Interventional studies

No government-funded medical cannabis clinical trials ongoing, two years since legalisation

There is no ongoing, government-funded clinical research into the efficacy of medical cannabis, despite calls from the National Institute for Health Research.…

Antivirals have little effect on mortality in patients hospitalised with COVID-19, suggest WHO trial interim results

Four repurposed antiviral treatments for COVID-19 have little or no effect on mortality in patients who are hospitalised, interim results from the World Health Organization’s Solidarity trial have suggested.…

Hospitalised COVID-19 patients first in UK to receive antibody treatment in RECOVERY trial

Patients admitted to a hospital trust in North East England with COVID-19 have become the first to receive synthetic neutralising antibodies.…

Patients with severe COVID-19 are 90% more likely to see better outcomes when taking hydrocortisone, finds research

Patients with severe COVID-19 who are treated intravenously with the steroid hydrocortisone are up to 93% more likely to have a better outcome compared with patients who are not given the drug, findings from a major COVID-19 trial published in JAMA have suggested.…

Down, but not out: hydroxychloroquine could still have a role against COVID-19

Ongoing research may yet prove that the 4-aminoquinolones are an effective prophylactic medication in those at risk of developing COVID-19.…

Secukinumab and adalimumab comparable for first-line psoriatic arthritis treatment

Biological therapies secukinumab and adalimumab are similarly effective at improving the musculoskeletal symptoms of psoriatic arthritis, a head-to-head trial suggests.…

Withdrawal and preventive therapy best management for medication overuse headache

Medication overuse headache is best treated with a combination of analgesic withdrawal and pharmaceutical prophylaxis, the authors of a study in JAMA Neurology have said.…

No significant efficacy difference between courses of remdesivir in patients with severe COVID-19

There is no significant difference in efficacy between five-day and ten-day courses of the antiviral remdesivir for patients with severe COVID-19 not requiring ventilation, research published in The New England Journal of  Medicine has shown.…

Pharmaceutical industry must fund clinical trials of medical cannabis, Royal College of Psychiatrists says

There is a “pressing need” for high-quality research into the use of cannabis-based medicinal products for psychiatric disorders, the Royal College of Psychiatrists has said.…

Sertraline may reduce anxiety more quickly than depressive symptoms

Sertraline is unlikely to reduce depressive symptoms within six weeks, according to findings from a randomised controlled trial in The Lancet Psychiatry.…