Colchicine for phase-II trial
The Drugs Controller General of India has given approval to Hyderabad-based Laxai Life Sciences Pvt Ltd to undertake two-arm phase-II clinical trials “to assess the safety and efficacy of the drug colchicine in the improvement of clinical outcomes during the treatment of Covid-19 patients”. Laxai is partnering with the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, and the Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, both of which are units of the government-owned Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
Since India is one of the largest producers of this key drug, if the clinical trial is successful, it will be made available to patients at an affordable cost, according to Dr S Chandrasekhar, Director, CSIR-IICT, Hyderabad, and Dr DS Reddy, Director, CSIR-IIIM, Jammu.
Islands in peril
A study by IIT Kharagpur has cautioned that many islands of the Lakshadweep archipelago, such as Chetlat and Amini, may go under water due to rise in sea levels caused by global warming. The only airport in the archipelago, at the southern tip of Agatti Island, and capital Kavaratti also face inundation. The scientists suggest immediate adoption of coastal protection measures.