Vaccine development is usually a long process. The coronavirus pandemic is forcing researchers to innovate and test potential vaccines faster than ever before.
A vaccine historically used to prevent tuberculosis is now among the contenders for a COVID-19 vaccine. So what is the BCG vaccine and why might it work against coronavirus?
Preliminary results from a US trial show remdesivir may help in treating COVID-19. But the findings haven't been peer-reviewed, and the results from other clinical trials have shown little effect.
Modern day research and clinical trials are highly regulated.
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To refuse inclusion would prevent Africa’s researchers from being significant players in the universal fight against the virus.
More clinical trials in African countries can help ensure that any vaccines or treatments developed cater to the continent’s genetic diversity.
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More countries on the African continent must urgently get involved in clinical trials so that the data collected will accurately represent the continent at a genetic level.
Recent evidence about the existence of nocebo effects has revealed that the way patients are informed about treatment side-effects is unethical.
Announcement of the Nobel Prize in Economics to Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer (from left to right on the screen) during a press conference held at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm on 14 October 2019.
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Clinical trials are used to establish that medicines work. But these don't take into account the genetic differences between us that can mean very different outcomes for different patients.
When drug companies and drug regulators, such as Health Canada, sit down together at “pre-submission meetings” this may have a negative impact on public health.
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There is no doubt a regulated market for access to medicinal cannabis is safer, but if cannabis-based products were allowed to bypass efficacy trials, there's a potential cost to patient safety.
Not all drug development needs to start from scratch. Sometimes researchers discover that a drug developed for one disease can be used for another. Here a cancer drug may show promise for dementia.
Research published in Science Translational Medicine in February 2019 used a virtual patient to test the drug, Fevipiprant.
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Asthma affects around 339 million people worldwide. A new drug promises to lower risks of asthma attack and may eventually allow patients to reduce their dependence on steroids.
Canadian finance minister Bill Morneau announced funding for a new Canadian Drug Agency in the 2019 Federal Budget. Here he speaks at a press conference in Toronto, March 20, 2019.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston
A new agency and money for drugs for rare diseases are only very partial steps on the road towards what Canada really needs: a national pharmacare plan.
Ear infections are no fun. The OSTRICH clinical trial looked at whether oral steroid medications might help.
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Clinical trials can assess impact of a medication on a disease. The ideal design is 'blind' – when the researchers and participants do not know who is assigned to the different treatments.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia.
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People with Down syndrome are at much higher risk of dementia than the general population. Knowing when cognitive changes start is critical for developing new drugs.
Antidepressants bring in almost $17 billion a year for the pharmaceutical industry, and yet science shows their benefit to be small. Natural therapies such as diet, exercise, light therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy are just as effective.
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These four “natural” therapies for depression have rigorous, peer-reviewed scientific studies to support their use.
Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease presents unique challenges, when a patient is still working or parenting children.The personality changes involved can result in job loss or divorce before a diagnosis is made.
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Alzheimer's disease affects many people under the age of 65. The 'young-onset' version of the disease is often misdiagnosed as depression or dismissed as a midlife crisis.
Professor Emeritus of Health Policy and Management, York University, Emergency Physician at University Health Network, Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto
Professor of Bioethics & Medicine, Sydney Health Ethics, Haematologist/BMT Physician, Royal North Shore Hospital and Director, Praxis Australia, University of Sydney
Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor, AMREP Department of Medicine, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne & Senior Medical Oncologist and Palliative Care Physician, Melbourne Oncology Group, Cabrini Haematology and Oncology Centre, Wattletree Road, Malvern, Monash University
Professsor of Public Health; Co-Director Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa; Panel Member, Private Healthcare Market Inquiry, University of the Witwatersrand