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A study led by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researchers suggests the high volume of topical antifungal prescribing could be feeding the emergence and spread of antifungal-resistant infections. Published yesterday in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the study found that 6.5 million topical antifungal prescriptions valued at $231 million were filled for Medicare Part D beneficiaries in 2021, nearly half of which were written by high-volume prescribers. And many of these prescriptions could be inappropriate. (Dall, 1/12)

CARB-X announced today that it is awarding Dutch contract development and manufacturing organization Intravacc $633,000 to develop a vaccine for gonorrhea. The money will help support early-stage development of Intravacc's meningococcal outer membrane vesical (OMV) vaccine, which carries tailored gonococcal antigens designed to prevent infections caused by the Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacterium. (Dall, 1/16)

Predicting how molecules will react is vital for the discovery and manufacture of new pharmaceuticals, but historically this has been a trial-and-error process, and the reactions often fail. To predict how molecules will react, chemists usually simulate electrons and atoms in simplified models, a process which is computationally expensive and often inaccurate. (University of Cambridge, 1/15)

The use of the antipsychotic drugs quetiapine and haloperidol is associated with an increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death (SCD) caused by drug-induced QT prolongation, reports a new study. Caution is advised to manage cardiac risks in patients prescribed these medications, the authors of the study and an accompanying editorial say. (Elsevier, 1/15)