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Nanoengineers are using plant virus to develop COVID-19 vaccine

Nanoengineers at the University of California San Diego are working on a COVID-19 vaccine using an unconventional candidate: a plant virus.

22 Apr 2020

Amid pandemic, FDA seizes cheaper drugs from Canada

The Food and Drug Administration in the past month has stepped up seizures of prescription drugs being sent to American customers from pharmacies in Canada and other countries, according to operators of stores in Florida that facilitate the transactions.

20 Apr 2020

A promising antiviral drug to fight COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 patients in a clinical trial at Houston Methodist Hospital are responding quickly to the antiviral drug Remdesivir. The trial's criteria allows for the treatment of patients early in their clinical course and, in some cases, at times where they might have otherwise been intubated.

17 Apr 2020

New computational model shows how psilocybin affects brain activity

Interest in research into the effects of psilocybin, a psychedelic drug, has increased significantly in recent years due to its promising therapeutic effects in neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety and addiction.

17 Apr 2020

Alzheimer's patients may need modified dosing regimens for selected drugs

Patients with Alzheimer's disease are often prescribed drugs for other conditions -- including diabetes or high blood pressure -- at the same doses as those without dementia.

15 Apr 2020

Research Suggests Widespread Opioid Overprescribing has Lead to Opioid Epidemic

Research indicates that widespread opioid overprescribing contributed to the opioid epidemic.

15 Apr 2020

The race is on for a coronavirus vaccine, 70 candidates, 3 at human trial stage

Amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) global pandemic that is infecting millions of people across the globe, hope sparks as the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that seventy vaccination trials for the novel coronavirus are underway, with three already at the human trial stage.

14 Apr 2020

Super-charging production of drugs for COVID-19

Researchers are ramping up production of a promising drug that has proven effective in obliterating SARS-CoV in cellular cultures. The team hopes that the drug might also be effective in the fight against SARS's close genetic cousin, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

13 Apr 2020

Cost of ‘repurposing’ existing drugs to treat COVID-19

The paper looks at repurposed drugs that might demonstrate efficacy against COVID-19, and if they could be manufactured profitably at very low costs to ensure affordable access to vital treatments for COVID-19 at low prices globally.

13 Apr 2020

FDA approves first-ever treatment for patients with inoperable plexiform neurofibromas

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Koselugo (selumetinib) for use in patients with inoperable plexiform neurofibromas, a common manifestation in the disease neurofibromatosis type one (NF1).

13 Apr 2020

Promising COVID-19 drug treatments identified with new screening strategies

As scientists across the world race to find a pharmacological cure for coronavirus disease (COVID-19), an international research group has analyzed more than 10 thousand different compounds and identified six potential candidates, publishing their results in the leading scientific journal Nature.

12 Apr 2020

Potential harms associated with some drugs used for treating COVID-19 patients

Chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin are being used to treat and prevent COVID-19 despite weak evidence for effectiveness, and physicians and patients should be aware of the drugs' potentially serious adverse events, states a review in CMAJ.

8 Apr 2020

What are the environmental effects of chemotherapeutic drugs?

Chemotherapeutic drugs, also known as antineoplastic agents, that are prescribed to treat a range of cancer types, enter the aquatic environment via human excretion and wastewater treatment facilities.

8 Apr 2020

Promise in reversing kidney damage caused by lupus shown by cancer drug

A drug used for cancer therapy has shown promise in reversing kidney damage caused by systemic lupus erythematosus.

8 Apr 2020

Bill and Melinda Gates fund potential vaccine against COVID-19

In a race against time, teams of scientists across the world are working towards developing an effective and safe vaccine to prevent infection from the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 disease.

7 Apr 2020

USC scientists report wider benefits of well-known hangover drug

A well-known hangover drug not only helps soothe pounding headaches but also triggers profound changes that protect the liver, USC scientists report in new findings that could help prevent alcohol-related harm.

7 Apr 2020

USC researchers show wider benefits to drug used for hangovers

A well-known hangover drug not only helps soothe pounding headaches but also triggers profound changes that protect the liver.

7 Apr 2020

COVID-19 and renin-angiotensin system inhibitors

A new viewpoint article published in the journal JAMA Network in April 2020 deals with the use of a widely used category of cardiovascular medications in COVID-19 patients with hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). These are the most common medical conditions that are found in COVID-19 patients and contribute disproportionately to mortality.

5 Apr 2020

Who should be taking antimalarial drugs as treatment against COVID-19?

Researchers provide a guideline regarding who should be actually taking antimalarial drugs as prophylaxis to prevent getting COVID-19. They say health professionals who are being exposed to COVID-19 positive patients and those who test positive but are asymptomatic should be taking drugs such as Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine. They explain that these populations remain most in need, and because of limited supply, these individuals need to be prioritized.

2 Apr 2020

Promising vaccine patch candidate for COVID-19

In a breath of fresh air, scientists from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine reported that they had developed a potential new vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is causing the current COVID-19 pandemic. The vaccine has been tested in mice. When administered through a small patch only the size of a fingertip, the vaccine was found to generate protective neutralizing antibodies against the virus, in adequate quantities.

2 Apr 2020