Some NSCLC Patients on ICI Therapy Fare Worse With Proton Pump Inhibitor Use
Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use was independently associated with worse treatment outcomes in some patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) on immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy with pembrolizumab (Keytruda), according to a Japanese multicenter cohort study. Among patients with a PD-L1 tumor proportion score (TPS) of 50% or more, a history of PPI use […]
AKI Cleared of Worsening CKD Trajectory
Acute kidney injury (AKI) didn’t predict worsening kidney function in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD), a prospective study showed. According to findings from the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) study, CKD patients hospitalized for AKI saw a statistically insignificant drop in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) during a nearly 4-year follow-up period, reported Chi-yuan […]
Favorable Long-Term Results With Ranibizumab Implant for Neovascular AMD
The ranibizumab port delivery system (PDS; Susvimo) with 6-month refill maintained noninferiority to monthly intravitreal injections for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) out to 2 years, according to updated results from a randomized trial. Three assessments of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) during years 1 to 2 showed differences ranging from -0.2 to +0.4 ETDRS […]
IMRT Dosing Strategy Eases Dysphagia in Head and Neck Cancer
In patients with head and neck cancer, a strategy to reduce the radiation dose to dysphagia-and aspiration-related structures improved swallowing and other functional outcomes compared with standard intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), according to results from the phase III DARS trial. Patients treated with dysphagia-optimized (DO) IMRT had significantly higher patient-reported composite scores on the MD Anderson […]
‘Overweight’ BMI Not Tied to Higher Risk of Death, U.S. Data Suggest
A body mass index (BMI) in the overweight — but not obese — range was not independently associated with an increased mortality risk, a retrospective study relying on two decades’ worth of National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data found. Of roughly half a million U.S. adults captured in the 1999-2018 surveys, a slightly lower risk […]
CDC: ‘Drastic’ Rise in Tranq-Related Overdose Deaths
Drug overdose deaths with xylazine involvement have multiplied, with age-adjusted death rates 35 times higher in 2021 than in 2018, the CDC reported. The age-adjusted rate of drug overdose deaths involving the animal sedative, also known as “tranq,” rose from 0.03 per 100,000 people to 1.06 per 100,000, Merianne Rose Spencer, PhD, MPH, a researcher […]
FDA Gives Nod to Gene Therapy for Hemophilia A
The FDA approved valoctocogene roxaparvovec (Roctavian) as the first gene therapy for the treatment of adults with severe hemophilia A, drug developer Biomarin announced on Thursday. Patients with severe disease are eligible for the one-time, single-dose treatment if they don’t have antibodies to adeno-associated virus serotype 5 (AAV5), as detected by an FDA-approved test. FDA […]
Agent Orange Exposure Tied to Bladder Cancer Risk in Veterans
Exposure to Agent Orange was associated with a modestly increased risk of bladder cancer among Vietnam War veterans, according to a retrospective cohort study. Among over 2.5 million male veterans, exposure to Agent Orange was associated with a relative 4% higher risk of bladder cancer (HR 1.04, 95% CI 1.02-1.06, P<0.001), reported Stephen Williams, MD, […]
Protocol Optimizing Meds for T2D and CVD Pushed Beyond Cardiology Alone
SAN DIEGO — Cardiovascular medications were better optimized for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) following a multifaceted intervention involving clinician and patient education, the cluster-randomized COORDINATE-Diabetes trial found. At cardiology clinics following the intervention protocol, prescriptions increased several-fold compared with usual care (37.9% vs 14.5%; adjusted OR 4.28, 95% […]
FDA Greenlights New Myasthenia Gravis Drug
The FDA approved rozanolixizumab-noli (Rystiggo), a neonatal Fc receptor blocker, to treat adults with generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG), UCB announced Tuesday. The drug is the first approved to treat both of the two most common subtypes of gMG patients — those who are anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR)-positive and those who are anti-muscle-specific tyrosine kinase (MuSK) antibody-positive. […]