“Long Covid” linked to disease of small airways in lungs

Researchers report that persistent disease of the small airways in the lungs, with yet unknown long-term effects, appears to be a possible log-term effect of COVID-19, and it is unrelated to initial infection severity. The findings were published on March 15, 2022 in Radiology. “For the first time, we’re describing small airways disease in this population of COVID-19 patients with […]

Ivermectin associated with lower mortality than remdesivir

An analysis of the records more than 41,000 patients who had covid-19 and were treated with either ivermectin or remdesivir showed that ivermectin was associated with significantly lower risk of death. Researchers used data from the TriNetX Research network, a federated EMR network of over 44 healthcare organizations and 68 million patients in the US, to identify covid-19 cases. They […]

Saphnelo approved in the EU for the treatment of moderate to severe systemic lupus erythematosus – AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca’s Saphnelo (anifrolumab) has been approved in the European Union as an add-on therapy for the treatment of adult patients with moderate to severe, active autoantibody-positive systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), despite receiving standard therapy. Saphnelo is the first biologic for SLE approved in Europe with an indication that is not restricted to patients with a high degree of disease activity. […]

TGA in Australia has granted provisional registration for Spikevax COVID 19 vaccine for children aged 6-11 years old – Moderna

Moderna, Inc., announced that the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia has granted provisional registration for the use of Moderna’s mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, Spikevax, in a 50 µg dose, two-dose series, for active immunization to prevent COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 in children aged 6-11 years. The TGA authorization for the use of the COVID-19 vaccine in children 6-11 years old […]

Antibodies improve in quality for months after COVID-19 vaccination

For at least six months after COVID-19 vaccination, antibodies produced by immune cells become steadily more formidable and more precisely targeted against the virus that causes COVID-19, according to a study of the antibody response to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The idea that antibodies increase in quality as they decrease […]

Incyte announces FDA approval of Jakafi for treatment of chronic graft-versus-host disease

Incyte has announced that the FDA has approved Jakafi (ruxolitinib) for treatment of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after failure of one or two lines of systemic therapy in adult and pediatric patients 12 years and older. “GVHD is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients following an allogeneic stem cell transplant, yet there historically have been limited treatment […]

Lab results show promise for future pancreatic cancer treatment

University of Illinois Chicago researchers have developed a compound that may one day offer hope for pancreatic cancer treatment. A pre-clinical study of the experimental compound shows that it more than doubles the average survival time for mice with pancreatic cancer and that survival time was extended further when combined with immunotherapy. Led by Ajay Rana, professor of surgery at the UIC […]

Phase III CARISEL study of Vocabria + Rekambys shows long-acting regimen is achievable in HIV – ViiV Healthcare

ViiV Healthcare presented positive interim data from the Phase III CARISEL study of Vocabria + Rekambys (cabotegravir + rilpivirine), which was initiated and conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study evaluated perspectives of healthcare teams and people living with HIV, through surveys and interviews, around the implementation of Vocabria (cabotegravir injection) and Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson’s Rekambys […]