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HPV vaccine policies may lead to higher vaccination rates, reduce cancer rates

A UCLA-led study has found that in 2 of 3 states and jurisdictions with policies that require students entering school to receive the human papillomavirus vaccine, vaccination rates among 13-to-17-year-olds were significantly higher than in surrounding states without such policies.

30 Jun 2020

Public-sector basic research is the most efficient, leads to low drug prices

Is the basic research that goes into the development of new drugs more efficiently conducted by public-sector scientists, pharmaceutical firms, or independent private laboratories?

29 Jun 2020

Physician prescribing of muscle relaxants has tripled from 2005 to 2016, study shows

Office visits for ongoing prescribing of skeletal muscle relaxant drugs tripled from 2005 to 2016, according to a new study from researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

26 Jun 2020

Understanding dexamethasone’s role in treating COVID-19

While the steroid medicine dexamethasone may help people with serious COVID-19 illness, it should only be given to people very ill in hospital and shouldn’t be taken by anyone to try to prevent COVID-19 or for less severe cases.

26 Jun 2020

Study shows generic drug does not slow kidney disease

Historically, half or more of people with type 1 diabetes develop kidney disease, which frequently progresses to kidney failure, requiring dialysis treatment or kidney transplantation for survival, according to a study in Diabetes Care.

26 Jun 2020

Entos Pharmaceuticals selects two lead DNA vaccine candidates for COVID-19

Entos Pharmaceuticals, a healthcare biotechnology company developing nucleic acid medicines with its Fusogenix drug delivery platform, today announced the selection of two lead candidates for a pan-coronavirus Fusogenix DNA vaccine from its prototyping program launched at the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

25 Jun 2020

Biological therapy may decrease the risk of severe COVID-19

A recent observational study by Spanish researchers, currently available on the medRxiv preprint server, suggests that patients with immune-mediated diseases who receive biological therapy may have a lower risk for severe manifestations of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

25 Jun 2020

New approaches to manage Canada's national emergency stockpile system

To manage Canada's emergency stockpile of medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE), the government could consider several approaches, including a "prime-vendor" model selling directly to health care organizations to minimize financial and equipment waste, according to an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal)

25 Jun 2020

FDA approved drugs active against COVID-19

With the rapid spread of the virus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) throughout the world, causing the current COVID-19 pandemic, there is an urgent need for new antivirals and vaccines to combat its spread. The current study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 shows some of the results of the extensive repurposing of already FDA-approved drugs.

23 Jun 2020

Research highlights critical barriers that can limit patients' access to medications

Nearly 70 percent of patients have made personal or financial sacrifices to afford prescribed medications according to new research released by CoverMyMeds, highlighting the impact of one of the most common medication access challenges.

23 Jun 2020

Study: Increased use of human antibiotics on rice crops may fuel antibiotic resistance

Farmers in parts of Asia are spraying antibiotics deemed "critical" for human medicine on rice crops, raising fears they may be fuelling antibiotic resistance, say researchers.

23 Jun 2020

Three vaccine candidates race to combat SARS-CoV-2

As the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) ravages across the globe, scientists are racing to develop an effective vaccine to combat the viral infection. Caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the disease has infected nearly 9 million people.

22 Jun 2020

New therapy provides relief in patients with chronic low back pain

A new study has found that tanezumab, a monoclonal antibody that inhibits nerve activity, provides relief in patients with chronic low back pain, one of the leading reasons why people seek medical care and the number one cause of disability worldwide.

19 Jun 2020

Researchers develop tool to identify proteins associated with drug side effects

A multi-institutional group of researchers led by Harvard Medical School and the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research has created an open-source machine learning tool that identifies proteins associated with drug side effects.

18 Jun 2020

Insufficient evidence for cognitive efficacy of drug treatments in multiple sclerosis

Researchers at Kessler Foundation conducted a comprehensive review of pharmacologic agents used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, seeking evidence for efficacy for the cognitive dysfunction experienced by more than half of affected individuals.

17 Jun 2020

Early intensive treatment of rheumatoid arthritis offers an opportunity to manage fatigue

Disease-related, profound fatigue impairs the quality of life of many people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.

17 Jun 2020

Antipsychotic medications do not treat young people with early psychosis

Researchers at Orygen have found that some young people with early stage first episode psychosis (FEP) can experience reduced symptoms and improve functioning without antipsychotic medication when they are provided with psychological interventions and comprehensive case management.

17 Jun 2020

Researchers receive federal funding to rapidly repurpose FDA-approved drugs for COVID-19

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine will be partnering on an agreement funded by the federal government's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to rapidly test hundreds of drugs, approved and marketed for other conditions, to see whether any can be repurposed to prevent or treat COVID-19.

16 Jun 2020

Cascade Chemistry selected to help speed clinical testing of promising investigational drug for COVID-19

Cascade Chemistry, a leading contract research and manufacturing organization serving the pharmaceutical, materials, and chemical industries, today announced that it has been selected to produce the active pharmaceutical ingredient for clinical trial supplies of RBT-9, an investigational therapy entering a Phase 2 trial for the treatment of COVID-19 patients who are at high risk of deteriorating health due to age or comorbid conditions such as kidney or cardiovascular disease.

16 Jun 2020

Apotex recalls some Metformin batches due to possible carcinogen

Metformin, a prescription drug for people with type II diabetes, helps maintain blood glucose levels. Apotex Inc., a Canadian pharmaceutical corporation, is voluntarily recalling some batches of its metformin drug, sold under the brand name APO-Metformin ER (extended-release).

15 Jun 2020