Australia becomes world’s first country to officially recognize psychedelics as medicines
MDMA and psilocybin will be available for controlled use to address PTSD and depression when prescribed by a psychiatrist starting in July 2023.
Public health & disease
First vaccine to target deadly fungal infections passes preclinical tests
Fungal infections cause more than 1.5 million deaths annually and cost billions. A new vaccine from the University of Georgia could be the first clinically approved immunization to protect against them.
Morocco becomes first African nation to produce its own cancer diagnosis tests
The new tests are expected to eventually cut costs and waiting times significantly not only in Morocco, but across the entire continent.
Moderna’s mRNA RSV vaccine delivers impressive Phase 3 trial results
For decades researchers have been trying to develop a vaccine for the deadly respiratory disease. It looks like 2023 will be the landmark year where not only one, but possibly three different vaccines are approved.
Pfizer to sell all its drugs in 45 low-income countries at non-profit price
In an expansion of the company’s “An Accord for a Healthier World” program, which is aimed at increasing access to innovative treatments in some of the world’s poorest countries, Pfizer said it will now offer a total of 500 products.
New York opens its first legal recreational cannabis dispensary
The lower Manhattan store is the first of 36 recently licensed dispensaries to open, with an additional 139 licenses yet to be issued and 900 applicants still awaiting word.
In a world first, Japenese scientists use artificial DNA to kill cancer cells
By creating a hairpin-shaped pair of DNA molecules, the researchers expose cancer to the immune system’s targeting procedure, and thus stop and even reverse cancer in mice.
University of Houston researchers create “game-changer” vaccine for deadly street drug
In a study published in Pharmaceutics, scientists tested their vaccine on 60 rats. The immunized animals could produce antibodies that stop the deadly drug’s effects.
3M to end ‘forever chemicals’ output at cost of up to $2.3 bn
The U.S. conglomerate has set a 2025 deadline to stop producing PFAS, the “forever chemicals” used in anything from cell phones to semiconductors that have been linked to cancer and other health problems.
Singapore eradicates rubella
Over the past decade, rubella cases have decreased dramatically in the Western Pacific Region, as millions of babies and young children have been reached with vaccines.