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☆ After weight loss, Alzheimer's may be next frontier for drugs like Ozempic
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Natalie Grover | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

LONDON, May 8 (Reuters) - Diabetes drugs that also promote weight loss such as Novo Nordisk’s (NOVOb.CO) Ozempic, becoming a darling of celebrities and investors, are being studied to tackle some of the most difficult-to-treat brain disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease. Those successes followed decades of futility that had left many questioning the validity of the amyloid theory behind most experimental Alzheimer's drugs. She said she has since been approached by pharmaceutical companies at an increasing pace, and is currently running an Alzheimer’s trial evaluating intranasal insulin in combination with another diabetes drug. Four companies with GLP-1 drugs, including two larger drugmakers, say they are watching for results of trials testing Novo's drug in Alzheimer's. Dementia affects more than 55 million people globally and the market for Alzheimer’s drugs is expected to grow to $9.4 billion by 2028 and for Parkinson’s to $6.6 billion, according to pharmaceutical data provider Citeline.

☆ Bausch Health's quarter disappoints, guidance beats. But uncertainty prevails over patent litigation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Xifaxan sales were also up 7%. Internationally, reported Q1 sales of $247 million missed estimates but grew 1% compared to the year-ago period. Organic sales grew 5%, driven by strength in Canada and Europe. Organic sales grew 6%. Excluding Bausch + Lomb, the team reiterated their revenue guidance of $4.45 billion to $4.6 billion, as well as their adjusted EBITDA guidance of $2.3 billion to $2.4 billion.

☆ Here are Monday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, JPMorgan, Zillow, General Motors, Exxon, Tesla & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Here are Monday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Morgan Stanley upgrades General Motors to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said the auto giant's stock is oversold. Guggenheim initiates Endeavor as buy Guggenheim initiated the sports and entertainment company and says it's "well positioned." Morgan Stanley reiterates Tesla as overweight Morgan Stanley said Tesla's price cuts are the best measure of electric vehicle demand. Morgan Stanley upgrades Logitech to equal weight from underweight Morgan Stanley upgraded the stock mainly on valuation. Guggenheim upgrades Teradata to buy from neutral Guggenheim upgraded the software company based on positive channel checks.

☆ Cognitive decline, dementia common after stroke
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

About 40% of the survivors of stroke have mild cognitive impairment that does not meet the diagnostic criteria for dementia. Cognitive impairment is most common within the first two weeks after a stroke, the statement said. The American Stroke Association’s statement did offer some good news: About 20% of people who experience mild cognitive impairment after a stroke fully recover their cognitive function, typically within the first six months. Stroke risk factors, such as hypertension, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes, should be treated, as should atrial fibrillation. “Perhaps the most pressing need, however, is the development of effective and culturally relevant treatments for post-stroke cognitive impairment,” she said.

☆ Alzheimer’s patients may wait years to get treated with new drugs, putting them at risk of more severe disease
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +17 min

But time spent waiting robs early patients of their memory and ability to live independently. This condition is often, though not always, a sign of early Alzheimer's disease. PET scans cumbersomeTwo types of tests can diagnosis Alzheimer's disease: PET scans and spinal taps. Early Alzheimer's disease can also be diagnosed with a spinal tap, in which fluid around the spinal cord is extracted with a catheter and tested. He believes big players like CVS will provide infusions for Alzheimer's disease on a major scale if they see there's a large and stable market.

☆ Scientists identify mind-body nexus in human brain
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The researchers called this system the somato-cognitive action network, or SCAN, and documented its connections to brain regions known to help set goals and plan actions. "Basically, we now have shown that the human motor system is not unitary. A second system, the SCAN, is more important for integrated, whole body movements, and is more connected to high-level planning regions of your brain," Gordon said. I'm not a philosopher, but one succinct statement I like is saying, 'The mind is what the brain does.' "Some neuroscientists think of the brain as an organ intended primarily to perceive and interpret the world around us.

☆ Doctors are building tech startups to help fix a healthcare system reeling from crisis after crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

But with increasing patient demand and complexity, there are not enough doctors in the healthcare system to match that level of care, he said. With its promise of free universal healthcare, the UK's National Health Service has long been a source of national pride. A growing number of clinicians are becoming "doctorpreneurs," applying their first-hand experience in healthcare to build startups to help fill that gap. As clinicians in the UK expand their startups abroad, they predict the doctorpreneur trend will become a global phenomena — with health startups in other countries looking to the UK for inspiration. Selim noted that many doctors — across continents — are also incentivized by a unifying mission, which is to offer patients hope.

☆ LinusBio is using strands of hair to revolutionize the autism-detection process. Check out the slideshow it used to raise $16 million from GreatPoint and Bow Capital.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Samantha Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Healthcare startup LinusBio just raised a $16 million Series A funding round. The startup uses precision sequencing to detect autism and other complex diseases at birth. Disease detection and treatment startup LinusBio just raised a $16 million Series A funding round led by GreatPoint Ventures and Bow Capital. The startup diverges from startups like Elemy and Akili Technologies, which focus on treatment and support for people already diagnosed with autism. Check out the 16-page pitch deck LinusBio used to raise $16 million from VCs.

☆ Study reveals how treating hearing loss could impact dementia risk
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Treating hearing loss could mean reducing the risk for dementia, according to a new study. Hearing loss may increase the risk for dementia, but using hearing aids lowered the risk so it’s similar to those without hearing loss, according to the study published Thursday in The Lancet. A 2020 Lancet commission on dementia prevention, intervention and care suggested hearing loss may be associated with around 8% of dementia cases, but this study found that the use of hearing aids reduced the risk to levels similar to people without hearing loss, the study said. “A recent study showed that only 15% of US adults with hearing loss use hearing aids,” De Sousa said. The Hearing Loss Association of America still supports multiple avenues for addressing hearing loss, Hamlin said.

☆ What is autism? An expert explains
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Matt Villano | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

To mark Autism Awareness Month, CNN talked with him about what autism is and what causes it. Geschwind: About a decade ago, the term “autism spectrum disorder” was adopted to encompass everything that we called autism into one rubric. When I started researching autism 25 years ago, the autism rate was 1 in 1,000 or 1 in 2,000. You can calculate a risk score for having autism based on genetics, (but) right now, the risk score for autism is not that predictive because we haven’t done enough research. The problem is that for many autistic individuals, current therapies are not that effective.

☆ 10 ways Tasers and stun guns can damage your body and brain, from twisted testicles to temporary memory loss
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Kelly Burch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Tasers, AKA stun guns, cause your muscles to seize up, which can make them sore for days after. Police and law enforcement have been using Tasers, known generally as stun guns, since 1974 as a safer alternative to guns. Put another way, all Tasers are stun guns, but not all stun guns are Tasers. Stun guns make your muscles seize up like a Charley horseA police officer's painful reaction to being tasered during a training course on stun guns. Rarely, stun guns can severely harm kidney functionVery rarely, stun guns can cause a serious condition called rhabdomyolysis, AKA rhabdo, which can be fatal.

FRANKFURT, March 24 (Reuters) - Bayer (BAYGn.DE) said the focus of its drug research would shift away from women's health, a traditional pillar of Germany's largest drugmaker, to hone in on neurology, rare diseases and immunology. "When it comes to research and the subsequent clinical phases, we will no longer have an explicit focus on women's health," the head of Bayer's pharmaceuticals unit, Stefan Oelrich, told Reuters on Friday. The shifted focus comes as Bayer is due to have a change at the top in June. Bayer, which acquired a large women's health business under the 2006 takeover of Schering Pharma, will focus drugs research on oncology, cardiovascular disease, neurology, rare diseases and immunology, the company said in a statement. Research efforts in immunology could still yield products in women's health but Bayer's dedicated work on the therapeutic area overall had fallen short of expectations, he said.

☆ FDA advisors reject Biogen's ALS drug for rare and aggressive form of the disease
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Food and Drug Administration's independent panel of advisors on Wednesday declined to endorse accelerated approval of Biogen's investigational ALS drug for a rare and aggressive form of the disease. The drug tofersen was developed to treat a rare genetic form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. That number is even smaller in the U.S., with roughly 330 people affected by the SOD1 mutation. The median survival time from diagnosis with the rare form of ALS to death is 2.7 years, according to the company. The SOD1 mutation is associated with 20% of cases that occur within families.

☆ FDA advisors vote against effectiveness of Biogen's ALS drug for rare and aggressive form of the disease
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Food and Drug Administration's independent panel of advisors on Wednesday voted against the effectiveness of Biogen's investigational ALS drug for a rare and aggressive form of the disease. The drug tofersen was developed to treat a rare genetic form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. That number is even smaller in the U.S., with roughly 330 people affected by the SOD1 mutation. The median survival time from diagnosis with the rare form of ALS to death is 2.7 years, according to the company. The SOD1 mutation is associated with 20% of cases that occur within families.

☆ A new migraine medication is coming this summer — and it promises relief in just 15 minutes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved a new nasal spray to treat migraines. The spray will be available in July and is designed to treat migraines in 15 minutes. The drug, which Pfizer acquired when it bought out Biohaven Pharmaceuticals last year for $11.6 billion, will provide an alternative to oral migraine medication, NBC News reported. The drug is not the first nasal medication of its kind, but it's anticipated to work more rapidly — the medication is intended to offer relief within 15 minutes, according to Pfizer. "Among my migraine patients, one of the most important attributes of an acute treatment option is how quickly it works."

☆ Bausch Health's stock soars on solid quarterly results, but we have concerns about the recovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Bottom line The Canadian specialty pharmaceuticals company reported solid results for the fourth quarter, along with favorable forward guidance. Bausch management on Thursday did not offer additional information, other than to reiterate its confidence in the strength of the company's patents. Bausch Health previously started the separation process via an initial public offering of Bausch + Lomb in May 2022. Results at the diversified products division — which includes neurology pharmaceutical products, generics and dentistry products — were hampered by generic competition. Notably, as Bausch Health owns most of Bausch + Lomb, the latter's financials still appear on Thursday's results.

☆ Medicare rejects Alzheimer's Association request for unrestricted coverage of treatments like Leqembi
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The Alzheimer's drug LEQEMBI is seen in this undated handout image obtained by Reuters on January 20, 2023. Due to the drug's high price and Medicare's coverage restrictions, seniors are unable to access the treatment. The letter the Alzheimer's Association sent to CMS in December calling for unrestricted coverage was signed by more than 200 researchers and experts. CMS said it would provide broader coverage of Leqembi on the same day should the FDA fully approve the treatment. Medicare adopted the coverage restrictions after controversy over the Alzheimer's antibody treatment Aduhelm, which was also developed by Eisai and Biogen.

☆ 3% of people can't create a mental picture in their heads—this test will tell you if you're one of them
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Renée Onque | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

People who experience aphantasia account for 3% to 4% of the world's population, and Zeman has met and spoken to over 10,000 of them. And people with aphantasia usually aren't able to picture how characters look, or visualize the settings they're in, while reading books, Zeman tells CNBC Make It. Rate the visualizations above using the questionnaire's scale:No image at all Dim and vague/flat Moderately clear and lively Clear and lively Perfectly clear and lively, almost as real as seeing itHow do people get aphantasia? If you weren't able to see any of the images in your mind, then you likely have aphantasia. There are also incredible novelists who experience aphantasia as well, says Zeman.

☆ Sleep experts explain why your dreams are so vivid that you remember them long after waking up
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Carla Delgado | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The most vivid dreams typically occur during rapid eye-movement (REM) sleep. A typical sleep cycle lasts about 90 to 110 minutes and transitions between two primary stages: non-rapid eye movement and rapid eye-movement (REM) sleep. Why your dreams are so vivid and sometimes disturbingYou're more likely to remember dreams closer to waking up. Therefore, we're more likely to remember dreams closer to waking up compared to right after falling asleep. Moreover, "we are more likely to remember dreams if … they are upsetting or if we consciously try to remember them," Mundt added.

☆ Brain implant startup backed by Bezos and Gates is testing mind-controlled computing on humans
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Philip O'Keefe, one of Synchron's patients in the SWITCH clinical trial, using his BCI. Philip O'Keefe, one of Synchron's patients in the SWITCH clinical trial, was the first person in the world to tweet using a BCI device. About 20 months earlier, O'Keefe was implanted with Synchron's BCI. Synchron's technology has caught the attention of its competitors. Source: SynchronIn January, the medical journal JAMA Neurology published the peer-reviewed, long-term safety results from a trial of Synchron's BCI system in Australia.

☆ Senators call on Medicare to offer broad coverage of Alzheimer's treatments as public pressure grows
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

U.S. senators on Friday called for Medicare to offer broad coverage of Alzheimer's treatments approved by the Food and Drug Administration, warning that current restrictions cost patients precious time as their disease progresses. The 20 senators told CMS that Alzheimer's will cost the nation $1 trillion by 2050 if the U.S. does not take decisive action. As a consequence, Medicare coverage for the expensive drug is basically nonexistent. The Alzheimer's Association wrote CMS in December calling for the agency to provide unrestricted Medicare coverage for Leqembi. "We believe Medicare beneficiaries should have unimpeded access, broad and simple access to Leqembi because the data fulfill those criteria."

☆ Biden, 80, to have closely watched physical exam
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the economy at the IBEW Local 26 in Lanham, Maryland, U.S., February 15, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinWASHINGTON, Feb 16 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden, 80, will undergo a closely watched physical examination on Thursday, ahead of an expected announcement that he is seeking a second four-year term. His last physical and colonoscopy, in November 2021, showed the president to be a "healthy, vigorous, 78-year-old male," his doctors said. At his last exam, Biden's White House physician, Kevin O'Connor, declared him fit for duty and able to execute his responsibilities. Biden told Judy Woodruff in a PBS interview last week that any Americans concerned about his age should "watch me" perform the duties of the presidency.

☆ I asked 30 health and wellness professionals how they avoid burnout—here are 4 things they all do
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Renée Onque | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

This can be extremely difficult for those in the healthcare industry, which is why I asked 30 health and wellness professionals the same question: "How do you manage your energy and not burn out in your profession?" In our day-to-day lives, we're constantly looking for ways to increase our energy and avoid burnout , especially in our jobs. Despite the large differences in their roles, there were several themes within their responses that stood out as ways to prevent burnout. "I don't think work feels like work when you feel like you're having an impact," says Gounder. "Look at your life as a whole, and make sure there's good things about it, and make sure you have time for them."

☆ Factbox: Bayer's new CEO: long-time Roche, Genentech executive, Bill Anderson
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Bayer (BAYGn.DE) bowed to investor pressure on Wednesday and named Bill Anderson, most recently head of Roche's (ROG.S) pharmaceuticals business, to take over from Werner Baumann as its CEO in June. Here are some key facts about the career about the 56-year-old American who will run the nearly 160-year-old German drugmaker:He is a chemical engineer by education and has worked for Genentech and its parent Roche since 2006CAREER:1989: started his career at Ethyl Corp, a U.S.-based fuel additives company, with postings in Belgium and the Netherlands1995: joined Raychem Corp., a U.S. technology and electronics firm1997-2006: worked at Biogen (BIIB.O) in the United States, UK and Ireland; roles included running its neurology unit, its largest business2006: joined Genentech as senior vice president, immunology and ophthalmology2010: became svp BioOncology2013: left Genentech to become global product strategy head/chief marketing officer at Genentech's parent company, Roche (ROG.S)2016: returned to Genentech as head of North American operations2017: appointed chief executive officer at Genentech2019-2023: CEO of Roche PharmaceuticalSources: Roche and BayerCompiled by Josephine Mason. Editing by Jane MerrimanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Do Blue-Light Glasses Actually Help Your Sleep? Here Are 8 Pairs to Try
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Kimberly Goad | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +8 min

And while the verdict is only partially in as to whether they actually reduce eye strain, there is research to suggest that certain blue-light-blocking glasses may help with sleep. That’s where blue light glasses come in. A study published in 2022 looked at 50 pairs of blue-light-blocking glasses (some of which are featured in our picks below). On the other hand, the lighter color means they don’t distort your color perception the way some blue glasses do. The blue-light-blocking glasses that actually filter out blue light do so by absorbing the blue wavelength light to stop it from ever reaching your eyes.

Persons: Kimberly Goad, ”, Michael Grandner, Grandner, they’re, Grandner’s, Cathy Goldstein M.D, Felix Gray, Goldstein, Warby Parker, Matte, Alvin, Warby Parker —, you’ll, Ashley Brissette Organizations: “, Health Research, University of Arizona College of Medicine, University of Michigan Sleep Disorders, Ophthalmology, American Academy of Ophthalmology, Weill Cornell Medicine Locations: University of Arizona College of Medicine Tucson, New York City

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