Capsules

Vet project

Curbing antimicrobials in animals

The US FDA has announced its Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) final rule, a key piece of the agency’s overall strategy to promote judicious use of antimicrobials in food-producing animals. This will bring the listed drugs under veterinary supervision to be used only when necessary for assuring animal health. The rule outlines the process for authorizing use of VFD drugs (animal drugs intended for use in or on animal feed that require the supervision of a licensed veterinarian).

Fat burners

Treatment for cholesterol

The European Medicines Agency has recommended authorising the drug Repatha (evolocumab) as treatment to lower high levels of cholesterol in the blood of people unable to control cholesterol despite taking optimal doses of statins or those who cannot take statins. It should be used in addition to a healthy diet, the EMA said. Other lipid-lowering therapies (statins and others) should also be used if tolerated. High levels of cholesterol in the blood are common risk factors for heart disease, which is the leading cause of death globally.

Alternate options

Single dose for cervical cancer

A single dose of the bivalent HPV vaccine (Cervarix from GSK) may offer a similar protection against HPV-16/18 infections, which cause about 70 per cent of cervical cancers, as the current two- and three-dose schedules, says a new research in The Lancet Oncology. “Our findings question the number of HPV vaccine doses truly needed to protect the majority of women against cervical cancer. If one dose is sufficient, it could reduce vaccination costs,” co-lead author Aimée Kreimer from the National Cancer Institute (US) said.

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