JnJ seeks USFDA nod of Stelara for pediatric Crohn’s disease

Horsham: Johnson & Johnson is seeking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the expansion of STELARA (ustekinumab) for the treatment of children two years and older with moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease (CD). The company has submitted supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) to the USFDA in this connection.

STELARA is currently approved for the treatment of adults living with moderately to severely active CD and ulcerative colitis, in addition to the treatment of adults and children six years and older with active psoriatic arthritis and moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.

The sBLA is supported by data from the Phase 3 UNITI-Jr clinical study, a multicenter, open-label study to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of STELARA for the treatment of pediatric CD through 52 weeks.

“Living with a lifelong condition like Crohn’s disease can be incredibly challenging, especially for children and adolescents who may experience more severe symptoms and faster disease progression than adults. With limited approved treatment options to support the specific needs of this patient population, many children with a Crohn’s disease diagnosis continue to struggle,” said Chris Gasink, M.D., Vice President, Medical Affairs, Gastroenterology & Autoantibody, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine. “With the well-established efficacy and safety profile of STELARA in existing indications, this submission aims to better support these patients, their families, and providers with a new treatment option.”

Of the nearly one million people in the U.S. living with CD, approximately up to 25 percent are children and the rate of CD in this younger population continues to rise. Crohn’s disease can be more severe for the pediatric population compared to adults, further highlighting the need for additional treatment options.

Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract with no known cause, but the disease is associated with abnormalities of the immune system that could be triggered by a genetic predisposition, diet, or other environmental factors. Symptoms of Crohn’s disease can vary, but often include abdominal pain and tenderness, frequent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, weight loss, and fever. Currently no cure is available for Crohn’s disease. Nearly one million people in the U.S. are living with CD, approximately up to 25 percent of those individuals are pediatric.

The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson maintain exclusive worldwide marketing rights to STELARA.

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PGI Chandigarh targets new record on International Yoga Day

Chandigarh: The Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, is set to break its own record for the highest number of participants practising the common yoga protocol on June 21.

Last year, the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) set a record with the participation of 1,924 healthcare workers in a yoga event, which was officially recognised by the Asia Book of Records.

The PGIMER Yoga centre has been conducting 45-minute yoga sessions for patient’s caregivers, daily, since June 1 as a pre-celebration.

According to an IANS report, however, yoga for caregivers is a routine activity which is conducted twice a week at the PGIMER. Additionally, a yoga summer camp for children is currently being held. Director PGIMER Prof Vivek Lal said, “I appeal to healthcare workers of tricity to join PGI’s Yoga Day celebration on June 21 as it brings team spirit necessary for quality delivery of clinical services.”

Also Read:PGI Chandigarh Dr Ravindra Khaiwal ranked among world’s top global scholars

Medical Superintendent Prof Vipin Kaushal added, “All the arrangements are in place. In case of rain, the event will be shifted to Zakir Hall.”

Dr Akshay Anand, Professor in-charge of the yoga centre, said, “Yoga is an evidence-based tool for holistic healthcare and important for worklife balance which is why, Y-break has been implemented in over 19 departments.”

Over 3,000 participants have registered for the 11th International Day of Yoga celebrations.

Yoga offers numerous benefits for both mental and physical health. It helps reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, supports the management of hypertension and diabetes, alleviates chronic back pain, and improves posture, among other advantages.

Several studies are currently underway exploring the benefits of yoga and its integration into patient care, with the goal of enhancing treatment outcomes and supporting comprehensive rehabilitation.

Through its yoga centre, the PGIMER aims to offer a well-equipped facility for practicing yoga under the guidance of experienced trainers. This service is available to healthcare workers, staff, faculty, and patients alike.

Also Read:PGI Physiotherapists give 15-day ultimatum over pending demands, hostile work conditions

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HC relief to AIIMS doctor in alleged Rape case

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has granted bail to an AIIMS doctor, who was accused of raping a woman under the pretext of marriage. The court noted that two were, prima facie, involved in ”an active and consensual live-in relationship”. 

Justice Shalinder Kaur, who was hearing the bail plea of the junior resident doctor, said the woman got more FIRs registered for similar offences against others and some cases, including that of extortion, were also filed against her.

“Significantly, this court has also been informed by the counsel for the petitioner that the prosecutrix has lodged other FIRs of offences similar to the one in the present case, against other persons and also that some FIRs have been lodged against her,” the court said, news agency PTI reported.

Also Read:RML Hospital Staff granted bail in alleged bribery case

The extortion case was registered against the woman, in which she was accused of extorting money from a man and his family, threatening them with criminal implications.

In its order dated May 30, the court said, “What emerges from the material placed before this court is a complex factual matrix wherein contradictory versions regarding the nature of the relationship between the petitioner (doctor) and the prosecutrix must be carefully weighed.” The 39-year-old woman was stated to be an educated adult, previously married with a child with special needs. She was found to have resided with the doctor and his family for 15 days.

“It is evident from the record that despite alleging that the petitioner had sexually assaulted her in early December 2024, the prosecutrix had failed to report any incident to the police, and no explanation for the same has been put forth, and in fact, the prosecutrix continued to stay with him,” the court said.

It also came on record that the woman did not inform the doctor’s family about the alleged forcible sexual assaults.

The prosecution alleged that the doctor gave false assurances of marriage but his counsel called it a consensual live-in relationship and said no promise of marriage was ever made.

“Suffice to say, the prosecutrix, being a mature, educated and married woman, must be deemed to understand how marriage rituals work. Nonetheless, the said allegations would be a matter for the trial,” the court said, reports PTI.

The material on record “prima facie” indicated to the court that the doctor and the complainant were “in an active and consensual live-in relationship”.

“Screenshots of WhatsApp chats, travel plans, shared photographs, and other materials prima facie suggest mutual affection and cohabitation. In the medico-legal case (MLC), certain contradictions are appearing as well,” the order read.

The court said Delhi Police had filed a chargesheet in the present case and the trial would take considerable time.

“The petitioner, a 28-year-old doctor serving in AIIMS, holds a permanent job and has no criminal antecedents. This court also notes that he has cooperated with the investigation, and there is no material to show that he has attempted to abscond or tamper with evidence,” the court said.

The man was ordered to furnish a personal bond of Rs 50,000 and two sureties of the like amount.

The doctor was booked for rape, voluntarily causing hurt and voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapon or means.

Also Read:Orthopaedic Surgeon arrested in fake degree case Granted Bail

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Puberty blockers do not cause problems with sexual functioning in transgender adults, study finds

During puberty, all kinds of hormonal changes take place in the body, which lead to the development of external sexual characteristics, such as breast growth, a lower voice or body hair growth. For transgender young people who do not identify with the gender assigned to them at birth, these are often undesirable changes, which can be very drastic.

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Weight-loss behaviors are missing in tools to diagnose eating disorders

Researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London have identified a range of weight-loss behaviors that are not included in current assessment criteria for eating disorders. These gaps may lead to missed or incorrect eating disorder diagnoses and treatment plans.

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‘Virtual ward’ bed uses four times less carbon than traditional inpatient bed

A virtual ward bed uses four times less carbon than a traditional inpatient bed, so helping the NHS achieve its net zero target by 2045, finds the first study of its kind, published in the open-access journal BMJ Innovations.

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Cannabis use linked to doubled risk of cardiovascular disease death

Cannabis use is linked to a doubling in the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, with significantly heightened risks of having a stroke or acute coronary syndrome—sudden reduced or blocked blood flow to the heart—finds a pooled analysis of real-world data, published online in the journal Heart.

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Sanofi successfully prices euro 1.5 billion bond issue

Paris: Sanofi has successfully priced its offering of euro 1.5 billion of notes across 2 tranches:

  • €750 million fixed-rate notes, due June 2029, bearing interest at an annual rate of 2.625%.
  • €750 million fixed-rate notes, due June 2032, bearing interest at an annual rate of 3.000%.

The notes are being issued off the company’s Euro Medium Term Note Programme.

Sanofi intends to use the net proceeds of the offering for general corporate purposes.

The transaction has been led by Citigroup and RBC Capital Markets as Global Coordinators, and Credit Agricole CIB, HSBC and Societe Generale, all as Joint Lead Managers.

Read also: CDSCO Panel Clears Sanofi’s Updated Myozyme Insert, Seeks Revision on Administration Guidance

In the second week of June, Sanofi announced that results from the DISCOVER phase 4, single-arm, open-label study assessing Dupixent (dupilumab) in adults and adolescents with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis with skin of color, were shared in an oral presentation at the 2025 Revolutionizing Atopic Dermatitis (RAD) Conference. These are the first clinical study results for Dupixent in a large population of patients with darker skin tones. The results, along with the Dupixent phase 3 studies, demonstrated patients taking Dupixent experienced improvements in signs and symptoms of atopic dermatitis from baseline across many skin tones. The safety results in the DISCOVER study were generally consistent with the known safety profile of Dupixent in its approved dermatological indications.

Read also: Sanofi-Regeneron Dupixent data reinforce use in atopic dermatitis patients with skin of color

Sanofi is a French multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare company based in Paris. Founded in 1973, it merged with Synthélabo in 1999 to become Sanofi-Synthélabo, and later merged with Aventis in 2004 and renamed to Sanofi-Aventis, which were each the product of several previous mergers. In May 2011, the company changed its name back to Sanofi. An R&D driven, AI-powered biopharma company listed on EURONEXT: SAN and NASDAQ: SNY.

Read also: Sanofi-Regeneron Dupixent data reinforce use in atopic dermatitis patients with skin of color

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Clinical trial for teens shows improved health outcomes for type 1 diabetes

A clinical trial involving adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) has found a combination therapy may reduce chronic kidney disease and improve health outcomes. The findings could help guide more precision care for young people with T1D.

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LG Orders Dissolution of Delhi Medical Council

New Delhi: Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has given his approval for the proposal to dissolve the Delhi Medical Council.

L-G Saxena on Tuesday ordered the dissolution of the Council over alleged irregularities, PTI has reported. He has also directed the Health Department to initiate the process for the reconstitution of the medical council and to ensure that the entire process is completed within two months.

The Delhi Medical Council is an autonomous statutory body enacted under the Delhi Medical Council Act 1997 to regulate the practice of the modern system of medicine in Delhi. DMC also ensures that private doctors in the city are following ethical practices.

It is the only statutory body in Delhi to handle complaints of medical negligence and professional misconduct in Delhi. The council comprises 25 members, including eight elected by around 100,000 registered allopathic doctors in the city, one by the 20,000-member Delhi Medical Association, 10 by medical college faculties, four government nominees, and two former officials.

Also Read: Delhi Health Minister Approves Medical Council Dissolution, DGHS to Handle Doctor Registrations, Council Functions

Earlier, the Delhi Health Department had sent a proposal to L-G Saxena seeking control over the body under Section 29 of the DMC Act, 1997. The proposal recommended the dissolution of the council for a specified period.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the Delhi Government had sent the proposal amid allegations of mismanagement and irregularities in the functioning of the Council. Meanwhile, the Delhi Health Department tasked the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) to oversee the functions of the Council until a new body is formed.

PTI has reported that the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi has now approved the proposal. In the note to the Health Department, Saxena noted that the Delhi Medical Council had unilaterally extended the retirement age of the Registrar from 60 years to 65 years without government approval and further extended his term by one year from December 1, 2024.

The Delhi Medical Council, while responding to a showcause notice issued in February this year, said the concerned official had resigned with immediate effect but did not share further details, the LG note said.

Saxena noted that the council “exceeded” and “abused” the powers granted to it by the Delhi Medical Council Act, 1997. He concurred with the proposal of the Health Department for the dissolution of the Delhi Medical Council.

Indian Express has reported the L-G mentioned in the order, Accordingly, I concur with the proposal of the Health Department for dissolution of Delhi Medical Council as approved by the Hon’ble Chief Minister.”

He also directed that two ex-officio members of the Delhi Medical Council may continue in the Council, and DGHS may be assigned the responsibilities of Registrar for the intervening period.

Also Read: Administrative Chaos at Delhi Medical Council: CM Urged to Nominate Govt Representatives at Earliest

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