Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Topical Antifungal Use May Lead To Uptick In Resistant Skin Infections
CIDRAP: Topical Antifungal Prescribing Could Be Boosting Rise Of Resistant Skin Infections
A study led by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researchers suggests the high volume of topical antifungal prescribing could be feeding the emergence and spread of antifungal-resistant infections. Published yesterday in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the study found that 6.5 million topical antifungal prescriptions valued at $231 million were filled for Medicare Part D beneficiaries in 2021, nearly half of which were written by high-volume prescribers. And many of these prescriptions could be inappropriate. (Dall, 1/12)
CIDRAP: CARB-X To Fund Development Of Gonorrhea Vaccine
CARB-X announced today that it is awarding Dutch contract development and manufacturing organization Intravacc $633,000 to develop a vaccine for gonorrhea. The money will help support early-stage development of Intravacc's meningococcal outer membrane vesical (OMV) vaccine, which carries tailored gonococcal antigens designed to prevent infections caused by the Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacterium. (Dall, 1/16)
ScienceDaily: Accelerating How New Drugs Are Made With Machine Learning
Predicting how molecules will react is vital for the discovery and manufacture of new pharmaceuticals, but historically this has been a trial-and-error process, and the reactions often fail. To predict how molecules will react, chemists usually simulate electrons and atoms in simplified models, a process which is computationally expensive and often inaccurate. (University of Cambridge, 1/15)
ScienceDaily: Vigilant Monitoring Is Needed To Manage Cardiac Risks In Patients Using Antipsychotics, Doctors Say
The use of the antipsychotic drugs quetiapine and haloperidol is associated with an increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death (SCD) caused by drug-induced QT prolongation, reports a new study. Caution is advised to manage cardiac risks in patients prescribed these medications, the authors of the study and an accompanying editorial say. (Elsevier, 1/15)
