Monoclonal antibody for COVID-19 approved for use in the UK

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has given approval for the first monoclonal antibody treatment for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in the UK.  Following on from a thorough review of the evidence carried out by the MHRA, and recommendation by the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM), the government’s independent expert scientific…

Moderna’s Covid vaccine approved by MHRA in 12-17 year olds

An extension to the current UK approval of the Spikevax vaccine (formerly COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna) that allows its use in 12- to 17-year-olds has today been authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).   This Conditional Marketing Authorisation (CMA) extension granted by the MHRA is valid in Great Britain only and was approved via the European…

Steep rise in cardiac arrests associated with opioid use

A nationwide US study has shown that the rate of opioid-related cardiac arrests has steeply risen and is now on par with the rate of cardiac arrest from other causes.The research is presentedat ESC Congress 2021. Opioid use disorder, which includes dependence and addiction,affects more than two million people in the US, while opioid overdose…

Alcohol and arterial stiffening in young adults

Drinking alcohol during adolescence to young adulthood is associated with accelerated arterial stiffening, a precursor to cardiovascular disease. That’s the finding of a studypresented at ESC Congress 2021. “There was some evidence of a graded increase with heavier usage, meaning that the more youdrink,the greater the increase in arterial stiffness,” said study author Mr. Hugo…

Drones delivered defibrillators in suspected cardiac arrests

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden can now report the results of a unique pilot project where drones were used to deliver defibrillators to real-life alerts of suspected cardiac arrest. The drones were dispatched in more than a fifth of the emergencies and arrived on target and ahead of the ambulance in most cases. The…

Fetal development of the brain identified down to the smallest detail

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have developed a detailed molecular atlas of the fetal development of the brain. The study published in the top journal Nature is based on so-called single-cell technology and has been done on mice. In this way, researchers have identified almost 800 different cells that are active during fetal development – many…

Back in September

Stay safe

New treatment for patients with persecutory delusions

A new treatment programme for persecutory delusions promises a step change in the treatment of severe mental health problems. The clinical trial results show that the new Feeling Safe programme is the most effective psychological treatment for persecutory delusions. Persecutory delusions – unfounded, strongly held beliefs that other people intend to harm us – have…

Heart patients need more help to lose weight

Weight loss is given insufficient priority in the management of heart patients despite the benefits, according to a study published today in European Heart Journal – Quality of Care and Clinical Outcomes, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).1 The study of more than 10,000 patients found that less than 20% had a healthy…

Fruit Compound Shows promise in Parkinson’s Disease

Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say they have added to evidence that the compound farnesol, found naturally in herbs, and berries and other fruits, prevents and reverses brain damage linked to Parkinson’s disease in mouse studies. The compound, used in flavorings and perfume-making, can prevent the loss of neurons that produce dopamine in the brains of…