A pill for sleeping sickness that can cure the disease with a single dose has been approved by EU regulators

 Good news!

"A pill for sleeping sickness that can cure the disease with a single dose has been approved by EU regulators and could be deployed in endemic countries as soon as next year. It’s far easier to administer than the current standard 10-day regimen and could make it much easier to treat patients in remote areas." (Source)

Repurposing of existing drugs/medications

This is a very exciting subject!

The more new drugs we invent, the more opportunities exist and become discovered to repurpose them.

We have now a more than 125 years of history of inventing pharmaceutical drugs, the potential for repurposing increases with every new drug.

The news of repurposed drugs to treat medical conditions also become more frequent. Here is just one very recent example: Uncovering Drivers of—and Possible Treatment for—Noonan Syndrome Heart Defects ("... additionally identifying a leukemia drug [dasatinib, FDA approved in 2006] that shows promise as a therapeutic ...")

Sweeping Trump crackdown on misleading pharmaceutical ads is first in nearly 3 decades

Food for thought! The dilemma of free speech versus truth in advertising!

It is a fair assumption that pharmaceutical companies or social media or influencers or anyone have a higher responsibility when it comes to advertising medications.

"In a landmark move, the Trump administration has launched a sweeping crackdown on misleading pharmaceutical advertisements, the first major enforcement effort since direct-to-consumer drug ads were legalized in 1997.  ...

FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary recently spoke with Full Measure about the unprecedented effort, stating that the agency is sending “thousands” of enforcement letters targeting deceptive promotions across TV, social media, and online platforms.

The U.S. is one of only two countries allowing such ads (the other is New Zealand). Makary says the commercials often downplay serious risks, present false information, or mislead viewers by showcasing happy, dancing patients. He says FDA enforcement has been notoriously lax for decades, with FDA violation letters to drug companies dropping from 130 annually in the late 1990s to zero in 2024. 

The new plan targets not just TV but also social media influencers and online pharmacies. ..."

Sweeping Trump crackdown on misleading pharmaceutical ads is first in nearly 3 decades | Just The News "The U.S. is one of only two countries allowing such ads. The other is New Zealand."

ADHD drugs are being prescribed too quickly to preschoolers

I bet this is the case! Who is to distinguish a vibrant, exploring, outgoing, active child from a child with ADHD?

To what extent is ADHD charlatanry? I am afraid it is substantial. Plus, ADHD is good business for doctors and pharmaceutical industry.

This study seems to hint at that non pharmacological interventions (e.g. behavioral therapy) are not applied enough before medication.

"In brief

• A Stanford Medicine-led study of nearly 10,000 preschoolers found they often receive ADHD medication within one month after diagnosis, contrary to recommended treatment guidelines.
• Guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend six months of behavioral therapy before starting medication.
• The findings highlight the need for improved access to behavioral therapy for effective, long-term treatment that benefits children and families.

Young children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder often receive medication just after being diagnosed, which contravenes treatment guidelines endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, a Stanford Medicine-led study has found. ...

Treatment guidelines recommend that these young children and their families try six months of behavior therapy before starting ADHD medication. ..."

From the key points and abstract:

"Key Points

Question

What is the prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnoses and timing of initiation of medications among children aged 3 to 5 years seen in primary care?

Findings

In this cohort study of electronic health records for 712 478 children seen in primary care practices at 8 US pediatric health systems, the prevalence of ADHD was 1.4% (range across institutions, 0.5%-3.1%); 68.2% of patients were prescribed medications and 42.2% had medications prescribed within 30 days of diagnosis, with variation by race, ethnicity, and insurance type.

Meaning

These findings suggest that investigation of barriers to nonpharmacological interventions, as well as factors associated with early prescriptions of ADHD medications, for preschool-age children is warranted.

Abstract

Importance

Early identification and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in preschool-age children is important for mitigating social, emotional, and academic problems. Clinical practice guidelines recommend first-line behavior intervention before considering medication treatment for children aged 4 to 5 years.

Objective

To assess variation in rates of ADHD identification and rates and timing of medication initiation in children aged 3 to 5 years in primary care settings across 8 US pediatric health systems and to identify patient factors associated with the time from diagnosis to prescription.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This retrospective cohort study used electronic health records from primary care clinics affiliated with 8 academic institutions participating in the PEDSnet Clinical Research Network. Participants were children aged 3 to 5 years seen between 2016 to 2023. Data were extracted from the PEDSnet database on April 18, 2025.

Exposure  ADHD diagnosis at age 4 to 5 years.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcomes were

(1) rate of ADHD diagnosis,

(2) rate of stimulant and nonstimulant prescription after diagnosis before age 7 years, and

(3) time from first ADHD-related diagnosis (including symptom-level diagnoses) to medication prescription.

Independent variables included institution, year of diagnosis, patient age, sex, race and ethnicity, medical insurance, and presence of comorbidities. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate associations between clinical and demographic variables and time from diagnosis to prescription.

Results

Of 712 478 children seen in primary care at age 3 to 5 years, 9708 (1.4%) received an ADHD diagnosis at age 4 to 5 years (range across institutions, 0.5%-3.1%; median [IQR] age at first ADHD-related diagnosis, 5.31 [4.86-5.66] years). Of those with ADHD, 7414 (76.4%) were male, 1762 (18.1%) were Hispanic, 122 (1.3%) were non-Hispanic Asian, 3014 (31.0%) were non-Hispanic Black, 479 (4.9%) were non-Hispanic multiracial, 3782 (39.0%) were non-Hispanic White, 148 (1.5%) were non-Hispanic other, and 401 (4.1%) were of unknown race and ethnicity.

Of 9708 preschool-age children with ADHD, 6624 (68.2%) were prescribed ADHD medications before age 7 years, and 4092 (42.2%) were prescribed medications within 30 days of the first documentation of an ADHD-related diagnosis (range across institutions, 26.0%-49.0%). Asian (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.51; 95% CI, 0.38-0.68), Hispanic (aHR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.70-0.81), and Black (aHR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.83-0.94) children with ADHD were less likely to be prescribed medication early compared with White children. Older vs younger patients (aHR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.55-1.69), male vs female patients (aHR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.11-1.25), and publicly insured vs privately insured patients (aHR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.03-1.15) were more likely to be prescribed medication early.

Conclusion and Relevance

In this retrospective cohort study of preschool-age children with ADHD seen in primary care in 8 large pediatric health systems, many children were prescribed medications at or shortly after the first documented diagnosis. Analysis of clinical documentation is needed to understand early prescription patterns."

ADHD drugs are being prescribed too quickly to preschoolers | Stanford Report "A Stanford Medicine-led study finds that many young patients are starting medication immediately after diagnosis, going against established guidelines – likely due to a lack of accessible behavioral therapy."

ADHD Diagnosis and Timing of Medication Initiation Among Children Aged 3 to 5 Years

The Burden of Weight Loss Drugs: Is It Worth the Risk? with Palki Sharma

Recommendable! Global demand outstrips supply! Palki did not investigate whether overuse versus normal use causes health problems.

First stroke rehabilitation drug discovered to reestablish brain connections in mice and restores movement

Good news!

"... Key takeaways

• ... researchers identified a loss of brain connections that stroke produces that are remote from the site of the stroke damage.
• ... team found that some of the connections lost after stroke occur in a cell called a parvalbumin neuron, which helps a brain rhythm function.
• The researchers found that a drug called DDL-920 ... produced significant recovery in movement control in mice.

... 

team found that some of the connections that are lost after stroke occur in a cell called a parvalbumin neuron. This type of neuron helps generate a brain rhythm, termed a gamma oscillation, which links neurons together so that they form coordinated networks to produce a behavior, such as movement. Stroke causes the brain to lose gamma oscillations. Successful physical rehabilitation in both laboratory mice and humans brought gamma oscillations back into the brain and, in the mouse model, repaired the lost connections of parvalbumin neurons. ... 

team then identified two candidate drugs that might produce gamma oscillations after stroke. These drugs specifically work to excite parvalbumin neurons. 

The researchers found one of the drugs, DDL-920 ... produced significant recovery in movement control in mice.

This study has two major areas of impact:

First, it identifies a brain substrate and circuity that underlies the effect of rehabilitation in the brain.

Second, the paper then identifies a unique drug target in this rehab brain circuity to promote recovery by mimicking the main effect of physical rehab.

..."

From the abstract:

"Motor disability is a critical impairment in stroke patients. Rehabilitation has a limited effect on recovery; but there is no medical therapy for post-stroke recovery. The biological mechanisms of rehabilitation in the brain remain unknown.

Here, using a photothrombotic stroke model in male mice, we demonstrate that rehabilitation after stroke selectively enhances synapse formation in presynaptic parvalbumin interneurons and postsynaptic neurons in the rostral forelimb motor area with axonal projections to the caudal forelimb motor area where stroke was induced (stroke-projecting neuron). Rehabilitation improves motor performance and neuronal functional connectivity, while inhibition of stroke-projecting neurons diminishes motor recovery.  ...

Pharmacological enhancement of parvalbumin interneuron function improves motor recovery after stroke, reproducing rehabilitation recovery. These findings identify brain circuits that mediate rehabilitation-recovery and the possibility for rational selection of pharmacological agents to deliver the first molecular-rehabilitation therapeutic."

UCLA discovers first stroke rehabilitation drug to reestablish brain connections in mice | UCLA

Breakthrough stroke drug heals the brain to restore movement

Parvalbumin interneurons regulate rehabilitation-induced functional recovery after stroke and identify a rehabilitation drug (open access)

With more Americans able to access legalized marijuana, fewer are picking up prescriptions for anti-anxiety medications. Really!

Whether being stoned is a better solution than medication is the question? I have some doubts!

How much cannabis use does this entail?

However, the author (a professor) alsor reports, but does not highlight increases in antipsychotic and antidepressant use associated with cannabis!

Caution: I did not read the article.

"In states where both medical and recreational marijuana are legal, fewer patients are filling prescriptions for medications used to treat anxiety. That is the key finding of my recent study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open. ...

Our research does not clarify whether the changes in dispensing patterns led to measurable changes in patient outcomes. ..."

From the key points and abstract:

"Key Points

Question

Is access to cannabis, via medical or recreational legalization, associated with changes in dispensing of prescription medications to treat mental health disorders in a commercially insured population?

Findings

This cross-sectional study of 9 438 716 commercially insured patients found statistically significant reductions in benzodiazepine dispensing after increases in both medical and recreational cannabis access. However, evidence suggests increases in other types of psychotropic dispensing.

Meaning

This study suggests that cannabis laws may be significantly associated with the population-level use of prescription drugs to treat mental health disorders, although the associations vary by drug class and state.

Abstract

Importance  Mental health disorders are prevalent yet undertreated health conditions in the US. Given perceptions about the potential effect of cannabis on individuals with mental health disorders, there is a need to understand the association of cannabis laws with psychotropic use.

Objective  To investigate the association of medical and recreational cannabis laws and dispensary openings with the dispensing of psychotropic medications used to treat mental health disorders in the US.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cross-sectional study of 10 013 948 commercially insured patients used a synthetic control method to examine the association of cannabis policies with prescribing. Data on all patients dispensed prescriptions for each of the 5 classes of psychotropic medications from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2020, were extracted from Optum’s deidentified Clinformatics Data Mart Database. Statistical analysis was performed from September 2022 to November 2023.

Exposures

The 4 exposure variables measured were whether medical or recreational cannabis laws were in effect and whether medical or recreational cannabis dispensaries were open in each state and calendar quarter.

Main Outcome and Measures

One measure of the extensive margins of dispensing and 2 measures of the intensive margins of dispensing were constructed for 5 medication classes (benzodiazepines, antidepressants, antipsychotics, barbiturates, and sleep medications).

Results

The primary sample (the benzodiazepine sample) included 3 848 721 patients (mean [SD] age, 46.1 [11.4] years; 65.4% women; 53.7% aged 35-54 years). Medical cannabis laws were associated with a 12.4% reduction in the benzodiazepine fill rate (average treatment effect on the treated [ATT], –27.4; 95% CI, –14.7 to 12.0; P = .001), recreational cannabis laws were associated with a 15.2% reduction in the fill rate (ATT, −32.5; 95% CI, −24.4 to 20.1; P = .02), and medical cannabis laws were associated with a 1.3% reduction in the mean number of benzodiazepine fills per patient (ATT, –0.02; 95% CI, −0.02 to 0.02; P = .04). Medical dispensaries were associated with a 3.9% reduction in mean days’ supply per benzodiazepine fill (ATT, −1.7; 95% CI, −0.8 to 0.6; P = .001), while recreational dispensaries were associated with a 6.2% reduction (ATT, −2.4; 95% CI, −1.0 to 0.9; P < .001). Medical cannabis laws were associated with a 3.8% increase in antidepressant fills (ATT, 27.2; 95% CI, −33.5 to 26.9; P = .048), and medical dispensaries were associated with an 8.8% increase (ATT, 50.7; 95% CI, −32.3 to 28.4; P = .004). The mean number of antipsychotic medication fills per patient increased by 2.5% (ATT, 0.06; 95% CI, −0.04 to 0.05; P = .02) after medical cannabis laws and by 2.5% (ATT, 0.06; 95% CI, −0.04 to 0.04; P = .02) after medical dispensary openings. Findings for the other drug classes showed substantial heterogeneity by state and direction of association.

Conclusions and Relevance

This cross-sectional study of commercially insured patients suggests that there may have been meaningful heterogeneous associations between cannabis policy and state and between cannabis policy and drug class (eg, decreases in dispensing of benzodiazepines but increases in dispensing of antidepressants and antipsychotics). This finding suggests additional clinical research is needed to understand the association between cannabis use and mental health. The results have implications for patient substance use and mental health–related outcomes."

With more Americans able to access legalized marijuana, fewer are picking up prescriptions for anti-anxiety medications – new research

Cannabis Laws and Utilization of Medications for the Treatment of Mental Health Disorders

Simple tag puts IV chemotherapy drugs in pill form

Good news! Seems to be a very clever solution! Cancer is history (soon)!

"... Now, Stanford scientists have found “an embarrassingly simple solution” that could make almost any drug molecule effective in oral pill form, testing it in mice with chemotherapy drugs that are normally administered through IV infusion.

In essence, what the team has developed is a small molecular tag that can be attached to most drug molecules that makes them more effective as oral pills. ...

The problem with many oral drugs is bioavailability – how much of the dose is available for the body to absorb. Ideally, drugs need to be both water-soluble, to dissolve in the stomach and pass into the bloodstream, and oil-soluble to get into the cells to do their work. Doing both is tricky, so many drugs skip the water problem and focus on oil solubility, requiring IV infusion instead.

But the new tag is cleverly designed to change the solubility of the drug molecule it’s attached to. It starts off water soluble, but as the drug passes through the stomach or intestinal wall, enzymes there snip off the tag. As such, by the time the drug reaches the bloodstream it’s become oil soluble instead, ready to get to work. ..."

From the abstract:

"Though conceptually attractive, the use of water-soluble prodrug technology to enhance oral bioavailability of highly insoluble small molecule therapeutics has not been widely adopted. In large part, this is due to the rapid enzymatic or chemical hydrolysis of prodrugs within the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in drug precipitation and no overall improvement in oral bioavailability relative to standard formulation strategies. We reasoned that an optimal water-soluble prodrug could be attained if the rate of prodrug hydrolysis were reduced to favor drug absorption rather than drug precipitation. In doing so, the rate of hydrolysis provides a pharmacokinetic control point for drug delivery. Herein, we report the discovery of a water-soluble promoiety (Sol-moiety) technology to optimize the oral bioavailability of highly insoluble small molecule therapeutics, possessing various functional groups, without the need for sophisticated, often toxic, lipid or organic solvent-based formulations. The power of the technology is demonstrated with marked pharmacokinetic improvement of the commercial drugs enzalutamide, vemurafenib, and paclitaxel. This led to a successful efficacy study of a water-soluble orally administered prodrug of paclitaxel in a mouse pancreatic tumor model."

"Embarrassingly simple" tag puts IV chemotherapy drugs in pill form

New strategy could turn IV medicines into pills (original news release) "The method, which involves adding a small chemical tag onto existing drugs, could make it possible for chemotherapy patients to take pills rather than receive IV infusions."

Sol-moiety: Discovery of a water-soluble prodrug technology for enhanced oral bioavailability of insoluble therapeutics (open access)

Fig. 2: Schematic of the Sol-moiety concept.

Revolutionary drug for schizophrenia wins US approval. First novel treatment in seven decades. Several other drugs in clinical trial

Good news! This seems to be a very promising new drug! Possibly a breakthrough!

"... The drug, known as KarXT, targets proteins in the brain known as muscarinic receptors, which relay neurotransmitter signals between neurons and other cells. Activating these receptors dampens the release of the chemical dopamine, a nervous-system messenger that is central to the hallmark symptoms of schizophrenia, such as hallucinations and delusions.

But muscarinic signalling also modulates other brain circuits involved in cognition and emotional processing. This mode of action provides KarXT with a more comprehensive therapeutic effect than other schizophrenia treatments, which mainly blunt dopamine activity alone.

In clinical trials, KarXT not only alleviated core symptoms of schizophrenia, but also showed signs of improving cognitive function, all while avoiding many of the burdensome side effects commonly associated with older antipsychotics. ...

KarXT is just the first of many next-generation drug candidates designed to engage muscarinic receptors in the brain. Several follow-on schizophrenia therapies are already in or nearing clinical trials, showing promise for improved tolerability and more convenient dosing schedules."

Revolutionary drug for schizophrenia wins US approval "The medication is the first in decades to have a different mode of action than do current drugs, achieving better symptom relief with fewer side effects."

Credits: Human Progress weekly newsletter

A Scourge of Counterfeit Medicines in Africa. Really!

This bad or similar situations regarding medications in Africa have been reported many times over the past several decades! Most likely, the claims are exaggerated as usual!

The article claims 20% of medications on the market are substandard or fake. What about the remaining 80%!

This research article also uses an interesting if not dubious definition: "Substandard, falsified, and unregistered [???] medicines"

"A fifth of medicines on the market in Africa could be substandard or fake, per a major review by Ethiopia’s Bahir Dar University researchers—potentially contributing to ~500,000 deaths a year in sub-Saharan Africa, according to a UN Office on Drugs and Crime estimate.

Why? Inefficient, fragmented pharma supply chains that undermine quality and fuel exploitative practices, per Claudia Martínez, the head of research at the Access to Medicine Foundation. ..."

From the abstract:

"Background: Substandard, falsified, unlicensed, and unregistered medicines pose significant risks to public health in developed and developing countries. This systematic review provides an overview of the prevalence of substandard, falsified, unlicensed, and unregistered medicine and its associated factors in Africa.

Methods: Articles published from April 2014 to March 2024 were searched in Google Scholar, Science Direct, PubMed, MEDLINE, and Embase. The search strategy focused on open-access articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and studies exclusively conducted in African countries. The quality of the studies was assessed according to the Medicine Quality Assessment Reporting Guidelines (MEDQUARG). This systematic review was reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA).

Results: Of the 27 studies, 26 had good methodological quality after a quality assessment. Of the 7508 medicine samples, 1639 failed at least one quality test and were confirmed to be substandard/falsified medicines. The overall estimated prevalence of substandard/falsified medicines in Africa was 22.6% (1718/7592). The average prevalence of unregistered medicines was 34.6% (108/312). Antibiotics, antimalarial, and antihypertensive medicines accounted for 44.6% (712/1596), 15.6% (530/3530), 16.3% (249/1530), and 16.3% (249/1530), respectively. Approximately 60.7% (91/150) were antihelmintic and antiprotozoal medicines. Poor market regulatory permission, Free trade zones, poor registration, high demand, and poor importation standards contribute to the prevalence of these problems.

Conclusion/recommendations: Substandard, falsified, and unregistered medicines are highly prevalent in Africa, and attention has not been paid to the problem [???]. Antibiotics, antimalarial, anthelmintic, and antiprotozoal are the most commonly reported substandard, falsified, and unregistered medicines. A consistent supply of high-quality products, enhancement of registration, market regulatory permission, and importation standards are essential to counter the problems in Africa. Preventing these problems is the primary duty of every responsible nation to save lives."

Global Health NOW: Polio Vaccination Reaching Young Gazans; Safety Violations at Plant Linked to Listeria Outbreak; and Your August Recap

Prevalence of substandard, falsified, unlicensed and unregistered medicine and its associated factors in Africa: a systematic review (open access)

FDA rejects MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD

I might be wrong, but PTSD is one of those more ambiguous and controversial  diagnoses like gender dysphoria!

The usual placebo testing is very difficult or impossible with psychedelic drugs.

On the other hand, there is e.g. the Right to Try issue and government paternalism.

Ozempic adds 'saving kidneys, hearts and lives' to its list of benefits

Good news! Amazing stuff!

Curiously, here Ozempic and Wegovy are referred to as antidiabetics and not as weight reduction medications.

"... An international clinical trial led by researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney found that a low weekly dose of semaglutide improved kidney function and reduced the risk of death in people with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. ...
The trial involved 3,533 participants from 28 countries with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease who were randomized to receive semaglutide or a placebo. ..."

"Antidiabetic medication semaglutide, more widely known by brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, significantly reduces the risk of kidney failure, substantial loss of kidney function and death from kidney or cardiovascular causes, an international clinical trial led by UNSW Sydney researchers has shown.  "

From the abstract:

"BACKGROUND

Patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease are at high risk for kidney failure, cardiovascular events, and death. Whether treatment with semaglutide would mitigate these risks is unknown.

METHODS

We randomly assigned patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease (defined by an estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] of 50 to 75 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area and a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio [with albumin measured in milligrams and creatinine measured in grams] of >300 and <5000 or an eGFR of 25 to <50 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 and a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio of >100 and <5000) to receive subcutaneous semaglutide at a dose of 1.0 mg weekly or placebo. The primary outcome was major kidney disease events, a composite of the onset of kidney failure (dialysis, transplantation, or an eGFR of <15 ml per minute per 1.73 m2), at least a 50% reduction in the eGFR from baseline, or death from kidney-related or cardiovascular causes. Prespecified confirmatory secondary outcomes were tested hierarchically.

RESULTS

Among the 3533 participants who underwent randomization (1767 in the semaglutide group and 1766 in the placebo group), median follow-up was 3.4 years, after early trial cessation was recommended at a prespecified interim analysis. The risk of a primary-outcome event was 24% lower in the semaglutide group than in the placebo group (331 vs. 410 first events; hazard ratio, 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.66 to 0.88; P=0.0003). Results were similar for a composite of the kidney-specific components of the primary outcome (hazard ratio, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.66 to 0.94) and for death from cardiovascular causes (hazard ratio, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.56 to 0.89). The results for all confirmatory secondary outcomes favored semaglutide: the mean annual eGFR slope was less steep (indicating a slower decrease) by 1.16 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 in the semaglutide group (P<0.001), the risk of major cardiovascular events 18% lower (hazard ratio, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.68 to 0.98; P=0.029), and the risk of death from any cause 20% lower (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.95, P=0.01). Serious adverse events were reported in a lower percentage of participants in the semaglutide group than in the placebo group (49.6% vs. 53.8%).

CONCLUSIONS

Semaglutide reduced the risk of clinically important kidney outcomes and death from cardiovascular causes in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease."

Ozempic adds 'saving kidneys, hearts and lives' to its list of benefits Semaglutide, better known as Ozempic and Wegovy, has added another string to its therapeutic bow. A recent international clinical trial found that it significantly reduced the risk of kidney failure and death in type 2 diabetics with chronic kidney disease.

‘Saving kidneys, hearts and lives’: Diabetes drug found to reduce risk of kidney disease and death (original news release)

Effects of Semaglutide on Chronic Kidney Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes (no public access)

The pros, cons, and unknowns of popular weight-loss drugs

How does this compare to the traditional and very effective treatment by changing one's lifestyle including diet, and more physical exercise? Be smart!

Pill popping only seems so much easier and convenient! Surely, the pharmaceutical industry prefers it.

It takes up to 1.5 years of daily injections to reduce weight by max 20%? Bad deal!

We don't know how they work. Perhaps, in 5-10 years, we learn about their negative health effects!

"... the drugs work, but they are hard to find, expensive—around $700 a month without insurance for Wegovy which is prescribed for weight loss—and need to be taken forever to maintain weight loss and improve cardiovascular health when researchers don't yet fully understand their long-term effects. ...
The medications, also known as GLP-1 drugs, also reduce glucagon, a hormone secreted by the liver that causes glucose levels to rise in the bloodstream. ...
"In fact, the big studies coming out are telling us that [after taking one of these medications] for about a year to a year-and-a-half, people are achieving about 15% to 20% weight loss." ...
but scientists haven't figured out the precise mechanism for the way these medicines do that," ...
signs during endoscopies that Ozempic and Wegovy may slow the passage of food through the digestive system. "It is a concern for us," ... "So much so, that there is now a hospitalwide policy that patients must hold their GLP-1 medication for one week prior to their endoscopy. ...
Another concern? Everything we know about these medicines suggests you can't stop them without gaining back the weight and losing any gained control over diabetes ..."

The pros, cons, and unknowns of popular weight-loss drugs | Hub Are in-demand drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy safe and effective? Gastroenterologist Sameer Khan of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine explains

Weight Loss Drugs: The New Normal for 2024? with Palki Sharma

Very recommendable! A stampede or mad rush of pharmaceutical companies to get in on this business. However, in many cases of obesity probably changes in lifestyle, physical exercise, and diet would make a significant difference instead of consuming expensive medications!

Targeting costly medications, Biden admin asserts authority to seize certain drug patents. Really!

Dangerous stuff! Most likely unconstitutional! Big government infringing on property rights!

What do you expect from a senile, demented and corrupt 46th President!

There are other, better ways to introduce more competition into market of medications. E.g. more imports, more generic drugs, shorter patent lifetimes, faster drug approval etc. 

"The Biden administration has determined that it has the authority to seize the patents of certain high-priced medicines, a move that could open the door to a more aggressive federal campaign to slash drug prices.

The determination, which was described by three people familiar with the matter, represents the culmination of a nearly nine-month review of the government’s so-called march-in rights. Progressives have long insisted that those rights empower the administration to break the patents of pricey drugs that were developed with public funds, in an effort to create more competition and lower prices. ..."

Targeting costly meds, Biden admin asserts authority to seize certain drug patents - POLITICO The decision could give the president another tool to use in his effort to lower drug prices.

Cough Syrup Manufacturers in India Fail Quality Checks and children are dying with Palki Sharma

Bad news! India is one of the leading manufacturers and exporters of generic drugs.

Surge in Demand for Weight-Loss Drug Ozempic Reaches Corporate America with Palki Sharma

Recommendable! What an amazing drug!

This Company Novo Nordisk Is Now Europe's Most Valuable with Palki Sharma

Very recommendable! More competition is needed! E.g. shorten the intellectual property rights. Loosen imports etc. 

Denmark's Economy is Booming Thanks to the US. with Palki Sharma

Very recommendable! One company benefits from it. The valuation of this company is larger than the GDP of Denmark.

At least 70 children died in Gambia due to toxic cough medicine produced by an Indian pharmaceutical company

I believe, there were several reports of cases like this out of Africa in recent times! Cases like this do not look good on India!

Of course, one should be careful to jump to conclusions. E.g. how exactly did these toxins get into these medications?

It appears, Indian courts are already dealing with some the pharmaceutical companies: e.g. Court orders jail for two Maiden Pharma execs for exporting substandard drugs to Vietnam (2/28/2023)

"... At least 70 children died from acute kidney injury in Gambia last year, cases the World Health Organization (WHO) linked to medicines made by Indian drugmaker Maiden Pharmaceuticals that were contaminated with diethylene glycol (DEG) and ethylene glycol (EG), toxins normally used as industrial solvents and antifreeze agents. ...
Now, as Reuters previously reported, parents of 20 of the children are taking legal steps, seeking about $250,000 in compensation [that is very cheap compared to e.g. the U.S.] for each child. ..."

The meds they bought were toxic. Now Gambian parents seek justice | Reuters