The Democratic Republic of Congo is facing its fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record, with more than 3,800 confirmed cases and over 1,700 deaths reported since the epidemic was declared in May.

Health officials say the Bundibugyo strain has spread across multiple provinces, with nearly 90% of cases concentrated in Ituri Province. The World Health Organization (WHO) has fast-tracked clinical trials for experimental vaccines and treatments as the crisis continues to worsen.

Canada has approved a Phase 1 clinical trial for an experimental mRNA vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain, becoming only the second country after the UK to authorize human testing.

DR Congo's Ebola Outbreak Explodes: 3,800 Cases, 1,700 Deaths | WHO Warns Crisis Worsening

A promising new drug is raising hopes for bladder cancer patients by potentially reducing the need for life-changing surgery. Researchers say the treatment could mark a significant step forward in cancer care, offering patients an alternative approach while improving quality of life.

Could this breakthrough transform the future of bladder cancer treatment? Here's what the latest findings reveal.

:ngame-changer for Bladder Cancer Patients?

Artificial intelligence is becoming an important part of the pharmaceutical sector. It is being used in research, drug development, clinical trials, manufacturing and regulatory work. A McKinsey study estimates that generative AI alone could add between $60 billion and $110 billion each year for drug makers by speeding up discovery, trials and approvals. Another analysis suggests that AI could create as much as $350–410 billion annually by 2025 through innovation in drug development, personalised medicine and marketing.<h2>Research and clinical trials</h2>AI is making an impact in the early stages of drug discovery. It can scan huge chemical and biological datasets, predict how compounds may behave, and suggest new molecular designs. Exscientia’s Centaur system designed a cancer drug candidate that reached human trials in about a year, much faster than traditional methods. DeepMind’s AlphaFold has also advanced the ability to predict protein structures, which helps scientists understand disease targets.&nbsp;AI is also being used in clinical trials. It can analyse medical records and other health data to find trial participants quickly. This helps address a major problem, as around a quarter of trials fail because they cannot recruit enough patients. Insilico Medicine, for example, used AI to identify a new molecule and bring it to trial in only 18 months. IBM Watson Health has been used in oncology to match patients with suitable trials. AI can also monitor data from ongoing studies, flagging safety concerns more quickly than traditional methods.&nbsp;Regulators are beginning to recognise these uses. The US Food and Drug Administration has issued guidance on how AI can support decentralised trials, improving access and patient retention.<h2>Manufacturing and operations</h2>In pharmaceutical manufacturing, AI tools help predict when machines may fail, so companies can carry out maintenance before breakdowns occur. This reduces downtime and ensures continuous production. Machine vision systems are being used to inspect drug batches and it improve speed and accuracy.&nbsp;AI also supports supply chain management. It can forecast demand, manage inventory and monitor shipments in real time. Pfizer has reported that intelligent automation has improved the quality of its cold-chain logistics and reduced costs. Many companies are also testing “digital twins” of their factories, where they run simulations of production lines to spot issues before making changes. Industry surveys show that most pharmaceutical executives expect AI-driven automation to have a major effect on operations within the next five years.<h2>Regulatory submissions</h2>One of the biggest challenges in the sector is regulation. AI is being developed to handle narrow, high-value tasks such as literature reviews, quality checks and document formatting.&nbsp;

Artificial intelligence is becoming an important part of the pharmaceutical sector. It is being used in research, drug development, clinical trials, manufacturing and regulatory work. A McKinsey study estimates that generative AI alone could add between $60 billion and $110 billion each year for drug makers by speeding up discovery, trials and approvals. Another analysis suggests that AI could create as much as $350–410 billion annually by 2025 through innovation in drug development, personalised medicine and marketing.<h2>Research and clinical trials</h2>AI is making an impact in the early stages of drug discovery. It can scan huge chemical and biological datasets, predict how compounds may behave, and suggest new molecular designs. Exscientia’s Centaur system designed a cancer drug candidate that reached human trials in about a year, much faster than traditional methods. DeepMind’s AlphaFold has also advanced the ability to predict protein structures, which helps scientists understand disease targets.&nbsp;AI is also being used in clinical trials. It can analyse medical records and other health data to find trial participants quickly. This helps address a major problem, as around a quarter of trials fail because they cannot recruit enough patients. Insilico Medicine, for example, used AI to identify a new molecule and bring it to trial in only 18 months. IBM Watson Health has been used in oncology to match patients with suitable trials. AI can also monitor data from ongoing studies, flagging safety concerns more quickly than traditional methods.&nbsp;Regulators are beginning to recognise these uses. The US Food and Drug Administration has issued guidance on how AI can support decentralised trials, improving access and patient retention.<h2>Manufacturing and operations</h2>In pharmaceutical manufacturing, AI tools help predict when machines may fail, so companies can carry out maintenance before breakdowns occur. This reduces downtime and ensures continuous production. Machine vision systems are being used to inspect drug batches and it improve speed and accuracy.&nbsp;AI also supports supply chain management. It can forecast demand, manage inventory and monitor shipments in real time. Pfizer has reported that intelligent automation has improved the quality of its cold-chain logistics and reduced costs. Many companies are also testing “digital twins” of their factories, where they run simulations of production lines to spot issues before making changes. Industry surveys show that most pharmaceutical executives expect AI-driven automation to have a major effect on operations within the next five years.<h2>Regulatory submissions</h2>One of the biggest challenges in the sector is regulation. AI is being developed to handle narrow, high-value tasks such as literature reviews, quality checks and document formatting.

While talking to WION, Udith Vaidyanathan, Co-founder and CEO of LogicFlo AI, explained, “In regulated industries like biopharma and life sciences, the operating mandate is fundamentally different: precision, auditability, and formal governance are non-negotiable. AI agents here act less like ‘one super-assistant’ and more like a team of specialists, each with its own expertise and rules of engagement, tuned for narrow, high-value tasks such as literature review, QC, or submission formatting. Unlike generative AI, which produces output directly, agents can retrieve relevant documents from secure systems, run automated quality checks and compliance validations, fill in metadata in submission platforms, and notify reviewers, all with a full audit trail of each step. This reduces the cognitive load on experts, allowing them to move from quarterly literature reviews to continuous monitoring, update dossiers on a rolling basis, and produce fully referenced, compliant deliverables in hours instead of weeks.”McKinsey reports that some companies have already cut submission times in half, reducing them to 8-12 weeks from around 24 weeks. This speed matters, as each month saved on a billion-dollar drug can bring an additional $60 million in value.<h2>Compliance and data laws</h2>AI systems in pharma must comply with strict privacy and data protection rules. This means they are built with compliance in mind from the start. Frameworks such as HIPAA in the United States, GDPR in Europe, and GxP standards for good practice guide how the systems are designed.&nbsp;Vaidyanathan said, “In regulated sectors, compliance is a design input from day one, not an afterthought. Frameworks such as HIPAA, GDPR, and GxP define the architecture, shaping how agents are built, what data they can access, and how outputs are governed. This means working within established SOPs, producing outputs with full traceability, operating in secure access-controlled environments, enforcing PHI masking or de-identification by default, and embedding human oversight so that strategic decisions remain with experts. These safeguards ensure outputs can withstand regulatory scrutiny years later, while enabling faster cycles and continuous processes such as near-real-time regulatory submissions, safety monitoring, and evidence generation, where compliance and innovation reinforce each other rather than compete.”&nbsp;The US FDA and the European Medicines Agency have both issued guidance stating that AI systems must be explainable, validated and subject to human oversight. This means public AI tools that cannot meet audit and deletion requirements are not suitable for use in this sector.&nbsp;&nbsp;The pharmaceutical industry is shifting towards AI systems that are tailored to its needs rather than generic tools. These systems are trained on company data and built into existing procedures. They carry out tasks with full audit trails and keep humans in control of strategic decisions.&nbsp;By doing so, they allow experts to focus on interpretation and oversight, while routine work is automated. This approach speeds up drug discovery, regulatory processes and manufacturing while meeting compliance standards. For patients, it may mean faster access to new treatments and safer monitoring once drugs are on the market.

AI is making an impact in the early stages of drug discovery. It can scan huge chemical and biological datasets, predict how compounds may behave, and suggest new molecular designs. 

Artificial intelligence is becoming an important part of the pharmaceutical sector. It is being used in research, drug development, clinical trials, manufacturing and regulatory work. A McKinsey study estimates that generative AI alone could add between $60 billion and $110 billion each year for drug makers by speeding up discovery, trials and approvals. Another analysis suggests that AI could create as much as $350–410 billion annually by 2025 through innovation in drug development, personalised medicine and marketing. Research and clinical trials AI is making an impact in the early stages of drug discovery. It can scan huge chemical and biological datasets, predict how compounds may behave, and suggest new molecular designs. Exscientia’s Centaur system designed a cancer drug candidate that reached human trials in about a year, much faster than traditional methods. DeepMind’s AlphaFold has also advanced the ability to predict protein structures, which helps scientists understand disease targets. AI is also being used in clinical trials. It can analyse medical records and other health data to find trial participants quickly. This helps address a major problem, as around a quarter of trials fail because they cannot recruit enough patients. Insilico Medicine, for example, used AI to identify a new molecule and bring it to trial in only 18 months. IBM Watson Health has been used in oncology to match patients with suitable trials. AI can also monitor data from ongoing studies, flagging safety concerns more quickly than traditional methods. Regulators are beginning to recognise these uses. The US Food and Drug Administration has issued guidance on how AI can support decentralised trials, improving access and patient retention. Manufacturing and operations In pharmaceutical manufacturing, AI tools help predict when machines may fail, so companies can carry out maintenance before breakdowns occur. This reduces downtime and ensures continuous production. Machine vision systems are being used to inspect drug batches and it improve speed and accuracy. AI also supports supply chain management. It can forecast demand, manage inventory and monitor shipments in real time. Pfizer has reported that intelligent automation has improved the quality of its cold-chain logistics and reduced costs. Many companies are also testing “digital twins” of their factories, where they run simulations of production lines to spot issues before making changes. Industry surveys show that most pharmaceutical executives expect AI-driven automation to have a major effect on operations within the next five years. Regulatory submissions One of the biggest challenges in the sector is regulation. AI is being developed to handle narrow, high-value tasks such as literature reviews, quality checks and document formatting.

AI is making an impact in the early stages of drug discovery. It can scan huge chemical and biological datasets, predict how compounds may behave, and suggest new molecular designs.&nbsp;

AI won’t replace pharma scientists but it will redefine their work! Here's why

Russia's coronavirus vaccine Sputnik-V has arrived in India for adapted phase 2 & 3 clinical trials. This comes after both countries agrees to mass produce the vaccine in India.

Sputnik-V arrives in India for phase 2 & 3 clinical trials

An expert panel at the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has asked Dr Reddy's Laboratories to submit a revised protocol for conducting both phase-2 and 3 human clinical trials in India for the Russian vaccine, Sputnik V, against COVID-19, sources said.

The Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company had applied to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) late last week, seeking permission to conduct phase-3 human clinical trials of the Russian vaccine.

The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) on COVID-19 at the CDSCO, which held its meeting on Monday, deliberated on the application and asked the firm to submit a revised protocol stating it will have to conduct combined phase 2 and 3 clinical trials, the sources told PTI.

The firm has been asked to provide some other information as well.

"It means that Dr Reddy's laboratories will have to submit a new application. According to the SEC, they have to conduct both phase-2 and 3 clinical trials and cannot directly hold phase-3 trial for the vaccine in India," a source said.

The Indian pharma giant has collaborated with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) to conduct clinical trials of Sputnik V vaccine as well as for its distribution.

Upon regulatory approval in India, RDIF shall supply to drug maker Dr Reddy's 100 million doses of the vaccine, the firm had said last month.

According to sources, it would be multi-centre, observer-blind, randomised controlled study.

Sources said, meanwhile, the phase -3 trial of Sputnik V is underway in Russia since September 1 on around 40,000 subjects.

Sputnik V has been developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology and RDIF.

Currently two indigenously developed vaccine candidates, one by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with ICMR and another one by Zydus Cadila Ltd, are in the phase 2 of the human clinical trials.

The Pune-based Serum Institute of India, which has partnered with AstraZeneca for manufacturing the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine candidate also is conducting Phase 2 and 3 human clinical trials of the candidate in India.

An expert panel at the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has asked Dr Reddy's Laboratories to submit a revised protocol for conducting both phase-2 and 3 human clinical trials in India for the Russian vaccine, Sputnik V, against COVID-19, sources said.

An expert panel at the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has asked Dr Reddy's Laboratories to submit a revised protocol for conducting both phase-2 and 3 human clinical trials in India for the Russian vaccine, Sputnik V, against COVID-19, sources said. The Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company had applied to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) late last week, seeking permission to conduct phase-3 human clinical trials of the Russian vaccine. The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) on COVID-19 at the CDSCO, which held its meeting on Monday, deliberated on the application and asked the firm to submit a revised protocol stating it will have to conduct combined phase 2 and 3 clinical trials, the sources told PTI. The firm has been asked to provide some other information as well. "It means that Dr Reddy's laboratories will have to submit a new application. According to the SEC, they have to conduct both phase-2 and 3 clinical trials and cannot directly hold phase-3 trial for the vaccine in India," a source said. The Indian pharma giant has collaborated with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) to conduct clinical trials of Sputnik V vaccine as well as for its distribution. Upon regulatory approval in India, RDIF shall supply to drug maker Dr Reddy's 100 million doses of the vaccine, the firm had said last month. According to sources, it would be multi-centre, observer-blind, randomised controlled study. Sources said, meanwhile, the phase -3 trial of Sputnik V is underway in Russia since September 1 on around 40,000 subjects. Sputnik V has been developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology and RDIF. Currently two indigenously developed vaccine candidates, one by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with ICMR and another one by Zydus Cadila Ltd, are in the phase 2 of the human clinical trials. The Pune-based Serum Institute of India, which has partnered with AstraZeneca for manufacturing the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine candidate also is conducting Phase 2 and 3 human clinical trials of the candidate in India.

Dr Reddy's asked to reapply for phase two, three clinical trials of Russian COVID-19 vaccine

Pharmaceuticals giant AstraZeneca on Tuesday said that it had to &nbsp;"voluntarily paused" a randomized clinical trial of its coronavirus vaccine. The company called it a routine action after a volunteer developed an unexplained illness.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-handled-covid-19-openly-and-transparently-xi-jinping-325898" hreflang="en">China handled COVID-19 openly and transparently: Xi Jinping</a>

AstraZeneca is developing the drug alongside the University of Oxford and is considered the frontrunner in the global race for a vaccine against coronavirus.&nbsp;

"As part of the ongoing randomized, controlled global trials of the Oxford coronavirus vaccine, our standard review process was triggered and we voluntarily paused vaccination to allow review of safety data by an independent committee," a spokesperson said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-releases-first-batch-of-covid-19-vaccine-sputnik-v-into-public-325883" hreflang="en">Russia releases first batch of Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V into public</a>

"This is a routine action which has to happen whenever there is a potentially unexplained illness in one of the trials, while it is investigated, ensuring we maintain the integrity of the trials."

The company spokesperson also added that in large trials, illnesses will sometimes happen by chance but must be reviewed independently.

"We are working to expedite the review of the single event to minimise any potential impact on the trial timeline," the spokesperson said.

The nature and severity of illness or where the patient was not clear immediately.&nbsp;

Pauses during clinical trials are common. But, this is thought to be the first time it has happened for a Covid-19 vaccine trial.

AstraZeneca is one of nine companies currently in late-stage Phase 3 trials for their vaccine candidates.

Pharmaceuticals giant AstraZeneca on Tuesday said that it had to "voluntarily paused" a randomized clinical trial of its coronavirus vaccine. The company called it a routine action after a volunteer developed an unexplained illness.

Pharmaceuticals giant AstraZeneca on Tuesday said that it had to "voluntarily paused" a randomized clinical trial of its coronavirus vaccine. The company called it a routine action after a volunteer developed an unexplained illness. Also read: China handled COVID-19 openly and transparently: Xi Jinping AstraZeneca is developing the drug alongside the University of Oxford and is considered the frontrunner in the global race for a vaccine against coronavirus. "As part of the ongoing randomized, controlled global trials of the Oxford coronavirus vaccine, our standard review process was triggered and we voluntarily paused vaccination to allow review of safety data by an independent committee," a spokesperson said. Also read: Russia releases first batch of Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V into public "This is a routine action which has to happen whenever there is a potentially unexplained illness in one of the trials, while it is investigated, ensuring we maintain the integrity of the trials." The company spokesperson also added that in large trials, illnesses will sometimes happen by chance but must be reviewed independently. "We are working to expedite the review of the single event to minimise any potential impact on the trial timeline," the spokesperson said. The nature and severity of illness or where the patient was not clear immediately. Pauses during clinical trials are common. But, this is thought to be the first time it has happened for a Covid-19 vaccine trial. AstraZeneca is one of nine companies currently in late-stage Phase 3 trials for their vaccine candidates.

AstraZeneca 'voluntarily pauses' clinical trials for Oxford's COVID-19 vaccine after unexplained illness

A Pakistani television journalist has claimed that China has developed a vaccine for covid-19 and Pakistan will be among the first few countries to receive it.

Even as the scientists across the globe are working overtime to find a cure and vaccine for the covid-19 pandemic,

Saadia Afzal, the journalist who broke the story claims that one Chinese company has written to Pakistan's national institute of health, or the NIH, &nbsp;informing them about the launch of the vaccine program

In one of her videos shared on twitter, Afzal also speaks to the NIH chairperson on television.

In her program, a letter claiming that this so-called vaccine program would take 3 months minimum to start its trials.

The letter states that the company has offered to do clinical trials on patients in Pakistan first.

It also mentions that China's request for clinical trials and recruitment of test-patients for phase 1 and 2 tests.

According to the claims, if clinical trials are conducted in Pakistan and it turns out successful, then it will be the first nation to get the vaccine on a high-priority basis.

We would like to inform our viewers that nowhere in the world has a vaccine for the coronavirus been developed yet.

It takes several phases of clinical trials before scientific communities declare &nbsp;a vaccine safe for human use

Saadia Afzal is a prominent Pakistani journalist and wife of Faisal, federal minister for water resources.

A Pakistani television journalist has claimed that China has developed a vaccine for covid-19 and Pakistan will be among the first few countries to receive it. Even as the scientists across the globe are working overtime to find a cure and vaccine for the covid-19 pandemic, Saadia Afzal, the journalist who broke the story claims that one Chinese company has written to Pakistan's national institute of health, or the NIH, informing them about the launch of the vaccine program In one of her videos shared on twitter, Afzal also speaks to the NIH chairperson on television.

A Pakistani television journalist has claimed that China has developed a vaccine for covid-19 and Pakistan will be among the first few countries to receive it. Even as the scientists across the globe are working overtime to find a cure and vaccine for the covid-19 pandemic, Saadia Afzal, the journalist who broke the story claims that one Chinese company has written to Pakistan's national institute of health, or the NIH, informing them about the launch of the vaccine program In one of her videos shared on twitter, Afzal also speaks to the NIH chairperson on television. In her program, a letter claiming that this so-called vaccine program would take 3 months minimum to start its trials. The letter states that the company has offered to do clinical trials on patients in Pakistan first. It also mentions that China's request for clinical trials and recruitment of test-patients for phase 1 and 2 tests. According to the claims, if clinical trials are conducted in Pakistan and it turns out successful, then it will be the first nation to get the vaccine on a high-priority basis. We would like to inform our viewers that nowhere in the world has a vaccine for the coronavirus been developed yet. It takes several phases of clinical trials before scientific communities declare a vaccine safe for human use Saadia Afzal is a prominent Pakistani journalist and wife of Faisal, federal minister for water resources.

China to conduct clinical trials on Pakistani patients for COVID-19 vaccine

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