Category Archives: Science & Technology

NATIONAL: SPACE / SATELLITES &TECHNOLOGY: ISRO Successfully Launches SSLV’s 2nd Developmental Flight with 3 Satellites from Sriharikota

The new rocket launch from Sriharikota has put three satellites into a 450 km-circular orbit during its 15-minute flight .

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched its second developmental flight of a Small Satellite Launch Vehicle — SSLV-D2 — and placed three satellites in its precise orbit on February 10 morning.

The three satellites are ISRO’s Earth Observation Satellite – EOS 07, U.S.-based firm Antaris’ Janus-1 and Chennai-based space start-up SpaceKidz’s AzaadiSAT-2. 

SSLV-D2 lifted off from the first launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre-SHAR, Sriharikota at 9:18 a.m. This is the first satellite launch in 2023.

“The SSLV-D2-EOS-07 mission is successfully accomplished,” ISRO mentioned on its Twitter handle, a few minutes after the vehicle took off. ISRO in a statement said: “The vehicle injected satellites into close to 450 km circular orbit at an inclination of 37.2 degrees. The tracking network took control of EOS-07 satellite. Deployment of the solar panels and the generation of power is confirmed.”

ISRO Chairman S. Somanath said, “In its second attempt SSLV-D2 has placed the EOS-07 satellite in its intended orbit very accurately. Two more satellites -Janus-1 and AzaadiSAT-2 were also placed in the required orbit.”

The Chairman further said: “SSLV had its maiden flight SSLV-D1 and we had a narrow miss of placing the satellite in the orbit because of a shortfall in velocity. I’m happy to report that we have analysed the problems faced in SSLV D1 – identified the corrective actions and implemented it. We went through lot of studies to ensure that the vehicle will become success this time,” he added. 

“And I’m happy this has been executed in reality. The orbit achieved by the vehicle today is exceedingly good,” Mr. Somanath said.

Noting that this journey began in 2018, S.S. Vinod, Mission Director of SSLV, said, “We had the maiden flight in August 2022 and we could not place the satellite in the intended orbit. Post that detailed analysis with a number of teams was carried out and we were able to pinpoint the problem in the system . We overcame that.”

He added, “And in a period of five months we have come back. And we will be coming back soon with the next launch of SSLV.”

It may be recalled that the first developmental flight of SSLV lifted off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre on August 7, 2022, and ended up to be a partial failure, as the rocket failed to inject its satellite payload in their intended orbits.

According to ISRO, the spacecraft was injected into a highly elliptical unstable orbit due to a shortfall in velocity, leading to their decay and deorbiting immediately, in spite of the normal performance of all solid propulsion stages. 

Subsequent detailed analysis of the flight events and observations ranging from the countdown, lift-off, propulsion performance, stage separations and satellite injection revealed that there was a vibration disturbance for a short duration on the Equipment Bay (EB) deck during the second stage (SS2) separation. This affected the Inertial Navigation System (INS), resulting in declaring the sensors faulty by the logic in Fault Detection and Isolation (FDI) software.

About SSLV-D2

EOS-07 is a 156.3 kg satellite designed, developed and realized by ISRO. The mission objective of EOS-07 is to design and develop payload instruments compatible with microsatellite bus and new technologies, which are required for future operational satellites. Moreover, it will also design and develop a microsatellite accommodating new technology payloads in a quick turn-around time. 

New experiments include mm-Wave Humidity Sounder and Spectrum Monitoring Payload. Weighing around 10.2 kg, Janus-1 is a technology demonstrator, smart satellite mission based on the Antaris software platform. An 8.7 kg satellite AzaadiSAT-2 is a combined effort of about 750 girl students across India guided by Space Kidz India, Chennai.

According to details provided by ISRO, SSLV caters to the launch of up to 500 kg satellites to Low Earth Orbits on a “launch-on-demand” basis. It provides low-cost access to space, offers low turn-around time and flexibility in accommodating multiple satellites, and demands minimal launch infrastructure. It is configured with three solid propulsion stages and a velocity terminal module. It is a 34 m tall, 2 m diameter vehicle having a lift-off mass of 120 tonnes.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: India’s First new Mobility- Focussed Cluster – the ‘Telangana Mobility Valley’ (TMV) announced by Telangana

KTR said that the Hyderabad E-Mobility Week would be held regularly to foster collaboration by bringing together the thought leaders.

Telangana today announced India’s first new mobility-focused cluster, Telangana Mobility Valley (TMV), at the first edition of Mobility Next Hyderabad Summit – part of the Hyderabad E-Mobility Week, to further accelerate the growth of sustainable mobility in India.

Sharing the details of the TMV, KT Rama Rao, Minister for IT E&C, MA&UD and Industries & Commerce, in his inaugural address, said, “Telangana Mobility Valley will create best-in-class infrastructure making Telangana the most competitive destination for both manufacturing and E R&D in India.”

“TMV aims to attract investments of around Rs 50,000 crore and generate more than 4 lakh jobs in the next 5 years. For this, the State is developing 4 Mega clusters in and around Hyderabad- EV Manufacturing cluster in Zaheerabad, an EV Manufacturing cluster in Seetharampur, Energy storage system (ESS) cluster in Divitipally and Innovation cluster at Yenkathala.

Each of the clusters will be equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure to reduce the cost of operations for their tenant,” the Minister added.

Rama Rao said, “Further, investments aggregating Rs 3,000+ Cr are in advanced stages and will be announced in the next 2 weeks. These investments will further strengthen Electric 3-wheeler, Electric 2-wheeler and charging equipment manufacturing ecosystem in Telangana.”

“TMV aims to facilitate companies across all segments of sustainable mobility including Electric 2Wheelers/ 3 wheelers/ 4 wheelers, Advanced Cell Chemistry and Hydrogen fuel cells, Tier 1 and Tier 2 Component manufacturers and Auto Engineering R&D companies among others,” the Minister added.

Rama Rao said that the Hyderabad E-Mobility Week would be held regularly to foster collaboration by bringing together the thought leaders, experts, and global automotive ecosystem players to chart a course for sustainable mobility.

As part of the event, the State also announced three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) — ATS-TUV Rheinland MoU with Telangana Government; Bosch Global Software Technologies MoU with BITS Hyderabad, and Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge’s (TASK) MoU with Shell.

Delivering the keynote address, Hizmy Hassen, Chief Digital Officer, Apollo Tyres Ltd, said, “The E-Mobility Week along with other investments by the Government of Telangana is another show of great public sector commitment.

The broader automotive industry should take advantage of these incentives and excellent infrastructure to accelerate sustainability in mobility. The industry needs to come together along with policymakers towards the common goal of making it more sustainable for decades to come.”

Talking about the future of sustainable mobility, Christian Cahn von Seelen, Executive Director, Sales, Marketing & Digital, Volkswagen Group India, said, “Sustainable mobility is achievable through the right cooperation between all stakeholders, including the supportive government policies in India.

The G20 presidency of India offers a huge opportunity and there is a strong drive from various industries to address the challenges of climate change. With hard work and dedication, we can remain optimistic and see the realization of sustainable mobility in the future.”

Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, Information Technology, Electronics & Communications, and Industries & Commerce Departments, Govt. of Telangana gave the vote of thanks.

The summit saw participation from government, academia, and industry including Kamal Bali, President and MD, Volvo Group India, Nikolaus Lang, Sr. Partner & MD, Global Leader- Global Advantage Practice, BCG, Prabhjeet Singh, President, Uber India & South Asia, Shrikant Sinha, CEO, Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge – TASK, Suman Mishra, CEO, Mahindra Last Mile Mobility Division, Dirk Adamczyk, SVP, Engineering Solutions ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Mamatha Chamarthi, SVP Business & Product Management, Stellantis, and Dr. Amaresh Chakrabarti, Chair, Centre for Product Design & Manufacturing, Indian Institute of Science, among others.

For more information and to register for Mobility Next Hyderabad 2023, please visit the event’s website at www.evhyderabad.in/mobility-next.

source/content: siasat.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: DEFENCE / AVIATION: PM Modi Unveils India’s Biggest Helicopter Manufacturing Facility at HAL, Tumakuru

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s helicopter factory — the country’s largest chopper manufacturing facility — in Tumakuru district of Karnataka.

Bengaluru-headquartered HAL plans to produce more than 1,000 helicopters in the range of 3-15 tonne with a total business of more than Rs 4 lakh crore over a period of 20 years at this facility in Gubbi taluk, officials said.

The factory, spread across 615 acres for which the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone in 2016, would initially manufacture Light Utility Helicopters (LUH)).

It will enable India to meet its entire requirement of helicopters without import and giving much-needed fillip to the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ in helicopter design, development, and manufacture, they said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and senior officials of Ministry of Defence were among those present on the occasion.

“It is a dedicated new greenfield helicopter factory which will enhance India’s capacity and ecosystem to build helicopters,” Singh said.


Assembly polls in Karnataka are due by May.

PM Modi unveiled the LUH, which has been flight tested. The LUH is an indigenously designed and developed three-tonne class, single-engine multipurpose utility helicopter. Initially, the factory will produce around 30 helicopters per year and can be enhanced to 60 and then 90 every year in a phased manner, according to the Defence Ministry.

The factory will be augmented to produce other helicopters such as Light Combat Helicopters (LCHs) and Indian Multirole Helicopters (IMRHs). It will also be used for maintenance, repair and overhaul of LCH, LUH, Civil Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and IMRH in the future.

Potential exports of civil LUH will also be catered to from this factory, which is being equipped with state-of-the-art Industry 4.0 standard tools and techniques for its operations, officials said.

The proximity of the factory, with the existing HAL facilities in Bengaluru, will boost the aerospace manufacturing ecosystem in the region and support skill and infrastructure development such as schools, colleges and residential areas, it was noted.

The factory is fully operational after the establishment of facilities like heli-runway, flight hangar, final assembly hangar, structure assembly hangar, air traffic control and various supporting service facilities, officials said.

source/content: english.varthabharati.in (headline edited)

NATIONAL: HEALTH & MEDICAL SERVICES / VACCINES: INDIA’S FIRST INTRANASAL COVID-19 VACCINE – 3 Lakh Doses of Intranasal Covid Vaccine ‘iNCOVACC’ sent to Hospitals: Bharat Biotech’s Krishna Ella

iNCOVACC, the world’s first intranasal COVID-19 vaccine, was launched on January 26.

Bharat Biotech dispatched three lakh doses of its intranasal COVID-19 vaccine to some hospitals two days ago, the company’s executive chairman Krishna Ella said on Sunday.

Mr. Ella was speaking on the sidelines of an event here at which a bilateral agreement was signed between the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison Global Health Institute (GHI) and the Ella Foundation for the establishment of the first-ever UW-Madison One Health Centre in Bengaluru.

iNCOVACC, the world’s first intranasal COVID-19 vaccine, was launched on January 26. The vaccine is now available on CoWIN and priced at ₹800 for private markets and ₹325 for the government of India and State governments.

“We dispatched three lakh doses of the world’s first intranasal COVID-19 vaccine to some hospitals two days ago,” Mr. Ella said.

On whether Bharat Biotech is looking at exporting the vaccine, he said some countries and international agencies are approaching the company for the intra-nasal vaccine.

iNCOVACC is also the world’s first intranasal COVID-19 vaccine to receive approval for the primary 2-dose schedule, and as a heterologous booster dose for adults.

Mr. Ella said the UW-Madison One Health Centre in Bengaluru is expected to be operational by the end of 2023.

It will advance the development and production of new vaccines for India. Furthermore, the partnership will enable collaboration across disciplines and geographic boundaries, provide Indian students and researchers access to UW expertise and training, and build research capacity in India, he said.

“Both Ella Foundation and UW-Madison GHI share a common vision to advance innovation in science, research, and knowledge sharing. Establishing the UW-Madison Global One Health Centre holds great significance as it will advance global health through research, education, and community engagement by facilitating student, faculty exchanges, research and education,” he added.

UW-Madison GHI director Jorge Osorio said, “We are energised by the opportunity to partner with the Ella Foundation to bring UW knowledge and expertise to expand innovative and impactful health initiatives outside Wisconsin to India.”

The India One Health Centre joins a global network that includes Africa and Latin America and will open new opportunities for research, education, and provide actionable outcomes to benefit humans, animals, and ecosystems that advance equitable and sustainable health across India and the world.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: JNCASR Scientists Develop Brain-like Computing with Industry Compatible Nitride Semiconductors

They used scandium nitride (ScN) to develop a device mimicking a synapse that controls the signal transmission as well as remembers the signal.

A team of scientists from the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) have used scandium nitride (ScN) and Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) compatibility to develop brain-like computing.

This invention can provide a new material for stable, CMOS-compatible optoelectronic synaptic functionalities at a relatively lower energy cost and also potential to be translated into an industrial product.

According to the Department of Science and Technology, the JNCASR team led by Dheemahi Rao who were working on nitride-based materials used their background for developing hardware for neuromorphic computing. They used ScN to develop a device mimicking a synapse that controls the signal transmission as well as remembers the signal.

“The JNCASR team demonstrates an artificial optoelectronic synapse with ScN thin films that can mimic synaptic functionalities like short-term memory, long-term memory, the transition from short-term to long-term memory, learning–forgetting, frequency selective optical filtering, frequency-dependent potentiation and depression, Hebbian learning, and logic-gate operations,” states the department.

Compared to the existing materials used to demonstrate optoelectronic synapse, ScN is more stable, CMOS compatible, and can be seamlessly integrated with existing Si technology. It can act as a platform for both excitatory and inhibitory functions. The industrial processing techniques of ScN are similar to the existing semiconductor fabrication infrastructure. Response to the optical stimuli also has the advantage of possible integration with photonic circuits known for higher speed and broader bandwidth than electronic circuits.

“Our work enables neuromorphic computing research with a stable, scalable, and CMOS-compatible III-nitride semiconductor that exhibits both excitatory and inhibitory synaptic functionalities. Unlike the previous works on all-electronic synapse, our work shows an optoelectronic synapse with a large bandwidth, reduced RC delays, and low power consumption,”said Dr. Bivas Saha, Assistant Professor, JNCASR.

Apart from JNCASR, researchers from the University of Sydney (Dr. Magnus Garbrecht and Dr. Asha I. K. Pillai) also participated in this study published recently in the scientific journal Advanced Electronic Materials.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: ENGINEERING / TECHNOLOGY: Tata Boeing Aerospace (TBAL) Delivers First Fuselage for AH-64 Apaches for Army

Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL) on Thursday said it has delivered the first fuselage for six AH-64 Apache attack helicopters ordered by the Indian Army.

The fuselage was produced at TBAL’s production facility in Hyderabad.

“This is a proud milestone and a testimony of our commitment towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat and the world-class manufacturing capabilities at our joint venture Tata Boeing Aerospace Ltd at Hyderabad,” said Salil Gupte, president, Boeing India.

“The Apache will provide the Indian Army with a significant boost in capability just as the AH-64 has for the Indian Air Force,” he said.

Boeing had completed the deliveries of all 22 AH-64E Apache helicopters to the Indian Air Force in 2020.

TBAL’s 14,000 sq metre facility produces complex aero-structures for Boeing 737 and 777 models in addition to being a global sole source supplier for Apache fuselages.

The joint venture between Boeing and Tata Advanced systems Ltd (TASL) employs more than 900 engineers and technicians and utilizes cutting-edge robotics, automation and advanced aerospace concepts in its manufacturing processes.

“Successful delivery of the first fuselage for Boeing AH-64 Apache combat helicopters for the Indian Army is the result of the hard work and seamless collaboration of the teams at TBAL,” said Sukaran Singh, managing director and chief executive officer, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL).

He said this delivery also positions India as an important manufacturing base in overall Boeing operations.

“We stay committed towards progression of indigenous defence manufacturing with strong focus on the quality and timely delivery,” he said.

TBAL has produced and supplied Boeing’s Apache final assembly plant in Mesa, Arizona with over 190 fuselages. More than 90 per cent of the parts used in these aerostructures assemblies are manufactured within India through over 100 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) suppliers.

Tata Group recently won the ‘Supplier of the year’ award 2022 from Boeing, from among more than 11,000 suppliers worldwide.

With more than 1,275 AH-64 Apaches in operation accumulating over 4.9 million flight hours globally, 1.3 million of which have been in combat, the attack helicopter holds the reputation of being the world’s most advanced and proven one.

The helicopter is capable of delivering a variety of weapons which include air-to-ground Hellfire missiles. PTI MPB CK

source/content: theprint.in /PTI (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: ARTS & SCIENCE / PHOTOGRAPHY: NASA Publishes 4 Jupiter Images Processed by Navaneeth Krishnan, Editor, Kerala State Institute of Children’s Literature

Science enthusiasts around the world love to process the raw images taken by The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s spacecraft on various missions.

Science enthusiasts around the world love to process the raw images taken by The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s spacecraft on various missions. It’s a passion for many. Some of their processed works even get recognition by the US space agency. Navaneeth Krishnan, a native of Angamaly won the recognition when NASA published four images of its Jupiter Mission that he processed. 

An editor at the Kerala State Institute of Children’s Literature, Thiruvananthapuram, Navaneeth recently processed the image of the Northern Cyclones on Jupiter taken from JunoCam, the public engagement camera aboard NASA’s Juno spacecraft. NASA also gave credit to Navaneeth for enhancing the colour and contrast of the image.

“NASA’s Juno spacecraft has been making rotations around Jupiter and providing raw images for years. It is the Southwest Research Institute that publishes these raw images which are further processed by various citizen scientists. Every time an image is published by NASA, scores of people from across the globe download it as part of the public engagement project and process it. This is the fourth time that NASA is publishing an image that I processed. I am extremely happy that NASA is recognising my efforts,” says Navaneeth.  

The latest image he worked on a cyclone on the northernmost region of Jupiter, perched near the gas giant’s north pole, was taken on September 29, 2022. While publishing the image in December, NASA said, “Jupiter has eight circumpolar cyclones, and four are visible in this image, framing the northernmost cyclone. 

A small anticyclone (which spins counterclockwise) has wedged its way in just above the northernmost cyclone. The image was acquired on Juno’s 45th pass of Jupiter from an altitude of 17,248 miles and shows features as small as 11.6 miles across. Citizen scientist Navaneeth Krishnan S processed the images to enhance the colour and contrast.” 

Navaneeth has completed his PG in Physics and has always been passionate about astrophysics. 
“I use Photoshop and other softwares like G’MIC-QT and GIMP to process the raw images. So far, I have processed 300 images, of which four images have been published. Processing these can contribute to more discoveries in future,” says Navaneeth.

The frst image processed by Navaneeth that got published was one of Jupiter’s South temperate belt and the Great Red Spot. The second was of Europa taken on September 29 in 2022 at an altitude of around 1,500km. An image of a storm titled ‘Oval BA’ in Jupiter was also processed by him and published by the agency.  

There is no monetary aspect involved in this process in which many space enthusiasts participate.  Navaneeth is also part of the Aastro Kerala Organisation along with many science enthusiasts of all ages, from children to adults.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL / NATIONAL: GREEN / BIO-CHEMISTRY / ORGANIC INSECTICIDES: 17-year-old teen Researcher Sarvesh Prabhu,Wins International Award for Developing Organic Insecticide at International Science & Engineering Fair, Atlanta, USA

The extract of Ramphal leaves is effective against various insect and pests like, pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera, fall armyworm, spodoptera frugiperda, larvae, and green peach aphids.

Sarvesh Prabhu, a 17-year-old research intern at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), represented India at the International Science and Engineering Fair in Atlanta, USA and won the third prize in the biochemistry category. He was awarded $1,000 for developing a cost-effective bio-insecticide from the leaves of bullock’s heart, Annona reticulata, popularly known as Ramphal.

When asked what led him to such a discovery, he said, “During the lockdown, my sister did gardening as a hobby. All of our plants were getting eaten by insects before they could grow, resulting in a terrible harvest. While my sister wanted to use chemical insecticides, I was absolutely against them, which led me to find botanical insecticides as an alternative. Ramphal grows in our garden, and we noticed that it flourished when all other plants were struck by pests. Thus, began my project in the middle of the pandemic.”

The extract of Ramphal leaves is effective against various insects and pests like pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera, fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, larvae, and green peach aphids. Ramphal leaves were tested in a lab. The results showed a mortality range of 78-88 per cent.

He said, “One of my main goals was to make it cost-effective and easy to manufacture by the farmer themselves. The preparation process of the insecticide is simple and easy. The Ramphal tree is also commonly found across India. This botanical product is several times cheaper than most insecticides in the market.”

About winning the prestigious prize, he said, “It was truly a pursuit that I cannot forget. More than the prize, the journey was impactful. The friends I made, the knowledge I gained from previous research papers, and the skills I acquired from the experts at ICRISAT are invaluable.”

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

EUROPE: SCIENTIST: Indian Scientist Dr. Mahima Swamy at Scotland’s University of Dundee Recognised as One of Europe’s Top Talents. Chosen to join the Prestigious European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Young Investigator Network

Dr Mahima Swamy, from Bangalore, one of the University of Dundee’s most revered experts within their School of Life Sciences, has been named as one of the rising stars of European science. Due to her research, she has been chosen to join the prestigious European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Young Investigator network.

Based within the University’s Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit (MRC-PPU), Dr Swamy heads a research group that investigates immune responses in the intestine and joins 23 other researchers to become a part of the network of 135 current and 390 former members of the programme.

She said, “I am really excited to be a part of this network and meet all the dynamic young scientists doing cutting-edge research across Europe. I believe that being a part of this esteemed group will help our research immensely, and I am very grateful to my lab and my mentors for the support that got me this award.”

A key part of Dr. Swamy’s work is the study of inflammatory bowel diseases and how these can be prompted by the body’s immune system attacking the gut lining in the absence of infection. Research in the Swamy group aims to address how we can better harness the gut immune system to protect against harmful invasion, but also prevent it from damaging the gut.

The EMBO Young Investigator programme supports the scientific endeavours of researchers who have become laboratory group leaders in the past four years. EMBO Young Investigators are selected by a team of EMBO members for the high standard of their research.

“It is marvellous news that Mahima has been awarded a prestigious EMBO award,” said Professor Dario Alessi, Director of the MRC-PPU.

“It is well-deserved recognition and a huge boost for the vital research that Mahima is undertaking on deciphering the biological roles of the enigmatic Intraepithelial lymphocytes that patrol the intestinal epithelium. Mahima’s work is contributing to improved understanding, treatment and diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer.”

The work of Dr Swamy is just part of the reason the University of Dundee remains on the cutting edge of new research and technology.

source/content: telegraphindia.com/edugraph (headline edited)

GLOBAL : NATIONAL: HEALTH & MEDICAL SERVICES: Hetero’s COVID-19 Oral Drug Nirmacom gets WHO prequalification

WHO made a strong recommendation for Nirmatrelvir and Ritonavir for mild and moderate COVID-19 patients at highest risk of hospital admission.

Pharmaceutical company Hetero on December 26 said it has received World Health Organization Prequalification of Medicines Programme (WHO PQ) approval for its generic version of Covid-19 oral antiviral treatment candidate nirmatrelvir.

Nirmatrelvir, which originated in Pfizer laboratories, is co-packaged with ritonavir tablets as Pfizer’s Covid-19 oral antiviral drug Paxlovid. This is the first prequalification for a generic version of Paxlovid, Hetero said.

The combi pack launched by Hetero as Nirmacom will contain nirmatrelvir 150 mg (two tablets) and ritonavir 100 mg (one tablet). A prescription only drug that the company said be initiated as soon as possible after diagnosis of Covid-19 and within five days of symptom onset, Nirmacom is be manufactured at Hetero’s facilities in the country.

WHO had made a strong recommendation for nirmatrelvir and ritonavir for mild and moderate Covid-19 patients at highest risk of hospital admission, such as unvaccinated, aged or immunosuppressed patients, Hetero said in a release.

Managing Director of Hetero Group of Companies Vamsi Krishna Bandi said WHO prequalification for Nirmacom is a significant milestone and the company is committed to making the drug available faster at affordable prices across 95 low and medium income countries, including India. Hetero was among a clutch of companies that entered into a non-exclusive voluntary licensing agreement with Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) for manufacturing and sale of a generic version of Pfizer’s nirmatrelvir in LMICs.

“Delighted to see the first generic version of nirmatrelvir under MPP license with Pfizer receive quality assurance approval from WHO. This is an impressive achievement from Hetero as we announced the sublicence agreements just nine months ago,” MPP Executive Director Charles Gore said.

Hetero has already received emergency use authorisation (EUA) approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to manufacture and market Nirmacom.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)