PhRMA’s Post

US pharmacy groups made billions from ‘critical drug’ price hikes https://ow.ly/Pkv750UKc9T A US government report has found that three of the country’s largest pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) “hiked costs” of “lifesaving drugs” including cancer and HIV treatments by “thousands of percent” between 2017 and 2022.

In 2002, clinicians reported widespread hypersensitivity to Abacavir in AIDS patients, which seemed to occur only in patients with the HLA-B57 allele, limiting its use. It wasn’t until 10 years later that it was discovered Abacavir is actually a molecular glue that promotes the interaction between the HIV viral peptide and the HLA-B57 allele. This interaction ramps up TCR signaling, causing immunogenicity. It’s an amazing story of an unexpected toxicity in the clinic that turned out to result from a molecular glue mechanism. IMiDs (thalidomide) are also a famous example of this. This raises an interesting question- how many other drugs that we give to patients may actually function as molecular glues, dictating their efficacy and toxicity?

Having worked on HIV latency, its gratifying to see that advances are still being made. Immunocore's CD3xGAG soluble TCR is an interesting approach to eliminate latently infected cells. Like most cell therapies, it will be interesting to see if the therapy can get to difficult to access resevoirs like the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) and the CNS. https://lnkd.in/eDdewDdF Figure taken from: https://lnkd.in/egqF86wY

‘overcharge patients’ FTC Says CVS, Cigna and UnitedHealth Abuse : Middleman Role : Report says PBMs overcharge patients for key treatments : FTC cites cancer, multiple sclerosis, HIV, organ transplants

THC has qualities that prove to be useful to patients with long term health problems such as HIV, AIDS, cancer, and possibly others. In different circumstances, THC has also been used to treat cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy who have severe appetite loss. In the article “Comparison of orally administered cannabis extract and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in treating patients with cancer-related anorexia-cachexia syndrome” by Strasser et al., published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology in 2006, the appetite-stimulating effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are investigated within the context of cancer-related anorexia-cachexia syndrome. #Acannability #MedicalCannabis #CBDHealth #THCtherapy #CannabisHeals #Chicago

Examining TRT's role in managing chronic disease-related cachexia: From cancer to COPD, HIV/AIDS, and liver cirrhosis. Studies show promising results in enhancing lean body mass and quality of life: https://lnkd.in/gU7KpCwY

Academy member and friend, Judy Campisi, left a lasting legacy. Judy was the senior editor of Aging Cell's 2023 best paper, awarded by the Anatomical Society. The study found that while antiretroviral drugs have significantly improved the prognosis for HIV patients, long-term use can cause premature aging. Highly active antiretroviral therapy, typically including two NRTIs and one protease inhibitor (PI), can induce cellular senescence. The study compared two PIs: ritonavir-boosted atazanavir (ATV/r) and ritonavir-boosted darunavir (DRN/r). ATV/r treatment led to cell growth arrest and senescence, while DRN/r did not. Mice treated with ATV/r showed increased senescent cells and age-related decline, reversible upon stopping treatment. Therefore, switching from ATV/r to DRN/r may reduce age-related complications for patients. Full study - https://lnkd.in/grNiQCKy #HIVResearch #AntiretroviralTherapy #PrematureAging #CellularSenescence #HIVTreatment #HIVAwareness #ClinicalStudy

🔬 New insights into cannabis use and inflammation in persons with HIV! Okafor et al. explore the association between cannabis metabolite THC-COOH and plasma biomarkers. Discover the potential impact of cannabis on inflammation and microbial translocation in PWH. 🌿 #HIV #CannabisResearch Read here: https://buff.ly/44dWGH8

Early diagnosis for STDs is a key factor to better health outcomes. Most STDs are either curable or treatable, and catching them early can help limit both immediate discomfort, minimize the treatment process and reduce serious risks such as infertility, cancer, or even death. Self-testing and point-of-care testing for STDs has been reported to increase diagnosis and reduce costs associated with screening. In an article by Medical Device Network, the increased interest in self-testing since the COVID-19 pandemic is dicussed, noting that people have become much more comfortable with testing at home and interpreting the result (https://lnkd.in/gc6NbWVi) Meridian has an extensive menu of highly sensitive antibody and antigen pairs to HIV, HBV, HCV, and syphilis which are ideal for developing lateral flow home tests. To learn more, visit: https://lnkd.in/gjNnZkpA #STD #POCT #selftesting

The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is undermining treatment options for people living with conditions such as cystic fibrosis, cancer, HIV, or with weakened immune systems. The solution is to support ways of developing #NewAntibioticsNow