David Lipanovic

Senior Clinical Reporter

First drug for severe alopecia recommended by NICE could benefit 14,000 patients

Ritlecitinib (Litfulo; Pfizer), a once-daily oral pill, is the first licensed treatment recommended for patients with alopecia areata.…

UK regulator recommends new safety measures for medicines containing pseudoephedrine

Safety information for all medicines containing pseudoephedrine will be updated to make clear the risk of rare, but serious, side effects.…

Pilots to provide PrEP via pharmacies only ‘possible future opportunities’, report warns

A report from the HIV Action Plan Implementation Steering Group said it was “concerning that the current proposal for PrEP pilots is marked as ‘possible future opportunities’”.…

Changing the culture of fluoroquinolone prescribing

Despite repeated warnings about disabling and irreversible side effects from fluoroquinolones, prescribing of these broad-spectrum antibiotics remains “stubbornly stable”.…

First-in-class antibiotic provides effective treatment for UTIs, trial results suggest

Gepotidacin showed non-inferiority to nitrofurantoin in one trial and superiority in another.…

Erectile dysfunction drugs may reduce Alzheimer’s risk, study suggests

Results from a study of more than 260,000 men has suggested those taking erectile dysfunction drugs were 18% less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those not taking the drugs.…

People harmed by valproate could receive £100,000 payout, patient safety commissioner says

In ‘The Hughes report’, the patient safety commissioner said people affected by valproate should get an interim payout, followed by further support based on their individual needs.…

NHS England recommends generic apixaban over edoxaban for treatment of atrial fibrillation

For patients already taking a direct-acting oral anticoagulant for atrial fibrillation, NHS England advised commissioners to “consider developing local policy to review patients’ current treatment”.…

Type 2 diabetes remission achieved in 6% of patients through weight loss alone, study results show

Experts have emphasised the importance of individualised treatment, which may include a low-calorie diet.…

MHRA says fluoroquinolones should be administered only when no other antibiotics are appropriate

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has issued new restrictions on fluoroquinolone use, following reports of serious adverse reactions in patients.…