Pharmacology/Pharmaceutical Industry
After COVID-19 successes, researchers push to develop mRNA vaccines for other infectious diseases and cancer.
2 Jun, 2021 | 08:34h | UTC
[Press release – not published yet] The city of Serrana in Brazil has seen a 95% drop in Covid-19 deaths after almost all adults were vaccinated with Chinese CoronaVac – The findings suggest the pandemic can be controlled after 75% of people are fully vaccinated.
2 Jun, 2021 | 08:39h | UTCCommentaries: Study in Brazilian town shows 95% efficacy of Sinovac’s vaccine in reducing death by COVID-19 – Global Times AND Brazil Covid: Deaths plunge after town’s adults vaccinated – BBC AND Sinovac vaccine restores a Brazilian city to near normal – Associated Press
Systematic review: Driving performance under treatment of most frequently prescribed drugs for mental disorders – 31% of schizophrenic or schizoaffective patients under antipsychotics, and 18% of unipolar and bipolar patients under antidepressants showed severe impairment in skills relevant for driving.
2 Jun, 2021 | 08:24h | UTC
Perspective | Can I get AstraZeneca now and Pfizer later? Why mixing and matching COVID vaccines could help solve many rollout problems.
1 Jun, 2021 | 08:20h | UTC
Vaccines that can protect against many coronaviruses could prevent another pandemic.
1 Jun, 2021 | 08:15h | UTCVaccines that can protect against many coronaviruses could prevent another pandemic – Science (a few articles per month are free)
M-A: Triple vs. dual inhaler therapy in patients with moderate to severe asthma – fewer severe asthma exacerbations, but without significant differences in quality of life or mortality.
1 Jun, 2021 | 08:12h | UTCTriple vs Dual Inhaler Therapy and Asthma Outcomes in Moderate to Severe Asthma: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis – JAMA (free for a limited period)
Commentary on Twitter
Among patients with moderate to severe asthma, triple therapy compared with dual therapy was significantly associated with fewer severe asthma exacerbations and modest improvements in asthma control but no significant difference in quality of life https://t.co/icKsWu0Md9 #ATS2021
— JAMA (@JAMA_current) May 19, 2021
AGA Clinical Practice Guidelines on the Medical Management of Moderate to Severe Luminal and Perianal Fistulizing Crohn’s Disease.
1 Jun, 2021 | 08:07h | UTCTechnical Review: AGA Technical Review on the Medical Management of Moderate to Severe Luminal and Perianal Fistulizing Crohn’s Disease
Clinical Decision Support Tool / Algorithm: Medical Management of Adult Outpatients With Moderate to Severe Lunminal Crohn’s Disease
Commentary on Twitter
Here are the @AmerGastroAssn guidelines on the management of moderate-severe Crohn disease. #GITwitter #GI #gut #IBD https://t.co/VlT4xTUE8t pic.twitter.com/ayYlpVkkod
— John Damianos, M.D. (@john_damianosMD) May 28, 2021
Opinion | 7 reasons why we should not need boosters for COVID-19.
31 May, 2021 | 08:21h | UTC7 Reasons Why We Should Not Need Boosters for COVID-19 – by Monica Ghandi, MD
Covid-19 vaccination prevents transmission from vaccinated to unvaccinated household members.
31 May, 2021 | 08:18h | UTCThe indirect effect of mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccination on unvaccinated household members – medRxiv
Commentary on Twitter
More on less transmission, yet another incentive:
"Our results suggest that mRNA-based vaccines do not only prevent #SARSCoV2 infections among vaccinated individuals but lead to a substantial reduction in infections among unvaccinated household members"https://t.co/sIqoOLiH3b pic.twitter.com/6rv2tojR2m— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) May 29, 2021
[Not published yet] Observational study in Uruguay found CoronaVac reduced mortality by 97 percent – “In people who had received two doses, it reduced infection with the coronavirus by 57 percent and intensive care admissions by 95 percent”.
31 May, 2021 | 08:14h | UTCCoronaVac reduces mortality by 97 percent: Uruguay study – Associated Press
Observational study suggests ceftriaxone is similarly effective to benzylpenicillin for the treatment of neurosyphilis, potentially decreasing the length of hospital stay (mean 13.8 days vs. 8.9 days).
31 May, 2021 | 08:06h | UTCCeftriaxone compared with benzylpenicillin in the treatment of neurosyphilis in France: a retrospective multicentre study – The Lancet Infectious Diseases (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Lab study found CoronaVac serum neutralization efficiency was significantly decreased against B.1.526, P.1, and B1.351 SARS-CoV-2 variants.
28 May, 2021 | 08:26h | UTC
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.
28 May, 2021 | 08:27h | UTCInvited Commentary: Exploiting an early immunological window of opportunity in COVID-19 – The Lancet Respiratory Medicine
RCT: Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine shows 100% efficacy in adolescents – mainly transient mild-to-moderate reactogenicity was frequently observed, such as injection-site pain (in 79 to 86% of participants), fatigue (in 60 to 66%), and headache (in 55 to 65%).
28 May, 2021 | 08:24h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter
The 12-15 year-olds mRNA vaccine randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial is published @NEJM today [@BioNTech_Group/@Pfizer]https://t.co/7GlgC9xdd0
—100% efficacy (95% CI 75,100)
—1.8 X higher levels of neutralizing antibodies than 16-25 yr olds
—very good safety profile pic.twitter.com/hQzkpuA5Nu— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) May 27, 2021
Covid-19: Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is “likely” responsible for deaths of some elderly patients, Norwegian review finds.
28 May, 2021 | 08:22h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter
The Pfizer-BioNTech covid-19 vaccine is “likely” to have been responsible for at least 10 deaths of frail elderly people in nursing homes in Norway, an expert review concluded, although it emphasised considerable uncertainty around its conclusionshttps://t.co/w32jH6MtRH
— The BMJ (@bmj_latest) May 27, 2021
RCT: 2 inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines show efficacy of 72.8% and 78.1% on symptomatic COVID-19 infection in adults.
27 May, 2021 | 08:38h | UTCCommentary: China’s Sinopharm Publishes Awaited Covid Vaccine Study Details – Bloomberg
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
https://twitter.com/hildabast/status/1397678056270012419
Can people vaccinated against COVID-19 still spread the coronavirus? – “Preliminary evidence seems to suggest the COVID-19 vaccines make it less likely someone who’s vaccinated will transmit the coronavirus”.
27 May, 2021 | 08:27h | UTCCan people vaccinated against COVID-19 still spread the coronavirus? – The Conversation
Related: Indirect Protection by Reducing Transmission: Ending the Pandemic with SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination – “Tell the hesitant: the vaccines protect both you and protect others — a lot!”
[Preprint] More data showing a single-dose SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine may be enough in individuals with previous COVID-19.
27 May, 2021 | 08:31h | UTCSingle-dose SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in a prospective cohort of COVID-19 patients – medRxiv
See also: SARS-CoV-2 vaccines for all but a single dose for COVID-19 survivors – EClinicalMedicine
Related: Another study shows a single dose of mRNA vaccine may be enough for patients with previous Covid-19
Commentaries on Twitter
If you had prior covid and you're wondering about getting vaccinated, here's a new prospective study showing single dose -> marked neutralizing antibody protection to the major variants AND again more than without prior covid and 2 mRNA doses https://t.co/k9v5gEDn2M pic.twitter.com/Z8nT3pL04v
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) May 26, 2021
One dose of vaccine for prior covid.
Change the policy. Avoid unnecessary side effects and instead of wasting vaccine doses get them to the people around the world in needhttps://t.co/ODhx5kgAnq @EBioMedicine @MattFrieman @VivianaSimonLab @florian_krammer pic.twitter.com/oAeju9AASm— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) May 26, 2021
Opinion | Rich countries cornered COVID-19 vaccine doses. Four strategies to right a ‘scandalous inequity’.
27 May, 2021 | 08:29h | UTCRich countries cornered COVID-19 vaccine doses. Four strategies to right a ‘scandalous inequity’ – Science (a few articles per month are free)
Commentary on Twitter
Tedros @WHO calls it a "scandalous inequity" that COVID-19 vaccine doses largely have gone to wealthy countries. @kakape and I took a close look at four strategies to improve access and equity–and the likely timelines.
https://t.co/10Os0yCnFE pic.twitter.com/RMeL6t8aCV— Jon Cohen (@sciencecohen) May 26, 2021
Moderna says its Covid vaccine is 100% effective in teens, plans to seek FDA OK in early June.
27 May, 2021 | 08:25h | UTCModerna says its Covid vaccine is 100% effective in teens, plans to seek FDA OK in early June – CNBC
Commentary on Twitter
BREAKING: Moderna study of more than 3,700 12- to 17-year olds found 100% effficacy in those who received 2-dose #covid19 #vaccine, no significant safety problems. Will apply for FDA authorization.https://t.co/l0MHiLjCcA
— Leana Wen, M.D. (@DrLeanaWen) May 25, 2021
RCT: Among patients with prosthetic joint infection, antibiotic therapy for 6 weeks was NOT shown to be noninferior to antibiotic therapy for 12 weeks and resulted in a higher percentage of patients with unfavorable outcomes.
27 May, 2021 | 08:20h | UTCAntibiotic Therapy for 6 or 12 Weeks for Prosthetic Joint Infection – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
[Preprint] Meta-analysis of RCT: Ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19 – no effect on all-cause mortality, length of stay, or viral clearance
26 May, 2021 | 08:41h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter
🆕💥💥Preprint
Ivermectin for the treatment of #COVID19 : A systematic review & meta-analysis of RCTs
10 RCTs
1173 patients
8 RCTs➡️ Mild
1 RCT ➡️ Moderate
1 RCT➡️ Mild& mod
Ivermectin did not reduce all-cause mortality,length of stay or viral clearance https://t.co/QMx0wlfS8f pic.twitter.com/6yddqwqPF6— Antibiotic Steward Bassam Ghanem 🅱️C🆔🅿️🌟 (@ABsteward) May 25, 2021
Methotrexate reduces immune response to mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory disease.
26 May, 2021 | 08:38h | UTCCommentary: Methotrexate users have a reduced immune response to mRNA COVID-19 vaccine – BMJ
Editorial | A patent waiver on COVID vaccines is right and fair.
26 May, 2021 | 08:35h | UTCA patent waiver on COVID vaccines is right and fair – Nature
Related: Analysis: Covid-19: How will a waiver on vaccine patents affect global supply?
Living systematic review: The evidence is insufficient to determine the benefits and harms of vitamin D supplementation as a treatment of COVID‐19.
25 May, 2021 | 08:55h | UTCSummary: Is vitamin D an effective and safe treatment for COVID-19? – Cochrane Library