Tag: drugs
Study emphasises importance of scheduling medication(s) according to circadian rhythm
The circadian rhythm is a target for most medications on the US market, yet most drugs are not prescribed in a time-specific way to be most effective. A research team from Baylor College of Medicine (Baylor), Texas, has recently shown how a disrupted circadian rhythm affects heart disease development in animal models and human patients […]
Different risks of overactive bladder with different dementia medications
Some drugs taken to ease the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia has been found to instead cause increased risk of overactive bladder (OAB) in patients. The class of drugs known as cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEI), are said to increase communication between nerve cells to enhance cognition and include donepezil, galantamine and rivastigmine, according to researchers […]
Special blood vessel coating prevents organ rejection
A special polymer used to coat the blood vessels of transplanted organs could one day do away with anti-rejection drugs – patients requiring an organ transplant also need to take certain drugs to prevent their immune system from rejecting the new organ, however the drugs may sometimes cause serious side effects. The protective polymer coating […]
Ivermectin under scrutiny as possible COVID-19 treatment
The Principle Trial organised by scientists at the University of Oxford, UK, is currently administering Ivermectin to COVID-19 patients to see if the drug prevents severe disease. Ivermectin is an anti-parasitic drug commonly used as veterinary medication – it has become controversial after being promoted for use in many parts of the world, despite its […]
New microneedle patches melts like ice
A team of researchers from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) have devised an ingenious new alternative to polymer microneedle patches – this one uses ice. Just like existing patches, the ice microneedle patches, or cryomicroneedle patches, can be loaded with drugs, vaccines, cells or other therapeutic molecules and are similarly painless to use. The […]
Cancer drug delivery made more potent with microbubbles
University of Leeds research has shown how microbubbles deliver powerful cancer drugs can be guided to the site of a tumor using antibodies. Microbubbles are small manufactured spheres half the size of a red blood cell and scientists believe they can be used to transport drugs to highly specific locations within the body. Lead researchers from the School of Medicine, describe how they targeted […]
Emergency use authorisation for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine in India
Biopharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc. has applied for emergency approval for use of its coronavirus two-shot vaccine from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). However, there has been no response from the DCGI nor the health ministry. As of last week, India has reported more than 9.60 million COVID-19 cases with nearly 140,000 deaths. It […]
Almost 40% of Americans still plan to gather despite the coronavirus
According to data from the Coronavirus Resource Center, Johns Hopkins University, the US has recorded over 14 million coronavirus cases since the pandemic started early this year. The US is also the fastest country to have added new cases each day – this has not stopped Americans from planning large-scale gatherings over the holiday season. […]
Deadly heroin overdose cases in the US quadrupled from 2010 to 2015 –study
A federal agency in the US recently said that the number of cases of deadly heroin overdoses in the US more than quadrupled from 2010 to 2015 as the price of the drug dropped and its potency increased. According to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), there were 12,989 overdose deaths involving heroin in […]
WHO: Smoking costs the world over US$1 tn in healthcare, lost productivity
The tobacco industry and the impacts of its products is costing the world more than US$1 trillion annually in healthcare expenses and lost productivity, according to a new landmark global report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US National Cancer Institute (NCI). “The economic impact of tobacco on countries, and the general public, […]
