Drug development

The first aceclidine-based eye drop to improve near vision in adults with age-related presbyopia, which affects more than 100 million adults in the US alone, has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and will be on sale by November.

An epidemic that's been sustained for 44 years might finally be quelled, with the milestone approval of the first HIV drug that offers 100% protection with its twice-yearly injections. It's a landmark achievement set to save millions of lives.

What if you could inject a drug into a "problem area" – like the abdomen – and have it safely and rapidly kill off fat cells? We could be within 12 months of this reality, as the world's first safe, targeted fat-loss jab enters Phase 3 trials.

The fungus thought to have claimed the lives of several excavators at Tutankhamun's burial site has had an image makeover, with scientists discovering that it holds potent cancer-fighting properties. It opens the door to new fungi-based medicines.

For the first time, Cortical Labs' mini-brain system has shown how its breakthrough biological computer system can, in response to drug intervention, alter activity and improve performance. It's a huge milestone for synthetic biological intelligence.

There's newfound hope for stroke patients in recovery, with what researchers believe is the very first drug that can comprehensively deliver rehabilitation without the need for challenging long-term physical therapy.

We've almost all been hit with a horror stomach bug. At best, it's a 24-hour nightmare, and at worst it's deadly. But huge strides are being taken towards the first Salmonella and norovirus vaccines, which could make severe illness a distant memory.

An Australian biotech company developing next-gen anti-inflammatory drugs has announced its breakthrough dementia treatment, designed to preserve the integrity of vital brain cell structures and protect them against destruction caused by brain inflammation.