Pharmacology/Pharmaceutical Industry
FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive
19 Jul, 2023 | 14:25h | UTCFDA Approves First Nonprescription Daily Oral Contraceptive – U.S. Food & Drug Administration
RCT | Direct oral challenge noninferior to skin testing followed by direct oral challenge in low-risk penicillin allergy patients
18 Jul, 2023 | 13:54h | UTCEfficacy of a Clinical Decision Rule to Enable Direct Oral Challenge in Patients With Low-Risk Penicillin Allergy: The PALACE Randomized Clinical Trial – JAMA Internal Medicine (free for a limited period)
See also: Visual Abstract
News Release: World-first clinical trial to help millions with penicillin allergies – Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Commentary: Trial supports use of direct oral challenge for penicillin allergy – CIDRAP
RCT | Donanemab slows early symptomatic Alzheimer’s progression, but raises serious safety concerns
18 Jul, 2023 | 13:51h | UTCDonanemab in Early Symptomatic Alzheimer Disease: The TRAILBLAZER-ALZ 2 Randomized Clinical Trial – JAMA (free for a limited period)
Editorials:
Donanemab for Alzheimer Disease—Who Benefits and Who Is Harmed? – JAMA (free for a limited period)
Amyloid-Targeting Monoclonal Antibodies for Alzheimer Disease – JAMA (free for a limited period)
Ushering in a New Era of Alzheimer Disease Therapy – JAMA (free for a limited period)
See also: Visual Abstract
Commentary: Expert reaction to results from Eli Lilly on its anti-amyloid drug donanemab – Science Media Centre
Related: RCT | Lecanemab slows cognitive decline in early Alzheimer’s disease but raises safety concerns.
Guideline | Antibiotic therapy in patients with suspected antibiotic allergy
17 Jul, 2023 | 13:59h | UTC
Retrospective Analysis | Inconsistencies in pediatric drug dosing found in over half of prehospital emergency drug administrations
17 Jul, 2023 | 13:50h | UTCCommentaries:
Children and Drug Dosing Variations When in Transit to the Hospital – AAP Journals Blog
Variation Seen in Dosing of Meds at Prehospital Pediatric Encounters – HealthDay
Cohort Study | Long-acting antiretroviral therapy may achieve virologic suppression in HIV patients with adherence challenges
17 Jul, 2023 | 13:26h | UTCDemonstration Project of Long-Acting Antiretroviral Therapy in a Diverse Population of People With HIV – Annals of Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Long-Acting ART Achieves Virologic Suppression for People With HIV – HealthDay
Consensus Statement | Aerosol therapy in adult critically ill patients
14 Jul, 2023 | 13:01h | UTC
Intervention Study | Pharmacist review may reduce antibiotic overuse at discharge
12 Jul, 2023 | 13:37h | UTCCommentary: Pharmacist review identifies improper antibiotic prescriptions – CIDRAP
Cohort Study | Fewer than half of new drugs add substantial therapeutic value over existing treatments
11 Jul, 2023 | 14:01h | UTCNews Release: Fewer than half of new drugs add substantial therapeutic value over existing treatments – BMJ Newsroom
Editorial: Patients need better treatments, not just more of the same – The BMJ
RCT | No statistically significant impact of vitamin D on major cardiovascular events
5 Jul, 2023 | 01:11h | UTCRelated:
2ry analysis of a RCT | Vitamin D supplementation does not affect cognitive function in older adults
Randomized Trial: Vitamin D Supplements and Prevention of Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease
Meta-Analysis: Vitamin D Not Effective for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
Vitamin D, calcium, other vitamins, and supplements do not prevent cardiovascular diseases
Phase 2 RCT | Orforglipron, an oral GLP-1 receptor agonist, significantly reduces weight in adults with obesity
26 Jun, 2023 | 00:58h | UTCSummary: The article reports a phase 2, randomized, double-blind trial investigating the efficacy of the GLP-1 receptor agonist, orforglipron, as an oral weight loss treatment for adults with obesity or overweight plus at least one weight-related condition. The study involved 272 participants, who were administered orforglipron at varying doses or a placebo over a 36-week period.
The key findings of the study indicated significant weight reduction in individuals who were administered orforglipron. At 26 weeks, weight changes in the orforglipron group ranged from -8.6% to -12.6% compared to -2.0% in the placebo group. At 36 weeks, these figures were -9.4% to -14.7% for the orforglipron group and -2.3% for the placebo group. Furthermore, 46-75% of orforglipron recipients experienced a weight reduction of at least 10% by week 36, compared to 9% in the placebo group.
Improvements were also observed in all prespecified weight-related and cardiometabolic measures among orforglipron users. However, the treatment was associated with some mild to moderate gastrointestinal side effects, leading to discontinuation in 10-17% of participants. The safety profile was in line with other GLP-1 receptor agonists. These findings suggest that orforglipron could potentially be an effective oral treatment for weight reduction in adults with obesity, though further research is needed to corroborate these results and assess long-term effects.
Article: Daily Oral GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Orforglipron for Adults with Obesity – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Position statement | Gastrointestinal bleeding and endoscopic procedures in patients on antiplatelet and/or anticoagulant therapy
21 Jun, 2023 | 13:22h | UTCPosition statement from the Indian Society of Gastroenterology, Cardiological Society of India, Indian Academy of Neurology and Vascular Society of India on gastrointestinal bleeding and endoscopic procedures in patients on antiplatelet and/or anticoagulant therapy – Indian Journal of Gastroenterology (if the link is paywalled, try this one)
RCT | Testosterone replacement does not appear to increase cardiovascular events in hypogonadal men at high risk
19 Jun, 2023 | 14:13h | UTCCardiovascular Safety of Testosterone-Replacement Therapy – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary on Twitter
Presented today at #ENDO2023: In the TRAVERSE study, a randomized trial involving men with hypogonadism and preexisting or a risk of cardiovascular disease, testosterone therapy was noninferior to placebo with respect to major adverse cardiac events. https://t.co/V3FTTsOLd1
— NEJM (@NEJM) June 16, 2023
RCT | Continuous vs. intermittent meropenem administration shows similar mortality and drug-resistance in sepsis patients
19 Jun, 2023 | 14:11h | UTCContinuous vs Intermittent Meropenem Administration in Critically Ill Patients With Sepsis: The MERCY Randomized Clinical Trial – JAMA (free for a limited period)
Editorial: Do Prolonged Infusions of β-Lactam Antibiotics Improve Outcomes in Critically Ill Patients With Sepsis? – JAMA (free for a limited period)
See also: Visual Abstract
Commentary: Trial finds no difference between continuous, intermittent meropenem for sepsis patients – CIDRAP
Commentary on Twitter
Continuous administration of meropenem, compared with intermittent administration, does not improve clinically relevant outcomes in critically ill patients with #sepsis. https://t.co/eJ9zdGI4k2 #CCR23 pic.twitter.com/8n2eR9qBPe
— JAMA (@JAMA_current) June 16, 2023
Review | mRNA-based cancer therapeutics
19 Jun, 2023 | 13:53h | UTCmRNA-based cancer therapeutics – Nature Reviews Cancer
Commentary on Twitter
Excited to share our paper entitled "mRNA-based cancer therapeutics" @NatureRevCancer. Congrats to all the group members @BrighamWomens @harvardmed on this paper! ?https://t.co/1LB1M1Yl96https://t.co/QwmDZmyixB
— Wei Tao (@WeiTaoLab) June 13, 2023
Evidence-based clinical practice guideline for deprescribing opioid analgesics
15 Jun, 2023 | 15:08h | UTC
M-A | Influencing factors of medication adherence in schizophrenic patients
15 Jun, 2023 | 14:56h | UTC
M-A | Biosimilar and reference biologics in rheumatoid arthritis show equivalent results
15 Jun, 2023 | 14:47h | UTCCommentary: Adalimumab, Etanercept, Infliximab Biosimilars Show Clinically Equivalence to Biologics in RA – HCP Live
Perspective | Inside the nascent industry of AI-designed drugs
14 Jun, 2023 | 14:50h | UTCInside the nascent industry of AI-designed drugs – Nature (if the link is paywalled, try this one)
AAP Technical Report | Dispensing medications at the hospital upon discharge from an emergency department
14 Jun, 2023 | 14:33h | UTCDispensing Medications at the Hospital Upon Discharge From an Emergency Department – Pediatrics
News Release: Report discusses ways to improve medication adherence after emergency visit – AAP News
Commentary: Dispensing Meds in Emergency Department Likely to Improve Adherence – HealthDay
M-A | Oseltamivir fails to lower hospitalization risk in adult and adolescent influenza patients
13 Jun, 2023 | 14:12h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter
In this systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 RCTs, oseltamivir was not associated with reduced risk of first hospitalization compared with placebo or standard of care among influenza-infected adult and adolescent outpatients. https://t.co/UEqsbA2JQZ
— JAMA Internal Medicine (@JAMAInternalMed) June 12, 2023
Review | Drivers of inappropriate antibiotic use in low- and middle-income countries
12 Jun, 2023 | 13:35h | UTC
RCT | Multivitamin supplementation may improve memory in aged adults
7 Jun, 2023 | 14:12h | UTCMultivitamin Supplementation Improves Memory in Older Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial – The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
News Releases:
Multivitamin Improves Memory in Older Adults, Study Finds – Columbia University
Related Research: Effects of cocoa extract and a multivitamin on cognitive function: A randomized clinical trial – Alzheimer’s & Dementia
SR | Limited evidence for vitamin and mineral supplements in delaying dementia in people with mild cognitive impairment
7 Jun, 2023 | 14:09h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter
? How does vitamin and mineral supplementation affect #cognitivefunction and progression to #dementia in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI)?
Get the current evidence picture in this #systematicreview on @CochraneLibrary: https://t.co/YUsbjELIZq@NIH_ODS #NSHFD pic.twitter.com/hRl27Tm7op— Cochrane CAM (@CochraneCAM) May 31, 2023
Podcast | Insulin, type 2 diabetes, and hypoglycemia
6 Jun, 2023 | 14:25h | UTC#397: Insulin, Type 2 Diabetes, Fanny Packs, and Hypoglycemia with Dr. Jeff Colburn – The Curbsiders