Latest news with #C-CAMP
Time of India
15 hours ago
- Health
- Time of India
Call to make cell & gene therapies affordable
Bengaluru: "Innovations in cell and gene therapies are good, but work towards making them affordable," Prof AK Sood, principal scientific advisor (PSA) to the Union govt told researchers Thursday. But what are these therapies that Sood spoke about? They are cutting-edge medical treatments that aim to cure diseases at the source rather than just manage symptoms. Gene therapy fixes faulty genes. And cell therapy uses specially prepared cells - often taken from the patient or a donor - to help the body heal, or fight disease. These are already being used to treat serious conditions like blood cancers and rare genetic diseases. But each treatment can cost lakhs or even crores, making them out of reach for most people. "If we want to make them widely accessible in India, we need a much larger and coordinated effort," Sood told researchers and innovators at India AMR Innovation Workshop held at C-CAMP here. He said the Centre is working on a "Cell and Gene Therapy Mission" that will bring together several ministries and departments. Citing ImmunoACT - a CAR-T cell therapy for cancer treatment that uses the patient's own immune cells to fight the disease - developed with govt support as a good example, he said private companies are now stepping in to take it forward. Pointing out that India lacks strong laws to stop over-the-counter sale of antibiotics, which is a major cause of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) , Sood blamed fake doctors, easy access to antibiotics, and high consultation fees for irresponsible usage. Karnataka IT-BT secretary Ekroop Caur spoke about the rising danger of AMR, saying even people who don't misuse antibiotics can be affected because of what's happening in animals and plants. "That's why Karnataka launched a new AMR action plan this year." C-CAMP CEO and director Taslimarif Saiyed warned AMR could lead to 10 million deaths a year if urgent action isn't taken.
Time of India
a day ago
- Health
- Time of India
Make cell & gene therapies affordable, Prof AK Sood, principal scientific advisor (PSA) to Union government told researchers in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: "Innovations in cell and gene therapies are good, but work towards making them affordable," Prof AK Sood, principal scientific advisor (PSA) to the Union govt told researchers Thursday. But what are these therapies that Sood spoke about? They are cutting-edge medical treatments that aim to cure diseases at the source rather than just manage symptoms. Gene therapy fixes faulty genes. It's like correcting the instruction manual in our cells. And cell therapy uses specially prepared cells — often taken from the patient or a donor — to help the body heal, fight disease, or replace damaged cells. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru These therapies are already being used to treat serious conditions like blood cancers and rare genetic diseases. But each treatment can cost lakhs or even crores of rupees, making them out of reach for most people. "Today, these therapies are extremely expensive — even in developed countries. If we want to make them widely accessible in India, we need a much larger and coordinated effort," Sood told the researchers and innovators at the India AMR Innovation Workshop held at C-CAMP here. He said the Centre is working on a dedicated "Cell and Gene Therapy Mission" that will bring together several ministries and departments. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Dubai villas | search ads Get Deals Undo "Science and technology is one part. The real challenge is scaling up to reduce costs. We must also develop key chemicals ourselves to cut down on imports," he said, noting that IIT Bombay is already working on this. Citing ImmunoACT — a CAR-T cell therapy for cancer treatment that uses the patient's own immune cells to fight the disease — developed with govt support as a good example, he said private companies are now stepping in to take it forward and reduce costs further. Sood also said quantum computing could speed up the discovery of new drugs by quickly solving complex problems, helping scientists find medicines faster. "This could change the future of healthcare," he said. Pointing out that India lacks strong laws to stop over-the-counter sale of antibiotics, which is a major cause of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), Sood blamed fake doctors, easy access to antibiotics, and high consultation fees for irresponsible usage. Karnataka IT-BT secretary Ekroop Caur spoke about the rising danger of AMR, saying even people who don't misuse antibiotics can be affected because of what's happening in animals and plants. "That's why Karnataka launched a new AMR action plan this year." C-CAMP CEO and director Taslimarif Saiyed warned that AMR could lead to 10 million deaths a year if urgent action isn't taken.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Health
- The Hindu
‘Strong deterrent measures needed from government to tackle anti-microbial resistance'
In tackling the anti-microbial resistance (AMR) challenges India faces, the difficulty to enforce the existing guidelines has been posing an issue, said Ajay Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, while addressing the media at an AMR Innovation Workshop held by The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP). 'Over-the-counter sale of antibiotics is the biggest culprit. We also have fake doctors who prescribe antibiotics. Many people think doctor consultation is a waste. But a pharmacist cannot replace a doctor. People also feed antibiotics to their animals prophylactically, which then gets passed downstream through food products,' he said urging for stronger deterrent measures from the government. Noting that the power of new technology will prove to be extremely useful in biosciences, Mr. Sood said that quantum computing will be a game changer in drug discovery. Building new solutions Taslimarif Saiyed, Director-CEO, C-CAMP, noted that building new solutions was important to tackle the AMR challenge, along with enforcement. He pointed out that Karnataka is now developing its own State Action Plan AMR. 'One of the efforts that has been happening under the aegis of the Office of the PSA, as well as the Department of IT/BT - Government of Karnataka is to build solutions. 'Today, the diagnostic cost is much higher than the antibiotic cost. It also takes a long time to get results and determine which antibiotic to prescribe. If we have solutions that can do quick detection at a lower cost and decide which antibiotic to give, people will rather go through a scientific way of diagnostics instead of directly going to pharmacist and taking antibiotics. Launch of AMR Challenge The event saw the launch of One Health AMR Challenge 2025 by C-CAMP, with the support of the International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions (ICARS), to identify, support, and scale breakthrough technologies tackling AMR across human, animal, and environmental health. Selected innovations will receive financial support ranging from ₹40 lakhs to ₹2 crores based on technology readiness. Comprehensive technical assistance—including regulatory, legal, IP, manufacturing, and market readiness support will also be provided. The workshop held by C-CAMP under the aegis of the India AMR Innovation Hub (IAIH), brought together over 50 key stakeholders from academia, industry, government, and the public health ecosystem. Innovations including Pocket PCR devices, air sterilisation systems, and paper-based lateral flow tests were featured. 'Our recently unveiled Biotech Policy identifies AMR as a key focus area for intervention, reflecting the Government of Karnataka's commitment to addressing this challenge through innovation and collaboration. We need a collective, coordinated effort to tackle AMR, and what I see here today through the India AMR Innovation Hub is a promising start — many stakeholders coming together in one room, collaborating to address a shared challenge,' said Ekroop Caur, Secretary, Department of Electronics, Information Technology, Biotechnology, and Science & Technology, Government of Karnataka.
The Hindu
30-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Partnership to strengthen public health system in T.N.
The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) has partnered with the Government of Tamil Nadu to strengthen the public health system in the State through indigenous and innovative health technologies. Through this, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and philanthropy partners can enable joint projects led by the Tamil Nadu government and C-CAMP. As a part of this, the Directorate of Public Health (DPH) and Preventive Medicine, Tamil Nadu and C-CAMP came together to host a 'Roundtable on Public Health 2025'. During this, they announced a strategic alliance with the aim to strengthen the State's comprehensive primary healthcare delivery through the implementation of indigenous health solutions and medical innovations. C-CAMP, a deep-science innovation hub, is an initiative supported by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. Already, three key healthcare programmes were initiated in the State. Public health officials said that the initiatives were piloted through a collaboration with C-Camp with CSR support. One of the initiatives was 'Strengthening Last Mile Cold Chain Healthcare for Routine Immunisation and COVID-19 Vaccination' using an electronic active vaccine carrier. As part of this, solar power systems were installed at four Primary Health Centres (PHC) in Dindigul district to ensure reliable power for critical vaccine storage and medical equipment. The next phase will involve solarisation of the maternity ward operating theatre/labour room in Government Kodaikanal Hospital, a press release said. In another initiative, devices for early screening of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy were introduced at selected PHCs in three districts. During the COVID-19 pandemic and immediately after, Contactless Remote Vital Parameter Monitoring Technology was deployed in public hospitals of Coimbatore, Madurai, Tirunelveli and Chennai with CSR support. Health Secretary P. Senthilkumar, Mission Director of National Health Mission, Tamil Nadu Arun Thamburaj, Director of Public Health T.S. Selvavinayagam and Taslimarif Saiyed, C-CAMP director, participated.
New Indian Express
07-05-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
Eye on the road: BMTC staff get free eye screening
BENGALURU: Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy inaugurated a free eye check-up camp for BMTC drivers and conductors in the city on Tuesday. Such camps will henceforth be organised in phases across the BMTC central office, 50 depots and four workshops, assisted by medical teams. After the free screening, spectacles will be given to those in need. The camp was held as part of the Saarige Asha Kirana Yojane initiated by the transport department in collaboration with the department of biotechnology, Government of India, and C-CAMP (Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms). The minister also distributed group insurance cheques worth Rs 10 lakh each on the occasion. Under the group insurance scheme, an insurance amount of Rs 50 lakh is payable in case of death due to an accident (including duty-related or personal accidents) and Rs 10 lakh in case of natural or other causes of death. From February 19, 2024, to April 2025, 118 employees passed away. Among them, 107 employees died due to natural or other causes. Of these, 73 deceased employees' nominees have been paid Rs 10 lakh each under the corporation's group insurance scheme, amounting to Rs 7.30 crore, the bus corporation said.
