Healthcare & Laboratory News

MedPage Today (7/18, Haelle) reported, “The investigational oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) agent MK-8527 showed a similar, well-tolerated safety profile to placebo, with dose-proportional pharmacokinetics, among adults with a low likelihood of HIV-1 exposure, a phase II study suggested.” Researchers found that “the overall rate of adverse events was 61.4%, 68.3%, and 66.7% for those receiving MK-8527 at doses of 3 mg, 6 mg, and 12 mg compared with 63.3% for those receiving placebo, and the proportion of drug-related adverse events was also similar (14.9%, 15.8%, and 20.2% vs 18.4%).” The findings were presented at the International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science.

Infectious Disease Advisor (7/18, Basilio) reported, “The addition of molnupiravir or nirmatrelvir-ritonavir to usual care was not associated with improvements in clinical outcomes in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia, according to findings.” Researchers said, “Current evidence does not support the addition of molnupiravir or nirmatrelvir-ritonavir to usual care, which could include other antivirals, for adults hospitalized with COVID-19.” The findings were published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

Healio (7/18, Carter) reported, “Certain urine biomarkers may noninvasively assess kidney health in patients with diabetic kidney disease and help identify risk for chronic kidney disease progression, according to study data.” Researchers found “that MCP-1 [monocyte chemoattractant protein-1], KIM-1 [kidney injury molecule-1] and EGF [epidermal growth factor] may be used to noninvasively assess tubule and interstitial health in patients with CKD and diabetes.” Investigators “found higher levels of KIM-1 and MCP-1 were associated with increased CKD progression risk, and higher urine levels of EGF were linked to lower risk of progression.” The findings were published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

Reuters (7/18, Aboulenein) reported, “The United States has rejected amendments adopted in 2024 by members of the World Health Organization to its legally binding health rules aimed at improving preparedness for future pandemics following the disjointed global response to COVID-19.” The State Department and HHS “said in a statement they had transmitted on Friday the official U.S. rejection of the amendments to the International Health Regulations, which were adopted by consensus last year.” According to Reuters, “the amendments introduced a new category of ‘pandemic emergency’ for the most significant and globally threatening health crises in an effort to shore up the world’s defenses against new pathogens.” The Hill (7/18, O’Connell-Domenech) also reported.

Healio (7/18, Stulpin) reported, “Common cold coronavirus incidence decreased by more than half after widespread SARS-CoV-2 infections and vaccination compared with pre-pandemic rates, researchers determined through a recent study.” Investigators “compared rates of common cold coronavirus, RSV and flu incidence from before the pandemic and after the omicron surge.” The researchers “found a major impact on common cold incidence but not on RSV or flu.” The findings were published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.

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MedPage Today (7/17, Haelle) reports, “Adults with HIV and obesity who switched from an antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimen with an integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) and tenofovir alafenamide to doravirine with or without tenofovir disoproxil fumarate did not have clinically meaningful weight loss, a randomized trial showed.” Researchers found that “at 48 weeks of follow-up, the median weight change was -0.47%...in those who switched to doravirine and tenofovir alafenamide/emtricitabine, -2.73%...in those who switched to doravirine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine, and -1.84%...in those who continued the INSTI and tenofovir alafenamide/emtricitabine.” The findings were presented at the International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science.

Multiple Sclerosis News Today (7/17, Shapiro) reports, “Researchers have developed a blood test to identify people at risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) years before the first symptoms appear.” The test, which was “described in a recent study, looks for antibodies against a protein of the Epstein-Barr virus, which is a leading risk factor for MS.” The findings were published in Nature Communications.

MedPage Today (7/17, Bassett) reports, “COVID-19 booster shots appeared to protect against severe disease among patients with cancer, according to a large retrospective cohort study.” Investigators found that “with a monovalent booster, the vaccine effectiveness to prevent COVID hospitalization was 29.2%, and 29.9% with a bivalent booster, while the number needed to vaccinate in order to prevent one hospitalization was 166 and 451, respectively.” MedPage Today add, “These findings are of importance, given that a second study...showed that certain factors, including hematologic cancers and lung cancer, as well as use of chemotherapy, were associated with COVID severity.” Both studies were published in JAMA Oncology.