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Pharmacology/Pharmaceutical Industry

[Press release – not published yet] Merck announces oral antiviral Molnupiravir reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50 Percent compared to placebo for patients with mild or moderate COVID-19.

3 Oct, 2021 | 23:02h | UTC

Merck and Ridgeback’s Investigational Oral Antiviral Molnupiravir Reduced the Risk of Hospitalization or Death by Approximately 50 Percent Compared to Placebo for Patients with Mild or Moderate COVID-19 in Positive Interim Analysis of Phase 3 Study

Commentaries:

Expert reaction to interim analysis of oral antiviral molnupiravir – Science Media Centre

Merck’s antiviral pill reduces hospitalization of Covid patients, a possible game-changer for treatment – STAT

Covid antiviral pill can halve risk of hospitalization – BBC

Why Merck’s Covid-19 pill molnupiravir could be so important – Vox

‘Unquestionably a game changer!’ Antiviral pill cuts COVID-19 hospitalization risk – Researchers excited about Merck drug, but caution data are preliminary and price is high – Science

 

Commentaries on Twitter

(thread – click for more)

 

New analysis shows benefits of offering two doses of COVID-19 vaccine to children aged 12-17 clearly outweigh risks.

3 Oct, 2021 | 22:52h | UTC

News release: New analysis shows benefits of offering two doses of COVID-19 vaccine to children aged 12-17 clearly outweigh risks – The Royal Society of Medicine

Original report: Vaccinating adolescents against SARS-CoV-2 in England: a risk-benefit analysis

Related: Covid: Single jab recommended for 12 to 15-year-olds by UK’s top doctors.

 

Editorial | Clinical ethics: consent for vaccination in children.

3 Oct, 2021 | 22:53h | UTC

Clinical ethics: consent for vaccination in children – Archives of Disease in Childhood

 

Editorial | Covid-19 vaccination: evidence of waning immunity is overstated.

3 Oct, 2021 | 22:49h | UTC

Covid-19 vaccination: evidence of waning immunity is overstated – The BMJ

Related:

COVID vaccine immunity is waning — how much does that matter? – “As debates about booster shots heat up, what’s known about the duration of vaccine-based immunity is still evolving”.

COVID vaccine effects wane over time but still prevent death and severe illness.

Perspective | What we actually know about waning immunity.

Another study shows Pfizer mRNA vaccine immunity is reduced over time.

[Press release – not published yet] Study shows vaccine protection wanes over time, but vaccines still offer good protection against severe disease.

Studies: COVID vaccine protection waning against infection but not hospitalization.

Pfizer says it’s time for a Covid booster; FDA and CDC say not so fast.

 

WHO prioritizes access to diabetes and cancer treatments in new Essential Medicines Lists.

3 Oct, 2021 | 22:46h | UTC

News Release: WHO prioritizes access to diabetes and cancer treatments in new Essential Medicines Lists – World Health Organization

Report: WHO model list of essential medicines – 22nd list, 2021 – World Health Organization

Commentary: For the first time, WHO committee recommends action on high-priced essential medicines – STAT

 

Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)

 

Another meta-analysis suggests standard-dose prophylactic anticoagulation is the best option for patients hospitalized with Covid-19.

1 Oct, 2021 | 10:35h | UTC

A Systematic Review and a Meta-Analysis Comparing Prophylactic and Therapeutic Low Molecular Weight Heparins for Mortality Reduction in 32,688 COVID-19 Patients – Frontiers in Pharmacology

Related: M-A: Safety and efficacy of different prophylactic anticoagulation dosing regimens in critically and non-critically ill patients with COVID-19 – According to this analysis, standard-dose prophylactic anticoagulation should be the standard of care for hospitalized patients with COVID-19 who do not have an indication for therapeutic anticoagulation, irrespective of disease severity.

 

Cannabis products are being sold as sleep remedies – here’s the evidence about their effectiveness.

1 Oct, 2021 | 10:07h | UTC

Cannabis products are being sold as sleep remedies – here’s the evidence about their effectiveness – The Conversation

Related studies:

Cannabinol and Sleep: Separating Fact from Fiction – Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research

Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids for Impaired Sleep: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials – Sleep (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

 

RCT: Doxycycline better than Azithromycin for the treatment of rectal Chlamydia in men who have sex with men.

1 Oct, 2021 | 10:09h | UTC

Doxycycline Versus Azithromycin for the Treatment of Rectal Chlamydia in Men Who Have Sex With Men: A Randomized Controlled Trial – Clinical Infectious Diseases

Related: RCT: Doxycycline for 7 days superior to single-dose azithromycin for the treatment of rectal chlamydia infection.

 

RCT: REGEN-COV antibody combination reduces hospitalizations in outpatients with Covid-19.

30 Sep, 2021 | 10:33h | UTC

REGEN-COV Antibody Combination and Outcomes in Outpatients with Covid-19 – New England Journal of Medicine

 

[Press release – Not published yet] Clover’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate demonstrates 79% efficacy against Delta.

30 Sep, 2021 | 10:30h | UTC

Clover’s COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Demonstrates 79% Efficacy Against Delta in Global Phase 2/3 SPECTRA Trial Dominated by Variants of Concern and Interest – Clover Biopharmaceutical

Commentary: New Chinese vaccine could bolster global arsenal – Science

 

Randomized trial with over 30.000 patients showed AstraZeneca vaccine was safe and resulted in 74% efficacy against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection.

30 Sep, 2021 | 10:32h | UTC

Phase 3 Safety and Efficacy of AZD1222 (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19) Covid-19 Vaccine – New England Journal of Medicine

 

Commentaries on Twitter

https://twitter.com/NEJM/status/1443331005050355715

https://twitter.com/EricTopol/status/1443336261897392133

 

RCT: Vasopressin + Methylprednisolone increase the likelihood of return of spontaneous circulation compared to placebo in patients with in-hospital cardiac arrest.

30 Sep, 2021 | 10:23h | UTC

Effect of Vasopressin and Methylprednisolone vs Placebo on Return of Spontaneous Circulation in Patients With In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Randomized Clinical Trial – JAMA (free for a limited period)

Editorial: Vasopressin and Steroids as Adjunctive Treatment for In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (free for a limited period)

 

Commentary on Twitter

 

RCT: Maintenance vs. discontinuation of antidepressants in patients who felt well enough to discontinue antidepressant therapy.

30 Sep, 2021 | 10:22h | UTC

Maintenance or Discontinuation of Antidepressants in Primary Care – New England Journal of Medicine

Commentaries:

Many can stop anti-depressants without relapse – BBC

Study highlights difficulty of stopping antidepressants – Associated Press

 

Methylphenidate for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adults: a narrative review.

30 Sep, 2021 | 10:07h | UTC

Methylphenidate for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adults: a narrative review – Psychopharmacology

 

Commentary on Twitter

 

Optimizing antimicrobial use in humans – review of current evidence and an interdisciplinary consensus on key priorities for research.

30 Sep, 2021 | 10:05h | UTC

Optimising antimicrobial use in humans – review of current evidence and an interdisciplinary consensus on key priorities for research – The Lancet Regional Health – Europe

 

CDC Study: Side effect rates from a third Covid-19 vaccine dose similar to those after second shot.

29 Sep, 2021 | 10:26h | UTC

Side effect rates from a third Covid-19 vaccine dose similar to those after second shot, early data indicate – STAT

Original study: Safety Monitoring of an Additional Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine — United States, August 12–September 19, 2021 – CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

 

RCT: Overall survival benefit with Tebentafusp in metastatic uveal melanoma.

28 Sep, 2021 | 09:03h | UTC

Overall Survival Benefit with Tebentafusp in Metastatic Uveal Melanoma – New England Journal of Medicine

 

Commentary on Twitter

 

Updated WHO Living Guideline: Therapeutics and COVID-19.

26 Sep, 2021 | 22:16h | UTC

Therapeutics and COVID-19: living guideline – World Health Organization

WHO Statement: On new recommendation for treatment of COVID-19 patients: WHO calls for equitable access to casirivimab and imdevimab for COVID-19

See also:

WHO recommends antibody treatment for COVID patients at high risk of hospital admission.

Antibody and cellular therapies for treatment of covid-19: a living systematic review and network meta-analysis – The BMJ

Commentary: WHO adds new recommendation for COVID-19 monoclonal antibody combo – CIDRAP

 

[Preprint] More data showing longer dosing interval increases immune response after Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine.

26 Sep, 2021 | 22:15h | UTC

Strong humoral immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 Spike after BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination with a sixteen-week interval between doses – medRxiv

Commentary: Researchers encourage longer dosing intervals for Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine – News Medical

Related:

[Preprint] Covid-19: Longer interval between Covid-19 Pfizer vaccine doses boosts immunity.

[Preprint] Delaying second Pfizer vaccine dose to 12 weeks increases specific antibody response 3.5-fold in people over 80 years of age.

Study Commentary | Single-dose Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine followed by a 12-week booster

3-month interval between first and second dose of Oxford COVID-19 vaccine results in higher vaccine efficacy than 6-week interval

 

In Gratitude for mRNA Vaccines.

26 Sep, 2021 | 22:13h | UTC

In Gratitude for mRNA Vaccines – New England Journal of Medicine

 

Opinion | Inappropriate Mixing Clinical and Systemic Thinking: Vaccines in the Young.

26 Sep, 2021 | 22:07h | UTC

Inappropriate Mixing Clinical and Systemic Thinking: Vaccines in the Young – Medium

 

Consensus Statement: Paracetamol use during pregnancy — a call for precautionary action – “Pregnant women should minimize risk by using the lowest effective APAP dose for the shortest possible time”.

26 Sep, 2021 | 22:02h | UTC

Paracetamol use during pregnancy — a call for precautionary action – Nature Reviews Endocrinology

Editorial: Caution needed: paracetamol use in pregnancy – Nature Reviews Endocrinology

Commentaries:

New research cautions about possible risks of acetaminophen use during pregnancy – STAT

Expert reaction to statement on paracetamol use during pregnancy – Science Media Centre

A Common Pain Relief Med Used in Pregnancy Should Be Taken with Caution, Experts Warn – ScienceAlert

Scientists suggest pregnant women only take paracetamol/acetaminophen if medically necessary – MedicalXpress

 

Commentary on Twitter

 

RCT: Pembrolizumab for persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer.

26 Sep, 2021 | 21:43h | UTC

Pembrolizumab for Persistent, Recurrent, or Metastatic Cervical Cancer – New England Journal of Medicine

Commentary: KEYNOTE-826: Pembrolizumab Plus Chemotherapy in Advanced Cervical Cancer – The ASCO Post

 

[Preprint] PRINCIPLE RCT: Colchicine does not improve time to recovery in outpatients with Covid-19 at higher risk of complications.

24 Sep, 2021 | 10:13h | UTC

Colchicine for COVID-19 in adults in the community (PRINCIPLE): a randomised, controlled, adaptive platform trial – medRxiv

Related: COLCORONA RCT: Colchicine for community-treated patients with COVID-19 – findings suggest it may lower death and hospital admission rates, but further studies are required.

 

Commentary on Twitter

 

WHO recommends antibody treatment for COVID patients at high risk of hospital admission.

24 Sep, 2021 | 10:11h | UTC

WHO recommends antibody treatment for COVID patients at high risk of hospital admission – British Medical Journal

Original article and infographic: A living WHO guideline on drugs for covid-19 – The BMJ

 

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