Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Research Roundup: Dexamethasone; MRNA Vaccine; Levothyroxine
New England Journal of Medicine: Dexamethasone In Hospitalized Patients With Covid-19 — Preliminary Report
Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is associated with diffuse lung damage. Glucocorticoids may modulate inflammation-mediated lung injury and thereby reduce progression to respiratory failure and death. In this controlled, open-label trial comparing a range of possible treatments in patients who were hospitalized with Covid-19, we randomly assigned patients to receive oral or intravenous dexamethasone (at a dose of 6 mg once daily) for up to 10 days or to receive usual care alone. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality. Here, we report the preliminary results of this comparison. (RECOVERY Collaborative Group, 7/17)
New England Journal of Medicine: An MRNA Vaccine Against SARS-CoV-2 — Preliminary Report
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in late 2019 and spread globally, prompting an international effort to accelerate development of a vaccine. The candidate vaccine mRNA-1273 encodes the stabilized prefusion SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. We conducted a phase 1, dose-escalation, open-label trial including 45 healthy adults, 18 to 55 years of age, who received two vaccinations, 28 days apart, with mRNA-1273 in a dose of 25 μg, 100 μg, or 250 μg. There were 15 participants in each dose group. (Jackson et al, 7/14)
JAMA: Effect Of Levothyroxine On Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction In Patients With Subclinical Hypothyroidism And Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Randomized Clinical Trial
In this randomized clinical trial that included 95 participants with subclinical hypothyroidism and acute myocardial infarction, treatment with levothyroxine, compared with placebo, did not significantly improve left ventricular ejection fraction after 52 weeks (mean left ventricular ejection fraction, 53.8% vs 56.1%, respectively). (Jabbar et al, 7/21)
