QUICK HITS

1Pfizer Has A COVID-19 Treatment Pill

Merck & Co. came out with a pill intended to treat coronaviruses. And, according to a recent article from The Hill, Pfizer has one now, too. The treatment is a protease inhibitor similar to those used to treat HIV and hepatitis C. It binds to the viral enzyme and prevents it from replicating in the cell. Pfizer has begun preclinical studies, which have demonstrated “potent in vitro anti-viral activity against SARS-CoV-2, as well as activity against other coronaviruses.” Mikeal Dolsten, Pfizer’s Chief Scientific Officer, said that the oral therapy could be prescribed at the first sign of infection, potentially eliminating the need for hospitalization or critical care.

2High Schooler Invents Color-Changing,

Infection-Detecting Sutures

A recent Smithsonian Magazine article discussed an innovative new suture developed by high school student, Dasia Taylor. The 17-year-old set out to solve the problem of Cesarean section infections, an issue that plagues up to 20% of women in some African nations. Thus, she invented sutures that change color to indicate the wound has become infected. Natural skin is slightly acidic with a pH of five, but when an infection occurs, the pH can go up to about nine. Taylor found that beets changed color at the perfect pH point to detect an infection, which is what she made her suture dye of.

3MIT is Developing Vaccination by

Inhalation

A recent MIT News article discussed the development of a new type of vaccination that is inhaled directly into the lungs to increase immune responses to respiratory infections or lung cancer. Mucosal surfaces, such as the lining of the respiratory tract, are often the host for viruses. A team of researchers at MIT created a strategy to build up an army of T cells that waits on such surfaces to offer a quick response to viruses. Not only can the concept work for fighting pathogens that attack the lungs, it can also be used to treat cancer metastasizing to the lungs, or even prevent cancer from developing altogether.

4Labeling Error Leads to Recall A recent FDA Safety article noted Bryant Ranch Prepack’s voluntary recall of 47 bottles of Spironolactone tablets at the consumer level due to a labeling issue. Spironolactone is a diuretic used to treat high blood pressure, heart failure, hypokalemia, and edema. Apparently, the packaging was mislabeled, and bottles labeled 50 mg may actually contain 25 mg tablets, and vice versa. If patients inadvertently take a smaller dose, they could experience heightened blood pressure, swelling, and a decrease in potassium that could lead to Hypokalemia. And if patients take twice the intended dose, they could experience a life-threatening increase in potassium. 5Snoop Dogg and

Charles Koch Come Together on Topic of Marijuana

A recent POLITICO article discussed the Cannabis Freedom Alliance, a group aimed at drug legalization and criminal justice reform. The initiative is a partnership between right-wing billionaire Charles Koch, rapper Snoop Dogg, and Weldon Angelos, an advocate for criminal justice reform. Having served a 55-year sentence for drug trafficking, Weldon is now the founder of the Cannabis Freedom Alliance. He networked with Koch in an effort to flip “10 to 12 Republican senators” to pass a legalizing marijuana bill at the federal level. The coalition will advocate for removing penalties for marijuana offenses and help usher sellers from the illicit market to a regulated, legal market.

6This Vibrating

Needle Improves Biopsy Yields

When extracting tissue for a biopsy, the amount of tissue collected is crucial. It’s estimated that up to a third of fine-needle biopsies fail to get enough tissue for a reliable diagnosis. According to a recent Medgadget article though, researchers have developed an ultrasonically actuated needle that can improve the procedure while reducing patient pain and inconvenience. The high-tech needle was created by a team at Aalto University in Finland. It houses a conventional syringe with a fine needle, but it vibrates about 30,000 times a second. This makes the tissue behave more like a liquid so that it can enter the fine needle more easily.

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