Drug for Rare Form of ALS Earns FDA Nod
The FDA granted accelerated approval to tofersen (Qalsody) for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients with mutations in the SOD1 gene, the agency announced on Tuesday. The drug was cleared under the accelerated approval pathway, a program that uses a surrogate endpoint to approve drugs for serious conditions with an unmet medical need. For tofersen, the […]
Perioperative Toripalimab Prolongs EFS in Stage III Lung Cancer
Adding an investigational anti-PD-1 drug to perioperative chemotherapy improved event-free survival (EFS) in patients with resectable, stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), an interim analysis of a phase III study found. Among 404 patients receiving perioperative chemotherapy in the so-called Neotorch trial, the median investigator-assessed EFS was not reached in patients assigned to toripalimab, […]
Doctors More Neurotic, Less Open Than Patients, Surveys Find
Doctors may be more neurotic than both patients and the general population, according to two nationally representative Australian surveys. When it comes to the “Big Five” personality traits, doctors were also significantly more agreeable, conscientious, and extroverted than both the general population and patients, according to Mehdi Ammi, PhD, health economist of Carleton University, in […]
Exciting Early Results With Novel Cell Therapy for Focal Epilepsy
BOSTON — Implantation of so-called inhibitory neurons helped two patients with severe, drug-resistant focal epilepsy achieve marked reductions in seizure frequency, researchers reported. Prior to treatment, these patients were experiencing an average of 32 and 14 seizures per month, respectively, over many years, according to investigator David Spencer, MD, of Oregon Health & Science University […]
Physicians Struggle to Help Diabetes Patients Get Tirzepatide
Endocrinologists say patients are once again having trouble accessing injectable medications they use to control type 2 diabetes, this time with tirzepatide (Mounjaro). Thanks to record demand, supply chain issues, and what some experts say is inappropriate off-label prescribing, endocrinologists said there has been a shortage in recent weeks which has pharmacies backed up and […]
Tongue Nerve Stimulator Does Good for Sleep Apnea Patients
Targeted hypoglossal nerve stimulation (THN) showed safety and efficacy for patients with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the randomized THN3 trial found. Four months after receiving a THN device, patients who had had their devices activated at month 1 were more likely to meet criteria for treatment response in terms of reduced apnea-hypopnea index (AHI; […]
CDK4/6 Inhibition Active in Recurrent Low-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer
TAMPA, Fla. — About a fourth of patients with recurrent low-grade serous ovarian cancer (LGSOC) obtained durable responses to the combination of CDK4/6 inhibitor ribociclib (Kisqali) and letrozole, a small single-arm trial showed. Overall, 23% of 48 patients had partial responses, increasing to 26% in those who had baseline and confirmatory CT scans. Almost 80% […]
Lone star tick bites may be to blame for unexplained digestive problems
The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) has released new clinical guidance to help physicians and patients identify if unexplained digestive symptoms are due to alpha-gal syndrome, a food allergy that is caused by lone star tick bites. The AGA Clinical Practice Update was published today in Gastroenterology. Alpha-gal syndrome is an allergy that causes your body […]
Another Win for a JAK Inhibitor in Alopecia Areata
NEW ORLEANS — Patients with severe alopecia areata had dramatic hair regrowth at 6 months with an investigational Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, according to a study reported here. Almost 40% of patients had at least 80% scalp coverage with the higher of two doses of the JAK 1/2 inhibitor deuruxolitinib (CTP-543), including 35% who had […]
Discordant Biomarkers Foretell Prognosis in Oropharyngeal Cancer
Mismatch between the p16 protein and human papillomavirus (HPV) biomarkers can help determine prognosis in patients with oropharyngeal cancer, European researchers reported. Specifically, oropharyngeal cancer patients with discordance between the p16 (p16INK4a ) and HPV biomarker had significantly worse disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) than double-positive patients, though significantly better survival than double-negative […]