A new study has found that a combination of two drugs could enhance the immune system to treat one of the most common types of cancer in the world, bowel cancer. Also known as colorectal cancer, despite its widespread presence, the treatment options for this condition are limited. What the study specifically found was that this procedure could shrink the tumours caused by this condition by around 60%.

What Are The Drugs Involved

The trial involved the use of two immunotherapy drugs, botancilimab and balstilumab. It is a monoclonal antibody that works to stimulate the body's immune system to attack cancer. The study is a rather significant find, as it’s the first time that a consistent and durable response to immunotherapy has been reported in patients with solid MSS mCRC tumours.

The study was divided into several phases for more than 6 months. In the US trial, around around 101 patients with microsatile stable metastatic colorectal (MSS-mCRC) tumours showed a decrease . Around 61% of the patients experienced tumour shrinkage or stabilization after combined treatment with votancilumab and balstilumab. When it comes to downsides, diarrhea and fatigue were found to be the most common side effects or side effects of this drug.

These results are interesting and open to exploration. To date, immunotherapy has not been effective in patients with CNS-mCRC tumors. This study demonstrates the potential of the combination of botenlimab and balstilimab in the treatment of CNS mCRC, providing new hope for people diagnosed with colon cancer.

What Could This Mean For Bowel Cancer Treatment In The Future

The study is currently in the final stages of clinical trials, and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hopes to quickly gain approval for its use because of the importance of this area that affects many people. The efficiency shown demonstrates the potential of botansilimab to contribute to broad antitumor immunity.

All in all, the combination of botensilimab and balstilimab represents a promising new direction in the treatment of colorectal cancer. This breakthrough could improve conditions for many patients worldwide and lights a new hope in the fight against this common disease. The results of this study show the effectiveness of immunotherapy in this field and how its potential to transform cancer treatment can only grow in the years to come.

During this year's Union Budget presentation, healthcare development took centre stage as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced an array of proposals aimed at improving medical tourism, yoga and Ayurvedic medicine exports, and 'Biopharma Shakti'.

Sitharaman began presenting this year's budget by noting: "We’re inspired by three kartavyas, first is to accelerate economic growth by building resilience to global turmoil, second is to make people strong partners in prosperity, sabka saath sabka Vikas is the third kartavya."

Here is what she proposed for the improvement of healthcare services in the country:

Biopharma Shakti

The Minister started off by suggesting a ₹10,000 crore outlay for Biopharma Shakti to support domestic medication production for the next five years.

During the session, which mostly focused on the development of Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, she stated that India’s disease burden has begun increasingly shifting towards non-communicable diseases.

To help combat this, Sitharaman said: "To develop India as a global bio-pharma manufacturing hub, I propose Bio Pharma Shakti with an outlay of ₹10,000 crores over the next 5 years. This will build an ecosystem for domestic productions of biologics and biosimilars.

"For domestic production of biologics and biosimilars, the strategy will include a biopharma-focused network with three new national institutes of pharmaceutical education and research, popularly known as NIPERS, and upgrading seven existing ones. It will also create a network of 1,000 accredited India clinical trials sites.

"We propose to strengthen the Central Drug Standard Control Organisation to meet global standards and approve timeframes through a dedicated scientific review and specialists."

By encouraging domestic production of biologics and biosimilars, the government aims to make advanced treatments more affordable and accessible for Indian patients.

The government. is yet to reveal which type of drugs will receive priority during production, whether they will be exported and whether new factories will be set up across the nation.

Speaking of how beneficial this can be for the public, Uday Deshmukh, Chairman & Founder CEO of Onco-Life Cancer Centre, exclusively told Healthandme: "This visionary initiative comes at a critical juncture, as India faces a growing burden of chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders.

"The proposed investment over the next five years will significantly strengthen domestic biopharmaceutical research, innovation, and manufacturing, making advanced cancer therapies more accessible and affordable.

"By accelerating clinical research and precision medicine while reducing import dependence, Biopharma Shakti has the potential to transform cancer care outcomes and build a truly self-reliant healthcare ecosystem for India.”

Import Duty Decreased On Cancer Drugs

Cancer drugs are medications, including chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and hormone therapies, used to kill cancer cells, slow growth, or relieve symptoms. Some popular medications include Cisplatin, Paclitaxel, Doxorubicin and Pembrolizumab (Keytruda), most of which are imported into India.

These imported, specialized cancer treatments, particularly targeted therapies and monoclonal antibodies, often cost thousands, placing a massive financial burden on patients, leading to lifelong debts.

However, in this year's Union Budget, Sitharaman proposed reducing import duty tax on 17 cancer drugs and seven medicines for rare diseases, which will in turn, help patients seek proper care on a timely basis.

Deshmukh commented: "India is witnessing a steady and alarming rise in cancer cases, where late detection, prolonged treatment and high medicine costs often lead to preventable complications and loss of life. Against this backdrop, the Union Budget’s decision to remove customs duty on 17 cancer drugs and 7 medicines for rare diseases stands out as a truly progressive and patient-first measure.

"Affordability remains one of the biggest hurdles in cancer care, forcing many families to delay or discontinue treatment. By reducing import duties, this move has the potential to significantly lower the cost of advanced and targeted therapies, making them accessible to a larger section of patients."

Increase In Medical Hubs And Institutions

In addition, ten new allied health disciplines will help train one lakh professionals, strengthening the healthcare support system across hospitals, wellness centres and medical tourism facilities.

Furthermore, she noted that no mental health institutions have been set up in North India and to boost care, the government will set up centres in Ranchi, Jharkhand and Tezpur, Assam.

Namrata Jain, Psychotherapist and Relationship Expert at Out Aloud commended the government's initiative to improve mental health care and told Healthandme: The focus on mental health alongside Ayurveda and wellness in this budget is a powerful affirmation that holistic wellbeing matters. Now is the time to harmonize our ancient Indian sciences with contemporary mental health frameworks to nurture resilient, compassionate communities.

"It feels deeply reassuring to see mental health, Ayurveda and wellness coming together in this budget. Healing has always been holistic and this is our reminder to blend ancient Indian wisdom with modern, trauma-informed mental health practices to support gentler, deeper, more human wellbeing."

Medical Tourism

During her ninth consecutive Union Budget, Sitharam suggested turning India into a 'global medical tourism hub' by supporting states in setting up five regional medical tourism hubs, which are expected to attract international patients, improve healthcare infrastructure and create jobs in allied services.

Pankaj Chandna, Co-Founder, Vaidam Health told this publication: "Union Budget 2026 is pushing medical value tourism from a 'hospital visit” into a full-stack, globally benchmarked care experience. The five regional medical value tourism hubs can standardise patient journeys across diagnostics, treatment, post-care and rehabilitation, while easing pressure on metros by building credible capacity in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

"What stands out this year is the emphasis on technology as a growth lever, especially AI-enabled diagnostics, clinical decision support, patient coordination, and faster turnaround on care pathways, all of which directly improve international patient confidence and outcomes. The parallel focus on strengthening allied health institutions and expanding training capacity is equally important because world-class infrastructure only works when the workforce is future-ready."

Focus on Yoga And Ayurveda

Under Budget 2026-27, 1.5 lakh caregivers will be trained to provide yoga and Ayurveda-based services to improve access to wellness care while also creating large-scale employment opportunities. The proposal reflects the growing demand for traditional and preventive healthcare in India and abroad.

She also proposed setting up new All India Institutes of Ayurveda as part of the government’s push to expand traditional and modern healthcare infrastructure as well as to improve the quality of Ayurveda education and help standardise treatment practices across the country.

"I propose to set up three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda; Upgrade AYUSH pharmacies and drug testing labs and make available more skilled persons; Upgrade the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre in Jamnagar," said Sitharaman.

Focusing on the connection between traditional Indian medicine and medical tourism, Sonam Garg Sharma, Founder, Medical Linkers told Healthandme: "As a country, we are increasingly recognised for combining clinical excellence with value-driven care, and healthcare hubs that integrate advanced diagnostics, post-treatment rehabilitation, and AYUSH-led wellness therapies such as yoga and Ayurveda can take that advantage further by offering a truly end-to-end patient journey.

"This also adds meaningful momentum to India’s medical value tourism story, where outcomes, experience, and continuity of care matter as much as affordability."

Upgrade In Geriatric And Professional Care

Lastly, Sitharaman added that institutions for allied health professionals will be upgraded and professionals will be trained in the coming year to cover geriatric and allied sectors. New AHP institutes will also be set up in the private and government sectors

Nipah Virus Outbreak In India: One of the two nurses who were tested positive in Kolkata with Nipah virus, has been discharged on Friday. The hospital officials at Barasat confirmed the news. However, the other nurse continues to remain critical and is on ventilation support.

"One of the two Nipah patients admitted to our hospital, the male nurse has remained afebrile and hemodynamically stable for the past one week, without any oxygen requirement. He is tolerating oral intake well and has been mobilized out of bed under close clinical observation. He has also completed the prescribed antiviral course and is now clinically stable," said an official of the hospital, as reported by Telegraph India.

The male nurse has shown significant clinical improvement, with stable vital parameters and improving gait, noted the official. His repeat Nipah RT-PCR tests were also negative on two separate occasions.

One of the two nurses at the private hospital in Barasat, who had tested positive for Nipah virus, was discharged on Friday, hospital officials said. The other nurse continues to remain critical and on ventilation support.

Both the female and male nurse had tested positive for Nipah on January 11 and were admitted to Narayana Hospital Barasat, where they are employed.

“Of the two Nipah patients admitted to our hospital, the male nurse has remained afebrile and hemodynamically stable for the past one week, without any oxygen requirement. He is tolerating oral intake well and has been mobilized out of bed under close clinical observation. He has also completed the prescribed antiviral course and is now clinically stable,” said an official of the hospital.

He has shown significant clinical improvement, with stable vital parameters and improving gait, the official said. His repeat Nipah RT-PCR tests are negative on two separate occasions.

“As he meets all established discharge criteria, continued strict hospital isolation is no longer required. He has been discharged and will remain in home isolation for two weeks with all necessary precautions. Post-discharge protocols have been clearly outlined in line with operational guidance, recognising that Nipah is a high-consequence pathogen and that public safety and containment remain paramount,” said the hospital official.

Nipah Virus Outbreak In India: What Is The States Of The Female Nurse?

The hospital official noted that the female nurse is still on ventilation by tracheostomy with stable oxygen requirements. “Her blood pressure is being maintained with vasopressor support, though the dosage requirement has been progressively decreasing. Neurologically, her status remains unchanged with no seizure activity noted,” said the official.

“Antibiotic therapy is being appropriately de-escalated. While her overall condition continues to be critical, her biochemical parameters are showing improvement,” the official added.

The official confirmed that all contacts of both patients tested negative for Nipah.

Nipah Virus Outbreak In India: What Is It?

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), Nipah virus infection is a zoonotic illness that is transmitted to people from animals, and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly from person to person.

In infected people, it causes a range of illnesses from asymptomatic (subclinical) infection to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis. The virus can also cause severe disease in animals such as pigs, resulting in significant economic losses for farmers.

Although Nipah virus has caused only a few known outbreaks in Asia, it infects a wide range of animals and causes severe disease and death in people.

Nipah Virus Symptoms

• Fever
• Headache
• Breathing difficulties
• Cough and sore throat
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Muscle pain and severe weakness

Lucknow University Professor RP Singh from English and Modern European Language Department gets his 'magical diary' for mental health patented. He has been awarded a patent by the Government of India.

Lucknow University Professor's Mental Well-being Diary: What Is It?

The idea is that you need a diary and not necessarily always a doctor to keep your mental health in check. The magical diary has a mirror and seven questions that records one's moods on a daily basis. The diary is also said to help increase self-awareness and identify patterns in various emotional states.

"Users answer one question each day for seven days while looking into the mirror. Based on the responses, the team recommends literary support, such as books and journals, to help improve the user's mental wellbeing," said Prof Singh.

The project has been conceptualized by Prof Singh, along with assistant professor Alka Singh of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia National University's English Department and researcher Joy Chauhan.

The Lucknow University officials informed that this is the first patent of English Department.

Read More: What Are The Physical Symptoms Of Stress?

Lucknow University Professor's Mental Well-being Diary: How Does It Work?

Prof Singh explained that after the team reviews seven responses, a suggestion for reading material, tailored for the user's need is made.

For instance, if someone is experiencing loneliness or depression, the person may be recommended books with influential content aimed at motivation and healing.

Prof Singh notes that human psyche is deeply intertwined with literature. "Literature is a powerful boost in controlling the psyche of the people. It is important to understand the conditioning of the mind of an individual. An individual's understanding and background knowledge is not only a product of the socio-cultural, economic, and political discourses that one comes across, but also what he or she reads and gets stimulated by, knowingly or unknowingly, to respond and behave," he explained.

He further explained, "There is a list of Hindi and English literature that does this function. For instance, iconic texts in Hindi literary studies that evoke these powerful emotions of courage are Mahabharat by Vyas, think of Arjun's courage in Gita, and Padmavat by Malik Muhammad Jayasi, where Rooda's bravery in battle is so vibrant."

Lucknow University Professor's Mental Health Diary: Is Literature Good For Mental Well-being?

A study published in the International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences notes that literature can significantly contribute to mental well-being and be integrated into mental health practices. In fact, another 2022 study published in the National Institutes of Health (NIH), note that fiction can have a positive impact on measures of mood and emotions. The study has evaluated five different studies on mental health. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) further notes that literature is a valid resource to learn more about complex issues, which also include mental health and trauma.