Hyderabad based MedPlus Healthcare Services, the chain of full service pharmacies, is gearing up to stretch out its clinical arm, the Integrated Health Centres, across the country. This is further to its expansion plan of pharmacy chain with 10,000 outlets in next five years.

The Center for Molecular Biotechnology (CMB) has received an $8.7 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support continued development of an avian influenza vaccine that uses transient plant-based technology. CMB will develop vaccines against highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses of H5N1 subtype, and work to advance promising candidates into clinical trials.

Abraxis BioScience, Inc, a fully integrated, global biotechnology company, announced that the board of directors has approved a strategic plan to create Abraxis Health, Inc, an independent, stand-alone company to be spun-off from Abraxis BioScience that will be dedicated to becoming a fully integrated, next-generation, evidence-based, personalized healthcare company.

Even as the government is busy modifying regulations for the pharmaceutical industry in India to improve the quality and safety of medicines, the excipients industry which has much to do with the quality and shelf life of drugs still remains an unregulated sector in the country.