Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Research Roundup: HPV; Covid; C. Diff; Lymphoma; Psilocybin; More
Bloomberg: HPV: A Single Vaccine Dose Protects Against Cervical Cancer, WHO Says
One dose of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is enough to protect against cervical cancer, a World Health Organization advisory group said. The WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization, known as SAGE, said single-dose schedules of the HPV vaccine provide comparable efficacy to two or three-dose schedules. (Hoffman, 4/11)
CIDRAP: Casirivimab-Imdevimab May Cut COVID Hospitalizations, ICU Stays, Death
Two new studies describe benefits of the monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatment casirivimab-imdevimab in adult COVID-19 outpatients, both suggesting lower rates of hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and death in an era dominated by the Delta variant. University of Pittsburgh researchers led the first study, published yesterday in JAMA Network Open. It compared 28-day hospitalization and death rates in 1,959 high-risk COVID-19 outpatients given a single dose of casirivimab-imdevimab either subcutaneously or intravenously (IV) or no treatment from Jul 14 to Oct 26, 2021. (4/13)
Stat: Study: Giving Lung Cancer Patients Immunotherapy Sooner Has Potential
Giving the immunotherapy Opdivo, made by Bristol Myers Squibb, to lung cancer patients before surgery can help prevent the disease from coming back, a new study says. It’s a step toward what doctors have hoped cancer therapies that harness the immune system could ultimately do. It’s the same hope they have with every new drug, really: that they could be used in patients who were diagnosed early, perhaps curing a greater number. (Herper, 4/11)
CIDRAP: Study Highlights Risk Of Discharged C Diff Patients Spreading The Disease
The incidence of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in household members exposed to a recently CDI-hospitalized family member was 73% greater than for those not exposed, and the incidence increased the longer the family member was in the hospital, University of Iowa researchers note today in a study in Emerging Infectious Diseases. (4/13)
Stat: Antibody-Primed NK Cells Induce Remission In Advanced Lymphoma
An experimental immunotherapy involving so-called natural killer cells elicited complete remissions in a majority of patients with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma, researchers reported Sunday. In the study, eight of the 13 patients given an optimized dose and schedule of the therapy saw their tumor cells completely disappear with minimal side effects. The new data improve upon initial results presented last year, although it remains unclear how long the responses will last. (Feuerstein, 4/10)
Nature: Increased Global Integration In The Brain After Psilocybin Therapy For Depression
Depression is a highly prevalent mental health condition1, the incidence of which has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic2, for example, as reflected in increased prescriptions of antidepressant medications3. However, even the best-performing antidepressant drugs show modest efficacy, non-negligible side effects, discontinuation problems and high relapse rates4,5,6,7, highlighting the need for new, improved treatments8. (Daws, et al, 4/11)
ScienceDaily: Cell Treatment Slows Disease In Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Patients
A cell therapy developed by the executive director of the Smidt Heart Institute stabilizes weakened muscles-including the heart muscle-in Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients, a new study published in the international peer-reviewed journal The Lancet shows. (Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 4/13)
CIDRAP: Study Finds Antibiotic Resistance In US, UK Campylobacter Holding Steady
A large-scale analysis reveals that the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has remained stable for Campylobacter in the United States and United Kingdom in recent years, suggesting that antibiotic stewardship efforts have not made a large impact, according to a new study in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. (4/13)
