Daily Pharma News - 26 September 2026

India orders crackdown on illegal nicotine pouches nationwide

India's Union Health Ministry has instructed all states and union territories to crack down on the sale of illegal nicotine pouches such as Zyn and White Fox, flagging health risks and rising use among young people. Enforcement agencies have been told they can invoke search-and-seizure powers under drug laws against manufacturers, distributors and sellers operating without authorisation.

This is a regulatory-pharmacy story worth studying closely: nicotine pouches sit at the intersection of drug law, tobacco control and public health policy. For pharmacy students, it is a live case study of how post-marketing surveillance and enforcement work when unapproved products reach the market through grey channels.

Natco Pharma to raise Rs 1,279 crore via rights issue

Hyderabad-based Natco Pharma will raise Rs 1,279.35 crore through a rights issue of 1.7 crore equity shares priced at Rs 750 each, offered in the ratio of 2 shares for every 21 held. The issue opens on October 12 and closes on October 22, 2026.

Rights issues are a core piece of pharmaceutical corporate finance — understanding how listed pharma companies fund expansion, R&D and acquisitions is directly relevant to students eyeing careers in pharma management and industry roles. Watch how the market reacts to the pricing and subscription levels through October.

China's NMPA accepts NDA for Hansoh's B7-H3 ADC in osteosarcoma

China's National Medical Products Administration has accepted the marketing application for Hansoh Pharma's HS-20093, a B7-H3-targeting antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), for osteosarcoma patients aged 12 and above who have failed at least two prior lines of therapy. The ADC was independently developed by Hansoh.

This matters scientifically: ADCs are one of the hottest frontiers in targeted oncology, and B7-H3 is an emerging immune checkpoint-like target in solid tumours. Osteosarcoma — a rare bone cancer that hits adolescents and young adults — has seen few therapeutic advances, so acceptance of this NDA is a regulatory milestone worth tracking through to approval.

AstraZeneca registers new hypertension drug Baxfendy in Russia

AstraZeneca has registered Baxfendy (baxdrostat) in Russia, a first-in-class aldosterone synthase inhibitor indicated for patients whose blood pressure remains uncontrolled on three or more antihypertensive agents.

For pharmacology students, baxdrostat represents a genuinely new mechanism: rather than blocking aldosterone's receptor (as spironolactone and eplerenone do), it inhibits aldosterone synthesis itself. Resistant hypertension affects a meaningful share of treated patients, so this class could reshape add-on therapy algorithms — a strong exam and viva topic on RAAS modulation.

FDA approves Lilly's Onswik, a once-weekly basal insulin

The US FDA has approved Lilly's Onswik (insulin efsitora alfa), a once-weekly basal insulin injection for adults with type 2 diabetes. The approval is based on the QWINT Phase 3 programme in more than 3,400 adults, and the weekly schedule eliminates over 300 injections per year compared with daily basal insulins.

This is landmark news for diabetes care and for pharmacotherapeutics teaching: adherence is the Achilles' heel of insulin therapy, and reducing injection burden from 365 to 52 doses a year could transform real-world glycaemic control. Expect weekly basal insulins to become a standard comparison point alongside daily glargine and degludec in exams.

EU approves NEZGLYAL, first drug for cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy

The European Commission has granted marketing authorisation to NEZGLYAL (leriglitazone), the first pharmacological treatment for cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (cALD) — a rare, rapidly progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease. The once-daily oral drug is authorised across the EU as well as Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

Orphan-drug approvals like this illustrate how regulatory incentives (orphan designation, accelerated pathways) make development viable for ultra-rare diseases. cALD previously had no drug therapy at all, so leriglitazone fills a complete therapeutic vacuum — a textbook example of unmet-need-driven drug development.

WHO brings 80 regulators together on herbal medicine quality

The World Health Organization convened around 80 regulators from 18 countries on September 23 in a workshop organised by China's NMPA, aimed at aligning on quality control, standardisation and sustainability of herbal medicines.

Given India's deep roots in Ayurveda and the global boom in herbal products, harmonised quality standards are highly relevant for pharmacognosy and quality-assurance students. Expect tighter monographs, testing requirements and supply-chain expectations for herbal medicines in the coming years — a trend worth following in both academia and industry.

Conclusion

Today's news spans the full spectrum of modern pharmacy: enforcement and public health (India's nicotine-pouch crackdown, WHO's herbal-quality push), regulatory science and novel mechanisms (China's ADC acceptance, Russia's aldosterone synthase inhibitor, the FDA's weekly insulin, the EU's first cALD drug), and pharma industry finance (Natco's rights issue). The common thread is regulation shaping therapy — whether it is taking unapproved products off shelves or opening the door to first-in-class molecules. For pharmacy students, these stories connect classroom pharmacology, pharmaceutics and jurisprudence to real decisions being made this week; track the molecules (baxdrostat, efsitora alfa, leriglitazone, HS-20093) because they will appear in future guidelines, exams and clinical practice.

References

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