After nearly two decades with Dr Lal PathLabs, a senior executive has announced their decision to step down, marking the end of a remarkable journey with the company. The executive, who joined the family-run diagnostics business in 2005, will now transition to the next phase of their career.

At the time of joining, Dr Lal PathLabs was a small player in Delhi NCR with a valuation of Rs. 108 Crores. Leaving behind larger companies like Hindustan Lever and Ranbaxy, the executive took a bold step, and over the years, the company has evolved into India’s largest diagnostics provider, now valued at over Rs. 20,000 Crores.

Looking back, professionals from various fields would view the company's journey through different lenses. Financial analysts would marvel at the impressive 200x returns over two decades, while marketers would point to the shift towards consumer-facing healthcare as a game-changer in the industry. Business operations experts would appreciate the logistical brilliance of the hub-and-spoke model, and human resource professionals would acknowledge the company’s role as a talent incubator, fostering diversity at all levels.

The growth of Dr Lal PathLabs is a testament to the power of culture transformation and collaboration between private equity investors, promoters, and management professionals, all of whom contributed to the company’s exceptional success.

For the executive, this journey is deeply personal, reflecting their own evolution from humble beginnings in Nagina, a small village in Mewat district, Haryana, to achieving academic milestones at IIM Ahmedabad and Harvard Business School.

As they bid farewell, the executive expressed sincere gratitude for the incredible experiences and opportunities during their time at Dr Lal PathLabs. This chapter in their career holds a special place in their broader trajectory, and they look forward to the future with anticipation while celebrating the lasting impact of the company on the healthcare sector.

Ankura Hospitals, a leading healthcare provider specializing in women and child care in Hyderabad, has announced that it has secured Rs. 165 crore in funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). This strategic investment is set to fuel Ankura’s expansion plans and align with its long-term vision of strengthening its market presence while enhancing healthcare accessibility across India.

Dr. Krishna Prasad Vunnam, Founder and Managing Director of Ankura Hospitals, expressed gratitude for the support, stating, “This significant financial backing from ADB will enable us to enhance our pediatric, maternity, and gynecology services, expand our facilities, and extend our reach to more families, ensuring they receive the highest standards of care.”

As part of its growth strategy, Ankura Hospitals plans to establish new state-of-the-art facilities in key cities across India. The hospital is renowned for its comprehensive maternity and gynecology services, including normal deliveries, cesarean sections, fertility treatments, high-risk obstetrics, and advanced surgical solutions in gynecology. These services are designed to meet the diverse needs of women and children, offering cutting-edge care at every stage of life.

The funding will enable Ankura to expand its ability to provide specialized care while maintaining its commitment to excellence in women and child healthcare. With this new investment, Ankura Hospitals is poised to strengthen its position as a leader in the industry, delivering high-quality, accessible healthcare services across India.

FDA has cleared Bolt Medical's intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) system for above-the-knee indications, just three months after Boston Scientific, which already owned a 26% stake in Bolt, announced plans to acquire the company. Lithotripsy is a procedure where physicians break up calcified masses to restore blood flow, and Bolt’s IVL system uses acoustic pressure waves inside a balloon catheter to fracture calcium. The system also features directional emitters for consistent energy delivery to treat calcified lesions. Boston Scientific developed the concept for the Bolt IVL system, which helped launch Bolt Medical in 2019.

In January, Boston Scientific agreed to acquire Bolt Medical for approximately $443 million upfront, with up to $221 million in regulatory milestone-based payments, bringing the total deal value to about $600 million, with potential for up to $300 million in contingent payments. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of the year.

The FDA’s 510(k) clearance is based on Bolt’s RESTORE ATK trial, which studied the treatment of stenotic lesions with the IVL system. The device is also being evaluated for below-the-knee indications and coronary arterial disease in the FRACTURE IDE study. Bolt’s entry into the IVL market positions Boston Scientific to compete directly with J&J, with an estimated $8.5 billion market opportunity.

Lunit , a leader in AI-driven cancer diagnostics and therapeutics, has announced a partnership with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to explore AI applications in cancer research. This collaboration aims to advance understanding of the tumor microenvironment and immune phenotyping by analyzing NCI's data to enhance personalized cancer treatment.

Under the agreement, Lunit’s AI tools, such as Lunit SCOPE® IO and Lunit SCOPE universal IHC, will be integrated into NCI’s clinical trials. The AI-powered image analysis will focus on whole-slide images from NCI’s studies, enabling more precise insights into cancer biomarkers. The partnership is designed to incorporate Lunit’s technologies into the core of cancer research, ultimately driving new discoveries in immunotherapy and targeted treatments.

Together, Lunit and NCI will collaborate on publications, presentations, and reports to share findings and innovations. The ultimate goal is to utilize data-driven insights to develop more personalized cancer treatment strategies, improving patient outcomes and advancing cancer care globally.

Brandon Suh, CEO of Lunit, emphasized the significance of this collaboration, noting that it highlights the potential of Lunit’s AI solutions in revolutionizing cancer research. By combining Lunit's advanced AI technologies with NCI's expertise and clinical data, the partnership seeks to uncover breakthroughs in oncology that can transform treatment approaches and offer more effective, personalized care for patients.

GE HealthCare Technologies  has successfully completed its acquisition of the remaining 50% stake in Nihon Medi-Physics Co., Ltd. (NMP) from Sumitomo Chemical, achieving full ownership of the company. This acquisition enhances GE HealthCare’s capabilities in developing and manufacturing radiopharmaceuticals for single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET), essential technologies for disease detection and diagnosis.

Kevin O’Neill, President & CEO of GE HealthCare’s Pharmaceutical Diagnostics (PDx) segment, who will also serve as President of NMP, expressed excitement about the acquisition, emphasizing the strategic value of expanding GE HealthCare’s presence in Japan. He noted that Japan is on track to lead the $7 billion global molecular imaging market, positioning NMP to play a key role in this growth and support the development of next-generation radiopharmaceuticals.

Founded in 1973, NMP is headquartered in Tokyo and specializes in radiopharmaceuticals used in molecular imaging for neurology, cardiology, and oncology. The company generated revenues of 28.2B JPY (~$183 million) in 2023. GE HealthCare initially acquired a 50% stake in NMP through its purchase of Amersham plc in 2004.

The transaction is expected to be neutral to GE HealthCare’s Adjusted EPS in the first year and accretive thereafter. The deal was advised by Solomon Partners Securities, LLC, and the intent to acquire the remaining stake was announced in December 2024.

TidalSense has developed N-Tidal Diagnose, a groundbreaking technology that offers a simpler and more comfortable alternative to traditional spirometry, a diagnostic method dating back to 1846. Unlike spirometry, which requires forceful breathing and skilled medical professionals, N-Tidal Diagnose uses AI to interpret CO2 waveforms from a patient's normal breathing, providing an accurate diagnosis in just five minutes. This device is designed to reduce strain on healthcare providers and help address long diagnostic waiting times.

CE-marked and approved under EU Medical Device Regulations for COPD diagnosis, N-Tidal Diagnose is now being rolled out across GP practices in the UK. COPD, which affects around three million people in the UK, is the country’s third leading cause of death, contributing to over 30,000 deaths annually and costing the NHS £1.9bn.

Data validated by Health Tech Enterprise reveals that nearly 45,000 patients a year are either under or over-treated while waiting for spirometry, with 1,455 experiencing a deterioration in their condition due to under-treatment. Furthermore, only 50% of Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) can meet the demand for spirometry. Misdiagnoses and incorrect prescriptions for COPD during these waits cost the NHS over £15.9 million annually.

Dr. Ameera Patel, CEO of TidalSense, called N-Tidal Diagnose a major breakthrough in COPD diagnostics, addressing both patient and healthcare system needs. The device aims to improve speed, accuracy, and accessibility in respiratory diagnosis. It will be available across the NHS starting 14 April.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi (durvalumab) in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin as a neoadjuvant treatment, followed by Imfinzi monotherapy as an adjuvant treatment after radical cystectomy for adults with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). This approval follows a priority review by the FDA and is supported by data from the Phase III NIAGARA trial.

In the trial, patients received four cycles of Imfinzi combined with neoadjuvant chemotherapy before undergoing radical cystectomy, followed by eight cycles of Imfinzi monotherapy. The Imfinzi-based perioperative regimen demonstrated a 32% reduction in the risk of disease progression or mortality compared to the comparator arm. Additionally, the median event-free survival for the Imfinzi regimen has not yet been reached, while the comparator arm showed 46.1 months. At the two-year mark, 67.8% of patients on the Imfinzi regimen remained event-free, compared to 59.8% in the comparator group.

Imfinzi was well-tolerated, with no safety concerns reported in both the neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings. Dave Fredrickson, Executive Vice President of AstraZeneca's Oncology and Hematology business unit, highlighted the approval as a significant advancement for MIBC treatment, with over 80% of patients alive at two years. Imfinzi has also been approved in Brazil and is under review in the European Union, Japan, and other countries.

Since its approval in 2017, more than 374,000 patients have been treated with Imfinzi.

Pfizer announced that the European Commission (EC) has amended the marketing authorization for its bivalent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) prefusion F (RSVpreF) vaccine, ABRYSVO®, to include the prevention of lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) caused by RSV in individuals aged 18 to 59. This expansion builds on the previous authorization for individuals aged 60 and older, making ABRYSVO the first RSV vaccine in the EU with the broadest indication, which now includes:

• Active immunization for the prevention of RSV-induced LRTD in adults 18 years and older.

• Passive protection against RSV-related LRTD in infants from birth through 6 months via maternal immunization during pregnancy.

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Alexandre de Germay, Pfizer’s Chief International Commercial Officer, expressed excitement over the expanded approval, noting that RSV causes approximately 158,000 adult hospital admissions annually, and this broader authorization could help reduce the public health burden. ABRYSVO’s new indication also includes protection for infants up to 6 months of age through maternal vaccination.

This decision follows a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) and is valid in all 27 EU member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. The approval is supported by data from the pivotal Phase 3 MONeT clinical trial (NCT05842967), which evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of ABRYSVO in adults aged 18 to 59 with chronic conditions that put them at risk of RSV-related LRTD. The results have been published in peer-reviewed journals.

Major pharmaceutical companies like Eli Lilly, Pfizer, and Merck are increasing investments in US manufacturing to navigate trade tariffs and capitalize on domestic tax incentives. Eli Lilly, for example, is investing $27 billion in four new US manufacturing sites, focusing on active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and injectables. Pfizer is considering relocating overseas production to US facilities based on tariff shifts, and Merck recently opened a $1 billion plant in North Carolina to enhance production of its HPV vaccine, Gardasil.

While this focus on domestic manufacturing aims to improve supply chain resilience, it could lead to higher production costs and increased drug prices. This is a concern for many Americans already facing rising consumer prices and unemployment, as higher costs could exacerbate affordability issues in healthcare. The evolving tariff situation and higher production costs may create inflationary pressures on drug prices, particularly for essential medications.

At the same time, emerging markets, particularly BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), are pursuing regulatory reforms to improve access to biosimilars and biologics. By harmonizing regulations, these countries aim to foster competition and reduce costs, which could provide an alternative to US-produced pharmaceuticals. This effort could help offset the challenges posed by US tariffs and make affordable medicines more accessible across member states.

Adam Bradbury, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData, suggests that these regulatory advances could enable BRICS nations to become significant players in global pharmaceutical manufacturing. By supporting the growth of biosimilars and biologics, these countries could offer high-quality, affordable medications while improving global supply chain resilience and maintaining competitive balance in the industry.

Akums Drugs & Pharmaceuticals has launched a groundbreaking ripasudil+timolol combination therapy for glaucoma treatment, becoming the first Indian contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) to receive approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for this innovative formulation.

Glaucoma, the second leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, contributes significantly to India's healthcare burden, accounting for 23.5% of global cases. In India, glaucoma ranks third after cataracts and refractive errors as a leading cause of vision impairment. Ocular hypertension, a key factor in glaucoma development, refers to elevated eye pressure without visible damage to the optic nerve. Although not everyone with ocular hypertension develops glaucoma, regular monitoring and treatment are critical to preventing vision loss.

The new combination therapy offers a dual approach to lowering intraocular pressure (IOP). Ripasudil improves aqueous humour outflow through the trabecular meshwork, while timolol reduces aqueous humour production. This synergistic combination provides superior and more sustained IOP control compared to single-drug treatments.

Sanjeev Jain, Managing Director of Akums, highlighted that this dual-action therapy improves efficacy and patient adherence, addressing a major challenge in glaucoma management. By combining two medications into a single drop formulation, the therapy simplifies treatment, enhancing patient convenience and potentially improving compliance.

Sandeep Jain, also Managing Director, emphasized the significance of this launch in India, where glaucoma prevalence is rising. The new therapy is designed to make high-quality treatment more accessible, helping to improve clinical outcomes and the quality of life for patients. Akums' state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities will ensure consistent supply and availability of the product, addressing a critical healthcare need for the approximately 11.9 million people affected by glaucoma in India.