Category: Pharmaceuticals
New shingles vaccine proves effective at curbing the infection
A new shingles vaccine has proven to be more successful in the prevention of the infection. The Shingrix vaccine was compared to the older vaccine Zostavax, and reviewed by more than 2 million patients above the age 50. Researchers in Toronto found the newer germ-specific vaccine, was 85% more effective in reducing shingles, also known [...]
Combination treatment may extend late-stage breast cancer survival
A recent trial proposes combining a specific drug with hormone therapy to extend the survival of some women with advanced breast cancer. The study showed that women who received palbociclib and hormone therapy lived up to 10 months longer than those given hormone treatment alone. It also delayed the time at which women needed to [...]
Scientists in Philadelphia develop promising vaccine against Ebola
Scientists at The Wistar Institute Vaccine and Immunotherapy Centers have created a synthetic DNA vaccine that is showing immediate and long-term encouraging results against the Ebola virus in preclinical animal research. The vaccine targets a virus surface protein called glycoprotein, according the findings published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. First appearing in 1976, The [...]
FDA approves HPV vaccines for adults up to ages 45
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the expansion of the HPV vaccine to include men and women between 27 and 45, in an effort to protect more people from several types of cancer caused by the human papillomavirus. The vaccine, Gardasil 9, previously was approved for people ages 9 through 26. It was administered [...]
Aspirin potentially dangerous for those over 70, study warns
Though there are proven benefits of aspirin for people after a heart attack or stroke, recent studies have shown that it could potentially be fatal to people over the age of 70 and increase the risk of internal bleeding. The Us and Australian based study described the results as very important and cautioned against self-medicating [...]
Welsh patients to test revolutionary insulin drug
A new drug that helps regeneration of insulin-making cells especially in Type 1 diabetics has been developed. About 19,000 people live with Type 1 of the condition in Wales and 90% have less than 5% of these cells left.This means daily insulin shots but if the drug proves successful, it could reduce the dependency on [...]
The real deal with probiotics
One of the main questions surrounding probiotics is: what really reaches the gut? It’s fairly simple to determine how much probiotic bacteria is in a food or supplement (at least at the time of manufacture), but how many microbes take hold in the gut and become part of the microbiome? Immunologist Eran Elinav of the [...]
Common painkiller linked to increased risk of heart problems
The commonly used painkiller diclofenac is associated with an increased risk of major cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke, compared with no use, paracetamol use, and use of other traditional painkillers, finds a study published by The BMJ this week. The findings prompt the researchers to say that diclofenac should not be available [...]
Lorcaserin: Weight loss drug found to be safe in obesity
A major study has found promising results for the safety of a weight-loss drug available in the US. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, says adults using the drug lorcaserin lost an average of 4kg (8.8lb) over 40 months. It says the drug, which works by suppressing appetite, does not put [...]
Fish oil supplements do not prevent heart attack or strokes in patients with diabetes
Led by Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, UK, the ASCEND trial (A Study of Cardiovascular Events iN Diabetes) looked at 15,480 patients over the age of 40 with diabetes but no history of cardiovascular disease. Participants were randomly split into two groups, with one given 1g of fish oil supplements daily and [...]
