CDSCO Approves Qdenga: India's First Dengue Vaccine to be Distributed by Dr Reddy's from 2027

CDSCO Approves Qdenga Dengue Vaccine for Ages 4-60; Dr. Reddy's to Distribute in Private Market by 2027

India's first approved dengue vaccine, Qdenga (TAK-003), developed by Takeda, received CDSCO marketing authorisation in July 2026 for ages 4-60. Dr. Reddy's will promote and distribute it in the private market from the first half of 2027, while Takeda retains public market rights. This marks a critical step in addressing India's 11-fold rise in dengue cases over two decades.

India Gets First Disease-Modifying Alzheimer's Drug Leqembi After CDSCO Nod

Eisai's Leqembi (lecanemab), India's first disease-modifying therapy for early Alzheimer's, has been launched after CDSCO approval. This marks a shift from symptomatic to disease-modifying treatment, but challenges of early diagnosis, biomarker infrastructure, and affordability remain significant.

IARC Classifies Three WHO Essential Medicines as Group 1 Carcinogens: Hydrochlorothiazide, Voriconazole, Tacrolimus

IARC, the WHO cancer research agency, has classified three widely used drugs—hydrochlorothiazide, voriconazole, and tacrolimus—as Group 1 carcinogens. Despite this, experts stress that patients should not stop treatment as the benefits for hypertension, fungal infections, and organ transplant rejection far outweigh the cancer risk. The drugs are on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines and are commonly prescribed in India.

IISc SraVaani: India's First Open-Source Speech Recognition Model for 65 Languages

IISc's SPIRE Lab, in collaboration with ARTPARK and Google, has released SraVaani – the first multilingual Indian speech recognition model trained on 65 languages and dialects. It extends ASR to 45 underserved regional languages, potentially benefiting 25 crore people. This marks a major step in inclusive AI for India's linguistic diversity.

KARS-Net 2025 Report: 73% ESBL E. coli, 43% Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella in Kerala

Kerala's 2025 antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance data reveals a critical public health crisis: drug-resistant bacteria are now the norm, not the exception, in both hospital and community settings. With E. coli showing 73% ESBL positivity and Klebsiella 43% carbapenem resistance, this report signals an urgent need for antibiotic stewardship and policy intervention.

ISRO Launches EOS-05: India's First Geo-Imaging Satellite in Geosynchronous Orbit; SC Invokes Article 142 to Quash CJP Protest Cases

A day of high exam relevance: ISRO successfully launched EOS-05, India’s first dedicated geo-imaging satellite in geosynchronous orbit, breaking a failure streak. The Supreme Court used its extraordinary power under Article 142 to close cases linked to CJP protests, raising important constitutional questions. Other key updates include OpenAI’s new autonomous AI model, Manipur’s NRC-first demand for Census deferral, mistrust in GDP data, and Tata Chemicals’ Kenya dispute.

India's AI Pipeline: 43% Women STEM Graduates, Only 10% in Leadership – Need for Inclusive AI

India's AI ambition faces a hidden gender crisis: women drop from 43% of STEM graduates to just 10% of senior AI leadership. This pipeline leakage, driven by social barriers and digital divide, risks automating existing inequalities. For exam aspirants, this article provides critical data on gender disparity in tech and the imperative for inclusive AI development.

Merck-Moderna's Personalised mRNA Cancer Vaccine Intismeran Reduces Melanoma Death Risk by 49%

A first-of-its-kind personalised mRNA cancer vaccine (intismeran), developed by Merck and Moderna, combined with Keytruda, has shown a 49% reduction in risk of death from melanoma recurrence and 59% from spread in Phase 3 trials. This marks a breakthrough for cancer vaccines but has limited impact in India due to low melanoma incidence and high cost of immunotherapy.