Drug News and Discussions

[Yuli Ban]

Eagerly awaited results of the largest-ever study of psilocybin were announced Tuesday, with Compass Pathways revealing the psychedelic drug was highly efficacious as a therapy for treatment-resistant depression. Still, the company’s stock price dropped 16.4% by the close of trading, perhaps because of safety concerns among investors.

The Phase 2b study is the largest randomized, controlled, double-blind trial of psilocybin, the psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms. The company said it found that patients who were given the highest dose, 25 milligrams, had a significant decrease in depressive symptoms compared to those given 1 milligram, which is such a low dose it functions as a placebo.

Overall, 29.1% of patients in the highest-dose group were in remission three weeks after treatment, compared to 7.6% of those in the control group, and more than a quarter of the patients in the 25-milligram arm were still in remission three months after treatment.

Those who received the highest dose also experienced an average reduction on a measure of clinical depression (the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale) that was 6.6 points greater than those who took 1 milligram. Other patients were given a 10-milligram dose, but there was not a statistically significant impact for those patients compared with the 1-milligram arm.

[weatheriscool]

Global antibiotic consumption rates have increased by 46 percent since 2000
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-11- ... rcent.html
by University of Oxford

Antibiotic consumption rates grew by 46 percent after 2000, according to findings which also suggest lack of treatment access in some areas.

Global antibiotic consumption rates increased by 46 percent in the last two decades, according to the first study to provide longitudinal estimates for human antibiotic consumption covering 204 countries from 2000 to 2018, published in Lancet Planetary Health on Thursday by the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) Project.

The excess and inappropriate use of antibiotics is an important driver of drug resistant infections, yet data on antibiotic consumption are scarce. GRAM, which includes researchers from the University of Oxford, the Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), and the Institute for Health Metric and Evaluation (IHME), used a novel approach that deployed statistical modeling techniques, and incorporated multiple data sources and types, such as large-scale household surveys in low-and middle-income countries, pharmaceutical sales data, and antibiotic consumption data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

The study provides a comparative analysis of total antibiotic consumption rates in humans globally, expressed in the WHO metric of defined daily doses (DDD) per 1000 population per day. This equates to the proportion of people receiving antibiotics on a single day (on each single day in that year) in a given country.

[Yuli Ban]

The political parties known as the "traffic light" coalition are pushing for a change in legislation meaning the sale of cannabis will be legal for consumption purposes, it is suggested. According to German news outlet Der Spiegel, also citing a report by Funke, a representative of the working group tasked with evaluating the policy change said: "We are introducing the controlled distribution of cannabis to adults for recreational purposes in licensed shops."

[Yuli Ban]

The leaders of Germany’s incoming governing parties announced on Wednesday that they have a formal agreement to legalize marijuana and promote broader drug policy harm reduction measures when they take power.

News of a tentative agreement on cannabis first broke last week, but the coalition pact has now been made official.

“We are introducing the controlled supply of cannabis to adults for consumption in licensed stores,” the parties said in a new 118-page agreement, according to a translation. “This controls the quality [of marijuana], prevents the transfer of contaminated substances and guarantees the protection of minors.”

[caltrek]

Genetically Modified Rice Seen as an Ideal Oral Vaccine Against Cholera
by Takahiro Takenouchi
November 25, 2021

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14479828

Introduction:

(The Asahi Shimbun) Imagine grinding grains of rice into a fine powder and placing the mixture in a glass of water to take a gulp, and hey presto, instant immunization against infectious diseases.

Well, that’s the basic premise behind cutting-edge Japanese research to develop an oral vaccine to guard against such emergencies, which seems prescient in light of the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the world.

Researchers primarily from the Institute of Medical Science of the University of Tokyo (IMSUT) developed a strain of rice with a protein that works as a vaccine to prevent the onset of cholera symptoms, including diarrhea.

Cholera is spread mostly as a result of ingesting water contaminated with the cholera bacillus, although undercooked seafood is also another source.

The disease, which particularly plagues developing nations, affects up to 4 million people each year with up to 140,000 deaths.

[wjfox]

Recreational Cannabis legalization increases employment in counties with dispensaries

December 02, 2021

Researchers from The University of New Mexico and California Polytechnic University find increased employment, especially in manufacturing, following the opening of legal recreational cannabis dispensaries. They found no evidence of declines in worker productivity, suggesting that any negative effects from cannabis legalization are outweighed by the job growth these new markets create.

https://news.unm.edu/news/recreational- ... spensaries

[caltrek]

With all of the concerns about inflation, the article cited below suggests a good place to look to rein in prices.

Documents Reveal the Secrecy of America's Drug Pricing Matrix
by Bob Herman
December 6, 2021

https://www.axios.com/aon-express-scrip ... 9db08.html

Introduction:

(Axios) American businesses spend hundreds of billions of dollars a year on prescription drugs, and the bills keep getting bigger. But some of the companies promising to help rein in those costs prevent employers from looking under the hood.

Why it matters: Documents provided to Axios reveal a new layer of secrecy within the maze of American drug pricing — one in which firms that manage drug coverage for hundreds of employers, representing millions of workers, obscure the details of their work and make it difficult to figure out whether they're actually providing a good deal.

The big picture: Americans spent $370 billion on retail prescription drugs in 2019, and employers shouldered about $166 billion of that, according to federal data.

• Employer drug spending rose by more than 6% in 2019 and by more than 5% in 2018. Those rising costs have prodded companies to look for savings anywhere they can.

Conclusion:

The bottom line: Employers foot a large chunk of the bill for millions of workers' prescriptions. But secretive contracts, which are nothing new in health care, are blocking employers from understanding whether they are paying reasonable drug prices.

[caltrek]

Horseshoe Crabs are in Danger Because Everyone Wants Their Blood
by Chris Lovenko
December 17, 2021

https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/17/228 ... ontroversy

Introduction:

(The Verge) Relying on horseshoe crabs for pharmaceuticals has knock-on effects to other species. As part of the bleeding process, Charles River Laboratories, one of the primary producers of LAL, sequesters crabs in holding pens away from the beach from May to June — the season when they lay eggs. During that window, a female horseshoe crab can lay as many as 80,000 eggs. Environmentalists contend that removing horseshoe crabs from the beach decreases the availability of horseshoe crab eggs as a food source for shorebirds such as the migratory red knot. The population of red knots, a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, has dropped 80 percent in recent decades. Conservationists maintain that this decline is linked to a diminished supply of horseshoe crab eggs.

As a result of this linkage, the environmental nonprofits Defenders of Wildlife and the Coastal Conservation League recently notified the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and Charles River Laboratories of their intent to sue both entities for alleged violations of the Endangered Species Act. The lawsuit seeks to protect the red knot’s food source and habitat by asking the state to end Charles River Labs’ practice of penning horseshoe crabs.

[weatheriscool]

Colorado governor pardons 1,351 people for minor marijuana crimes
Source: The Hill

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) announced on Thursday he has pardoned 1,351 people for minor marijuana possession crimes.

Polis signed an executive order granting individuals pardons for their drug charges, also lifting three commutations and fifteen other individual pardons for prisoners, according to a statement.

Earlier this year, Polis signed into law a bill that allows state residents over the age of 21 to legally possess up to two ounces of marijuana.

That law built on Amendment 64 legalizing marijuana, which was passed in 2012, and another bill authorizing the governor to grant pardons to defendants convicted of possessing up to two ounces of marijuana, according to the statement.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... ar-AASi7Xc

[wjfox]

Thailand Becomes First Country in Asia to Decriminalize Marijuana

January 26, 2022

(BANGKOK) — Thailand on Tuesday became the first country in Asia to approve the de facto decriminalization of marijuana, though authorities have left a grey area around its recreational use.

Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced that the Narcotics Control Board had approved the dropping cannabis from the ministry’s list of controlled drugs.

The delisting by the ministry’s Food and Drug Administration will now need to be formally signed by the health minister and enters into effect 120 days after its publication in the government gazette. It follows the removal of cannabis — a plant species to which both marijuana and hemp belong — last month from the list of illegal drugs under Thailand’s Narcotics Law.

https://time.com/6142360/thailand-decri ... marijuana/

[caltrek]

While Lobbying to Kill Build Back Better, Pharma Hikes Costs of 866 Drugs
by Jake Johnson
January 31, 2022

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/ ... -866-drugs

Introduction:

(Common Dreams) Major pharmaceutical companies in the U.S. hiked the prices of nearly 870 prescription medications during the first month of the new year as lock-step Republicans and right-wing Democrats—flush with cash from drugmakers—continue to block legislation aimed at reining in the industry.

Through January 20 of this year, according to an analysis released Sunday by Rx Savings Solutions, drugmakers raised the costs of 866 of their products in the U.S. by an average of 6.6%.

"Over the same period last year, drugmakers raised prices by an average of 4.5% on 893 drugs," observed the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the new study.

"There were some large price increases. AmerisourceBergen Corp.'s Blue Point Laboratories, a seller of generic drugs, more than doubled the price of the cancer chemotherapy drug cisplatin to $30," the Journal noted. Exelan Pharmaceuticals Inc. raised the price of its generic lisinopril to treat high blood pressure by 536% to a range of $6.17 to $549.85, depending on the dosage and package size."

The latest data on Big Pharma's 2022 price hikes drew the attention of members of Congress who are working—in the face of a record-shattering industry lobbying blitz—to pass legislation to curb sky-high drug costs, a problem that's far worse in the U.S. than in other wealthy countries.

[weatheriscool]

First recreational marijuana sales licenses expected to go to New Yorkers with related convictions
Source: CBS News via MSN

NEW YORK -- New Yorkers with marijuana-related convictions will get the first licenses to sell recreational weed.

Those applicants or their family members will be eligible for the first 100-200 licenses awarded by the state.

It's part of an effort to make sure early business owners will be people who have been affected by the nation's war on drugs.

The policy is expected to be announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/ne ... nvictions/

[weatheriscool]

House votes to decriminalize marijuana at federal level
Bill passes 220-204, with three Republicans voting yes and two Democrats voting no
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house- ... 175be38b67

[caltrek]

Remdesivir Dominated Hospital Drug Spending in 2021
April 6, 2022

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/948945

Introduction:

(EurekAlert) The COVID-19 treatment remdesivir dominated hospital drug spending in 2021, accounting for nearly 10% of all pharmaceutical expenses and outpacing the next three drugs combined, according to the ASHP (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists) National Trends in Prescription Drug Expenditures and Projections for 2022.

"Drug expenditures played a significant role in the rise in healthcare expenditures sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic," said Daniel J. Cobaugh, Pharm.D., FAACT, DABAT, vice president of publishing at ASHP and editor-in-chief of AJHP. "Our annual report provides the critical context necessary for hospital and health-system leaders, policymakers, and others to understand the complex factors influencing drug expenditure patterns and prepare for future growth and spending."

Total drug spending in the U.S. grew 7.7% in 2021 to $576.9 billion. Hospitals accounted for $39.6 billion, with 8.4% growth over 2020, and clinics accounted $105 billion in spending, a 7.7% increase. Higher utilization and new drugs drove spending growth, even though drug prices decreased by up to 1.4%. That situation is likely to change in 2022 if manufacturers attempt to pass along their increased costs, the report said.

“The drug spending whiplash that clinics and hospitals experienced in the first year of the pandemic did not end with 2021,” said the report's lead author, Eric Tichy, Pharm.D., M.B.A., division chair, supply chain management at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. “Uncertainty remains around how long the federal government will continue to pay for COVID treatments, and around inflation, which is moving through most economic sectors.”

A moderating factor on drug spending was the increased use of biosimilars, the generic versions of biological medications. “Biosimilars really took off this year,” Tichy said. “In oncology, we’re using more biosimilars than we are the originator drugs. A couple of years ago there was a lot of consternation about the uptake of biosimilars being slow, but that has turned around. Their use is likely to continue growing, and it’s saving the healthcare system a lot of money.”

[weatheriscool]

Magic mushroom compound increases brain connectivity in people with depression after use
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-04- ... eople.html
by Imperial College London

Psilocybin, the psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms, helps to "open up" depressed people's brains, even after use, enabling brain regions to talk more freely to one another.

These are the findings of a new analysis of brain scans from close to 60 people receiving treatment for depression, led by Imperial College London's Centre for Psychedelic Research. The team behind the study believes it may have untangled how psilocybin exerts its therapeutic effects on the brain.

Psilocybin is one of a number of psychedelics being explored as a potential therapy for psychiatric disorders. Several studies have trialed a synthesized form of the drug to treat patients with depression and anxiety, with promising results.

The new results, taken from two combined studies, reveal that people who responded to psilocybin-assisted therapy showed increased brain connectivity not just during their treatment, but up to three weeks afterwards. This "opening up" effect was associated with self-reported improvements in their depression. However, similar changes in brain connectivity were not seen in those treated with a conventional antidepressant (called escitalopram), suggesting the psychedelic works differently in treating depression.

[weatheriscool]

Providing naloxone in the emergency department can save lives
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-04- ... tment.html
by Anish K. Agarwal and Margaret Lowenstein, University of Pennsylvania

Overdose deaths continue to be a national tragedy. More than 800,000 Americans died from an overdose between 1999–2019, and the annual rate of overdoses has increased dramatically during the pandemic, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Roughly 7 in 10 current overdose deaths involve opioids, which means that many of them could be prevented with naloxone. Naloxone, also known by its brand name Narcan, acts to reverse opioid overdoses and save lives when used in time. It is easy to carry and use, and studies have demonstrated that laypeople can administer it safely and effectively to reverse overdoses.

[weatheriscool]

New Jersey's recreational marijuana market opens for business
Source: CBS News

New Jersey's recreational marijuana marketplace is open for business. Recreational sales of cannabis for adults 21 and older are scheduled to start Thursday, with the first alternative treatment centers opening at 6 a.m. in part of the state.

"It's a huge event. It's a moment in time in American history where prohibition 2.0 is lifted," said Ben Kovler, the chairman and CEO of Green Thumb Industries, which has two facilities opening Thursday, one in Bloomfield and another in Paterson.

The start of the recreational market comes a a week after Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy announced that state regulators had cleared the way for recreational sales at seven "alternative treatment centers" that had already offered medical cannabis. The seven centers operate 13 facilities across the state.

New Jersey is among 18 states, plus the District of Columbia, with legalized recreational marijuana markets. Thirty-seven states, including New Jersey, have legalized medical marijuana.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/marijuana- ... ical-weed/

[weatheriscool]

U.S. surpasses record 100,000 overdose deaths in 2021
Source: Washington Post

More Americans died from drug overdoses in 2021 than any previous year, a grim milestone in an epidemic that has now claimed 1 million lives in the 21st century, according to federal data released Wednesday. More than 100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2021, up 15 percent from the previous year, according to figures released Wednesday by the National Center for Health Statistics. The sobering tally reflects challenges exacerbated by the pandemic: lost access to treatment, social isolation and a more potent drug supply.

More than 80,000 people died from opioids, including prescription pain pills and fentanyl, a deadly drug 100 times as powerful as morphine and increasingly present in other drugs. Deaths from methamphetamine and cocaine also rose. Since the start of the 21st century, an overdose epidemic led by prescription pain pills and followed by waves of heroin, fentanyl and meth has killed more than 1 million people, or roughly the population of San Jose, according to the provisional data.

And there is no clear end in sight, according to experts. “2022 will probably be as horrible as 2021 was, quite possibly worse,” said Keith Humphreys, an addiction and drug policy researcher at Stanford University. Overdose deaths jumped to previously unseen levels in the first half of the pandemic, rising 30% from 2019 to 2020. The coronavirus pandemic strained finances, mental health, housing and more for many, all the while overshadowing the drug crisis. There is concern that a predicted spike in cases this fall could again curtail access to treatment and medication.

Covid has taken as many lives in two years compared to the opioid epidemic’s two-decade span. The victims of the drug epidemic are overwhelmingly young. Between 2015 and 2019, young Americans lost an estimated 1.2 million years of life from drug overdoses, according to a study published in JAMA in January.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2 ... c-numbers/

[weatheriscool]

Rhode Island becomes 19th state to legalize marijuana, includes automatic expungement
« on: May 27, 2022, 08:33:52 PM »
https://www.wpri.com/news/cannabis-cove ... -into-law/

State Rep. Scott Slater, D-Providence, the lead House sponsor, said he was most proud of the social equity components of the law. While the first retail licenses will go to existing medical dispensaries, future store licenses are set aside for low-income applicants and worker co-ops.


Among the changes was the addition of a state-initiated expungement of past marijuana crimes, which in the original bill would have required people to petition the court for the expungement.

The “automatic” method will still take a while — the bill gives the courts until July 1, 2024 — so people who want their expungement sooner can still petition the court.

Slater praised State Rep. Leonela Felix, D-Pawtucket, who helped push for the expungement process that ended up in the final bill.


Consumers will pay the 7% sales tax on cannabis sales, plus a new 10% cannabis tax and a 3% local tax to the town or city where the store is located.

[wjfox]

Canada trials decriminalising cocaine, MDMA and other drugs

Published
3 hours ago

Canada has announced it will temporarily decriminalise the possession of small amounts of some illicit drugs in British Columbia (BC).

The province asked for the criminal code exemption after overdoses claimed more than two thousand lives in BC last year.

This time-limited three-year trial is the first of its kind in Canada.

Adults will be allowed to possess a combined total of 2.5 grams of opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA.

While those substances will remain illegal, adults found in possession for personal use will not be arrested, charged or have their drugs seized. Instead, they will be offered information on available health and social services.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-61657095