Author: healthadmin

Better cancer treatments depend on better treatment options. That’s why the Ontario Cancer Research Institute (OICR) is supporting four Ontario-based research teams working to develop the next generation of cancer treatments designed to more effectively destroy tumors, reduce side effects, and lower the chance of cancer recurrence. These projects target “master regulator” proteins that play a role in breast and ovarian cancers, hard-to-treat leukemias, the most aggressive forms of the most common childhood brain tumors, and many different cancers. OICR is backing these research teams by providing them with a total of $3.1 million over two years through the Cancer…

Satellite observations show that Earth’s nights are steadily getting brighter, but the trend is not uniform. Data from the VIIRS DNB instrument, covering the period 2014 to 2022, shows that global nighttime lighting is increasing by approximately 2% each year. “We’re seeing a total increase of 16% worldwide, but that doesn’t mean we’re increasing lighting everywhere,” Christopher Kaiba explained. “We found that global emissions increased by 34% in regions where lighting increased. This was offset by an 18% decrease in emissions from other regions.” These findings reveal that changes in nighttime illumination are more dynamic and localized than previously understood.…

Recent research suggests that authoritarian leaders are most likely to initiate large-scale democratic reforms when they have a special combination of impulsive optimism and rational calculation. By using mathematical models to map how political leaders handle risk and reward, this study provides evidence that paths to reform, which may seem risky in the short term, are often beneficial in the long term. The survey results are American Political Science Journal. Eugene Yu Ji, a postdoctoral researcher in cognitive science and computer science at the University of Waterloo and the Mira-Québec Institute for Artificial Intelligence, conducted the study to understand the…

Eli Lilly sold its oral GLP-1 tablet Foundayo directly to consumers through LillyDirect’s cash payment channel, as well as telehealth providers and pharmacies throughout the United States. This drug is a once-daily oral obesity treatment drug. It will be used in conjunction with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, the drugmaker said in a statement. For commercially insured patients, the pill costs just $25 a month with a savings card, and those who choose to pay out-of-pocket can get the lowest dose for $149 a month. The company says Medicare Part D users may also be able to get…

Specialty assets company Garda Therapeutics has acquired Assertio and its chemotherapy supportive care treatment Rolbedone for $125.1 million, as well as a conditional value right (CVR) for another of the company’s drugs. In connection with this transaction, Assertio sold its remaining assets to Cossette Pharmaceuticals, a New Jersey generic and branded drug manufacturer, for $35 million. These assets include Sympazan, an add-on therapy to limit seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and a portfolio of branded nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Garda has also provided a non-tradable CVR relating to future milestones for Sprix, one of the drugs sold by Assertio. Sprix…

AbbVie is at the forefront of a new battle in drug companies’ long-running fight to reform the federal government’s $340 billion drug discount program, with a lawsuit challenging the definition of “patient” within the program’s framework. AbbVie, which has participated in the 340B system for 30 years, filed the lawsuit to “restore the integrity” of the drug discount program, the company said in a 72-page complaint against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as well as the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and Administrator Thomas Engels. The 340B program is…

Humana has partnered with digital health company b.well Connected Health to give members easy access to their health data across multiple providers, health plans, pharmacies, and digital health apps. The partnership is in line with the Trump administration’s broader push to give patients easier access to their health information. As part of the partnership with b.well, Humana will also have real-time access to member data at the point of claims processing, securely respond to data requests from providers and other health plans, and support care coordination and quality improvement, the insurer said in an April 9 press release. B.well also…

Isabella Cueto focuses on chronic disease, a leading cause of death and disability. Her focuses include autoimmune diseases and diseases of the lung, kidney, and liver. She writes about interesting research, the promises and pitfalls of treatments, and what can be done about the burden of disease. You can access Isabella at the signal isabellaracueto.03.Georg Schette had two things going for him. Two, it was a young patient dying of lupus, and two, some mouse studies raised the possibility that specialized T cells could suppress the condition. The German doctor and scientist was able to manufacture the cells (chimeric antigen…

Scientists at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have developed a bold new approach to drug development and discovery that has the potential to dramatically accelerate the development of new drugs. UVA’s Dr. Nikolay V. Dokholyan and colleagues have developed a suite of artificial intelligence-powered tools called YuelDesign, YuelPocket, and YuelBond. Together, these tools will transform the way new drugs are manufactured. At its core, YuelDesign uses a cutting-edge form of AI called diffusion modeling to design new drug molecules tailored to precisely fit protein targets, taking into account how proteins bend and change shape during binding. A companion…

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. begins his podcast. The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the show on social media, saying he framed the podcast as a response to a public health issue that led “many of us…to conclude that (the government) is, in fact, lying to us.” The podcast gave RFK Jr., a longtime critic of vaccines and the pharmaceutical industry, a new channel to get his thoughts across. RFK Jr.’s rise to the top of HHS creates an already difficult environment for the biopharmaceutical industry, particularly vaccine makers who are struggling with how to get their message…