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Researchers reanalyze COVID RECOVERY trial data on tocilizumab

A Bayesian analysis of the RECOVERY trial suggests the immunosuppressive drug tocilizumab can reduce deaths in hospitalized COVID-19 patients taking corticosteroids as well as patients on oxygen or non-invasive ventilation and likely increases hospital discharge rates. However, it is not clear if patients on invasive ventilation also benefit.

24 Jun 2021

Bivalent DNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine induces strong humoral and cellular immunity in mice

A team of UK-based scientists has developed and validated a DNA vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that encodes both spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) and nucleocapsid of the virus as vaccine immunogens.

24 Jun 2021

Scientists use new technology to optimize drug development for brain diseases

Dr. Hayder Amin and Dr. Caghan Kizil from the DZNE's Dresden site aim to speed up developing drugs against brain diseases through cutting-edge technology.

24 Jun 2021

Repurposing immunomodulatory drugs to treat COVID-19

EULAR has released new points to consider on the use of immunomodulatory drugs in the fight against severe COVID-19.

23 Jun 2021

Vaccine side effects should be viewed as a sign of efficacy, say immunologists

The rapid development of safe and efficacious vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 has offered hope that the global COVID-19 pandemic may soon be under control. However, vaccinations remain incomplete in many developed nations, and lag further still in the developing world.

23 Jun 2021

First spatial scan analysis helps identify hotspots of undervaccinated children

The map of Montana Kayla Irish pulls up is peppered with red circles, each cluster providing details behind one of today's timely topics - childhood vaccination.

23 Jun 2021

Statin use among heart failure patients can reduce cancer risk

Statin use among patients with heart failure is associated with a 16% lower risk of developing cancer compared with non-statin users during an average of four years of follow-up, according to new research published today (Wednesday) in the European Heart Journal.

23 Jun 2021

mRNA COVID-19 vaccines may increase patients' concerns about side effects

Vivid photos of the red "COVID arm" rash and reports of facial swelling in patients who have received dermatological fillers after Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccination for COVID-19 may increase patients' concerns about mRNA vaccine side effects and contribute to vaccine hesitancy.

23 Jun 2021

Clinicians report cases of rare neurological disorder following COVID-19 vaccination

In two separate articles in the Annals of Neurology, clinicians in India and England report cases of a rare neurological disorder called Guillain-Barre? syndrome after individuals were vaccinated against COVID-19.

22 Jun 2021

FDA approves oral pellets to treat children with venous thromboembolism

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate) oral pellets to treat children 3 months to less than 12 years old with venous thromboembolism (a condition where blood clots form in the veins) directly after they have been treated with a blood thinner given by injection for at least five days.

21 Jun 2021

Effect of national tender system on the costs of biologic and targeted drugs in Norway

At the 2021 EULAR congress, Brkic and colleagues presented data from people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA)treated at Norwegian rheumatology outpatient clinics between 2010 and 2019.

21 Jun 2021

More research needed to clarify effects of cannabis on brain development of young adults with ADHD

At least so far, the currently limited research base does not establish that cannabis has additional adverse effects on brain development or functioning in adolescents or young adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), concludes a review in the July/August issue of Harvard Review of Psychiatry. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

21 Jun 2021

Studies provide new evidence of impact of drug price hikes on U.S. patients

Two recent studies led by researchers from the University of Minnesota Medical School add new evidence to the impact of how drug price increases affect U.S. patients and the overall cost of health care.

21 Jun 2021

Commensal bacteria in the human intestine produce compounds that inhibit SARS-CoV-2

Researchers from Yonsei University in South Korea have found that certain commensal bacteria that reside in the human intestine produce compounds that inhibit SARS-CoV-2.

21 Jun 2021

Novel technique helps evaluate the effect of potential inhibitors on antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Researchers from the Miami University in Ohio have optimized a new technique that will allow scientists to evaluate how potential inhibitors work on antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

21 Jun 2021

The SARS-CoV-2 virus and its vaccines pose unique challenges

Iranian researchers recently provided a review of the attempts made to develop safe SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. The researchers outlined potential challenges and concerns, including disease enhancement, virus mutation, and public acceptability. Their work is published in the journal Immunological Investigations.

18 Jun 2021

FDA approves antihistamine nasal spray for over-the-counter use

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved a nasal antihistamine for nonprescription use through a process called a partial prescription to nonprescription switch.

17 Jun 2021

Precision medicine may lead to more effective treatments for ocular conditions

The most practical solution for drug delivery to the eyeball is topical, i.e. eye drops. However, a naturally occurring substance in tears actually can interact with the drug delivery system (DDS), hindering absorption of the drug and preventing it from getting into the cells it needs to target.

17 Jun 2021

New study may lead to more effective and powerful COVID-19 vaccines

A new study looking at the way human cells activate the immune system in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection could open the door to even more effective and powerful vaccines against the coronavirus and its rapidly emerging variants keeping the global pandemic smoldering.

17 Jun 2021

Immune system dysfunction can alter the link between cannabis use and psychosis

The presence of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the blood can boost the effects of daily cannabis use and heighten the risk of developing psychosis in adulthood.

16 Jun 2021