Chronic Cough Drug Shows Some Benefit, but Taste-Related Events an Issue
MILAN — Twice-daily doses of the oral P2X3 receptor antagonist gefapixant may improve refractory or unexplained chronic cough, but at the cost of adverse events, a meta-analysis and systematic review found. Moderate-certainty evidence indicated that a 45-mg dose led to a small (17.6%, 95% CI 10.6-24.0) decrease in awake cough frequency, a small (16.0%, 95% […]
Certain SSRIs May Increase Arrhythmia Risk in Select Patients
Therapeutic doses of some selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may lead to cardiotoxic concentration levels associated with increased risk of arrhythmia in certain groups of patients, including those 65 and up, according to a Norwegian cohort study. In patients 65 and over taking escitalopram (Lexapro) daily, about 20% were predicted to reach potentially pro-arrhythmic concentrations […]
FDA Allows Extra Doses of Bivalent COVID Vax for Immunocompromised Tots
The FDA has authorized additional doses of Pfizer/BioNTech’s bivalent COVID-19 vaccine for young immunocompromised children, the agency announced on Friday. In kids ages 6 months to 4 years with certain types of immunocompromising conditions (i.e., solid-organ transplant recipients, or those considered to have a similar level of immunocompromise), and who previously received three primary 0.2-mL […]
Extra Hep B Vaccine Dose Exceeds Expectations for People With HIV
WASHINGTON — Three doses of hepatitis B vaccine with a cytosine phosphoguanine adjuvant (HepB-CpG; Heplisav-B) notched a perfect mark when it came to seroprotection for people with HIV who had never before been vaccinated against the hepatitis B virus (HBV), early results of a phase III trial showed. At 28 weeks, the three doses yielded […]
White House Urges States To Split Monkeypox Vaccine Into Fifths To Stretch Supply
The Biden administration said Thursday it would send out an additional 1.8 million doses of the Jynneos monkeypox vaccine if states adopt a new vaccination protocol, the White House’s latest effort to rein in the growing outbreak of the the disease before a slate of major LGBTQ events in the coming months. The White House’s […]
Effectiveness of antibiotics significantly reduced when multiple bugs present
A study has found that much higher doses of antibiotics are needed to eliminate a bacterial infection of the airways when other microbes are present. It helps explain why respiratory infections often persist in people with lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis despite treatment. In the study, published today in The ISME Journal, researchers say […]
COVID Booster Cuts Death Rate by 90 Percent – MedicineNet Health News
Latest Coronavirus News THURSDAY, Dec. 9, 2021 Booster doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine set recipients up to effectively withstand the ravages of both the Delta and Omicron variants, a group of new studies suggest. Boosted folks are 90% less likely to die from a Delta infection than people relying solely on the initial […]
Liver Toxicity in Gene Therapy Trials Could Merit Stricter Entry Criteria
An FDA advisory committee offered up lower vector doses, stricter exclusion criteria, and long-term animal studies to grapple with liver toxicities associated with adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector-based gene therapies. During the second of four sessions on AAV safety, the Cellular, Tissue, and Gene Therapies Advisory Committee (CTGTAC) weighed evidence of hepatotoxicity — ranging from liver […]
Lower Linezolid Doses Effective Against Highly Resistant TB
Various doses of the potent antibacterial linezolid (Zyvox) appeared to have similar effectiveness in clearing pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) infection in patients who have developed multidrug resistance to the infection, researchers reported. In a four-arm study that compared linezolid doses of 600 and 1,200 mg given for either 2 or 6 months — along with standard […]