Interventional studies

Common oral contraceptive pill has negative effect on general well-being

An estimated 100 million women use the contraceptive pill, but surprisingly little is known about its effect on overall health.…

Benefit of steroids for sore throat still unclear

Using steroids, rather than antibiotics, for sore throat is marginally more effective after 48 hours, according to a randomised controlled trial.…

Midostaurin approved by FDA for newly diagnosed adults with AML

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved midostaurin (Rydapt; Novartis) for use in combination with chemotherapy by newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients who have the specific gene mutation, FLT3. Midostaurin is a kinase inhibitor that works by blocking several e…

EMA recommends first EU treatment for spinal muscular atrophy

The European Medicines Agency (EMA), which evaluates medicinal products for use in EU, has recommended nusinersen (Spinraza; Biogen) as a treatment for patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). There is currently no approved therapy in the EU for SMA, a rare and often fatal genetic disease …

Randomised trial confirms efficacy of apomorphine for advanced Parkinson’s

A drug first produced in 1865 offers relief for people with advanced Parkinson’s disease, study confirms.…

ADHD drug shows promise for treating dyslexia

Interventions to improve dyslexia in older children and adolescents have relatively low success rates. …

Doxycycline could offer new treatment option for post-traumatic stress disorder

The widely used antibiotic reduces fear retention in healthy people and could be used to support psychological therapy, study suggests.…

Genotype-guided dosing improves safety of warfarin

Older adults who received a genotype-guided dose of warfarin via a web application were less likely to experience adverse effects compared with clinical dosing, trial results show.…

Antibiotics not always necessary for paediatric atopic dermatitis

Antibiotics are frequently prescribed for the treatment of acute flares of atopic dermatitis to help reduce the colonisation of Staphylococcus aureus on the skin.…

Nerve drug pregabalin ineffective for sciatica, study shows

The nerve pain drug pregabalin is not an effective treatment for sciatica and is associated with a significant number of side effects, researchers have concluded.…