Data from a phase 3 clinical trial for REGEN-COV, a combination monoclonal antibody therapy (casirivimab with imdevimab), is part of the NIH-sponsored COVID Prevention Network, co-led by Myron Cohen, MD, the Yeargan-Bate Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology, and Epidemiology. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced positive data from a phase 3 trial of recently infected … Read more

A News & Observer story reports on the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services decision to temporarily halt use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at the urging of the federal government. David Wohl, MD, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases says the discovery of six people with serious side … Read more

Joshua Niznik, PharmD, PhD, assistant professor in the division of geriatric medicine, was awarded a 5-year K08 Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award by the NIH’s National Institute on Aging for “Deprescribing Bisphosphonates in Nursing Home Residents with Dementia.” The study seeks to evaluate the risks and benefits of deprescribing versus continuing bisphosphonates in older nursing … Read more

The prevalence of obesity with sarcopenia is increasing in adults aged 65 years, and this geriatric syndrome places individuals at risk for synergistic complications. John A. Batsis, MD, associate professor in the division of geriatric medicine, led a study to investigate whether sarcopenia or sarcopenic obesity are associated with greater long-term risk of impaired cognitive … Read more

Cindy Feltner, MD, MPH, assistant professor in the division of general medicine and clinical epidemiology and associate director of the RTI-UNC Evidenced-based Practice Center, led a review for the US Preventive Services Task Force to update the evidence for screening for hearing loss in adults 50 years or older.  The review was published in JAMA, along … Read more

An ABC-11 news report with data from the North Carolina Division of Air Quality, shows pine and oak trees are a few of the culprits making people uncomfortable. Pollen season is also getting longer and worse, one study found. Sofija Volertas, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the division of rheumatology, allergy and immunology, explained … Read more

David Wohl, MD, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, was consulted for a number of news stories about COVID-19 vaccines, the week of April 1-7, 2021. CBS-17: How Vaccines Can Win the ‘Race’ Against COVID-19 Variants – April 5 Thousands of North Carolinians are receiving doses of the COVID-19 vaccine every day. … Read more

The Center for Health Innovation has award Yara Abdou, MD, assistant professor in the division of oncology, an “Innovation Pilot Award” for “Investigating Survivin As a New Target to Improve Outcomes of Breast Cancer in Black Women.” Breast cancer is the second leading cause of female cancer mortality in the United States. While recent research … Read more

One year has passed since Governor Cooper declared a state of emergency for North Carolina due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and hospitals and health systems across the state had to pivot to take care of their patients. Jason Mock, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine in the division of pulmonary diseases and critical care medicine, … Read more

The AstraZeneca shot was supposed to be the vaccine for a couple of billion people. But after reports the shot may trigger a rare side effect, public health officials worry that the people in some countries may have lost faith in the world’s most important vaccine. In an article published by MSN.com and National Geographic, … Read more

A tool kit developed by Mildred Kwan, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine in the division of rheumatology, allergy and immunology, and Renae Boerneke, PharmD, will educate patients and train healthcare providers to proactively assess penicillin allergies. Delabeling patients who are not truly allergic to penicillins is an important stewardship tool that decreases unnecessary use … Read more

A CBS-17 news story reports on a new study that measures the risk of contracting COVID-19 after becoming vaccinated, published in the New England Journal of Medicine. David Wohl, MD, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, called the study “remarkable” but still described the vaccine effort as a “race” because the virus … Read more