Pharmacology

Not Your Father's Heroin

In 1985 Michael Hovey, an organic chemist at duPont in Wilmington, Delaware cooked up in his lab a batch of 3-methylfentanyl—a narcotic that is  more than  6,000-times stronger than morphine — thus ushering in the era of designer drugs.  Hovey's drug ...

Article - Josh Bloom - Jan 11 2024 - 2:28pm

HCV Drugs: Rational Rationing?

In the July 24th New York Times, there is a featured article about a new, thorny issue—what to do about the millions of Americans who are infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV). What makes this particular issue especially tricky is that it involves rati ...

Article - Josh Bloom - Jan 11 2024 - 2:29pm

When And How To Treat Hep C: No Simple Answer.

In the July 24th New York Times, there is a featured article about a new, thorny issue—what to do about the millions of Americans who are infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV).  This article is a perfect example of the law of unintended consequences. U ...

Article - Josh Bloom - Jan 11 2024 - 2:29pm

FDA Study Concludes The Supplement Kratom Is An Opioid

Though unusually ethically suspect supplement merchants have been marketing kratom, an analgesic made from the leaves of a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia, to treat opioid withdrawal symptoms, significant safety concerns exist. And it turns out krat ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 12 2024 - 8:11am

Bipartisan House Group Tells DEA To Delay Ban On Kratom Supplement

51 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have signed a letter to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) urging the federal agency to halt an emergency push to ban the analgesic herb kratom by as early as tomorrow.  ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 12 2024 - 8:26am

Kratom Is Unsafe As An Herbal Supplement, Finds New Review Of Poison Centers Data

Kratom, derived from the leaves of the southeast Asian tree Mitragyna speciosa, is a supplement that is not useless, it actually does something. It contains psychoactive compounds and users also like it as an analgesic, but because it is a plant users and ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 12 2024 - 8:27am

Association Of Remdesivir Treatment With Survival, Length Of Hospital Stay Among US Veterans Hospitalized With COVID-19

In an observational study using data from the Veterans Health Administration for 2,344 U.S. veterans hospitalized with COVID-19, remdesivir treatment was associated with prolonged hospitalization but wasn't associated with improved survival.  ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 12 2024 - 4:17pm

Safe: In Utero Exposure To Maternal COVID-19 Vaccination

An analysis of 2,261 and 1,940 infants ages 12 and 18 months, respectively, found that COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy had no impact on infant neurodevelopment.  ...

Article - Hank Campbell - Jan 23 2024 - 8:45am

Estradiol Hormone Used During Menopause Linked To Cocaine Addiction

Estradiol is an estrogen hormone used medically during menopause and after hysterectomies to help reduce symptoms such as hot flashes and to prevent osteoporosis (bone loss) in women, but a new paper says it is linked to cocaine addiction. Women are more l ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 29 2024 - 11:02pm

Type 2 Diabetes Medication Tirzepatide May Help Obese Type 1 Diabetics Also

Tirzepatide facilitates weight loss in obese people with type 2 diabetes and therefore improves glucose control and also results in improved cardiovascular disease outcomes. A recent analysis  compared a group of adults with type 1 diabetes who were prescr ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 25 2024 - 10:08am