November 24, 2021 Generic Drugs Will the COVID antiviral medications be the Thor’s Hammer against SARS-CoV-2 and help mitigate the ravages of the pandemic? These are impressive drugs but there are logistical, social, geographical, and financial caveats to solve in the process.
October 26, 2021 Allergy/Immunology Availability of monoclonal antibody treatment for mild to moderate COVID is limited in Canada based on medication supply and availability of dedicated infusion centres and staff in some parts of the country.
August 23, 2021 Allergy/Immunology AstraZeneca is soon to publish results from its pre-exposure prophylaxis trial about anti-Covid antibodies given IM to people with comorbid states that reduce the immune response from vaccines. Reduced severe symptomatic risk (relative) by 77%.
June 8, 2021 Health Policy FDA approval process questioned as it approves new early-stage $56K US/year treatment for Alzheimer’s despite its own panel founding insufficient evidence of efficacy. Only when company changed the study endpoint did it show efficacy compared to placebo.
May 20, 2021 Cardiology Research presented at American College of Cardiology meeting states that 19 per cent of people with hypertension are taking other OTC or prescription meds that elevate their blood pressure. Awaiting published study.
February 16, 2021 Bariatric Medicine NEJM publishes study evaluating the use of semaglutide to assist people with weight loss. Not “game-changing” but another positive step forward for evidenced-based treatment to help people with #Overweight or #Obesity.
August 14, 2020 General information Drugs shortages in Canada have been around for years yet little action has been taken by the Canadian government. The pandemic now makes this more of an acute problem.
May 14, 2020 Generic Drugs Will there be an increase in superbugs after SARS-CoV-2? Further evaluation is required to determine if there has been an increase in indiscriminate antibiotic use during the pandemic. We probably will not know the answer for some time.
April 30, 2020 Clinical Research Remdesivir may help treat Covid-19 but the predictable media hype misrepresents the science. The data has not been published nor peer reviewed. There is a study in the Lancet that does not demonstrate efficacy hence the need for further investigation to determine if this truly is a treatment option.
February 6, 2020 Cardiovascular Diesase Many limitations in cohort study that suggests, at least for white Finnish public sector workers, that ‘People on blood pressure, cholesterol meds often let healthy habits slip’