Category: Pharmaceuticals
New leukemia drug is more effective and easier to use
A landmark study co-authored by a Loyola Medicine oncologist has found that a newer targeted drug is significantly more effective than standard therapy for treating elderly patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The drug, ibrutinib, attacks cancer cells without damaging normal cells, thus causing fewer side effects. The drug is taken as a pill once [...]
Cheap common drugs may aid mental illness
Cheap and widely used drugs for diabetes and heart health have potential for treating severe mental illness, a study hints. It showed the number of times patients needed hospital treatment fell by up to a fifth when they took the drugs. The researchers at University College London say their findings have “enormous potential”. But they, [...]
Diabetic drug can help with heart problem
Scientists have discovered that a drug commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes could also help repair heart failure. Close to half of all heart failure patients have HFpEF, which stiffens the left ventricle of the heart and reduces its ability to fill with blood. In turn, that leads to a lack of blood flow [...]
Rising insulin prices will restrict access to half the world by 2030
By 2030, about half of the estimated 79 million adults around the globe who have type 2 diabetes won’t have access to insulin. A study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology talked about the price and diminishing supply of the drug that helps people with types 1 and 2 diabetes fight off amputation, blindness, [...]
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 [...]
