Bharat Biotech says working on two possible Zika vaccines

MUMBAI: Indian biotechnology company Bharat Biotech said on Wednesday it was working on two possible vaccines to fight the Zika virus, which has been linked to birth defects in thousands of babies in Brazil.

The virus is spreading rapidly in the Americas, and WHO officials on Tuesday expressed concern that it could hit Africa and Asia as well. No vaccine has been developed so far.
One of the possible vaccines is "recombinant", which means it is created by genetic engineering, while the other was "inactivated", and will enter pre-clinical trials in animals in two weeks, Bharat Biotech managing director Krishna Ella told Reuters.
An inactivated vaccine is created by killing a pathogen in a way that its ability to replicate is destroyed, but the immune system can still recognise it.


Bharat Biotech's announcement came a day after France's Sanofi said it had launched a project to develop a Zika vaccine. On Wednesday, Japanese drugmaker Takeda Pharmaceutical also said it was investigating the possibilities of developing a vaccine for the disease.
Privately held Bharat Biotech, based in Hyderabad, said it started work on the Zika virus a year ago, while developing vaccines for chikungunya and dengue. Zika is closely related to dengue and is spread by the same species of mosquito.


Bharat Biotech sells its vaccines for polio, hepatitis B, H1N1 and rabies, among others, to more than 65 countries, according to its website.
"They've got a lead, essentially ... it's certainly not a vaccine yet," said Soumya Swaminathan, the Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the apex body for biomedical research in India, funded by the health ministry.Swaminathan said it was premature to comment on the two vaccine candidates, but the ICMR had put together a group of experts to examine their validity.
No cases of the virus have been detected in India yet, but the health ministry on Tuesday issued guidelines on the disease, including an advisory that travel to affected countries be postponed or cancelled.

(Reporting by Zeba Siddiqui in Mumbai; Editing by Nick Macfie)

India Signs an Agreement to Become an Associate Member State of European Molecular Biology Organisation

India through the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology signed a Cooperation Agreement to acquire the status of the Associate Member State European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO).  This would strengthen scientific interaction and collaborative research between India and Europe in this field. After the signing of an agreement with Singapore by EMBC in July 2015, India will now become second such country outside the European region.

 

EMBO is an organization of more than 1700 leading researchers that promotes excellence in the life sciences. The major goals of the organization are to support talented researchers at all stages of their careers, stimulate the exchange of scientific information. The movement was started in 1964 as European Molecular Biology Conference (EMBC) and subsequently it got intergovernmental funding.  More information on the organisation is at www.embo.org

 

With this India as an EMBC Associate Member State, researchers working in India are now eligible to participate in all EMBO programmes and activities. Indian scientists can apply to EMBO’s programmes, such as long-term fellowships for postdoctoral researchers, short-term fellowships, courses and workshops, as well as the EMBO Young Investigator Programme. At the same time, Europe will benefit from networking with the top-level scientists in India’s research community.

 

The official kick-off launch ceremony of the agreement was held in New Delhi, India today (4 February 2016). Scientific presentations were made by Nobel Laureates Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard and Ada E. Yonath to mark the occasion.

 

To mark the occasion, Professor Maria Leptin, Director of EMBO said - “For the past five years, we have been promoting international interactions beyond Europe, and India is one of our prime partners. I am extremely pleased that India is going to be an Associate Member of EMBC and I look forward to India being able to access EMBO activities. Many European researchers have established scientific connections in India. No doubt these will be strengthened further once more tools and formal opportunities for interactions are available.”

 

Professor K. Vijay Raghavan, Secretary of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) for the Government of India, who signed the agreement: “India is rapidly growing into a position where we are making extraordinary demands on ourselves. India can only succeed if we partner with the best everywhere to bring the best here.” He added: “Through EMBO, we will not only have the excellent joint programmes that benefit India and Europe, but we hope to be a magnet that attracts bright young people to science from in- and outside India.” 

 

Professor Gerrit van Meer, President of the EMBC, remarked: “All member states welcome the exchange with Indian scientists that this agreement will bring. We look forward to seeing transcontinental projects spanning India and Europe grow in future.”

 

An EMBO-led delegation of ten researchers is in India now to visit various institutes across the country and meet with Indian scientists and government representatives.

 

This newly forged cooperation will build upon already existing links between Indian and European scientists. In 2015, 10 Indian postdoctoral researchers received an EMBO Long-Term Fellowship to work in Europe and eight India-based scientists received the EMBO Short-Term Fellowship. A satellite symposium focusing on research in India has been an integral part of the annual conference The EMBO Meeting.

Isolated Nepal PM could be toppled by constitution crisis

KATHMANDU: An unwieldy coalition of lawmakers trying to implement Nepal's first democratic constitution is finding common cause with protesting minority groups, isolating Prime Minister K.P. Oli and increasing the risk his government could fall this spring.
Oli, of the leftist Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), promised to resolve simmering tensions in the southern plains and lift a blockade of the Indian border when he was voted in to power almost four months ago.
Yet sporadic violence, in which more than 50 people have died since August, continues in the Himalayan nation with police shooting dead three demonstrators last month.
Protest leaders say the heavy-handed police tactics show the government is not sincere about finding a solution, while in Kathmandu residents have to choose between queuing for hours for fuel and gas and paying exorbitant prices on the black market.
"There are reports that corruption is rising and the government is not able to meet expectations of the people," said Dinanath Sharma, a spokesman for the Maoist party that props up Oli's fragile coalition.
Oli, 63, heads a fractious cabinet with no less than six deputy premiers – one a royalist bent on reinstating the monarchy and another the leader of a party representing minority Madhesis who has yet to sign the constitution.

EU draft deal on Britain not a euro zone veto: Tusk letter

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A letter sent by European Council President Donald Tusk to European Union (EU) leaders after it was released to the media, is seen in Brussels, Belgium February 2, 2016.

Reuters/Francois Lenoir

BRUSSELS Proposals to protect Britain and other non-euro zone countries from deeper euro zone integration do not grant London the right of veto over decisions, European Council President Donald Tusk told EU leaders in a letter on Tuesday.
Publishing the letter moments after he released the draft proposal to keep Britain in the EU, Tusk said EU ambassadors would meet on Friday to discuss the plans.
Tusk said that "giving necessary reassurances on the concerns of non-euro area member states cannot constitute a veto nor delay urgent decisions."

EU leaders hope to agree the proposals at a summit on Feb.18.



(Reporting by Robin Emmott and Jan Strupczewski; editing by Barbara Lewis)

Joint Declaration between India and Germany on the extension of the tenure of the Indo-German Science & Technology Centre (IGSTC) from 2017 till 2022

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi was apprised about signing of a Joint Declaration between the Ministry of Science & Technology and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany on the extension of the tenure of the Indo-German Science & Technology Centre (IGSTC). The Declaration is for the extension of tenure of the bilateral IGSTC for a period of five years beyond 2017 till 2022. It provides for enhancement of funding allocation from 2 million Euros per year to a maximum of 4 million Euros per year by each side. The committed funding will be based on the principles of activity matching funding for supporting collaborative research partnerships of industrial relevance.

The joint research projects involving academia and industry from both countries will aim towards creation of new scientific knowledge base and the application of research results for technology development and application. This new declaration will enable IGSTC to further enhance, strengthen and improve research and technology cooperation of industrial relevance through cooperation between laboratories, academia and industry of both the countries. IGSTC will support and fund selected R&D projects linking research laboratories and industry (2+2 scheme) from India and Germany and assist in mobilizing resources to carry out collaborative industrial R&D projects.

Background:

The IGSTC was established under an agreement between the two Governments in October 2007 and started operation in 2011. Presently IGSTC is supporting joint industrial R&D projects in areas such as (a) advanced manufacturing (b) biomedical devices & healthcare (c) nanotechnology (d) automobile engineering (e) water sensors (f) clean energy technology and (g) information and computing technology.

Health Ministry issues guidelines on Zika Virus Disease

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued guidelines on the Zika virus disease, here today. The text of the guidelines is as follows.

Background

Zika virus disease is an emerging viral disease transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. This is the same mosquito that is known to transmit infections like dengue and chikungunya.  Zika virus was first identified in Uganda in 1947.

World Health Organization has reported 22 countries and territories in Americas¹ from where local transmission of Zika virus has been reported. Microcephaly in the newborn and other neurological syndromes (Guillain Barre Syndrome) have been found temporally associated with Zika virus infection. However, there are a number of genetic and other causes for microcephaly and neurological syndromes like Guillain Barre Syndrome.

Zika virus disease has the potential for further international spread given the wide geographical distribution of the mosquito vector, a lack of immunity among population in newly affected areas and the high volume of international travel. As of now, the disease has not been reported in India. However, the mosquito that transmits Zika virus, namely Aedes aegypti , that also transmits dengue virus,  is widely prevalent in India.

A majority of those infected with Zika virus disease either remain asymptomatic (up to 80%) or show mild symptoms of fever, rash, conjunctivitis, body ache, joint pains. Zika virus infection should be suspected in patients reporting with acute onset of fever, maculo-papular rash and arthralgia, among those individuals who travelled to areas with ongoing transmission during the two weeks preceding the onset of illness.

Based on the available information of previous outbreaks, severe forms of disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon and fatalities are rare. There is no vaccine or drug available to prevent/ treat Zika virus disease at present.

World Health Organization has declared Zika virus disease to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on 1^st February, 2016.

[1] Zika virus disease has been reported so far in the following countries; Brazil, Barbados, Bolivia, Columbia, Dominican Republic, Equador, El Salvador, French Guyana. Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, St Martin, Suriname, Virgin Island  and Venezuela. It may be noted   that this list is likely to change with time. Hence, updated information should be checked periodically. 

In the light of the current disease trend, and its possible association with adverse pregnancy outcomes, the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare advises on the following:

1.            Enhanced Surveillance

 

1.1.      Community based Surveillance

 

·         Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) through its community and hospital based data gathering mechanism would track clustering of acute febrile illness   and seek  primary case, if any,  among those who travelled to areas with ongoing transmission in the 2 weeks preceding the onset of illness.

·         IDSP would also advise its State and District level units to look for clustering of cases of microcephaly among newborns and reporting of Gullian Barre Syndrome.

·         The Maternal and Child Health Division (under NHM) would also advise its field units to look for clustering of cases of microcephaly among new borns.

1.2       International Airports/ Ports

·         All the International Airports / Ports will display billboards/ signage providing information to travelers on Zika virus disease and to report to Custom authorities if they are returning from affected countries and suffering from febrile illness.

·         The Airport / Port Health Organization (APHO / PHO) would have quarantine / isolation facility in identified Airports.

·         Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Civil Aviation  will be asked to instruct all international airlines to follow the recommended aircraft disinsection guidelines

·         The APHOs shall circulate guidelines for aircraft disinsection (as per International Health Regulations) to all the international airlines and monitor appropriate vector control measures with the assistance from NVBDCP in airport premises and in the defined perimeter.  

1.3       Rapid Response Teams

·         Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) shall be activated at Central and State surveillance units. Each team would comprise an epidemiologist / public health specialist, microbiologist and a medical / paediatric specialist and other experts (entomologist  etc) to travel at short notice  to investigate suspected outbreak.

·         National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Delhi would be the nodal agency for investigation of outbreak in any part of the country.

1.4       Laboratory Diagnosis

·         NCDC, Delhi and National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, have the capacity to provide laboratory diagnosis of Zika virus disease in acute febrile stage. These two institutions would be the apex laboratories to support the outbreak investigation and for confirmation of laboratory diagnosis.  Ten additional laboratories  would be strengthened by ICMR to expand the scope of laboratory diagnosis.

·         RT- PCR test would remain the standard test. As of now there is no commercially available test for Zika virus disease. Serological tests are not recommended.

2.         Risk Communication

·         The States/ UT Administrations would create increased awareness among clinicians including obstetricians, paediatricians and neurologists about Zika virus disease and its possible link with adverse pregnancy outcome (foetal loss, microcephaly etc). There should be enhanced vigilance to take note of travel history to the affected countries in the preceding two weeks.

·         The public needs to be reassured that there is no cause for undue concern. The Central/ State Government shall take all necessary steps to address the challenge of this infection working closely with technical institutions, professionals and global health partners.

3.         Vector Control

·         There would be enhanced integrated vector management. The measures undertaken for control of dengue/ dengue hemorrhagic fever will be further augmented. The guidelines for the integrated vector control will stress on vector surveillance (both for adult and larvae), vector management through environmental modification/ manipulation; personal protection, biological and chemical control at household, community and institutional levels. Details are at Annexure-I.

·         States where dengue transmission is going on currently due to conducive weather conditions (Kerala, Tamil Nadu etc) should ensure extra vigil. 

4.         Travel Advisory

·         Non-essential travel to the affected countries to be deferred/ cancelled².

·         Pregnant women or women who are trying to become pregnant should defer/ cancel their travel to the affected areas.

·         All travelers to the affected countries/ areas should strictly follow individual protective measures, especially during day time, to prevent mosquito bites (use of mosquito repellant cream, electronic mosquito repellants, use of bed nets, and dress that appropriately covers most of the body parts).

·         Persons with co-morbid conditions (diabetes, hypertension, chronic respiratory illness, Immune disorders etc) should seek advice from the nearest health facility, prior to travel to an affected country.

·         Travelers having febrile illness within two weeks of return from an affected country should report to the nearest health facility.

·         Pregnant women who have travelled to areas with Zika virus transmission should mention about their travel during ante-natal visits in order to be assessed and monitored appropriately.

5.         Non-Governmental Organizations

·         Ministry of Health &FW / State Health Departments would work closely with Non-Governmental organizations such as Indian / State Medical Associations, Professional bodies etc to sensitize clinicians both in Government and private sector about Zika virus disease.

²  Based on available evidence, World Health Organization  is not recommending any  travel or trade restrictions.

6.         Co-ordination with International Agencies

·         National Centre for Disease Control, Delhi, the Focal Point for International Health Regulations (IHR), would seek/ share information with the IHR focal points of the affected countries and be in constant touch with World Health Organization for updates on the evolving epidemic.

7.         Research

·         Indian Council of Medical Research would identify the research priorities and take appropriate action.

8.         Monitoring

·         The situation would be monitored by the Joint Monitoring group under Director General of Health Services on regular basis. The guidelines will be updated from time to time as the emerging situation demands.

Draft EU deal delivers 'substantial' reforms - Cameron

Prime Minister David Cameron says a draft deal aimed at keeping Britain in the EU will deliver the "substantial change" he has been demanding to how it is run.
But the UK prime minister said there was "detail to be worked on" before a crunch summit on 18-19 February.
The deal, published by European Council President Donald Tusk, allows for an "emergency brake" on migrant benefits.
But campaigners for an EU exit said the deal did not come close to the changes Mr Cameron had promised.

RBI keeps rates on hold; says budget key to more easing

MUMBAI : The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) kept its policy rate on hold at 6.75 percent on Tuesday, as widely expected, opting to wait until after the government's annual budget statement at the end of February to decide on whether to cut interest rates further.
Having cut the policy repo rate by 125 basis points in 2015, RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan warned on Friday against straying from the path of fiscal consolidation or relaxing the fight against inflation.
Rajan, in his statement on Tuesday, said the central bank would stay "accommodative" but would look forward to the government's budget on Feb. 29, saying it needed to be one that supports growth and controls spending.
How the government implements a planned 24 percent pay hike in salaries and pensions for some 10 million current and former government employees will also be key in determining the path of inflation, he noted.
"The Reserve Bank continues to be accommodative even as it leaves the policy rate unchanged in this review, while awaiting further data on the development of inflation," Rajan said in his statement.
"Structural reforms in the forthcoming Union Budget that boost growth while controlling spending will create more space for monetary policy to support growth."
Rajan also reiterated the central bank would ensure it is injecting sufficient liquidity into the banking system including conducting more open market operation bond purchases.


Banks have blamed the lack of cash in the financial system for their inability to match the RBI rate cuts last year, with most banks having lowered lending rates by only about 60 bps.
The 10-year bond yield rose around 5 basis points to 7.83 percent from levels before the decision, but the rupee and the NSE share index were broadly range-bound.
If the fiscal deficit is kept within reason, then inflation trends over coming months could also favour hopes for lower interest rates.
The RBI will have to keep watch over developments in global markets that began this year in a jumpy state.


Other major central banks, notably the Bank of Japan and Bank Indonesia have eased monetary policy, and the European Central Bank is expected to ease too, though the U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to raise rates later this year.
Oil prices near 13-year lows and seasonally subdued food price should help bring inflation down to the RBI's target of 5 percent by March 2017, after it hit a 15-month high of 5.61 percent in December.
Only 37 out 39 economists polled by Reuters had expected the RBI to leave the policy repo rate unchanged for now.


But more than half of them saw scope for at least a 25 bps rate cut by the end of June thanks to the reduced inflationary pressures, with some saying the reduction could come as early as March, before the next scheduled policy review in April.
"If the government's budget looks to boost growth through reforms and keeping spending under check, we expect an inter-meeting cut post the budget - 25 basis points, may be even 50 bps," said Arvind Chari, head of fixed income and alternatives at Quantum Advisors in Mumbai.
There is growing impatience with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government to deliver stronger growth, as vaunted economic reforms keep getting delayed.
The headline growth rate looks very creditable, with the RBI projecting 7.4 percent for the year ending in March, albeit with a downward bias, and 7.6 percent growth for 2016/17. But private sector investment remains weak, and India needs sustained growth of around 8 percent to generate jobs for its growing workforce.
Analysts expect India's budget to slightly raise fiscal deficit targets to free up money for investment in infrastructure projects, while keeping subsidies and other spending under control.

Trump's unorthodox campaign faces first test in Iowa

  

U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks in the Orpheum Theatre during a campaign event in Sioux City, Iowa January 31 2016.

DES MOINES, Iowa | By John Whitesides : Republican front-runner Donald Trump puts his precedent-shattering campaign to the test on Monday when Iowa voters begin the nationwide process of choosing a new U.S. president, as polls show a tight battle with Ted Cruz that could hinge on turnout and a large bloc of undecided voters.Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton also faces a stiff challenge in Iowa from insurgent Bernie Sanders in the first contest in the state-by-state battle to pick candidates for the Nov. 8 election to succeed President Barack Obama.
Late polls showed Trump, a blunt-spoken billionaire businessman who has never before sought public office, with a small lead on Cruz, a conservative U.S. senator from Texas, while Clinton had a slight edge on Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont.
But uncertainty remained about who would turn up at the caucuses, and how successful Trump and Sanders would be at getting their supporters, many new to the process and disenchanted with politics as usual, to participate.
Adding to the unpredictability in Iowa was a large bloc of undecided or persuadable voters in both parties in a state where voters accustomed to a long courtship from candidates are traditionally in no rush to make a commitment.
The Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Iowa poll released on Saturday night showed three in 10 likely Democratic caucus-goers and 45 percent of likely Republican caucus-goers were still uncertain and could be persuaded to switch to another candidate.
The vast array of choices along with the ability to see the candidates up close over the course of the past year gives many Iowa voters little incentive to rush into a firm choice.
"I'm still checking them out. The field is large and it requires some thought," said Paul Albritton of Carlisle, Iowa, a training coordinator at Iowa State University, as he waited to see U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida last week. "I'm thinking about who can win in November."
For the winners in Iowa, the prize will be valuable momentum in nominating battles that could stretch for months, while many of the losers on the Republican side quickly could begin dropping by the wayside.
Iowans will attend caucuses at schools, libraries and other public locations beginning at 7 p.m. CST (0100 GMT on Tuesday), with results expected within a few hours.
Dave Burggren of Asbury, Iowa, a precinct leader for his local Republican caucus, has been to seven or eight candidate events, checking out Trump, Rubio, former business executive Carly Fiorina, and even Sanders, but said he still did not have "any idea" which candidate he would support.
"My philosophy is this: Which piece of candy do I want today?" Burggren said at a Trump event in Dubuque on Saturday.

LATE DECISIONS
Iowans often make their decisions late. In 2012, nearly half of Republican caucus-goers, 46 percent, decided in "the last few days," according to entrance polls of the participants.
In 2008, almost one in five Republicans decided on the day of the caucus, and 13 percent decided in the final three days, the entrance polls showed.
Democrats were only slightly more decisive in 2008, when 11 percent decided the day of the caucus and 9 percent decided in the last three days, according to entrance polls.
"I won't make my final decision until I write the name down on that piece of paper," said Doug Gross, a Republican lawyer in Des Moines who chaired Mitt Romney's 2008 state campaign.
That sort of uncertainty has not led to huge upsets in the more than four-decade history of Iowa's caucuses, but the state has seen late shifts such as Republican conservative Pat Buchanan's charge into second place in 1996 and former Vermont Governor Howard Dean's plunge to third place in the 2004 Democratic race.
"Iowans take their role very seriously, and even in the last week we are learning new things and seeing new positions from the candidates," said Brad Anderson, an Iowa-based Democratic strategist who led Obama's 2012 state campaign.
Iowa will be the first time Trump, a real estate mogul and former reality TV star, puts his appeal to the test. A win could validate a campaign that has featured his call for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States and a wall on the Mexican border, and put him in a strong position for later contests.
A Trump loss would put a dent in his self-identity as a winner and create immense pressure for a better performance in
the next contests in New Hampshire on Feb. 9 and South Carolina on Feb. 20.
Polls also show Rubio pushing ahead of retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson in a critical fight for third place that could help Rubio consolidate support from mainstream Republicans not drawn to Trump or conservative Cruz.
For the Democrats, given Sanders' lead over Clinton in New Hampshire polls, the former secretary of state needs a win in Iowa to prevent a potential two-state opening losing streak that would set off alarm bells at her campaign headquarters and raise fresh questions about a candidate considered a prohibitive front-runner just two months ago.
It was in Iowa in 2008 that Clinton's last front-running presidential campaign went off the rails when she finished third behind Obama and former U.S. Senator John Edwards.

WHO meets to decide whether to declare Zika a global emergency

A municipal health worker fumigates a bus as part of the city's efforts to prevent the spread of the Zika virus vector, the Aedes aegypti mosquito, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, January 30, 2016.

GENEVA : Independent experts to the World Health Organization began deliberating on Monday whether to declare a global emergency over the Zika virus, which has been linked to thousands of birth defects in Brazil.

The designation would fast-track international action and research priorities, following criticism of a hesitant response so far.
The United Nations agency said last week the Zika virus was "spreading explosively" and could infect as many as 4 million people in the Americas.
The WHO was criticized for reacting too slowly to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa which killed more than 10,000 people, and has promised to do better in future global health crises.
The 12 committee members, who are experts in epidemiology, public health and infectious diseases from the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa, discussed the issue in a telephone conference. A news briefing will be held on Tuesday afternoon at the earliest, the WHO said.

Peter Piot, director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a co-discoverer of the Ebola virus, said the WHO had "dropped the ball" on Ebola, when it took five months for the epidemic to be declared an emergency.
He told BBC Radio he expected a rapid response this time.

"I have all confidence that they will declare this as a public health emergency," he said.
Brazil has reported around 4,000 suspected cases of microcephaly, in which infants are born with smaller-than-usual brains. The health ministry has linked the condition to Zika, although the connection is not yet definitive.

As the virus spreads from Brazil, other countries in the Americas are also likely to see cases of babies with Zika-linked birth defects, experts believe.


(Writing by Ben Hirschler; Editing by Angus MacSwan)