Pharmacology/Pharmaceutical Industry
Pfizer COVID Pill to Be Made, Sold Cheaply in 95 Poor Countries.
17 Nov, 2021 | 08:40h | UTCPfizer COVID Pill to Be Made, Sold Cheaply in 95 Poor Countries – HealthDay
See also:
Pfizer agrees to license generic versions of its COVID-19 pill — in some countries – NPR
Pfizer Will Allow Its Covid Pill to Be Made and Sold Cheaply in Poor Countries – The New York Times (a few articles per month are free)
MSF responds to Pfizer and Medicines Patent Pool license for new Covid-19 treatment – “The deal, however, only covers 53 percent of the world’s population and excludes people in several upper-middle-income countries, leaving this promising medicine out of reach for millions”.
17 Nov, 2021 | 08:38h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter
Pfizer's deal w/ the Medicines Patent Pool for its COVID-19 treatment doesn't allow enough generic production & leaves this medicine out of reach for millions.
This is yet another restrictive voluntary license as cases continue to rise in many countries. https://t.co/WbVmUt9nrH
— Doctors w/o Borders (@MSF_USA) November 16, 2021
Individual participant data meta-analysis of major randomized trials showed that treatment of hypertension with ACEIs or ARBs reduced the risk of new-onset type 2 diabetes compared to other drugs.
17 Nov, 2021 | 08:29h | UTCCommentaries:
Blood pressure drugs could prevent type 2 diabetes, study finds – The Guardian
Phase 2 RCT: Once-weekly cagrilintide is effective for weight management in people with overweight and obesity.
17 Nov, 2021 | 08:23h | UTCOnce-weekly cagrilintide for weight management in people with overweight and obesity: a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled and active-controlled, dose-finding phase 2 trial – The Lancet (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Long-term follow up of randomized trials found that children who were given nutrient or supplement enriched formula milk as babies didn’t have higher academic performances as adolescents.
17 Nov, 2021 | 08:14h | UTCNews release: Study finds no benefit of enriched formula milks on later academic performance – British Medical Journal
Editorial: Enriched formula milks and academic performance in later childhood – The BMJ
Commentary on Twitter
https://twitter.com/bmj_company/status/1458691047933026307
Drug-induced orthostatic hypotension: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
17 Nov, 2021 | 08:12h | UTC
Review: Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia.
16 Nov, 2021 | 08:46h | UTCVaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia – The Lancet Haematology
Related:
Vaccine induced immune thrombocytopenia and thrombosis: summary of NICE guidance.
Clinical features of vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia and thrombosis.
Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia: what we know and do not know.
Very rare cases of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) after AstraZeneca vaccine: a global safety database analysis – the estimated rate of TTS after the first dose was 8.1 per million vaccinees; after the second dose, the estimated rate was 2.3 per million vaccinees. (several articles and resources on the subject)
Commentary on Twitter
NEW Viewpoint by @Erik_Klok_MD, @MPaiMD, Menno Huisman & @ProfMakris discussing the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and optimal diagnostic and therapeutic management of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia #VITT #COVID19Vaccine https://t.co/FI4NynwzEn pic.twitter.com/9PbjaioA2T
— The Lancet Haematology (@TheLancetHaem) November 12, 2021
Covid: Austria introduces lockdown for unvaccinated.
16 Nov, 2021 | 08:43h | UTCCovid: Austria introduces lockdown for unvaccinated – BBC
See also: Austria orders nationwide lockdown for the unvaccinated – Associated Press
Covid-19: global vaccine production is a mess and shortages are down to more than just hoarding.
16 Nov, 2021 | 08:42h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter
Seventy countries have yet to vaccinate 10% of their populations for covid-19. What is holding up the process?
Includes a #BMJInfographic that shows whether countries producing vaccines are able to vaccinate more of their populationshttps://t.co/9Z9BtzJKR9 pic.twitter.com/zfUfSgZQtC
— The BMJ (@bmj_latest) November 2, 2021
Pfizer’s pill is the latest COVID treatment to show promise. Here are some more.
16 Nov, 2021 | 08:41h | UTCPfizer’s pill is the latest COVID treatment to show promise. Here are some more – The Conversation
Related:
The U.K. approves Merck’s COVID-19 antiviral pill, calling it a world first.
Merck to allow other nations to produce new COVID-19 antiviral.
Video: Merck’s Covid pill could transform treatment. Here’s how it works.
How antiviral pill Molnupiravir shot ahead in the COVID drug hunt.
What we know — and don’t know — about Merck’s new Covid-19 pill.
Merck’s Covid-19 pill is great news but may not be a game-changer.
Video | A Pill For COVID? A Doctor Explains Molnupiravir.
Merck v Pfizer: here’s how the two new COVID antiviral drugs work and will be used.
16 Nov, 2021 | 08:39h | UTCRelated:
The U.K. approves Merck’s COVID-19 antiviral pill, calling it a world first.
Merck to allow other nations to produce new COVID-19 antiviral.
Video: Merck’s Covid pill could transform treatment. Here’s how it works.
How antiviral pill Molnupiravir shot ahead in the COVID drug hunt.
What we know — and don’t know — about Merck’s new Covid-19 pill.
Merck’s Covid-19 pill is great news but may not be a game-changer.
Video | A Pill For COVID? A Doctor Explains Molnupiravir.
New WHO report maps barriers to insulin availability and suggests actions to promote universal access – “100 years after its discovery, insulin still out of reach for many living with diabetes”.
16 Nov, 2021 | 08:34h | UTCReport: Keeping the 100-year-old promise: making insulin access universal – World Health Organization
Commentary: Half the People Living with Diabetes Can’t Afford Insulin, WHO Report Shows – Health Policy Watch
Related:
Editorial | Insulin for all: a hope yet to be realized.
One hundred years of insulin therapy.
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1459194472022122500
Review | Glycemic management in diabetes: old and new approaches.
16 Nov, 2021 | 08:17h | UTCGlycaemic management in diabetes: old and new approaches – The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology (free registration required)
Commentary on Twitter
New—Glycaemic management in #diabetes: old and new approaches https://t.co/fuONBq6Xyf #T1D #T2D #FREE to read with registration (also FREE) until 29-Nov pic.twitter.com/Zn1xdbRKld
— The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology (@TheLancetEndo) November 15, 2021
[Preprint] Risk of severe COVID-19 is rare among fully vaccinated individuals in England.
14 Nov, 2021 | 20:10h | UTCCommentary: Risk of severe COVID-19 is rare among fully vaccinated individuals in England – News Medical
Phase 4 RCT: Concomitant administration of COVID-19 vaccines (AstraZeneca or Pfizer) with seasonal influenza vaccines in adults is safe and preserves antibody responses to both vaccines.
14 Nov, 2021 | 20:14h | UTC
Large populational study finds prior SARS-CoV-2 infection reduces the risk of breakthrough infection following mRNA vaccination.
14 Nov, 2021 | 20:12h | UTCCommentaries:
Vaccine plus previous infection may offer enhanced COVID-19 protection – CIDRAP
Commentary on Twitter
Study found prior #SARSCoV2 infection was associated with lower risk for breakthrough infection among persons receiving the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines; however, the observational study design precludes direct comparison of infection risk btwn the 2 vaccines https://t.co/1RLuKSGPjy
— JAMA (@JAMA_current) November 1, 2021
Populational study in Qatar showed the effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 Delta-induced severe, critical or fatal disease was 93.4% for the Pfizer vaccine and 96.1% for Moderna.
14 Nov, 2021 | 20:11h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter
A study in @NatureMedicine shows that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective at preventing severe outcomes and death caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in Qatar despite substantially lower effectiveness at blocking infection. https://t.co/V09Ma583fy pic.twitter.com/QG2HaDsrCo
— Nature Portfolio (@NaturePortfolio) November 4, 2021
SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are safe and immunogenic in most people with cancer, according to study.
14 Nov, 2021 | 20:05h | UTCNews Release: SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are safe and immunogenic in most people with cancer, according to study – Harvard Medical School
Original study: Immunogenicity and Reactogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines in Patients With Cancer: The CANVAX Cohort Study – Journal of Clinical Oncology
Commentary from the author on Twitter (thread – click for more)
The CANVAX study is out in @JCO_ASCO! https://t.co/WKrU6dQIEB
Grateful to >1000 CANVAX participants, study leads ( @JustinGainor, @MGHPathology, @BalazsLab) and so many co-authors incl. @arthur_kim_ID, @KimberlyBlumen1, @joanhowMD, @dradityabardia
Much more to come!— Vivek Naranbhai, MD, PhD, DPhil (@vivek_naranbhai) November 10, 2021
#AHA21 – RCT: Among children and adolescents who had screening echocardiograms and were identified as having latent rheumatic heart disease, secondary antibiotic prophylaxis with penicillin G benzathine for 2 years was associated with reduced echocardiographic progression (0.8 vs. 8.2% in the control group).
14 Nov, 2021 | 20:03h | UTCSecondary Antibiotic Prophylaxis for Latent Rheumatic Heart Disease – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries:
Secondary Antibiotic Prophylaxis for Latent Rheumatic Heart Disease – American College of Cardiology
Commentaries on Twitter
One of most important studies ever Rheumatic Heart Disease @NEJM https://t.co/U8FuNHLqCJ RCT evidence 2ry prophylaxis reduces progression latent RhD pic.twitter.com/UycTElr7QM
— Michael Marks (@dr_michaelmarks) November 13, 2021
Penicillin slowed the devastating impact of rheumatic heart disease among children in Uganda. Findings of a large-scale, randomized controlled trial were completed in Uganda. Group A strep underlies rheumatic heart disease. New England Journal of Medicine https://t.co/1PKFJ12FvC
— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) November 13, 2021
RCT: BBV152 (India’s COVAXIN) has an overall vaccine efficacy of 77.8% against symptomatic Covid-19 in adults.
12 Nov, 2021 | 10:43h | UTCInvited Commentary: Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (BBV152)-induced protection against symptomatic COVID-19 – The Lancet
Related: WHO issues emergency use approval for India’s Covaxin.
Commentary on Twitter
NEW—Interim data from a phase 3 trial of #BBV152, a COVID-19 vaccine developed in India, suggests it is safe and two doses offer 77.8% protection against symptomatic #COVID19. https://t.co/QWtz0AWd1X
— The Lancet (@TheLancet) November 11, 2021
Boosting immunity to COVID-19 vaccines – “New studies highlight the immunological benefits of COVID-19 vaccine boosters, but questions remain over how to best make use of a limited global supply”.
12 Nov, 2021 | 10:37h | UTCBoosting immunity to COVID-19 vaccines – Nature Medicine
Map: The world according to covid vaccine coverage.
12 Nov, 2021 | 10:34h | UTCThe world according to covid vaccine coverage – The BMJ
Commentary on Twitter
A year since the first covid vaccines were announced, rollouts are under way all over the world—to differing degrees.
This map shows the percentage of national population to have received two doses of covid vaccinehttps://t.co/rIU3qeWXIK @munkeatlooi pic.twitter.com/zZHr1XXBe8
— The BMJ (@bmj_latest) November 11, 2021
EMA Recommendation: Dapagliflozin 5mg should no longer be used for the treatment of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus due to increased risk of diabetic ketoacidosis.
12 Nov, 2021 | 10:28h | UTC
Some immune checkpoint inhibitors can cause serious arrhythmias and myocarditis.
12 Nov, 2021 | 09:57h | UTCOriginal study: Electrocardiographic Manifestations of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Myocarditis – Circulation (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Related:
Cohort study: Among older adults with diabetes who were hospitalized for common medical conditions, intensification of diabetes medications at hospital discharge was associated with an increased short-term risk of severe hypoglycemia events but was not associated with improved glycemic control.
12 Nov, 2021 | 09:51h | UTC