Category: Pharmaceuticals
“Unsuitable” antidepressant drugs pose problem to older adults
Older adults are easily susceptible to major depressive disorder. Data points to some 15-20% of people aged 65 and above, who live independently, deal with serious symptoms, and those in nursing homes face depression rates of up to 50%. However, researchers caution against the harmful effects of antidepressants for treating major depressive disorder in older […]
Scientists tease brain aneurysm treatment with cancer drug
There may be a way to treat sensitive brain aneurysms, traditionally only addressed through delicate surgery and slim success, with an existing drug. The joint effort by scientists from UK’s University of Sussex and US’s University of Washington School of Medicine involves a receptor tyrosine kinase (TK) inhibitor – a class of drug currently used […]
UK to develop new treatments for cancer drug resistance
UK’s Institute of Cancer (ICR) recent £75million investment on a centre to develop drugs against treatment-resistant cancer could idealise a breakthrough within the next decade. The ICR’s new Centre for Drug Discovery at its south London campus is intended to bring together almost 300 scientists from different disciplines to overcome/redirect cancer evolution. Chief Executive Professor […]
China HIV drug to control disease transmission
HIV remains a global health concern despite numerous treatment methods, but a new drug promises better outcomes over a similar treatment used for the past decade. Chinese researchers at the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica and the Kunming Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Yunnan, China, have developed a safe CCR5 […]
WHO launches pilot malaria vaccine in Malawi
Recent figures report a marked rise of deadly malaria cases after nearly a decade of fighting the disease – mostly in Africa, where more than 250,000 children die yearly; the WHO records a total of 435,000 malaria deaths worldwide in 2017. Numerous campaigns advocate for effective malaria treatment, thus, in a landmark immunisation project, according […]
Biotech companies to help with cancer research
Biotechnological innovations are the latest addition to the healthcare market with new therapies and drugs to treat cancer more effectively at a reduced cost, although the most common therapies remain immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Cancer is the leading cause of death globally – Allied Market Research data from 2017-2023 has estimated the global cancer […]
New TB vaccine tested on mice shows promise
Tuberculosis is a disease caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) bacteria, and is the world’s leading killer due to infection according to the WHO. The BCG (bacille-Calmette-Guerin) vaccine – delivered by an intramuscular injection in the upper arm – is made to use against Mtb infections; some 70-80% effective against more severe forms such as […]
Jamaica receives medical support from India in new agreement
India’s pharmaceutical capabilities are reaching new heights – the country is likely to be amongst the highest ranking global markets in value terms by 2020. Indian High Commissioner to Jamaica, His Excellency Sevala Naik said that India has been recognised globally for producing quality medicines at affordable prices. In line with this, a memorandum of […]
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, […]
