Pharmacology/Pharmaceutical Industry
RCT: Effect of continued weekly subcutaneous Semaglutide vs. placebo on weight loss maintenance in adults with overweight or obesity
24 Mar, 2021 | 08:05h | UTCEffect of Continued Weekly Subcutaneous Semaglutide vs Placebo on Weight Loss Maintenance in Adults With Overweight or Obesity: The STEP 4 Randomized Clinical Trial – JAMA (free for a limited period)
Commentaries: Continuing Semaglutide Leads to Further Weight Loss – NEJM Journal Watch AND STEP 4: Long-term treatment needed for full semaglutide benefit – MedwireNews
Podcast: Semaglutide for Weight Loss – JAMA
Commentary on Twitter
In this RCT, weekly subcutaneous subcutaneous semaglutide resulted in increased weight loss over 48 weeks vs placebo in adults with #overweight or #obesity https://t.co/Ze6zHCG1Fd
— JAMA (@JAMA_current) March 23, 2021
Nephrotoxicity from Vancomycin Combined with Piperacillin-Tazobactam: A Comprehensive Review
23 Mar, 2021 | 02:01h | UTC
Pfizer coronavirus vaccine found to be moderately less effective against B.1.351 variant
24 Mar, 2021 | 08:35h | UTCNews release: Pfizer vaccine less effective against South African variant, study finds – Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Commentary on Twitter
SARS-CoV-2 variants & neutralization: @RanTaube &Co assess #SARSCoV2 neutralization activity of convalescent or Pfizer-vaccinee sera. While vaccinee sera comparably neutralizes WT& B.1.1.7 pseudoviruses, B.1.351 moderately resists vaccine neutralization https://t.co/wucbeLY075 pic.twitter.com/B1y7vFsMDL
— Cell Host & Microbe (@cellhostmicrobe) March 22, 2021
COVID-19 mRNA vaccines show high effectiveness among healthcare workers
24 Mar, 2021 | 08:37h | UTCCOVID-19 mRNA Vaccines Show High Effectiveness Among Healthcare Workers – NEJM Journal Watch
Fauci and U.S. officials say AstraZeneca released ‘outdated information’ from Covid-19 vaccine trial
24 Mar, 2021 | 08:24h | UTCSee also: Update following statement by NIAID on AZD1222 US Phase III trial data – AstraZeneca
Original Press Release and Commentaries: AstraZeneca vaccine 79% effective for preventing symptomatic COVID-19
Editorial | Covid-19: variants and vaccination
24 Mar, 2021 | 08:32h | UTCCovid-19: variants and vaccination – The BMJ
Study: More than half of antibiotics prescribed in US hospitals were not consistent with recommended prescribing practices
21 Mar, 2021 | 21:44h | UTCAssessment of the Appropriateness of Antimicrobial Use in US Hospitals
Commentary: New findings spur call to reduce improper antibiotic use in hospitals – CIDRAP
Commentary on Twitter
Newly published CDC data estimates that more than half of antibiotics prescribed in U.S. hospitals for selected prescribing events were not consistent with recommended prescribing practices. https://t.co/oZXNX26UiD pic.twitter.com/hUOrRxsPJG
— CDC Emerging Infections (@CDC_NCEZID) March 18, 2021
M-A: Most patients with allergy to Penicillin can be given Cefazolin
21 Mar, 2021 | 21:41h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
1/Returning to my first love #antibioticallergy #penicillin allergy with @PharmerMeg to announce to #IDtwitter #MedTwitter that if you see a patient with a "penicillin allergy" history, the likelihood of them having a reaction to cefazolin/ancef is 0.7%. https://t.co/czVX6wik2Y
— Kimberly Blumenthal, MD, MSc (@KimberlyBlumen1) March 17, 2021
[Press release – not published yet] AstraZeneca vaccine 79% effective for preventing symptomatic COVID-19
23 Mar, 2021 | 02:36h | UTCCommentaries: AstraZeneca vaccine is 79% effective against symptomatic Covid-19, company says – CNN AND AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine shows better-than-expected efficacy in U.S. trial – STAT AND Expert reaction to press release from AstraZeneca announcing interim data on safety and efficacy from the US trial of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine – Science Media Centre AND AstraZeneca Publishes Reassuring Trial Data, But Vaccine Hesitancy Remains Widespread In European Union – Health Policy Watch
EMA advises against use of ivermectin for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19 outside randomized clinical trials
23 Mar, 2021 | 02:30h | UTCRelated: FDA: Why you should not use Ivermectin to treat or prevent COVID-19 (statement, commentary, and RCT)
Two Randomized Trials of Neutralizing Antibodies to Prevent HIV-1 Acquisition
21 Mar, 2021 | 21:34h | UTCTwo Randomized Trials of Neutralizing Antibodies to Prevent HIV-1 Acquisition – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
RCT: Pegcetacoplan vs. Eculizumab in Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria
21 Mar, 2021 | 21:32h | UTC
Infection and mRNA vaccine-induced immunity may be retained against SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7
21 Mar, 2021 | 22:04h | UTCNeutralizing Antibodies Against SARS-CoV-2 Variants After Infection and Vaccination – JAMA
SARS-CoV-2 variants B.1.351 and P.1 can escape from therapeutic antibodies and evade antibodies induced by infection or mRNA vaccination
21 Mar, 2021 | 22:02h | UTCSARS-CoV-2 variants B.1.351 and P.1 escape from neutralizing antibodies – Cell
[Preprint] Oxford/AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines probably can still neutralize P.1 strain of SARS-CoV-2, but at lower levels
21 Mar, 2021 | 21:55h | UTCAntibody evasion by the Brazilian P.1 strain of SARS-CoV-2 – bioRxiv
Commentary: Existing COVID vaccines may protect against Brazilian variant – Oxford study – Reuters
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.
21 Mar, 2021 | 21:52h | UTCEvidence of escape of SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.351 from natural and vaccine-induced sera – Cell
Bioethics | “Europe’s Vaccine Ethics Call: Do No Harm and Let More Die?”
21 Mar, 2021 | 21:50h | UTCEurope’s Vaccine Ethics Call: Do No Harm and Let More Die? – The New York Times (free registration may be required)
Related opinion: Covid-19 vaccine adverse events: balancing monitoring with confidence in vaccines – The BMJ Opinion
See also: European Medicines Agency finds AstraZeneca vaccine is safe and benefits outweigh the risks (Statement and commentaries) AND Statement of the WHO Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) COVID-19 subcommittee on safety signals related to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine – World Health Organization AND Update on the safety of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca (statement and commentaries)
Commentary on Twitter
Many bioethicists have a problem with how Europe halted use of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Keeping the vaccine available would have allowed people “to consensually protect themselves from a big risk by taking a very small one.” https://t.co/qctELhfFGI
— NYT Health (@NYTHealth) March 20, 2021
Modeling Study: Vaccination alone is unlikely to contain COVID-19 infections in UK
21 Mar, 2021 | 21:46h | UTCCommentaries: Risking further COVID-19 waves despite vaccination – The Lancet Infectious Diseases AND Vaccination alone is unlikely to contain COVID-19 infections in UK – The Lancet
Commentary on Twitter
Vaccination alone is unlikely to contain #COVID19 infections in UK, suggests modelling study in @TheLancetInfDis—gradual release of control measures, high vaccine uptake, and high efficacy vaccine essential to minimise future waves. https://t.co/zpbPsYVHS2 pic.twitter.com/v47v6ux4r6
— The Lancet (@TheLancet) March 19, 2021
M-A: Cholinesterase inhibitors for vascular dementia and other vascular cognitive impairments
19 Mar, 2021 | 07:52h | UTC
RCT: Intermediate-dose enoxaparin (1 mg/kg/d) not better than standard-dose prophylactic anticoagulation in patients with Covid-19 admitted to the intensive care unit
19 Mar, 2021 | 08:42h | UTCEditorial: Finding the Optimal Thromboprophylaxis Dose in Patients With COVID-19 – JAMA
Commentary on Twitter
Intermediate-dose prophylactic enoxaparin (1 mg/kg/d) had no effect on a primary composite outcome of adjudicated venous or arterial thrombosis, ECMO, or 30-d mortality vs standard dose enoxaparin among ICU patients w #COVID19 https://t.co/L6UdB31J7V
— JAMA (@JAMA_current) March 18, 2021
European Medicines Agency finds AstraZeneca vaccine is safe and benefits outweigh the risks
19 Mar, 2021 | 08:37h | UTCCommentaries: Restoring confidence after the covid-19 Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine pause will be an uphill battle – The BMJ Opinion AND European Medicines Agency: AstraZeneca Vaccine Safe – Benefits Outweigh Risks – Despite Possible Rare Events – Health Policy Watch AND Expert reaction to announcement from EMA on Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and blood clots – Science Media Centre AND European regulators say AstraZeneca vaccine safe, but can’t rule out rare events – CIDRAP AND AstraZeneca vaccine safe, but rare risk of blood clots not ruled out, EU regulator says – LiveScience AND European Medicines Agency Finds AstraZeneca Vaccine Safe And Effective – NPR
Current evidence for COVID-19 therapies: a systematic literature review
19 Mar, 2021 | 08:36h | UTC
How do you treat coronavirus? Here are physicians’ best strategies
19 Mar, 2021 | 08:33h | UTCHow do you treat coronavirus? Here are physicians’ best strategies – Science (a few articles per month are free)
Leprosy drug holds promise as at-home treatment for COVID-19
19 Mar, 2021 | 08:22h | UTCOriginal article: Clofazimine broadly inhibits coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2 – Nature
Review: Preoperative management of surgical patients using dietary supplements
18 Mar, 2021 | 08:53h | UTCPreoperative Management of Surgical Patients Using Dietary Supplements – Mayo Clinic Proceedings