Multidisciplinary

Dupilumab yields rapid, lasting improvement in erythrodermic atopic dermatitis

5 hours ago

Treatment with dupilumab helps improve the signs and symptoms of erythrodermic atopic dermatitis, with the improvements occurring as early as the first week and being sustained over time, according to a study. The drug has an acceptable safety profile.

Papilledema widely misused in medical literature

8 hours ago

The term ‘papilledema’ is often used inappropriately among case reports in ophthalmology, reveals a recent study. Such misuse, if not corrected, can result in improper care delivery to patients with optic disc edema (ODE), which may then lead to permanent vision loss.

Hormone therapies up ILD events in men with prostate cancer

9 hours ago

Hormone therapy drugs, such as bicalutamide, flutamide, nilutamide, goserelin, degarelix, and apalutamide, appear to increase the likelihood of developing interstitial lung disease (ILD) events in patients with prostate cancer, reports a study.

Does molnupiravir improve outcomes in vaccinated COVID-19 patients?

Roshini Claire Anthony, Yesterday

The addition of molnupiravir to usual care does not reduce hospitalization or death in vaccinated, community-dwelling individuals at high risk of serious outcomes of COVID-19, results of the UK-based PANORAMIC trial showed. However, it may provide other benefits such as reducing time to recovery.

Prebiotic supplementation beneficial in mild to moderate ulcerative colitis

Yesterday

Oral supplementation with 1-kestose in patients with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis helps modulate the gut microbiome, which in turn contributes to clinical improvement, as reported in a study.

SARS-CoV-2 Variants: Everything you need to know

01 Feb 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve with the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants. The variants of concern have the potential to impact the transmissibility, virulence, and clinical presentation of the disease, affecting the epidemiology, public health measures, and diagnostic and therapeutic options. Mutations in the spike protein of the virus have increased its ability to infect humans and evade neutralization by natural or immunisation-induced antibodies. The highly mutated Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 has multiple sublineages with varying transmissibility and immune evasion potential. Pre-exposure prophylaxis plays a crucial role in protecting the immunocompromised populations against severe disease; however, the rapidly changing landscape of the variants poses a major challenge to the current and future effectiveness of pre-exposure prophylactic monoclonal antibodies.

Knee osteoarthritis management with ESCEO guidelines: The importance of a multimodal approach

01 Feb 2023

At the Pain Masterclass Tour Symposium, held at Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur, Prof Dr Reginster discussed the ESCEO guidelines for the management of knee osteoarthritis (OA) in improving the quality of life of individuals suffering from this disease, and presented information and evidence affirming the efficacy of the novel symptomatic slow-acting drugs for OA(SYSADOAs), patented crystalline glucosamine sulfate (pCGS).

The role of oral antivirals in COVID-19 treatment: Who, when, and how?

Dr. Roger Paredes, Dr. Nicola Petrosillo, Dr. Petrick Periyasamy, 30 Jan 2023

Though most countries have eased pandemic restrictions, there is no room for complacency in managing COVID-19, which continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality.

At a recent symposium, esteemed experts Dr Roger Paredes, Head of Department of Infectious Diseases at the Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Catalonia, Spain, and Dr Nicola Petrosillo, Head of the Infection Prevention and Control and Infectious Disease Service at University Hospital Campus Bio-Medico, Rome, Italy, gave global perspectives on the continuing unmet needs in the COVID-19 outpatient landscape and discussed the role of antiviral treatment options in patients at risk of progressing to severe COVID-19. Dr Petrick Periyasamy, Head of Infectious Diseases Unit, Medical Department, UKM Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, chaired the session.

Antimicrobial resistance: Next global, public health threat after COVID-19

Pank Jit Sin, 10 Jan 2023

As the dust settles from the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the lurking threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) once again rears its ugly head. Weighing in on this topic is Professor Dr Sasheela Sri La Sri Ponnampalavanar, Infectious Disease Professor, University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC). Below is an excerpt from her bylined piece titled ‘Tackling the Next Global and Public Health Threat After COVID-19 – Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).’

Simplicity with linagliptin: Efficacy and safety in a broad range of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus including those with cardiovascular and kidney diseases

01 Jan 2023

At a recent webinar jointly organised by the Malaysian Medical Association and Boehringer Ingelheim celebrating a decade-long of linagliptin use in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), two distinguished speakers addressed the efficacy and safety of linagliptin in a broad range of patients with T2DM; updates from recent clinical trials and real-world evidence were discussed.

Multipathogen testing an essential part of Test-Target-Treat strategy for respiratory illnesses

Dr. Mohan Ravuru, Dr. Johnny Sinon, Assoc Prof. Nuntra Suwantarat, 16 Dec 2022

At a recent webinar, experts discussed the paradigm shift in respiratory illnesses and treatment practices as the COVID-19 pandemic transitions to an endemic phase. The late Dr Mohan Ravuru, Physician Researcher and former Asia Pacific Medical Director, Abbott, Dr Johnny Sinon, Senior Emergency Physician from Makati Medical Center, Philippines, and Associate Professor Nuntra Suwantarat, Infectious Disease Specialist, from Chulabhorn International College of Medicine, Thammasat University, Thailand, delivered informative presentations and engaged the audience through a stimulating panel discussion.

Among the topics covered were the ‘immunity debt’ phenomenon leading to potential epidemics, challenges in the differential diagnosis of COVID-19 and influenza, and the importance of point-of-care, multipathogen testing as a part of the Test-Target-Treat strategy in respiratory diseases.

A retrospective case series of ovarian stimulation with follitropin delta in a mixed regimen with HP-hMG: An interim analysis of clinical outcomes

05 Dec 2022

Studies have shown that controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) supplementation with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)-driven luteinising hormone activity such as highly purified human menopausal gonadotropin (HP-hMG) (Menopur®) resulted in a significantly higher proportion of top-quality embryos and numbers of good-quality blastocysts compared with recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone (rFSH) alone. Regimens that combine FSH and hMG are often referred to as ‘mixed protocols’ and have been widely used for ovarian stimulation in the past decade. This single-centre, retrospective case series study aims to assess the efficacy of COS with follitropin delta in a mixed protocol regimen with HP-hMG in terms of the number of top-quality embryos and clinical pregnancy rate among Malaysian patients in a reproductive medicine clinic.

130/80 home BP equivalent to clinic BP for stage 1 hypertension

Add-on bevacizumab ups hypertension risk in CRC patients

Stephen Padilla, 03 Feb 2023

The addition of bevacizumab (BVZ) to the standard regimen for the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) appears to increase the risk of cardiovascular events, suggest the results of a meta-analysis presented at the recent ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium (ASCO GI 2023).

Tislelizumab–chemotherapy combo poised as new first-line option for advanced gastric cancer

Jairia Dela Cruz, 03 Feb 2023

Adding the anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody tislelizumab to chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of PD-1-positive advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma appears to produce significant and clinically meaningful improvements in survival outcomes while having an acceptable safety profile, according to interim data from the phase III RATIONALE 305 trial.

Palliative RT relieves pain in end-stage liver cancer

Stephen Padilla, 02 Feb 2023

Treatment with single fraction radiation therapy (RT) results in lesser hepatic pain in most patients with end-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or liver metastases, according to a study presented at the recent ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium (ASCO GI 2023).

Preop chemotherapy confers survival advantage in colorectal cancer with liver metastasis

Jairia Dela Cruz, 02 Feb 2023

Giving chemotherapy to patients with synchronous and unresectable liver metastases from colorectal cancer before undergoing primary tumour resection helps boost survival outcomes, according to a phase III trial presented at this year’s ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancer Symposium (ASCO GI).

Durable benefits with beti-cel therapy in beta-thalassaemia

Elvira Manzano, 26 Jan 2023

One-time ex-vivo gene therapy with betibeglogene autotemcel (beti-cel) reduces the need for transfusion in patients with transfusion-dependent beta-thalassaemia in an analysis of studies presented at ASH 2022.

Efgartigimod tied to sustained platelet count increase in patients with ITP

Elaine Soliven, 24 Jan 2023

Treatment with efgartigimod, a neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) antagonist, in patients with chronic or persistent immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) resulted in a higher proportion of patients achieving a sustained platelet count response compared with placebo, according to the ADVANCE IV* trial presented at ASH 2022.

Device filters out direct thrombin inhibitor from plasma for routine haemostasis tests

Jairia Dela Cruz, 23 Jan 2023

A user-friendly medical device can effectively remove the direct thrombin inhibitor (DTI) argatroban from plasma in a rapid and ergonomic manner, as shown in the results of a study presented at ASH 2022.