News &amp; Updates

Treatment of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), a rare neuroendocrine skin cancer with high mortality and rising incidence, at either an academic or a high-volume centre tends to lead to better patient survival, as shown in a recent study.

SGLT2 inhibitors tied to kidney benefits, reduced MACE risk

Treatment with sodium-glucose lowering co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) helps arrest the decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and is associated with a lower risk of adverse kidney events among adults with diabetes, irrespective of baseline albuminuria status, as shown in a study presented at the recent ADA 2023.

17 Jul 2023

Warning against concomitant use of VPA-carbapenem ineffective: study

Simultaneous use of carbapenem and valproic acid (VPA) is not common, but the best practice advisory (BPA) that warns clinicians of an interaction between these two drugs leading to significant declines in VPA levels does not appear to work in 63 percent of instances, reveals a study.

Meal replacement trumps food-based diet for improving CV risk factors in obese adults

In the secondary and exploratory analyses of the OPTIWIN trial, meal replacement (MR) outdid a food-based (FB) regimen in improving cardiometabolic risk in adults with obesity.

17 Jul 2023

Mepolizumab does little to improve dysphagia symptoms

Mepolizumab does not appear to reduce the symptoms of dysphagia as compared with placebo in the treatment of individuals with eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE), although the drug helps reduce eosinophil counts and endoscopic severity, according to a study.

Neutrophils may pave the way for new-generation immunotherapy

Neutrophils play a crucial role in suppressing or promoting tumour growth. Gene-edited neutrophils with SMAD3 deletion enhance neutrophil-mediated antitumour activity in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).

Fewer migraine days with dual therapy

Combination therapy with an anti-CGRP* monoclonal antibody (mAB) and onabotulinumtoxinA may be more effective than either therapy in patients with chronic migraine, according to a new study.

Aquablation beneficial in men with urinary retention

Aquablation therapy appears to lead to spontaneous voiding in men with urinary retention, regardless of preoperative urodynamic findings, according to a study.

Bezlotoxumab prevents CDI recurrence in immunocompromised patients

Treatment with bezlotoxumab results in a significant decrease in recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in a cohort of immunocompromised patients and transplant recipients, reports a study.

16 Jul 2023

Major malformation risk after assisted reproductive treatment higher with ICSI vs IVF

Children conceived via fresh intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) are at higher risk of major malformations compared with those conceived via fresh in vitro fertilization (IVF), according to a study.