Until law, GLP-1 drugs were used to treat diabetes, obesity and even the recent evidences suggest that it could as well be used to treat chronic kidney problems. There is yet another research, published in JAMA Psychiatry on February 25, titled Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults With Alcohol Use Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial that explores if GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide reduce alcohol consumption and cravings in adults with alcohol use disorder.

What Do Studies Say?

The research was conducted over a period of 9 weeks, where in the randomized clinical trial, the participants who were administered semaglutide, it led to reductions in some but not all measures of weekly consumptions. It also reduced weekly alcohol and craving related to placebo, and also led to a greater relative reduction in cigarettes per day.

The research also found that weekly injections of semaglutide, which is the active ingredient in weight loss drugs like Wegovy also helped reduce cravings in people with alcohol use disorder.

The lead author Christian Hendershot said that these findings will help in developing new approaches to treat alcoholism. "Two drugs currently approved to reduce alcohol consumption aren't widely used. The popularity of Ozempic and other GLP-1 receptor agonists increases the chances of broad adoption of these treatments for alcohol use disorder," said Hendershot in news release by the University of Southern California's Institute for Addiction Research, where he is the director.

The study is government-funded research and was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, part of the National Institutes of Health.

How Was The Study Conducted?

The study was small, and took in account for only 48 adults over two months, thus experts say that it is not yet clear how safe these drugs are for people who do not need to lose weight. Though the results do add up with the evidence form animal studies on drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy on how it helps manage cravings, not just for food, but also for tobacco and alcohol. Scientists are also studying these drugs on smokers, people with opioid addiction and cocaine users.

Co-author Dr Klara Klein of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who treats people with obesity and diabetes said, "This is such promising data. And we need more of it. We frequently will hear that once people start these medications that their desire to drink is very reduced, if not completely abolished."

Why Does It Work So Well Against Alcoholism?

The GLP-1 receptor agonists work by mimicking hormones GLP-1 in the gut and brain that regulates appetite and feelings of fullness. This response is what helps one lose weight, and what helps one curb their craving for alcohol. These drugs that mimic the functioning of your brain, which is responsible to tell your body when to stop consuming, are the same hormones that tell your body about other kinds of consumptions, including alcohol. Therefore by consuming the weight loss drugs one can treat alcohol use disorder.

However, the researchers have pointed out on the limited data on the research and have suggested to continue using the three approved drugs by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, namely, Disulfiram, Naltrexone, and Acamprosate to treat alcohol use disorder until large studies confirm these findings.

Amid an ongoing Salmonella outbreak that has infected hundreds of people, vulnerable groups in the UK are being advised to avoid undercooked or runny eggs.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) issued the precautionary advice after the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) declared a national outbreak. The outbreak has infected 207 people across the UK, with one death and 34 hospitalisations.

Officials suspect imported eggs or food products containing imported eggs may be behind the outbreak.

However, the FSA said well-cooked eggs served in restaurants, cafes and takeaways are safe to eat.

Who Is at Risk?

The FSA advised vulnerable groups, including:

• Children under five
• Adults over 65
• Pregnant women
• People with certain health conditions or weakened immune systems

Ian Young, chief scientific adviser at the FSA, said vulnerable people eating out should ensure that eggs and egg products are thoroughly cooked.

Which Foods Should Be Avoided?

The FSA advised vulnerable people to avoid runny eggs and freshly made foods that may contain uncooked eggs, including:

• Mayonnaise
• Soufflés
• Hollandaise sauce

Are Supermarket Eggs Safe?

Young reiterated that people can continue to buy British eggs from supermarkets. Chickens bred in the UK are vaccinated against common strains of Salmonella.

“There is no link to those eggs to this current outbreak,” he said.

He described the outbreak as “unusually large and rapidly increasing” and urged people to take precautions.

The UKHSA has launched an investigation to identify the source of the outbreak. Initial findings suggest it may be linked to eggs imported from outside the UK, although the source has not yet been definitively established.

Dr Kathleen O'Reilly, associate professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said the investigation involves identifying additional cases and examining possible common sources of infection.

Where Have Cases Been Reported?

Cases have been reported across the UK:

• England: 199 cases
• Scotland: 6 cases
• Wales: 1 case
• Northern Ireland: 1 case

In England, London has reported the highest number of cases, with 47, followed by Yorkshire and the Humber with 38.

What Is Salmonella?

Salmonella is a bacterial infection that commonly causes diarrhoea and gastrointestinal illness.

Common symptoms include:

• Diarrhoea
• Stomach cramps
• Vomiting
• Fever

How Does Salmonella Spread?

The UKHSA stated that Salmonella Enteritidis is the most common Salmonella serovar in England and a leading cause of salmonellosis.

Like other non-typhoidal Salmonella infections, it can spread through contaminated food, including:

• Eggs
• Poultry
• Meat
• Unpasteurised dairy products
• Fresh produce

The bacteria can also spread through contact with contaminated environments or from person to person.

How to Reduce the Risk of Salmonella

Dr O'Reilly advised people to fully cook eggs before eating them and maintain good food hygiene.

Key precautions include:

• Cook eggs thoroughly, including omelettes, rather than leaving them runny.
• Wash your hands with soap after handling food and during food preparation.
• Clean chopping boards and utensils after preparing food.
• Check food hygiene ratings when choosing catering outlets.

People who develop diarrhoea or stomach cramps should rest and drink plenty of fluids. Young children, older adults and other vulnerable people who become ill should seek medical advice.

Moderna and Merck’s personalized mRNA cancer vaccine has shown statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements. The late-stage trial showed recurrence-free survival (RFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) when combined with Keytruda in patients with melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer.

The vaccine, intismeran autogene (mRNA-4157/V940), is custom-made for each patient based on the unique genetic characteristics of their tumor. It is designed to work alongside Keytruda (pembrolizumab), an immunotherapy that helps the immune system attack cancer cells.

What Makes the Vaccine Different?

According to experts, the development moves personalized cancer therapy closer to a practical clinical reality.

“A tumor-specific mRNA vaccine offers a way of making the immune response more targeted by using the individual tumor’s molecular characteristics to identify the abnormal signals that the immune system should recognize,” Prof. Jyoti Bajpai, Director – Medical Precision Immuno-Oncology, Apollo Hospitals, Mumbai, told HealthandMe.

What Did the Phase 3 Trial Find?

In the Phase 3 INTerpath-001 trial, the combination met its primary endpoint of recurrence-free survival (RFS) and a key secondary endpoint of distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS).

Compared with Keytruda alone, the combination of intismeran autogene and Keytruda showed statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in both RFS and DMFS.

The findings were reported in patients with stage IIB, IIC, III, or IV cutaneous melanoma who had undergone complete surgical removal of their cancer and had not previously received systemic therapy.

The mRNA Vaccine: How It Works

After tumor sequencing, up to ~34 patient-specific neoantigens are encoded into a single mRNA construct delivered in lipid nanoparticles.

Host cells translate the neoantigens, which are then presented on MHC, driving de novo and expanded neoantigen-specific CD8+ and CD4+ T-cell responses.

When combined with PD-1 blockade, the vaccine supplies the antigenic “signal” while the checkpoint inhibitor supplies the “permission” to attack.

“The result is a more focused, polyclonal, and potentially longer-lived anti-tumor immune response—exactly what is needed to clear residual microscopic disease after resection,” Dr. Shyam Aggarwal, Chairman, Medical Oncology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, told HealthandMe.

Early translational data from KEYNOTE-942 already showed durable neoantigen-specific T-cell responses, supporting the idea that the vaccine can generate immune memory that outlasts the treatment period.

“Immunotherapy releases the body’s natural brakes to attack cancer, whereas the custom vaccine acts like a precision GPS—training the immune system to recognize the unique genetic signature of that patient's specific tumour. Immunotherapy mobilizes the immune response, but the vaccine tells it exactly where to go,” Prof. Jyoti said.

What Could It Mean for Cancer Treatment?

“The practical implication is a shift in the adjuvant paradigm: rather than relying solely on broad immune checkpoint inhibition or chemotherapy, we can now envision adding a tumor-specific ‘instruction set’ that educates the patient’s own T-cell repertoire against the unique mutational fingerprint of their cancer,” the noted oncologist said.

He added that the manufacturing turnaround, currently ~6 weeks from biopsy to first dose, remains a logistical and cost challenge. However, the COVID-era mRNA infrastructure has shown that rapid, decentralized production of custom constructs is feasible.

mRNA’s Potential For India

India’s cancer burden has continued to rise steadily over the past five years, with the estimated number of new cancer cases increasing from 14.26 lakh in 2021 to 15.70 lakh in 2025, while annual cancer-related deaths also climbed from 7.89 lakh to an estimated 8.69 lakh during the same period, according to data placed before Parliament recently.

For India, this technology has intriguing potential, Dr Jyoti said.

While typical skin melanoma is less common here, India sees higher rates of acral and mucosal subtypes, which tend to be aggressive and diagnosed late.

“A tailored neoantigen approach could be very useful for these complex cases. However, manufacturing costs, long turnaround times for genomic sequencing, and cold-chain logistics mean translating this into routine clinical care in India may take time,” she added.

Almost all states in the US are reporting a growing summer wave of COVID-19 cases, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

While the numbers aren’t especially high and there aren’t many hospitalizations or deaths, the test positivity rate for the week ending August 8 rose above 3% for the first time since March, with numbers climbing in every state. Emergency department visits related to COVID-19 are also “very low.”

Wastewater Data Offers Closer Look At COVID Activity

According to the CDC, wastewater data can be a key tool for tracking where the virus may be circulating. Testing sewage can detect the presence of COVID-19 in a community and “can pick up signs of infection even from people who feel perfectly healthy,” the CDC said.

COVID-19 Activity By State

• Hawaii and Mississippi show signs of elevated viral activity.
• Both states have “moderate” levels of COVID-19.
• Wastewater data for Mississippi is limited.
• The West and South are seeing higher COVID-19 activity than other regions.
• Low wastewater levels: Alabama, Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, Oregon, Texas and Washington.
• Very low levels: The remaining states.
• In Alabama, COVID-19 is not reflected in hospitalizations or mortality data yet, but cases are registering an “uptick” rather than a surge.

“It is going up. We don’t know how to describe these numbers that we’re seeing in terms of what the denominator is anymore,” Dr. Scott Harris, state health officer for the Alabama Department of Public Health, told the media.

“Now we just know when we get a positive test, and we don’t even have clinical data sometimes to put that in context.”

‘August Is Solidly Covid Season’

“August is solidly Covid season,” Dr. Caitlin Rivers, an expert in outbreak science and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health and Security, told CNN.

“Right now, the South and the West are sort of the leading edge of this Covid season. In the past, it almost always starts in Florida, Texas and Georgia, which is exactly what we’re seeing this year.”

Who Is At Higher Risk?

COVID-19 can still be serious and even deadly, especially for people who remain vulnerable to severe disease. These include:

• Elderly individuals
• Pregnant women
• People with chronic heart disease
• Patients with COPD or interstitial lung disease (ILD)
• Those with chronic kidney or liver disease
• Immunocompromised individuals

How To Prevent COVID-19?

To reduce the risk of infection, people should:

• Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations.
• Wear masks in crowded indoor settings.
• Maintain hand hygiene.
• Ensure good ventilation.
• Avoid close contact with others when unwell.

Anyone experiencing symptoms such as fever, cough or breathlessness should get tested and seek timely medical advice.

If you didn’t get a COVID-19 vaccine last year, you may want to talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist about getting one, including the vaccine formulated for last season, Dr. James McDonald, commissioner of health for the New York State Department of Health, told CNN.