GPhA Buzz July 17, 2025
Spikevax Approved for At-Risk Children
The FDA gave the go-ahead to Moderna's COVID-19 vaccination for kids ages 6 months - 11 years, with some conditions.
There are vaccines that are authorized for children, including Pfizer's Comirnaty, but Spikevax is fully approved, but only for children who are at an increased risk for COVID-19. Exactly what that risk is wasn't clarified in Moderna's statement, but we're assuming children with pre-existing upper respiratory issues. It should be ready for the upcoming virus season.
Gentle Approach to Increasing Vaccination Rates
Not much to report on the measles outbreak but we did find this interesting opinion piece about using a motivational interviewing technique to encourage parents to vaccinate their children and themselves.
Motivational interviewing is an approach used in counseling designed to help people resolve their ambivalence or resistance to something by finding the internal motivation needed to change the behavior. It's worth a read.
Arizona Resident Dies From Plague
Thought the plague was in the past, a relic of the 14th century? Think again. A northern Arizona resident died from pneumonic plague earlier this month. It's the first recorded death from the plague since 2007, although around seven cases are reported in the U.S. each year.
It's a bacterial infection that's easily treated with antibiotics, and spread through flea bites, so while petting that squirrel might be a cute idea, it isn't recommended.
Thousands of Deaths Preventable with Right Meds
It might seem like this article is a bit of a "Tell us something we don't know" moment, but a new study shows that high cholesterol is being vastly undertreated, and is leading to at least 39,000 deaths.
Researchers looked at risk profiles and LDL numbers and saw that among the 47% of patients eligible for statins, only 23% ever received a prescription. What's more, among those with an actual history of heart attack or stroke, only 68% of those patients got the Rx for a statin.
It's a great reminder to your patients to take their meds as prescribed.
AZ's Baxdrostat Trials Going Well
Continuing our cardiovascular health series this issue, AstraZeneca has announced that their recently acquired drug baxdrostat is showing good results in reducing high blood pressure. The drug works by blocking an enzyme that synthesizes aldosterone, which according to AZ, brings a "novel mechanism to a field that has seen little innovation in over two decades," and could be helpful for those with high BP resistant to current meds.
Antidepressant Withdrawal Maybe Not A Big Deal
It's likely that one in nine adults in the U.S. are currently taking antidepressant medications, and the current thinking is that withdrawal from them can be pretty brutal. A new study published in JAMA says that the severity of those symptoms might be overblown.
There are symptoms, researchers said, including dizziness, nausea, and vertigo, but they are clinically insignificant to warrant a widespread danger from withdrawal.
Cell Therapy May Eliminate Immunosuppression Needs
Life on immunosuppressants is tough, as you all know. The constant risk of infection can mean a somewhat restrictive life for transplant recipients. However, a small trial of kidney transplant patients has shown that using donor-derived cell therapy can eliminate the need for a lifetime of immunosuppressants.
