Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 20 July 2026
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Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine . The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information. This information is under strict embargo and by taking it into possession, media representatives are committing to the terms of the embargo not only on their own behalf, but also on behalf of the organization they represent.
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1. Novel antifungal drug shows promise in some patients with Valley Fever
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-26-00103
URL goes live when the embargo lifts
A subanalysis of a single-group, open-label, phase 2b study found that olorofim, a first-in-class orotomide antifungal agent that does not have U.S. FDA approval, showed efficacy in patients with disseminated coccidioidomycosis (DCM), a rare complication of Valley Fever where the fungus spreads from the lungs to other parts of the body. The findings show the potential of olorofim as salvage treatment for patients for whom standard-of-care therapies have failed. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine .
Researchers from the Valley Fever Center for Excellence at the University of Arizona and colleagues assessed the safety, tolerability, and effectiveness of oral olorofim in 41 patients aged 16 and older from May 2019 to August 2022. The patients had disseminated DCM that was predicted to be resistant to licensed antifungal agents, had not shown improvement despite use of these medications, had significant drug–drug interactions, or had developed intolerance to antifungal therapy. Participants received olorofim either alone or alongside standard care over an 84-day period. By days 42 and 84, about 76% and 73% of patients showed clinical improvement, respectively. The most common side effect was elevated liver enzymes, which was generally managed with monitoring or dose adjustments. Although the study did not include a comparison group, the researchers say the findings warrant further study.
Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Gabby Macrina at gmacrina@acponline.org. To contact corresponding author Fariba M. Donovan, MD, PhD please email David Mogollon at mogollon@arizona.edu.
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2. Timing of shingles vaccine and JAK inhibitor initiation can affect early outcomes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-05493
A randomized trial in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) suggests that the timing of when a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor is initiated relative to administration of the shingles vaccine can affect early immune response to shingles and arthritis control. Because JAK inhibitors are associated with an increased risk for shingles, the findings suggest that clinicians should consider the relative urgency of RA disease control and the risk for shingles in patients considering vaccination. The study is published in Annals of Internal Medicine .
Researchers at Keio University School of Medicine and colleagues studied 59 adults ages 50 and older with RA at 12 sites in Japan. All participants received the shingles vaccine at the start of the study and again eight weeks later. They were randomly assigned to either start the JAK inhibitor tofacitinib at the same time as the first vaccine dose or wait until the second dose. Over 12 weeks, researchers tracked immune response, arthritis symptoms, and side effects. Patients who delayed the drug had a stronger early immune response to the vaccine, while those who started the drug right away saw quicker relief from arthritis symptoms. By the end of the study, however, both groups had similar immune responses, that JAK inhibitor use may delay but does not prevent vaccine induced immunity.
Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Gabby Macrina at gmacrina@acponline.org. To contact corresponding author Yuko Kaneko, MD, PhD please email ykaneko.z6@keio.jp.
3. Longer time in the U.S. associated with increased obesity risk for Hispanic and Asian immigrants
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-05002
Cross-sectional survey data suggest that obesity risk among foreign-born residents of the United States rises with time spent in the country, but the pattern is not uniform across groups. Foreign-born Hispanic and Asian adults living in the U.S. longer had significantly higher risk for obesity than those who had lived in the U.S. for less than five years, while similar increases were not seen among White or Black immigrants, warranting further research into the underlying contributors of obesity in these groups. The study is published in Annals of Internal Medicine .
Researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center analyzed cross-sectional data from more than 22,000 foreign-born adults in the 2019 and 2021–2024 National Health Interview Survey to better understand the association between duration of U.S. residence and obesity and whether this relationship varies by race and ethnicity. They found that those who had lived in the U.S. for 15 years or more had roughly twice the risk of obesity compared with those who had been in the country for less than five years, but this pattern was mainly seen in Hispanic and Asian adults. Future research may be warranted to determine how lifestyle, dietary, or cultural factors among different immigrant groups may contribute to differences in obesity between risks.
Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Gabby Macrina at gmacrina@acponline.org. To contact corresponding author Maria Claros, MPH please email m.clarros@gmail.com.
Also in this issue:
Dialysis and the Politics of Self-care: The Enduring Effects of Barriers Imposed on Home Dialysis
Lauren B. Killingsworth, BS, MPhil; and Ladan Golestaneh, MD, MS
History of Medicine
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-26-00847
Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology Enhanced Prevalence and Incidence Criteria (STROBE EPIC): An Extension of the STROBE Statement
Shruti Murthy, PhD, et al.
Research and Reporting Methods
Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-02412
Annals of Internal Medicine
News article
People
Olorofim in Treatment of Patients With Poorly Controlled Disseminated Coccidioidomycosis: A Single-Group, Open-Label, Phase 2b, Multicenter Study
21-Jul-2026