Fentanyl vaccine

Researchers at the University of Houston have created a vaccine against fentanyl. It does exactly what it says on the tin (in rats, at least) — blocks the effects of the high-powered opioid.

If a vaccinated person consumes fentanyl, the antibodies could attach to the drug, preventing it from getting to the brain and inducing a “high” or potential overdose.

One shot lasted at least 20 weeks in rats, meaning — if this was ever approved for human use — it could be a much better alternative to methadone or buprenorphine for preventing accidental overdose deaths.

Oh, and it only works against fentanyl. The antibodies it produces ignore methadone, buprenorphine, morphine, and oxycodone.

LOGO

Mental Health First Aid is a 7.5-hour course that teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders.

The training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial help and support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem or experiencing a crisis.

This training is valued at $170.00. GPhF is making this training available to pharmacists, pharmacy techs, and student pharmacists for $49.00.

Presented by Blake R. Johnson, PharmD, MPH, BCACP

Click here for details!

An anti-Covid plant

Emory University researchers are still finding compounds that combat Covid. The latest are extracts from tall goldenrod (flowers) and eagle fern (rhizomes), both of which blocked the SARS-CoV-2 virus from entering human cells.

Of course, that’s just in the laboratory dish, “The active compounds are only present in miniscule quantities in the plants,” and — as an aside — the eagle fern is toxic.

Still, finding the molecules means someday it could be scaled up as a potential treatment, yada yada yada.

Remember with this ’shroom

While we’re talking about The latest entry in the category of “Traditional Treatments That Actually Have a Scientific Basis” comes from the Lion’s Mane mushroom — Hericium erinaceus.

Apparently, found Australian neurobiologists, an extract from the mushroom can boost nerve growth in the brain and help maintain memory.

Mmm, tasty

More specifically:

“[W]e found the mushroom extract and its active components largely increase the size of growth cones, which are particularly important for brain cells to sense their environment and establish new connections with other neurons in the brain.”

Pfizer’s new ad

Suddenly realizing that “Paxlovid” rhymes with “Covid,” the folks at Pfizer have launched a new ad campaign to remind people to buy their product if they test positive (or feel like they do):

Government to buy more Novavax

Ah, yes, Novavax — the red-headed stepchild of Covid vaccines. The federal government, though, is buying a million and a half more doses, and it’s funding further development in the face of emerging variants.

Why, when both Pfizer’s and Moderna’s mRNA vaccines work so well? Mostly for people skeptical of the new technology of the other vaccines. (Novavax is an old-style protein-based vaccine.)

Pharma jumps on sustainability bandwagon

Did you know there’s an entire trade show dedicated to pharmaceutical packaging? Now you do; it’s called Pharmapack. And the Big Deal this year is sustainability — showcasing packaging products that are “more sustainable, recyclable, and reusable than any before.” (One company won an award for a recyclable blister pack, so it’s really getting down to the nitty-gritty.)

“What’s interesting is that sustainability is not only integral to pharma companies’ strategies but also a key part of their promotion, marketing, and positioning now.”

The Long Read: PBM Battles edition

States are taking on the fight against PBMs rather than leaving it to the federal government. Note: Georgia isn’t mentioned because the article looks at 2022 regulations, and Georgia has been years ahead of the pack in terms of fighting and limiting PBM abuses … no matter what some attorney quoted might say.