$190,000 combination therapy for blood cancer listed on the PBS
A new combination therapy to treat both chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and small lymphocytic lymphoma is now available on the PBS. Fifteen months of ibrutinib (Imbruvica) plus…
Specialist Updates
In-depth coverage of specialist medicine
Patients on checkpoint inhibitors may need bone screening, endocrinologist suggests
Emerging evidence shows an association between immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy and osteoporosis, with the agents linked to increased fracture risk in cancer patients. The latest…
Around 4000 patients dying of cancer have applied for voluntary assisted dying
Almost 2500 terminally ill Australians have chosen to end their lives using voluntary assisted dying in the five years since the scheme’s introduction, a report…
Buprenorphine-naloxone combo safe for pregnant women: study
Buprenorphine combined with naloxone does not increase the risk of major congenital malformations in pregnant women with opioid use disorder, a Journal of the American…
First subcutaneous immunotherapy for lung and liver cancers added to PBS
Thousands of Australians with advanced lung and liver cancer can now access subsidised subcutaneous immunotherapy that cuts treatment time to seven minutes. On 1 August,…
One in 14 women of reproductive age have uterine fibroids: Aussie-first study
One in 14 Australian women have been diagnosed with uterine fibroids before the age of 50, according to the first national estimates of the prevalence…
Immunological reset? CAR T-cell therapy shows promise for autoimmune diseases
Novel blood cancer immunotherapies could induce an “immunological reset” in patients with severe and treatment-refractory autoimmune disease, German rheumatologists report. In a case series of…
Hope for diabetic retinopathy? The big news from the American Diabetes Association conference
Last month, thousands of endocrinologists and academics attended the American Diabetes Association’s 84th Scientific Sessions in Orlando, Florida. Among those in attendance was Melbourne endocrinologist…
American Diabetes Association’s 84th Scientific Sessions — conference highlights
The annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association was held in Orlando, Florida, last month. The conference — one of the biggest events in the…
Hesitate before you aspirate liver cyst infections: world-first expert consensus
Fluoroquinolones and third-generation cephalosporins should be first-line antibiotics for liver cyst infections and ‘preferably’ used for six weeks, new guidance says. An international panel of…
