Pharmaceutics

This page contains key pharmaceutical news on drug recalls, FDA clearance, safety communications and research. In cardiology, key pharmaceutic agents include antiplatelet therapies, anticoagulants, hypertension drugs, and drugs for heart failure and arrhythmias.   

Cardiac imaging expert Renee Bullock-Palmer, MD, explains how calcium scoring can determine if patients need to be on statins or not.

CT calcium scoring can determine if patients need statins

Renee Bullock-Palmer, MD, director, non-invasive cardiac imaging, at the Deborah Heart and Lung Center, explains CT calcium scoring can determine if a patient needs to take aspirin and statins for prevention of coronary disease.

December 6, 2023
Continuous and high-adherent statin users had lower baseline arterial stiffness which also grew more slowly over time, a new JAMA Network Open study finds.

Statin therapy benefits high-risk patients with no prior history of CVD

Two separate studies examined the controversial topic of prescribing statins to high-risk elderly patients who do not already have high cholesterol or cardiovascular disease.

December 6, 2023
healthcare money economics dollar stethoscope acquire merger

Roche spends $2.7B to acquire biotech company with multiple obesity, diabetes drugs in development

Roche, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, will gain both oral and injectable assets as a result of this acquisition.

December 4, 2023

Avidity Biosciences inks drug discovery deal worth up to $2.3B with industry heavyweight

Avidity Biosciences, a San Diego-based biopharmaceutical company, is expanding its ongoing collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb to identify new cardiovascular therapies.

November 29, 2023
Weekly doses of semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor originally developed to treat diabetes, could help approximately 93 million U.S. adults lose weight and reduce their risk of adverse cardiovascular events, according to new research published in Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy. Novo Nordisk sells and markets subcutaneous treatments of semaglutide 2.4 mg under the brand name Wegovy.

New formula could mean diabetes and weight loss drugs such as semaglutide are only needed every 4 months

GLP-1 agonists are often taken as daily or weekly injections. A new delivery system could help make it so those same drugs are only required three times per year. 

November 28, 2023
Stop

Bayer ends blood thinner trial early due to lack of efficacy

The Independent Data Monitoring Committee recommended Bayer stop the trial due to the drug's poor performance compared to apixaban. 

November 22, 2023
Pills

ADHD medications associated with heightened CVD risk

"Although the effectiveness of ADHD medications has been demonstrated ... concerns remain regarding their potential cardiovascular safety," one research explained. 

November 22, 2023
A new gene-editing therapy has been tested on humans for the first time, resulting in a significant reduction in their low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol that could potentially last for decades. The study’s authors presented these early results at the AHA 2023 meeting.

Gene-editing therapy lowers cholesterol in high-risk heart patients—one dose could potentially last decades

While the therapy has been successfully tested on animals in the past, this study represents the first time it has been used on humans.

November 17, 2023

Around the web

Eleven medical societies have signed on to a consensus statement aimed at standardizing imaging for suspected cardiovascular infections.

Kate Hanneman, MD, explains why many vendors and hospitals want to lower radiology's impact on the environment. "Taking steps to reduce the carbon footprint in healthcare isn’t just an opportunity," she said. "It’s also a responsibility."

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