Comparison of a Novel Human Rabies Monoclonal Antibody to Human Rabies Immunoglobulin for Postexposure Prophylaxis: A Phase 2/3, Randomized, Single-Blind, Noninferiority, Controlled Study.

Background: Lack of access to rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) contributes to high rabies mortality. A recombinant human monoclonal antibody (SII RMAb) was tested in a postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) regimen in comparison with a human RIG (HRIG)-containing PEP regimen. Methods: This was a phase 2/3, randomized, single-blind, noninferiority study conducted in 200 participants with World Health Organization category III suspected rabies exposures. Participants received either SII RMAb or HRIG (1:1 ratio) in wounds and, if required, intramuscularly on day 0, along with 5 doses of rabies vaccine intramuscualarly on days 0, 3, 7, 14 and 28. The primary endpoint was the ratio of the day 14 geometric mean concentration (GMC) of rabies virus neutralizing activity (RVNA) as measured by rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test for SII RMAb recipients relative to HRIG recipients. Results: One hundred ninety-nine participants received SII RMAb (n = 101) or HRIG (n = 98) and at least 1 dose of vaccine. The day 14 GMC ratio of RVNA for the SII RMAb group relative to the HRIG group was 4.23 (96.9018% confidence interval [CI], 2.59-6.94) with a GMC of of 24.90 IU/mL (95% CI, 18.94-32.74) for SII RMAb recipients and 5.88 IU/mL (95% CI, 4.11-8.41) for HRIG recipients. The majority of local injection site and systemic adverse reactions reported from both groups were mild to moderate in severity. Conclusions: A PEP regimen containing SII RMAb was safe and demonstrated noninferiority to HRIG PEP in RVNA production. The novel monoclonal potentially offers a safe and potent alternative for the passive component of PEP and could significantly improve the management of bites from suspected rabid animals. Clincical Trials Registration: CTRI/2012/05/002709.

Immunological & metabolic responses to a therapeutic course of Basti in obesity.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Basti (medicated enema) is a popular Ayurvedic intervention recommended for obesity. However, there are no data to show whether any physiological or biochemical changes occur following this treatment. This study was conducted to identify the immunological and metabolic changes in obese individuals after a therapeutic course of Basti. METHODS: Thirty two obese individuals (18 and 60 yr) with a body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m [2] who received a therapeutic course of 16 enemas (Basti) followed by a specific diet and lifestyle regimen for a period of 32 days as their treatment for obesity, were enrolled in the study. Clinical examination, measurement of immune and metabolic markers were done before (S1), immediately after (S2) and 90 days after the completion of therapy (S3). RESULTS: A significant reduction ( P<0.001) in weight, BMI, upper arm and abdominal circumference was seen at S3, along with a decrease in serum interferon (IFN)-γ (P<0.02), interleukin (IL)-6 ( P<0.02) and ferritin (P<0.05) and increase in IgM levels ( P<0.02). Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) stimulated with anti-CD3 monoclonal antibodies showed significant increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and calcium flux after Basti. All organ function tests revealed no changes. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: Our study documents that a therapeutic course of Basti modulates immune responses by regulating pro-inflammatory cytokines, immunoglobulins and functional properties of T-cells. These changes are associated with a reduction in the body weight which is maintained even after three months of treatment. The study also documents the safety of Basti procedure.

A randomized, controlled, comparative, proof-of-concept study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Nisha-Amalaki capsules in prediabetic patients for preventing progression to diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Prediabetes is an intermediate state of hyperglycemia, which acts as a precursor to Diabetes mellitus if left untreated. Nisha (Curcuma longa) and Amalaki (Emblica officinalis) combination has been advocated as drugs of choice to treat the early manifestations of Diabetes mellitus. OBJECTIVE: This prospective, randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled, comparative study was planned to assess the efficacy and safety of Nisha-Amalaki capsules in preventing progression to Diabetes mellitus in prediabetic patients when administered for 6 months. METHODS: The study was conducted on prediabetic participants randomized to receive either Nisha-Amalaki (500 mg) or placebo one capsule twice a day for six months. The effect of study medications on IDRS (Indian Diabetes Risk Score), BMI (Body Mass Index), blood sugar, serum insulin, HOMA-IR (Homeostasis Model Assessment-Estimated Insulin Resistance), HbA1c (glycated hemoglobin), oxidative markers, Ayurvedic symptoms and Quality of Life (QoL) scores was assessed at regular intervals. RESULTS: 58 of the 62 participants enrolled completed the study. Significant fall in IDRS score [p < 0.001], BMI [p < 0.001], fasting, and 2 h post-OGTT sugar, insulin, HbA1c, HOMA-IR, and oxidative stress markers [p < 0.001] was observed in patients receiving Nisha-Amalaki at 6 months. Ayurvedic symptoms and QoL scores also improved at 6 months in the treatment group. CONCLUSION: Treatment with Nisha-Amalaki capsules improved all study parameters including insulin sensitivity at 6 months as compared to placebo in prediabetic patients. Thus Nisha-Amalaki should be considered as prophylactic therapy in prediabetics to delay progression to diabetes.

An open labeled, randomized, controlled clinical study to evaluate the efficacy of Torchnil capsules and Febcin tablet as add-on therapy for Covid-19 patients.

Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Cap. Torchnil & Tab. Febcin when given as add-on therapy to Covid19 positive patients with moderate disease. Material and methods: Following written informed consent, patients were randomized to receive Cap. Torchnil & Tab. Febcin in addition to standard of care (SOC) [Add-on Group] or only SOC [SOC Group] for 14 days. Effect on clinical symptoms, WHO Clinical Assessment scale, hospital stay duration, time to Covid negative report, Sp02 levels and biomarkers was assessed during admission and relapse rate, if any, post discharge for 3 months. Results: 193 patients were screened and 150 completed the study, 77 in Add-on Group and 73 in SOC Group. Improvement in Covid related symptoms, WHO Assessment scale, time to covid negative report and duration of hospital stay was observed earlier in Add-on Group. Statistically significant fall in biomarker levels viz. CPK, D-dimer and IL-6 values at Day 14 and LDH levels at Days 7 & 14 was observed in Add-on Group. Improvement in Sp02 levels was also seen earlier in Add-on Group. Only 2 patients complained of acidity. Post discharge, 91 patients (49 from Add-on group and 42 from SOC group) came for physical visits. All these patients were clinically stable with no evidence of relapse. Conclusion: The study results thus showed that Cap. Torchnil and Tab. Febcin were effective and safe when given as add-on therapy to SOC in the clinical management of patients with moderate Covid-19 disease.

Does Panchatikta ghrita have anti-osteoporotic effect? Assessment in an experimental model in ovariectomized rats.

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is a public health problem in the elderly wherein a decrease in bone mass and mineral density increases the at risk of fractures. Panchatikta Ghrita (PG) is a classical Ayurvedic formulation that may help slow bone degeneration. OBJECTIVE: This experimental study was conducted to assess the efficacy of Panchatikta ghrita (PG) in protecting against postmenopausal osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The experiment was initiated after Institutional Animal Ethics Committee approval. 96 female Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 8 groups viz. sham control (NC), diseased control (DC), vehicle control (VC), 3 test drug (PG) groups (PG1, PG2 & PG3 - 0.9, 1.8 and 2.7gm/kg body weight respectively) and 2 standard control (SC) groups - SC1 received 17α-ethinylestradiol 1µg/kg/day while SC2 received alendronate (7mg/kg/week). Study medications were administereddaily for four months. Bone specific biomarkers viz. osteocalcin and TRAP-5b were estimated at baseline and end of study. Animals were sacrificed on day 121 and their femurs and tibiae were harvested for histomorphometric analysisand bone microarchitectural studies. RESULTS: Serum osteocalcin and TRAP-5b showed significant increase (p < 0.001) in levels in DC group as compared to sham controls. All 3 doses of PG decreased bone specific biomarker levels with maximal effect seen with highest dose of PG similar to that seen with standard drugs. PG also significantly improved bone micro architectural parameters like bone mineral density and mineral content at higher dose levels. Decrease in osteoclasts and significant dose dependent increase in bone hardness and elasticity was seen with PG which was comparable to standard drugs. CONCLUSION: PG increased bone mineral density and content, decreased turnover of bone specific biomarkers and osteoclast formation, indicating its protective effect against experimentally induced postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Assessing the Effectiveness of Panchatikta Ghrita, a Classical Ayurvedic Formulation as Add-on Therapy to Vitamin D3 and Calcium Supplements in Patients with Osteopenia: A Randomized, Open-Labeled, Comparative, Controlled Clinical Study.

Objectives: To assess the change in the bone mineral density (BMD) score, bone-specific biomarkers (serum vitamin D3, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b [TRAP-5b], and osteocalcin), quality of life, Ayurvedic symptoms (Asthikshaya Lakshanas), and fracture risk assessment tool (FRAX) scores following treatment with Panchatikta Ghrita (PG), a classical herbal formulation as add-on therapy to calcium and vitamin D3 supplements. Study design: Randomized, open-labeled, comparative, controlled clinical study. Location: TN Medical College and BYL Nair Hospital, Mumbai, India. Study participants: Eighty adult patients, aged between 40 and 75 years, diagnosed to have osteopenia (BMD T-score between -1 and -2.5 in at least two of the three joints tested-lumbar spine L1-L4, left femur-neck, left forearm-radius total). Study intervention: Treatment group received two tablespoons of PG (10 mL in lukewarm milk) along with calcium and vitamin D3 supplements twice a day, whereas control group received only calcium and vitamin D3 supplements twice a day for a period of 12 months. Outcome measures: BMD, bone-specific biomarkers (vitamin D3, TRAP-5b, and osteocalcin), quality of life, Ayurvedic symptoms, and FRAX scores were evaluated before and at 6 and 12 months. Results: Eighty patients were enrolled; of which, 65 patients completed the study while 15 patients dropped out. Improvement in the BMD scores was observed at 6 and 12 months with the maximum benefit in the lumbar spine region. Significant improvement in the bone-specific biomarkers, namely serum vitamin D3 (p < 0.001), osteocalcin (p < 0.001), and TRAP-5b (p < 0.05), was observed in the PG-treated group compared with the standard treatment group. Improvement in the quality of life, Ayurvedic symptoms scores, and risk reduction in FRAX scores of major osteoporotic fracture risk and hip fracture risk was greater with PG, although not statistically significant. Conclusions: The study findings demonstrate that PG slows down the bone degeneration processes by its stabilizing effect on the bone-specific biomarkers, indicating its potential usefulness as preventive therapy in osteopenia. The positive improvement noted in this study needs to be confirmed in studies with a larger sample size and longer duration.

Non-interference of Bovine-Human reassortant pentavalent rotavirus vaccine ROTASIIL® with the immunogenicity of infant vaccines in comparison with a licensed rotavirus vaccine.

BACKGROUND: A newly developed bovine-human reassortant pentavalent vaccine (BRV-PV, ROTASIIL®) was tested for its potential effect on the immunogenicity of concomitantly administered EPI vaccines in infants in a randomized controlled study in India. METHODS: In this Phase III, multicenter, open label, randomized, controlled study, three doses of BRV-PV or two doses of Rotarix® and one dose of placebo were given to healthy infants at 6, 10, and 14 weeks of age. Subjects also received three doses of DTwP-HepB-Hib (diphtheria, tetanus, whole-cell pertussis, hepatitis B, and haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate - pentavalent vaccine) and oral polio vaccine concomitantly at 6, 10, and 14 weeks of age and a single dose of inactivated polio vaccine at 14 weeks of age. Blood samples were collected four weeks after the final vaccination to assess immune responses to all the vaccines administered. For diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, Hib, polio type 1, and polio type 3 antibodies, non-interference was to be supported if the lower limit of the two-sided 90% confidence interval (CI) for the seroprotection rate difference for the BRV-PV group minus the Rotarix® group was >10.0%. For pertussis antibodies, non-interference was to be supported if the lower limit of the two-sided 90% CI for the ratio of geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) was >0.5. RESULTS: A total of 1500 infants were randomized to either BRV-PV (1125 infants) or Rotarix® (375 infants), of which 1341 completed the study as per the protocol. More than 97% of subjects achieved seroprotective antibody titres against diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, Hib, polio type 1, and polio type 3 in both groups. The difference in seroprotection rates between the BRV-PV group and the Rotarix® group for all these antibodies was less than 1%. The ratio of GMCs of anti-pertussis IgG concentrations for the BRV-PV group versus Rotarix® was 1.04 [90% CI: 0.90; 1.19]. CONCLUSION: BRV-PV does not interfere with the immunogenicity of concomitantly administered routine infants vaccines.

A Phase III open-label, randomized, active controlled clinical study to assess safety, immunogenicity and lot-to-lot consistency of a bovine-human reassortant pentavalent rotavirus vaccine in Indian infants.

BACKGROUND: A heat-stable bovine-human rotavirus reassortant pentavalent vaccine (BRV-PV, ROTASIIL®) was developed in India. In this study, the vaccine was tested for safety, immunogenicity and clinical lot-to-lot consistency. METHODS: This was a Phase III, open label, randomized, equivalence design study. The primary objective was to demonstrate lot-to-lot consistency of BRV-PV. Subjects were randomized into four arms, three arms received Lots A, B, and C of BRV-PV and the control arm, received Rotarix®. Three doses of BRV-PV or two doses of Rotarix® and one dose of placebo were given at 6, 10, and 14 weeks of age. Blood samples were collected four weeks after the third dose to assess rotavirus IgA antibody levels. The three lots of BRV-PV were equivalent if the 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs) of the geometric mean concentration (GMC) ratios were between 0.5 and 2. Solicited reactions were collected by using diary cards. RESULTS: The study was conducted in 1500 randomized infants, of which 1341 infants completed the study. The IgA GMC ratios among the three lots were around 1 (Lot A versus Lot B: 1.07; Lot A versus Lot C: 1.06; and Lot B versus Lot C: 0.99). The 95% CIs for the GMC ratios were between 0.78 and 1.36. The IgA GMCs were: BRV-PV group 19.16 (95% CI 17.37-21.14) and Rotarix® group 10.92 (95% CI 9.36-12.74) (GMC ratio 1.75; 90% CI 1.51-2.04). Seropositivity rates were 46.98% (95% CI 43.86-50.11) and 31.12% (95% CI 26.17-36.41). The incidence of solicited reactions was comparable across the four arms. No serious adverse events were associated with the study vaccines, except two gastroenteritis events in the BRV-PV groups. CONCLUSION: Lot-to-lot consistency of BRV-PV was demonstrated in terms of GMC ratios of IgA antibodies. The vaccine safety and immunogenicity profiles were similar to those of Rotarix®. Clinical Trials.Gov [NCT02584816] and Clinical Trial Registry of India [CTRI/2015/07/006034].

A randomized non-inferiority clinical study to assess post-exposure prophylaxis by a new purified vero cell rabies vaccine (Rabivax-S) administered by intramuscular and intradermal routes.

BACKGROUND: Rabies is a 100% fatal disease but preventable with vaccines and immunoglobulins. We have developed a new purified vero cell rabies vaccine (Rabivax-S) and evaluated its safety and immunogenicity in post-exposure prophylaxis by intramuscular (IM) and intradermal (ID) routes. METHODS: This was a randomized active-controlled non-inferiority study in 180 individuals (age 5years and above) with suspected rabies exposure (90 each with WHO Category II and Category III exposures). The participants received either Rabivax-S (1mL IM; five doses), Rabivax-S (0.1mL ID; eight doses) or purified chick embryo cell vaccine (PCEC, Rabipur®) (1mL IM; five doses). The IM doses were given on Day 0, 3, 7, 14 and 28 while the ID doses were given on days 0, 3, 7 and 28. Category III patients also received a human rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG) on Day 0. Adverse events (AEs) were recorded with diary cards till day 42. Rabies neutralizing antibody levels were measured on day 0, 7, 14, 28 and 42. RESULTS: In both the category II and III patients, the geometric mean concentration (GMC) ratios of Rabivax-S IM and Rabivax-S ID groups to PCEC IM were more than 1, thus proving the non-inferiority. GMCs were similar or higher in Rabivax-S groups at all the time points. Seroresponse against rabies (RFFIT titre⩾0.5IU/mL) was achieved in all participants. Mostly mild local and systemic adverse events were reported across the three groups and all resolved without sequelae. CONCLUSIONS: Rabivax-S was well tolerated and showed immunogenicity comparable to a licensed rabies vaccine by both IM and ID routes in post-exposure prophylaxis. Registry No.: CTRI/2012/11/003135.

A survey of the labeling information provided for ayurvedic drugs marketed in India.

BACKGROUND: Ayurvedic drugs fall under the purview of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and labels on Ayurvedic drug containers need to comply with the requirements specified in this Act (Part XVII, 161). The present survey was conducted to evaluate whether Ayurvedic drug labels were in compliance with the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 with respect to their contents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ayurvedic drugs container labels at three Ayurvedic pharmacies were selected based on the convenience sampling method. Their contents were checked against a set of quality criteria given in the Act. The results are expressed as percentages. RESULTS: Basic manufacturing details were present on all the 190 labels reviewed (101 classical and 89 proprietary formulations). References from authoritative books as specified in the 1st Schedule of the Act were mentioned on 90% of labels of the 101 classical formulations reviewed. Fifty-five percent (n = 56) labels of classical drugs and 79 (88%) labels of proprietary drugs provided an ingredient list. Although 20 (20%) of classical formulations and 13 (15%) of proprietary formulations labels mentioned the Cautions/Warnings, only one language (either English or Hindi) was used. CONCLUSION: Ayurvedic drug container labels were not compliant with most of the requirements specified in the Act.