Cefiderocol Demonstrates Better Outcomes as Empiric or Documented Therapy as Compared to Salvage Therapy
New data being presented at the upcoming ESCMID Global 2025 will show cefiderocol (Fetroja) had a higher clinical cure rate trend among patients who received cefiderocol for a documented infection (67.4%) or as empiric therapy (64.6%) as compared to those who received it as salvage therapy (58.2%).1 “These data suggest a trend towards worse clinical […]
Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir Shows Efficacy for Long COVID, But Lacks Significant Health Improvements
A phase 2, double-blind, randomized trial of nirmatrelvir-ritonavir for Long COVID published in The Lancet, showed no statistically significant improvements in health outcomes compared to placebo. The trial included 100 participants (66% female, 34% male) from 48 US states, all with persistent Long COVID symptoms, who were randomly assigned to either the nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (49 participants) […]
National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day Reminds Young People They Are Not Forgotten
Annually, April 10 is National Youth HIV and AIDS Awareness Day (NYHAAD), which commemorates young people who are vulnerable to or living with the virus. The day reminds young people of the importance of sexual health and lets them know that public health officials and other key stakeholders are thinking of them—and that they have […]
FDA Grants Fast Track Status to ARCT-2304 for H5N1 Influenza Protection
The FDA has granted Fast Track Designation to ARCT-2304, Arcturus Therapeutics’ investigational self-amplifying mRNA (sa-mRNA) vaccine developed to protect against pandemic influenza A (H5N1). ARCT-2304, also known as LUNAR-H5N1, is part of the company’s proprietary STARR mRNA platform and aims to support rapid, scalable immunization during global influenza threats.1 The Fast Track designation is designed […]
Sweeping Public Health Changes Creates US and Global Turmoil
The Trump Administration’s proposed public health policy changes are occurring on 2 fronts: domestically and internationally. And these sweeping changes that are happening are widespread enough that they will affect everyone’s health to some degree. One example on the international front is the administration’s plan to stop funding Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Last month, the […]
Study Finds Besifovir a Safer Alternative to Tenofovir for Long-Term Hepatitis B Treatment
HBV test Image credits: Unsplash A new study led by Korea University College of Medicine, published in Clinical and Molecular Hepatology, demonstrates that switching from long-term tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) to besifovir (BSV) improves renal and bone safety in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) without compromising antiviral efficacy. The study involved 153 patients who […]
Atea Pharmaceuticals Doses First Patient in Phase 3 Trial for Chronic Hepatitis C
Image Credit: Atea Pharmaceuticals Boston-based Atea Pharmaceuticals announced it had dosed the first patient for its C-BEYOND phase 3 trial in the US and Canada. The study will evaluate the regimen of bemnifosbuvir and ruzasvir for the treatment of adults with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) compared to the combination regimen of sofosbuvir and velpatasvir.1 […]
Expanding Egypt’s Hepatitis C Elimination Efforts
HCV test. Image credits: Unsplash A new cost-effectiveness modeling study from Egypt shows that screening all pregnant women for hepatitis C virus (HCV), treating those who test positive during pregnancy, and providing treatment to infected children at age three would improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs. This approach was compared to Egypt’s current protocol, […]
TB Treatment Development is Underway, But Research Interruptions Prioritize Therapy Compliance
This is a medical illustration of drug-resistant, Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria, presented in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publication entitled, Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States, 2019 (AR Threats Report). Medical Illustrators: Alissa Eckert; James Archer Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a global health burden. According to the World Health Organization, an […]
Without PEPFAR, Nearly 500,000 Children Could Die From AIDS-Related Causes in 5 Years
Image credit: Pixabay, Pexels At the end of January, the Trump Administration ordered a stop-work for all global health funding, which included the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program. This long-standing public health initiative, started by President George W. Bush, has played a critical role in addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic, particularly in […]
