Health

The organization representing Canada’s doctors has issued a formal apology for the harms the medical profession has caused Indigenous Peoples.

The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) made the apology Wednesday at a ceremony in Victoria, attended by representatives of First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples.

CMA president Dr. Jos Reimer said the organization was “deeply ashamed” for the “deplorable” racism, discrimination and physical and psychological harms Indigenous people have faced as a result of the actions and inactions of physicians both historically and today.

2:28
Former CMA president speaks to need for apology to Indigenous people

“To Indigenous Peoples living in Canada, we apologize to you, we are sorry, we are sorry we have lost your trust and the harms that you,  your ancestors, your families and your communities have experienced,” she said.

“We acknowledge there are ripple effects on future generations. We take ownership of the CMA’s history and we are committed to righting our wrongs and rebuilding our relationship on a foundation of trust, accountability and reciprocity.”

The said association conducted a review of its records regarding the treatment of Indigenous Peoples as a part of its commitment to reconciliation.

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CMA board member and Mi’kmaw physician Dr. Paula Cashin said that research had revealed how the association contributed to systemically embedding and upholding anti-Indigenous racism in Canada.

Examples included the racially segregated “Indian hospital” system, where “Indigenous patients received substandard and unsafe care. Patients were subjected to abuse, experimental treatments and forced and coerced sterilization,” she said.

“Medical experimentation was conducted on Indigenous children in residential schools, including the effects of malnourishment and withholding necessary care,” Cashin said.

“Medical experimenting was conducted on indigenous adults, including studying the effects of nutritional interventions and testing experimental tuberculosis vaccines and treatments. We still do not know the full extent of medical experimentation in Indigenous children or adults.”

The group acknowledged medical providers were “responsible or complicit” in the abduction and adoption of Indigenous children in the “Sixties Scoop,” and apprehension practices that continue today.

The association also acknowledged that physicians’ participation in systemic racism through the use of “outdated, racist terms,” and accepting “racist, colonial and paternalistic attitudes toward Indigenous Peoples.”

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Reconciliation will ‘take a long time’: Metis Elder says during CMA apology ceremony

It said many Indigenous people have suffered mistreatment and lack of care, leading to ongoing health issues and death in the present day.

Jimmy Durocher, a Métis elder and former president of the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan, said the CMA’s apology and acknowledgement of historical wrongs was a crucial first step to real reconciliation.

“The legacy of colonization has left scars on our people that can be seen to this day. Although Canadians believe healthcare is a fundamental human right, Indigenous peoples have consistently been met with routine discrimination at the hands of medical professionals in Canada. That is a truth. We have to have truth before we can have reconciliation,” he said.

“It’s going to take a long time because there was a lot of damage and harm done to our people.”

4:08
Confronting anti-indigenous racism in health care

CMA past president Dr. Alika Lafontaine, who was the first Indigenous person to lead the organization in its 157-year history, said the path forward will require work from both the CMA and Indigenous communities and “bridge builders” between them.

“If it is carried only by one side, Indigenous peoples advocating for attention and action to change unjust an inequitable behaviours, policy or legislation or non-Indigenous peoples trying their best to do the same, one side will eventually break,” he said.

The association said going forward it will review its foundational Code of Ethics and Professionalism to target racism and discrimination, and support efforts to increase the recruitment and retention of Indigenous doctors.

It is also pledging to track physicians’ progress in addressing harms, including providing regular updates about its Indigenous health initiatives.

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Cases of eastern equine encephalitis are rare in Canada. But after an Ottawa man died of the mosquito-borne virus just weeks ago, experts and public health officials say cases are likely underreported.

The virus is rare but deadly, with a 33 to 70 per cent fatality rate for humans and the potential to cause severe long-term effects, such as paralysis and brain dysfunction for survivors.

There are no vaccines or treatment for humans, but there are also only a few cases reported annually, with the Public Health Agency of Canada reporting just one known case of eastern equine encephalitis as of Sept. 12.

But David Fisman, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Toronto, said that number may not be accurate because public health agencies don’t have to actively monitor eastern equine encephalitis cases.

“If you don’t know how much of something is happening, it’s very difficult to make smart plans,” he said.

The virus is passed between mosquitoes that draw blood from birds and then can further pass it to horses and people.

It’s found in a specific species of mosquito mostly found in rural, swampy areas but can then spread.

The difference between how West Nile and eastern equine encephalitis are tracked is the difference between reporting both probable and confirmed cases, or only what is confirmed through lab testing.

There are also differences in how provinces and territories track and report those cases to the federal agency for more central tracking, which means that while West Nile is tracked closely, standards around eastern equine encephalitis are more patchwork.

Some mosquito-borne viruses like West Nile fall under what’s considered “nationally notifiable” criteria, in which each case of a virus or disease is reported by provinces and can include both probable and confirmed cases, and information such as asymptomatic, non-neurological and neurological symptoms.

While cases of West Nile are reported voluntarily, PHAC notes local or provincial public health authorities follow up on cases and send data to the federal agency throughout the West Nile season and provide a final annual dataset.

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Blood donations are also routinely screened and reported to provinces and territories, which then follow up with individuals and then report to PHAC.

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Eastern equine encephalitis, on the other hand, is not “nationally notifiable.”

Instead, it is identified through lab testing of sick people as opposed to clinical data, like symptoms, which aren’t collected, leading to human infections likely being underreported, experts say.

Fisman said it is “highly likely” there have been many more cases of eastern equine encephalitis that went undiagnosed, and given how dangerous the virus can be if infected, making the virus “nationally notifiable” would be wise.

“Then you can really have a more nuanced conversation about risk and whether risk is even changing,” he said. “In terms of surveillance, we’re just flying blind if we don’t proactively surveil for things that we know are probably going to be threats over the next 10, 20 years.”

According to PHAC, once a disease is deemed “nationally notifiable,” health officials determine a national case definition and “in this case-based system, provinces and territories voluntarily report cases that meet national case definitions for these diseases.”

West Nile virus became nationally notifiable in 2003, one year after being first detected.

“Some mosquito-borne diseases in Canada are not nationally notifiable and do not have a national case definition. We monitor these diseases through other methods, such as lab-based only surveillance,” PHAC said on its website.

“This method relies on lab data for diseases that are usually identified through the testing of sick people.”

The agency’s data set for eastern equine encephalitis noted infections in humans “are likely underreported, as EEEV is not a nationally notifiable disease.”

“National counts may differ from provincial and territorial counts because of different case definitions or surveillance method used. EEEV infection counts by region are not available, as they may be limited or inaccurate.”

Among the things that could be done if an accurate risk is known includes what is done now for West Nile.

That includes public education campaigns and if hot spots are found through tracking data, actions can be taken to reduce mosquito breeding areas.

2:01
Preventive mosquito fogging to take place in Winkler, Man. due to West Nile concerns

Dr. Mark Loeb, an infectious diseases physician, told Global News active surveillance is typically done on viruses and diseases that have a “tremendous burden” on the public, such as West Nile, while eastern equine encephalitis sees more “passive” surveillance.

“Any physician who believes they have a patient with possible eastern equine encephalitis can test,” Loeb said. “Public health has limited resources and they have to target. It’s much easier to make an argument to target West Nile virus, whereas eastern equine encephalitis is relatively rare, so it makes sense that it’s not at the forefront of surveillance.”

He said given resources, an alternative to national surveillance could be a study in which blood is taken from people in a particular region and an analysis of antibodies can give a better idea of exposure to eastern equine encephalitis.

“I think that would be very useful to see the prevalence of exposure and then public health would make its decisions based on all these factors,” Loeb said.

In Plymouth, Mass., parks, playgrounds and sports fields have been closed from dusk to dawn due to an increased risk of eastern equine encephalitis.

Given the low risk of exposure to humans in Canada, PHAC said this would not be needed.

Loeb said he also doesn’t believe such actions are needed in Canadian communities at this time, with the risk remaining low, but there are still things people can do to limit their exposure and it’s what is already done to avoid West Nile.

This means wearing long pants, a long-sleeved shirt and socks and using a mosquito repellent containing DEET.

Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it’s back to work she goes!

Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, made a quiet return to work this week, almost six months after she revealed to the world she had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy treatment.

The princess met with her Centre for Early Childhood staff and employees of Kensington Palace on Tuesday, The Telegraph reports.

The meeting was confirmed in the Court Circular — the official record of royal engagements — and is only the third time Middleton has been mentioned in the records since stepping away from public duties earlier this year due to her cancer diagnosis, according to ITV.

The project examines “how experiences in early childhood are often the root cause of today’s hardest social challenges such as addiction, family breakdown, poor mental health, suicide and homelessness,” per the Royal Family’s official site.

On Sept. 9, Middleton shared a video to social media, announcing she had completed chemo and would begin a slow return to work in the coming months.

In the intimate video, which gave a behind-the-scenes look at her family enjoying time in nature and playing cards with her parents, she called this year “incredibly tough” and said she still has a long road to go. However, she said it’s a “relief” to be finished this part of her treatment.

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“The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown,” her message read. “The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you.”

3:02
‘What a relief’: Kate Middleton announces she’s completed chemotherapy

The video came nine months after Kensington Palace announced that the princess had undergone surgery for an undisclosed abdominal issue. She later disclosed that the surgery led to doctors discovering cancer. The type or nature of her cancer has not been confirmed.

Middleton remained largely absent from public life in 2024, stepping back from her royal duties and appearances to focus on her health. She has only undertaken two events in an official capacity this year — in June she appeared at Trooping the Colour, the official celebration for King Charles’ birthday, and earlier this summer she appeared at Wimbledon alongside her daughter Princess Charlotte and sister Pippa Middleton.

There are rumours her next public appearance could come in November, with The Sunday Times reporting last week that she hoped to “potentially” join the King, husband Prince William and other members of the Royal Family to pay tribute to fallen service members on Nov. 10.

2:17
Princess Kate makes 1st public appearance since cancer diagnosis at King Charles’ birthday event

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Get ready, Canada: Corus Entertainment is getting set to launch two all-new, Canadian-owned lifestyle networks, chock-full of everything to satisfy and sate both your design palettes and your culinary palates.

Coming this winter, and designed specifically for Canadian audiences, are the Flavour Network and Home Network, each bringing a slate of exclusive content to the screen featuring new voices and formats as well as familiar faces from proven hits.

Home Network promises to deliver the feeling of “home” beyond four walls with inspiring storytelling, while Flavour Network will provide a fresh take on all things food.

“When the opportunity presented itself to renovate Canadian lifestyle TV, we were pretty excited because it meant building even better networks for our audiences,” Troy Reeb, Co-CEO of Corus Entertainment, told Global News.

“These fresher, younger networks allow us to shake away the old handcuffs and create two amazing, distinctively Canadian brands that reward the same large and loyal audience bases with the best content in the country, all while adding exciting new ideas.”

Canadian content will drive programming across both networks, with more than 110 hours of premium original content confirmed for 2025/2026, including six titles currently in production.

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Corus Studios titles originally slated for Food Network Canada and HGTV Canada will air on the new lifestyle networks, including new seasons of Scott’s Vacation House Rules, Pamela’s Garden of Eden and Renovation Resort.

Top Chef Canada has been greenlit for Season 12 to air exclusively on Flavour Network and new seasons of The Great Chocolate Showdown and Carnival Eats will also join the 2025 lineup, along with Season 1 of Pamela Anderson’s Pamela’s Cooking with Love.

Viewers will also be treated to brand-new shows from a mix of new and adored stars, including Building Baeumler with Bryan and Sarah Baeumler and Rentovation with Natalie Chong.

On the food side, the Flavour Network will tempt your tastebuds with a new menu consisting of Chasing Flavor with Carla Hall, Adam Richman Eats Britain, and Andi Oliver’s Fabulous Feasts.

Chef icon Gordon Ramsay finds a new seat at the table in Canada with Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars and Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, airing exclusively on Flavour Network. Great British Menu, The Great American Recipe, Morimoto’s Sushi Master and many more will also join the network.

“These are new brands but in many ways they’re not that new. They’re from us after all – Corus, the proven expert in lifestyle,” said Reeb.

“These brands have many of the same big hits, and the same programming experts building the schedules. You know us, you trust us, and while the names may be changing, Home Network and Flavour Network offer viewers the same premium Canadian lifestyle programming that they’ve come to know and love from Corus.”

Additional programming details and shows will be announced later this year, as well as the official launch of HomeNetwork.ca and FlavourNetwork.ca.

4:52
Building Baeumler: HGTV Canada host Bryan Baeumler dishes on new series

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Flavour Network and Home Network will replace the current channel position of Food Network Canada and HGTV Canada in 2025. Customers can contact their service provider for more details.

The networks will be available for free preview for two months, from Jan. 3 to Feb. 28, 2025. Viewers will also be able to stream full episodes from both networks on STACKTV.

For more information, visit Corus Entertainment’s website.

Global News, Flavour Network and Home Network are all properties of Corus Entertainment.

&copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Bengaluru: U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders said on Tuesday he received confirmation from major generic pharmaceutical companies that they could sell copycat versions of Novo Nordisk’s diabetes drug Ozempic for less than $100 a month. WHY IT’S IMPORTANT

Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Jorgensen is set to testify before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), which Sanders chairs, in a hearing next week focusing on U.S. prices for its widely popular Ozempic and weight-loss drug Wegovy.

KEY QUOTE

Sanders said he spoke to the chief executives of several major generic drugmakers over the past few months.

“They have studied the matter and they tell me that they can sell a generic version of Ozempic, the exact same drug that Novo Nordisk is manufacturing, to Americans for less than $100 per month,” he said.

Sanders did not name the companies to which he spoke. Ozempic’s patent is not set to expire in the United States until 2032.

CONTEXT

Ozempic, which has the same active ingredient as Wegovy and is used off-label for weight loss, belongs to the popular GLP-1 class, which has seen overwhelming demand in the United States.

Some analysts have forecast the total market for weight-loss drugs to reach $150 billion by the early 2030s.

However, this comes amid criticism from lawmakers over the high costs associated with these medications.

BY THE NUMBERS

A month’s supply of Novo’s Ozempic carries a U.S. list price of $935.77 while Wegovy lists for $1,349.02 per month, according to the drugmaker’s website, although most consumers pay less.

(Reporting by Mariam Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)

Brominated vegetable oil, a food additive used in citrus-flavoured soft drinks, has now been banned in Canada, but consumers could still see it popping up on ingredient labels for one more year.

Health Canada removed BVO from its list of permitted food additives on Aug. 30 after completing a safety assessment.

“The outcome of the assessment does not support BVO continuing to be permitted for use as a food additive,” the agency said in a statement last month.

Since its updated safety analysis “did not find an immediate health concern with the current permitted use of BVO as a food additive,” Health Canada said it will give a one-year transition period, which ends on Aug. 30, 2025, “to allow impacted products to be reformulated and relabeled.”

That means, a maximum BVO level of 15 parts per million (ppm) in beverages, which is equivalent to 15 milligrams per litre, will continue to be permitted.

Health Canada’s decision to ban BVO is in line with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which did the same in July.

Its use was already prohibited in the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

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BVO is a vegetable oil that is used in small amounts as a stabilizing agent for fruit flavouring in drinks, according to the FDA.

It helps to keep the citrus flavouring evenly mixed and not float to the top.

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Health Canada says BVO is used in beverages that contain citrus or spruce oils.

Sometimes, BVO is listed as “brominated soybean oil” on ingredient labels.

It is mostly found in sodas, but may also be used in fruit drinks.

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Several big beverage makers, such as PepsiCo and Coco-Cola, have stopped using BVO in their products.

A Coca-Cola company spokesperson told Global News that BVO was phased out of its products several years ago and is currently on its restricted list for additives.

PepsiCo said it “does not produce or distribute any products with BVO.”

This food additive is still not completely off the shelves, though.

Sun Drop citrus sodas produced by Keurig Dr Pepper use BVO, according to its website.

Walmart brand Great Value’s orange soda also lists “brominated soybean oil” in its ingredients.

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Aspartame – common artificial sweetener set to be declared possible carcinogen

Some animal research suggests that BVO could have adverse health effects on humans.

Health Canada states that “previous laboratory studies had reported adverse effects on certain organs, for example the liver, heart or thyroid, of animals orally given BVO, but these effects were seen at much higher doses than humans would get from beverages that contain BVO as a food additive.”

A 2022 study conducted by the FDA and the National Institutes of Health that was published in the Food and Chemical Toxicology journal also suggested that consuming BVO could negatively impact the thyroid.

The thyroid gland influences almost all of the metabolic processes in the human body through the hormones it produces, according to WebMD.

Excessive BVO accumulation in the body could also result in “bromine toxicity, which causes damage to the central nervous system, headaches, nausea, memory loss, and loss of coordination,” the Centre for Science in the Public Interest said.

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How ultra-processed foods are ruining your health

In Canada, companies that use BVO have until Aug. 30 of next year to phase out this food additive and replace it with something else.

Health Canada said that industry feedback confirmed that a one-year transition period is “appropriate” to allow impacted product to be reformulated and relabelled.

Until that time, consumers can avoid BVO-containing beverages by checking the labels.

Alternatives to BVO that may be used as stabilizing agents are sucrose acetate isobutyrate (SAIB), glycerol ester of wood rosin, modified cellulose, acacia gum and locust bean gum.

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Health Canada has approved Moderna’s latest COVID-19 vaccine targeting the most recent variants of the virus as provinces and territories prepare for their fall vaccine campaigns.

The agency approved the SpikeVAX vaccine, produced by Moderna, targeting the KP.2 variant on Tuesday.

The vaccine dosing has not changed, with those 12 years and older to get one dose of 50 micrograms and those five to 11 to receive 25 mcg. Those not previously vaccinated can also receive the new vaccine, though are recommended to receive two shots of 25 mcg each.

As of Sept. 3, the KP.3.1.1 variant of SARS-CoV-2 accounted for 52 per cent of infections in Canada, making it the dominant strain in the country.

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Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration also approved the Moderna vaccine that corresponds to KP.2, but noted the vaccine was closely enough related to KP.3.1.1 that it promised cross-protection.

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Provinces told to get rid of existing COVID-19 vaccine doses

KP.3 is the genetic cousin of KP.1 and KP.2, which are dubbed the “‘FLiRT’ variants.

These originate from JN.1, the Omicron subvariant that fuelled the winter surge.

It’s not known when the vaccine will be delivered to provinces, though in August the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) strongly recommended the most recently updated COVID-19 vaccines for previously vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection or severe COVID-19 illness.

That included people 65 and older, long-term care home residents, pregnant people, those with underlying conditions and people from Indigenous communities.

Vaccines produced by Pfizer and Novavax are still seeing Health Canada approval as of Tuesday.

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Teams of people took turns pulling a 30,000 kilogram WestJet plane 100 metres down the tarmac at the Edmonton International Airport on Monday.

They’re going head-to-head battling for the best time, but it’s part of a bigger cause.

The Haul for Hope event is raising money and awareness for Hope Air – Canada’s only national charity that helps people travel for medical care.

Hope Air has been around for four decades, since 1986, but in the last few years the charity has seen a big increase in demand.

“In 2021 we did 6,000 travel arrangements,” Jon Collins said, Hope Air’s chief development officer.

“This year we’re projecting to do 40,000 and have already hit an annual record for the charity.”

Hope Air supports low-income Canadians and a full-service trip costs about $1,000.

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“If you’re thinking about being out of pocket $1,000 for a diagnosis that you weren’t expecting to receive, and then taking multiple trips in these difficult economic times, and in general, that’s a real challenge for household budgets,” Collins said.

“We get people directly where they need to go without having to ask difficult questions about how they’re going to get there.

“We help them focus on what matters — which is their health.”

2:19
Kelowna pilot embarks on 13,000 km flight to help organization that provides free medical flights

Adrienne Mahoney learned about Hope Air when she was receiving care at the University of Alberta Hospital.

“I was lucky enough that I had a donor angel who blessed me with a second chance at life — I had a heart transplant in 2019,” Mahoney explained.

She was also dealing with other diagnoses like cancer, organ rejection and chronic virus and autoimmune issues.

Part of her care included going to Calgary every week, for six months, for treatment.

“As a patient who’s going through a cancer surgery at the time — and heart failure — the last thing on your mind is all the logistics,” Mahoney said.

Hope Air funded the travel that saved her heart.

“I can’t even imagine the thousands of dollars that was probably spent and for me when I look at the out-of-pocket expense… I know it would have financially crippled me,” she explained.

Haul for Hope is taking place in cities across the country and aims to raise $300,000.

Click here for more information about Hope Air.

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An AI early-warning system that predicts which patients are at risk of deteriorating while in hospital was associated with a decrease in unexpected deaths, a new study says.

The study, published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, found a 26 per cent reduction in non-palliative deaths among patients in St. Michael’s Hospital’s general internal medicine unit when the AI tool was used.

“We’ve seen that there is a lot of hype and excitement around artificial intelligence in medicine. We’ve also seen not as much actual deployment of these tools in real clinical environments,” said lead author Dr. Amol Verma, a general internal medicine specialist and scientist at the hospital in Toronto.

“This is an early example of a tool that’s deployed that was rigorously tested and evaluated and where it’s showing promise for actually helping improve patient care,” Verma, who is also a professor of AI research and education in medicine at the University of Toronto, said in an interview.

The technology called CHARTwatch continuously analyzed more than 100 different pieces of information about each patient in the unit, Verma said.

When the AI tool predicted that a patient was deteriorating, it sent an alert to physicians and nurses, prompting them to quickly intervene.

“The machine learning tool gathers the information that’s already routinely collected in a patient’s electronic medical record,” he said.

That includes information such as age and medical history, as well as measurements such as vital signs, blood pressure, heart rate and lab test results.

“It gathers all of that information to make a prediction about their risk of becoming more seriously ill going forward and then it updates its model predictions every hour based on how all of those things are changing over time,” Verma said.

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If the clinician agreed with the AI prediction after examining the patient, necessary action was taken. That included transferring the patient to the intensive care unit, giving them antibiotics for serious infections such as sepsis, or monitoring the patient more frequently.

If a patient’s death was inevitable they would receive end-of-life care earlier than they might have otherwise, easing their suffering, Verma said.

“Importantly, the AI doesn’t tell the clinician ‘prescribe this drug, you know, intervene with this test or this treatment.’ That’s all still up to the judgment of the nurses and the doctors doing the care,” he said.

“It’s a signal that says, ‘hey, pay attention to this patient.’”

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Those early-warning signals are important in busy hospital settings where each nurse or doctor is caring for many patients who are getting multiple lab tests, medical imaging and other interventions that could change their prognosis, Verma said.

“It’s just not possible for humans to keep their eyes on 20, 30 patients at the same time, all the time,” he said.

Muhammad Mamdani, co-senior author of the study, said AI can process large amounts of data about patients — and combining that with a human clinician’s judgment can lead to better care.

Physicians and nurses should always err on the side of caution when using the tool, said Mamdani, who is the vice president of data science and advanced analytics at Unity Health Toronto, which includes St. Michael’s Hospital.

“What we tell our clinicians is, ‘if you think this patient’s going to die, but the algorithm says, the AI says, ‘no, they’re fine,’ don’t believe the AI. Believe your gut,” he said.

“But if the AI says ‘this patient’s going to die’ and you don’t think so, don’t believe your gut. Believe the AI.’”

The study looked at non-palliative patient deaths in the general internal medicine unit between Nov. 1, 2020 and June 1, 2022 when the AI tool was used and compared them to a previous time period — Nov. 1, 2016 to June 1, 2020 — when the technology wasn’t used.

The researchers found a 2.1 per cent non-palliative death rate when AI wasn’t used, compared to 1.6 per cent when it was.

To reduce the possibility that the results could be attributed to the different time periods, the researchers used the hospital’s cardiology, respirology and nephrology units — which didn’t have the AI tool — as a comparison. None of those units showed a difference in non-palliative deaths between the two time periods.

The researchers controlled for potential confounding factors such as age. In addition, because the study period coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, which could be another variable affecting the results, the researchers excluded data about COVID patients.

In total, the study included 13,649 patient admissions in the general internal medicine unit and 8,470 patient admissions in the cardiology, respiratory and nephrology comparison units.

Verma said although the results are promising, they should be interpreted with caution and a randomized control trial is needed to hold the AI research up to the same standard as drug and medication studies.

Ross Mitchell, a professor in the faculty of medicine at the University of Alberta who was not involved in the study, said the research was “very encouraging.”

“This specific technology, CHARTwatch, needs to be studied in a broader sense,” said Mitchell, who is the Alberta Health Services chair in AI in health.

“It needs to be deployed in more hospitals across Canada so that we can get more than one hospital involved.”

New Delhi: In a significant step towards bolstering India’s clinical research capabilities, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has signed Memorandum of Agreement (MoAs) with key industry players to conduct First-in-Human Phase-1 Clinical Trials for four promising therapeutic candidates under its Phase 1 Clinical Trial Network.

As part of these strategic collaborations, ICMR will work with Aurigene Oncology Limited on a small molecule for multiple myeloma, partner with Indian Immunologicals Limited for Zika vaccine development, coordinate a seasonal influenza vaccine trial with Mynvax Private Limited, and explore CAR-T cell therapy advancements for chronic lymphocytic leukemia with ImmunoACT.

Union Health Minister J P Nadda lauded the partnerships, calling them a pivotal step toward “affordable and accessible cutting-edge treatments” that solidify India’s standing as a global healthcare innovation leader.

”Establishing Phase 1 clinical trial infrastructure is a key component in fostering the development of indigenous molecules and cutting-edge treatments. Our vision is to expand this network further, ensuring that India continues to lead in the development of innovative and affordable healthcare solutions,” said Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research & Director General, ICMR, added.

The clinical trials will take place at four premier institutions: KEMH & GSMC in Mumbai, ACTREC in Navi Mumbai, SRM MCH&RC in Kattankulathur, and PGIMER in Chandigarh. A Central Coordinating Unit at ICMR Headquarters, New Delhi, will oversee the operations, ensuring the trials’ smooth execution through dedicated infrastructure and manpower at each site.