‘Senolytic’ Therapy Shows Promise in Neovascular Eye Disease
NEW YORK CITY — An investigational drug targeting senescent cells achieved sustained improvement in visual acuity in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) or neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a small pilot study showed. After single doses of UBX1325, four of eight evaluable patients with advanced DME had at least 10 letters of improvement in […]
Demand Rising for ‘Bootlegged’ Weight-Loss Drug
Novo Nordisk’s weight management drug semaglutide (Wegovy) has been in prolonged short supply due to “unprecedented demand,” prompting increased — and questionable — interest in compounded formulations of the drug, physicians said. Endocrinologists and obesity medicine specialists have been sounding the alarm about what they say amounts to bootleg semaglutide, concerned about safety and quality […]
Opinion | ‘A State Can’t Ban an FDA-Approved Drug’: What We Heard This Week
“Arguably a state can’t ban an FDA-approved drug.” — Greer Donley, JD, of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, on whether state bans on abortions will extend to the abortion pill. “What happens next will require some soul-searching within the oncology community.” — Christopher Booth, MD, of Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada, on how […]
FDA Panel Supports Rollout of Tweaked Booster Shots From Moderna, Pfizer This Fall
Latest Coronavirus News TUESDAY, June 28, 2022 (HealthDay News) A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recommended on Tuesday that updated COVID-19 booster shots be used this fall to protect against Omicron and its highly contagious subvariants. Because the virus mutates so quickly, the FDA may approve the new vaccine formulations, since COVID-19 cases […]
Oral antiviral drug effective against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
An oral antiviral drug that targets a key part of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) polymerase and inhibits the synthesis of viral genetic material has been identified, a finding that could provide an effective treatment against RSV disease, according to researchers in the Center for Translational Antiviral Research at Georgia State University. The findings, published […]
Removing barriers to opioid use disorder treatment shows success during pandemic
Pandemic-era changes to prescribing guidelines for the lifesaving drug buprenorphine led to improved treatment outcomes for patients with opioid use disorder in Philadelphia, according to a recently published study in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports from researchers at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health. The authors analyzed data from medical records and […]
First Treatment Approved for Eosinophilic Esophagitis
Dupilumab (Dupixent) became the first drug approved to treat eosinophilic esophagitis in adults and pediatric patients ages 12 and older weighing at least 40 kg (~88 lb), the FDA announced. Eosinophilic esophagitis is a chronic, progressive disease in which the esophagus becomes inflamed due to a buildup of eosinophils, creating difficulty swallowing and eating. Dupilumab […]
Copay Assistance Programs, and Their Trackers, Stay in the Spotlight
The use of tracking systems — such as copay accumulators and copay maximizers — to scrutinize patients’ use of drug manufacturer copay assistance programs is causing controversy inside and outside of the federal government, as well as concerns among physicians and patients. “These programs harm patients by discouraging the appropriate utilization of specialty therapies and […]
Coxsackievirus: Rash, Symptoms, Incubation Period & Treatment
Acetaminophen is a drug that reduces fever and relieves pain. It is available alone, or in combination with hundreds of other drugs available both over-the-counter (without a prescription) or that that may require a prescription from your doctor, for example, acetaminophen and hydrocodone (Vicodin, Norco) or acetaminophen and oxycodone (Percocet). Acetaminophen treats a variety of […]
PBMs Under Fire at Senate Hearing
The role of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) in the drug supply chain and whether “anti-competitive” practices are driving up healthcare costs was scrutinized by the Senate on Thursday. PBMs are just one player in a “broken supply chain” explained Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), during a Thursday hearing of the Senate Subcommittee for the Committee on Commerce, […]