Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Research Roundup: Covid; Malaria; Liver Injury; Schizophrenia; More
Stat: Remdesivir Reduces Covid Hospitalizations When Given Early, Study Shows
Gilead’s Covid-19 drug remdesivir appeared to reduce hospitalizations by 87% in high-risk patients diagnosed early in the disease in a new study, the company said Wednesday. The new results, which were issued in a press release, could help shore up the perception that the medicine is effective. They also could boost hopes for the use of oral antiviral drugs being developed by drug companies including Pfizer and Merck to treat people in the early stages of Covid-19. (Herper, 9/22)
ScienceDaily: 'Ultra-Potent' Antibody Against SARS-CoV-2 Variants Isolated
A technology developed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center has led to the discovery of an "ultra-potent" monoclonal antibody against multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, including the delta variant. ... The technology, called LIBRA-seq, has helped speed up the discovery of antibodies that can neutralize SARS-CoV-2. It also enables researchers to screen antibodies against other viruses that have not yet caused human disease but which have a high potential of doing so. (Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 9/22)
In other research —
AP: Researchers Detect Malaria Resistant To Key Drug In Africa
Scientists have found evidence of a resistant form of malaria in Uganda, a worrying sign that the top drug used against the parasitic disease could ultimately be rendered useless without more action to stop its spread. Researchers in Uganda analyzed blood samples from patients treated with artemesinin, the primary medicine used for malaria in Africa in combination with other drugs. They found that by 2019, nearly 20% of the samples had genetic mutations suggesting the treatment was ineffective. Lab tests showed it took much longer for those patients to get rid of the parasites that cause malaria. (Cheng, 9/22)
CIDRAP: Fluoroquinolones Tied To Increased Risk Of Acute Liver Injuries
A nationwide cohort study in Sweden found a two-fold increased risk of acute liver injuries (ALIs) associated with oral fluoroquinolones in the first 2 months after starting treatment, researchers reported this week in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Using individual data from national healthcare and drug registries, researchers investigated the risk of ALI in Swedish adults ages 40 to 85 who were prescribed oral fluoroquinolones or amoxicillin from July 2006 to January 2014. To reduce the influence of confounding from baseline health factors, they used propensity score matching. The main analysis and follow-up interval was 1 to 60 days after filling a prescription. (9/22)
Stat: Study: Person-First Language About Schizophrenia Affects Clinician Beliefs
Mental health counselors had kinder and less authoritative reactions to statements that used the phrase “person with schizophrenia” instead of “schizophrenic,” a new study finds — an important confirmation of the benefits of person-first language. The study, published Wednesday in the Journal of Counseling & Development, adds to a broader social conversation but sparse scientific literature supporting person-first language, which is meant to de-stigmatize disabilities, mental health conditions, and other conditions. Patient advocates have pushed for people with diabetes or people with alcoholism to be described as such, for example, and for terms like “diabetic” and “alcoholic” to be avoided. (Bender, 9/22)
ScienceDaily: 'Second-Hand' Psychological Stress Can Lead To Depression In Mice, Finds Study
Depression is a serious medical condition that plagues modern society. Several theories have been proposed to explain the physiological basis of depression, of which the "neurogenic hypothesis of depression" has garnered much attention. The theory follows that deterioration in brain regions, like hippocampus, can result in depression. This deterioration can be caused by physical and psychological stress. While the depressive effects of physical stress have been well studied, little is known about psychological stress in this regard. (Tokyo University of Science, 9/22 )
