News &amp; Updates

The incidence of adverse events among critically ill older patients is similar between those receiving dexmedetomidine and those receiving usual care, a study has shown.

Bulevirtide-PegIFNα combo yields benefits for CHD patients

21 Nov 2023 by

A combination regimen comprising bulevirtide 10 mg (BLV10) and pegylated interferon alpha-2a (PegIFNα) improved multiple liver parameters in patients with chronic hepatitis delta (CHD), findings from the phase IIb MYR204 study have shown.

Adjuvant alectinib boosts DFS in early stage, resected ALK+ NSCLC

21 Nov 2023 by

Adjuvant targeted treatment with the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitor alectinib significantly improved disease-free survival (DFS) at 2 years compared with platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with early stage, completely resected ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (ALK+ NSCLC) in the primary analysis of the phase III ALINA trial.

Alpha blockers tied to less favourable cardiovascular profile than 5-ARIs in BPH

In the treatment of men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), alpha blockers appear to be associated with worse cardiovascular outcomes compared with 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs), as shown in a study.

Semaglutide reduces CV risk in overweight/obese patients without T2D

21 Nov 2023 by

Treatment with semaglutide reduced the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) among overweight/obese patients with pre-existing cardiovascular (CV) disease but without type 2 diabetes (T2D), according to the SELECT trial presented at AHA 2023.

Naltrexone, acamprosate favoured in meta-analysis of alcohol use disorder medications

Oral naltrexone and acamprosate are associated with improved outcomes in individuals with alcohol use disorder and are supported as first-line pharmacotherapies in a meta-analysis.

Remdesivir, favipiravir may not be heart-friendly

Remdesivir and favipiravir does not appear to be heart-friendly in patients with COVID-19, according to a study presented at APSR 2023.

20 Nov 2023

8-week TAF course enough to prevent mother–child HBV transmission

An 8-week course is as good as a 12-week course of tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF) therapy in terms of preventing the transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection from mothers to infants, as reported in a study.

Antihypertensives reduce adverse CV outcomes, but not death, in HFpEF patients

Use of antihypertensive medications does not appear to reduce the risk of all-cause mortality in patients with heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), reports a study presented at AHA 2023. However, treatment with antihypertensives can lower the risk of adverse cardiovascular (CV) outcomes regardless of the patient’s hypertension status.

Dapagliflozin offers cardioprotection in HF patients with T2D

Treatment with dapagliflozin results in a lower risk of worsening heart failure (HF) or cardiovascular death and improvements in symptoms among patients with HF and type 2 diabetes (T2D), with or without neuropathy, according to a study presented at AHA 2023. However, the beneficial effects of dapagliflozin appears more evident in those with neuropathy.