scholarly journals Understanding 
Covid-19 vaccines

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather C. Quaile ◽  
Tara Thompson

Healthcare providers have been rolling up their sleeves along with other adults age 65 and older to get their Covid-19 vaccines. Currently, there are three vaccines that have been authorized for use by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This Covid-19 update provides information to help healthcare providers allay some of the fears surrounding vaccination and answer the questions patients are asking.

Author(s):  
Roy Guharoy ◽  
Edward P Krenzelok

Abstract Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued emergency use authorization (EUA) for convalescent plasma (CP) for the treatment of hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 based on a non–peer-reviewed, open-label, observational study. Issuance of an EUA without a proven randomized, controlled trial (RCT) sets a dangerous precedent since the premature action drives healthcare providers and patients away from RCTs that are essential for determining the efficacy and safety of CP. More caution should have been taken based on what was learned from the recent debacle related to the rescinded EUA of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, which were approved initially based on an anecdotal report. The FDA process for determining efficacy and safety must be based solely on data from RCTs in order to sustain public and professional trust for future treatment and vaccine efforts to be successful.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 145
Author(s):  
Othman Al Musaimi ◽  
Danah Al Shaer ◽  
Fernando Albericio ◽  
Beatriz de la Torre

2020 has been an extremely difficult and challenging year as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and one in which most efforts have been channeled into tackling the global health crisis. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved 53 new drug entities, six of which fall in the peptides and oligonucleotides (TIDES) category. The number of authorizations for these kinds of drugs has been similar to that of previous years, thereby reflecting the consolidation of the TIDES market. Here, the TIDES approved in 2020 are analyzed in terms of chemical structure, medical target, mode of action, and adverse effects.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1660
Author(s):  
Annika Vestergaard Kvist ◽  
Junaid Faruque ◽  
Enriqueta Vallejo-Yagüe ◽  
Stefan Weiler ◽  
Elizabeth M. Winter ◽  
...  

Background: Cardiovascular safety concerns for major cardiovascular events (MACE) were raised during the clinical trials of romosozumab. We aimed to evaluate the cardiovascular safety profile of romosozumab in a large pharmacovigilance database. Methods: All cases reported between January 2019 and December 2020 where romosozumab was reported were extracted from the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). The outcome of interest was MACE (myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, or cardiovascular death). A disproportionality analysis was conducted by estimating the reporting odds ratios (RORs) and 95% confidence intervals. Disproportionality analyses were stratified by sex and reporting region (US, Japan, other). Results: Of the 1995 eligible cases with romosozumab, the majority (N = 1188; 59.5%) originated from Japan. Overall, 206 suspected MACE reports were identified, of which the majority (n = 164; 13.8%) were from Japan, and 41 (5.2%) were from the United States (US). Among Japanese reports, patients were older and more frequently male than reports from the US. Similarly, cases with a reported MACE were older and had higher reports of cardioprotective drugs than those without cardiovascular events. Elevated reports for MACE (ROR 4.07, 95% CI: 2.39–6.93) was identified overall, which was primarily driven by the significant disproportionality measures in the Japanese reports. Conclusions: The current pharmacovigilance study identified a potential signal for elevated MACE, particularly in Japan. The results support the current safety warnings from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to avoid use in high-risk patients.


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