Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Doxycycline Used As STI Preventive; Mupirocin Effective Against MRSA
As sexually transmitted infections continue to climb in the United States, a promising tool to combat them is drawing more attention. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released a draft proposal to recommend the antibiotic doxycycline as a 鈥渕orning-after鈥 pill to help prevent chlamydia, syphilis and gonorrhea infections among people at especially high risk. (Blum, 10/14)
A randomized clinical trial found that nasal mupirocin is more effective than nasal iodophor for reducing Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA) in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, researchers reported this week in JAMA. (Dall, 10/13)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved the expanded use of Merck & Co's blockbuster immunotherapy Keytruda in early-stage patients with non-small cell lung cancer who can get their tumors removed surgically. The U.S. health regulator's approval extends Keytruda's use in combination with chemotherapy as a treatment given before surgery to shrink the size of the tumor in patients. (10/17)
Teplizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody to CD3 on T cells, is approved by the Food and Drug Administration to delay the onset of clinical type 1 diabetes (stage 3) in patients 8 years of age or older with preclinical (stage 2) disease. Whether treatment with intravenous teplizumab in patients with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes can prevent disease progression is unknown. (Ramos, M.D., et al, 10/18)
Convenience, past treatment experiences, and health system barriers are among the primary reasons patients said they take nonprescription antibiotics, according to a study presented yesterday at the IDweek 2023 meeting in Boston. In interviews conducted by a team led by researchers from Baylor College of Medicine, nearly all respondents reported taking nonprescription antibiotics to treat viral illnesses such as a cold, flu, or COVID-19, along with other conditions that don't require antibiotics. They said they did so because antibiotics had worked for previous illnesses and over-the-counter medications weren't as effective. (Dall, 10/12)
The U.S. health regulator has approved Hyloris Pharmaceuticals' drug for post-operative pain, the Belgium-based company said on Wednesday, adding that it expects to launch the non-opioid treatment in the United States by early next year. (10/18)
