Multidisciplinary

Top Medical News
Tumour immune barrier determines immunotherapy efficacy in HCC
16 hours ago
A tumour immune barrier (TIB) structure formed by the interaction of SPP1+ macrophages and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) appears to influence the efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), reveals a study.
STIs in women remain common despite doxycycline use after sex
Jairia Dela Cruz, 20 hours ago
Young cisgender women remain susceptible to contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) despite the use of doxycycline after sex, as shown in the results of the open-label DPEP Kenya study.
Secukinumab yields sustained positive effects on molecular, histopathologic psoriasis markers
22 hours ago
Treatment with secukinumab leads to sustained clinical response among patients with psoriasis, with clinical response being associated with rapid and persistent normalization of keratin 16 (K16) and inflammatory gene expression for most patients, according to data from the ObePso-S study.
Managing knee osteoarthritis
using multimodal approach
Yesterday
Dato’ Dr Lee Joon Kiong, consultant orthopaedic surgeon, explained about the management of knee osteoarthritis and proceeded to speak on flurbiprofen the 51st Annual Scientific Meeting of the Malaysian Orthopaedic Association during a Taisho Pharmaceutical sponsored symposium.
Long COVID: What are the risk and protective factors?
Natalia Reoutova, Yesterday

A population-based, multicentre study finds female gender, transportation-, logistics- or discipline-related occupation, living with domestic workers, smoking, poor or very poor self-perceived health status, ≥3 chronic diseases, chronic medication use, and critical severity of COVID-19 to be associated with severe long COVID, while prior receipt of ≥2 doses of COVID-19 vaccines serves as a protective factor.

Economic burden of dengue in Malaysia
Yesterday
Dengue affects not only the economic aspect of a nation in terms of managing patients. Its effects are also seen in the social aspects of those affected, with quality of life (QoL) being severely affected. In this sixth interview of a series focused on dengue, Professors Akmal Shafie, Professor of Pharmacoeconomics at Universiti Sains Malaysia, shares his experiences in the field of health economics involving the burden of dengue.
Systemic antihypertensive medications exert diverse effects on glaucoma, IOP
Yesterday
The effects of systemic antihypertensive medications on glaucoma and intraocular pressure (IOP) appear to vary widely, according to the results of a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Special Reports
Economic burden of dengue in Malaysia
01 Apr 2023
Dengue affects not only the economic aspect of a nation in terms of managing patients. Its effects are also seen in the social aspects of those affected, with quality of life (QoL) being severely affected. In this sixth interview of a series focused on dengue, Professors Akmal Shafie, Professor of Pharmacoeconomics at Universiti Sains Malaysia, shares his experiences in the field of health economics involving the burden of dengue.
Managing knee osteoarthritis
using multimodal approach
01 Apr 2023
Dato’ Dr Lee Joon Kiong, consultant orthopaedic surgeon, explained about the management of knee osteoarthritis and proceeded to speak on flurbiprofen the 51st Annual Scientific Meeting of the Malaysian Orthopaedic Association during a Taisho Pharmaceutical sponsored symposium.
EMPULSE trial confirms the efficacy and safety profile of empagliflozin in patients stabilized in hospital following acute he
21 Mar 2023
Empagliflozin is the first SGLT-2i to significantly improve outcomes for patients with HF in any setting (in-hospital/outpatient), across the full spectrum of HF. Results from the EMPULSE trial showed that patients hospitalized for acute HF who were treated with empagliflozin following stabilization had 36% clinical benefit on the composite of mortality, HF events, and KCCQ-TSS improvement. The EMPULSE trial also provides a reassuring safety profile for empagliflozin that is consistent with previous trials.
NCDs in Focus Act Now! Summit 2022
16 Mar 2023

Viatris, a global healthcare company, collaborated with the Thai Hypertension Society and the Thai NCD Collaboration Group to organize the NCDs in Focus Act Now! Summit 2022 in Bangkok on October 29th and 30th. This summit brought together nearly 300 multidisciplinary experts from Southeast Asia and India to address the unmet needs in managing two critical noncommunicable diseases (NCDs): cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and mental health disorders (MHDs) in the region.

The summit had several key objectives. Firstly, it highlighted the effectiveness of clinical data in addressing gaps and unmet needs in clinical practice. Secondly, it emphasized the importance of sharing expertise and best practices through a platform that can optimize patient care. Additionally, it discussed the challenges of cardiovascular disease and mental health disorder care in a post COVID-19 world, and the need to re-examine them.

The summit also offered valuable insights into policy and practice changes, as well as innovative digital solutions that can lead to better outcomes. Lastly, it emphasized the significance of gaining a deeper understanding of the gaps in the patient journey to enhance patient care further.

Overall, the NCDs in Focus Act Now! Summit 2022 was a highly informative and productive event, with experts collaborating to improve the management of CVDs and MHDs in Southeast Asia and India.

Optimising treatment of
erectile dysfunction with
avanafil, a highly selective second-generation
phosphodiesterase type 5
01 Mar 2023
A recent webinar on Men’s Health featured the use of avanafil – a second-generation phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (PDE5i) for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). The webinar was jointly organised by A. Menarini together with the Malaysian Medical Association and Malaysian Pharmacists Society.
Microbiome in balance: Harnessing the power of skin microbiota.
01 Mar 2023
During the 47th annual general meeting and dermatology conference of the Dermatological Society of Malaysia Tarun Chopra, advanced research director at L’Oréal Singapore and co-director of the joint microbiome lab between L’Oréal and Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering at Nanyang Technological University, presented an overview of the impact of skin microbiota dysbiosis on the development of skin disorders and the potential therapeutic role of microbiome-friendly products in the management of these diseases.
Should We Treat Earlier for Polycythaemia Vera (PV)?
01 Mar 2023
At the recent Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPN) Expert Forum, Professor Dr Claire Harrison presented a lecture titled “Unmet Need and Future Direction in Polycythaemia Vera (PV).” Harrison discussed the problems associated with PV treatment, new diagnostic guidelines for the disease and role of ruxolitinib in PV treatment. Harrison is Clinical Director and Professor of MPN, Guy’s and St. Thomas Hospital, London, UK.
Conference Reports
STIs in women remain common despite doxycycline use after sex
Jairia Dela Cruz, 01 Apr 2023
Young cisgender women remain susceptible to contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) despite the use of doxycycline after sex, as shown in the results of the open-label DPEP Kenya study.
Certain ART combinations carry some risk of depression among women with HIV
Jairia Dela Cruz, 31 Mar 2023
Women with HIV who use antiretroviral therapy (ART) combinations such as tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) with a cobicistat-boosted integrase inhibitor (INSTI) or protease inhibitor (PI) appear to frequently show somatic depressive symptoms, according to data from the Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) presented at CROI 2023.
Novel device delivers improvements for BPH symptoms
Audrey Abella, 31 Mar 2023
The Optilume™ BPH Catheter System, a novel minimally invasive surgical therapy (MIST), provided rapid improvements for men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), the PINNACLE trial reports.
Alternative treatments for rhinitis could be worth a try
Jairia Dela Cruz, 29 Mar 2023
Nasal sprays containing a drug-free aqueous gel emulsion or essential oils appear to help relieve symptoms of allergic rhinitis, as shown in two studies presented at AAAAI 2023.
No drawback to immediate complete revascularization in ACS
Elvira Manzano, 29 Mar 2023
Doing an immediate complete revascularization of coronary artery lesions is as safe as a staged complete revascularization approach in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and multivessel disease in the BIOVASC trial presented at ACC.23/WCC.
Promising treatment options for chronic hives on the horizon
Jairia Dela Cruz, 28 Mar 2023
Dupilumab, barzolvolimab, and remibrutinib appear to help reduce disease activity in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria, according to the results of three studies presented at AAAAI 2023.
Biologics lower exacerbation rates in severe asthma, allergic rhinitis
Elaine Soliven, 28 Mar 2023
Treatment with either omalizumab (anti-immunoglobulin E [anti-IgE]) or nonomalizumab (non-anti-IgE) biologics reduced exacerbations in patients with severe asthma and allergic rhinitis, with the benefits being more evident among those taking nonomalizumab agents, according to the CHRONICLE trial presented at AAAAI 2023.