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How GLP-1 drugs affect the body beyond weight loss and glucose control

This review evaluates the safety profile of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and related incretin therapies used for obesity and type 2 diabetes. It highlights common gastrointestinal effects, rare but debated risks, and areas where further long-term safety data are still needed.

18 Feb 2026

Oral weight loss ingredient may have adverse biological effects for the gut and beyond

A new study from Adelaide University is turning a spotlight on those tablet versions, finding that the absorption-enhancing ingredient salcaprozate sodium (SNAC) may have measurable adverse biological effects for the gut and beyond.

17 Feb 2026

Can GLP-1 drugs slow neurodegeneration? New review finds promising signals but limited clinical proof

This review examines how GLP-1 receptor agonists may influence neurodegenerative disease biology through metabolic, inflammatory, mitochondrial, and proteostasis pathways. Evidence from mechanistic, preclinical, and early clinical studies suggests potential neuroprotective effects, but definitive disease-modifying benefit remains unproven.

17 Feb 2026

Short-duration psychedelic therapy shows promise for major depression treatment

A phase IIa randomized trial found that intravenous dimethyltryptamine (DMT) with structured psychological support produced rapid reductions in depressive symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder. Improvements were statistically significant versus placebo at two weeks, with mostly mild-to-moderate adverse events and the need for larger confirmatory studies emphasized.

17 Feb 2026

Cornell study finds existing drug could boost liver cancer immunotherapy

Immunotherapy – which activates the body's own immune system to kill cancer cells – has not worked well against a rare and fatal liver cancer, but a new Cornell University study finds an existing FDA-approved drug may allow the immunotherapy to fight the cancer as intended, opening the door to a potential treatment.

17 Feb 2026

Bioengineered E. coli bacteria can now produce rhododendron-derived drugs

Bioengineered E. coli bacteria can now produce a group of compounds with anticancer, anti-HIV, antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory activities.

17 Feb 2026

Psychedelic effects of ketamine do not predict sobriety

The psychedelic effects recreational users often seek from taking ketamine do not predict the therapeutic benefits for people being treated for alcohol use disorder.

16 Feb 2026

Probiotic form matters for memory, mood, and more

How you take probiotics can affect their impact on the brain. A study from örebro University points to new possibilities for personalized approaches, depending on whether the primary aim is, for example, to improve memory or reduce depression.

16 Feb 2026

Synergistic drug pair shows promise for spinal cord injury recovery

Spinal cord injury remains one of the most challenging neurological conditions to treat, largely because damage continues to worsen long after the initial trauma.

16 Feb 2026

Nasal COVID vaccine boost increases IgA responses linked to variant neutralisation

Intranasal boosting after prior intramuscular COVID vaccination induced strong mucosal IgA responses in a small human cohort. These antibodies showed markedly enhanced neutralising activity against Omicron variants and evidence of immune memory reprogramming toward mucosal protection.

15 Feb 2026

Honeysuckle compounds target key inflammatory signaling pathways

Announcing a new publication for Acta Materia Medica journal. Inflammation is a complex biological response essential for tissue repair in acute settings, yet chronic dysregulation contributes to progressive tissue damage and the pathogenesis of numerous diseases.

13 Feb 2026

Diacerein shows promise as disease-modifying therapy in rheumatoid arthritis

Announcing a new publication for Acta Materia Medica journal. Diacerein, an anthraquinone derivative, is emerging as a promising disease-modifying agent in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), because of its potent anti-inflammatory and chondroprotective actions.

13 Feb 2026

How psychedelics alter perception: A glimpse into the brain's inner world

Research findings reinforce new approaches in psychology, using psychedelic substances under medical supervision to treat certain clinical conditions.

13 Feb 2026

Ozempic users continue treatment when weight loss works despite side effects

A study on Ozempic for weight loss reveals user satisfaction is driven by efficacy, despite common gastrointestinal side effects impacting treatment adherence.

13 Feb 2026

FDA-approved anti-seizure drug could help fight Alzheimer's disease

While physicians and scientists have long known Alzheimer's disease involves the buildup of toxic protein fragments in the brain, they have struggled to understand how these harmful fragments are produced.

12 Feb 2026

Adjunctive brexpiprazole boosts schizophrenia patients' information processing speed

Cognitive impairment, including decreased attention and memory, remains one of the most disabling aspects of schizophrenia, affecting social life of patients.

12 Feb 2026

Weight loss drug tirzepatide may lower the risk of diabetic retinopathy

The popular diabetes and weight loss medication tirzepatide (brand name Mounjaro or Zepbound) may lower the risk of diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of vision loss, according to Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

11 Feb 2026

Semaglutide lowers cardiovascular events even without major weight loss, researchers report

Semaglutide reduced major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with overweight or obesity and established cardiovascular disease regardless of baseline adiposity. Cardiovascular benefit was largely independent of overall weight loss, with waist circumference reduction explaining only part of the effect.

11 Feb 2026

Study suggests shingles vaccine may help lower Alzheimer’s and dementia risk

A large observational electronic health record study found that older adults receiving the recombinant zoster vaccine showed substantially lower rates of diagnosed dementia compared with matched unvaccinated individuals. The association persisted after multiple sensitivity analyses, although causality remains unproven and longer follow-up is required given the long latency of dementia.

10 Feb 2026

Three PBMs dominate retail prescriptions in Medicare Part D and Medicaid markets

Just three pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) dominate retail prescriptions in Medicare Part D and Medicaid managed care across much of the country, with markets in in nearly every state considered highly concentrated for at least one program, according to a new study from the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics.

10 Feb 2026