Medical Bulletin 2/October/2023

Here are the top medical news of the day:

FDA approves Depression drug after rejecting it multiple times in 20 years

Gepirone hydrochloride extended-release (ER), marketed as Exxua, has finally received FDA approval for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults. This antidepressant is unique as it selectively targets the serotonin 1A receptor, which plays a crucial role in regulating mood and emotions. Gepirone ER had faced multiple rejections from the FDA over nearly two decades, but this recent approval marks a significant milestone.

The approval is based on data from two 8-week clinical trials involving outpatients aged 18 to 69 who met the criteria for MDD. Both trials demonstrated that gepirone ER was superior to a placebo in improving depression scores measured by the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17). In a maintenance study, patients who responded to gepirone ER during open-label treatment experienced a significantly lower rate of relapse compared to those who switched to a placebo.

Researchers find Ritomavir boosted Nirmatrelvir outperforms Molnupiravir in early COVID 19 treatment

In an ongoing international study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases , researchers have found that both molnupiravir and ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir accelerate SARS-CoV-2 viral clearance in COVID-19 patients, with ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir demonstrating significantly greater antiviral efficacy.

The PLATCOV trial, conducted in Thailand, involved low-risk adult patients aged 18-50 with early symptomatic COVID-19, defined as having symptoms for less than four days. Participants were randomly assigned to one of seven treatment groups, including molnupiravir, ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir, and a control group with no study drug.

Reference: Antiviral efficacy of molnupiravir versus ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir in patients with early symptomatic COVID-19 (PLATCOV): an open-label, phase 2, randomised, controlled, adaptive trial, William H K Schilling et al.Published:September 28, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(23)00493-0

COVID-19: A major contributor to Sepsis, new study reveals

Recent research led by investigators at Brigham and Women’s Hospital has unveiled a startling revelation: during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the SARS-CoV-2 virus, responsible for COVID-19, was a more prevalent and deadly cause of sepsis than previously believed.

Viral sepsis has received limited attention in previous research, primarily due to the scarcity of comprehensive data. To obtain a more precise understanding of sepsis cases, the research team tapped into electronic health records from Mass General Brigham hospitals during the study period.