Pharmaceutics

This page contains key pharmaceutical news on drug recalls, FDA clearance, safety communications and research. In cardiology, key pharmaceutic agents include antiplatelet therapies, anticoagulants, hypertension drugs, and drugs for heart failure and arrhythmias.

FDA says years-long tirzepatide shortage is resolved, will give limited leeway to compounders
The tirzepatide shortage that first began in 2022 has been resolved. Drug companies distributing compounded versions of the popular drug now have two to three more months to distribute their remaining supply.
Merck spends up to $2B to license new weight loss drug with potential heart benefits
Merck sent Hansoh Pharma, a Chinese biopharmaceutical company, an upfront payment of $112 million to license a new investigational GLP-1 receptor agonist. There could be many more payments to come if certain milestones are met.
Clopidogrel vs. aspirin: Tracking the chronic maintenance period after PCI for different risk groups
As more high-risk patients undergo PCI, what is the best antiplatelet strategy following an initial event-free period of DAPT? Does it change after complex PCI? Researchers aimed to answer these questions, and many others, with new findings published in JAMA Cardiology.
FDA approves new short-term treatment for AFib, atrial flutter in critical care settings
Landiolol, sold by AOP Health under the brand name Rapiblyk, is an intravenous treatment designed to start working right away.
FDA approves acoramidis, BridgeBio’s new ATTR-CM drug
Acoramidis, a selective transthyretin stabilizer being sold under the brand name Attruby, is now the second ATTR-CM medication to gain FDA approval.

FDA warns 7 companies for illegally selling dietary supplements that claim to treat CVD

The companies were given 15 days to provide an adequate response to the FDA's warning. The agency said its next step could include legal action.

November 18, 2022

Tracking the health benefits of influenza vaccines: ‘If you have heart failure, you should get your flu shot’

The new analysis focused on data from more than 5,000 heart failure patients throughout Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

November 17, 2022

Elon Musk and Eli Lilly: How a fake tweet caused chaos and reignited the debate over insulin prices

Updated Twitter policies have helped online pranksters cause mischief in recent days, including one specific user who impersonated Eli Lilly and Company and posted that insulin was now free. Lilly's CEO has now commented on the fake tweet read 'round the world—and what it could mean for the company going forward.

November 17, 2022

Jason Andrade, MD, FRCPC, FHRS, director of electrophysiology, Vancouver General Hospital, clinical associate professor, University of British Columbia, and principal investigator for the PROGRESSIVE AF trial, explains how cryoablation can be used as a front-line treatment for atrial fibrillation (AFib). He presented this late-breaking trial at the American Heart Association (AHA) 2022 meeting, which showed the therapy can be used instead of trying drug therapy first. #AHA22 #EPeeps

VIDEO: Cryoablation can be used as frontline therapy before drugs: PROGRESSIVE AF trial

Jason Andrade, MD, director of electrophysiology, Vancouver General Hospital, and principal investigator of the PROGRESSIVE AF trial, explains how cryoablation can be used as a frontline treatment for atrial fibrillation (AFib) before drugs in this AHA late-breaker.

November 15, 2022

Image from the American Heart Association (AHA) annual scientific sessions where a large amount of late-breaking cardiology science is presented. #AHA #AHA22 #AHA2022

Links to the American Heart Association 2022 late-breaking studies

The American Heart Association 2022 Scientific Sessions included 35 late-breaking studies and 39 featured science sessions presented at the meeting in Chicago, Nov. 5-7. Here is the list of all these studies with links to more information on the data.

November 11, 2022

Late-breaking cardiovascular study presentation at AHA 2022. #AHA22

VIDEO: Key takeaways from AHA 2022

Manesh R. Patel, MD, chair of AHA Scientific Sessions program, explains what he saw as the top takeaways from AHA 2022.

November 10, 2022

Julius Bogdan, vice president and general manager of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Digital Health Advisory Team for North America, explains considerations for healthcare system information technology (IT) management teams on the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI). He also discusses ideally how AI should be integrated into medical IT systems, and some of the issues AI presents in the complex environment of real-world patient care." #AI #HIMSS

AI drug discovery company pens $1.2B research collab with Sanofi

Insilico Medicine, a clinical stage AI-drive drug discovery company, has penned a multi-year, multi-target strategic research collaboration with Sanofi in a deal valued at $1.2 billion.

November 9, 2022

Fish oil, garlic and other ‘heart-healthy’ dietary supplements do not improve cholesterol levels

The new analysis was presented at the AHA Scientific Sessions 2022 conference and simultaneously published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

November 7, 2022

Pharmaceutics

FDA says years-long tirzepatide shortage is resolved, will give limited leeway to compounders

Merck spends up to $2B to license new weight loss drug with potential heart benefits

Clopidogrel vs. aspirin: Tracking the chronic maintenance period after PCI for different risk groups

FDA approves new short-term treatment for AFib, atrial flutter in critical care settings

FDA approves acoramidis, BridgeBio’s new ATTR-CM drug