Reference: Mehra, M. R., Desai, S. S., Ruschitzka, F., & Patel, A. N. (2020). Hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine with or without a macrolide for treatment of COVID-19: A multinational registry analysis. The Lancet, published online May 22, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31180-6 Summary: In June 2020, The Lancet announced the retraction of a significant study assessing the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine […]
Reference: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2020). Contains nonbinding recommendations: Development and licensure of vaccines to prevent COVID-19 guidance for industry. Food and Drug Administration. Summary: In June 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued guidance to assist the development and licensure of COVID-19 vaccines amidst the public health emergency. This
Reference: Mehra, M. R., Desai, S. S., Ruschitzka, F., & Patel, A. N. (2020). Hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine with or without a macrolide for treatment of COVID-19: A multinational registry analysis. The Lancet, 395(10240), 1820-1830. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31180-6 Summary: The study evaluates the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, either alone or in combination with macrolides, in treating COVID-19
Reference: Levy, T. E. (2020). An at-home treatment that can cure any virus, including coronavirus. Retrieved from www.PeakEnergy.com Summary: The article discusses a simple and inexpensive treatment for viral infections, including COVID-19, using 3% hydrogen peroxide. Originally conceptualised by Dr. Charles Farr, this therapy targets infected cells rather than the viruses themselves, which cannot be
Reference: Department of Health. (2020). South African Good Clinical Practice: Clinical Trial Guidelines (3rd ed.). Pretoria, South Africa. Summary: The South African Good Clinical Practice (SA GCP) Guidelines, first established in 2006 and revised in 2020, provide a framework for conducting ethical and scientifically sound clinical trials within South Africa. Mandated by national health legislation,
Reference: Pfizer. (2020). PF-07302048 (BNT162 RNA-Based COVID-19 vaccines) protocol C4591001. Summary: The document outlines the Phase 1/2/3 clinical trial to evaluate the safety, tolerability, immunogenicity, and efficacy of BNT162 RNA-based COVID-19 vaccines, developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. The trial investigates two vaccine candidates: BNT162b1, encoding the receptor-binding domain (RBD), and BNT162b2, encoding the prefusion spike
Reference: South African Health Products Regulatory Authority. (2019). Quality and bioequivalence guideline (Version 7). Summary: The Quality and Bioequivalence Guideline by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) outlines the requirements for applicants submitting registration applications for new medicines and variations. It emphasises the need for safety, efficacy, and quality of medicines, aligning local
Reference: Smith, R. (2018). The business of academic publishing: “a catastrophe”. The Lancet, 392, 1186-1187. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32489-3 Summary: The documentary Paywall: The Business of Scholarship critiques the profit-driven nature of academic publishing, highlighting that publishers earn exorbitant profit margins by capitalising on free academic content. Interviews with nearly 70 academics reveal a consensus that the system
Reference: Pardi, N., Hogan, M. J., Porter, F. W., & Weissman, D. (2018). mRNA vaccines — a new era in vaccinology. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 17(4), 261-279. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd.2017.243 Summary: mRNA vaccines offer a potent alternative to traditional vaccine approaches due to their rapid development and cost-effective manufacturing. They have shown promise in preventing infectious diseases
Reference: Bahl, K., Senn, J. J., Yuzhakov, O., Bulychev, A., Brito, L. A., Hassett, K. J., Laska, M. E., Smith, M., Almarsson, Ö., Thompson, J., Ribeiro, A. (Mick), Watson, M., Zaks, T., & Ciaramella, G. (2017). Preclinical and clinical demonstration of immunogenicity by mRNA vaccines against H10N8 and H7N9 influenza viruses. Molecular Therapy, 25(6), 1316-1326.