A team at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale in Lausanne, Switzerland has announced the development of flexible spinal implants that could help paralysed people walk again. The implant is called the eDura for “electronic dura mater”. The dura mater is the soft connective tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. Traditional implants are more rigid…

The  Antimicrobial Discovery Center at Northeastern University in Boston, US announced the discovery of Teixobactin, the first new class of antibiotics in nearly 30 years.  The discovery is a breakthrough because bacteria are increasingly becoming resistant to existing antibiotics. The rampant misuse and overuse of antibiotics has been blamed for this increasing bacterial resistance. Also, pharmaceutical companies had…

Today, the Indian Cabinet has approved 100% FDI in Medical Devices in India. Till now, FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) in this sector required FIPB (Foreign Investment Promotion Board) approval. The need for FIPB approval led to long delays in getting foreign funding. The definition of a Medical Device is broad and includes  “instrument, apparatus, appliance, implant, reagent,…

As per an article in Deccan Chronicle, the Kerala State Government plans to have an Standard Operating Procedure for prescription of antibiotics. This is to ensure that narrow-spectrum antibiotics are tried before broad-spectrum ones, based on grading of patients on the seriousness of their infections. This will prevent the development of antimicrobial resistance. Already, the…

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a comprehensive report on Superbugs, highlighting the problem of AntiMicrobial Resistance (AMR). Significant points: 1. No major types of antibiotics discovered in the last 30 years 2. This report covers data from 114 countries – high levels of resistance found in all parts of the world 2. Without…

“Missing Microbes – How Antibiotics can do Harm” – by Dr. Martin J. Blaser – published March 2014 Dr Blaser is a professor of medicine and infectious diseases at New York University. Some points from the book – 1. Increasing resistance due to rampant abuse of antibiotics 2. Benevolent bacteria are killed as well by…

In Sept 2013, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States issued what was seen as the first time hard-data was made available on the problem of antibiotic resistance. The report estimates that 2 million Americans are infected each year by antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains and lead to 23,000 deaths per annum….