Potential Breakthroughs For ADHD, Dwarfism, And More
Read recent pharmaceutical developments in KFF Health News' Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
ScienceDaily:
Researchers Use Pioneering New Method To Unlock Brain's Noradrenaline System
An international team of researchers has provided valuable insights into the brain's noradrenaline (NA) system, which has been a longtime target for medications to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depression, and anxiety. (Virginia Tech, 10/23)
Reuters:
BioMarin's Dwarfism Therapy Gets FDA Nod For Expanded Use
The U.S. health regulator on Friday approved the expanded use of BioMarin Pharmaceutical's once-daily injection to treat children under the age of 5 with the most common form of short-limbed dwarfism. The drug, branded as Voxzogo, in 2021 was the first therapy to be greenlighted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating the genetic disorder, known as achondroplasia, in children aged five and older under the FDA's accelerated approval pathway. (Jain, 10/20)
Reuters:
GSK's Common Respiratory Virus Vaccine Shows Potential In Adults Aged 50-59
GSK said its vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus showed positive preliminary results in a late-stage trial to protect adults aged 50 to 59 from the disease that causes thousands of hospitalizations and deaths annually. The British drugmaker's shot, called Arexvy, met the primary goal in the Phase-III trial of eliciting an immune response in adults of the reported age group who are at an increased risk of catching the virus due to certain underlying medical conditions, the company said on Wednesday. (10/25)
CIDRAP:
Half Of US States Had Antiviral Shortages In 2022-23 Flu Season
Over half of US state and territorial public health preparedness directors (PHPDs) surveyed said they experienced shortages of flu antiviral drugs such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu) during the 2022-23 respiratory virus season, forcing many to turn to national or state stockpiles, according to a research letter published late last week in JAMA. (Van Beusekom, 10/23)
CIDRAP:
Studies Reveal Resistance To Tecovirimat In Mpox Patients With Weak Immune Systems
Ninety-six isolates from 46 US mpox patients were resistant to the antiviral drug tecovirimat (Tpoxx), although most were from patients with severely weakened immune systems who took multiple courses of the drug, according to a study published yesterday in Emerging Infectious Diseases. (Van Beusekom, 10/20)
