Trending News: Experimental HIV Vaccine Clinical Trial Halted

HVTN 702, a phase 2b/3 clinical trial for an experimental HIV vaccine, has been halted, according to Contagion Live. During an interim review, an independent data and safety monitoring board found that the vaccine regimen did not prevent HIV. As a result, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease and partner organizations have discontinued vaccination in the South Africa-based study, which was initiated in 2016.

Tramadol, a common pain medication, could negatively impact bone health in older adult patients, according to HCP Live. The commonly used pain reliever was linked to a higher risk of hip fractures compared with other medications in more than 140,000 patients. Investigators suggested the apparent risk of hip fracture observed in their analyses could be tied to certain adverse events from tramadol use, including the risk of seizures, dizziness, or delirium.

Researchers have determined that patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) present with significant aqueduct of Sylvius (AoS) enlargement over time, which may be attributable to regional atrophy changes and ex vacuo expansion of the aqueduct, according to The American Journal of Managed Care. To determine the dynamics of cerebrospinal fluid flow, researchers performed 3T magnetic resonance imaging with cine phase contrast with velocity-encoded pulse gated sequence on 40 patients with MS and 20 healthy controls. According to the study authors, if brain fluid dynamics contribute toward MS mechanisms, either pharmacological or rehabilitate treatments may alleviate these abnormalities.