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Health Line
2 days ago
- Health
- Health Line
HIV Progress Report: Are We Close to a Cure?
HIV can be effectively managed with viral suppression, but there's currently no cure. The medical community is hopeful that new advancements in treatments and a vaccine may soon lead to a cure. HIV weakens the immune system and hinders the body's ability to fight disease. Without treatment, HIV could lead to stage 3 HIV, known as AIDS. The AIDS epidemic began in the United States in the 1980s. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 44.1 million people worldwide have died from the condition. There's currently no cure for HIV, but many clinical studies are dedicated to researching a cure. The current antiretroviral treatments allow people living with HIV to prevent its progression and live normal life spans. Great strides have been made toward the prevention and treatment of HIV, thanks to: scientists public health officials governmental agencies community-based organizations HIV activists pharmaceutical companies This article looks at new advancements in treatment and research milestones that may ultimately lead to a cure for HIV. Developing an HIV vaccine The development of a vaccine for HIV would save millions of lives. However, researchers haven't yet discovered an effective vaccine for HIV. Research into vaccines is ongoing throughout the world. Every year, there are new discoveries. In 2019, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh announced they had developed a promising treatment allowing them to: engineer certain immune system cells to reactivate HIV in cells that contain inactive (latent) HIV use another set of engineered immune system cells to attack and remove cells with reactivated HIV Their findings could provide the foundation for an HIV vaccine. Research on an investigational HIV vaccine conducted by the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) that began in 2019 was stopped in 2023 due to failure to prevent HIV. Clinical trials are ongoing. Preventing transmission of HIV Although there's no HIV vaccine yet, there are other ways to protect against transmission. HIV is passed by the exchange of bodily fluids. This can happen in a variety of ways, including: Sexual contact: During sexual contact, HIV can be passed through certain fluids, including blood, semen, or anal and vaginal secretions. Having other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can increase the risk of HIV transmission during sex. Shared needles and syringes: Needles and syringes used by a person with HIV may contain the virus, even if there's no visible blood on them. Pregnancy, delivery, and nursing: People with HIV can pass the virus to their babies before and after birth. But in instances where HIV medication is used, this is extremely rare. Taking certain precautions may protect a person from contracting HIV: Get tested for HIV. Ask sexual partners about their status before having sex. Get tested and treated for STIs. Ask sexual partners to do the same. When engaging in oral, vaginal, and anal sex, use a barrier method such as condoms every time (and use it correctly). If injecting drugs, use a new, sterilized needle that hasn't been used by anyone else. Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a daily medication used by people without HIV to lower their chances of contracting HIV if exposed. It's highly effective in preventing the transmission of HIV in anyone with known risk factors. Populations at risk include: men who have sex with men, if they have had anal sex without using a condom or have had an STI in the last 6 months anyone who does not use a barrier method regularly and has partners who have an increased risk of HIV or an unknown HIV status anyone who has shared needles or used injected drugs in the last 6 months people who are having sex without a condom or other barrier method with partners who are living with HIV According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), PrEP can reduce the risk of contracting HIV from sex by around 99% in people with known risk factors for HIV. For PrEP to be effective, it must be taken daily and consistently. Everyone at risk for HIV should begin a PrEP regimen, according to a recent recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) Postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) is a combination of emergency antiretroviral drugs. It's used after someone may have been exposed to HIV. Healthcare professionals may recommend PEP in the following situations: someone thinks they may have been exposed to HIV during sex (e.g., the condom broke or no condom was used) a person has shared needles when injecting drugs someone has been sexually assaulted PEP should only be used as an emergency prevention method. It must be started within 72 hours of possible exposure to HIV. Ideally, PEP is started as close to the time of exposure as possible. PEP typically involves a month of adherence to antiretroviral therapy. Accurate diagnosis of HIV Diagnosing HIV is a vital step toward preventing HIV transmission. In 2021, approximately 13% of the 1.2 million people over age 13 did not know their HIV status. There are several blood tests that healthcare professionals can use to screen for HIV. HIV self-tests allow people to test their saliva or blood in a private setting and receive a result within 20 minutes or less. Treatment steps for HIV Thanks to advances in science, HIV is considered a manageable chronic disease. Antiretroviral treatment allows people living with HIV to maintain their health. It also reduces their risk of passing the virus to others. According to UNAIDS, around 77% of all people with HIV in 2024 were receiving treatment. The medications used to treat HIV do two things: Reduce viral load: The viral load is a measure of the amount of HIV RNA in the blood. The goal of HIV antiretroviral therapy is to reduce the virus to an undetectable level. Allow the body to restore its CD4 cell count to normal: CD4 cells are responsible for protecting the body against pathogens that can cause HIV. There are several types of HIV drugs: Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) disable a protein that HIV uses to make copies of its genetic material in the cells. Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) give HIV faulty building blocks, so it can't make copies of its genetic material in the cells. Protease inhibitors disable an enzyme HIV needs to make functional copies of itself. Entry or fusion inhibitors prevent HIV from entering the CD4 cells. Integrase inhibitors prevent integrase activity. Without this enzyme, HIV cannot insert itself into the CD4 cell's DNA. HIV medications are often taken in specific combinations to prevent the development of drug resistance. HIV medications must be taken consistently to be effective. An HIV-positive person should talk with their healthcare team before switching medications to reduce side effects or because of treatment failure. Viral suppression of HIV: undetectable equals untransmittable Achieving and maintaining an undetectable viral load (viral suppression) through antiretroviral therapy effectively eliminates the risk of passing HIV to a sexual partner. A 2016 study found no instances of HIV transmission from a persistently virally suppressed HIV-positive partner to an HIV-negative partner. Another 2016 study followed thousands of mixed-status couples over several years. There were thousands of instances of sex without condoms. With awareness that U=U — 'undetectable equals untransmittable' — comes a greater emphasis on 'treatment as prevention (TasP).' UNAIDS had a '90-90-90' goal to end the AIDS epidemic. By 2020, this plan aimed for: 90% of all people living with HIV to know their status 90% of all people diagnosed with HIV to be on antiretroviral medication 90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy to be virally suppressed Was this goal met? No, this goal was not met worldwide. According to a 2020 study, South Africa was on track to achieve the first but was 20% points below the second one among people who knew their HIV status. They were close to the third, but variation by age and sex had to be taken into account. UNAIDS has a new goal of achieving 95-95-95 by 2030. The organization reports that a few places have already hit this goal. Milestones in HIV research Researchers are hard at work looking for new drugs and treatments for HIV. They're hoping to find therapies that extend and improve the quality of life for people with this condition. Additionally, they hope to develop a vaccine and discover a cure for HIV. Here's a brief look at several important avenues of research. Monthly injections A monthly HIV injection combines two drugs: the integrase inhibitor cabotegravir (Apretude) and the NNRTI rilpivirine (Edurant). Research has found that the monthly injection of cabotegravir and rilpivirine (Cabenuva) was as effective at suppressing HIV as the typical daily regimen of three oral medications. Injectable PrEP The FDA approved a long-acting injectable form of PrEP in December 2021. Unlike the pill, which must be taken daily, the injection is given every two months. Research has found that injectable PrEP effectively prevents the contraction of HIV. This is the first and only medication of its kind. Targeting HIV reservoirs Part of what makes discovering a cure for HIV difficult is that the immune system has trouble targeting reservoirs of cells with HIV. The immune system usually can't recognize cells with HIV or eliminate cells actively reproducing the virus. Antiretroviral therapy doesn't eliminate HIV reservoirs. Researchers are exploring two different types of HIV cures, both of which would potentially destroy HIV reservoirs: Functional cure: This type of cure would control the replication of HIV in the absence of antiretroviral therapy. Sterilizing cure: This type of cure would completely eliminate the virus capable of replicating. Breaking apart the HIV virus Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have been using computer simulations to study the HIV capsid. The capsid is the container for the virus's genetic material. It protects the virus from being destroyed by the immune system. Understanding the makeup of the capsid and how it interacts with its environment may help researchers find a way to break it open. Breaking the capsid could release HIV's genetic material into the body, where the immune system can destroy it. It's a promising frontier in HIV treatment and cure. 'Functionally cured' Timothy Ray Brown, an American who once lived in Berlin, received an HIV diagnosis in 1995 and a leukemia diagnosis in 2006. He's one of two people sometimes referred to as 'the Berlin patient.' In 2007, Brown received a stem cell transplant to treat the leukemia and stopped antiretroviral therapy. HIV hasn't been detected in him since that procedure was performed. Studies of multiple parts of his body at the University of California, San Francisco, have shown him to be free of HIV. He's considered 'effectively cured,' according to a 2013 study. He's the first person to be cured of HIV. Research from 2019 was made public on two other men who had received diagnoses of both HIV and cancer. Like Brown, both men received stem cell transplants to treat their cancer. Both men also stopped antiretroviral therapy after receiving their transplants. At the time the research was presented, 'the London patient' had been able to remain in HIV remission for 18 months and counting. 'The Dusseldorf patient' had been able to remain in HIV remission for 3 1/2 months and counting. Research from 2022 mentioned a middle-aged woman who identified as mixed race had been living in HIV remission since 2017 after receiving stem cell transplants. She's referred to as the 'New York patient' and is the first woman of color to achieve HIV remission. Takeaway Researchers barely understood HIV more than 40 years ago, let alone how to treat or cure it. Over the decades, advances in technology and medical capabilities have brought more advanced HIV treatments. Successful antiretroviral treatments can now halt HIV's progression and decrease a person's viral load to undetectable levels. Having an undetectable viral load not only improves the health of a person with HIV but also eliminates the risk of transmitting HIV to a sexual partner. Targeted drug therapy can also prevent pregnant people with HIV from passing the virus to their children. Each year, hundreds of clinical trials aim to find even better treatments for HIV in the hopes of one day finding a cure.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Could cancer drugs be the future of Alzheimer's treatment?
With few treatments available to stop or reverse Alzheimer's disease, scientists have turned to cancer drugs as a potential means of walking back cognitive decline. Alzheimer's cases are rising in the United States and worldwide due to an aging population, but there is no cure for the disease. Attempts to develop new treatments that slow the disease's progress, rather than lessen symptoms, have frequently failed. Only two drugs — the antibody therapies Leqembi and Kisunla — are currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration to slow the progression of early Alzheimer's, and scientists say their benefits are limited. Some pharmaceutical companies have halted or abandoned their Alzheimer's drug development programs because of unsuccessful trials. Others are trying to use existing medications, including popular weight loss drugs, to combat Alzheimer's. With that in mind, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco conducted a broad search for drugs that could be repurposed to treat the condition — in theory, reducing the time in which the drugs could be made available to patients. They scoured a database of more than 1,300 drugs of various classes, including antipsychotics, antibiotics, antifungals and chemotherapy drugs. Then, they looked at how those drugs affected gene expression. Their new study, published Monday in the journal Cell, identified two cancer drugs as the best candidates to lower Alzheimer's risk in patients. When combined, the drugs seemed to slow or reverse Alzheimer's symptoms in mice. One of the drugs is normally used to treat breast cancer, while the other is effective against colon and lung cancer. Alzheimer's disease is associated with significant changes in the way genes are expressed in the brain, leading to the increased production of certain proteins and the decreased production of others. These imbalances may disrupt brain function and contribute to symptoms like memory loss. Fewer than 90 drugs in the researchers' database reversed the expression of signature Alzheimer's-related genes in human brain cells. And five drugs in particular seemed to lower the risk of Alzheimer's in actual patients, based on electronic medical records. The authors ultimately selected two of those drugs, both approved by the FDA to treat cancer, to test in mice. 'We didn't expect cancer drugs to come up' as the most promising, said Marina Sirota, a co-author of the study and interim director of the UCSF Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute. The authors said the breast cancer drug letrozole seemed to change gene expression in nerve cells. And the colon and lung cancer drug irinotecan seemed to change gene expression in glial cells, which support the nervous system. Alzheimer's can destroy nerve cells and cause glial cells to proliferate, creating inflammation in the brain. In a 2020 study, breast cancer patients who received letrozole were less likely to develop Alzheimer's than patients who did not receive the drug. Colorectal cancer survivors treated with irinotecan also had a decreased Alzheimer's risk, according to a 2021 study. After testing the drugs in mice, the study authors found that the two-drug combo reversed brain degeneration and improved memory in mice that had developed hallmarks of Alzheimer's as they aged. Because results in mice often don't translate to humans, the researchers hope to test the drugs in a clinical trial with Alzheimer's patients. 'Developing a new drug can take hundreds of millions, or even billions, of dollars, on average take more than 10 years. For this repurposed drug, usually it just takes two or three years, and then you can go to the clinical trial and the cost is much, much lower,' said Dr. Yadong Huang, a co-author of the study and professor of neurology at UCSF. 'We still haven't generated or produced any very effective drugs that can really slow dramatically the cognitive decline,' he added. Part of the difficulty in developing drugs for Alzheimer's is the complexity of the disease. Its exact cause is largely unknown. For now, the authors said, it's unclear exactly why the cancer drugs seem to work against Alzheimer's. One theory is that the breast cancer drug blocks the production of estrogen, a hormone that controls the expression of a large number of genes. The colon and lung cancer drug may also block inflammation in the brain by preventing the proliferation of glial cells — though Huang said there are other possibilities. Dr. Melanie McReynolds, an assistant professor of biochemistry at Pennsylvania State University, who was not involved in the study, offered another theory. Her research has suggested that a different type of cancer drug could help treat Alzheimer's by regulating glucose metabolism, the process by which cells make energy. McReynolds said the process is necessary for various brain cells to communicate with each other. 'With aging, with stress, with diseases, that line of communication is disrupted,' she said. McReynolds said the drug combo tested in the new study might reverse metabolic decline — what she called 'the secret for contributing to better outcomes with Alzheimer's.' But assessing how Alzheimer's patients tolerate the combination of cancer drugs will be important. Letrozole can cause hot flashes and irinotecan can cause severe diarrhea. Both drugs can lead to nausea and vomiting. 'These drugs have huge side effects, so you need to always balance and figure out whether those types of side effects would be amenable to somebody with Alzheimer's,' Sirota said. 'It's not that it's a slam dunk.' This article was originally published on Solve the daily Crossword
Medscape
6 days ago
- Health
- Medscape
Rapid Review: Endometrial Cancer
In endometrial cancer, the majority of cases are diagnosed at an early stage, largely due to the hallmark symptom of postmenopausal bleeding. Despite relatively favorable survival rates when caught early — with a 5-year relative survival rate of approximately 95% for localized disease — disparities remain in detection, treatment access, and mortality. ctDNA testing has shown strong value as a noninvasive and highly sensitive method for detecting recurrence in endometrial cancer. ctDNA detects tumor-specific mutations in the bloodstream and is being actively evaluated to track cancer progression, detect early-stage cancers, and monitor therapeutic responses. ctDNA's role for detecting hormone receptor status and tumor histology has not been established for endometrial cancer, and it appears to not be correlated with myometrial invasion depth. Learn more about the presentation of endometrial cancer. In the past year, evidence has emerged which demonstrates that GLP-1 receptor agonists — medications originally approved for diabetes and obesity — reduce the risk for obesity-related cancers. A major research effort found that these drugs decreased cancer incidence, and further research found GLP-1 receptor agonists to be comparable to bariatric surgery for obesity-related cancer prevention. GLP-1 therapies now offer a less-invasive alternative to bariatric surgery. Research is ongoing to evaluate the use of GLP-1 medications as a potential therapeutic strategy for endometrial cancer. The other classes have not been shown to reduce risk or are not used in endometrial cancer management. Learn more about the differential diagnosis for endometrial cancer. Recent advances in molecular and genomic profiling have significantly refined the precision with which therapies can be selected for patients with endometrial cancer. These tools enable clinicians to pinpoint genetic and molecular characteristics that dictate tumor behavior and response to treatment, improving personalized treatment strategies and overall survival outcomes. Rather than uniformly applying treatments, clinicians have the ability to tailor therapies based on individual molecular profiles. Adjuvant therapy may still be warranted depending on the risk associated with the molecular/genomic subtypes identified, and best practice histopathology evaluation is still needed even when advanced profiling is done. Further research continues to expand the depth and breadth of genomic profiling, making it a crucial element of modern oncology practice. Learn more about the workup for endometrial cancer. The TCGA molecular classification divides endometrial cancers into four biologically distinct subtypes: POLE-ultramutated, MSI-H, copy number-low (endometrioid), and copy number-high (serous-like). These molecular profiles provide prognostic insights and increasingly guide therapeutic strategies beyond traditional histology and staging. For example, POLE-mutated tumors, despite high mutation burdens, have excellent outcomes and may not require aggressive adjuvant therapy. In contrast, copy number-high tumors are associated with poor prognosis and may benefit from more intensive treatment and HER2-targeted therapies. This classification is part of a shift toward personalized medicine in gynecologic oncology. Learn more about guidelines for endometrial cancer. Compared to traditional open surgery, MIS dramatically shortens hospital stays, decreases blood loss, and has fewer overall complications, although it does lengthen operation time. Furthermore, minimally invasive approaches maintain oncologic outcomes comparable to those of traditional open surgery, providing reassurance regarding their safety and efficacy. Because endometrial cancer patients often have obesity, MIS has the potential to reduce the risk for postoperative wound complications. It also is likely to decrease other postoperative morbidities by supporting faster recovery and earlier resumption of normal daily activities. Additionally, lymph node assessment may still be needed after MIS. Learn more about risk assessment in patients with endometrial cancer.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump Says Drug Tariffs Probable by Aug. 1, Downplays More Deals
(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump said he was likely to impose tariffs on pharmaceuticals as soon as the end of the month and that levies on semiconductors could come soon as well, suggesting that those import taxes could hit alongside broad 'reciprocal' rates set for implementation on Aug. 1. The Dutch Intersection Is Coming to Save Your Life Advocates Fear US Agents Are Using 'Wellness Checks' on Children as a Prelude to Arrests LA Homelessness Drops for Second Year Manhattan, Chicago Murder Rates Drop in 2025, Officials Say 'Probably at the end of the month, and we're going to start off with a low tariff and give the pharmaceutical companies a year or so to build, and then we're going to make it a very high tariff,' Trump told reporters Tuesday as he returned to Washington after attending an artificial intelligence summit in Pittsburgh. Trump also said his timeline for implementing tariffs on semiconductors was 'similar' and that it was 'less complicated' to impose levies on chips, without providing additional detail. At a Cabinet meeting earlier this month, Trump said he planned to impose a 50% tariff on copper in the coming weeks, and that he expected pharmaceutical tariffs to grow as high as 200% after giving companies a year to bring manufacturing back to the US. Trump has already announced investigations under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 on drugs, arguing a flood of foreign imports was threatening national security. Still, any tariffs could immediately impact drugmakers like Eli Lilly & Co., Merck & Co. and Pfizer Inc. that produce drugs overseas — and risks driving up costs for US consumers. So does Trump's plans for semiconductor tariffs, which are expected to hit not only the chips themselves but popular products like Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronic Co. laptops and smartphones. The threat came as Trump in recent days has sent letters to a number of trading partners unilaterally dictating the rates for tariffs on many imports — while maintaining he would continue to carry out negotiations. Earlier Tuesday, Trump announced an agreement with Indonesia reducing the 32% rate announced in one of the letters to 19%. Indonesia agreed to purchase $15 billion in US energy, $4.5 billion worth of agricultural products and 50 Boeing Co. jets as part of the agreement, the US said. Trump on Tuesday predicted that he could strike 'two or three' trade deals with countries before implementing his so-called reciprocal tariffs before they are implemented on Aug. 1, saying that an agreement with India was among the most likely. Trump told reporters the US was engaged in substantive discussions with between five and six countries, but that he wasn't necessarily inclined to finalize agreements over simply dictating a tariff rate. 'I would say India, and we have a couple of others, but I have to tell you, for the most part, I'm very happy with the letters,' Trump said. The president also said that he was likely to impose a standard tariff of 'probably a little over 10%' on smaller countries that did not receive tailored rates. Earlier Tuesday, Trump said representatives from the European Union — which faces a 30% tariff — would be meeting with US negotiators this week. After returning from Pittsburgh, Trump said that while some countries had indicated a willingness to 'open' trade after his threats — including South Korea — others, like Japan, had not. Trump also dismissed concerns that his threat earlier in the week to impose 'secondary' tariffs on Russian trading partners if Moscow did not agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine could impact US consumers, even as experts warned the president risked driving up energy costs with his plan. 'I don't think so. I think that whole thing is going to go away,' Trump said. Forget DOGE. Musk Is Suddenly All In on AI How Starbucks Is Engineering a Turnaround With Warm Vibes and Cold Foams How Hims Became the King of Knockoff Weight-Loss Drugs Thailand's Changing Cannabis Rules Leave Farmers in a Tough Spot The New Third Rail in Silicon Valley: Investing in Chinese AI ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Bloomberg
15-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Trump Says Drug Tariffs Probable by Aug. 1, Downplays More Deals
President Donald Trump said that he was likely to impose tariffs on pharmaceuticals as soon as the end of the month and that levies on semiconductors could come soon as well, suggesting that those import taxes could hit alongside broad 'reciprocal' rates set for implementation on Aug. 1. 'Probably at the end of the month, and we're going to start off with a low tariff and give the pharmaceutical companies a year or so to build, and then we're going to make it a very high tariff,' Trump told reporters Tuesday as he returned to Washington after attending an artificial intelligence summit in Pittsburgh.
