News & Updates

The neutralizing antibody regdanvimab appears to be useful in the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19, with a recent study showing that the drug may prevent disease worsening in patients, including those infected with the Delta variant.

Lower plasma angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) levels may partially mediate COVID-19 risks in individuals with overweight/obesity or low socioeconomic position (SEP; referring to low educational attainment), according to a large-scale Mendelian randomization study conducted by researchers at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).

In the treatment of older patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia, the use of guideline-concordant antibiotic therapy significantly lowers the risk of cardiovascular death in the first year of follow-up, as reported in a study.

Oseltamivir appears to have similar efficacy as peramivir in the treatment of young children with severe influenza B, a study has found. However, oseltamivir treatment leads to better recovery and shorter hospitalization in children with severe influenza A.

Treatment with the antisense oligonucleotide bepirovirsen appears to lead to sustained loss of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in up to 10 percent of patients with chronic HBV infection, according to the results of the phase IIb study B-Clear.

Paediatric patients with acute myeloid leukaemia and other leukaemias (AML/OLs), especially those with persistent neutropaenia during the first 30 postoperative days, are at increased risk of early catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs), according to a Singapore study.

Children in Singapore are at risk of developing multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C), especially due to the increased community transmission of COVID-19 in 2021, according to a study. MIS-C incidence may also intensify with the arrival of new variants of concern (VOCs) and relaxation of pandemic restrictions.

A procalcitonin-guided algorithm could reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics in patients with acute pancreatitis, according to results of the PROCAP trial.