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Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban Government’s Finance Ministry has ordered complete ban on import of medicines from Pakistan. The ban was announced by Abdul Qayum Nasir, spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Finance, who said medicines from Pakistan would no longer be allowed to enter the country. The Afghan Government has told the traders to look for other sources for the required medicines. This ban will cost a loss of Crores of Rupees to the Pakistan pharmaceutical companies, while it will also weaken the Pakistan Afghanistan diplomatic ties. On the other hand, it gives an opportunity to India to strengthen its relationship with Afghanistan both at the human and business levels. This ban on Pakistani medicines can also prove dangerous for Afghanistan as well; as more than 70% of its medicines are imported from Pakistan. There is a tremendous shortage of medicines in Kabul and Herat and the prices of the medicines are skyrocketing. To fill this shortfall, last month the officers of Afghanistan have approached India, Iran, and Turkey. The Taliban are trying to open new channels of importing medicines from the dependable India’s pharmaceutical companies.

The UAE has launched an AI-enabled project called InSilico Medicine to reduce costs in research and development prior to drug manufacturing, marking a significant step in the country's pharmaceutical innovation journey. The Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) showcased the AI-driven drug efficacy design project during its participation at the World Health Expo (WHX 2026) that concluded in Dubai on Thursday. According to the EDE, InSilico Medicine aims to leverage advanced digital models to accelerate pharmaceutical research and development, reduce associated costs, and enhance the accuracy of compound evaluation prior to manufacturing.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has prequalified an additional novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2), further strengthening the global supply of a vaccine at the heart of efforts to stop poliovirus type 2 outbreaks more sustainably and accelerate progress towards polio eradication. The prequalification designation indicates that the vaccine meets international standards of quality, safety, and efficacy for global immunization programmes. It enables the vaccine to be purchased and supplied through United Nations procurement agencies, including UNICEF, supporting its use across multiple country settings for the prevention and control of poliovirus transmission. The newly prequalified product is manufactured by Biological E. Limited (BioE), India, using in-house bulk vaccine following a technology transfer from PT Bio Farma (Persero), Indonesia. This prequalification builds on earlier WHO listings of nOPV2 manufactured by PT Bio Farma, as well as the vaccine formulated and filled by BioE using bulk supplied by PT Bio Farma. With this latest addition, WHO continues to diversify and strengthen the manufacturing base for quality-assured nOPV2, helping to ensure a more resilient, reliable and sustainable vaccine supply for countries responding to outbreaks. The nOPV2 was developed to address outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2), which can emerge in under-immunized populations. Compared...

The World Health Organization (WHO) is urging countries to accelerate efforts to ensure that millions of people living with cataract can access simple, sight restoring surgery – one of the most effective and affordable interventions to prevent avoidable blindness. A new study published today in The Lancet Global Health highlights the scale of the challenge: nearly half of all people across the world facing cataract related blindness still need access to surgery. Cataract – the clouding of the eye’s lens that causes blurred vision and can lead to blindness – affects more than 94 million people globally. Cataract surgery – a simple 15-minute procedure – is one of the most cost-effective medical procedures, providing immediate and lasting restoration of sight. Over the past two decades, global coverage of cataract surgery has increased by about 15%, even as ageing populations and rising cataract cases have increased overall demand. The latest modelling predicts the coverage for cataract surgery to rise by about 8.4% for this decade. However, progress needs to accelerate sharply to meet the World Health Assembly target of a 30% increase by 2030. “Cataract surgery is one of the most powerful tools we have to restore vision and transform lives,” said Devora Kestel,...

The global skin care industry is entering a decisive phase of structural transformation, where beauty is increasingly converging with long-term skin health and clinical performance. According to the latest strategic outlook by Future Market Insights (FMI), the global Rebalancing Skin Care Products Market—valued at USD 155.9 billion in 2026—is projected to reach USD 249.1 billion by 2036, expanding at a steady CAGR of 4.8% over the forecast period. The report highlights a fundamental industry pivot: rebalancing skin care is no longer positioned as a cosmetic enhancement category. Instead, it is becoming a mission-critical platform for barrier repair, inflammation control, and long-term skin resilience. Consumers are increasingly prioritizing preventive skin health, clinical credibility, and durability of results over short-term aesthetic correction, fundamentally reshaping product development and portfolio strategies across the global beauty ecosystem. The Rise of Science-Led, Portfolio-Rebalanced Skin Care A key driver of this decade-long expansion is the industry-wide move toward profitability-led growth and portfolio rationalization. Large beauty companies are actively reducing low-margin SKU proliferation and promotional dependency, instead concentrating capital on high-efficacy hero products and clinically positioned franchises that support pricing power and long-term consumer trust. “Where innovation comes in is that fusion with the health aspects of beauty – how do...

The Trump administration on Thursday launched TrumpRx, a website it says will help patients buy prescription drugs directly at a discounted rate at a time when health care and the cost of living are growing concerns for Americans. “You’re going to save a fortune,” President Donald Trump said at the site’s unveiling. “And this is also so good for overall health care.” The government-hosted website is not a platform for buying medications. Instead, it's set up as a facilitator, pointing Americans to drugmakers’ direct-to-consumer websites, where they can make purchases. It also provides coupons to use at pharmacies. The site launches with over 40 medications, including weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy. The site is part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to show it's tackling the challenges of high costs. Affordability has emerged as a political vulnerability for Trump and his Republican allies going into November's midterm elections, as Americans remain worried about the cost of housing, groceries, utilities and other staples of middle-class identity. The site is part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to show it's tackling the challenges of high costs. Affordability has emerged as a political vulnerability for Trump and his Republican allies...

Up to four in ten cancer cases worldwide could be prevented, according to a new global analysis from the World Health Organization (WHO) and its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The study examines 30 preventable causes, including tobacco, alcohol, high body mass index, physical inactivity, air pollution, ultraviolet radiation – and for the first time – nine cancer-causing infections. Released ahead of World Cancer Day, 4 February, the analysis estimates that 37% of all new cancer cases in 2022, around 7.1 million cases, were linked to preventable causes. The findings highlight the enormous potential of prevention in reducing the global cancer burden. Drawing on data from 185 countries and 36 cancer types, the study identifies tobacco as the leading preventable cause of cancer, globally responsible for 15% of all new cancer cases, followed by infections (10%) and alcohol consumption (3%). Three cancer types – lung, stomach and cervical cancer – accounted for nearly half of all preventable cancer cases in both men and women, globally. Lung cancer was primarily linked to smoking and air pollution, stomach cancer was largely attributable to Helicobacter pylori infection, and cervical cancer was overwhelmingly caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). “This is the first global analysis to show...

A hospital in Barcelona said ‌on ​Monday it had performed a ‌pioneering facial transplant in which the donor, in a world ​first, had offered her face for donation before undergoing an assisted dying procedure. The complex surgery ‍involved transplanting composite tissue from the ​central part of the face and required the participation of around 100 professionals, ​including psychiatrists ⁠and immunologists, the prestigious Vall d'Hebron hospital said in a statement. The hospital's transplant coordinator, Elisabeth Navas, said the donor had showed "a level of maturity that leaves one speechless". "Someone who has decided to end their life dedicates one of their last wishes to a ‌stranger and gives them a second chance of this magnitude," Navas said. GLOBAL LEADER ​IN ORGAN ‌TRANSPLANTS The recipient - identified only ‍by her ⁠first name Carme - had suffered facial tissue necrosis from a bacterial infection caused by an insect bite, affecting her ability to speak, eat and see. "When I'm looking in the mirror at home, I'm thinking that I'm starting to look more like myself," Carme told a press conference on Monday, adding her recovery was going very well. For such cases requiring facial transplants, donor ​and recipient must share the same sex, blood group and have a similar...

The Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bandar Alkhorayef, has inaugurated the advanced pharmaceuticals factory Bpharma in Jeddah, marking a major milestone in the Kingdom’s growing pharmaceutical sector. The Bpharma project represents a major national initiative with an initial investment exceeding $120 million (SAR 450 million), which is expected to surpass $174 million (SAR 650 million) upon completion of its second phase, reflecting strong investor confidence and sustained growth potential in Saudi Arabia’s pharmaceutical sector. The project supports national efforts to localize drug manufacturing, strengthen supply chain efficiency, and enhance long-term health security across the Kingdom. The Bpharma factory spans approximately 38,000 square meters and adheres to the highest engineering and operational standards, incorporating full automation and advanced technologies to ensure high production efficiency, enhanced operational reliability, strict quality control compliance, and consistent output in line with international pharmaceutical regulations. This advanced pharmaceuticals factory features advanced production lines for sterile products, initially capable of producing 250 million units annually, with output expected to increase to over 450 million units in the second phase. Its product range includes critical care items, specialized medicines, as well as ophthalmic and respiratory products, catering to diverse healthcare needs across the Kingdom. The...

GLP-1 giant Eli Lilly has once again taken to the medium of short film to deliver an important message about obesity. In early 2024, the Big Pharma debuted a pair of unbranded shorts entitled “Big Night” and “Shame,” both of which focused on weight stigma. The former took aim at the off-label use of weight-loss meds by Hollywood stars and others who don’t have an actual medical need for the drugs, while the latter put the spotlight on the societal shame that lurks “like a shadow” for many people who are overweight or with obesity, ending with the message that “health is not about what weight we lose, it’s about all the things a body can gain.” Lilly is doubling down on that message in its newest film, “My Focus,” which debuted earlier this month and was made in partnership with Wieden+Kennedy Portland. Unlike its predecessors, which travel through different scenes and storylines, the new minute-long spot stays in a tight close-up on one person’s face the entire time. That choice was deliberate, in an effort to “reflect a more personal, lived experience with obesity and the real cultural pressures people face,” Lina Polimeni, Lilly’s chief consumer marketing officer, told Fierce Pharma...