Drugs

You don't have to be a chemistry whiz to know that making a drug for $3 is a damn sight better than its current price tag of $3,200. The scientists behind this never-before-seen method centered around copper and oxygen say it's an industry game-changer.

Researchers have developed an automated platform that they've used to screen thousands of drugs and identify those that can be used to interrupt the spread of melanoma. The approach could help identify promising drugs to treat metastatic cancers.

Managing diabetes usually involves regular shots, but soon patients might only need injections a few times a year. Stanford has developed a hydrogel-based delivery system that slowly releases drugs over months to control diabetes and even weight.

A large study into the effectiveness of migraine medications has found that some well-established, cheaper medications are just as effective at preventing migraines as the first-line treatment or newer, more expensive drugs.

People with high blood pressure may soon be able to swap the daily pills for an injection every few months. A phase 2 clinical trial has shown that Zilebesiran can drastically reduce blood pressure for long periods of time with no side effects.

A new study has found that specific regions of the brain are activated after a drug is taken intravenously but not when the same drug is taken orally. The findings could lead to new treatments for addiction.

The US has officially got a homegrown hero in the burgeoning global industry of effective weight-loss treatment, with the FDA approval of Lilly’s Zepbound. The company has revealed its cost, dosages, insurance subsidies and when it will be on shelves.

They’ve been approved in the US since 2012, but Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors are still the new kid on the block in terms of rheumatoid arthritis treatment. A new study lays to rest the doubts some had over their effectiveness beyond clinical trials.

With an industry expected to be worth US$100 billion by 2030, a supply crisis, slow manufacturing processes, and a high price tag, it's no surprise the much-hyped class of injectable weight-loss drugs has become a prime target for counterfeit trade.

A phase 3 clinical trial has shown that a drug called teplizumab can slow progression of type 1 diabetes in children and teenagers with a recent diagnosis. The trial’s success helps expand options for patients and relieve some burdens of the disease.

Using a new kind of neuroimaging tool, researchers have uncovered evidence to help explain how antidepressant medications work, and why they take so many weeks to kick in.

In order to smuggle illegal drugs into prisons, people are now soaking materials like paper and fabric in such drugs, letting the materials dry, then passing them along to inmates. A new portable device, however, sees through that ruse.