Research and evaluation

Dennis Douroumis: ‘We are focused on research that is novel and innovative’

Just weeks before the first edition of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's new pharmacy journal, RPS Pharmacy and Pharmacology Reports, editor-in-chief Dennis Douroumis explains how the open access journal will operate.…

Silencing the genes that harm the brain

There have been variable results so far, but researchers are hopeful that new drugs can be developed to halt disease progression in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s.…

Safety review launched into anti-epileptic medicine topiramate over fears of harm to unborn children

The review was prompted by study results that showed there was a two- to four-fold increased risk of developmental disorders or learning difficulties in children exposed to topiramate before birth.…

Vaginal oestrogen therapy in breast cancer ‘may not be linked with recurrence’

The researchers say their results suggest that women with a history of breast cancer with severe genitourinary symptoms can take vaginal oestrogen without an increased risk of cancer recurrence.…

Rates of hospital admissions for adverse drug reactions on the rise, research suggests

The cost of hospital admissions for adverse drug reactions over the one-month period amounted to more than £490,000.…

SARS-CoV2 antivirals are essential, but they are not silver bullets

The UK government's 'living with COVID-19' policy is relying too much on antiviral treatments, but now is not the time to relax.…

More than a quarter of patients overusing rescue inhalers for asthma, study finds 

Researchers from Queen Mary University London warned that salbutamol inhalers can increase risk of anxiety and tachycardia.…

Whole-genome sequencing is ‘feasible’ for screening in primary care, research suggests

Presenting their findings, study authors said genomic sequencing in primary care could change the way patients and their families are managed by GPs.…

Research suggests that molnupiravir is effective against Omicron variant

Laboratory research results suggest that antivirals remain effective against the Omicron strain of SARS-CoV-2 virus, but monoclonal antibodies lose potency against it.…

Transparency over negative results in antidepressant trials is improving, data show

Analysis of trial data shows that there has been an increase in reporting of negative outcomes in antidepressant trials, from 11% in trials published between 1987 and 2002 to 47% in research published between 2008 and 2013.…