Pharmacology
A single dose of the bivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (Cervarix) offers a similar level of protection against the HPV-16/18 infections - which cause about 70% of cervical cancers - as current two- and three-dose schedules, according to data from two large phase 3 trials.
Worldwide, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women. The bivalent vaccine targets HPV types 16 and 18 that are responsible for about 70% of cervical cancers. The HPV-16/18 vaccine was initially approved to be given in three doses over 6 months, but many countries are moving to a two-dose schedule…
A new study gives insight into the behavioral medications that medical caregivers sometimes prescribe for kids with Down syndrome.
The study included data on 832 children taken between 2010 and 2013. All were patients at Cincinnati Children's. The division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's is home to The Thomas Center, a specialized clinical program for the care of children with Down syndrome.
The study found that teens and young adults between the ages of 12 and 21 were significantly more likely to be on psychotropic medications than children 5 to 11…
An advisory committee to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended the approval of the drug, flibanserin, for premenopausal women who are distressed by a lack of sexual desire. The little pink pill has been hailed as “Viagra for women”.
But it’s not like Viagra. Viagra targets the hydraulics of erectile dysfunction. The mechanism of flibanserin is to increase low sexual desire by acting on dopamine and serotonin receptors in the brain, much like an antidepressant. In fact, flibanserin has been unsuccessfully trialled as an antidepressant.
The recommendation has been welcomed as a…
In the United States, there are calls from the environmental fringes to put more labels on food - but not for a USDA federal standard label on GMOs, mandatory ones chosen by lobbyists in state governments.
Labels are political, and everyone says they want more information on labels. But we know few people really read them on food, that is why so many people are fat. And few seem to read them on medicine or, if they do, they still think more will work better.
One example in a recent paper was acetaminophen, which is displayed prominently on both the fronts and backs of over-the-…
First of all, let me state that my conscience is perfectly clear:However, unlike yours truly, if you have an impure mind I suggest you take it up with Merriam-Webster.
Having dispensed with that trivial distraction, can someone please explain to me what is going on below? Why has this dragged out for five years? (Hint: it has little to do with science.)
Both headlines are referring to a "drug" called flibanserin, which has been in the news, well, forever. Until five years ago, the German pharmaceutical company Boehringer-Ingelheim was trying to get FDA approval for …
Many have questioned the efficacy of the common antidepressant medications known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
They don't work for many people, studies have found, and even when they work they lose effectiveness quickly. Psychiatric medications have also been the common denominators in tragedies like mass shootings, which has increased concern about whether or not it is better to be depressed than homicidal.
The conclusion that these drugs are ineffective is partly based on a misinterpretation of the outcome of the clinical trials once conducted to demonstrate their…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Neupogen, the first approved drug to treat the deleterious effects of radiation exposure following a nuclear incident.
Radiation damages the bone marrow, and as a result decreases production of infection-fighting white blood cells. Neupogen counteracts these effects. The drug, which is made by Amgen, Inc., was first approved in 1991 to treat cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Although doctors may use it "off label" for other indications, the research and the resulting approval would speed up access to and use of the drug in…
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that drug-resistant bacteria sicken two million U.S. residents annually and cause about 23,000 deaths. Federal officials have called combating antibiotic resistance a national priority.
To aid in that effort, a second-generation antibiotic has shown early effectiveness against common bacterial infections that pose a serious health threat to children and adults. Researchers discovered it by changing the chemical structure of an old antibiotic named spectinomycin, a safe but weak drug first introduced in the 1960s.
In this study,…
Around a quarter of people experience depression at some point in their lives, two-thirds of whom are women.
Each year more than 11 million working days are lost in the UK to stress, depression or anxiety and there are more than 6,000 suicides. The impact of depression on individuals, families, society and the economy is enormous.
Front-line therapies usually include medication. All the commonly prescribed antidepressants are based on “the monoamine hypothesis”. This holds that depression is caused by a shortage of serotonin and noradrenaline in the brain. Existing antidepressants are…
Dogs who suffer with separation anxiety become more optimistic when taking the animal equivalent of Prozac during behavioral treatment, according to a paper in which the authors say they revealed how the animals feel during the clinical treatment of behaviors associated with negative emotions.
Canine separation-related problems – also described as separation anxiety or separation distress – are among the most common behavioral complaints of dog owners. But the issue of using psychoactive medication to help pets with behavioral problems is a widely debated one. Regardless, treatment with…