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.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Hibsago (bepirovirsen), a first-of-its kind treatment for certain adults with chronic hepatitis B. The drug controlled virus activity in some patients after stopping all treatment.

Announced on October 20, 2026, the approval makes Hibsago the first FDA-approved antisense oligonucleotide for chronic hepatitis B.

It is approved for certain adults without cirrhosis who have already been taking antiviral medication for at least six months, have suppressed levels of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and meet specific criteria for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg).

In clinical trials, 19% of patients receiving Hibsago maintained viral control 24 weeks after stopping all hepatitis B treatment. No amount of HBsAg was detected in their blood. The treatment is meant to offer an alternative for some patients who otherwise need long-term antiviral medication.

“For many people living with chronic hepatitis B, treatment can mean taking antiviral medication for years to keep the virus suppressed,” said Wendy Carter, DO, acting director of the Office of Infectious Diseases in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

“Hibsago provides a new treatment approach that gives some patients the possibility of maintaining control of the virus after all chronic HBV treatment has ended. This approval represents an important advance for people living with this serious disease.”

How Does Hibsago Work?

Hibsago targets the genetic aspects the hepatitis B virus targets. By reducing viral RNA and hepatitis B surface antigen, the drug helps the immune system control the infection even after after treatment ends.

The drug is administered as an injection under the skin for up to 24 weeks, alongside a patient's existing hepatitis B medication. Patients continue their treatment for at least 24 weeks after the final Hibsago injection. They can then stop all treatment if they meet specified clinical and laboratory criteria.

The FDA also authorised a diagnostic test to help identify eligible patients and monitor them during treatment.

Also read: G155E H1N1 Mutation In US Raises Concerns: Can This Year’s Flu Shot Still Protect You?

What Did The Clinical Trials Find?

The approval was supported by two Phase 3 trials, B-Well 1 and B-Well 2, which compared Hibsago with a placebo in adults receiving established antiviral treatment.

Across the trials, 24% of patients receiving Hibsago met the criteria to stop their existing antiviral medication, compared to none in the placebo groups.

At 24 weeks after stopping all treatment, 19% of patients receiving Hibsago maintained viral control. Hepatitis B surface antigen was also no longer detectable in their blood.

The outcome means the virus remains controlled without ongoing treatment according to specified laboratory criteria.

Also read: H. pylori, HPV Among Five Infections Behind 1 In 8 Cancers Worldwide: Lancet

What Are The Risks?

Hibsago carries a warning for serious liver reactions and thrombocytopenia, or low platelet counts, which can increase the risk of life-threatening bleeding.

Other warnings include poor kidney function and inflammatory reactions like vasculitis. Patients require regular blood tests and medical monitoring before and during treatment.

The FDA granted Hibsago Fast Track and Breakthrough Therapy designations, along with Priority Review. The drug was approved for GSK plc.

The treatment is not suitable for everyone with chronic hepatitis B. Eligibility depends on liver health, existing treatment, viral suppression and laboratory results.

Chronic hepatitis B infections among children and young adults in the United States could rise by 83% if the country moves away from routinely recommending vaccination at birth for all newborns, according to a new study titled Projected Effect of 2026 Federal Changes to the Childhood Immunization Schedule on Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infections in the United States, published in Annals of Internal Medicine recently.

Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School analysed outcomes for a birth cohort of 3.6 million infants over their first 20 years.

The study examined the impact of changes to US hepatitis B vaccine recommendations for babies born to mothers who test negative for the virus.

Under the revised approach, parents and healthcare providers decide together whether and when to begin vaccination. The findings suggest that this could leave more children vulnerable to infection, increasing the cases of chronic hepatitis B.

What Did The Study Find?

The model compared universal vaccination at birth with two alternatives. The first is delaying the first dose until at least two months of age, and the second is leaving the decision to parents and healthcare providers.

Researchers estimated that delaying vaccination could increase chronic hepatitis B infections acquired by age 20 by 19%. Under the second option, the estimated increase was 83%.

The model estimated 255 chronic infections under universal birth-dose vaccination, compared to 303 if vaccination was delayed and 467 under shared decision-making.

The number of people who remained at high risk to hepatitis B at age 20 was also projected to increase. Under universal vaccination at birth, around 232,000 people in the cohort would remain at risk. This rose to 474,000 with delayed vaccination and approximately 1.8 million under shared decision-making.

Study's corresponding author Amir Mohareb said, “These findings show why policy makers should re-implement recommendations for universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth.”

Also read: Hepatitis C: Could 8-Week Treatment Help India Reach More Patients?

Importance Of Hepatitis B Birth Dose

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that affects the liver and spreads through infected blood and certain bodily fluids, including during childbirth. Infection acquired during infancy is likely to become chronic, leading to cirrhosis, liver failure or liver cancer in the future.

The universal hepatitis B birth-dose recommendation was introduced in the US in 1991. The first dose provides early protection, including when maternal infection is missed or a child's exposure risk is not recognised.

In December 2025, the US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended replacing universal vaccination at birth with shared decision-making for infants whose mothers test negative.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention adopted this approach in January 2026. Babies born to mothers who test positive or whose infection status is unknown continue to be recommended to receive the birth dose promptly, along with hepatitis B immune globulin when indicated.

Also read: Can Panty Liners Pose A Cancer Risk? What Science Says

Increase In Infections, Deaths And Costs

The changes in vaccine policy is also likely to lead to hundreds more infections, deaths, and millions of dollars in higher costs, according to another research published in JAMA Pediatrics.

Pediatricians, public health experts, and dozens of medical groups warned that it could harm children and their families. So the JAMA studies modelled the potential impact of the policy.

The first study estimated that delaying the first hepatitis B vaccine dose by two months for babies born in a single year to mothers who tested negative — about 80 percent of the 3.6 million US births annually — would increase lifetime health-care costs by at least $16 million, The Washington Post reported. If vaccination were delayed by seven months, it would cost an additional $19.8 million.

The second study modeled what would happen if only 10 per cent of babies born to unscreened mothers received a birth dose; an additional 628 babies would get infected.

“One of the most concerning implications is how many more infected Hep B babies will we see,” said co-author Rachel Epstein, a pediatric and adult infectious diseases clinician at Boston Medical Center.

“A universal birth dose helps prevent a substantial number of infections in babies of a lifelong condition that we do not have a cure for,” she added.

Scientists have identified a new H1N1 mutation, G155E, in US flu samples, raising questions about immunity and vaccine protection as the flu season begins early.

Early laboratory findings suggest the mutation may make some H1N1 strains harder for existing antibodies to recognize. However, the vaccine’s effectiveness specifically against G155E remains uncertain, and there is no evidence yet that the mutation makes the flu shot ineffective.

H1N1 Becomes The Dominant Flu Strain In US

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) October 2 report, 53 of 55 influenza A samples undergoing subtyping were H1N1, while two were H3N2. No influenza B viruses were reported in this group.

Researchers at the University of Washington identified G155E in 13 of 17 sequenced H1N1 samples collected from hospitals and clinics in the Seattle area.

Could G155E Affect Flu Shot Effectiveness?

Also read: Flu 2026: Symptoms To Watch For As New Season Begins

The 2026-2027 flu vaccines approved by the US Food and Drug Administration target H1N1, H3N2 and an influenza B virus.

Dr. Jennifer Duchon, a pediatric infectious disease expert at Mount Sinai Children’s Hospital, told Reuters that younger people may have had limited exposure to this year’s H1N1 strain.

“What people are a bit worried about is that the H1N1 strain this year hasn't been seen by a lot of younger folk, so it may be more severe in them,” she said.

However, this concern does not establish that G155E causes more severe disease. Flu vaccine effectiveness varies by season and depends partly on how well vaccine strains match circulating viruses.

Scott Hensley, a microbiologist at the University of Pennsylvania, told Reuters that two of this season’s three vaccine components appear well matched to circulating strains. He also recommended getting vaccinated early.

The American Medical Association also recommends annual flu vaccination for people aged six months and older, unless they have a medical reason not to receive it.

G155E: Who Could Be More Vulnerable?

Read More: Flu Vaccine: Why October Is A Good Time To Get Your Family Vaccinated

Antibody studies suggest that people exposed to influenza last year may have antibodies that recognize the new mutation less effectively, particularly among teenagers and young adults.

Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, including virologist Jesse Bloom, examined antibody responses to influenza A strains carrying mutations such as G155E.

In a preprint posted on bioRxiv, researchers tested antibodies from 260 people in Australia and the US against 148 influenza A strains that circulated through mid-2026. Some G155E-carrying strains were less readily recognized by antibodies, particularly those from younger people.

The researchers suggested that limited previous exposure to similar H1N1 variants could help explain this difference. However, laboratory findings alone cannot establish how likely people are to become infected or develop severe illness.

Should You Worry About G155E?

The mutation warrants monitoring, but current evidence does not establish that it makes the flu shot ineffective. How well this season’s vaccine protects against G155E remains uncertain.

Annual flu vaccination remains an important preventive measure, particularly for people at higher risk of complications. Regular hand hygiene and other basic precautions can also help reduce the spread of infections.