Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd Wednesday announced the launch of Avigan (Favipiravir) 200 mg tablets in India.

The launch is part of the global licensing agreement with Fujifilm Toyama Chemical Co. Ltd. that grants the Indian drug maker the exclusive rights to manufacture, sell and distribute the tablets in India, Chief Executive Officer of Branded Markets (India and Emerging Markets), Dr Reddy's Laboratories, M V Ramana said.

With more than 64,000 new cases reported in the last 24 hours, India's COVID-19 count on Wednesday crossed the 27.67 lakh-mark, while the death toll has crossed the 52,000-mark as well.

At 9:30 AM on this day, the COVID-19 tally in the country has reached 27,67,274 cases, which include 6,76,514 active cases; 20,37,871 cured, discharged, or migrated patients, and 52,889 deaths.

In a bizarre incident, some employees of a finance firm allegedly hijacked a passenger bus from New Southern Bypass in Uttar Pradesh's Agra on Wednesday.

The driver and the helper of the bus were forced to get down by the employees and seized control. 34 passengers were on the bus when it was hijacked.

The bus had left from Gurugram in Haryana for Madhya Pradesh.

Nepal is becoming the victim of colonial design as China is slowly and gradually, inch by inch, encroaching Nepali land at multiple fronts. According to the data reported by Nepali Government agencies, China has illegally occupied Nepal's land in at least seven bordering districts and is slowly moving forward, further pushing Nepali boundaries, and encroaching more and more landmass.

It is pertinent to note that the data is being under-reported and the actual scenario could be worse as the Nepali Communist Party (NCP) is trying to shield the expansionist agenda of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

E-health companies Medlife and PharmEasy have agreed for a merger, according to the filings submitted by the companies to the Competition Commission of India (CCI). The proposed combination relates to the acquisition of 100 per cent equity shares of Medlife by API Holdings, the parent of PharmEasy, in return for 19.59 per cent equity share capital, according to the CCI filing.

The Supreme Court is expected to pronounce a verdict today (i.e. August 19, Wednesday) at 11 AM in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case, delivering the final word on whether the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will be allowed to take over the investigation into the actor's death. This comes in view of a complaint filed by Sushant Singh Rajput's father KK Singh in Bihar against actor Rhea Chakraborty, who had earlier sought the transfer of the FIR from Patna to Mumbai.

Joe Biden was nominated officially by the Democratic Party as the candidate for the US Presidential Elections 2020.

Biden confirmed the news on Twitter. "It is the honor of my life to accept the Democratic Party's nomination for President of the United States of America." he tweeted.

The Central government has asked vaccine manufacturers indicate potential prices of COVID vaccines as they enter the clinical trial stage, an official said on Tuesday.

Dr VK Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog said while one vaccine is in the stage of phase-3 trials, the other two are also progressing well and are in the phase 1-2 of clinical trials.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to direct the Centre to transfer the contributions made to the PM Cares Fund for fighting the Covid-19 pandemic to the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).

A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan and comprising justices R S Reddy and M R Shah said that voluntary contribution can always be made to the NDRF as there is no statutory bar under the Disaster Management Act.

Gold prices Tuesday fell to Rs 55,090 from Rs 55,100 per 10 gram, while silver climbed to Rs 68,900 from Rs 68,010 per kg, according to Good Returns website.

Gold jewellery prices vary across India, the second-largest consumer of the metal, due to excise duty, state taxes, and making charges.

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