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Pharmaceutical
New pill shows significant cuts in cholesterol
A powerful new drug from Merck – which introduced statins to the world nearly 40 years ago – could slash levels of dangerous LDL...
Pre-surgery drugs tied to more infections – Swiss study
A large cohort study conducted in Switzerland suggests that use of non-beta-lactam antibiotics before surgery should be avoided when possible, the researchers have reported...
Unpacking the FDA's updated labelling for menopausal hormone therapy
In a significant shift in the regulation for hormone therapy for perimenopausal and menopausal women, the Food and Drug Agency has moved towards what...
Eastern Cape chemo patients left in the lurch after bungle
There appears to be no end to the problems affecting the Eastern Cape Department of Health, the latest mess coming after its account with...
Aspen wins R500m payout in mRNA products dispute
South Africa’s biggest pharmaceutical manufacturer, Aspen, is expecting a R500m boost to its bank account within the next 30 days after its seven-month legal...
Sleeping pill may slow Alzheimer’s protein build-up – US study
There’s still so much we don’t know about Alzheimer’s disease, but the link between poor sleep and worsening disease is one being explored with gusto by...
New pharmacy rival likely to chase Clicks, Dis-Chem
Ambitious plans to double its pharmaceutical retail stores next year are a step closer for the SPAR Group, after getting the nod from the...
FDA approves GSK’s myeloma drug
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved GSK’s blood cancer treatment Blenrep, in one combination regimen, the company has announced, clearing the way...
World’s largest-ever Parkinson’s drug clinical trial kicks off in UK
A mammoth £26m project – and the world’s largest-ever clinical trial of treatments to slow or stop the progression of Parkinson’s disease – has...
FDA green-lights menopause pill for US women
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a treatment for menopause relief, bringing the country in line with Britain, Australia, Canada and Switzerland, where...
Low quality cancer drugs in Africa sparks call for tighter regulations
The number of people receiving treatment for cancer has risen dramatically in the past decade in many African countries, but regulatory bodies often don’t have the...
Anti-depressant side effects review prompts call for guidelines update
A major review of the potential side effects of certain anti-depressants has found that some people can gain as much as 2kg in weight...
Africa to get BioNTech mRNA vaccine site
Two EU bodies will fund BioNTech with up to $110m to help build its mRNA vaccine factory in Kigali, Rwanda, which is designed to locally supply...
Africa must stop relying on imported medicines and ingredients
Africa imports more than 70% of its medicine, but this could be changed if the continent made its own active ingredients locally – slashing...
FDA, Merck accused of ‘covering up’ hair-loss pill’s suicide link
Hair-loss drug Finasteride has long been tied to depression and suicide, but researchers say regulators have ignored the warnings, with a recent analysis by...
Common painkiller may have anti-cancer properties – UK study
Ibuprofen is a household name – the go-to remedy for everything from headaches to period pain – but recent research suggests this everyday drug...
Pharmacists allowed to dispense ARVs, appeal court rules
The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has dismissed, with costs, an appeal by a doctor’s organisation, the IPA Foundation, aimed at stopping specially trained...
SAHPRA grants Mounjaro jab approval for weight loss
Aspen Pharmacare has received approval from the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) for the diabetes treatment drug Mounjaro (tirzepatide) as a chronic weight...
Indian firm to buy chunk of pharma giant Adcock
India-listed Natco Pharma has been given the green light to buy a significant stake in Adcock Ingram, with the South African company’s shareholders voting...
Dis-Chem changes boost investor confidence
A new phase of maturity is anticipated for Dis-Chem with its ongoing leadership transition, with experts predicting that the changes could help reignite investor...
Tramadol offers limited relief, risks serious side effects – Danish review
The strong opioid painkiller tramadol is not that effective at easing chronic pain for which it's widely prescribed, finds a pooled data analysis of...
‘Alarming’ rise of superbugs in newborn babies – Australian study
The war against drug-resistant microbes is not going very well, warned scientists after a recent study on escalating antibiotic resistance and “superbugs” affecting newborn...
Too soon to dismiss concerns about acetaminophen and autism?
The hullaballoo over the acetaminophen (known in South Africa as paracetamol) and autism issue, and the warnings issued by the Trump administration on its...
Approval for first drug in a decade for deadly lung disease
The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved nerandomilast (Jascayd) tablets for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), the first new product for the progressive lung condition...
SAHPRA backs safety of paracetamol
The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) has confirmed that paracetamol remains a safe and recommended option for treating pain and fever during...
SA launches WHO-backed plan to combat rise of counterfeit meds
A national action plan to fight the alarming rise of fake and sub-standard medicines in South Africa will be implemented from next year, aimed...
CDC flags surge of infections from drug-resistant bacteria
Health officials in the United States have warned that infections from dangerous bacteria, which are resistant to some of the strongest antibiotics available, have...
Non-hormonal pill eases menopause symptoms, study finds
Menopausal hot flushes and night sweats were significantly reduced for women taking a non-hormonal pill from Bayer in a late-stage trial, researchers have reported,...
Cambridge clinical trial offers hope of new MS therapies
Early results from a Cambridge clinical trial have suggested that a common diabetes drug taken with an antihistamine can partially repair damage in the...
Arthritis pill could delay diabetes progression – Australian trial
A two-year Australian trial has found that a daily pill commonly prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis and alopecia could also slow the progression of type 1 diabetes.
The Independent reports that...
SA expert groups dismiss Trump's paracetamol link to autism
South African health professional groups have added their voices to the global outcry against the Trump administration urging pregnant women against using paracetamol (or...
Aspen banks on Mounjaro as workers face the chop
Aspen Pharmacare, South Africa’s largest pharmaceutical company, is awaiting regulatory approval to roll out diabetic drug Mounjaro for weight loss, but the bad news is...
GLP-1 drugs now on WHO’s essential medicines list
GLP-1 drugs to treat diabetes as well as treatments for cystic fibrosis and cancer have been added to the World Health Organisation’s essential medicines...
Are prescription drugs to blame for increasing falls among the elderly?
Some researchers believe that rising prescription medication use may explain a disturbing trend – an escalation in falls and fractures among older people –...
Pre-schoolers given ADHD meds too soon – US analysis
Nearly half of all American pre-scholars with ADHD are prescribed medication too soon – within 30 days of diagnosis – according to a retrospective analysis...
Paracetamol link to autism rears again
For more than a decade, studies of the use of acetaminophen (known as paracetamol in South Africa) in pregnancy – including a recent scientific...
FDA approves first-in-class drug for fibromyalgia
The FDA has approved cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride sublingual tablets (Tonmya, Tonix Pharmaceuticals), a first-in-class, non-opioid treatment for adults with fibromyalgia, a chronic pain syndrome that affects more than 10m Americans,...
Breast cancer pill extends survival in seven-year trial – Lilly
A breakthrough therapy for advanced breast cancer also works well in the early stages, improving survival outcomes for patients, according to Lilly Oncology, which says its...
SA companies lose out on ARV drugs tender
The National Department of Health’s decision to give the lion’s share of the latest R15.5bn Aids drug tender to Aspen Pharmacare but shun many...
Diabetes drugs tied to optic nerve disorder risk – US study
Experts are urging screening and monitoring for eye disease for all patients on GLP-1 receptor agonists, after a large retrospective study suggested the risk...