Articles tagged with Clinical Trials
The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected biomedical research, with a significant shift in priorities towards COVID-19-related studies. Publications and clinical trials in non-COVID fields decreased by up to 25%, while COVID-19-related research saw a surge in publications and grants.
Results from the Phase III EMPOWER trial demonstrate the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitor cemiplimab in improving overall survival for women with recurrent and/or metastatic cervical cancer. The study showed a 31% lower risk of death in patients receiving cemiplimab compared to chemotherapy.
Researchers will test the effectiveness of WeCAN, a group-based treatment designed to teach long-lasting management skills to individuals with traumatic brain injury and dementia. The study aims to identify behavioral, neuroimaging, and blood biomarkers that correlate with treatment efficacy.
The COXEN GC score was a significant predictor of overall survival when looking at both treatment groups combined. The study found no association between COXEN scores and progression-free survival, but the biomarker may serve as a potential tool to improve patient outcomes.
A small study found statistically significant improvements in various symptoms, including fatigue and chest discomfort, after EECP therapy in long COVID patients. Researchers believe this is the most plausible explanation for the benefits derived from EECP and its link to long COVID.
A new study on the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) has found that group-level scores lack significance on an individual level. The normative study recommends a higher cut-off score for SDMT to accurately assess changes over time and predict disease progression.
The ALS Canada Research Program has awarded nine Discovery Grants to investigate critical areas of disease processes and clinical care. The grants will support fundamental laboratory research, biomarker studies, and clinical trials.
A clinical trial of niclosamide in COVID-19 patients found signals of benefit warranting further study. The medication showed potential in reducing contagiousness and symptoms, particularly in higher-risk populations.
Many pragmatic trials fail to collect patient-reported data on experience, burden of disease, and quality of life. Despite this, the authors suggest that including patient-reported outcomes can provide valuable insights into patient well-being. The study urges researchers to prioritize patient-centered approaches in clinical trials.
A new study found that increasing sleep duration by an average of 1.2 hours per night reduced participants' overall caloric intake by an average of 270 kcal per day. This translates to roughly 12 kg, or 26 lbs., of weight loss over three years if the effects were maintained.
Researchers from Tel Aviv University have engineered 3D human spinal cord tissues and implanted them in lab models with long-term chronic paralysis, resulting in an 80% success rate in restoring walking abilities. The team aims to conduct clinical trials in human patients within a few years to make the treatment commercially available.
A new 'bionic' pacemaker is being developed to restore the natural variability of the heartbeat, which has been found to improve cardiac output by 20%. This innovation could revolutionize the treatment of heart failure in New Zealand patients.
A phase 2 clinical trial found that the Australian-developed neonatal rotavirus vaccine RV3-BB was safe and produced a robust immune response in African babies. The reduced dose of the vaccine generated an equivalent immune response as the highest dose, offering opportunities to reduce vaccine manufacturing costs.
The NRG-GOG 0281/LOGS trial demonstrated that trametinib significantly reduces disease progression and improves response rates in women with recurrent low-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary/peritoneum. The study found a trend towards higher overall survival rates when compared to standard of care options.
Researchers discovered two patients with CAR T cell therapy achieved the longest-known remission to date, providing new details about treatment effects and outcomes. The study shows that the infused CAR T cells remained detectable for at least a decade, with sustained remission in both patients.
Women with GAD exhibit abnormal interoception, perceiving intense heartbeats and lower neural activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. The study suggests a causal link between cardiovascular sensitivity and frontal cortex insensitivity, contributing to anxiety symptoms.
The ACC cardiooncology course is designed to educate clinicians on improving awareness, identification, monitoring, and management of cardiovascular diseases in cancer patients. The course aims to help clinicians minimize cardiotoxicity from cancer therapies, leading to improved overall survival and quality of life for oncology patients.
A clinical trial has found selinexor to be effective in shrinking tumors in almost a third of patients with recurrent glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer. The treatment induced responses in certain patients and allowed some to stay on the medication for over 12 months.
A randomized clinical trial examined how users interpret instructions and results from at-home tests, affecting quarantine decisions. The study found that many users misinterpret test results or do not follow recommended quarantine protocols.
A Dartmouth study reveals that consumers using at-home COVID-19 self tests may misinterpret the implications of their test results, leading to either unnecessary or inadequate quarantine. The study suggests that individuals at high risk for infection should still quarantine after a negative test result.
A clinical trial found that combining remdesivir with hyperimmune intravenous immunoglobulin did not improve health status or safety for adults hospitalized with COVID-19. The trial also showed a higher risk of adverse outcomes among patients who generated SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing antibodies before treatment.
A new care pathway has been shown to reduce long-term pain and improve quality of life for people after knee replacement surgery. The STAR care pathway is cost-effective and could potentially save the NHS up to £14 million per year.
A recent study found that adding a booster dose of any COVID-19 vaccine to fully vaccinated adults elicits an immune response and is safe. The trial, sponsored by the NIAID, used 458 adults who received a full regimen of any EUA or approved COVID-19 vaccine.
A new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that resuming non-contact physical activity 72 hours after a concussion is safe for children and youth. The study, which involved 456 participants, showed that early return to physical activity can reduce symptoms and delayed recovery.
A review of 392 clinical trials found increased representation of diverse groups in dermatology trials for common skin conditions. The study also highlighted persistent disparities in clinical trial participation among underrepresented populations.
A novel technique transplants patient fat into the sole to reduce plantar fasciitis symptoms, improving quality of life and sports activities. The study laid groundwork for a larger clinical trial with promising results.
The Epstein Family Foundation has donated $50 million to USC and UC San Diego to accelerate Alzheimer's research and discover effective therapies for the disease. The collaboration aims to compress study design, patient recruitment, and clinical trials to expedite the discovery of better treatments and a cure.
A Children's Hospital Colorado study explores a neuromuscular training intervention to reduce injury risk in athletes returning from sports-related concussions. The research found that athletes who completed the 8-week training program had a significantly lower risk of time-loss injuries compared to those who did not participate.
The NRG-RTOG 1010 clinical trial found that adding trastuzumab to chemoradiation and surgery did not improve disease-free survival for HER2-positive esophageal adenocarcinoma patients. Despite this, the study highlights future research opportunities to explore combining trastuzumab with other HER2-targeting agents.
Sophie Paczesny's research aims to validate biomarker panels that help doctors predict chronic GVHD risk and adjust immune suppression treatments accordingly. The study uses machine learning algorithms to analyze stored plasma and blood cell samples from over 1,300 BMT recipients.
The NIH is awarding $170 million to clinics and centers for a precision nutrition study that will develop algorithms to predict individual responses to food and dietary routines. The Nutrition for Precision Health study will recruit 10,000 participants from the All of Us Research Program.
A study published in Science Advances found that cannabidiol (CBD) inhibited SARS-CoV-2 infection in human cells and mice, suggesting its potential as a preventative or early treatment for COVID-19. CBD's effects were confined to high purity doses and specific situations.
A new review and meta-analysis found that drug companies are increasingly disclosing negative study findings for antidepressants. While progress has been made, full transparency remains an issue, with researchers emphasizing the need to report all trial results, both positive and negative, to inform patient treatment.
A recent clinical trial conducted by Prof. Alexandra Durr's team found that riluzole does not improve symptoms in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 2, but provided valuable biomarkers for future trials. The study involved 45 patients and revealed a good tolerance and absence of adverse effects.
A meta-analysis published in The Lancet Oncology reveals that men with intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer experience improved overall survival with the addition of hormone therapy to radiotherapy. The study found prolonged adjuvant hormone therapy benefits men, while neoadjuvant hormone therapy did not.
CERC-002, a cytokine neutralizer, has been shown to improve survival rates by 83.9% among hospitalized COVID patients compared to 64.5% with placebo. The treatment targets the immune response early on, preventing disease progression.
Researchers at West Virginia University are investigating the link between chronic stress and Alzheimer's disease using animal models. They aim to understand how xanthine oxidase may sabotage brain blood vessels in Alzheimer's patients, and explore whether a medication can block this pathway to keep the brain healthy.
The Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) will host THT 2022 from February 1-2, 2022. The conference features new and emerging treatments for heart failure, including transcatheter approaches and innovative monitoring strategies.
The Rare Disease COA Consortium aims to optimize COA selection during medical product development for rare diseases. The consortium will identify and describe potentially fit-for-purpose publicly available COAs, reducing the time and cost associated with developing new ones.
A clinical trial found that people with severe alcohol disorder stayed off alcohol for longer when treated with low doses of ketamine combined with psychological therapy. The therapy showed promise in preventing relapse and improving liver function, with participants having lower depression rates after three months.
The NRG Oncology GOG 0261 trial demonstrated that paclitaxel and carboplatin is a non-inferior alternative to paclitaxel and ifosfamide for treating women with uterine carcinosarcoma. This regimen offers improved progression-free survival and overall survival compared to the current standard of care.
The first-in-human trial of CAR-M cell therapy demonstrated that engineered macrophages can target and alter the solid tumor microenvironment, altering the composition of myeloid cells and T-cells. This innovative immunotherapy offers a promising new strategy in the fight against cancer.
A new graft strategy has reduced chronic graft-versus-host disease in leukemia patients by depleting naïve T cells from donor blood. The approach has shown promising results, with only 7% of patients developing chronic GVHD compared to 30-60% with standard treatment.
A registry study found that people with inflammatory RMDs, such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, tolerate their COVID vaccine well, with short-lived reactions being the most common side effect. The majority of participants were able to continue on their normal medication with no changes.
A phase III trial demonstrated that combining Eltrombopag with standard immunosuppression increases response rates and reduces time to first response in patients with Severe Aplastic Anemia. The treatment was found to be safe and well-tolerated, with improved event-free survival.
The combination of relatlimab and nivolumab doubled progression-free survival benefit compared to nivolumab alone, with significant benefits across pre-specified subgroups. The treatment was associated with a lower risk of disease progression or death.
Aspirin use in primary prevention of cardiovascular disease should be individualized based on benefit-to-risk assessment, not age. The authors' updated meta-analysis shows a 13% reduction in cardiovascular disease with similar benefits at older ages.
A clinical trial will test a treatment strategy using a lightweight, wearable robotic device that provides neuromuscular training and makes walking easier for children with cerebral palsy. The study aims to establish fundamental knowledge on adaptive ankle interventions to treat walking impairment relative to standard of care.
The study combined seven randomized clinical trials with 8,000 patients to compare overall and treatment-specific outcomes of Black and white men with localized prostate cancer who received radiation therapy. The results showed that there were significant racial disparities in response to radiation therapy for prostate cancer.
A phase 3 trial has shown that one dose of the Ad5-nCoV COVID-19 vaccine is highly effective against severe disease, with an efficacy rate of 91.7% at 28 days post-vaccination. The vaccine has also been found to be safe, with no serious vaccine-related adverse events or deaths reported among trial participants.
Researchers have developed a new statistical toolkit using the fragility index to determine if clinical trial results are strong and reliable. The new method has been shown to be more flexible than previous versions, allowing researchers to test assumptions and consider implications of a wider range of outcomes.
A recent China-wide study investigated the effect of general versus regional anesthesia on post-operative delirium in older adults undergoing hip fracture surgery. The results showed no significant difference in delirium incidence between the two groups, contradicting previous assumptions.
A new post-surgery approach for treating HPV-related throat cancer uses low-dose radiation and spares the majority of patients from chemotherapy. The trial found high survival rates and quality of life in patients at medium risk for recurrence.
A clinical trial of 18,353 adults found no benefit of omega-3 supplements in preventing depression. The study, led by Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital, tested the effect of daily vitamin D and/or omega-3 supplements on depression risk over a median of 5.3 years.
A new clinical trial is enrolling young people with rare genetic mutations that cause early-onset Alzheimer's disease. The study will test gantenerumab to prevent the buildup of toxic protein amyloid beta, which can slow or stop the disease.
Researchers found that mRNA vaccines were highly effective (86%) in preventing SARS-CoV-2-related deaths among vaccinated individuals, especially in the elderly population. However, vaccine effectiveness against infection was lower (69%) and decreased with increasing age and comorbidity burden.
A Phase II trial will investigate a prime-boost regimen using two different COVID-19 vaccines, with the goal of expanding access to vaccines in Africa. The study aims to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of a mixed schedule of COVID-19 vaccines.
A pilot study by Kessler Foundation found that methylphenidate improved 'state' mental fatigue in individuals with multiple sclerosis, but had no effect on 'trait' fatigue. The study suggests an important role for dopamine in MS-related mental fatigue.
A phase 1/2 clinical trial tested an L-NMMA and taxane combination in patients with chemoresistant TNBC, showing a remodeling of the immune environment in responders. The study's results warrant further investigation in larger trials to identify potential biomarkers for predicting response.
A recent study published in JNCCN found that 33 out of 81 studies lacked transparency on censoring, which can introduce bias and affect trial results. The researchers emphasize the need for improved transparency and reporting in clinical trials to ensure patients and clinicians make informed decisions.