Indian pharmaceutical companies are ramping up efforts to expand their footprint in the lucrative US oncology generics market, which is currently valued at $145 billion and growing at a robust pace of 11 per cent annually, according to a new report.

In recent months, several Indian drugmakers have secured approvals from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for generic versions of cancer drugs which marked a steady increase in the entry of complex generics and biosimilars into the American market.

With oncology emerging as one of the fastest-growing therapy segments globally, Indian firms are positioning themselves to tap into this high-value space by leveraging their strength in affordable manufacturing, technical expertise, and increasing regulatory approvals, the report said.

Industry experts say this marks a shift from traditional generics to more complex formulations -- reflecting the evolving capabilities of Indian pharma companies.

Medical experts on Friday emphasised the critical link between dietary habits and liver health, saying that healthy changes today can cut liver disease risk by 50 per cent.

Ahead of the World Liver Day which falls on April 19, healthcare experts said that food is medicine, as cases of liver diseases among both urban and rural populations rise in the country.

Doctors said that liver disease is no longer confined to alcohol abuse — there is a worrying rise in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) due to unhealthy eating patterns, obesity, and lack of exercise.

A recent large-scale study published in Frontiers in Nutrition has reinforced the critical role of diet in liver health.

Hackers could exploit genomic data vulnerabilities using next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) technology, warns a study on Thursday urging the need to secure it.

The powerful sequencing tool NGS is used for the development of tailor-made medicines, cancer diagnostics, infectious disease tracking, and gene research.

Researchers from the University of Portsmouth, UK, raised concerns over how the tool can be exploited for data breaches, privacy violations, and even future biothreats by hackers.

A person has died and 12 others have been infected after contracting Legionnaires' disease in an outbreak linked to central Sydney, the Department of Health in the Australian state of New South Wales said on Thursday.

There are now 12 confirmed cases of Legionnaires' disease in people who spent time in central Sydney between March 13 and April 5, up from the six cases that had been diagnosed as of April 10, the department said.

It said that one of the confirmed cases died in the hospital. Of the 12 reported cases, 11 have been hospitalised for treatment.

Boosting awareness, early diagnosis, and improving access to care is crucial to fight haemophilia and other bleeding disorders in the country, said Union Minister JP Nadda on World Haemophilia Day on Thursday.

World Haemophilia Day is observed every year on April 17 to raise awareness about bleeding disorders. The theme this year is: "Access for all: Women and Girls Bleed Too".

Haemophilia is a rare bleeding disorder where blood does not clot properly, even in minor injuries.

Stem cell therapies are a safe and effective way of treating Parkinson's disease, according to results of two independent clinical trials.

The two papers, published in the journal Nature, investigated the use of cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells and human embryonic stem cells, respectively.

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disease characterised by the progressive loss of neurons that produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter.

Although current treatments, such as ʟ-dopa, can alleviate symptoms in the early stages, their efficacy declines, and they are often accompanied by side effects such as dyskinesia (involuntary movements).

However, the studies found that cell therapy could replenish dopamine-producing (dopaminergic) neurons in the brain. This provided a potentially more effective treatment with fewer adverse effects.

As many as 561 measles cases have been confirmed in the second largest US state of Texas, as the outbreak continues to grow nationwide, according to figures issued by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).

As many as 20 new cases were reported over the last five days, and at least 58 patients associated with measles have been hospitalised so far, said the DSHS.

"Due to the highly contagious nature of this disease, additional cases are likely to occur in the outbreak area and the surrounding communities," the DSHS said on Tuesday.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday confirmed 712 measles cases this year in at least 24 states, about 97 per cent of them are in people who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown.

Certain common genetic changes may explain why some people with focal epilepsy become less responsive to seizure medications, finds a new global study.

Focal epilepsy is a condition where seizures start in one part of the brain. It is the most common type of epilepsy.

Antiseizure medication is usually prescribed for people with the condition. However, for one in three people with epilepsy (around 20 million individuals worldwide), current antiseizure medications are ineffective. This means that people will continue to have seizures despite taking medication -- a condition called "drug resistance."

It is associated with additional significant health risks in epilepsy, including a higher risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, alongside substantially higher healthcare costs.

The death toll of the Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria has risen to 127, public health authorities said.

A total of 674 confirmed cases have been recorded from 4,025 suspected cases reported since the onset of the outbreak in January, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said in a statement on Tuesday.

Eighteen out of the 36 states in the most populous African country have been affected by the viral hemorrhagic disease so far this year, with the southern states of Ondo and Edo and the northern state of Bauchi the worst-hit, accounting for more than 70 per cent of the total confirmed cases, the NCDC said.

The NCDC put the case fatality rate at 18.8 per cent, slightly higher than the 18.5 per cent reported during the same period in 2024.

If you are having ice-cold feet and feel heaviness in the legs it may indicate the presence of varicose veins -- swollen, twisted, and enlarged veins in legs or ankles, according to a study.

Varicose veins are usually caused by impaired functioning of the deep or superficial veins, and the perforator veins (short veins that link the superficial and deep venous systems in the legs).

The prevalence of varicose veins ranges from 2 to 30 per cent in adults, with women at higher risk. Typical symptoms include sensations of heaviness, aching, throbbing, and itching; restlessness in the legs; fluid retention and swelling; muscle cramps; and leg ulcers in severe cases.

Cold hypersensitivity is often underestimated as a subjective symptom, said researchers from Chung Shan Medical University in Taiwan.