The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation to AB-1005 for the treatment of moderate Parkinson disease.  AB-1005 is an investigational gene therapy based on adeno-associated viral vector serotype 2 containing the human glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) transgene. Following direct neurosurgical injection with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-monitored convection enhanced delivery, AB-1005 is designed to allow for stable and continuous expression of GDNF in localized regions of the brain.  The designation is supported by data from an 18-mo ..read more

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Ahzantive® (aflibercept-mrbb), a biosimilar to Eylea® (aflibercept). Ahzantive is a vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor indicated for the treatment of patients with: neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration, macular edema following retinal vein occlusion, diabetic macular edema, and diabetic retinopathy. A biosimilar is a biological product that is approved based on data demonstrating that it is highly similar to an FDA-approved biological product with no clinically meaningful differences in safety and efficacy from the ref ..read more

Subscribe for more episodes: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | RSS feed Pain – the main manifestation of many rheumatic diseases, but also the most underappreciated, leads to worse disease outcomes and affects the quality of life of patients. Over the last decade or so, animal models and modern technology have highlighted the complex mechanisms that underlie chronic pain in rheumatology. To get further insight on the various aspects of chronic pain, we speak with Don L. Goldenberg, MD, about its pathophysiology and diagnostic classification crite ..read more

Limited evidence suggests that ketamine may reduce the severity of cluster headache symptoms, according to study results published in Pain Therapy. Despite the many different treatment options available for cluster headache, a severe debilitating condition, many patients receive inadequate pain relief. Researchers sought to evaluate ketamine as a potentially promising treatment approach. The researchers systematically reviewed the literature cataloged in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library of Systematic Reviews on ketamine for the treatment of cluster headache. They also presented the re ..read more

Extreme temperatures are associated with a global increase in stroke burden, including death and disability, according to the findings of a study published in Neurology. Previous studies have associated extreme temperatures with stroke burden. However, no systematic worldwide study about nonoptimal temperatures and stroke burden has been published. Researchers from XiangYa School of Medicine in China sourced data on stroke, temperatures, and country economic status from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, the Climate Research Unit Gridded Time Series database, and the World Bank database ..read more

Severe headache or migraine risk is associated with proton pump inhibitor (PPI), H2 receptor antagonist (H2RA), and antacid use, according to the findings of a study published in Neurology. Several studies have found that acid-suppression therapies were related to migraine. Among acid-suppression therapies, PPIs also slow digestion and decrease nutrient absorption. As mounting evidence has associated dietary intake with migraine, PPIs may more likely be related with migraine than other acid-suppression therapies. Researchers from the University of Maryland and Albert Einstein College of Medici ..read more

HealthDay News — For patients with binge eating disorder (BED), a web-based cognitive behavioral self-help intervention leads to significant reductions in binge eating episodes and improvements in mental health outcomes, according to a study published online May 16 in JAMA Network Open. Luise Pruessner, from Heidelberg University in Germany, and colleagues examined the effectiveness of a web-based cognitive behavioral self-help intervention for individuals with BED in a two-arm, parallel-group randomized clinical trial. A total of 154 patients aged 18 to 65 years who met the diagnostic criteri ..read more

HealthDay News — For women with obesity, the risk for breast cancer is reduced after bariatric surgery, according to a study published online May 15 in JAMA Surgery. Felipe M. Kristensson, M.D., from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, and colleagues examined whether bariatric surgery is associated with breast cancer incidence in women and whether the benefit is modified by baseline insulin level in the Swedish Obese Subjects study. The study included 2,867 women aged 37 to 60 years with a body mass index of 38 kg/m2 or greater. A total of 1,420 women underwent s ..read more

An international task force proposed consensus-based recommendations for physical activity and exercise among persons with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which were published in Rheumatic & Musculoskeletal Diseases Open. A steering committee consisting of 1 rheumatologist specializing in SLE and 1 in sports medicine, along with an adapted physical activity coordinator, led a task force that included 17 experts from various backgrounds, as well as 2 persons living with SLE. The task force’s primary objective was to provide healthcare professionals with recommendations for physical acti ..read more

Adult patients receiving treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for the first time have an increased 10-year risk for stroke, heart failure, and a composite cardiovascular outcome, with a higher risk occurring with a higher dosage, according to a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Researchers evaluated the long-term risk for acute coronary syndrome, stroke, and heart failure associated with treatment for ADHD. They used data from Danish nationwide health registers. Participants were aged 18 years and older and claimed a first-time prescription fo ..read more