment, weighing around 13 tonnes, is aimed at strengthening vaccination coverage for children and supporting efforts to prevent tuberculosis-related health risks in early childhood.

The initiative reflects India’s continued humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, particularly in the healthcare sector, where vaccine access and child immunisation remain critical challenges.

BCG vaccines are widely used as part of national immunisation programmes to protect infants and young children against tuberculosis, a disease that continues to pose public health concerns in several regions.

The latest supply is expected to help Afghan health authorities expand immunisation outreach and improve vaccine availability in vulnerable communities.

The move further underscores India’s role in providing medical support and essential supplies to countries in need, especially in the broader South Asian region.

Apr 14 (BNP): The 9th edition of India Pharma 2026 began in New Delhi, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, and global stakeholders to discuss the future of India’s pharmaceutical industry.

The two-day conference, organised by the Department of Pharmaceuticals under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers in collaboration with FICCI and the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, focuses on strengthening innovation, research, self-reliance, and India’s global competitiveness in healthcare.

Addressing the inaugural session, Union Minister J. P. Nadda said India’s pharmaceutical sector is undergoing a major transformation from being the “pharmacy of the world” to an innovation-driven hub. He highlighted government efforts to boost research and development, biologics, biosimilars, and advanced therapies, along with initiatives such as the Biopharma Shakti programme, the PRIP scheme, Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, and bulk drug parks.

Minister of State Anupriya Patel said India is steadily evolving from a generics-led industry to a biopharma innovation hub. She noted that the country currently supplies around 20 per cent of global generic medicines and meets nearly 70 per cent of global vaccine demand, while expanding its focus on high-value segments like biologics and biosimilars.

Officials including Manoj Joshi and Punya Salila Srivastava emphasized the need to strengthen research infrastructure, accelerate innovation, and improve regulatory processes to support long-term sector growth.

Industry leaders also pointed to India’s strong manufacturing ecosystem, which includes thousands of pharmaceutical companies and a large number of internationally compliant facilities, reinforcing the country’s position in global supply chains.

The conference will continue over two days with discussions on artificial intelligence in drug discovery, policy frameworks, and strategies to enhance India’s role as a global leader in life sciences.

New Delhi, Apr 11th: In a remarkable display of medical coordination and rapid response, a donor heart was transported via a green corridor from PGIMS Rohtak to Fortis Escorts, Okhla, New Delhi, covering a distance of 98 km in just 85 minutes between 2:50 PM and 4:15 PM.  The timely transplant offered a critical lifeline to a patient in urgent need.

The 26-year old recipient had been suffering from advanced Dilated Cardiomyopathy, a serious condition in which the heart’s ability to pump blood is decreased due to an enlarged and weakened heart muscle. With limited treatment options available, a heart transplant was deemed essential for survival. The 37-year-old donor was found unconscious on the roadside and was rushed to PGIMS Rohtak, where a CT scan revealed an intracranial haemorrhage. Despite all possible medical interventions, the patient was declared brain dead. In an extraordinary act of generosity, the donor’s family consented to organ donation, enabling multiple life-saving transplants.

The organ retrieval process began at 2:20 PM, following which the heart was transported via a green corridor jointly facilitated by the Delhi Police and Rohtak Police. Covering a distance of 98 KMS, the ambulance departed from PGIMS Rohtak at 2:50 PM and reached Fortis Escorts, Okhla at 4:15 PM, ensuring the organ remained viable for transplantation within the critical time window. The transplant was successfully performed by the expert cardiac team at Fortis Escorts, Okhla. The patient is currently under close monitoring in the ICU and is on ventilator support.

The harvested organs were allocated as per established protocols: the heart was transplanted at Fortis Escorts, Okhla, Delhi; lungs were sent to Artemis Hospital, Gurugram; liver and pancreas to AIIMS, New Delhi; while kidneys and corneas were retained at PGIMS Rohtak.

Giving details of the case, Dr. Z S Meherwal, Chairman, Adult CTVS, Fortis Escorts, Okhla, New Delhi, said, “This case highlights the importance of precise coordination and timely organ transport in ensuring successful heart transplants. The seamless collaboration between the medical teams and law enforcement authorities played a crucial role in preserving the viability of the donor heart.” 

Dr. Vishal Rastogi, Director, Cardiology, Fortis Escorts, Okhla, New Delhi added, “Heart transplantation remains the most definitive treatment for patients with advanced Dilated Cardiomyopathy. This successful procedure offers renewed hope, and we are closely monitoring the patient’s recovery. We are deeply grateful to the donor’s family for their selfless decision, which has made this life-saving intervention possible.”

Dr Vikram Aggarwal, Facility Director, Fortis Escorts, Okhla Road, New Delhi said, “This life-saving heart transplant is a testament to the power of seamless coordination, clinical excellence, and the spirit of organ donation. We sincerely acknowledge and thank the Delhi Police, Rohtak Police, and all concerned authorities for swiftly facilitating the green corridor, enabling the timely and safe transport of the donor heart within the critical window. The collaborative efforts of multiple teams were instrumental in making this intervention possible. At Fortis Escorts, Okhla, we remain committed to strengthening such integrated systems to deliver timely, life-saving care. We are deeply grateful to the donor’s family for their extraordinary generosity, which has given a patient a second chance at life.”

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has introduced a new healthcare-linked facility under ‘NPS Swasthya’, aimed at combining retirement savings with medical support for subscribers.

Under this initiative, eligible National Pension System (NPS) subscribers can now use a portion of their pension corpus to meet hospitalisation and in-patient treatment expenses, while the remaining funds continue to grow through market-linked investments.

Subscribers are allowed to access up to 25% of their “Net Eligible Balance” for medical emergencies. This marks a shift from the traditional NPS structure, where funds remain locked until retirement, offering greater flexibility during healthcare needs.

The programme has been developed through a partnership involving the pension regulator and multiple stakeholders, including pension funds and health insurance players. It is powered by Medi Assist’s digital “Maven” platform, which is integrated with the Central Recordkeeping Agency system for seamless processing.

The initiative also provides access to a wide hospital network across India, enabling cashless treatment facilities for subscribers in more than 1,500 cities, along with support for outpatient care services.

Officials said the move aims to strengthen India’s social security system by linking retirement planning with healthcare protection, ensuring financial support during medical emergencies without disrupting long-term savings.