NewsBytes

India and Brazil seek to strengthen their partnership in the agriculture sector with the launch of a programme that aims to promote technological innovation and exchanges of best practices. According to an official statement on Monday, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has launched a second edition of the Brazil-India Cross-Incubation Programme in Agritech (Maitri 2.0) here. The event was graced by M L Jat, Secretary (DARE) and Director General (ICAR), and Kenneth Nobrega, Ambassador of Brazil to India, along with senior officials and representatives from leading Brazilian research and innovation institutions. The ICAR DG noted that the programme is a two-way learning platform for co-creation between Indian and Brazilian innovators.

Under the $5.43 billion deal signed with India in 2018, Russia will complete deliveries of the S-400 Triumf (Triumph) air defence systems next year, according to a media report on Monday. "Russia will complete the contract to supply India with five S-400 Triumph air defence systems in 2026. Four of these systems have been delivered to date, and the fifth will be delivered next year," a defence source was quoted as saying by the state-run TASS news agency. According to earlier media reports, the USD 5.43 billion deal (Rs 40,000 crore) was formally signed on October 5, 2018, ignoring the threat of US sanctions. In March 2021, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin discussed India's planned purchase of Russia's S-400 air missile system and warned that the purchase of S-400 could trigger CAATSA sanctions. So far, the US has not invoked the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act signed by President Donald Trump in his first term as the S-400 deal has not been formally completed. S-400 air defence missiles proved very effective during Operation Sindoor in May, Minister of State Sanjay Seth had told the local Indian community during his visit to Moscow to attend the V-Day parade at Red Square as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's representative.

Alkem Laboratories on Monday said it has launched a biosimilar product in India for the treatment of breast cancer. The company has introduced Pertuza injection 420mg/14mL, a pertuzumab biosimilar, for the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer, the drug firm said in a statement. Alkem's Pertuza is an affordable, indigenously-developed and manufactured biosimilar of pertuzumab, it added. "Oncology is a priority area for Alkem, and our efforts are focused on developing treatment options that combine scientific excellence with wider access. The launch of Pertuza reflects this commitment and further strengthens our oncology portfolio," Alkem CEO Vikas Gupta said.

Persistent psychological distress following a heart attack event and lasting up to 12 months could increase the risk of another cardiac event by nearly 1.3 times, according to a study. Recognising and treating psychological distress with strategies such as cognitive behavioural therapy, antidepressants and stress reduction techniques could help improve mental health, emotional well-being and quality of life for survivors, researchers said. The team from the American Heart Association said about 33-50 per cent of heart attack survivors are estimated to suffer psychological symptoms, including depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), all of which can affect physical recovery and long-term health. The researchers reviewed previously published research on myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, depression, anxiety, stress and PTSD, among others. "After a mean of 4.7 years of follow-up, moderate psychological distress was associated with a 28 per cent increased risk of future (myocardial infarction) and high (or) very high distress was associated with a 60 per cent increased risk compared with low distress," the authors wrote in the review published in the journal Circulation.