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Marketing tactics used by pharma companies influence physician prescribing habits

A new Cochrane review led by a team of international researchers including from U of T, has found that marketing strategies used by pharmaceutical companies such as payments for consulting and advisory board membership and free meals offered to physicians, can negatively influence prescribing habits.

9 Oct 2026

Hyponatremia risk varies among individual second-generation antipsychotic drugs

Antipsychotics are used to treat schizophrenia, along with bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder. However, these medications can be associated with hyponatremia, a serious reduction in blood sodium levels.

8 Oct 2026

Epilepsy drugs may reduce effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives

People with epilepsy who use certain hormonal birth control methods may be at risk for reduced contraceptive effectiveness because of interactions with certain antiseizure medications, according to a study published October 7, 2026, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

7 Oct 2026

Structured support may slow weight regain after stopping GLP-1 drugs

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are effective treatments for obesity, but discontinuation is common due to cost, insurance coverage limitations, side effects, patient preference, and other factors-commonly leading to rapid weight regain.

7 Oct 2026

Statins may lower glaucoma risk and reduce treatment needs

Taking statins is linked to a lower risk of developing glaucoma and a reduced chance of it getting worse, suggest the findings of research published online in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

6 Oct 2026

SGLT2 inhibitors reduce inflammatory cells linked to heart disease

For the first time in a human trial, a class of drugs known as sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, already known for their weight loss and glucose lowering benefits, has been shown to also reduce inflammatory cells in the blood known to cause cardiovascular disease.

6 Oct 2026

Enlicitide offers oral treatment option for patients avoiding cholesterol injections

In 2015, a new class of cholesterol-lowering injectable drugs called PCSK9-inhibitors was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a result of clinical research led by UT Southwestern.

5 Oct 2026

Postpartum GLP-1 prescriptions rise sharply among U.S. women

More U.S. women are being prescribed GLP-1 medications after giving birth, particularly those diagnosed with diabetes, according to new research from the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics.

1 Oct 2026

Study examines the real-world use of GLP-1 RA drugs in children and young people

New research being presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Milan, Italy (Sept 28 – Oct 2) has examined the real-world use of GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) drugs in children and young people in Germany, Austria and Luxembourg.

30 Sep 2026

Insurance hurdles and costs hinder access to blood cancer drugs

Patients with blood cancers often face major insurance hurdles and significant out-of-pocket costs when trying to access specialty oral anticancer medications, according to a new nationwide study led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

30 Sep 2026

Declining benzodiazepine use reflects more cautious medical prescribing practices

The number of benzodiazepine prescriptions like Xanax and Valium dispensed in the United States decreased over the past 10 years, potentially suggesting that doctors have become more cautious when prescribing these sedatives, according to Rutgers Health researchers.

30 Sep 2026

An approved Ebola antibody may miss its mark against Bundibugyo virus

Researchers analyzed 44 Bundibugyo virus genomes and modeled how approved and experimental Ebola antibodies might bind the virus’s glycoprotein. The models predicted disrupted binding for Ebanga, conserved targets for MBP134, and different binding behavior for the complete Inmazeb cocktail than for two of its antibodies alone; laboratory tests are needed to determine whether these findings translate into treatment benefit.

28 Sep 2026

Semaglutide cuts major heart events, but researchers still cannot fully explain why

In adults with overweight or obesity and established cardiovascular disease but no diabetes, semaglutide reduced major adverse cardiovascular events by 20%, while changes in measured cardiovascular risk factors could not fully explain the benefit with certainty. The findings suggest that additional, as-yet unidentified biological pathways may contribute to semaglutide’s cardiovascular protection.

27 Sep 2026

Common anti-epileptic medication shows promise in reducing migraine aura

A new study by researchers at Lund University in Sweden found that 85 percent of patients with aura-dominant migraine experienced a reduction in monthly aura days by at least half following treatment with the anti-epileptic drug lamotrigine.

25 Sep 2026

The heart effects of antidepressants may depend as much on the patient as the drug

Antidepressants differed in their effects on QTc, with amitriptyline and escitalopram producing small average increases, and the magnitude of changes varying according to individual patient characteristics. The trials did not detect an increase in early major cardiovascular events or non-suicidal sudden death, but they were not large or long enough to rule out rare or later cardiovascular events.

24 Sep 2026

Rising prescription and supplement use poses health risks for seniors

Older Americans are increasingly taking multiple prescription medications and dietary supplements. Although the prevalence of potentially major drug-drug interactions has declined slightly, more than 1 in 5 older adults are potentially at risk, according to a USC-led study published September 24 in JAMA.

24 Sep 2026

As GLP-1 drugs become more complex, their effects on the heart are getting harder to predict

A brief report reviews emerging GLP-1 receptor co-agonists that also target GIPR, GCGR, and other receptors, examining their metabolic benefits alongside known and predicted cardiac effects. The authors highlight substantial species differences, warning that mouse heart studies may fail to predict responses in human cardiac tissue and that many proposed cardiac effects still require direct testing.

24 Sep 2026

GLP-1 drugs may influence chronic pain through gut-brain and immune pathways

Researchers reviewed evidence linking GLP-1 and GLP-1 receptor agonists to chronic pain modulation through gut microbial, neuroimmune, vagal, and metabolic pathways, with the strongest clinical evidence currently involving knee osteoarthritis and idiopathic intracranial hypertension headache. Much of the proposed biology remains supported by preclinical research, and human studies have yet to establish that GLP-1RA-induced changes in the gut microbiome directly cause pain relief.

24 Sep 2026

Advances in chemistry and delivery are taking oligonucleotide medicines beyond rare diseases

A review in Cell Reports Medicine examines how advances in oligonucleotide chemistry and delivery have established ASOs and RNA interference therapies as a class of genetic medicines, with 21 oligonucleotides approved at the time of writing. It also identifies extrahepatic delivery, safety, target validation, individualized treatment, and data quality as priorities as the field expands into common diseases and explores AI-assisted development.

24 Sep 2026

Semaglutide’s heart benefits may extend beyond weight loss

Semaglutide is known to reduce the risk of serious heart disease. However, a new study published in the European Heart Journal today (Thursday) suggests that this effect cannot not be entirely explained by patients losing weight on the drug.

23 Sep 2026

Pharmaceutical News

Marketing tactics used by pharma companies influence physician prescribing habits

Hyponatremia risk varies among individual second-generation antipsychotic drugs

Epilepsy drugs may reduce effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives

Structured support may slow weight regain after stopping GLP-1 drugs

Statins may lower glaucoma risk and reduce treatment needs

SGLT2 inhibitors reduce inflammatory cells linked to heart disease

Enlicitide offers oral treatment option for patients avoiding cholesterol injections

Postpartum GLP-1 prescriptions rise sharply among U.S. women

Study examines the real-world use of GLP-1 RA drugs in children and young people

Insurance hurdles and costs hinder access to blood cancer drugs

Declining benzodiazepine use reflects more cautious medical prescribing practices

An approved Ebola antibody may miss its mark against Bundibugyo virus

Semaglutide cuts major heart events, but researchers still cannot fully explain why

Common anti-epileptic medication shows promise in reducing migraine aura

The heart effects of antidepressants may depend as much on the patient as the drug

Rising prescription and supplement use poses health risks for seniors

As GLP-1 drugs become more complex, their effects on the heart are getting harder to predict

GLP-1 drugs may influence chronic pain through gut-brain and immune pathways

Advances in chemistry and delivery are taking oligonucleotide medicines beyond rare diseases

Semaglutide’s heart benefits may extend beyond weight loss

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

How microplastics and bacteria interact to drive antibiotic resistance

Single-cell proteomics: Revealing proteome diversity from cellular heterogeneity to non-canonical biology

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