US measles and pertussis outbreaks expose policy failures, not just vaccine hesitancy

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260224/US-measles-and-pertussis-outbreaks-expose-policy-failures-not-just-vaccine-hesitancy.aspx?utm_source=news_medical_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pharmacy_and_pharmacology_newsletter_27_february_2026 As measles and pertussis cases surge across multiple states, researchers argue that the real vulnerability lies not only in individual choice but in the policies that allow immunity gaps to widen and outbreaks to take hold.

Gut microbiome may shape response to GLP-1 drugs, new review suggests

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260219/Gut-microbiome-may-shape-response-to-GLP-1-drugs-new-review-suggests.aspx?utm_source=news_medical_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pharmacy_and_pharmacology_newsletter_27_february_2026 Emerging evidence suggests that microbial metabolites not only regulate endogenous GLP-1 secretion but may also influence therapeutic response to GLP-1 receptor agonists, raising the prospect of microbiome-guided treatment strategies in obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Short-duration psychedelic therapy shows promise for major depression treatment

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260217/Short-duration-psychedelic-therapy-shows-promise-for-major-depression-treatment.aspx?utm_source=news_medical_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pharmacy_and_pharmacology_newsletter_27_february_2026 In a recent study published in the journal Nature Medicine, researchers evaluated the safety and efficacy of a short-acting psychedelic, dimethyltryptamine (DMT), in adults with major depressive disorder (MDD).

Event guide: 4th Nasal Formulation & Delivery Summit

https://www.news-medical.net/industry-focus/Event-guide-4th-Nasal-Formulation-Delivery-Summit?utm_source=news_medical_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pharmacy_and_pharmacology_newsletter_27_february_2026 The 4th Nasal Formulation & Delivery Summit is a specialist meeting focused on the formulation, delivery, and regulatory challenges of intranasal therapeutics.

Acoziborole receives positive opinion for single-dose sleeping sickness treatment

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260227/Acoziborole-receives-positive-opinion-for-single-dose-sleeping-sickness-treatment.aspx The European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has granted a positive opinion to Acoziborole Winthrop (acoziborole) as a single-dose oral treatment for both early- and advanced-stage gambiense sleeping sickness in adults as well as in adolescents 12 years and older weighing at least 40 kilograms.

Colorful japonica rice varieties show unique health-promoting lipids

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260227/Colorful-japonica-rice-varieties-show-unique-health-promoting-lipids.aspx Rice feeds more than half of the world's population, yet we still only partly understand the nutrients it contains. More than 85% of the rice we eat is composed of starch, though it also contains some protein (around 10%), small amounts of fat (roughly 2%), a few vitamins, and trace elements. Because fats, or lipids, make up such a small fraction of rice, they have received relatively little scientific attention despite playing an important role in nutrition, flavor, and grain quality.

Study aims to understand molecular origins of CTNNB1 neurodevelopmental syndrome

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260227/Study-aims-to-understand-molecular-origins-of-CTNNB1-neurodevelopmental-syndrome.aspx On the occasion of Rare Disease Day, the Biofisika Institute (CSIC, EHU) presents the progress of a project aimed at understanding the molecular origin of CTNNB1 neurodevelopmental syndrome, a rare disease caused by mutations in the beta-catenin protein. Although fewer than 50 cases of this pathology have been diagnosed in Spain, rare diseases affect a total of nearly three million people.