Drugs

Technology that delivers insulin orally rather than regular injections would be a game-changing advance in medical science, and a team of MIT scientists has made a breakthrough in this space in the form of a drug capsule with a robotic, tunneling head.

The first successful results from a trial testing a drug designed to slow symptoms of Alzheimer’s have been revealed, but experts suggest more data is needed to understand exactly how meaningful this treatment will be for patients in the real world.

A fascinating trial has reported virtual reality immersion can reduce the amount of sedatives needed during certain types of hand surgery. The trial found patients using VR could get through an entire surgical procedure with only local anesthetic.

Scientists at the University of California San Francisco have found a way to fight one of the most common cancer-causing mutations. The new drug puts up an “eat me” marker that can help the immune system or other drugs find and kill the cancer.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is one of the deadliest forms of the disease, but now scientists may have a promising new avenue for treatment. By combining a new drug with an outdated one, the team found that they could halt growth of tumors in mice.

New research has estimated legalization of cannabis over the past 25 years has cost pharma companies billions of dollars in lost sales. And, if cannabis were to be legalized across the entire US, pharma stocks could rapidly drop by over 10 percent.

It takes tons of plant matter to make each gram of the cancer drug vinblastine. To find an alternative source, scientists have engineered yeast to produce the precursors of vinblastine, which could help make this vital drug more available and affordable.

For almost a century, popular culture has presented images of lazy, unmotivated "stoners" who do little more with their lives than smoke cannabis, but across a series of lab experiments and brain imaging tests a new study is busting that long-held myth.

A meta-analysis encompassing more than 150,000 participants has concluded muscle pain or weakness is not a common side effect from statin drug therapy and should not influence whether a person ceases the treatment.

A large international clinical trial has found combining three common heart disease drugs into the one pill is significantly more effective at preventing cardiovascular events and death compared to administering each of the medicines separately.

Scientists have identified two molecules that could help treat leukemia, in a way that’s far less damaging to healthy cells than existing chemotherapy. The compounds work using a different mechanism that’s more selective for cancerous cells.

Positive Phase 3 trial results for a new antibody treatment targeting rheumatoid arthritis have recently been reported. The therapy is hoped to offer a new option to patients struggling with current treatments and should be available within the next year.