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Repurposed drugs may provide safer treatments for aggressive childhood leukemia

Three clinically available drugs could pave the way for safer and more effective treatments for one of the most aggressive forms of childhood leukaemia, a new study suggests.

27 Apr 2026

People judge weight loss more harshly when GLP-1 drugs are involved, study finds

In four pre-registered studies across Belgium, the US, and the UK, people judged anti-obesity medication users as putting in less effort and, in turn, viewed them as less moral, competent, warm, and deserving than non-users. The findings suggest that effort moralization may help drive stigma around GLP-1-based weight-loss treatment, even when medication is used alongside diet and exercise.

23 Apr 2026

U.S. dentists still prescribe opioids at higher rates globally

People getting their teeth pulled or drilled by dentists in the United States are still much more likely to get powerful opioid medications than dental patients in other developed countries or even the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, a new study finds.

23 Apr 2026

Psilocybin use rises among Americans amid growing clinical interest

The use of psilocybin, the hallucinogenic compound found in "magic mushrooms," is rising in the United States alongside de‑criminalization efforts in several states and local jurisdictions, as well as heightened interest by the general public.

23 Apr 2026

Tirzepatide significantly reduces cardiovascular risk in high-risk patients

Two new studies show that tirzepatide, a glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist (RA), significantly reduces cardiovascular risk in high-risk patients, including those undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and those with obesity undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

23 Apr 2026

Tirzepatide vs. semaglutide: Study compares cost and health outcomes in obesity

In a US societal-perspective lifetime simulation based on SURMOUNT-5 data, tirzepatide was projected to deliver lower total costs and better health outcomes than semaglutide for adults with obesity or overweight without type 2 diabetes.

22 Apr 2026

Patient outcomes vary by drug class despite achieving clinical remission

A study published in Rheumatology & Autoimmunity challenges the assumption that achieving clinical remission in rheumatoid arthritis is sufficient, showing that patient-reported outcomes vary significantly by drug class even when disease activity is comparable.

22 Apr 2026

NHS grant funds study on the use of weight-loss drugs for treating PCOS

Dr. Shagaf Bakour, a gynecologist and director of medical education at Aston Medical School, has won an NHS research grant to investigate the use of weight-loss drugs in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

21 Apr 2026

WHO-recommended antibiotics ineffective for many neonatal sepsis cases

A major multi-country study has found that WHO-recommended first-line antibiotics for neonatal sepsis are likely to be effective in only one quarter of infections in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

20 Apr 2026

Study finds no benefit of stronger antibiotics for sinusitis

Acute sinusitis leads to more antibiotic prescriptions for U.S. adults than any other condition, but there is no consensus on which antibiotic is preferred for uncomplicated cases.

20 Apr 2026

Certain prenatal medications linked to increased risk of autism

A landmark study led by researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and published in Molecular Psychiatry has identified a significant association between prenatal prescription of commonly utilized medications and the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children.

20 Apr 2026

An Arm and a Leg: The accidental architect of America’s drug patent problem

Depending on whom you ask, Alfred Engelberg could be a hero or a villain in the story of American pharmaceuticals.

20 Apr 2026

What still drives childhood vaccine gaps in the United States

A nationwide analysis of provider-verified NIS-Child data from 2010 to 2023 found that US childhood vaccination coverage remained generally high but was consistently shaped by social and structural factors such as maternal education, income, insurance, language, and region. The study also showed that coverage of the combined seven-vaccine series rose over time, yet persistent disparities remained, especially for vaccines such as influenza, hepatitis A, and rotavirus.

19 Apr 2026

Blood pressure drug shows promise against antibiotic-resistant MRSA

Infections from antibiotic-resistant bacteria are difficult to treat and are responsible for over 2.8 million infections and more than 35,000 deaths in the U.S. each year.

17 Apr 2026

Women using GLP-1 drugs face higher weight loss stigma

In a new study exploring stigma associated with the use of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss, women who lost weight using GLP-1 medications were judged more harshly than those who lost weight through diet and exercise, with negative reactions driven largely by beliefs that medication-assisted weight loss is a "shortcut."

17 Apr 2026

Why AI is becoming a powerful tool in cancer drug discovery

This Perspective reviews how AI is moving drug discovery from long, costly experimental pipelines toward earlier clinical translation, with an AI-designed TNIK inhibitor trial serving as an important proof-of-feasibility reference point. It argues that precision oncology could benefit from AI-driven integration of multi-omics, federated learning, and adaptive trial design, but only if validation, fairness, interpretability, and regulatory alignment improve.

16 Apr 2026

Semaglutide improves liver function independently of weight loss

Researchers at Toronto's Sinai Health have found that semaglutide – the active ingredient in popular weight loss drugs that mimic the gut hormone GLP-1 – acts directly on a subset of liver cells to improve organ function and does so independently of weight loss.

15 Apr 2026

Behavioral design project aims to reduce benzodiazepine overuse

The widespread use of benzodiazepines - better known as sleeping pills or anxiety medication - among the population has become a serious public health issue.

14 Apr 2026

Retail pharmacies fill less than 2% of mifepristone orders

Just a fraction of prescriptions for the abortion pill mifepristone were filled at brick-and-mortar retail pharmacies after federal drug regulators lifted longstanding dispensing limits, according to a new USC study in JAMA.

13 Apr 2026

Standard naloxone doses may not reverse newer synthetic opioid overdoses

A new study exposes challenges in reversing opioid overdoses with naloxone when potent synthetic drugs like fentanyl and sufentanil are involved, according to a study in the May 2026 issue of Anesthesiology, the peer-reviewed medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA).

13 Apr 2026