CAR-T Investigation: FDA Leaders Detail Decision on Cancer Risk Warning
The FDA has identified more cases of secondary T-cell malignancies following treatment with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies, cases that led the agency to demand new boxed warnings on approved agents in the class. With about 27,000 doses of the six B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)- or CD19-directed CAR-T products having been administered in the […]
Benzodiazepines Tied to Worse Outcomes in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy
People with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) who were prescribed benzodiazepine derivatives had a faster decline in PSP Rating Scale (PSPRS) scores than those who didn’t have benzodiazepines, a post hoc analysis showed. In a secondary analysis of concomitant drugs used in a phase II/III clinical trial, only one medication class — benzodiazepine derivatives, including lorazepam, […]
Could Arthritis Enhance Male Fertility?
Infertility does not seem to be a problem for men with inflammatory joint diseases, a large Scandinavian study indicated. In fact, men with arthritis showed lower rates of childlessness relative to a control group, and had fathered more children on average, according to Gudrun David Sigmo, of Stavanger University Hospital in Norway, and colleagues. National […]
Jamie Dornan Was Hospitalized After Brush With Toxic Caterpillar, Says Friend
LOADINGERROR LOADING Actor Jamie Dornan was hospitalized with heart attack-like symptoms after an encounter with a toxic caterpillar, according to friend Gordon Smart. During an appearance on BBC’s “The Good, the Bad and the Unexpected” radio show, the Scottish broadcaster explained how both men ended up with racing hearts and arm discomfort during a golf […]
HAIP Chemo Offers OS Advantage in Advanced Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma
SAN FRANCISCO — Hepatic arterial infusion pump (HAIP) chemotherapy with floxuridine significantly improved overall survival (OS) in patients with advanced intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), according to results from a phase II study. Patients treated with HAIP chemotherapy combined with systemic chemotherapy achieved a 1-year OS of 80% compared with 47% in the historical cohort treated with […]
Switch to Oral Antibiotics Noninferior in Low-Risk Staph Bloodstream Infections
An early switch to oral antibiotics in patients hospitalized with low-risk Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infection was noninferior to IV antibiotics, according to the randomized controlled SABATO trial. In the trial’s intention-to-treat population, 13% of patients who switched to oral antibiotics developed complications related to S. aureus bloodstream infection (SAB) versus 12% in the group that […]
Morphine Quieted Cough in Patients With Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
A brief course of morphine provided some relief for patients with cough related to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in a small, phase II double-blind crossover trial. Two weeks of low-dose controlled-release morphine reduced objective awake cough frequency by 39.4% over a placebo treatment phase (95% CI -54.4 to -9.4), reported Philip Molyneaux, PhD, of Imperial […]
Fracture Risk Bumped With Testosterone Therapy in Hypogonadal Men
Testosterone treatment didn’t offer protection against fractures in men with hypogonadism, a TRAVERSE subtrial indicated. Compared with placebo, men who were on a testosterone gel actually had a significantly higher risk for fracture (HR 1.43, 95% CI 1.04-1.97), found Peter Snyder, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and colleagues. During the median 3.19-year […]
Telehealth, Default Orders Show Promise in Palliative Care
A palliative telecare intervention improved quality of life for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart failure (HF), and interstitial lung disease (ILD), the ADAPT randomized clinical trial found. Patient phone calls with a nurse and social worker — who met separately with a primary care and palliative care physician and specialists as needed […]
Gabapentinoids in COPD Patients May Raise Risk for Severe Exacerbations
Gabapentinoid use in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was associated with a higher risk for severe exacerbations, a population-based cohort study from Canada indicated. Among more than 27,000 COPD patients, those who started therapy with the anticonvulsant for either epilepsy, neuropathic pain, or some other form of chronic pain had a 39% greater […]