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COVID-19 Vaccines That Are Likely To Be Given In India In 2021!

COVID-19 Vaccines That Are Likely To Be Given In India In 2021!

India is currently surviving the second India is currently surviving the second wave of COVID-19 that has put its healthcare system on the verge of being collapsed. People are facing a scarcity of essential medical supplies such as oxygen and many other necessary medicines.

It has led to the shortage of vaccines that has hindered the hope of getting protected from the disease. Looking at the current trends, the government is making all the efforts to turn things around by the end of 2021.

NITI Aayog released a detailed plan about the availability of eight COVID-19 vaccines that will roll out to push the vaccination drive. It can be considered a significant and much-needed push that will help India get vaccinated quickly and proceed further to the step of gaining herd immunity.

Current COVID-19 vaccines that are available in India

There are currently two COVID-19 vaccines in India, Astra-Zeneca Oxford Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, that are being administered at the vaccination drive. Soon Russian vaccine Sputnik-V will be available to speed up the vaccination process.

The centre has announced that between August and December, most of the citizens will get vaccinated.

What are those about eight COVID-19 vaccines that are likely to be available soon?

Covaxin

This vaccine is made in India by the Indian pharmaceutical firm Bharat biotech with the help of the National Institute of Virology and Indian Council Medical Research (ICMR). These vaccines are currently in use at many places in India.

Covaxin is 81% effective against the virus, according to reports, and can neutralize UK, Indian, and Brazilian strains. 

This vaccine has used the sample of deadly coronavirus with the help of the National Institute of Virology to make the anti-covid jab. It will make the human immune system detect the virus and will help in creating antibodies.

The Covaxin is currently being sold to the central government at Rs 150, while the state government is getting it at 400. Rs 1200 is the price set for any private institution. 

Covishield

Covishield is developed by Oxford–AstraZeneca and manufactured in the Serum Institute of India. It is one of the vaccines that is being used widely in India to push the vaccination drive.

Covishield vaccine is made from the weakened version adenovirus (common cold virus in chimpanzees) to develop antibodies in the human immune system against this virus.

Studies have shown Covishield has a 90% efficacy rate against the virus if the second dose of these vaccines is taken after two months from the first dose.

The Serum Institute of India is charging Rs 150 for the centre and Rs 450 for state governments. For private institutions, the price is set at Rs 700.

Sputnik V

The Gamaleya Institute in Moscow developed the Sputnik V vaccine. It employs a harmless cold-type virus as a courier to carry a small portion of the coronavirus to the body. 

Giving the tiny fragment of the virus to the body will help the immune system recognize the threat of this virus and provide time to form antibodies to fight against it without being at risk of falling ill. 

Sputnik V is likely to be available in India by this week.

Bharat Biotech Nasal Vaccine

This vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech is currently in its first phase of trials. Officials from the Ministry of Health said that by December, they expect to have procured ten crore doses of the Nasal Vaccine produced by Bharat Biotech.

This vaccine does not require a needle; hence people will have to go to their nearby healthcare provider to get this vaccine through nasal drops. The institute claims that it will be available for both children and adults.

Novavax

The COVID-19 vaccine, developed by the US pharmaceutical company Novavax, will be produced by the Serum Institute of India and marketed as Covovax.

This vaccine is yet to get approved in the United States, the United Kingdom, and India has shown 96.4 percent effectiveness against moderate to severe effects caused by the initial strain of SARS-CoV-2. It had an effectiveness of about 86.3 percent against mutant virus variants.

The vaccine is currently in its 2nd phase of trials.

Bio E SUBunit Vaccine

This vaccine is developed by the Hyderabad-based firm Biological E, and it’s expected to roll out its vaccine in August after phase 3 results. According to the Ministry Of Health And Family Welfare, Biological E will supply 30 crore doses of its vaccine between August and December.

The company claims to provide the most affordable vaccine in India.

Zydus Cadila DNA vaccine

This vaccine developed by an Ahmedabad-based firm is currently waiting for its 3rd phase results and is likely to start production by the end of May. It is another indigenously prepared vaccine after Covaxin.

The company plans to make one crore doses per month after the third phase results.

Gennova mRNA Vaccine

It is India’s first mRNA vaccine prepared by a Pune-based Pharmaceutical firm Gennova. The company expected to have a phase 1 trial soon to conduct human tests in December by DGCI. The firm is scheduled to get emergency use after the phase 2 results.

It is India’s first indigenously mRNA messenger vaccine after vaccines like Pfizer and Moderna, which are based on the same mRNA pattern.

As the cases are rising in India daily, it becomes crucial for people to get vaccinated as soon as possible. It is the only way to curb the spread of the virus and to attain immunity against it. If all approved, these eight COVID-19 vaccines will serve to develop antibodies against the virus and help speed up the vaccination drive.

Read inspiring and happy stories about COVID-19 warriors to brighten up your mood!

‘One-Minute clinics’ offering AI based remote consultation for patients in China

‘Ping An Good Doctor’, a healthcare ecosystem platform in China, has developed and operationalized close to 1,000 units in 8 provinces of its unstaffed ‘One-Minute Clinics’ which allow patients to connect with a remote in-house team of clinicians who provide medical consultancy and prescribe medicines.

The kiosks also offer an attached medicine dispenser which carry essential drugs from 100 categories and provide the option for patients to order drugs which are unavailable in stock from local pharmacies with delivery in under an hour. The drugs stored in the dispenser are cryogenically refrigerated so as to maintain their quality.

ping-an-good-doctor

Apart from offering remote consultations with clinicians, the kiosks help patients get instant answers to common questions on over 2,000 common diseases and the company claims to adhere to international standards in terms of quality of information.

One of the core features of the kiosks is an ‘AI Doctor’, which the company claims to have developed with the assistance of over 200 AI experts and more than 300 million pieces of ‘consultation data’, which provides doctor-like consultation by collecting user symptoms and illness history and analyzing the data to provide a preliminary diagnostic suggestion. The information and the diagnosis is then passed on to a real doctor who evaluates it and offers a recommendation.

The units are now being utilized by corporates on factory campuses as well, with an installation at the Volkswagen factory in Jiading district of Shanghai being the most recent example.

Source: Mobihealthnews

This app will remind you when you need to take your pills

HealthPIE is a mobile app for patients that provides dosage alerts for your medicine, allows you to record and store your health records and provides personalized health alerts. HealthPIE claims to have banking standards protection when it comes to storing medical information i.e 256 bit AES encryption & SSL and says it does not share any data.

HealthPIE

HealthPIE is a platform for patients. This platform fast-forward your recovery and makes you well aware and connected to your provider. It helps patient track the history of their illness, medication, vitals, medical-condition, vaccine & other parameters important to the patient.

tatva

BENGALURU

About the founding team :
mTatva was started by IIT alumni who are attempting to fill gaps in healthcare delivery using technology.

NextBigWhat profiles interesting products and startups (India + world). If you are building something interesting, submit the details here.

Blockchain- against fake drugs, for DNA breakthroughs, in India

AI and super-computing could be old news for compute-intensive and data-heavy genome-sequencing projects, but blockchain isn’t – more so; as when it comes to citizen’s genetic data, one could always make room for a new technology that is safe, immutable and secure. Same goes for keeping track of counterfeit drugs in the system.
In India, all that has begun – Using a blockchain database for collecting and storing data of some 50 million citizens and a blockchain Proof-Of-Concept (POC) for drug inventory.
The first one is what the government of Andhra Pradesh (AP) is pursuing so that collated data is stored in an encrypted form in a secret vault while anonymous genomic data is parked in a cloud and accessible for research uses. In fact, Chief Minister Mr. Chandrababu Naidu has been very excited and hopeful about use of blockchain-based technology in the field of predictive medicine in India.
The second one is what the Niti Aayog group is trying to push forth its aims for placing the entire drug inventory in India on a blockchain system. 
These moves could make India’s healthcare space quite radical and transparent by plugging in some major gaps ailing the industry for long.

4 Factors to Keep in Mind before Launching a Healthcare Start-Up

Launching a start-up is a great way of converting an innovative business idea into reality. Every day numerous minds are jumping on the start-up bandwagon. In the current scenario, when companies are eager to fund good start-ups, it may be the best time to give wings to great ideas. But, is a great idea enough to launch a start-up? Maybe. However, it definitely requires a lot more to sustain and transform a start-up into a successful business.
It is not for certain that every good product or service will overcome competition and achieve its true potential. The road to a successful start-up can be long, arduous, and unpredictable. Although the success ratio differs from industry to industry, the grim reality is that almost 50% of the start-ups close down within four years of their inception.
In the healthcare industry, start-ups have emerged in a big way and with the help of digitization, they’re reaching the smartphones of every consumer. From finding doctors and booking appointments to ordering medicines and counting calories, healthcare apps are mushrooming with the healthcare sector witnessing a dynamic change. The success stories of early player like Practo prove that the healthcare sector, through start-ups, has steered a change in the status quo by simplifying not only doctor-patient communication, but the entire functioning of the industry.
Here are some factors that must be considered before successfully launching a healthcare start-up.
1. A Practical Stand-Out Product
Simply put, your product should be the “voice of the customer”. The biggest need of any start-up is to achieve decent traction for their product and great products are capable of making traction from even a single customer for a big buy. Providing a simple solution to a big problem a customer regularly faces can turn you into an entrepreneur. All it requires is the feasibility to be executed. For example, the frequently encountered problems of finding details about doctors and getting medical records instantly when required were never looked upon as a business idea until Practo came and changed the scene. The app has over 1 lakh doctors’ information and more than 10 million electronic patient records.
The point is that every business idea need not be unique or path-breaking. The knack for identifying the problem and creating a solution that is technologically possible is what makes a product stand out.
2. Perseverance and Flexibility
Contrary to what it looks like on the resume, the tag of being an entrepreneur is far from fancy. In the U.S., over 65% of entrepreneurs are devoid of swanky offices and most of them start the business from their savings. It may take a while before a start-up receives the seed funding to be able to afford employees and an office setup. As a founder, you should be ready to do everything yourself, from talking to prospective customers to selling and even being on the receiving end of a customer’s anger.
The healthcare industry is complicated and the business cycle can be long with elongated regulations, market awareness, and product acceptance. As a start-up entrepreneur, it is essential to be persistent and ready to work in any condition. Be prepared to face the initial hiccups, sail through the hurdles with perseverance, and think long-term.
3. Come up with a Solid Execution Plan
It’s easy to find similar ideas, processes, and even products, but it is almost impossible to copy the way an idea is executed. Imagine if this were possible, the world would have multiple Twitters, Ubers, and Google.
Execution of a business idea in the healthcare industry depends on a number of factors such as its unique value proposition, completion, marketing efforts, and more. But at the core, the way a business plan is executed largely depends on how the product impacts the user’s mind-set (it must be able to solve their medical issues and facilitate better health opportunities). It, therefore, becomes imperative to validate your product prototype and understand the user’s reaction to it. Your product’s USP may not be a path-breaking new feature, but the way it solves the customer’s problems will determine your start-up’s success story.

Image via: https://pixabay.com/en/diabetes-blood-sugar-diabetic-528678/

Plan for the future and be clear about your final product’s execution plan before plunging in the healthcare start-up world. Also, healthcare still remains an astonishingly innovative industry. It is important to keep yourself updated with the latest market trends and ensure your execution plan is flexible enough to adapt to any last-minute changes.
4. Cling to Stringent Healthcare Regulations
The safety requirements of the regulatory agencies in the healthcare field is extremely demanding. These healthcare regulations have the power to make or break even a revolutionary business idea. While having an antagonistic approach towards these regulations is quite common, it is imperative to understand that compliance is fundamental to a start-up’s survival in the healthcare industry. These regulatory bodies are responsible for protecting the interest of the patients and keep the industry organized.
It is vital to work in harmony with the system and adhere to the rules completely to stay away from unwanted troubles. Understanding and complying with the healthcare industry’s regulations is crucial to the long-term existence of a start-up.
Conclusion
Establishing a healthcare start-up takes prolonged emotional, financial, technical, and functional commitment. Potential entrepreneurs need to ensure that their idea and processes are well-thought-out before moving on to finding the core team and starting their start-up journey.
Featured Image via: https://pixabay.com/en/medical-appointment-doctor-563427/

Doctors Network, DailyRounds Raises Funding From Accel Partners And Existing Investors

DailyRounds – a global network that enables Doctors to engage in sharing and learning medical content has announced undisclosed funding rounds led by Accel Partners with participation from Beenext, Powerhouse Venture and Akusa Holdings, Japan.

Launched at UnPluggd, India’s biggest startup conference, DailyRounds claims to have over 250,000 users on the platform, spread across the globe, with majority of the users from Indian Subcontinent. Primary care, Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Radiology and Emergency Medicine are the top specialties.

There is a three level verification process for all the Doctors. This is to make sure only verified and approved Doctors will be taking part in discussions and case sharing.

“The new funds will help us cement our leadership as the largest doctors network in India and also help us widen our reach in other countries where we have significant traction. We will also be adding more number of specialties”, said Dr. Deepu Sebin, CEO, founder and a physician himself.

Multi-City Chain Hospitals, Cloudnine Raises Rs 400 Crore From India Value Fund Advisors

Company Name : Cloudnine
Funding Amount : Rs 400 crores
Investor(s) India Value Fund Advisors . .
Funding Round : Pre-Series A

India Value Fund Advisors (IVFA) has invested Rs 400 crores for a significant minority stake in Cloudnine.

This would be the third round of fundraising for Cloudnine. The company had raised Rs 100 crore ($16 million) in its second round led by Sequoia India and Matrix Partners India in 2013.

cloudnine

Cloudnine is a multi-city chain of women & child focused hospitals specializing in obstetrics, gynaecology, fertility and neonatology. It was established in 2007 by Dr. Kishore Kumar along with Scrips N Scrolls India, with the aim of providing quality newborn care.

Cloudnine has expanded its operations to ten hospitals spread across Bangalore, Chennai, Gurgaon, Mumbai and Pune.

Rohit M.A., Managing Director of Cloudnine, said, “We are delighted to partner with IVFA. IVFA’s expertise in building world-class enterprises, deep understanding of the healthcare sector and ability to provide long term strategic capital make them an ideal partner for our next stage of growth. Our existing investors Matrix and Sequoia, have reaffirmed their belief in us by retaining their stake, further strengthening our vision to innovate and deliver on our core strengths. We will be looking to invest at strategic opportunities to build out capacity and disruptive customer service and medical tech to enhance the overall experience further.”

A Look At Healthcare Map Of India

Healthcare startup, Practo has released ‘The Practo Healthcare Map of India 2015’ which aims to highlight the key consumer healthcare concerns.healthcare-trends

The report also highlights the fastest growing concerns to enable the healthcare industry focus on the illness types that ail the population today as well as pro-actively address those that could become the next set of challenges.

This report is based on search data from Practo.

Key findings are:

Overall India: Total search volume grew over 9x to 10M+ searches a month. The fastest growing searched specialties are:

  • Gastroenterologists – 204%
  • Cardiologists – 163%
  • ENT – 142%
  • Paediatricians -126%
  • Dentists – 109%

Overall India:

The top searched specialties are:

  1. Dentists
  2. ENT
  3. Paediatrician
  4. Gastroenterologists
  5. Cardiologists

Infographic-Healthcare Map of India

In Delhi, while the biggest health issues remain Gynecology, Dermatology and Dentistry, the fastest growing are Gastroenterology (16x), ENT (9X) and Dentistry (6.6x).

In Mumbai, in tandem with the national findings, ENT (2.4X), Gastroenterology (1.5X) and Pediatrics (1X) are the fastest growing healthcare issues. The biggest healthcare issues in the city are Dermatology, Gynecology and Dentistry.

In Pune, the biggest healthcare concerns are Dermatology, Gynecology and Dentistry while the fastest growing healthcare issues include ENT (4.3x) followed by Cardiology (4.3x) and Pediatrics (3.3 x)

In Bangalore, the biggest healthcare concerns are Dermatology, Pediatrics and Dentistry, while the fastest growing healthcare issues include Pediatrics (1.8 x) followed by Gastroenterology (1.8x %) and ENT (1.4x).

In Hyderabad, the biggest healthcare concerns are Dermatology, Gynecology and ENT, while the fastest growing healthcare issues include Gastroenterology (2.3x) followed by Pediatrics (2x) and Cardiology (1.7x)

In Chennai, the biggest healthcare concerns are Dermatology, Gynecology and Dentistry, while the fastest growing healthcare issues include Pediatrics (1.8x) followed by Dentistry (1.3x) followed by Gastroenterology (1x)

In Chandigarh, Gastroenterology (16.5X), Cardiology (15.8X), and Urologist (9.4X) are the fastest growing healthcare issues.

In Kolkata, in tandem with the national findings, Cardiology (3X),Gastroenterology (2X), and ENT (1.4X) are the fastest growing healthcare issues.

In Jaipur, Gastroenterology (15.6X), and Urologist (13.3X) and ENT (9.3x) are the fastest growing healthcare issues.

In Ahmedabad, Gastroenterology (36.8X), and Cardiology (31.3X) and Urologist (16.2x) are the fastest growing healthcare issues.

Medikoe Launches Online Medical Platform, Raises $100k In Angel Funding

Company Name : Medikoe
Funding Amount : $100k
Investor(s) Anil Menon . .
Funding Round : Angel round

Medikoe, an online medical platform connects consumers to four major healthcare pillars; Hospitals, Diagnostic centre, Pharmacy & Wellness along with integrated deals on healthcare.

The Bangalore-based online platform has recently raised $100k in angel funding from Anil Menon, the CEO of CMS Computers Limited.

The fund will be used to fuel expansion in Mumbai and NCR region by end of this year and in more than 20 cities by the first quarter of 2016.

Launched in October 2015 by Sreevalsan Menon & Raman shukla, Medikoe services and offers can be accessed pan India including Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.

medikoe

Some of the key partners includes Manipal Hospitals, Jiyo Natural(healthy food), NM Medical Diagnostic, Nightingales Home care, Positive Homeopathy amongst others.

Sreevalsan Menon, Founder and CEO of Medikoe said, “We at Medikoe ensure that every service delivered to our users is verified and trusted. With the help of this funding amount, we will expand across the country and associate with more than 6000+ healthcare & wellness service providers. We eventually envision establishing Medikoe as the best online platform for end-to-end healthcare & wellness needs across India and worldwide in the near future.”

Medikoe’s phase-1 launch comprises three products; Discover, Deal and Review. Medikoe claims to cater to 1800+ users with more than 20000+ searches on the platform within one month of its launch. So far, it has registered more than 1500+ Healthcare & wellness service partners with more than 100+ deals on its platform.

10 Trends Shaping Healthcare : The Doctor Is NOT In, But The Doctor Will See You Now

“The doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.” Thomas Edison

We are at a crucial juncture in history, with technology and tools developing so rapidly in the medical field that healthcare as we perceive it will be radically different 10 years from now. There are clear signs that the healthcare industry is now undergoing massive transformation and the change is driven not by the medical community but by entrepreneurs and technologists everywhere.healthcare-trends

Technology and innovation are moving at such a rapid pace that it will fundamentally shift the power of healthcare from the hands of the doctor to the individual. We can, in the near future, see the doctor when the doctor is not in.

The coming decade will be transformational, both for doctors in the way they practice and for us as consumers and how we manage our own health.

Here are 10 trends which are already re-defining how the healthcare sector will look like in the future, along with links to organisations which are leading the way.

1. Unbundling of hardware and software – Most medical technology, whether in the intensive care unit or your hand held blood sugar monitor was developed as hardware. Most of these will be unbundled, with the software and analytics on the cloud and the hardware focusing on sensing and detection. This drastically reduces costs and allows for remote diagnosis and remote servicing of equipment.

Stasis Labs – www.stasislabs.com

2. Emerging networks of patients and caregivers – A fundamental shift in power from doctors/hospitals to individuals will lead to the building of networks around health conditions and even risk to particular health conditions. The knowledge base built by individuals and their care givers contributing granular data could help in uncovering new patterns and possible cures.

Patients like Me – www.patientslikeme.com

3. Miniaturization of Diagnostics: Thirty years ago a test for diabetes had to be done in a laboratory where you would go in the morning having fasted, wait for your blood or urine to be taken, and then tested using a bunch of chemicals. Now this can be done at home at any time using a hand held device. This will become the norm for any test we go to the laboratory for today. Miniaturisation is the rule rather than the exception. Most medical tests will be done at home and data plugged to the cloud for analysis or reporting.

Theranos – www.theranos.com

4. Remote care: With shrinking diagnostics and cloud analytics, remote diagnosis will be easier. Video-based consultation for most non-emergency conditions is becoming commonplace. Imagine virtual consultation and remote diagnosis with miniaturisation, coupled with robotic surgery. The location of the expert doctors becomes irrelevant.

Doctor On Demand – www.doctorondemand.com

5. Data analytics to drive decisions: Medical diagnosis till now has relied on physician knowledge and analysis along with diagnostics data. This is now being fundamentally redesigned using massive computing systems like IBM Watson Health, which has the entire medical encyclopedia on its engine and can provide answers on demand, in seconds. The unreliability of an individual’s analysis or a limited number of people will be replaced by data analytics to drive diagnosis and treatment decisions. This is critical in specialties like oncology where the right pattern identified can lead to far better outcomes.

Flatiron Health – www.flatiron.com

6. Algorithms replacing doctors: Can medical knowledge be codified and algorithms built to enable better diagnosis and care? Turns out we can. With increasing knowledge being assembled in the cloud, and diagnostics equipment now fuelling this database along with more refined treatment protocols, we are more likely to see most routine cases diagnosed without getting a doctor involved.

MoodGym – https://moodgym.anu.edu.au/

7. Virtual reality and holograms: In those rare instances where you really need to see a specialist with specific skills or knowledge and experience, virtual reality and holograms will enable a seamless and rich interaction. Virtual reality could also be a great treatment modality for behavioural issues like various phobias, e.g fear of flying.

Psious – www.psious.com

8. 3D printing and technology: With the costs of printers and printing dropping rapidly, 3D technologies will revolutionise the fields of dental care, orthopaedics and neurosurgery technologies. This enables better precision and informed decisions tailored to individuals before and after surgery.

Osteo3D – www.osteo3d.com

9. Genomics and Proteomics: The last decade has seen tremendous progress in the field of genomics since the human genome was decoded in 2001. Today we have the ability to sequence genomes much faster, at a fraction of the cost. Most importantly, technology to edit and recreate genomic information is now becoming possible, truly providing us the tools to manage our own risks.

Editas Medicine – http://editasmedicine.com/

10. Coach led, physician supported: The role of the physician will be radically different in the future, with more clients interfacing with health coaches. They have access to knowledge, algorithms and data at their fingertips and can coordinate with physicians if required. This new generation of health coaches will be our front line and first point of contact, leading to better outcomes and individualised care.

Vida Health – www.vida.com

[About the author: Ashwin is a healthcare entrepreneur and a resident Ashoka Fellow.]

Image credit : shutterstock