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.

Adding weight to the large body of scientific evidence that has found phenylephrine is as useless as a placebo for nasal congestion, an advisory panel has declared common oral medications ineffective and urged for them to be removed from sale.

Turmeric can stain an amateur chef’s kitchen benches, hands and clothes bright yellow and has been a staple in traditional medicine for 4,000 years. Now, for the first time, a clinical trial suggests it can treat acid reflux as well as common medications.

A study into the effects of medicinal cannabis on the health of people living with chronic illnesses has found that the drug significantly improves health-related quality of life, fatigue, pain, anxiety, and depression.

When someone is using antipsychotic drugs, it's important that they take the correct dosage, and that they don't abruptly stop taking the medication. Soon, a fingerprint sweat test could be used to check that such people are following instructions.