SCOTUS Case Hinges on ‘Weapon of Choice’ for Targeting Healthcare Fraud
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week on whether major pharmacies illegally overbilled Medicare and Medicaid for prescription drugs, a case that could weaken a key law the federal government uses to stamp out fraud. The case before the high court hinges on two whistleblower cases brought under the False Claims Act, a 19th-century […]
These Are The Water Flossers That Keep Reviewers’ Teeth Squeaky Clean
Amazon A smart oral irrigator by Oralfree, the Waterpik Aquarius flosser and a cordless Waterpik Advanced flosser. No matter how many times my dentist preaches the importance of regular flossing for my dental health, it doesn’t feel like any less of a chore. Especially string flossing, which can be a dexterous feat that’s not as […]
One Dose of Acoziborole Led to Cure of ‘Sleeping Sickness’ Across Disease Stages
A single dose of oral acoziborole proved to be efficacious and safe for adults and adolescents with gambiense human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as “sleeping sickness,” suggesting its promise in interrupting transmission, a single-arm phase II/III trial showed. Over 18 months of follow-up, the treatment success rate was 95.2% in those with late-stage disease […]
Good, and Safe, Results Tied to Oral Testosterone in Men With Deficiency
MIAMI — Oral testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) seemed safe and effective in men with testosterone deficiency, according to a meta-analysis. Among nine studies that looked at changes in serum total testosterone, only men with testosterone deficiency who took an oral agent — predominantly testosterone undecanoate — saw a significant increase in total testosterone, with a […]
First TYK2 Inhibitor for Psoriasis Wins FDA Approval
The FDA approved the first-in-class oral tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) inhibitor deucravacitinib (Sotyktu) for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, Bristol Myers Squibb announced. The indication limits use to adults who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy. Deucravacitinib is not recommended for use with other immunosuppressant drugs. “Sotyktu has the potential to become the new standard-of-care oral […]
Whopping Mortality Benefit in Severe COVID Trial
Treatment with a novel, oral microtubule disruptor significantly reduced the risk of death in hospitalized COVID-19 patients with severe disease, an interim analysis of a phase III study indicated. Mortality at 60 days, the international trial’s primary endpoint, was more than halved in the group assigned to investigational sabizabulin versus those randomized to placebo (20.2% […]
Opinion | Should Young and Healthy Patients Take Paxlovid?
The development of an oral anti-viral medication that could reduce COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in unvaccinated high-risk individuals was nothing short of game-changing and something that clinicians like me were clamoring for. This milestone was achieved with the FDA’s granting of emergency use authorization (EUA) to Pfizer’s nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) in December 2021. The active ingredient […]
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 […]
Experts Break Down What Could Help Improve Access to Paxlovid
Access to Paxlovid, the first oral antiviral treatment for COVID-19, has expanded since the FDA issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-made medication in December. However, physicians and pharmacists say there is still more that can be done to make sure the potentially life-saving drug reaches the right people at the right time. […]
Another Oral Testosterone Undecanoate OK’d for Hypogonadism
The FDA has approved a new oral testosterone undecanoate capsule (Tlando) for hypogonadism, Antares Pharma announced. This androgen is indicated for testosterone replacement therapy in adult men for conditions associated with a deficiency or absence of endogenous testosterone, including congenital or acquired primary hypogonadism, as well as congenital or acquired hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. “The FDA approval […]