Herpes Zoster News and Research

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Herpes Zoster, also called shingles, is a painful skin rash caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus remains inactive in the body. Usually the virus does not cause any further problems; however, the virus may re-emerge years later, causing shingles.

CNDA approves KEYTRUDA for treatment of advanced melanoma

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that KEYTRUDA, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, has been approved by the China National Drug Administration for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma following failure of one prior line of therapy.

26 Jul 2018

Phase 3 study of KEYTRUDA monotherapy meets primary endpoint

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced today that the pivotal Phase 3 KEYNOTE-048 trial investigating KEYTRUDA, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, for first-line treatment of recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, met a primary endpoint of overall survival as monotherapy in patients whose tumors expressed PD-L1.

25 Jul 2018

Merck announces FDA acceptance of supplemental Biologics License Application for KEYTRUDA

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted for standard review a new supplemental Biologics License Application for KEYTRUDA, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, as adjuvant therapy in the treatment of patients with resected, high-risk stage III melanoma and granted a Prescription Drug User Fee Act, or target action, date of February 16, 2019.

25 Jun 2018

FDA approves first oral medication for adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today expanded the approval of Xeljanz (tofacitinib) to include adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis. Xeljanz is the first oral medication approved for chronic use in this indication.

30 May 2018

Shot may help reduce risk of shingles

Anyone who has had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine is at risk for the painful skin condition herpes zoster, more commonly known as shingles. Both diseases are caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which stays in the body after chickenpox clears and may reactivate later in life.

18 Feb 2018

CDC recommends new vaccine for shingles

Last month a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel had voted 11 to 0 approving a shingles vaccine for its use in adults aged 50 and over. The panel unanimously accepted the safety and efficacy of the vaccine and thus GlaxoSmithKline’s Shingrix.

25 Oct 2017

New shingles vaccine gets FDA panel votes

On the 13th of September 2017, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel has voted 11 to 0 approving a shingles vaccine for its use in adults aged 50 and over. The panel unanimously accepted the safety and efficacy of the vaccine and thus GlaxoSmithKline’s Shingrix is on its way to FDA approval.

14 Sep 2017

Studies reveal strategies for using shingles vaccine in arthritis patients

New research indicates that the live varicella-zoster vaccine--which is given to protect against shingles--elicits robust immune responses in patients when administered several weeks prior to the start of treatment with the arthritis drug tofacitinib.

28 Aug 2017

Research reveals underlying reason for intense pain in patients with shingles

Chickenpox is a typical childhood illness. In most cases, it is benign, and the symptoms disappear within ten days. However, its causative agent, Varicella zoster virus (VZV), remains in the organism forever. In some cases, the virus can be reactivated years later, causing a different disease known as herpes zoster, or shingles.

24 Aug 2017

Shingles raises the risk for heart attack and stroke

Persons who have had chicken pox are prone to develop shingles with the Herpes zoster virus that lays dormant within them. A new study has shown that getting shingles - a painful skin condition caused by the virus could also raise the risk of heart disease such as heart attacks and strokes in individuals. The study was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

5 Jul 2017

Researchers evaluate trends in emergency room use and treatment costs for shingles

Shingles, a common infection of the nerves that causes a painful rash or small blisters on the skin, is caused by a reactivation of the chicken pox virus.

21 Jun 2017

Important vaccines that should not be missed by adults, elders and pregnant women

Vaccines are an important part of routine healthcare for adults, seniors and women who are pregnant.

16 Jan 2017

NYU Langone-led study to examine longer-term use of suppressive antiviral medication to reduce shingles

NYU Langone Medical Center will lead a five-year, 60-center clinical trial to evaluate new treatment protocols for herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO), a form of shingles that can seriously and permanently affect the eye.

17 Nov 2016

New collaborative initiative seeks to develop interventions for optimizing adult vaccination rates

A new quality improvement initiative that aims to create effective solutions in optimizing adult vaccination rates was announced today.

8 Sep 2016

New collaborative initiative aims to improve adult immunization rates

A new quality improvement initiative that aims to create effective solutions in optimizing adult vaccination rates was announced today.

30 Aug 2016

Researchers identify shingles as persistent risk factor for stroke

The study by researchers from the Department of Neurology at the University of Ulsan College of Medicine in Seoul showed that herpes zoster infection not only raised the risk of ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke but also that of a transient ischaemic attack (TIA), a warning mini-stroke often preceding a full-blown stroke.

4 Jul 2016

Electronic health records could help identify people who have undiagnosed type 2 diabetes

In 2012, a group of UCLA researchers set out to mine thousands of electronic health records for a more accurate and less expensive way to identify people who have undiagnosed type 2 diabetes. The researchers got much more than they bargained for.

16 Feb 2016

Asthma in childhood may increase risk of shingles

Nearly 1 million incidences of herpes zoster, which is also known as shingles, occur every year in the U.S., with an estimated one-third of all adults affected by age 80. Despite its prevalence, particularly between ages 50 and 59, it is still unclear why some individuals will develop shingles, and others will not.

29 Dec 2015

Novel strategies on the way for difficult-to-treat head and neck cancer

Novel strategies are on the way for difficult-to-treat and advanced head and neck cancer, the most heterogeneous group of malignancies which are generally associated with poor survival, and encouraging results have been presented at the first ESMO Asia 2015 Congress in Singapore.

17 Dec 2015

Shingles vaccine can help protect elderly patients with end-stage renal disease

Elderly patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who received the shingles vaccine were half as likely to develop shingles compared to those who were not vaccinated. The new study from Kaiser Permanente, published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, also found the best protection against shingles was achieved when patients received the vaccination shortly after beginning dialysis.

16 Dec 2015