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☆ Fungal infections are becoming more common. Why isn't there a vaccine?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Berkeley Lovelace Jr. | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Ritesh Shukla | Getty ImagesFungal infections are becoming more common in the United States, but unlike illnesses caused by bacteria or viruses, there's no vaccine to protect against a fungal threat. Fungi cause a wide range of illnesses in people, from irritating athlete's foot to life-threatening bloodstream infections. In the U.S., fungal infections are responsible for more than 75,000 hospitalizations and nearly 9 million outpatient visits each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite the growing threat, there are currently no licensed vaccines — in the U.S. or abroad — to prevent fungal infections. Fatal fungal infectionsNorris said that the ultimate goal would be to develop a single vaccine that protects against all fungal infections.

They have soared in popularity over the last year, in part from social media attention and billionaires like Elon Musk touting the drugs’ weight loss effects. Ozempic is not approved for weight loss, but doctors sometimes prescribe it off-label for that purpose. Harper took Ozempic off-label for weight loss from May until November (she paused while moving to Washington state but plans to start again). For Yazeed, weight loss was not the reason she went on Ozempic, nor was it a goal. He hasn't experienced side effects or weight loss from Ozempic, he said, but he recognizes that isn't true for everyone.

A provision in the Inflation Reduction Act that allows Medicare to negotiate prices on the costliest prescription drugs each year will likely save the U.S. billions of dollars — as long as the drug industry doesn't interfere, according to a study published Friday in JAMA Health Forum. They identified 40 drugs that would have been selected by Medicare for drug pricing negotiation under the Inflation Reduction Act's provision. The researchers simulated negotiated prices by using a so-called ceiling price, which is at least 25% off the average price drug manufacturers charge to nongovernment entities, like private health insurance providers. The researchers found that the Medicare drug negotiation provision would have saved the U.S. $26.5 billion, or 5% of all drug spending, during those three years. It plans to release a list of the first 10 drugs it will target for drug pricing negotiation by September.

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday proposed easing blood donation guidelines for gay and bisexual men. Under current rules, the FDA allows donations from gay and bisexual men if they haven't had sex with another man for three months. In a draft proposal posted to the agency's website, the FDA said the new rules would allow anyone to donate blood — regardless of gender or sexual orientation — as long as they haven't engaged in certain sexual behaviors in the last three months. Blood donors who report having a new sexual partner or more than one sexual partner would be asked about their sexual activity over the last three months under the new guidelines. The FDA will not reach a final decision immediately.

An advisory committee to the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday raised doubts about shifting toward a yearly Covid booster for most adults and children, saying too many questions about the virus still remain unanswered. The FDA convened its Vaccine and Related Biology Products Advisory Committee to discuss how the Covid vaccines may change moving forward. On Monday, the agency published briefing documents proposing annual Covid shots that target the latest variants of the virus — an approach similar to the yearly flu shot. Some committee members said they would prefer to make multiple yearly meetings on the Covid vaccines the norm. In a unanimous vote, the committee recommended using the bivalent formula in all Covid vaccines moving forward, not just for booster shots.

☆ Updated Covid boosters cut the infection risk from XBB.1.5 subvariant by half, CDC finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Berkeley-Lovelace-Jr.Jpg | Berkeley Lovelace Jr. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

The updated Covid boosters reduce the risk of Covid infection from the predominant omicron subvariant by nearly half, according to early data published Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The findings are “quite reassuring,” Dr. Brendan Jackson, the head of the CDC’s Covid response, said on a call with reporters Wednesday. As of last Wednesday, only about 15% of people in the U.S. had received an updated booster, according to CDC data. People who were vaccinated but had not received the updated booster were compared to those who got the updated booster in the previous two to three months. People who got the updated boosters are probably "much more likely to wear masks indoors or restrain their travel or not go to indoor restaurants," he said.

Researchers saw similar declines in cognitive performance when people replaced vigorous exercise with six minutes of light physical activity or seven minutes of sleeping. But the opposite was also seen to be true: Exercising instead of sitting boosted cognitive performance. Replacing sitting or lying down with nine minutes of vigorous exercise was linked to a more than 1% boost in cognition scores, the study found. "Physical activity is linked to a whole host of benefits, and so you really want to promote as much regular physical activity as possible," said Biswas, who wasn't involved with the research. Mitchell, the study author, noted that light activity is still preferable to sitting.

☆ FDA proposes simplifying the Covid vaccine schedule, making it similar to the flu shot
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Berkeley-Lovelace-Jr.Jpg | Berkeley Lovelace Jr. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Food and Drug Administration advisers will meet Thursday to discuss simplifying the Covid vaccination schedule, allowing most people to get the currently available booster, regardless of how many doses they had received before that. The FDA is proposing skipping over that primary series, meaning that most unvaccinated individuals could go ahead and get the latest booster shot if they decided to get a Covid vaccine. The FDA’s proposal, experts say, would greatly simplify the Covid vaccination schedule in the United States — aligning it more closely with the annual flu shot. In another similarity to the flu shot, the FDA is considering whether the Covid vaccine should be updated at least once a year, based on what strains are in circulation. Dr. Anna Durbin, a vaccine researcher at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, said simplifying the Covid vaccine schedule makes sense.

☆ What happens when you stop taking a weight loss drug? Many people gain the weight back.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Berkeley-Lovelace-Jr.Jpg | Berkeley Lovelace Jr. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

She didn't find success until her doctor prescribed Wegovy, a weight loss drug, in August 2021. But it all stopped in February, when Bayandor's health insurance denied her coverage, forcing her to stop taking the medication. Artemis BayandorBayandor's experience isn't uncommon: Widespread shortages of Wegovy, a popular weight loss aid, have forced some people in the U.S. to stop taking it, leading them to gain some — or all — of their weight back. "When you're at that max weight loss, your body's hunger hormones are the highest," she said. In May, an unrelated thyroid issue landed her in the hospital and forced her to stop taking Wegovy.

A newly approved Alzheimer's drug will be available to patients in the coming days, according to its maker, the Japanese pharmaceutical company Eisai. While Leqembi offers hope to patients and their families, experts say that there are still some key unanswered questions about the drug, including about its safety and effectiveness. Besides questions about who will benefit the most, there are also questions about how long the drug will benefit patients. About 17% of the Leqembi group experienced brain bleeds, compared with 9% in the placebo group. The reports of brain bleeding and brain swelling "may only be the tip of the iceberg," he said.

☆ People with diabetes struggle to find Ozempic as it soars in popularity as a weight loss aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Berkeley-Lovelace-Jr.Jpg | Berkeley Lovelace Jr. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

For the past two years, she's managed the condition using a drug called Ozempic, which helps people with diabetes keep blood sugar levels in check. "It's been very frustrating," Largent-Phillips, of Florida, said of the shortage, adding that her blood sugar levels have been fluctuating as she's had to change medications. If the body doesn't use it well, that sugar stays in the blood, resulting in high blood sugar levels. His wife, Gerilynn, who is a nurse, said his blood sugar levels have gone back up since being off Ozempic. Largent-Phillips, of Florida — who has been documenting her experience on TikTok — said that for now, she has to be vigilant about monitoring her blood sugar levels.

A key adviser to the Food and Drug Administration's vaccine panel is questioning whether more Covid booster shots are necessary for healthy, younger people. The FDA later backed the vaccine panel, authorizing a new formulation of the booster shots. “The people who are talking about why young people need it are missing the point,” he said, referring to the booster. Levy, the director of the Precision Vaccines Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, continues to encourage Covid boosters for everyone who is eligible. Relatively few people in the U.S. have had updated boosters.

A newly approved drug intended to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease offers patients hope, but it will come with a steep price tag: $26,500 a year. That drug initially cost $56,000 per year before Biogen slashed the price in half, to $28,000 annually. Dr. David Rind, the institute's chief medical officer, said an appropriate cost for the drug is $8,500 to $20,600 a year. John Domeck, 60, of Aurora, Ohio is currently enrolled in a phase 3 clinical trial testing Leqembi. But right now, the clinical trial for Leqembi shows that the drug provides "modest efficacy at a big, big price," Caplan said.

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved an Alzheimer’s drug shown in clinical trials to slow cognitive decline in patients in the early stages of the illness. The FDA approved Leqembi for use in people with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer’s disease. Most drugs approved by the FDA for Alzheimer’s are aimed at helping symptoms, not actually slowing the progression of the disease. Friday's announcement comes on the heels of a scathing congressional report released last week detailing the approval of a different Alzheimer’s drug, called Aduhelm. The Alzheimer's Association has said that based on the Eisai and Biogen phase 3 clinical trial results, the FDA should approve Leqembi for early-stage Alzheimer’s.

More young children are getting sick from inadvertently eating marijuana edibles, according to a study published Tuesday in the journal Pediatrics. Eating too much can lead to serious health problems in young children, including confusion, hallucinations, fast heart rate and vomiting, experts said. Nearly a quarter of the children were admitted to the hospital, 8.1% of whom who needed intensive care, the study found. Wang called for regulation of how marijuana manufacturers can advertise their products, including regulations that ensure the advertising doesn't appeal to children. Osterhoudt went a step further: "The safest thing for a parent of young children to do would be not to bring edible THC products into their homes."

Covid hospitalizations are rising in the United States, even as hospitalizations for respiratory syncytial virus and the flu continue to fall. For the week ending Dec. 24, around 18,800 people were hospitalized with flu, down from around 20,700 hospitalizations the week prior. RSV hospitalization rates have fallen significantly since their peak in mid-November of 5.1 hospitalizations per 100,000 people. The seven-day average of daily Covid hospitalizations reached 42,140 on Friday, an increase of 4.2% from two weeks ago, according to an NBC News tally. The CDC recommends up-to-date Covid vaccines for everyone ages 6 months and older, as well as annual flu shots.

How much does insulin cost? People with Type 1 diabetes need, on average, one to three vials of insulin per month, according to the American Diabetes Association. Patients with Type 2 diabetes don't always need to take insulin, but those who do can sometimes require more than people with Type 1 diabetes. Even people with what's considered good health insurance coverage can face steep costs in certain situations. In addition to insulin and insurance premiums, Gibson also must spend $550 every three months for glucose monitors and $1,100 for insulin pumps.

More adults in the U.S. expect to be more stressed in 2023 than at this time last year, but they also say they're more willing to take steps to tackle that stress, a survey released Wednesday finds. And about 37% of adults (nearly 2 out of 5) rated their mental health as “fair or poor” this month, up from 31% a year ago. Young adults, low-income adults and parents were most likely to rank their mental health as fair or poor. At the same time, more adults say they plan to take steps to improve their mental health next year, such as journaling or going to therapy, the survey found. McKernan said other ways people can take care of their mental health include paying attention to signs of stress.

The Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company negotiates directly with drugmakers. So far, that's been the strategy for the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company. In October, Cost Plus Drug Company announced a partnership with Capital Blue Cross. Cuban said he wanted Cost Plus Drug Company to be as transparent as possible on pricing. Cost Plus Drug Company is considering a test program for insulin that would offer a 90-day supply of insulin, or a total of 12 vials, for $170.

☆ POTS, a debilitating heart condition, is linked to Covid and, to a lesser degree, vaccines
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Berkeley-Lovelace-Jr.Jpg | Berkeley Lovelace Jr. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Research published Monday has confirmed a link between a Covid infection and a debilitating heart condition called POTS, or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, that has been diagnosed in some patients with long Covid. POTS was also linked, to a lesser degree, to Covid vaccination with an mRNA vaccine, according to the new study. He also said that the link between POTS and Covid vaccination needs to be confirmed with further studies. Other vaccines have also been linked to POTS in early accounts, but further research did not establish a causal link. The link between an infection — including Covid — and POTS, however, is more well-established.

☆ Myocarditis after Covid vaccine low among teens and young adults, large study finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Berkeley-Lovelace-Jr.Jpg | Berkeley Lovelace Jr. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

The incidence of myocarditis and pericarditis after Covid vaccination is low and most patients make a full recovery, a large international study from Nationwide Children’s Hospital found. The findings confirm earlier studies that found myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, and pericarditis, an inflammation of the outer lining of the heart, following Covid vaccination are rare. The review included more than 800 teens and young adults who developed myocarditis and pericarditis following Covid vaccination. The heart-related conditions usually occurred within four days after the second dose of a Covid vaccine, the study found. Daniel Salmon, director of the Institute for Vaccine Safety at Johns Hopkins University, said he would still like to see estimates of myocarditis risk by age, gender, vaccine type and spacing between doses.

People who got the updated booster shots after two or more shots of the original vaccine were compared to another group of people who received only two or more doses of the original vaccine. The updated booster shots performed better in preventing infections in all adult age groups, with higher vaccine efficacy seen in people who waited longer before getting the updated booster, the CDC found. He noted that studies have shown longer intervals between Covid vaccine doses can lead to higher antibody levels. Previous Covid infections may be underreported, the agency said, and low uptake of the updated boosters could have affected the results. New subvariants BQ.1.1 and BQ.1 are on the rise in the U.S., she said, and it’s unclear how the updated boosters will perform against those strains.

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the first drug to delay the onset of Type 1 diabetes. It’s been approved for people ages 8 and older who have early signs of Type 1 diabetes. Nearly 2 million people in the United States have Type 1 diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. People with Type 1 diabetes usually need multiple injections of insulin every day for the rest of their lives, often a great financial burden. The most common side effects of the medication include decreased levels of certain white blood cells, rash and headache, according to the FDA.

The Food and Drug Administration is pushing for drugmakers to apply for over-the-counter approval for naloxone, the opioid overdose antidote. Naloxone is only offered as a prescription, though many states have found work-arounds to make the drug easier to get. By making the medication available over the counter, it removes stigma, said Dr. Scott Hadland, an addiction specialist at Mass General for Children in Boston. Nearly 20,000 deaths from overdose, between 1999 and 2020, have been prevented by the self-administering of naloxone, according to the FDA. The FDA noted that over-the-counter naloxone will not divert supplies away from community-based naloxone distribution programs and hospitals.

Poison control centers in the U.S. have seen an increase in reports of children ingesting a type of prescription cough medicine, a study published Tuesday by the Food and Drug Administration found. From 2010 through 2018, reports of pediatric poisonings involving the drug, benzonatate, increased each year, the study found. The reports included children who were unintentionally exposed to the drug, as well as children who abused or misused it intentionally. As non-narcotic drugs become more common in homes, "the likelihood of errors is going to increase," Creech said. Still, the study reminds doctors to provide good counsel about when and how to use the medication, Creech said.

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