The US Food and Drug Administration has approved TNKase or Tenecteplase, which is a thrombolytic or clot-dissolving agent, for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke in adults.

Ischemic strokes happen when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in your brain. It can cause permanent brain damage and death. If enough brain cells die, you can also lose the abilities or body functions those cells control. They are also the most common types of stroke, with 80% of all strokes being ischemic strokes.

How is TNKase administered?

It is delivered as a single five-second intravenous bolus, which is faster than the standard of care Activase or alteplase, which is administered as an intravenous bolus followed by a 60-minute infusion. The manufacturer of TNKase, Genetech said a new 25-mg vial configuration will also be available in the coming months.

How Was TNKase approved?

The approval came at the backdrop of a study that compared TNKase to Activase in patients with acute ischemic stroke. These patients also presented with a disabling neurological deficit. Results show that TNKase was comparable to Activase in terms of efficacy and safety.

How Common Are These Strokes?

In the United States it self, it affects more than 795,000 people each year and is the leading cause of long-term disability. It is also the fifth leading cause of death. Since brain damage can happen if this progresses rapidly, one needs an immediate, fast-acting medical care.

TNKase thus provide a faster and simpler administration which can be critical for anyone. The chief medical officer and head of global product development at Genetech, Levi Garraway, MD., PhD., said, "Today's approval is a significant step forward and underscores our commitment to advancing stroke treatment options for patients."

What Are The Symptoms Of Ischemic Strokes?

Some of the most common symptoms include weakness or paralysis on one side of your face and body. You may also feel trouble speaking or have loss of speech, also known as aphasia. You may faced slurred or garbled speaking, also known as dysarthria. Other symptoms include loss of muscle control on one side of your face, or sudden worsening or loss of your senses, including vision, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.

Other symptoms include:

• Loss of coordination or clumsiness
• Blurry vision or double vision
• Dizziness or vertigo
• Nausea and vomiting
• Neck stiffness
• Mood swings or sudden personality changes
• Confusion or agitation
• Seizures
• Memory loss (amnesia)
• Headaches which are sudden and severe
• Passing out or fainting
• Coma

Are There Any Warning Signs?

While these are symptoms one has who is prone to this condition. However, often, many may confuse it with other illnesses. It is best to keep an eye out for warning signs. These could be looking out for yourself or your loved one. Note if there is a sudden loss of balance. Look out for sudden vision loss or changes in one or both eyes. Look for a droop on one or both sides of your face, especially when you smile. Raise both arms and see if one arm sags or drops in a way it usually does not. Note for your speech. Are you as fluent? Are you have trouble speaking? If you see any of such signs, start tracking it and talk to your healthcare provider.

India has joined the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP)-led NeoSep1 clinical trial, a landmark international study evaluating new antibiotic treatments for newborns with drug-resistant sepsis.

Sepsis is the second leading cause of neonatal mortality in India after prematurity and low birth weight, accounting for an estimated 30–40 per cent of all newborn deaths.

The NeoSep1 trial began in India with the first baby enrolled at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) in Puducherry, followed by Pt. B.D. Sharma PGIMS in Rohtak. Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and General Hospital in Mumbai is also expected to begin enrolling newborns soon.

"Every day doctors face the heartbreaking reality of losing babies to sepsis due to lack of safe and effective treatments," said Dr Nishad Plakkal, Principal Investigator of the NeoSep1 trial in India and Associate Dean (Research) and Professor and Head of the Department of Neonatology at JIPMER.

"Having the right antibiotics at the right dose can tip the balance between life and death. This trial offers hope to change that," Plakkal added.

"The trial will give neonatologists new tools, and give babies with sepsis a fighting chance at life," said Sally Ellis, who leads GARDP's Children's Antibiotics Program.

Why Newborns Are At Greater Risk

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According to Ellis, newborns are particularly vulnerable to life-threatening sepsis because of their underdeveloped immune systems.

The growing burden of antibiotic resistance in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has further worsened the problem by reducing the effectiveness of standard treatments. Studies have reported extremely high resistance to the combination of ampicillin and gentamicin, the antibiotic regimen currently recommended by the World Health Organization for the initial treatment of neonatal sepsis.

"Today, we stand at a tipping point. The antibiotics for newborns that we have relied on for decades are failing against resistant infections in many hospital settings," Ellis said.

What Is The NeoSep1 Trial?

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An estimated 3 million newborns develop sepsis every year. The condition occurs when the body's response to an infection triggers widespread inflammation, potentially leading to tissue damage, organ failure, and death. More than 90% of neonatal sepsis deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.

The NeoSep1 trial aims to identify safe and effective antibiotic regimens that can reduce deaths caused by drug-resistant neonatal sepsis.

The first phase of the study, conducted in South Africa and Kenya in 2023, validated the appropriate doses of fosfomycin and flomoxef when used in combination with other antibiotics in newborns.

The second phase is using a Personalised Randomised Controlled Trial (PRACTical) design to evaluate and rank multiple antibiotic regimens for newborns with sepsis. The approach is expected to help clinicians choose the most effective treatments based on local patterns of antibiotic resistance while also informing future national and international treatment guidelines.

The NeoSep1 trial is expected to enroll 3,000 newborns across Asia and Africa by the end of 2028.

Along with India, newborns have already been enrolled in Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa. Hospitals in Vietnam, Pakistan, Malaysia, Bangladesh, and Uganda are also expected to join the study.

Warning Signs of Sepsis

Sepsis is a life-threatening reaction to an infection that harms the immune system, tissues, and organs. It can lead to organ failure or death if not treated urgently, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

According to Sepsis Alliance, the acronym TIME can help people recognize potential warning signs of sepsis and seek urgent medical care.

T — Temperature: Body temperature is unusually high or low.

I — Infection: Signs or symptoms of an infection are present.

M — Mental Decline: Confusion, excessive sleepiness, or difficulty waking up.

E — Extremely Ill: Severe pain, extreme discomfort, or shortness of breath.

American supermodel Bella Hadid has opened up about the mental toll of living with Lyme disease, a chronic illness she has battled for years.

Bella Hadid was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2013 and has endured an ongoing battle with physical pain, extreme fatigue, brain fog, and associated depression.

In a series of Instagram Stories, the 29-year-old model shared about the daily hardships and emotional toll of recurring health flare-ups despite trying various treatment protocols.

The supermodel said it is "intimidating" to explain her symptoms of pain, exhaustion, fatigue, anxiety, brain fog, infections and trauma, and how they lead "to severe isolation and depression, especially over long periods of time," People.com reported.

"Especially when you try anything you can," she said, adding that she has read books and personal stories to better understand her symptoms, yet still experiences setbacks.

Bella Hadid On Lyme Disease Flare Ups

"You demand answers that no one can find. You fight. You finally have a few good days. You think you've found the right protocol, the right routine, the right treatment... and then a flare-up comes back and all of a sudden nothing feels certain again."

Hadid said flare-ups of the chronic illness often force her to cancel plans.

"You wake up with anxiety already living in your body," Hadid wrote.

"Physical pain before your feet even touch the floor....And somehow, still have to find the strength to move through another day in a body and mind that are completely exhausted."

Bella Hadid's Hope In God

The model said she has learned to mask her feelings.

"Sometimes it feels like unless you've lived something like this, or loved someone who has, it's impossible to fully understand."

She also reminded followers facing similar struggles that "there is light, even if you can't see it today... There is hope," before sharing a message she often tells herself during difficult times.

"As so many have said..I have to remind myself that healing isn't linear...I believe God puts before us, somehow, only what we are capable of carrying, even when we don't understand why at the time," she wrote, saying there's a "deeper purpose to all things in life."

Hadid acknowledged that although it is hard, she believes "every hardship leaves us with a lesson, a deeper compassion, or a strength we never knew we had."

What Is Lyme Disease?

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread to people through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks.

Every year, an estimated 31 million people in the United States are bitten by a tick.

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the United States, with an estimated 476,000 patients treated for Lyme each year.

Typical symptoms include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Fatigue
• A characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans.

How to Prevent

The best defense against Lyme disease is to prevent tick bites. This will reduce your risk of other tickborne diseases as well.

What to do after a tick bite:

• Remove attached ticks as soon as possible.
• Depending on the type of tick and how long it was attached, antibiotic prophylaxis might help to prevent Lyme disease.
• Call your doctor if you develop fever, rash, or other symptoms.

Donald Trump, the oldest president in US history, has come under increased scrutiny after turning 80 this year. The president has frequently been seen with swollen ankles and bruises on his hands, though the White House maintains he is in "excellent health."

Several doctors have also raised concerns about Trump's physical and mental health, citing instances where he appeared to fall asleep during White House meetings and international summits, as well as verbal fumbles and slurred speech.

A new book, Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump, claims the president's medical condition is one of the administration's most tightly controlled areas of information. Written by New York Times White House correspondent Maggie Haberman and investigative reporter Jonathan Swan, the book is based on more than 1,000 interviews conducted over three years.

Book Claims Trump Changed Routine Due to Age

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According to the authors, Trump struggles with his hearing and began moving meetings from the East Wing to the Oval Office because of better acoustics. The change also allowed him to remain seated during lengthy meetings.

The book says some aides privately felt Trump was "beginning to seem old to them," pointing to "moments of fatigue" and a "cupped hand" behind his ear.

Questions Over Transparency on Trump's Health

Speaking to Kaitlan Collins on CNN's The Source, Swan said Trump's health is "very well concealed" from the public.

"I'm not even sure that his most senior aides have a clear picture of his health, about all the aspects of his medical reports," Swan said.

Trump reportedly spent three hours at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on May 26, where he was examined by 22 specialists, compared with 14 doctors during his previous medical check-up

"We have no indication of who those specialists are or what their specialties are," Swan said. "They haven't released all the imaging results."

According to CNN medical expert Jonathan Reiner, Trump's medical examination by 22 specialists "is an extraordinary number."

But the White House has continued to insist Trump remains sharp and energetic.

Book Describes Shift in Trump's Schedule

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According to the Daily Mail, the book claims Trump now prefers seated events, shorter public appearances and staying close to the White House.

The authors describe Trump in his second term as a "homebody," compared with his extensive travel during the 2024 campaign.

"He had never been a big sleeper, but now it seemed to his staff that he was sleeping even less, keeping stranger hours than he had in his first term," the authors wrote.

They added that Trump would often spend the early hours watching television, talking on the phone and posting on Truth Social.

White House Rejects the Claims

The White House dismissed the book's claims.

"President Trump's sharpness, unmatched energy, and historic accessibility stand in stark contrast to what we saw during the last administration when Democrats and the legacy media intentionally covered up Joe Biden's serious mental and physical decline from the American people," spokesperson Davis Ingle told the Daily Mail.

"President Trump is the sharpest and most accessible President in American history who is working nonstop to solve problems and deliver on his promises."