Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs
MedPage Today: U.S. Registry Data Confirm Liver Risk With Controversial Vasculitis Drug
A new study may add fuel to the fire already burning around avacopan (Tavneos), approved in 2021 to treat anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV), which the FDA wants drugmaker Amgen to pull from the U.S. market. (Gever, 8/24)
MedPage Today: Dementia Drug Helpful With Lupus Brain Fog
Cognitive dysfunction in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) -- aka "lupus brain fog" -- was significantly relieved with the Alzheimer's dementia drug memantine in a small placebo-controlled trial. Twelve weeks of memantine treatment led to a median improvement of 8 points on the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), compared with a median 5-point increase with placebo in the 43-patient trial (P=0.032), according to Jillian Rhoads, PhD, of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and colleagues. (Gever, 8/25)
CIDRAP: People Vaccinated Against HPV Have Lower Risk Of Head And Neck Cancer, Study Suggests
People vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV) were much less likely to develop cancers of the head and neck, according to a study published this week in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases. The study confirms earlier research finding a vaccine-related decrease in head and neck cancers. (Szabo, 8/21)
CIDRAP: Novel TB Vaccine Candidate Misses The Mark In Phase 3 Trial In Newborns
A novel tuberculosis (TB) vaccine candidate failed to match the standard bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine in preventing TB infections in newborns, according to the results of a phase 3 trial published last week in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. (Dall, 8/26)
MedPage Today: Popular Diet May Not Help For Weight, But Trial Points To Another Benefit
A Mediterranean-style diet program did not lead to greater weight loss compared with a control intervention among primary care patients with obesity, though it did improve diet quality, the DELISH trial showed. (Monaco, 8/21)
