Scientists discover 14 genes that cause obesity: Findings could decouple overeating from harmful health effects
Promising news in the effort to develop drugs to treat obesity: University of Virginia scientists have identified 14 genes that can cause and three that can prevent weight gain. The findings pave the way for treatments to combat a health problem that affects more than 40% of American adults. “We know of hundreds of gene […]
Cell Therapy Safe and Effective in Women with Prior Urinary Incontinence Surgery
Autologous muscle derived cells for urinary sphincter repair (AMDC-USR) to treat stress urinary incontinence (SUI) was safe and durable, particularly for women who have undergone prior SUI surgery, a researcher reported. In a randomized phase III study, 36.9% of women receiving AMCD-USR achieved a strong response (≥75% reduction in stress incontinence episode frequency at 12 […]
Great White Is Missing ‘Unusual’ Amount Of Teeth: ‘Anyone Know A Good Dentist?’
If there’s a dentist out there willing to treat an apex predator underwater, have we got a gig for you. A recent cage-diving expedition around Mexico’s Guadalupe Island revealed a great white shark with a crazy amount of teeth missing. (See the photo below.) Now, great whites often lose teeth when they hunt, but replacements […]
Potential COVID-19 medication found among tapeworm drugs: Re-engineered compound fights both cytokine storm and viral replication, experiments show
A group of medications long prescribed to treat tapeworm has inspired a compound that shows two-pronged effectiveness against COVID-19 in laboratory studies, according to a new publication appearing online in the journal ACS Infectious Disease. The compound, part of a class of molecules called salicylanilides, was designed in the laboratory of Professor Kim Janda, PhD, […]
Aducanumab: What to Know if You Prescribe
Not all physicians who treat Alzheimer’s disease will prescribe the new Alzheimer’s drug aducanumab (Aduhelm) — major hospital systems like the Cleveland Clinic and Mount Sinai in New York City, for example, won’t administer the controversial treatment — but those who will offer the drug need more information about how to use it, a panel […]
To Pay or Not to Pay: Medicare’s Big Aduhelm Decision
In June, the FDA approved aducanumab (Aduhelm) to treat patients with Alzheimer’s disease using the agency’s accelerated approval pathway, despite significant concerns about the evidence regarding the drug’s safety and effectiveness. The agency’s approval decision contradicted the recommendations of its own advisory committee, which voted overwhelmingly against the evidence presented in support of the drug. […]
FDA Authorizes IL-6 Inhibitor for Severe COVID-19 Patients
Tocilizumab (Actemra), an interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibitor, was authorized to treat certain hospitalized COVID-19 patients, the FDA announced late on Thursday. The drug received emergency use authorization (EUA) for hospitalized patients ages 2 and up who are receiving systemic corticosteroids and require supplemental oxygen, non-invasive or invasive mechanical ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). It is […]