Health News for You
As the world races to find a vaccine to prevent Covid-19, there are many drugs in clinical trials that have the potential to treat the disease, such as Gilead Sciences’ antiviral drug remdesivir. But in addition to antivirals, there are also drugs in clinical studies being developed to treat some of the more extreme symptoms […]
Some key medicines used in intensive care are “in relatively short supply”, the BBC has learned. Supply of anaesthetic medicines in some areas is “a bit stretched”, according to the Royal College of Anaesthetists. One consultant has told the BBC that supplies are “running low” and alternatives are already being used in intensive care in […]
The term “painkiller” should not be used, to help bust the myth they cure pain, a government adviser says. Prof Jamie Coleman said the phrase raised unrealistic expectations – with “pain-reliever” a better option. Research suggests just one in 10 patients seeking help for long-term pain, benefit from strong painkillers. Prof Coleman also said he […]
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Two cannabis-based medicines, used to treat epilepsy and multiple sclerosis, have been approved for use by the NHS in England. It follows new guidelines from the drugs advisory body NICE, which looked at products for several conditions. Charities have welcomed the move, although some campaigners who have been fighting for access to the drugs have […]
HuffPost is now part of the Verizon Media family. We (Verizon Media) and our partners need your consent to access your device, set cookies, and use your data, including your location, to understand your interests, provide relevant ads and measure their effectiveness. Verizon Media will also provide relevant ads to you on our partners’ products. […]
A “revolutionary” new class of cancer drug that can treat a wide range of tumours has been approved for use in Europe for the first time. Tumour-agnostic drugs do not care where the cancer is growing in the body as long as it has a specific genetic abnormality inside. UK doctors testing the drugs said […]
Children with cancer are being denied new, highly precise drugs that are available to adults, doctors warn. Medics at the Royal Marsden Hospital and the Institute of Cancer Research said the rules were “too cautious”. Their study, in the European Journal of Cancer, found just 7% of suitable children were getting drugs that target genetic […]
Two “life-changing” cystic fibrosis drugs are to be made available to about 400 patients in Scotland – a month after their use was rejected by the NHS. Pharmaceutical company Vertex has announced it has signed a five-year deal with the Scottish government. Orkambi and Symkevi were rejected for routine use by NHS Scotland in August. […]
People born in the 1960s and 70s stand out as the generation most likely to die by suicide or drug poisoning, data for England and Wales shows. The higher rate of fatalities began in the 1980s and 90s when people belonging to Generation X were in their 20s, and is still occurring in the now […]
Ebola may soon be a “preventable and treatable” disease after a trial of two drugs showed significantly improved survival rates, scientists have said. Four drugs were trialled on patients in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where there is a major outbreak of the virus. Two of those, named REGN-EB3 and mAb114, were more effective in […]
Two cystic fibrosis drugs which have been described as “life-changing” by campaigners have been rejected for use by the NHS in Scotland. The Scottish Medicines Consortium said there were uncertainties about the long-term health benefits of Orkambi and Symkevi in relation to their costs. Both drugs are manufactured by Vertex. It said it was working […]
A new form of medicine called “gene-silencing” has been approved for use by the NHS in England. The drugs will be used to reverse a disease called amyloidosis, which causes nerve and organ damage. It can be fatal. Vince Nicholas, whose twin brother and mother both died from the disease, says the therapies are giving […]
A mum of seven died with toxic levels of prescription drugs in her body after visiting a surgery that had out of date records missing patient conditions. Theresa Feehan, 58, was given a drug on 10 March 2018 which, combined with other medication, contributed to her death two days later, a coroner said. The Care […]
There has been a “steep rise” in the number of people struggling to get hold of medication which helps control their seizures, the Epilepsy Society says. The charity says “anxiety and stress” are putting patients at greater risk of seizures. It is calling for the government to commission an urgent review of the medicines supply […]