May 24 Pharmacy Week in Review: FDA Approves Nasal Option for Treating Seizure Clusters in Adolescents, Whale Genomics Studied for Cancer Research

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Laura Joszt, Host: Hello and welcome to the Pharmacy Times News Network. I’m Laura Joszt your host for our Pharmacy Week in Review.

The FDA has approved a New Drug Application for UCB’s midazolam nasal spray CIV, an antiepileptic drug for treating intermittent, stereotypic episodes of frequent seizure activity, Pharmacy Times reported. This nasal spray CIV provides patients and caregivers with the first and only FDA-approved nasal option for treating seizure clusters in adolescents 12 years and older, and is the first new medication approved to treat seizure clusters in more than 20 years in the United States. It is designed as a single-use treatment that can be carried with a patient and allows for administration by a non-health care professional when a seizure cluster occurs. According to the article, it could provide significant value to patients who currently have limited treatment options.

A new study from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s (CHOP) Center for Injury Research and Prevention (CIRP) and the CDC found that 1 in 6 children who has a concussion will experience a repeat concussion within 2 years, Contemporary Clinic reported. Researchers identified 536 children ages 5-15 years who had an initial visit for a concussion at a CHOP location between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013, and reviewed their electronic health records (EHRs) for a 2-year follow-up period. They found that 8% of these patients were diagnosed with a second concussion within the first year, and 16% had a second concussion within 2 years, including 3% who were diagnosed with 2 additional concussions. According to the CDC, immediate medical attention should be sought for head trauma in a child if any symptoms, including a persistant headache that gets worse, are present.

Scientists from Arizona State University are studying the genetic code of the humpback whale as well as whales, dolphins, and porpoises in order to determine how their cancer defenses are so effective despite their weight and size, Specialty Pharmacy Times reported. Researchers obtained skin samples of an adult female humpback whale off of the coast of Massachusetts, named Salt, who has one of the most well-documented life histories of any individual humpback whale. After comparing the whale’s genome with other mammals, reserachers found that the whale genome evolved many duplications in tumor suppressor genes as well as had a faster cell proliferation. According to the article, the next step for researchers is to experiment with whale cell lines to validate their genomic results.

Pharmacists may get more questions about Vraylar, if patients have seen a recent commercial for the prescription medication. In the spot, called “Too Much to Do,” the narrator says that acute manic and depressive symptoms can leave a patient feeling like they are on shaky ground, with too much to do and little energy for it. According to the commercial, Vraylar treats and reduces acute manic and depressive symptoms related to Bipolar 1 Disorder when taken regularly as directed.

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