FDA Approves First Gene Therapy to Treat Adults with Hemophilia B

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Hemgenix (etranacogene dezaparvovec), an adeno-associated virus vector-based gene therapy for the treatment of adults with Hemophilia B (congenital Factor IX deficiency) who currently use Factor IX prophylaxis therapy, or have current or historical life-threatening hemorrhage, or have repeated, serious spontaneous bleeding episodes. “Gene therapy for hemophilia has

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COVID-19 Virus Increases Risk for Other Infections by Disrupting Normal Mix of Gut Bacteria

Infection with the pandemic virus, SARS-CoV-2, can reduce the number of bacterial species in a patient’s gut, with the lesser diversity creating space for dangerous microbes to thrive, a new study finds. The study builds on the realization that widespread use of antibiotics to fight infections with disease-causing bacteria in recent decades, by killing off

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CAR T-Cell Therapies in Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma

The increasing integration of CAR T-cell therapies into the treatment paradigm for adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma addresses several unmet needs and improves outcomes for this historically limited patient population. The increasing integration of CAR T-cell therapies into the treatment paradigm for adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma addresses several

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Association of National Football League Fan Attendance With County-Level COVID-19 Incidence in the 2020-2021 Season

A study of National Football League (NFL) home games attended by 1.3 million fans suggests that those with high attendance were tied to subsequent county-level COVID-19 surges during the 2020-2021 season. A team led by a University of Southern Mississippi researcher analyzed data from all 32 NFL teams during the 2020-2021 season, when some games were open

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Comparative Risk of Thrombosis With Thrombocytopenia Syndrome or Thromboembolic Events Associated With Different COVID-19 Vaccines published in BMJ

OBJECTIVE To quantify the comparative risk of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome or thromboembolic events associated with use of adenovirus based covid-19 vaccines versus mRNA based covid-19 vaccines. DESIGN International network cohort study. SETTING Routinely collected health data from contributing datasets in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK, and the US. PARTICIPANTS Adults (age ≥18

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Cleveland Researchers Discover New Oral Drug for Lowering Cholesterol

Study led by University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University team details a small-molecule drug that lowers cholesterol by 70% in animal models –After statins, the next leading class of medications for managing cholesterol are PCSK9 inhibitors. These highly effective agents help the body pull excess cholesterol from the blood, but unlike statins, which are

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Research brief by Minnesota University: Association between diabetes medication and less severe cases of COVID-19

Published in PLOS ONE, a study led by the University of Minnesota Medical School studied adults with type 2 diabetes who were taking metformin, a commonly prescribed diabetes medication. Researchers found an association with less severe cases of COVID-19 for those prescribed metformin. These findings were part of an observational study that analyzed electronic medical

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Real-world evidence study of regenerative medicine and shoulder surgery

Applying regenerative medicine to a common shoulder surgery could have an impact on the need for follow-up revision surgery in some patients, according to a Mayo Clinic study of real-world evidence. Mayo Clinic researchers analyzed the largest set of data available to determine if adding bone marrow aspirate concentrate to repaired tissue after standard rotator cuff surgery would improve

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