Pharmacology/Pharmaceutical Industry
Review: Vaccine development for emerging infectious diseases
14 Apr, 2021 | 02:01h | UTCVaccine development for emerging infectious diseases – Nature
RCT: Inhaled budesonide shortens recovery time in non-hospitalized patients with COVID-19
13 Apr, 2021 | 05:30h | UTCOriginal study (preprint): Inhaled budesonide for COVID-19 in people at higher risk of adverse outcomes in the community: interim analyses from the PRINCIPLE trial – medRxiv
Commentary: Covid: Asthma drug ‘speeds up recovery at home’ – BBC
Related study: Phase 2 RCT: Inhaled budesonide shows promise for the treatment of early COVID-19 (study and commentaries)
RCT: Comparison of Levetiracetam vs. Zonisamide vs. Lamotrigine for newly diagnosed focal epilepsy shows Lamotrigine should remain the first-line treatment option
12 Apr, 2021 | 00:51h | UTCCommentary: Clinical trials assess best first-line drugs for epilepsy – University of Liverpool
Cohort Study: Effects of fluoroquinolones on outcomes of patients with aortic dissection or aneurysm
13 Apr, 2021 | 05:05h | UTCRelated: Another study suggests fluoroquinolone use may increase the risk of development of aortic aneurysms (study and commentaries) AND Link between fluoroquinolones, aorta problems may not be as strong as thought AND Study: Oral Fluoroquinolones and Risk of Mitral and Aortic Regurgitation AND FDA Warns About Increased Risk of Aortic Dissection and Ruptures of Aortic Aneurism with Fluoroquinolones AND Meta-analysis: Fluoroquinolones and the Risk of Aortopathy AND Study: Oral Fluoroquinolone and the Risk of Aortic Dissection AND Research: Fluoroquinolone use and risk of aortic aneurysm and dissection
RCT: Comparison of Valproate vs. Levetiracetam for newly diagnosed generalized and unclassifiable epilepsy shows Valproate should remain the first-line treatment option
12 Apr, 2021 | 00:52h | UTCCommentary: Clinical trials assess best first-line drugs for epilepsy – University of Liverpool
China considers mixing COVID-19 vaccines to boost protection rate
13 Apr, 2021 | 05:24h | UTCChina considers mixing COVID-19 vaccines to boost protection rate – Reuters
[Press release – not published yet] Phase 3 prevention trial showed 81% reduced risk of symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections with subcutaneous administration of monoclonal antibodies
13 Apr, 2021 | 05:26h | UTCCommentaries: Regeneron says antibody cocktail prevented Covid when given as simple injection, not an IV – STAT AND Regeneron’s Covid mAb as a prophylactic injection: Reduced risk of symptomatic infection by 81% – Endpoint News
[Preprint] Pfizer vaccine less effective for SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.351
12 Apr, 2021 | 01:26h | UTCCommentaries: South African variant may evade protection from Pfizer vaccine, Israeli study says – Reuters AND Israeli data shows South African variant able to ‘break through’ Pfizer vaccine – The Times of Israel
Related: Another study indicates SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.351, but not variant B.1.1.7, has partial resistance to neutralizing antibodies generated by natural infection or mRNA vaccination AND SARS-CoV-2 variants B.1.351 and P.1 can escape from therapeutic antibodies and evade antibodies induced by infection or mRNA vaccination AND B.1.351 strain of SARS-CoV-2 neutralization titer reduced 8- to 9-fold for Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccinees. Convalescent plasma and therapeutic antibodies were less effective against this variant as well.
[Preprint] Efficacy and safety of CoronaVac in healthcare professionals in Brazil
12 Apr, 2021 | 01:17h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
Preprint on Brazilian trial by @butantanoficial of Sinovac's CoronaVac, 2 weeks apart. Data for 9,823 people who had 2 doses, 12,396 after 1 dose.The P1 ("Brazilian") variant of concern was not circulating in the areas the trial ran…1/n https://t.co/eN8ww8rYZF HT @josegallucci pic.twitter.com/hSR3QmZ0u8
— Hilda Bastian, PhD (@hildabast) April 11, 2021
Papers Confirm Rare Thrombocytopenia Link to AstraZeneca Vaccine
12 Apr, 2021 | 01:20h | UTCPapers Confirm Rare Thrombocytopenia Link to AstraZeneca Vaccine – TCTMD
Study 1: Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia after ChAdOx1 nCov-19 Vaccination – New England Journal of Medicine
Study 2: Thrombosis and Thrombocytopenia after ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 Vaccination – New England Journal of Medicine
EMA Reviews Link Between Blood Clots and Johnson & Johnson Vaccine
12 Apr, 2021 | 01:18h | UTCEMA Reviews Link Between Blood Clots and Johnson & Johnson Vaccine – Health Policy Watch
See also: Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine under scrutiny at EMA after 4 ‘serious cases’ of unusual blood clots – Fierce Pharma AND J&J COVID-19 vaccine under EU review over blood clots, AstraZeneca probe grows – Reuters
Chinese COVID-19 vaccine maintains protection in variant-plagued Brazil
12 Apr, 2021 | 01:14h | UTCChinese COVID-19 vaccine maintains protection in variant-plagued Brazil – Science
Original study: [Preprint] CoronaVac is 50% effective for reducing symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection after the first dose in the setting of high P.1 variant transmission in Brazil (study and commentary on Twitter)
AstraZeneca vaccine: Blood clots are “extremely rare” and benefits outweigh risks, regulators conclude
9 Apr, 2021 | 03:33h | UTC
Phase 2 RCT: Inhaled budesonide shows promise for the treatment of early COVID-19
12 Apr, 2021 | 01:24h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter
NEW Research— Early administration of inhaled budesonide reduced the likelihood of needing urgent medical care and reduced time to recovery after early #COVID19
RCT from Mona Bafadhel & colleagues https://t.co/6cJogJs7rp pic.twitter.com/C1dhmTcexP
— The Lancet Respiratory Medicine (@LancetRespirMed) April 10, 2021
[Preprint] CoronaVac is 50% effective for reducing symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection after the first dose in the setting of high P.1 variant transmission in Brazil
9 Apr, 2021 | 03:36h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
New 50% efficacy study of Brazil-predominant vaccine CoronaVac (by Sinovac) in Manaus ?? among healthcare workers when #P1 ~75% dominant. Not a trial, but the study found a 1st dose >=14-days efficacy of 50% on symptomatic #COVID19, ~32% if +asymptomatic. https://t.co/YMmZ3mmSDI pic.twitter.com/jwx5R627ys
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) April 8, 2021
The NIH COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel’s Statement on the Emergency Use Authorization of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Monoclonal Antibodies for the Treatment of COVID-19
9 Apr, 2021 | 03:35h | UTC
Editorial by Dr. Antony Fauci: The story behind COVID-19 vaccines
9 Apr, 2021 | 03:32h | UTCThe story behind COVID-19 vaccines – Science
Perspective | Evidence isn’t Everything – Evidence-based medicine and statin decision-making
8 Apr, 2021 | 08:41h | UTCEvidence isn’t Everything – Evidence-based medicine and statin decision-making
Commentary on Twitter
My latest substack on using EBM for medical decisions.
Mike, a middle-aged active person, has been told to take a #statin
Should he?
Mentions in the post — @AndrewFoy82 @LuisCLCorreia @ProfDFrancis @DrJHoward @RogueRad @ProfHayward https://t.co/XJ6eBQ7Zj7
— John Mandrola, MD (@drjohnm) April 7, 2021
A method for tapering antipsychotic treatment that may minimize the risk of relapse
7 Apr, 2021 | 01:25h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
(Thread) Today we have published a paper on a way to reduce antipsychotics to minimise withdrawal effects and possibly relapse in @SchizBulletin. https://t.co/rbsBQLIuni with thanks to co-authors Robin Murray, David Taylor, @sameerjauhar and Sridhar Natesan. (1/n)
— Mark Horowitz (@markhoro) March 23, 2021
UK regulator confirms that people should continue to receive the COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca
8 Apr, 2021 | 09:05h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter
Following suspensions by some countries of the COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca over suspected blood clots, the MHRA confirms that the benefits of the vaccine in preventing COVID-19 far outweigh the risks. People should still go and get their COVID-19 vaccine https://t.co/zse5RUIct1
— Antibiotic Steward??Bassam Ghanem (@ABsteward) April 7, 2021
WHO Interim statement: A causal relationship between the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and the occurrence of blood clots with low platelets is considered plausible but is not confirmed
8 Apr, 2021 | 09:09h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
? Interim statement of the #COVID19 subcommittee of the WHO Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety on the AstraZeneca vaccine https://t.co/p8XMMAiUne pic.twitter.com/7DMRNFxQsX
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) April 7, 2021
AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine: EMA finds possible link to very rare cases of unusual blood clots with low blood platelets. The benefits of the vaccine continue to outweigh the risks for people who receive it.
8 Apr, 2021 | 09:07h | UTCCommentaries: In rare instances, AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine linked to blood clots, regulators say – STAT AND Expert reaction to statements from MHRA and EMA in relation to the AstraZeneca vaccine and rare blood clots and low blood platelets – Science Media Centre
JCVI statement on use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine: “JCVI currently advises that it is preferable for adults aged <30 years to be offered an alternative COVID-19 vaccine, if available.”
8 Apr, 2021 | 09:02h | UTCJCVI statement on use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine: 7 April 2021 – GOV.UK
Commentaries: Covid: Under-30s offered alternative to Oxford-AstraZeneca jab – BBC AND Expert reaction to statements from MHRA and EMA in relation to the AstraZeneca vaccine and rare blood clots and low blood platelets – Science Media Centre
ACP Guidance: Appropriate Use of Short-Course Antibiotics in Common Infections
6 Apr, 2021 | 01:12h | UTCSummary for Patients: Appropriate Use of Short-Course Antibiotics in Common Infections: Best Practice Advice From the American College of Physicians
Systematic review: Selective serotonin re‐uptake inhibitors for premature ejaculation in adult men
7 Apr, 2021 | 01:10h | UTCSelective serotonin re‐uptake inhibitors for premature ejaculation in adult men – Cochrane Library