Lifestyle

New Delhi, April 6 (IANS) The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, on Monday launched the VR training centre for medical and nursing education, a step towards adopting immersive technologies in healthcare learning.

The prominent health institute set up the facility at the SET Facility of AIIMS in collaboration with MediSim VR, and will enable structured, simulation-based training for students and healthcare professionals.

The partnership will focus on researching and evaluating the use of AI-enabled VR solutions in medical curricula, including their impact on skill development, assessment, and training standardisation, with the long-term goal of integrating such technologies into mainstream education.

AIIMS -- a premier medical education and research institution in India -- is expected to play a major role in setting benchmarks for the adoption of new learning methods across the healthcare ecosystem.

Speaking at the launch, AIIMS Director M. Srinivas said: "If the country as a whole is to be in the best league, that has to extend to all spheres, including medical innovations, medical teaching, training and learning as well."

He added that VR-based simulation training enables an immersive learning environment that closely mirrors real clinical settings, helping enhance skill development, assessment and training standardisation.

AIIMS Professor of Cardiology and Head, SET Facility, Ambuj Roy, said the integration of VR could redefine medical education by equipping healthcare professionals with greater precision and confidence, while setting new benchmarks in training standards.

From the industry side, MediSim VR COO and co-founder Adith Chinnaswami said the collaboration aims to build a structured pathway for integrating VR into standard medical training, backed by research and long-term validation.

MediSim VR CEO and co-founder Sabarish Chandrasekaran added that the initiative reflects a shared commitment to leveraging technology to improve teaching practices and prepare the next generation of healthcare professionals.

In February, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda said the number of AIIMS institutions in the country has increased from 6 to 23 over the past decade, reflecting a significant expansion in healthcare infrastructure.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 6 (IANS) Financial protection gap for critical illnesses is widening even as employers and insurers ramp up preventive care and cost sharing mechanisms to shield workers and families from rising treatment costs, a report said on Monday on eve of World Health Day.

The professional services firm Aon said that employers in India are increasingly investing in preventive care, outpatient benefits, and digital health and wellness solutions, reflecting a broader shift toward proactive health management due to this gap.

"Employers are increasingly recalibrating plan structures, introducing cost-sharing mechanisms such as voluntary top-ups, co-pay models, and employee-funded riders," the report said.

The firm highlighted that India’s protection gap is high when compared to peers globally creating a huge room for insurance industry growth.

While employer-provided health insurance is widespread, it is typically focused on inpatient care, with average coverage levels of Rs 3–5 lakh. Critical illness riders, where available, tend to be limited to Rs 5–10 lakh amounts that are often inadequate for serious health events involving prolonged treatment and recovery.

The report flagged a widening gap between the true cost of critical illnesses and the financial protection available to individuals and families.

The critical illness protection gap is the shortfall between the actual financial impact of a serious illness and the protection available through insurance, employer benefits, and personal savings.

Globally, the gap is widening, and especially in high-growth regions such as Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, and Latin America, where medical inflation continues to outpace wage growth and benefit expansion.

Healthcare inflation in India — estimated at around 11.5 per cent — creates hurdles for employer-sponsored health plans to provide adequate coverage.

The report urged a holistic approach that integrates insurance design, employer benefits, and individual financial planning to close the gap.

—IANS

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New Delhi, April 6 (IANS) A population-based study in Japan has revealed a gradual increase in the rates of therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia (tAML) in recent years, especially after breast cancer treatment, a study showed on Monday.

The findings, published by Wiley online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, showed that some therapies used to treat cancer may increase the risk of later developing cancers that affect the blood.

“tAML” is an aggressive cancer of the blood and bone marrow that develops after prior chemotherapy or radiation for an earlier, primary cancer, likely arising in part due to DNA damage from these treatments.

“The study provides an important step towards better understanding how the nature of tAML is changing with the increasing number of cancer survivors,” said lead author Kenji Kishimoto, of the Osaka International Cancer Institute.

To assess whether “tAML” is increasing as a post-cancer therapy complication as the number of cancer survivors increases, investigators analysed data from the Osaka Cancer Registry pertaining to patients in Japan who were diagnosed with AML between 1990 and 2020.

Nearly 9,841 patients with AML, 636 (6.5 per cent) had tAML. The annual tAML incidence increased from 0.13 per 100,000 population in 1990 to 0.36 per 100,000 population in 2020. The proportion of tAML cases in overall AML cases almost doubled.

The most common primary cancer that was treated before tAML developed was another form of blood cancer (23.1 per cent), followed by breast cancer (14.6 per cent), colorectal cancer (11.5 per cent), and gastric cancer (8.7 per cent).

The distribution of primary cancers changed over time, with a prominent increase in breast cancer and a decrease in gastric cancer, said the study.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 5 (IANS) India’s pharmaceutical exports reached over $28 billion up to February in the current financial year, registering a growth of more than 5 per cent compared to the same period last year, a senior government official has said.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the ‘Chintan Shivir: Scaling Up Pharma Exports’, the official highlighted that the growth was led by formulations, biologicals, vaccines, and Ayush products.

“Despite global challenges, pharmaceutical exports have been among the few sectors to maintain growth momentum,” he said, noting that exports from April to February FY26 stood at $28.29 billion -- reflecting a 5.6 per cent increase over FY25.

Rajesh Agrawal, Secretary in the Department of Commerce, added that even if the set targets in dollar terms are difficult to achieve, export performance would show growth in rupee terms due to the continued weakening of the Indian currency against the US dollar.

The official recalled that India’s pharmaceutical exports had reached $30.47 billion in FY24–25, marking a year-on-year growth of 9.4 per cent despite global pricing pressures and trade volatility.

India ranks third globally in pharmaceutical production by volume, exporting to over 200 markets worldwide.

More than 60 per cent of India’s pharmaceutical exports are directed towards highly regulated markets, underscoring the industry’s strong compliance and quality standards.

The United States accounts for 34 per cent of exports, followed by Europe at 19 per cent.

Meanwhile, an earlier report by Rubix Industry showed that India’s medical devices industry is projected to reach $50.1 billion by 2030 from $15.2 billion in 2025, at a compound annual growth rate of 26.9 per cent.

The report attributed the growth to government initiatives such as the National Medical Devices Policy, Production‑Linked Incentive Scheme, Scheme for Promotion of Medical Devices Parks, and MedTech Mitra.

The report noted that medical devices exports reached $4.1 billion in FY25 while imports touched $8.6 billion, leaving 70-80 percent of domestic demand being met through imports, particularly for technologically advanced devices.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 4 (IANS) Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh met with International Diabetes Federation President-elect Dr Niti Pall, and the latter highlighted that Asian and African countries "are increasingly looking to India for affordable diabetes care solutions," due to leadership in supplying cost-effective vaccines, an official statement said on Saturday.

Dr Singh and Dr Pall discussed indigenous biosimilar insulin production and diabetes related indigenous biomanufacturing prospects, the Ministry of Earth Sciences said in a statement.

She pointed out that high insulin prices in many regions continue to limit access, reinforcing the need for alternative manufacturing hubs capable of delivering quality products at lower cost.

"The meeting underscored the importance of strengthening India’s capabilities in insulin manufacturing, particularly biosimilar insulins and Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) instruments," the statement said, noting global concerns about future insulin availability.

Dr Paul flagged the risk of supply constraints as major multinational manufacturers increasingly shift their focus towards newer therapies such as GLP-1 drugs.

She noted that insulin production globally is currently concentrated among few companies, creating supply chains and affordability challenges, especially for Type 1 diabetes patients dependent on lifelong insulin therapy.

Against this backdrop, biosimilar insulin or highly similar versions of existing insulin therapies emerged as a key area of focus as a lower‑cost alternative to match existing therapies in safety and efficacy.

Dr Singh acknowledged India’s pharmaceutical strengths but said domestic insulin manufacturing remains relatively limited.

The minister informed that the Department of Biotechnology is already supporting efforts to enhance insulin production capacity, mentioning recent steps to scale up manufacturing by an Indian company.

They discussed the potential for deeper collaboration involving Indian researchers, industry stakeholders and international partners in areas such as clinical trials, technology development and financing models.

Dr Paul noted the rapid expansion of low-cost devices from countries such as China, with significant price advantages over Western products, and cautioned that these manufacturers are already capturing substantial market share.

Dr Singh observed that Indian companies possess the technological capability to develop comparable devices, including CGMs, and stressed that scaling up production would require stronger industry participation and targeted support.

—IANS

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New Delhi, April 4 (IANS) India’s drug regulators are stepping up oversight of fast-growing weight-loss and diabetes therapies, particularly GLP-1 receptor agonists, amid rising demand and the anticipated entry of cheaper generic versions into the domestic market.

The move comes as the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), which functions under the Ministry of Health, has been tasked with systematically collecting and analysing adverse event reports linked to these drugs.

The initiative aims to strengthen post-marketing surveillance and ensure that any safety concerns are quickly identified and addressed.

Officials indicated that the step is part of a broader regulatory push to keep pace with the rapid uptake of these therapies, especially as affordability improves.

With the patent expiry of semaglutide, a key ingredient in popular weight-loss treatments, more low-cost generic alternatives are expected to hit the market, potentially expanding access but also raising the risk of misuse.

The tightening of surveillance builds on recent enforcement actions led by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), which has intensified inspections to curb unauthorised sale and promotion of GLP-1 drugs.

In recent weeks, authorities audited 49 entities across the country, including online pharmacy warehouses, wholesalers, retailers and weight-loss clinics.

These inspections, conducted across multiple regions, focused on identifying violations such as sale without prescription, improper prescribing practices and misleading marketing.

Notices have been issued to violators, with the government warning that continued non-compliance could lead to licence cancellations, financial penalties and legal action.

The Centre has also made it clear that only qualified specialists, including endocrinologists, internal medicine experts and cardiologists, are authorised to prescribe these medicines.

Earlier, on March 10, the government directed manufacturers to halt misleading advertisements and any promotions that could encourage unsupervised use.

GLP-1 receptor agonists, widely used to treat type 2 diabetes and increasingly prescribed for weight loss, work by stimulating insulin secretion and reducing appetite by slowing gastric emptying.

However, health authorities have flagged potential side effects ranging from nausea and vomiting to more serious risks such as pancreatitis, kidney injury and bowel obstruction.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 4 (IANS) Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh has called for stronger outreach, including digital dissemination and targeted engagement with startups and MSMEs, particularly in emerging segments such as ready-to-eat and “carry-home” food products tailored to changing urban consumption patterns.

He emphasised that the next phase of growth lies in expanding the commercial and entrepreneurial ecosystem around such technologies.

India’s millet push received a dual institutional boost as the Centre moved to scale both technology and grassroots capacity, with Dr Jitendra Singh highlighting Millet recipes developed with Indian technology are being served by international food chains, including McDonalds.

During a visit to the country’s first dedicated 'Centre of Excellence' for Millets at the Central Food Technology & Research Institute (CFTRI) in Mysore, Dr Singh observed that the innovations from this Centre have already entered global food chains, and will now be complemented by a new residential training ecosystem to expand its reach nationwide.

Noting that institutions like CFTRI have already developed hundreds of technologies with high levels of commercial adoption, the Minister said the focus must now shift to ensuring wider market access and last-mile delivery.

The millet facility, supported by Rs 20 crore under RKVY, integrates advanced processing technologies capable of handling all nine varieties of millets within a single system.

With a cleaning capacity of 60–70 tonnes per day and milling capacity of 12–15 tonnes per day, it produces a range of value-added outputs including flour, semolina (sooji and rava) and bran, while ensuring higher nutrient retention, improved shelf life and industrial-scale efficiency in a hygienic, automated environment.

He stressed that scientific innovation must move beyond laboratories to directly support livelihoods, especially through partnerships with farmers, women’s groups and small enterprises.

With global attention turning towards climate-resilient crops and sustainable nutrition, millets are emerging as a strategic focus area for India’s food economy.

The CFTRI model, combining scientific research, industry linkage and grassroots capacity-building, is being positioned as a template for translating this opportunity into both economic growth and nutritional outcomes.

—IANS

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New Delhi, April 3 (IANS) Scientists have found that those living with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have a 71 per cent higher risk of cardiovascular events (CVEs) or death from any cause (all-cause mortality) compared with those not living with OSA.

New research, to be presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2026, Istanbul, Turkey, May 12-15), is a collaboration between Imperial College Health Partners; Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK; and Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly).

“In adults, obstructive sleep apnea is linked to higher risk of cardiovascular events or all-cause mortality, especially among those with obesity, even after adjusting for confounders,” said study co-author Heather Fitzke of Imperial College Health Partners, London.

OSA is characterised by recurrent upper airway obstruction during sleep and is associated with reduced quality of sleep and life and increased cardiovascular risk.

The prevalence of obesity and overweight among people with OSA is between 40-70 per cent, and people living with obesity are more likely to experience more severe OSA than those without the condition.

In this new study, the primary objective was to assess the increased risk of the combined endpoint of CVEs or death among adults with a diagnosis of OSA compared to adults without OSA.

The study used electronic health records from 2.9 million residents.

In the analysis, 20,300 people diagnosed with OSA were matched with 97,412 comparators; 57.2 per cent (11,613) of those participants with OSA were living with obesity compared to 56.7 per cent (55,264) of the matched participants without OSA.

The authors found the risk of CVEs or all-cause mortality among people with OSA was 71 per cent higher than in the matched controls without OSA.

These findings underscore the need for effective obesity management and highlight the importance of early screening and timely diagnosis. To our knowledge, this is the largest matched case-control study of obstructive sleep apnea outside the US to date, Fitzke added.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 2 (IANS) Tuberculosis is one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases and now, a team of scientists has discovered a fundamental flaw in a long-standing model of how bacteria control gene expression that can form the base for innovative strategies to combat tuberculosis and other bacterial infections, an official statement said on Thursday.

Scientists believed that a protein called ‘σ factor’ binds RNA polymerase, initiates bacterial transcription and is then released once the enzyme begins elongating RNA.

This process, known as the ‘σ-cycle’, was assumed to be universal across bacteria, including TB bacteria.

For years, scientists believed that a protein called σ factor binds RNA polymerase, initiates bacterial transcription and is then released once the enzyme begins elongating RNA. This process, known as the σ-cycle, was assumed to be universal across bacteria, including TB bacteria.

However, a new study from Bose Institute, Kolkata, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), overturns this assumption.

Researchers Dr Jayanta Mukhopadhyay and Dr N. Hazra found that while some σ factors in M. tuberculosis dissociate from RNA polymerase during transcription, others remain firmly attached throughout the process.

Their research, published in international journal Nucleic Acids Research, reveals that a mechanism taught for decades in molecular biology textbooks — the so-called “universal σ-cycle”, does not apply to all bacteria or all regulatory proteins.

“The study focuses on tuberculosis (TB) causing bacteria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and shows that different σ (sigma) factors, proteins that guide RNA polymerase to specific genes, behave in strikingly different ways during transcription, the first step of gene expression,” said the Ministry of Science and Technology.

The discovery that σF remains bound to RNA polymerase suggests a so far unknown mechanism by which the bacterium ensures sustained expression of stress-response genes, an insight with important implications for TB biology.

Drug-resistant strains pose an increasing global threat to cure of the disease. M. tuberculosis (TB) bacteria survive inside the human host by precisely regulating gene expression under extreme stress conditions.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 2 (IANS) A team of researchers has shown that people with long COVID are likely to be at an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

The research from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, published in the journal eClinicalMedicine, found that the risk of conditions such as cardiac arrhythmias and coronary artery disease is higher even among those who were not hospitalised during the acute infection.

“We found that cardiac arrhythmias and coronary artery disease were more common among both women and men with long COVID. In women, there was also an increased risk of heart failure and peripheral vascular disease,” said Pia Lindberg from the Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet.

However, no clear association was found between long COVID and stroke.

According to the study, long COVID has become an increasingly significant health problem worldwide, and a growing number of studies suggest that the condition can lead to secondary cardiovascular diseases.

In the current study, the researchers investigated how often major cardiovascular events occur in these individuals compared with those without the diagnosis.

From over 1.2 million people aged between 18 and 65, around 9,000 had been diagnosed with long COVID, corresponding to 0.7 per cent. Two-thirds of them were women.

During the follow-up period of around four years, people with long COVID were more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease.

About 18.2 per cent of women and 20.6 per cent of men experienced some form of cardiovascular event, compared with 8.4 per cent of women and 11.1 per cent of men in the group without long COVID.

“Women with long COVID had just over twice the risk of receiving a cardiovascular diagnosis compared with women without long COVID. Men had approximately a third higher risk,” the study showed.

As many people with long COVID never required hospitalisation during their acute infection, there is a risk that secondary conditions may be missed, said Lindberg.

“Results show that long COVID can be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, even in younger people who were previously healthy. This underlines the need for structured follow-up that takes gender differences into account,” the study author said.

--IANS

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