Medicine

GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy were originally positioned as treatments for obese patients under medical care. A STAT analysis argues they are now marketed as lifestyle products for consumers seeking weight loss, cosmetic benefits and wellness, with telehealth platforms and direct-to-consumer advertising driving demand far beyond traditional clinical settings.

The Council of the European Union has adopted the 'pharma package', a set of new rules intended to make the EU pharmaceutical sector fairer and more competitive. The reform updates how medicines are authorised, priced and supplied across the bloc, aiming to speed up patient access to treatments and address shortages while balancing incentives for drug developers.

Stanford Medicine is being widely cited for a claim that the human brain is actually two distinct organs rather than a single one. The assertion, spread through a news report, has drawn major attention and debate about what the finding means for neuroscience and medicine.

GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy are being discussed as a new approach to weight loss, moving beyond diet and exercise as the standard advice. Johns Hopkins University is among the institutions weighing in on how these drugs work and what their rise means for obesity treatment. The conversation centers on effectiveness, costs, and how widely these drugs will change care.

Speaking during a visit to the French shrine of Lourdes, Pope Francis said medicine must never become the servant of programmed death, a remark widely read as a rejection of euthanasia and assisted dying. The comments came at one of the Catholic Church's most important pilgrimage sites, which is closely associated with healing and care for the sick.

New research reported by Medical Xpress suggests that people with epilepsy who use cannabis frequently may experience more severe symptoms. The findings run counter to the common perception of cannabis as a potential treatment for seizures, adding nuance to an ongoing debate among doctors and patients about medical cannabis use.

Researchers led by Dr. Jona Kayser at MPZPM report that physical processes within dense cell populations strongly influence the optimal timing of treatment cycles in cancer and antibiotic therapy. Treatment resistance is a central obstacle in both fields, and the findings suggest that scheduling therapies around these dynamics could improve outcomes. The work, associated with the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, points to a greater role for biophysics in designing treatment schedules.

Eli Lilly has announced the Lilly Change the Course Commitment, a new initiative aimed at narrowing treatment gaps in diabetes and obesity care in low- and middle-income countries. The pharmaceutical company says the programme will focus on expanding access to treatment where need is greatest. Details on funding and specific country plans have not yet been widely reported.

Dancing is being discussed as a possible way to lower dementia risk. Research into lifestyle factors that protect brain health has repeatedly highlighted physical activity, and dance adds social interaction and cognitive coordination. Health outlets are asking whether regular dancing could help keep the ageing brain sharp.

A new estimate suggests the Amazon rainforest could contain plant and microbial compounds worth roughly $215 billion in undiscovered medicines. Scientists are warning that ongoing deforestation may destroy species before they can be studied, prompting calls for faster bioprospecting, conservation funding and stronger protections for Indigenous knowledge linked to medicinal plants.

Researchers at Penn's Leonard Davis Institute are highlighting a potentially harmful delay in emergency department care that they say has been widely overlooked. The piece argues that this specific delay, which has received little attention compared with better-known emergency care problems, can cause real harm to patients. Details of the exact delay and its clinical impact were not specified.

A new report finds that more than one in five older Americans take combinations of medications that could cause major drug interactions, with antidepressants topping the list of drugs involved. The findings raise concerns about polypharmacy among seniors, many of whom take multiple prescriptions for chronic conditions, and highlight the need for better medication review by doctors and pharmacists.

Biotech company Vyriad has begun the first-in-human clinical trial of VV169, an in vivo CAR T therapy that engineers immune cells inside the patient's body rather than in a lab. The early-stage trial marks a first step in testing the safety of the experimental cancer treatment in people, an approach watched closely as it could simplify a cell therapy process that is currently complex and costly.

A new report finds that roughly one in nine older adults who use cannabis may meet the criteria for cannabis use disorder. The finding highlights growing concerns as cannabis use rises among older populations, raising questions about screening, education and support for this age group.

Kodiak Sciences announced that its experimental eye drug performs on par with Regeneron's established eye medicine, positioning the biotech as a potential competitor in the treatment of retinal diseases. The claim, reported by Benzinga, puts a spotlight on Kodiak's clinical data and its ability to challenge Regeneron's dominance in the ophthalmology market, where its blockbuster therapy has long set the standard of care.

A former sports medicine director at NC State University has been arrested following a criminal indictment, according to ABC11 News. Details about the charges, the individual's identity, and the nature of the alleged offenses have not yet been made public. The arrest marks a new development in a case involving the university's athletic medical staff.

Researchers describe a 'proliferative pause' — a period when cancer cells spreading to the brain stop dividing before reactivating — and suggest this dormant phase could be a critical treatment window to stop brain metastases before they take hold. Targeting cells during this pause may prevent lethal secondary brain tumours in cancers prone to spreading there.

Heart disease in women has long been underdiagnosed and undertreated, as clinical research historically centred on male patients and symptoms presented differently in women, often being missed or dismissed. Reports revisiting this gap highlight how chest pain, fatigue and other warning signs in women were overlooked for decades, and why awareness of sex-based differences in cardiology is now growing.

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents has approved the university's representatives to the board of Nebraska Medicine, the health system affiliated with the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. The vote formalizes the university's seat at the table as the health system and medical center continue their close operational partnership. Further details about the named representatives were not immediately provided.

A growing debate is unfolding over legal responsibility when artificial intelligence systems used in healthcare make errors. As AI tools move into diagnosis and treatment decisions, questions are mounting over whether doctors, hospitals, drugmakers or software developers should be held accountable when a wrong recommendation harms a patient, and regulators have yet to offer clear answers.

Researchers in Connecticut have published a study that helps explain why endometriosis causes debilitating pain for millions of women. The condition, in which tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, is often difficult to diagnose and treat. The findings are being noted for potentially opening the door to better pain management and targeted therapies for patients.

The FDA has approved Onswik, a once-weekly insulin intended for adults with type 2 diabetes. It was not approved for type 1 diabetes. Coverage highlights what the clinical trials showed about effectiveness and the side effects patients should know about. The approval is drawing attention as a potential convenience shift for diabetes management, reducing injections from daily to weekly.

European policymakers and environmental groups are searching for new measures to tackle pollution in the Baltic Sea, one of the world's most degraded marine environments. The sea suffers from eutrophication, agricultural runoff and industrial contamination, and EU member states with Baltic coastlines are under pressure to agree on coordinated action to restore its health.

Dr. Elizabeth Alpern has been appointed Founders' Board Centennial Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. The appointment, announced via press release, marks a leadership change in the hospital's pediatrics department. Beyond the announcement itself, no further details about her plans or background have been widely circulated.

Biotech firm Disc Medicine is under scrutiny after a regulatory setback with the FDA, alongside legal investigations into the company. Market analysts are debating whether the stock, trading under the ticker IRON, is now undervalued given the combined regulatory and legal pressures. Investors are weighing the discounted share price against uncertainty over the drug's approval prospects and the outcome of the probes.

New reporting indicates that dupilumab's benefits for quality of life in children vary depending on the child's age. The finding, highlighted by Medscape, suggests younger and older children may respond differently to the biologic drug, which is used for conditions such as atopic dermatitis and asthma. Clinicians may need to weigh age when considering treatment expectations.