Adjuvants—ingredients that help boost the immune response in vaccines—have been used in vaccines for decades. But inducing a stronger immune response can result in more unwanted side effects, like swelling at the injection site or fever and body aches. Researchers at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) at the University of Chicago have found that adding small molecules called immunomodulators to vaccine adjuvants gives them the ability to better regulate the body’s response to vaccines. “If you think of adjuvants as a megaphone that stimulates the immune system, then you can think of immunomodulators as a sound mixer,” said Jeremiah Kim, a graduate student and co-lead author of the paper. “We’re able to selectively tune the immune response to reduce negative side effects.” In models, adding immunomodulators to a flu vaccine increased antibody response, and adding them to a typhoid vaccine reduced inflammation. The results were published in ACS Central Science. Graduate student Matthew Rosenberger was also a ...
British researchers are developing a testosterone hormone patch to help combat symptoms linked to menopause, which if successful would be a world first that could help women secure better access to a hormone that is widely available to men but is subject to fierce debate over whether it should be used to alleviate symptoms of menopause in women. Testosterone patches are going to be tested to treat menopause symptoms. KEY FACTS The patch is being developed to help boost the sex drive of women with symptoms of menopause, according to news reports. Women’s natural production of testosterone drops drastically after menopause and low levels can cause issues including headaches, loss of libido, impaired focus and tiredness. While there are a plethora of testosterone replacement therapies available to men around the world, the few available to women are in the form of creams and gels, which are tough to dose properly and can ...
It is an exciting yet challenging time to be a treating physician in oncology, particularly in kidney cancer. The last decade of scientific innovation has brought an unprecedented shift in treatment options, and people now live longer than before with kidney cancer. Despite this, kidney cancers are the tenth most common cancer globally, with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) the most common type of kidney cancer, making up about 85% of diagnoses. There is no known cure for people living with advanced RCC, and the 5-year survival rate is around 12%, demonstrating the importance of continuing to find new innovative treatments. The introduction of next-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors, immunotherapy-based agents, and, more recently, combination therapies have transformed the clinical outcomes of people living with RCC. However, with innovation comes more choice and increasingly complex therapeutic decision-making – often raising questions around the optimal sequence of treatments, particularly in more advanced ...
Most patients who are admitted to hospitals with acute viral infections are given antibiotics by their doctors or health care providers as a precaution against bacterial co-infection. Yet new research suggests this practice may not improve their survival rates. Researchers investigated the impact of antibiotic use on survival in more than 2,100 patients in a hospital in Norway between the years 2017 and 2021, Reuters reported. ‘SILENT PANDEMIC’ WARNING FROM WHO: BACTERIA KILLING TOO MANY PEOPLE DUE TO ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE The researchers found that giving antibiotics to people with common respiratory infections was unlikely to lower the risk of death within 30 days. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, antibiotics were prescribed for around 70% of COVID-19 patients in some countries, Reuters also said. This potentially has contributed to the scourge of antibiotic-resistant pathogens known as superbugs. The new data has not been published in a medical journal ...
Roche Holding AG, a Swiss multinational healthcare company, has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval for its new cancer treatment. The drug, known as Polivy, is designed to treat patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), a type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This approval is significant for Roche, as DLBCL is one of the most common types of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and a highly aggressive form of cancer. Polivy is a first-in-class antibody-drug conjugate that targets CD79b, a protein that is highly expressed on the surface of B-cell lymphomas. The drug is designed to bind to the CD79b protein and deliver a toxic payload directly to cancer cells, without affecting healthy cells. This approach is known as targeted therapy and is considered to be a significant advancement in cancer treatment. The FDA’s decision was based on the results of a phase ...
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new drug to treat Parkinson’s disease, providing hope for millions of patients who suffer from this debilitating condition. The drug, called Levodopa/Carbidopa Enteral Suspension (LCES), is the first new treatment for Parkinson’s disease to be approved by the FDA in over a decade. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects movement and is caused by the degeneration of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain. The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include tremors, stiffness, and difficulty with coordination and movement. LCES is a combination of two drugs, Levodopa and Carbidopa, that work together to increase the levels of dopamine in the brain. This can help to improve the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and provide relief for patients. The approval of LCES is a significant development in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, which has been largely treated with the ...
Pfizer, a global pharmaceutical company, has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to its investigational treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, called PF-05217917. This designation is intended to accelerate the development and review of promising drugs that have the potential to address serious or life-threatening conditions. Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that affects millions of people worldwide, causing memory loss and other cognitive impairments. There are currently no approved treatments that can slow or stop the progression of the disease. Pfizer’s PF-05217917 is an antibody that targets the tau protein, which is believed to play a key role in the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The FDA’s decision to grant Breakthrough Therapy designation to PF-05217917 was based on the results of a Phase 2 clinical trial that involved patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. The trial showed that ...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new drug, called Rizaport, for the treatment of acute migraine in adults. Rizaport is a fast-dissolving oral tablet that contains the active ingredient rizatriptan, which belongs to a class of drugs called triptans. Migraine is a neurological condition that affects approximately 39 million people in the United States. It is characterized by recurrent episodes of moderate to severe headaches, often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound. Triptans are a commonly used class of drugs for the treatment of acute migraine, but they are not effective for all patients and may cause side effects such as dizziness and fatigue. Rizaport, developed by Intec Pharma, offers a new option for the treatment of acute migraine. It is designed to dissolve rapidly on the tongue, allowing for faster onset of action compared to traditional tablet formulations. In ...
Novartis, a global pharmaceutical company, has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its new heart failure drug, called Entresto XR. This approval expands the use of the company’s existing heart failure drug, Entresto, by making it available in an extended-release form. Heart failure is a chronic condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. It affects millions of people worldwide and is a leading cause of hospitalization and death. Entresto XR is a once-daily tablet that combines two medications, sacubitril and valsartan, to reduce the strain on the heart and improve its ability to pump blood. The FDA’s approval of Entresto XR was based on the results of a clinical trial that involved over 5,000 patients with heart failure. The trial showed that Entresto XR was superior to the standard of care, enalapril, in ...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently approved a new treatment for a rare genetic disorder called hereditary angioedema (HAE). The treatment, called Berinert, is manufactured by CSL Behring and is the first and only therapy approved for the treatment of acute attacks of HAE in pediatric patients. HAE is a rare genetic disorder that affects about 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 50,000 people worldwide. It is characterized by recurrent episodes of swelling, or edema, in various parts of the body including the hands, feet, face, and airways. These attacks can be severe and potentially life-threatening, especially when the swelling occurs in the airways, which can lead to difficulty breathing and asphyxiation. Berinert is a human plasma-derived C1 esterase inhibitor (C1-INH) that works by replacing the deficient or malfunctioning C1-INH protein in patients with HAE. The treatment is administered through intravenous infusion and can ...
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