Andrew Cox, Pharm.D., MBA

This past May, Larimar Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing treatments for rare diseases, announced that its lead compound for Friedreich's Ataxia, Nomlabofusp, would participate in the START pilot program. Nomlabofusp is one of the three Center for Drug Evaluation and Research programs and one of the six programs selected by the FDA.

Shoulder pain can originate from various sources, such as osteoarthritis, post-operative discomfort, musculoskeletal injuries like a torn labrum, neuralgia and paralytic shoulder injury. Recent research has shown that PNS can effectively manage chronic and acute pain.

Like fish oils, krill oil also contains omega-3 fatty acids and has a comparably better bioavailability than fish oil. Additionally, krill oil contains a potent antioxidant known as astaxanthin, which may reduce inflammation resulting from free radicals.

Over the years, the landscape of pain management has witnessed significant shifts as new research emerges and healthcare practices adapt to changing needs.

Previous studies on lipid levels and disease activity are inconsistent, and a causal relationship between lipid levels and IBD remains dubious.

Developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, suzetrigine is a promising new class of pain medicine that has been gaining attention for its innovative mechanism of action and reported efficacy; suzetrigine might offer hope for those struggling with acute pain issues who want to avoid opioids and NSAIDs.

Tremfya is an interleukin (IL)-23 and CD64-inhibiting monoclonal antibody. The FDA approved it in 2017 as a moderate to severe plaque psoriasis treatment. It has since been approved to treat psoriatic arthritis.

A study published in Nature Immunology focused on understanding the origins of stem-like T cells in ulcerative colitis patients. By analyzing colon tissue samples from human patients, researchers found a significant population of stem-like T cells in inflamed regions of the large intestine compared to healthy individuals.

In a randomized clinical trial, the effectiveness of a stepped-care model for delivering palliative care to patients with advanced lung cancer was evaluated.

Researchers evaluated the association between body composition from readouts generated by cross-sectional imaging and oncologic outcomes in patients with advanced or metastatic NSCLC treated with systemic immunotherapy.

The study evaluated the efficacy and safety of Dato-DXd compared to docetaxel in adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with and without actionable genomic alterations who require systemic therapy following prior treatment.

Results point to the benefit of adding Darzalex (daratumumab) to Velcade-Revlimid-dexamethasone triplet therpay, although serious side effects seem be slightly more common when Darzalex is added.

A combination of navitoclax and Jakafi (ruxolitinib) achieved spleen volume reduction, although adverse events led to some dose modifications and treatment interruptions.

Roche test could lead to early identification of infections.

The authors found that patients who received DAA treatment had a five-year survival rate of 47.2% compared with 35.2% for untreated patients.

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified 315 deaths from hepatitis A.

Some people still have low levels of HIV despite taking antiretroviral therapy as prescribed and lacking any indications of drug resistance. Understanding why could yield new strategies for dealing with HIV.

Just over half (51%) of patients who treated with the experimental agent, called elafibranor, achieved a biochemical response compared with only 4% of those patients randomly assigned to placebo.

The same adjuvant is part of Shingrix, the shingles vaccine.

The FDA has set March 24, 2024, as PDUFA date for the drug.

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, report positive results from the No One Waits study.

Capsid assembly modulators (CAM) work by assembling flawed hepatitis B capsids and preventing the formation of new infectious viruses.

Gilead’s hepatitis D antiviral, bulevirtide, was dealt a setback last year when the FDA issued a complete response letter. Positive results from a phase 3 trial of bulevirtide, were reported in July.

To add precision to the nomenclature and nosology and remove stigma, experts are moving to rename nonalcoholic fatty liver disease as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Based on the results published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the FDA has granted breakthrough status to the FGF21 analogue. The drug's maker is planning a phase 3 trial.