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Online searches for unproven therapies for COVID-19

A new observational study by a group of scientists explores the rise in the public's fear-driven interest in unproven therapies for COVID-19, particularly chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, by tracking the internet searches relating to the purchase of drugs in news reports or publicized by public figures. They conclude: "Stay grounded in evidence and fight misinformation." The research letter and accompanying editorial comment are published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

29 Apr 2020

Universal childhood vaccination could prevent antimicrobial resistance

A new study from the University of California, Berkeley, published in the journal Nature in April 2020, reports that extending vaccination to all children could help resolve antimicrobial resistance - one of the biggest obstacles to effective healthcare in low-income countries. This is the first study to look at how vaccination is related to the use of antibiotics in low- and middle-income countries.

29 Apr 2020

AAN publishes updated practice advisory on closure of common heart defect after stroke

New guidance from the American Academy of Neurology concludes that closure of a common heart defect called a patent foramen ovale may be recommended for some people who have had a stroke.

29 Apr 2020

Radboudumc researchers find essential mechanism in the disease process of COVID-19

Researchers at the Radboud University Medical Center seem to have found an essential mechanism in the disease process of COVID-19, which has so far been overlooked.

29 Apr 2020

Venatorx and GARDP collaborate to accelerate development of new antibiotic

Venatorx Pharmaceuticals and the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP) today announced a collaboration to accelerate the development of, and access to, cefepime-taniborbactam (formerly cefepime/VNRX-5133).

29 Apr 2020

Kurome secures license to develop novel therapies for chemo-resistant cancer

Seed investor CincyTech announced the formation of Kurome Therapeutics ("Kurome"), a preclinical stage company developing novel therapies targeting cancer cells' adaptive resistance mechanisms beginning with hematopoietic, or blood cell, cancers.

29 Apr 2020

Researchers test existing anti-inflammatory drug in COVID-19 patients

An anti-inflammatory drug developed at Scripps Research 25 years ago is now being tested as a way to prevent acute respiratory distress in patients with COVID-19, the pandemic disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

29 Apr 2020

A new platform to create drugs for people with hard-to-treat cancers

A new round of support will help a Purdue University-affiliated startup further develop a platform designed to create drugs for people with hard-to-treat cancers.

29 Apr 2020

Tapping into the powers of nature to identify virus killers

Many organisms have to defend themselves against predators, diseases or pests. Their metabolic products constitute a chemical arsenal that has been used for medical purposes since time immemorial.

29 Apr 2020

Study reveals SARS-CoV-2 RNA cap structure

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in April 2020 reports the discovery of the structure of the cap created by the novel coronavirus on virally encoded mRNAs. The finding could help create new antiviral strategies.

29 Apr 2020

Differences in reporting methods can over- or under-estimate the safety of drugs

An important goal of early-phase clinical trials is to discover a drug's possible side effects. But despite FDA guidelines seeking to standardize this reporting, a University of Colorado Cancer Center study finds significant variation in how drug side effects are reported, potentially making some drugs seem safer or less safe than they really are.

29 Apr 2020

How toxic are chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to cells?

The spread of the pandemic disease COVID-19 caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has now reached almost every country of the world, with over 3.11 million cases and over 217,000 deaths as of April 29, 2020.

29 Apr 2020

Epivax and Entos Pharmaceuticals to develop DNA-based vaccine for COVID-19

Entos Pharmaceuticals (Entos), a healthcare biotechnology company that develops next generation nucleic acid medicines using the Fusogenix drug delivery platform, today announced a collaboration with EpiVax, Inc. (EpiVax), a world leading informatics and immunology biotechnology company with a proven track record in vaccine development.

28 Apr 2020

Pharmacy-level barriers limit treatment for opioid use disorder in Appalachian Kentucky

A new study led by University of Kentucky researcher April Young and Emory University researcher Hannah Cooper shows that a number of pharmacies in the Appalachian region of Kentucky are limiting the dispensing of buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder.

28 Apr 2020

New drug formulation could be used in the treatment of Candida infections

With antimicrobial resistance (AMR) increasing around the world, new research led by the University of Bristol has shown a new drug formulation could possibly be used in antifungal treatments against Candida infections.

28 Apr 2020

Immunotherapy before surgery may help eradicate high-risk breast cancer

A new study led by Yale Cancer Center researchers shows women with high-risk HER2-negative breast cancer treated before surgery with immunotherapy, plus a PARP inhibitor with chemotherapy, have a higher rate of complete eradication of cancer from the breast and lymph nodes compared to chemotherapy alone.

28 Apr 2020