Data Dose December 2024 #4
Administration Errors or When Good Drugs Go Wrong
Pharmacovigilance often highlights the inherent risks of drugs—side effects, interactions, and long-term impacts. But what about when the right drug reaches the right patient in the wrong way? Administration errors, such as mistakes during prescribing, dispensing, or administering medications, are among the most preventable yet persistent causes of patient harm in healthcare. One of the most perilous examples is the inadvertent spinal (intrathecal) administration of a drug meant for a different route. In such cases, even trusted and effective medications can turn toxic, leading to serious harm. Read more...
Global disparities in drug-related adverse events of patients with multiple myeloma: a pharmacovigilance study.
Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common hematologic malignancy in adults worldwide, marked by the abnormal growth of malignant clonal plasma cells. Over time, significant racial and ethnic disparities in MM prevalence and outcomes have been documented. In the United States, black individuals face an incidence of MM that is 2 to 3 times higher than non-Hispanic whites (NHWs). They also experience a higher disease burden, more aggressive disease phenotypes, earlier diagnoses, and over twice the mortality rates. Additionally, Baris et al. identified a link between low socioeconomic status (SES) and increased MM prevalence. A meta-analysis of 16 studies confirmed that poor SES is a global adverse prognostic factor for MM. Furthermore, a large study analyzing two patient cohorts found that higher income, education, and occupation were independently associated with improved survival rates. Read more...
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Experimental drug that summons 'warriors of the immune system' shows early promise against non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
An investigational therapy is showing preclinical promise against non-Hodgkin lymphoma by harnessing natural killer (NK) cells to effectively destroy cancer cells without causing toxicity to the patient, according to a team of cancer biologists in France. This emerging treatment targets B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the most common type of lymphoma globally. While current therapies focus on the CD20+ protein on cancerous B cells, their efficacy is often limited. The newly developed antibody-based molecule takes a different approach by engaging NK cells—the immune system’s frontline defenders—to combat the malignancy. This innovative therapeutic holds particular promise for patients with relapsed or treatment-resistant disease. Read more...
Lithium as a Promising Therapeutic Option for Treating Autism Spectrum Disorder.
A groundbreaking discovery suggests that lithium—a medication traditionally used to treat bipolar disorder and depression—may hold therapeutic potential for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Researchers at the Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), led by Director KIM Eunjoon, have demonstrated that lithium can restore brain function and improve behavioral symptoms in animal models of ASD linked to mutations in the Dyrk1a gene. This promising finding opens new avenues for understanding and potentially treating ASD, particularly for cases driven by specific genetic mutations. Read more...