Environmental Professionals Connection

Ketamine’s unlikely conversion from rave drug to mental health therapy

New Scientist

MARCH 11, 2024

Bolstered by impressive clinical trials, some companies are offering ketamine therapy as an employee health benefit – but what risks are posed by the drug's newfound popularity?

Testing drugs on mini-cancers in the lab may reveal best treatment

New Scientist

APRIL 11, 2024

A small early-stage trial of the approach, which involves testing dozens of drug combinations on thousands of dishes of cells, may help people with cancer live for longer

Injections of drug-filled nanoparticles may relieve arthritis pain

New Scientist

FEBRUARY 14, 2024

A drug called pazopanib is known to provide brief relief from arthritis pain – encapsulating it in nanoparticles can make its effects last much longer, research in mice suggests

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Manufacturing Sustainability Surge: Your Guide to Data-Driven Energy Optimization & Decarbonization

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Johann Hari's compelling but flawed look at the new weight-loss drugs

New Scientist

MAY 1, 2024

Drugs like Ozempic may help fight obesity. Johann Hari’s first-person account of taking the new medicines is a fascinating exploration of their impact

Blood-clotting drug derived from pigs can now be made synthetically

New Scientist

MARCH 18, 2024

A common anti-clotting drug called heparin is made from pig intestines, which risks contaminations and infections. A safer, synthetic version has now been developed but its production needs scaling up

A New Type of Cancer Drug Shrinks Hard-to-Treat Tumors

Scientific American

FEBRUARY 21, 2024

New drugs called antibody-drug conjugates help patients with cancers that used to be beyond treatment

Psychedelic drug helps treat PTSD and traumatic brain injuries

New Scientist

JANUARY 5, 2024

Military veterans with traumatic brain injury saw drastic reductions in depression and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder after using the psychedelic drug ibogaine

Vagus nerve stimulation may help treat drug addiction

New Scientist

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

Rats that received vagus nerve stimulation were less likely to seek out drugs than those that didn’t, indicating that the therapy could help treat substance use disorders

Drug residue can be detected in fingerprints left at crime scenes

New Scientist

APRIL 22, 2024

Forensic investigators can reliably measure drug and explosive residue using gels that lift fingerprint samples

Membrane-destroying drug works against antibiotic-resistant bacteria

New Scientist

JANUARY 3, 2024

A newly discovered drug treated infections in mice caused by a strain of bacteria that is resistant to most available antibiotics

AI discovers new class of antibiotics to kill drug-resistant bacteria

New Scientist

DECEMBER 20, 2023

Artificial intelligence helped screen millions of chemical compounds to find a class of antibiotics capable of killing two different types of drug-resistant bacteria

Asthma Drug Still Being Prescribed to Kids Despite Potential Mental Health Risks

Scientific American

JANUARY 19, 2024

The allergy and asthma drug montelukast, also known as Singulair, can cause psychiatric side effects—and researchers aren’t sure why

Patch with octopus-like suckers helps drugs penetrate the skin

New Scientist

JANUARY 26, 2024

A rubbery patch studded with suction cups that imitate the suckers on octopus limbs can make drugs penetrate the skin without breaking it or causing irritation

Scientists develop finger sweat test to detect antipsychotic drugs in patients

Frontiers

AUGUST 30, 2023

by Angharad Brewer Gillham, Frontiers science writer Image/Shutterstock.com Maintaining a regimen of antipsychotic drugs can be difficult, but going off them unexpectedly can have disastrous health consequences for patients. Traditionally, monitoring patients on these drugs involves blood tests, which can be painful and time-consuming.

Highly effective weight-loss drug Zepbound approved for use in the US

New Scientist

NOVEMBER 8, 2023

A drug called tirzepatide and sold under the name Zepbound has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use as a weight-loss medication

How the Supreme Court’s Mifepristone Ruling Could Affect Abortion Access and Future Drug Approvals

Scientific American

MARCH 25, 2024

The Supreme Court’s mifepristone decision could make abortions harder to access and challenge the FDA’s authority to regulate all drugs and devices

Regulations

Why did the FDA Ignore the Science When Approving New Alzheimer’s Drug Aduhelm?

Union of Concerned Scientists

JUNE 16, 2021

If expert advice is ignored when making drug approval decisions, what is the point of establishing these committees?

2018

Covid-19 drug may be creating new variants with distinctive mutations

New Scientist

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023

Covid-19 viruses with distinctive patterns of mutation are appearing in countries that use a drug called molnupiravir, however, none of these is a variant of concern

5 Ways Ozempic and Other New Weight-Loss Drugs Have Changed Health

Scientific American

DECEMBER 29, 2023

Ozempic and similar drugs are ushering in a new era of weight management and obesity treatments, and researchers are racing to understand their impact

Shapiro Administration, Attorney General Urge Participation In National Prescription Drug Take Back Day April 27

PA Environment Daily

APRIL 25, 2024

The DEA has offered National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day since 2010 with the goal of fighting prescription drug misuse by creating convenient ways to dispose of medication that could otherwise be at risk of misuse. Since the inception of Pennsylvania’s drug take-back program in 2015, more than 1.3

2010

2010 2015 Law 2024

Anti-ageing drugs could make more organs viable for transplants

New Scientist

SEPTEMBER 17, 2023

Organs from older donors can accelerate cellular ageing in transplant recipients, but research in mice suggests this can be reduced with the help of so-called senolytic drugs

Drug that cuts breast cancer risk set for wider use in UK

New Scientist

NOVEMBER 7, 2023

An oral medicine called anastrozole has been approved by the UK's drug regulatory agency for reducing the risk of breast cancer in post-menopausal women at moderate-to-high risk of the condition

To Treat Overdose Patients Now, Hospitals Must Test for More Kinds of Drugs

Scientific American

NOVEMBER 15, 2023

Most hospitals typically test people for drugs that drove overdoses 15 to 20 years ago. We need a national system for expanded testing to help patients get the treatment they need today

Highly effective weight-loss drug Zepbound approved in the US and UK

New Scientist

NOVEMBER 9, 2023

A drug called tirzepatide and sold under the name Zepbound has been approved in the US and the UK for use as a weight-loss medication

We Need Comprehensive Illicit Drug Analysis Now to Stop Overdose Deaths

Scientific American

AUGUST 22, 2023

More than 100,000 Americans die every year from drug overdoses. We should warn people in real time about dangerous adulterants in the illicit drug market

Could new cancer drugs come from potatoes and tomatoes?

Frontiers

DECEMBER 6, 2022

Polish scientists revealed the potential for new cancer drugs to be formulated from bioactive compounds found in plants from the genus Solanum , like potatoes and aubergines. Scientists around the world are still searching for the drugs which will be lethal to cancer cells but at the same time safe for healthy cells,” said Winkiel. “It

2020

2020 Regulations

Revamping the Animal Drug User Fee Act Should Not Override Public Health

NRDC

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

Senate leaders face expiration of the Animal Drug User Fee Act later this month. In their rush to get a reauthorized ADUFA passed, urgently needed provisions to protect the public must not be left behind.

When Choosing What Diseases to Develop Drugs For, It All Comes Down to Funding

Scientific American

JANUARY 12, 2024

Prescription drugs and vaccines have revolutionized healthcare, but how do researchers and industry decide what diseases to pursue?

Scientists study how a diabetes drug affects soils

Environmental News Bits

AUGUST 31, 2023

Applying sewage waste … Continue reading Scientists study how a diabetes drug affects soils Even at low concentrations, medications can affect water ecosystems and soil health.

Waste

Waste Technology Technology

Electronic wound dressing releases drugs to help injuries heal

New Scientist

MARCH 24, 2023

A stretchable sticking plaster detects whether an injury is healing well and uses stimulating electrodes and microinjections of drugs to speed up the process

Draconian Laws Deter Pregnant Women from Treating Drug Abuse

Scientific American

JUNE 15, 2023

In some states, punitive drug laws require physicians to report a pregnant person with a substance use disorder, leading to the removal of their child after birth

Law

2022 preview: Expect a row over controversial Alzheimer's drug

New Scientist

DECEMBER 29, 2021

In 2021, the US approved the first drug designed to treat the cause of Alzheimer's, but the European Union rejected it. Whether the drug can actually treat the chief symptoms of the disease will be a point of contention in 2022

2022

2022 2021

New drug donanemab slows cognitive decline in early Alzheimer's

New Scientist

MAY 4, 2023

The experimental treatment donanemab is now the second antibody drug to slow cognitive decline in people with early stage Alzheimer’s disease, but questions remain about its real-world benefits and safety

Ultrasound opens brain barrier so drugs can reach aggressive tumours

New Scientist

MAY 2, 2023

Penetrating the blood brain barrier via pulses of ultrasound waves led to a 3-fold increase in the concentration of a chemotherapy drug in people with the brain cancer glioblastoma multiforme

Tiny ‘maniac’ robots could deliver drugs directly to central nervous system

Frontiers

AUGUST 10, 2021

The technology could be useful for delivering drugs to the nervous system. Would you let a tiny MANiAC travel around your nervous system to treat you with drugs? A recent study in Frontiers in Robotics and AI is the first to investigate how such tiny robots might perform as drug delivery vehicles in neural tissue. Good climbers.

Technology

Technology Technology

How AI Could Prevent the Development of New Illicit Drugs

Scientific American

JANUARY 5, 2022

The DarkNPS algorithm has predicted the formulas of millions of potential drugs. -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.

Technology

Technology Technology

Edible computer chips could control digestible drug-delivery robots

New Scientist

APRIL 25, 2023

Researchers are working on edible computer chips to control robots that can operate inside the human body to precisely deliver drugs before safely being digested

Ozempic and Other Weight-Loss Drugs Bear Heavy Costs and Questions for Seniors

Scientific American

JULY 27, 2023

Limited data on adults age 60 and older raise questions on whether high-priced weight-loss drugs will really help with lowering rates of chronic illness and disability

Drug treatment for Lyme disease could lead to its eradication

New Scientist

OCTOBER 6, 2021

Lyme disease, a tick-borne illness that is becoming more common in many countries, could be eradicated using a drug that kills the disease-causing bacterium

'Smart drugs' don't make people better at a problem-solving test

New Scientist

JUNE 14, 2023

Some students take medicines like methylphenidate, often sold under the brand name Ritalin, to boost their performance before an exam, but research shows these drugs don't improve how well people do in tests

Is Alzheimer’s drug donanemab really a 'turning point' for treatment?

New Scientist

JULY 18, 2023

The experimental drug donanemab slows the progression of Alzheimer's disease compared with a placebo, but the effect may not be large enough to be noticed by people with the condition or their families

Leukaemia drug shows promise at treating breast cancer once it spreads

New Scientist

MARCH 13, 2023

A drug that is commonly used to treat chronic myeloid leukaemia stopped the most common type of breast cancer cells from dividing after they had spread to the lungs in mice

In Peru, an Indigenous Group Fights to Protect Land from Drug Traffickers and Deforestation

Yale E360

MARCH 11, 2021

The Santa Martha territory of Peru is experiencing unprecedented deforestation as drug traffickers and land grabbers encroach. Owned by the Indigenous Cacataibo community, a majority of this 14,485-hectare territory had been officially preserved as forestland.

Deforestation

Could Weight-Loss Drugs Curb Addiction? Your Health, Quickly, Episode 12

Scientific American

AUGUST 2, 2023

Drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic might help people tackle substance abuse as well as shed pounds.

Ketamine’s unlikely conversion from rave drug to mental health therapy

Testing drugs on mini-cancers in the lab may reveal best treatment

Webinars

Trending Sources

Injections of drug-filled nanoparticles may relieve arthritis pain

Webinars

Johann Hari's compelling but flawed look at the new weight-loss drugs

Blood-clotting drug derived from pigs can now be made synthetically

A New Type of Cancer Drug Shrinks Hard-to-Treat Tumors

Psychedelic drug helps treat PTSD and traumatic brain injuries

Vagus nerve stimulation may help treat drug addiction

Drug residue can be detected in fingerprints left at crime scenes

Membrane-destroying drug works against antibiotic-resistant bacteria

AI discovers new class of antibiotics to kill drug-resistant bacteria

Asthma Drug Still Being Prescribed to Kids Despite Potential Mental Health Risks

Patch with octopus-like suckers helps drugs penetrate the skin

Scientists develop finger sweat test to detect antipsychotic drugs in patients

Highly effective weight-loss drug Zepbound approved for use in the US

How the Supreme Court’s Mifepristone Ruling Could Affect Abortion Access and Future Drug Approvals

Why did the FDA Ignore the Science When Approving New Alzheimer’s Drug Aduhelm?

Covid-19 drug may be creating new variants with distinctive mutations

5 Ways Ozempic and Other New Weight-Loss Drugs Have Changed Health

Shapiro Administration, Attorney General Urge Participation In National Prescription Drug Take Back Day April 27

Anti-ageing drugs could make more organs viable for transplants

Drug that cuts breast cancer risk set for wider use in UK

To Treat Overdose Patients Now, Hospitals Must Test for More Kinds of Drugs

Highly effective weight-loss drug Zepbound approved in the US and UK

We Need Comprehensive Illicit Drug Analysis Now to Stop Overdose Deaths

Could new cancer drugs come from potatoes and tomatoes?

Revamping the Animal Drug User Fee Act Should Not Override Public Health

When Choosing What Diseases to Develop Drugs For, It All Comes Down to Funding

Scientists study how a diabetes drug affects soils

Electronic wound dressing releases drugs to help injuries heal

Draconian Laws Deter Pregnant Women from Treating Drug Abuse

2022 preview: Expect a row over controversial Alzheimer's drug

New drug donanemab slows cognitive decline in early Alzheimer's

Ultrasound opens brain barrier so drugs can reach aggressive tumours

Tiny ‘maniac’ robots could deliver drugs directly to central nervous system

How AI Could Prevent the Development of New Illicit Drugs

Edible computer chips could control digestible drug-delivery robots

Ozempic and Other Weight-Loss Drugs Bear Heavy Costs and Questions for Seniors

Drug treatment for Lyme disease could lead to its eradication

'Smart drugs' don't make people better at a problem-solving test

Is Alzheimer’s drug donanemab really a 'turning point' for treatment?

Leukaemia drug shows promise at treating breast cancer once it spreads

In Peru, an Indigenous Group Fights to Protect Land from Drug Traffickers and Deforestation

Could Weight-Loss Drugs Curb Addiction? Your Health, Quickly, Episode 12

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