The FDA has approved Oveporexton, a first-in-class treatment for narcolepsy that works by restoring orexin signaling in the brain. The approval is limited to people aged 50 and older. Narcolepsy is caused by the loss of orexin-producing neurons that regulate wakefulness. Unlike older stimulant-based drugs that mask symptoms, Oveporexton targets the underlying mechanism. In clinical trials, patients reported fewer daytime sleep attacks and better nighttime sleep, and some saw improvement in cataplexy. The once-daily pill is the first approved therapy to restore orexin signaling, and researchers say the approach could eventually apply to other sleep and neurological disorders. Doctors caution that long-term safety data is still limited.
A specially engineered chewing gum reduced oral HPV by up to 93 percent in an early trial, researchers said. The gum also nearly eliminated two bacteria linked to head and neck cancer while preserving beneficial mouth bacteria. Scientists tested the gum in people with high levels of oral HPV, a virus that causes most throat and mouth cancers. The results raise hopes for a safe, low-cost way to lower cancer risk, especially in regions where HPV vaccines are hard to deliver. Larger trials are needed to confirm the findings and check long-term safety before the gum could reach the market.
An experimental vaccine targeting the KRAS gene mutation showed promise in preventing pancreatic cancer, according to early trial results. The KRAS mutation appears in most pancreatic cancers and has long been considered one of the hardest targets in medicine. The vaccine trains the immune system to recognize cells carrying the mutated protein, with each dose built around the patient's own tumor mutations. Patients in the early trial developed strong immune responses, and some stayed free of recurrence longer than expected. The vaccine is moving into larger trials that will test it against a placebo. Similar vaccines are being tested for lung and colon cancer. Doctors cautioned that the approach will take years to reach patients.
A specially engineered chewing gum has reduced levels of HPV in the mouth by up to 93 percent in a clinical trial, according to researchers. The gum also nearly eliminated two types of bacteria linked to head and neck cancer, while leaving beneficial mouth bacteria unharmed. HPV infection is a leading cause of oral cancers, and current treatment options are limited. The researchers said the gum could offer a cheap and easy way to lower cancer risk, especially in places with little access to clinics. The team plans larger trials to confirm the results and test how well the gum works over longer periods.
A new study finds that changes in the gut microbiome may begin years before Alzheimer's disease symptoms appear. Researchers compared gut bacteria in people with early Alzheimer's, people with mild memory problems, and healthy controls, and found consistent differences. Certain bacterial strains were more common in people who later developed the disease, while others were depleted. The changes are linked to inflammation, which is believed to play a role in Alzheimer's. The findings could lead to a simple stool test that flags risk years in advance, giving families and doctors more time to plan and act. The authors say the work needs confirmation in larger studies but raises the possibility of much earlier detection and new ways to intervene.
Women who received CAR T cell therapy for autoimmune diseases went on to have regular pregnancies and healthy babies, according to a new report. The findings offer reassurance to patients who worried the treatment might harm their fertility. Researchers tracked multiple pregnancies and found no unusual complications in the mothers or the newborns. The study is small but adds to growing evidence that CAR T therapy can be compatible with family planning. Doctors say larger studies are still needed to confirm the results across different patient groups and to learn whether the timing of conception matters.
An experimental vaccine targeting the KRAS gene has shown promise in preventing pancreatic cancer, according to early research. The KRAS gene is mutated in most pancreatic tumors, and the vaccine is designed to train the immune system to attack cells carrying the mutation. In a small trial, the vaccine generated strong immune responses in patients at high risk of the disease. Researchers caution that the results are preliminary and larger studies are needed. Pancreatic cancer has one of the lowest survival rates of any cancer, so any progress is closely watched.
A new study finds that women who received CAR T cell therapy for autoimmune diseases went on to have regular pregnancies and healthy babies. Researchers tracked patients for several years after treatment and found most pregnancies progressed normally, with no pattern of complications linked to the therapy. The autoimmune disease also stayed under control during pregnancy for most participants. CAR T cell therapy, which reprograms a patient's immune cells to attack disease, was first developed for cancer and is now used for conditions such as lupus and multiple sclerosis. The authors say the findings support earlier discussions about family planning and fertility preservation with patients considering the therapy.
A next-generation Alzheimer's drug called trontinemab has shown a much lower risk of serious brain bleeds compared to existing antibody treatments, according to research presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in London. The Roche-developed drug also cleared amyloid plaques from the brain more quickly, with effects lasting at least a year. Brain bleeds, known as ARIA, have been a major safety concern with current amyloid-clearing therapies like Leqembi and Kisunla.
An FDA advisory panel voted to ease restrictions on some peptides over agency scientists' objections. Separately, researchers at Sciencedaily reported that lab-grown mini brains grown from patients' cells can predict which Alzheimer's treatments will work. The organoids revealed striking differences in how Alzheimer's-related tissue responds to an antidepressant, opening the door to more personalized treatments.