Feature Channels: Pharmaceuticals

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Among the nation’s largest providers of monoclonal antibodies for Covid-19, Houston Methodist has infused nearly 4,000 patients. The hospital system was able to quickly ramp up its program by leveraging numerous resources through interdisciplinary collaboration. A commentary outlining challenges, resources and benchmarks published online March 29 in the New England Journal of Medicine and serves as a valuable model as more hospitals begin to treat Covid-19 with mAB therapy.

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Early life exposure to antibotics in utero and through mother’s milk disrupts beneficial gut bacteria, compromising T-cell development, Rutgers research shows

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The April edition of SLAS Discovery is a special issue on advances in protein degradation curated by guest editors M. Paola Castaldi, Ph.D., and Stewart L. Fisher, Ph.D.

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The PhRMA Foundation has announced the winners of a new Challenge Award aiming to support bold and vital research into how value assessment methods and processes can better consider population diversity and drivers of health disparities.

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An aggressive type of brain cancer, glioblastoma has no cure. Patients survive an average of 15 months after diagnosis, with fewer than 10% of patients surviving longer than five years. While researchers are investigating potential new therapies via ongoing clinical trials, a new study from Washington University in St. Louis suggests that a minor adjustment to the current standard treatment — giving chemotherapy in the morning rather than the evening — could add a few months to patients’ survival.

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The American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine has joined 10 other pain societies in issuing a practice advisory on the use of gadolinium-based contrast agents. This off-label use is an alternative option for patients with hypersensitivity to the traditional contrast medium.

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A phase 3 clinical trial finds an anti-inflammatory drug used in rheumatoid arthritis can preserve lung function in patients with systemic sclerosis.

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Rodeo Therapeutics Corp., a drug-development startup founded by two leading researchers from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and a third scientific partner, has been sold to Amgen Inc., a publicly traded international biopharmaceutical company. Under terms of the agreement, Amgen, based in Thousand Oaks, California, will acquire all outstanding shares of Rodeo for $55 million, plus “future contingent milestone payments potentially worth up to an additional $666 million in cash,” the companies announced today. Total consideration to Rodeo stakeholders could potentially be worth up to $721 million in cash.

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Mount Sinai researchers have found that a widely available and inexpensive drug targeting inflammatory genes has reduced morbidity and mortality in mice infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

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In a randomized clinical trial published in the journal PAIN, researchers found participants with moderate to severe irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) who were knowingly treated with a pharmacologically inactive pill — referred to as an honest or open-label placebo — reported clinically meaningful improvements in their IBS symptoms.

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Acute kidney injury (AKI) occurred in nearly 20 percent of patients who underwent surgery with implantation of antibiotic-loaded “spacers” and intravenous (IV) antibiotics for the treatment of deep infections after total knee arthroplasty, reports a study in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio in partnership with Wolters Kluwer.

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UNC School of Medicine scientists found that HIV boosts a key process in human cells to fuel its replication. They also found that the diabetes drug metformin inhibits that process and thereby suppresses HIV replication in these cells in cell lines and animal models.

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Long-term, regular use of baby aspirin—at least 15 times per month—prior to a diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) may reduce the risk of death from the disease by limiting the spread of cancerous tumors pre-diagnosis, according to a study led by Cedars-Sinai Cancer researchers.

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Use of vouchers and coupons offered by pharmaceutical companies to defray patients’ out-of-pocket drug costs is concentrated among a small number of drugs.

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An international team of researchers led by a University of Virginia School of Medicine professor is warning that scientists must better prepare for the next pandemic – and has developed a plan to do just that.

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University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers have identified the most toxic proteins made by SARS-COV-2—the virus that causes COVID-19 – and then used an FDA-approved cancer drug to blunt the viral protein’s detrimental effects.

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A rare isotope in high demand for treating cancer is now more available to pharmaceutical companies developing and testing new drugs. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently received Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s drug master file for actinium-225 nitrate, which lets pharmaceutical companies reference the document to support applications for their own Ac-225-based drugs without disclosing proprietary information.

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As evidence mounts supporting the use of monoclonal antibody treatment to reduce hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19, UPMC and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine physician-scientists are sharing the health system’s experience administering the life-saving medication.

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It’s not uncommon for people who experience a concussion to have moderate to severe headaches in the weeks after the injury. A new study has found a combination of two drugs, both common anti-nausea medications, given intravenously in the emergency room may relieve those headaches better than a placebo. The study is published in the March 24, 2021, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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UC San Diego researchers discovered that patient survival from sepsis is associated with higher platelet counts, and identified two currently available drugs that protect these blood cells and improve survival in mice with sepsis.

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Three commonly used antiviral and antimalarial drugs are effective in vitro at preventing replication of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

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Scientists have devised a new way to build nanomaterials that can maintain their structural integrity and functionality in ways relevant to drug delivery. The team developed a class of molecular coatings compatible with biological environments. They used these coating to stabilize wireframed DNA origami cages that can carry an anticancer drug with a slower release of the medicine over time than possible with noncoated counterparts.

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Researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory used neutron scattering to investigate the interactions between telaprevir, a drug used to treat hepatitis C viral infection, and the SARS-CoV-2 main protease, the enzyme responsible for enabling the virus to reproduce. Unforeseen changes in the electric charges were discovered in the drug binding site of the protease enzyme that were not predicted by prevailing computer simulations. The research provides key insights for advancing drug design and drug repurposing efforts to treat COVID-19.

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Researchers have discovered that a widely used nutritional supplement may significantly reduce the risk of fatal strokes caused by a rare genetic disorder. Additionally, the findings suggest that the supplement could be used to both block precipitation of and break up the formation of amyloid plaque deposits, a common feature found in serious forms of dementia.

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Renowned scientists—including Nobel laureates, research pioneers and celebrated educators—will speak at the virtual Experimental Biology (EB) 2021 meeting, to be held April 27–30. Bringing together thousands of life scientists in one interdisciplinary community, EB showcases the latest advances in anatomy, biochemistry, molecular biology, investigative pathology, pharmacology and physiology.

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Scientists from MIPT and ITMO University and their colleagues have studied the formation and growth of crystals from simple organic molecules into large associations. These experiments will help create capsules for targeted drug delivery to specific tissues in the human body. The scientific paper was published in the journal Crystal Growth & Design.

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A new research review identifies personality traits that have been associated with positive and negative experiences on psychedelics being tested for therapeutic purposes in previous studies, information that could help predict how future clinical trial participants will respond to the drugs.

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Hormone drugs that reduce androgen levels may help disarm the coronavirus spike protein used to infect cells and stop the progression of severe COVID-19 disease, suggests a new preclinical study from researchers in the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania and published online in Cell Press’s iScience.

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A new once-weekly basal insulin injection demonstrated similar efficacy and safety and a lower rate of low blood sugar episodes compared with a daily basal insulin, according to a phase 2 clinical trial. The study results, which will be presented at ENDO 2021, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting, compared an investigational drug called basal insulin Fc (BIF) with insulin degludec, a commercially available long-lasting daily insulin, in patients with type 2 diabetes.

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Commonly used medications for type 2 diabetes and obesity called glucagon like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), are not associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, despite previous studies that suggested a possible link, according to a study presented virtually at ENDO 2021, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting.

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Treatment of hypothyroidism, which results from an underactive thyroid gland, should be individualized and consideration should be given to alternatives to the first-line therapy, including desiccated thyroid extract and combination therapy to replace the body’s two main thyroid hormones, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). Results of their new randomized clinical study are being presented at ENDO 2021, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting.

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An industry-supported study of an oral testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), testosterone undecanoate (TU, brand name Jatenzo) finds it is an effective, long-term treatment for men with low testosterone levels, with no evidence of liver toxicity. The findings are being presented virtually at ENDO 2021, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting.

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Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have identified a drug candidate that blocks the uptake of glutamine, a key food source for many tumors, and slows the growth of melanoma.

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• A one-year trial found that the eKidneyCare smartphone app helped patients with chronic kidney disease take their prescribed medications properly. • The app may help to prevent adverse drug reactions and other medication errors that can endanger patients.

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An international, open-label Phase 3 study, co-led by Susanna McColley, MD, from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, found that a regimen of three drugs (elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor) that targets the genetic cause of cystic fibrosis was safe and effective in 6-11-year-olds with at least one copy of F508del mutation in the CFTR gene, which is estimated to represent almost 90 percent of the cystic fibrosis population in the United States.

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Research from the University of Kent's School of Biosciences has revealed that a molecule produced by the human immune system can severely diminish the potency of certain antibiotics.

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Scientists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have developed a way to use a cell’s own recycling machinery to destroy disease-causing proteins, a technology that could produce entirely new kinds of drugs.

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Nearly one-third of adults age 65 and older who take thyroid hormone also take medications that are known to interfere with thyroid function tests, according to a study presented virtually at ENDO 2021, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting.

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Less than one in 10 commercially insured patients in the United States who broke a hip, a major complication of osteoporosis, receive any osteoporosis medical treatment within two calendar quarters of their fracture, according to a study whose results will be presented at ENDO 2021, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting.

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Researchers from Cancer Science Institute of Singapore at NUS and A*STAR’s Genome Institute of Singapore as well as their collaborators have discovered the molecular pathway that interferes with breast cancer drugs, and found an additional drug that will reverse the effect. This discovery could give cancer patients more hope of overcoming the disease.

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Hertz Fellow David Schaffer uses high throughput genetic sequencing technology to identify gene variants that can potentially help restore sight, repair hearts damaged by Fabry disease, and improve lung function in patients with cystic fibrosis.

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A new research paper funded in part by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) shows a clear advantage of genetic testing in helping health care providers choose the appropriate anti-platelet drug. Testing helps determine if a patient carries genetic variants in CYP2C19 that cause loss of its function. These variants interfere with the body's ability to metabolize and activate clopidogrel, an anti-platelet medication.

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DALLAS – March 17, 2021 – UT Southwestern researchers have identified the structure of a key member of a family of proteins called nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in three different shapes. The work, published online today in Cell, could eventually lead to new pharmaceutical treatments for a large range of diseases or infections including schizophrenia, lung cancer, and even COVID-19.

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George Washington University researchers found low dose aspirin may reduce the need for mechanical ventilation, ICU admission and in-hospital mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Final results indicating the lung protective effects of aspirin were published today in Anesthesia & Analgesia.

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, Johns Hopkins Medicine Media Relations is focused on disseminating current, accurate and useful information to the public via the media. As part of that effort, we are distributing our “COVID-19 Tip Sheet: Story Ideas from Johns Hopkins” every other Wednesday.

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The study found that the percentage of adults 65 and older who were prescribed a fall- risk-increasing drug climbed to 94% in 2017, a significant leap from 57% in 1999. The research also revealed that the rate of death caused by falls in older adults more than doubled during the same time period.

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A Nature study shows that the leprosy drug clofazimine, which is FDA approved and on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines, exhibits potent antiviral activities against SARS-CoV-2 and prevents the exaggerated inflammatory response associated with severe COVID-19. Based on these findings, a Phase 2 study evaluating clofazimine as an at-home treatment for COVID-19 could begin immediately.

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Fast-tracking clinical trials, vaccine delivery, and personal protective equipment through engineering: Live virtual event for March 11, 3PM ET

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Aspirin is an established, safe, and low-cost medication in long-standing common use in prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, and in the past a pain relief and fever reducing medication.