The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved a new project to strengthen health resilience in Guyana, the Washington, DC-headquartered financial institution said Wednesday night. The US$ 22-million Guyana One Health Project will focus on empowering the country to prevent, prepare for, and respond to health emergencies. The project will adopt a One Health approach, which ...

View the full post Secondary School Finalists for GFNC Quiz (Part 3) on NOW Grenada.

Despite an overall decrease in premature mortality in the Americas, just five countries are on track to achieve the 25% reduction target by 2025

Cristina Mitchell

26 Mar 2025

YOUR GUT is your gastrointestinal system and includes your stomach, intestines and colon. It digests and absorbs nutrients from food and excretes waste. About 200 different species of bacteria, viruses and fungi live in your large intestine. The...

President Irfaan Ali on Tuesday announced a five-year extension of the National Healthcare Initiative to transform Guyana’s public health system with world-class healthcare services accessible to every Guyanese citizen. This next phase of the initiative, launched in 2022 by the Government of Guyana in collaboration with the Mount Sinai Health System and Hess Corporation, will ...

Justice Mini Pushkarna ruled that public interest in affordable treatment outweighs corporate profits, particularly when the drug is the only available treatment for a rare disease in India. The court held;

"A drug which is the only one available for treatment in India, for a rare disease, its availability to the public at large at very economical and competitive prices, is a material factor which a Court will consider at the time of dealing with an application for interim injunction. Besides, the plaintiffs can be compensated by way of damages. However, there exists no right for the public to lessen or compensate itself.”

Background on Spinal Muscular Atrophy and Risdiplam

SMA is a severe neuromuscular disorder that causes motor neuron degeneration, leading to progressive muscle weakness. It is the leading genetic cause of infant mortality, affecting approximately one in 10,000 live births worldwide and one in 7,744 live births in India.

Until recent advancements, SMA treatment was limited to supportive care. However, Evrysdi (Risdiplam), developed by Roche, became a major breakthrough as the first oral therapy for SMA. Roche launched Evrysdi in India in July 2021, but its high cost remains a significant barrier. The annual treatment cost ranges between Rs 2.2 million to Rs 7.2 million, depending on patient weight and dosage.

With the unaffordability of the treatment, many families have turned to legal petitions seeking assistance for their children's treatment.

Patent Dispute Between Roche and Natco

Roche alleged that Natco Pharma was preparing to commercially manufacture Risdiplam, violating its Indian patent, valid until 2035.

Natco challenged the patent’s validity, arguing that Roche’s original international patent already covered the drug. The company contended that Roche was engaging in "evergreening" by filing a new patent specifically in India to extend its monopoly, despite not initially filing the broader patent.

The Delhi High Court found merit in Natco’s argument, stating that Roche’s patent could be invalidated under various grounds, including:

Anticipation by prior publication (Section 64(1)(e)),

Obviousness (Section 64(1)(f)), and

Misrepresentation (Section 64(1)(j)).

The Court noted that Risdiplam was implicitly covered under Roche’s previous international patent, a fact evident from Roche’s admissions in US, Australian, and Canadian patent filings.

Public Interest Consideration and Patent Injunctions

Justice Pushkarna underscored the importance of public interest in deciding whether an injunction should be granted. Citing Justice Prathiba M Singh's book on Patent Law, the Court reiterated that:

"At the interim stage, the impact of an injunction if granted on the public would also be considered by the Court. In addition to the three conditions for grant of injunctions, a fourth factor, i.e., public interest, has also been applied in few patent cases."

The court referenced past Delhi High Court rulings, where injunctions were denied for life-saving cancer drugs due to high pricing and limited access.

Justice Pushkarna stated:

“The approved drug, i.e., Risdiplam, which is marketed under the name Evrysdi, is not available at reasonably affordable prices in India. Thus, if a party is able to manufacture the drug and make it available at an affordable price, in such a case, the public interest would have to outweigh the need for grant of injunction.”

Since SMA has no cure, and Risdiplam (Evrysdi) is the only approved treatment in India, the court ruled that denying an injunction would ensure wider access to treatment, while Roche could still seek damages if it eventually won the case.

The Court concluded:

“A drug which is the only one available for treatment in India, for a rare disease, its availability to the public at large at very economical and competitive prices, is a material factor which a Court will consider at the time of dealing with an application for interim injunction. Besides, the plaintiffs can be compensated by way of damages. However, there exists no right for the public to lessen or compensate itself.”

To view the original order, click on the link below:

https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/rochevsnatco-1-280226.pdf

As spring breakers this season continue to head south into warmer territory, mosquitoes are posing a health risk that calls for extra attention.

Global cases of dengue fever are on the rise, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — and it's warning of an uptick in U.S. travelers.

The agency released a Health Alert Network advisory on March 18 noting that dengue activity and transmission "remain high" in some parts of the U.S. and globally, including the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

DENGUE FEVER: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE MOSQUITO-BORNE ILLNESS SWEEPING JAMAICA

"Spring and summer travel coincide with the peak season for dengue in many countries, increasing the risk of both travel-associated and locally acquired cases in the United States," the CDC wrote.

The CDC has marked dengue fever as a level 1 health alert, urging the public to "practice usual precautions."

This includes avoiding mosquito bites by using an EPA-registered insect repellent, wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors, and sleeping in a room that has air conditioning or screened windows.

Many countries have reported a "higher-than-usual" number of dengue cases in 2024 and 2025, the CDC noted.

TIGER MOSQUITOES BLAMED FOR SPREAD OF DENGUE FEVER: ‘MOST INVASIVE SPECIES’

The following countries have also reported higher-than-expected numbers of dengue cases among American travelers returning to U.S. soil: Brazil, Burkina Faso, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Iran, Mexico, Pakistan, Panama, Philippines, Saint Lucia and Sudan.

Dengue fever is a virus spread through bites from an infected mosquito. 

It is common in the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific Islands, among other countries, according to the CDC.

TRAVEL HOT SPOT SEEKS EMERGENCY DECLARATION OVER MASSIVE BUG INFESTATION

In 2024, more than 13 million cases were reported in North, Central and South America, as well as in the Caribbean.

Local transmission of these outbreaks was reported in California, Texas and Florida last year.

Typical symptoms include aches and pains (in the eyes, muscles, joints, or bones), nausea, vomiting and rash — usually experienced within two weeks of being bitten.

Most people experience symptoms for two to seven days before recovering.

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"It’s typically a more mild illness, but can be severe, causing headaches, joint pain, fever, abdominal pain and even death," Dr. Mark Fischer, regional medical director of International SOS, a leading medical and security services company, previously told Fox News Digital. 

There is not currently any medication to treat dengue, according to the CDC. 

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Infected people are advised to rest, take acetaminophen for pain and fever, stay hydrated and see a doctor.

There is a vaccine available for U.S. children between 9 and 16 years of age who have previously tested positive for dengue and are living in areas where the infection is common.

Fox News Digital’s Melissa Rudy contributed reporting.