Also featuring the latest FDA and global drug development pipeline news.
Dolutegravir-Lamivudine Allows New Clinical Options for Some Patients with HIV
Polypharmacy is a key issue for people living with HIV. Taking a large number of medications has been reported by people living with HIV to be an unnecessary nuisance at best, and if viral suppression can be maintained on fewer medications it’s often clinically preferable to do so.
This week, the FDA expanded the use of the HIV medication Dovato, which is made up of antiretrovirals (ART) dolutegravir and lamivudine.
The daily tablet of dolutegravir (DTG) 50 mg and lamivudine (3TC) 300 mg allows clinicians to provide appropriate patients living with HIV the option to continue viral suppression without a third ART drug.
For more on this approval, see here.
Vitamin D Supplementation Study: Results Don’t Show Anti-TB Effect
Earlier research had suggested vitamin D supplementation might lower the risk of tuberculosis, but a new large, randomized trial contradicts those studies.
Read here.
US Secures Johnson & Johnson Coronavirus Vaccine Deal
BARDA is committing over $1 billion for the agreement, which is dependent on approval or emergency use authorization by the US FDA.
Read here.
Company Reports Phase 1 Data for its COVID-19 Vaccine
The Novavax NVX-CoV2373 vaccine candidate is shown to be well-tolerated and elicited antibody response.
Read here.
NIH Antibody Trials for COVID-19 Move Forward
Two studies will investigate monoclonal antibody-based treatments in both patients with mild disease and those who are hospitalized.
Read here.