News & Updates

New drug applications approved by US FDA as of 16 - 31 December 2022 which includes New Molecular Entities (NMEs) and new biologics. It does not include Tentative Approvals. Supplemental approvals may have occurred since the original approval date.

At a recent webinar, experts discussed the paradigm shift in respiratory illnesses and treatment practices as the COVID-19 pandemic transitions to an endemic phase. The late Dr Mohan Ravuru, Physician Researcher and former Asia Pacific Medical Director, Abbott, Dr Johnny Sinon, Senior Emergency Physician from Makati Medical Center, Philippines, and Associate Professor Nuntra Suwantarat, Infectious Disease Specialist, from Chulabhorn International College of Medicine, Thammasat University, Thailand, delivered informative presentations and engaged the audience through a stimulating panel discussion.

Among the topics covered were the ‘immunity debt’ phenomenon leading to potential epidemics, challenges in the differential diagnosis of COVID-19 and influenza, and the importance of point-of-care, multipathogen testing as a part of the Test-Target-Treat strategy in respiratory diseases.

From 2006 to 2020, the most common invasive bacterial infections (IBIs) among infants <3 months of age are S. agalactiae, E. coli, and S. aureus, reveals a recent study in Korea. In addition, an increasing trend of S. agalactiae has been seen.

In neonates with carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) sepsis, factors such as congenital heart disease, clinical risk index for babies (CRIB) II score ≥9, shock, and severe thrombocytopaenia are associated with the risk of death, reveals a recent study.