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Recent evidence suggests that breast milk from women vaccinated against COVID-19 may protect infants from the viral illness. (University of Florida, Journal of Perinatology)
A recent federal law has eliminated the requirement for animal testing of medicine in development prior to human testing. (NPR)
Germany will soon drop its national mask mandate for long-term travel by trains and buses, one among the nation’s last remaining COVID-related restrictions. (AP)
A study from Portugal showed that caffeine and non-caffeine components of coffee were related to a reduced risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in individuals with type 2 diabetes. (MDPI Nutrients)
GOP division on Medicare cuts could portend difficult and protracted internal discussions in the brand new Congress. (The Hill)
Novo Nordisk said the FDA has expanded the use of its oral GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide (Rybelsus) to incorporate first-line treatment in adults with type 2 diabetes, together with weight loss program and exercise.
And the agency approved a recent tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis vaccine (Tdap, Adacel) to be used throughout the third trimester of pregnancy to forestall whooping cough in infants younger than 2 months.
Meanwhile, AstraZeneca will discontinue sales of moxetumomab pasudotox (Lumoxiti) for hairy cell leukemia within the U.S. due to competition and other aspects unrelated to the drug’s safety or efficacy. (Endpoints News)
Cancer-related deaths have decreased by a 3rd over the past 30 years, in accordance with the American Cancer Society’s annual statistical report. (CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians)
However the report also found that diagnosis of advanced-stage prostate cancer has increased as PSA screening rates have declined, especially in the first care setting. (NBC News)
Lisa Marie Presley, 54, singer and daughter of the late rock-and-roll legend Elvis Presley, died in a Los Angeles hospital a day after collapsing while attending the Golden Globe Awards. (CNN)
Medical school curricula have barely scratched the surface of the rapidly expanding field of medical applications of artificial intelligence. (STAT)
Scientists seemingly have learned how you can flip the turn on the aging process in older mice, but with the potential downside of accelerating the method in younger animals. (CNN)
Financial incentives to encourage COVID-19 vaccination apparently haven’t led to unintended consequences, akin to a discount in healthy behaviors within the absence of inducements. (Nature)
Pfizer and BioNTech have recruited television celebrity Martha Stewart because the face of a recent promoting campaign to encourage COVID-19 boosters. (Endpoints News)
A study suggesting an association between gas stoves and childhood asthma — followed by a government bureaucrat’s suggestion of a ban on said stoves — sparked a rally amongst defenders of the fossil-fuel industry. (Politico)
The World Health Organization issued a safety warning about two India-produced cough syrups linked to kid’s deaths in Uzbekistan and Gambia. (CBS News)
Patients have spoken and doctors have finally began to listen about how you can make their clinics and offices more patient friendly. (Recent York Times)
UnitedHealth announced higher-than-expected profits for the last quarter of 2022, driven largely by lower costs and increased earnings from its pharmacy advantages management business. (Reuters)