About 41% Karnataka People Unaware of Having High Blood Pressure:India Heart Study

Findings of India Heart Study (I.H.S) show that 41% of people from Karnataka who participated in the study were unaware of suffering from high blood pressure. The study also found that:

·         12.7% of the respondents were oblivious of their high blood pressure levels (masked hypertension) and
·         25% were found to have white-coat hypertension and were likely to be misdiagnosed

India Heart Study (I.H.S) findings highlight a high prevalence of masked hypertension and white-coat hypertension in Indians at 42% on first office visit. It was also found that Indians have a higher average resting heart rate of 80 beats per minute, higher than the desired rate of 72 beats per minute. Another striking finding of the study is that unlike other countries, Indians have higher blood pressure in the evenings than in mornings which should guide doctors to rethink the timing of advising anti-hypertensive drug dosage.

Dr. Upendra Kaul, Cardiologist, Chairman and Dean Academics and Research of BHMRC, who was the Principal Investigator of I.H.S, said “India Heart Study points to a need for better clinical management of hypertension in India. This is India-specific data and should help shape the best practices for the diagnosis of high blood pressure among Indians. The study presents exhaustive data on the various aspects of hypertension.”

Throwing light on the study, Dr. Willem Verberk, PhD., Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), and a key investigator, said, “For the ‘correct’ detection of hypertension, home blood pressure monitoring is advised. However, different patients may have different co-morbidities, like diabetes, which makes the use of validated devices for home blood pressure monitoring important. Home blood pressure monitors for pregnant women, adolescents and people with kidney disorders needs to be validated separately.” 

Eris Lifesciences commissioned the India Heart Study that was conducted under the aegis of Batra Hospital & Medical Research Centre.  Dr. Viraj Suvarna, President – Medical, Eris Lifesciences said, “Masked Hypertension, if undetected, is a dangerous phenomenon. It is important to monitor one’s blood pressure, beyond the clinic, even at home, according to prescribed guidelines. Accurate diagnosis of hypertension is an important element of our fight against this disease and improving health outcomes.”

Dr BV Baliga (Cardiologist)–Director, Baliga Diagnostics, Bangalore, and a co-ordinator for I.H.S, said, “The prevalence of high blood pressure or hypertension is increasing in the state. Unlike other diseases, hypertension has no symptoms, it is thus also known as the silent killer. Adults above 40 years of age should monitor their blood pressure at home regularly besides the check-up at the doctors’ clinic.”

According to Dr. Sanjeev Hiremath (Nephrologist) – Sagar Hospital, Bengaluru said, “There are several complications associated with high blood pressure. Besides increasing the chances of heart attacks and strokes, high blood (i.e hypertension) accelerates kidney diseases. Any person at the risk of kidney disorders or suffering from one should ensure that they monitor their blood pressure using validated devices for better disease management.”

White-coat hypertensives who are misdiagnosed and put on anti-hypertensives have to take unnecessary medication. It may also lead to a risk of hypotension (low blood pressure, less than 90/60) in such persons. On the other hand, a masked hypertensive may go undiagnosed running the risk of complications for heart, kidney, and brain, leading to premature mortality.

What sets this study apart is that it was conducted on ‘drug-naive’ set of participants using a comprehensive process of taking blood pressure readings. The investigators examined the blood pressure of 18,918 participants (male and female) through 1233 doctors across 15 states over a period of nine months. The participants’ blood pressure was monitored at home four times in a day for 7 consecutive days.

About Eris Lifescience

Eris Lifesciences is among the top 25 companies in the Indian Pharmaceutical Market (IPM). The company has focused on filling gaps – compliance, therapeutic, diagnostics– in India’s healthcare system. To improve patient outcomes the company supports patient care initiatives like ABPM on Call (24 hour BP measurement), Holter on Call etc. as a part of its corporate philosophy that is Patient care first.

Yes Bank Raises Rs. 1,930 Crore through Qualified Institutions Placement (QIP) Route

Yes Bank, pursuant to the allotment of its equity shares on August 15, 2019, has raised Rs. 1930 crores through the Qualified Institution Placement (QIP) route. The QIP opened on August 08, 2019 and closed on August 14, 2019.

The Bank allotted 23.1 crores equity shares of face value of Rs. 2 each to eligible qualified institutional buyers (QIBs) at Rs 83.55 per Equity Share, in accordance with the pricing formula provided under Regulation 176(1) of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Issue of Capital and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2018.

The QIP increases the Bank’s Total Capital Adequacy Ratio to 16.2%*, Tier I Ratio to 11.3%* and Core Equity Tier I Ratio to 8.6%*, ensuring that the Bank remains capitalized well above the regulatory limits.

*Post QIP Issuance considering position as at June 30, 2019(including profits for the Q1FY20)

The issue saw strong response from foreign as well as from domestic QIBs. The overall allocation to foreign institutional investors is approximately 34% from USA/Europe, 40% from Asia, and balance from domestic insurance companies and mutual funds highlighting a well-diversified representation and demand from across the world. The QIP also enables a further diversification of the shareholder base of YES BANK.

CLSA India Private Limited, JM Financial Limited, Motilal Oswal Investment Advisors Private Limited, Prime Securities Limited and YES Securities (India) Limited were the Global coordinators and Book Running Lead Managers to the QIP issue. The Legal Advisors to the transaction were AZB & Partners, Linklaters Singapore Pte. Ltd. and L&L Partners (formerly known as Luthra & Luthra Law Offices). The Statutory Auditors were BSR & Co LLP.

On the successful completion of the equity allotment, Ravneet Gill, Managing Director and CEO of Yes Bank, said, “We are delighted with how our fund raise has been supported by marquee global and domestic investors. We maximised the size to the extent of the (up to) 10% dilution limit currently approved by our shareholders. The success of the QIP is extremely satisfying given the strong global and domestic headwinds and a credit environment beset with challenges. We see this as a strong endorsement by the investor community of the inherent strengths of the YES BANK franchise and its future growth prospects.” 

Western Digital’s India Innovation Bazaar 2019 Fosters a Culture of Data Transformation and Innovation

Western Digital hosted the third edition of India Innovation Bazaar, a unique forum for employees to present ideas in the areas of research and engineering excellence. The platform paves the way for employees to curate ideas that enable themselves and Western Digital to unbox innovation and accelerate digital transformation.

The two-day event saw patent worthy-ideas, tech talks from industry veterans and engaging discussions. This year’s edition received more than double the entries of last year, standing at 585 abstracts across 39 different categories. Over 100 internal reviewers assessed the abstracts to select 160 to present at the Innovation Bazaar 2019. The shortlisted abstract went through a rigorous test categorized under four crucial parameters - clarity, usability and functionality, novelty, and business impact.

Supria Dhanda, Vice President & Country Manager at Western Digital India said, “The industry is transforming at a relentless pace and we need to empower our employees to raise the bar with new ideas and innovation. India Innovation Bazaar is an exclusive platform for our highly talented and capable engineers to showcase breakthrough inventions. We feel the spirit of camaraderie and passion to make a difference is unmatched.” She added, “In India, data has the potential to solve a variety of challenges, and through this initiative, we are fueling the next wave of data innovation.”

This year’s edition also saw papers from non-engineering categories as well, including documentation and process and methodology. Innovative ideas were presented at the event across categories like Big Data, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Memory/ Flash Models and Storage File Systems.

Anand Venkitachalam, Vice President for Silicon Technology & Manufacturing (STM) at Western Digital India commented, “I am delighted to see this flagship event grow in leaps and bounds from the previous years. This is a great initiative to encourage our engineers to take out time from their regular corporate routine to showcase this level of innovation. In today’s day and age, it is very important to encourage the spirit of innovation and provide a platform for disruptive ideas to flourish.”

The event also saw keynotes from industry leaders who touched upon the startup ecosystem, India’s technology landscape and its innovation journey. Venkatesh Kumaran (Venki), President and Partner at AXLerateNOW, Co-Chair of IOTNEXT hosted by IESA - India Electronic & Semiconductor Association and TiE Bangalore Board Member, emphasized how the Indian startup ecosystem is a key innovation driver and plays a pivotal role in providing solutions to contemporary challenges.

Mohan Kumar R, Country Head of Wearable Technologies AG highlighted the fast-growing wearable segment and the role of Big Data, Fast Data and Edge Computing in its transformation. The sessions ended on a lively note with Matt Crowley, Vice President, Design Systems, Silicon Technology & Manufacturing at Western Digital, speaking on entrepreneurship and managing innovation in the context of deep technology.

NetRack Delivers Tech Seminar on Next Gen Data Center Solutions

NetRack, a leading solution provider for data centers and end-to-end IT server racks, presented its technical seminar on next generation data center solutions and discussed the industry evolution and the future requirements of data centers. The concept and solutions from NetRack was appreciated by the CXO's from ICT & DC and technical heads present at the event.

During the technical Seminar session, Mr Krishnaraj U, Solution Architect at NetRack, enlightened the crowd on the importance and future advantages of having silent, intelligent, modular, seismic and shockproof data centers. He also highlighted innovative techniques to address the challenges faced by organizations in upgrading/revamping their DC infrastructure.

Mr Krishnaraj U, Solution Architect at NetRack said, "Data center industry is evolving rapidly and clients have started demanding innovative DC solutions. Companies are looking for data center cabinets which help them to attain maximum efficiency at reduced cost. Understanding the industry requirements we at NetRack have developed solutions which are future-proof and compatible for modern DCs."

"We are glad to exhibit iRack - a complete intelligent rack equipped with intelligent PDU for power, surveillance & environmental management, KVM & console for server management, intelligent rack access for physical security. We have manufactured these racks not only to increase efficiency, but also ensure better airflow in the DC."

Keeping the healthy environment as a higher priority, NetRacks' R&D team has manufactured below products with below silent features for next generation data centers:
* Silent DCs - Isolating IT equipment noise
* Intelligent DCs - Adding intelligent devices and cooling technologies for better manage and monitor the DC
* Modular DCs - Completely scalable and easily expandable, yielding up to 95% efficiency
* Seismic & Shock Proof DCs - High quality and rigid racks with robust design for earthquake prone regions

Bharti Airtel Appoints Rajesh Tapadia as CEO of Data Centre and Cloud Business, Nxtra Data

Tapadia, who had worked with companies such as Trimax, Global Cloud Xchange, Genpact and Reliance Infocomm, was Chief Service Officer and Executive Director with Netmagic Solutions in his most recent role, the company said in a statement.

“Digital India is transforming the economy and opening up exciting new opportunities to serve customers. The data centre and cloud segment is an important pillar in our strategy to address enterprise customers’ evolving needs,” Gopal Vittal, MD & CEO (India and South Asia) at Bharti Airtel said.

“We have already undertaken some very ambitious projects in this area and our ambition is to leverage our strengths to gain disproportionate share in this space,” he added.

Airtel is the largest player in India’s B2B connectivity space with over 3,000 global and large enterprises and over 500,000 SMEs as customers.

Nxtra Data, a subsidiary of Airtel, is into data centre and cloud services segment.

The data centre and cloud services market in India, which is witnessing tremendous growth driven by the digitization, is slated to grow to more than $4 billion plus market by 2022.

Family Dispute of Late Ramnath Goenka Resurfaces Again

In an awkward situation, adopted son of Late Ramnath Goenka and Chairman & Managing Director of The Indian Express, Viveck Goenka sends a false legal notice to reputed Journalist,Editor & CMD (samachar parivartan hindi weekly newspaper)   Prashant Goenka (Family grandson of Late  Ramnath Goenka) and other family members demanding compensation worth thousands of crores for promoting the name of late Ramnath Goenka. With this the family dispute of late Ramnath Goenka resurfaces again. After this, Prashant Goenka and his family forced to take legal protection.

It is known that, family grandson of Late Ramnath Goenka, Mr. Prashant Goenka demanded India’s most prestigious award “Bharat Ratna” for Ramnath Goenka. For this, He had organised so many Press Conferences and meetings all over the country, including New Delhi and Bangalore. He believes that Ramnath Goenka was a true freedom fighter and contributed a lot for the society. “Ramnath Goenka had a very significant role during the Emergency in 1975, said Prashant Goenka.” Prashant Goenka also said that Late Ramnath Goenka has been fought for media and the people of Indian society all over his age.

For demanding ‘Bharat Ratna’ and spreading Ramnath Goenka’s work in the society Mr. Viveck Goenka has send a false legal notice to me, added Prashant Goenka. He says that, it’s all for a propaganda he, Mr. Viveck Goyenka making up to be in the limelight in media. “I also believe that Viveck Goenka is losing his identity because he is the adopted son of Late Ramnath Goenka, said Prashant Goenka. To remember Ramnath Goenka’s contributions towards the society and Indian media, family grandson Prashant Goenka is also demanding that in journalism books Ramnath Goenka’s Biography chapter should be added. Prashant Goenka also says that these demands for Late Ramnath Goenka, is supposed to do by his adopted son Viveck Goenka but he failed to keep his family contributions.

India’s First Standalone Facility Gears Up to Leverage Growing Global Drug Demand

India’s clinical contract research industry, with current market size of USD 500mn is poised to double over five years and achieve Billion dollar market club. As a leading Indian Contract Research Organisation (CRO) Accutest Biologics Private Limited (ABPL) is all set to leverage the growing global demand for Biologics and Biosimilar drugs. The leading CRO for Biochemical characterization and Bioanalytical services, in support of preclinical and clinical development of Biologics and Biosimilars, ABPL has recently received a global honour with the OECD-Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) certification for the next three years.

National Good Laboratory Practice Compliance Monitoring Authority (NGCMA) had conducted a detailed pre-inspection of the test facility located at Navi Mumbai and this year in May, India’s only standalone test laboratory of ABPL received the GLP certification.

The recent Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)-Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) certification for Bioanalytical services, Biochemical characterization and the In vitro bioassays conducted in its Navi Mumbai facility would act as a powerful catalyst for global pharma companies from the US, Europe, and other emerging markets to get ABPL services.

Dr. Satish Sawant Founder and CEO, ABPL said, “The Navi Mumbai facility is capable of conducting toxicity studies, mutagenicity studies, analytical and clinical testing. This significant milestone enables us to advance as the global service provider living up to the biopharmaceutical industry expectations and maintaining high-quality deliverables.”

Rising demand for low cost medicines, growth of R&D sourcing, a large number of biologics going off-patent, growing biologics & biosimilar market and removal of regulatory bottlenecks for clinical trials are main growth drivers for the sector. As per industry estimates, biologics worth $100 billion in sales will go off-patent by 2020 and entail huge pipeline for bio-similar drugs. Asia pacific is expected to capture one-third of bio-similar sales in next 5-6 years.
 
“The certification places ABPL in the select league of CROs that have been awarded such a global honour. It is a matter of pride and privilege for ABPL not only to serve the biopharma industry with established credibility and also to get recognized in all the OECD member countries for mutual acceptance of the data,” said Dr. Mallikarjun Dixit, Test Facility Management at ABPL.

Industry expects the India CRO market to reach around $1 billion by 2023 from $500 Million in 2017, with a CAGR of 12.00%. India is emerging as a top destination for CRO because of the Acceptance of International guidelines and intellectual property rights, Presence of diverse types of climatic conditions thus allowing stability studies to be performed with ease in one destination, Highly experienced, educated and accessible human resource, Presence of diverse ethnic pool thus enabling diverse sample for clinical trials and Low operational cost due to cheap human resource.

The CRO services market is valued at $36 Billion in 2017 and projected to reach to $56 Billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 7.6%.