Multidisciplinary

Elevated testosterone a red flag for NASH progression in young women

43 minutes ago

High testosterone levels carry a twofold increased risk of progression to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and fibrosis, as well as a higher likelihood of abdominal obesity, in young women with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a study has found.

Neuroprotective benefits of SGLT2 inhibitors unclear

2 hours ago

There appears to be inconclusive evidence on the potential of the novel class of glucose-lowering drugs, namely sodium glucose-linked cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, in stroke therapy, according to the results of a systematic review. This is because few animal studies are available, and some of the clinical studies evaluate combinations of drug treatments of SGLT2 and other drugs related to diabetes treatment.

Antibiotics often prescribed for pneumonia despite normal clinical signs

Roshini Claire Anthony, 14 hours ago

At least one-third of antibiotic prescriptions for suspected pneumonia in hospitalized patients may be unnecessary, highlighting the importance of antibiotic stewardship strategies, a US study showed.

PROfound survival with olaparib poised to change practice in prostate cancer

Pearl Toh, 17 hours ago

Olaparib, a PARP* inhibitor used to treat ovarian and breast cancer, also extends overall survival (OS) of men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) harbouring at least one mutation in BRCA1, BRCA2, or ATM, according to final report of the PROfound** study presented at ESMO 2020.

FreeStyle Libre system: A new tool for GPs managing diabetes

26 Oct 2020

An estimated 463 million adults – about one in 11 – had diabetes in 2019. These numbers are expected to rise to 700 million by 2045. Worse, one in two people are undiagnosed. [https://www.idf.org/, accessed 19 October 2020]

Carfilzomib-based triplet regimen a potential upfront treatment for high-risk MM

Pearl Toh, 22 Oct 2020

The combination therapy comprising carfilzomib, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone (KCd) is effective, with a tolerable safety profile, in an Asian cohort with high-risk multiple myeloma (MM) — thus providing a more economical alternative as a potential upfront regimen in resource-limited settings, according to leading experts during a myeloma education webinar.

CLOSING THE GAP BETWEEN GUIDELINES AND CLINICAL PRACTICE IN ALLERGIC RHINITIS MANAGEMENT

16 Oct 2020

Antihistamines (AHs) are the mainstay of treatment for allergic rhinitis (AR) in primary care. Nevertheless, choosing the best therapy from a wide selection of AHs can be challenging. At a virtual forum hosted by Bayer Co. (Malaysia), two experts discussed the role of patient profiling as a tool to guide the choice of AHs for AR.

Immunotherapy sparks hope for paediatric ALL

Audrey Abella, 14 Oct 2020

Despite a 90-percent cure rate after first treatment for children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), approximately 10–15 percent of patients with paediatric ALL will experience relapse. [Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2017;17:725-736] A recent webinar on the current landscape of ALL highlighted the potential of immunotherapy for paediatric patients with relapsed or refractory ALL, thus providing hope for this high-risk patient group.

Mepolizumab: Targeting eosinophils in severe asthma with precision medicine

Pearl Toh, 16 Sep 2020

Mepolizumab, a first-in-class anti-IL-5* antibody, effectively prevents asthma exacerbations in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA), according to a presentation at the ERS 2020 Congress.

PROfound survival with olaparib poised to change practice in prostate cancer

Pearl Toh, 27 Oct 2020

First-line durvalumab ± tremelimumab no rival to chemo in advanced urothelial carcinoma

Roshini Claire Anthony, 23 Oct 2020

Durvalumab with or without tremelimumab in the first-line setting does not improve overall survival (OS) over standard-of-care (SoC) chemotherapy in patients with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma, according to the phase III DANUBE trial.

Novel non-hormonal therapy may reduce hot flashes, improve QoL in postmenopausal women

Roshini Claire Anthony, 21 Oct 2020

NT-814, an oral, non-hormonal dual neurokinin 1,3 receptor antagonist may reduce the frequency of hot flashes, while improving quality of life (QoL) and sleep in postmenopausal women, according to results of the phase IIb SWITCH-1 trial presented at NAMS 2020.

Age, comorbidities may be to blame for higher COVID-19 mortality in cancer patients

Roshini Claire Anthony, 20 Oct 2020

The increased risk of mortality among patients with cancer diagnosed with COVID-19 may be due to their older age and presence of comorbidities, according to a study presented at ECCVID 2020.

Number, severity of menopausal symptoms may up CV risk

Roshini Claire Anthony, 19 Oct 2020

Women who experience two or more moderate or severe menopausal symptoms may have an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or strokes, according to a study presented at NAMS 2020.

Which COVID-19 serological assays to choose?

Pearl Toh, 17 Oct 2020

A head-to-head study comparing five serological assays for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies showed that a commercial immunoassay by Siemens and a novel ELISA* test developed by the University of Oxford could achieve the desired sensitivity and specificity without further optimization — providing reassurance for their use.

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