Headaches are a common symptom of a stressful lifestyle, your body not feeling well and other issues. While headaches can be dealt with easily, migraines are not so easy to handle. Migraines are a type of headache that feels like severe throbbing and pulsing sensation, almost like you are hearing your own heartbeat in your brain, usually on one side of the brain. Many people believe that migraines are not that big of a deal because you just have to deal with the pain, but that is not all migraine is, some people find it very difficult to do their daily tasks as they experience dizzying spells, nausea and extreme sensitivity to light and sound! These attacks can last hours and make it difficult for people to go about their daily lives as well. While there are medications available for migraine patients, these medications need time to take effect, so you may be in a lot of pain, but there are not many quick reliefs you can have in place other than learning the symptoms of a migraine attack and taking medication before it happens. But a new approval by the FDA may change this!

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Symbravo, a new medicine to treat acute migraine attacks in adults. This means adults can now use Symbravo to get relief from their migraine symptoms. The FDA's decision was based on the results of three big studies, called Phase 3 trials. These trials involved over 21,000 migraine attacks, so the FDA has a lot of information about how well Symbravo works and how safe it is. The FDA only approves medicines that have been shown to be both safe and effective through a thorough testing process.

Importance of New Treatment Option

"Migraine attacks can happen suddenly and really mess up people's lives. It's estimated that over 39 million people in the U.S. alone get migraines," said Herriot Tabuteau, M.D., CEO of Axsome Therapeutics told US News. This shows how common migraines are and how important it is to have good treatments. "Symbravo gives patients and doctors a new option that can quickly stop a migraine attack, keep it away, and let people get back to their normal activities, all with just one dose." Having a medicine that can give fast and long-lasting relief from migraine pain is a big deal for millions of people. This new treatment is a real step forward in how we treat migraines.

Symbravo Trial Results, How Was It Approved

The trials took place in 3 steps, the Momentum trial study focused on people whose migraines had moderate to severe pain. The results showed that a lot more people taking Symbravo felt pain-free two hours after taking the medicine compared to those who took a placebo which is a dummy pill. Even better, many people felt relief for up to 24 and even 48 hours after just one dose. This long-lasting relief is really important for people with migraines because it means they can get back to their normal lives without worrying about the pain coming back. The study also looked at how many people were free from their worst symptom, like sensitivity to light or sound, or nausea. Symbravo worked better than the placebo in this area too.

While the intercept trial looked at people who took Symbravo when their migraine pain was still mild. Even when the pain was just starting, Symbravo was effective. The results were similar to the MOMENTUM trial, with many people getting pain relief and relief from their worst symptoms. Treating migraines early is often better because it can stop the pain from getting really bad.

And lastly the Movement trial which was to see how safe the medication is when people take it regularly. This study followed 706 people who had at least two migraines a month. The most common side effects people experienced were sleepiness and dizziness. While these side effects are important to know about, the study showed that Symbravo is generally safe for people to use on a regular basis.

Although antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is mainly caused by the misuse and overuse of medicines in humans, livestock, food production, and agriculture, gender-based violence and inequalities faced by women worldwide are significantly contributing to the problem by limiting their access to timely and quality healthcare.

Addressing gender inequality is essential to tackling the growing threat of AMR, said global health experts.

Speaking during the March AMR Dialogue session titled “AMR Under the Gender Lens,” organized by the Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA), scientists, researchers and public health experts highlighted how women often are at a higher risk of AMR due to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), urinary tract infections (UTIs), and complications related to abortions.

The conditions often require antibiotics for effective treatment, but vulnerable women struggle to access them or fail to complete the course.

Antimicrobial Resistance: Why Women Are At High Risk?

According to Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, former Chief Scientist at the World Health Organization (WHO), it is impossible to reduce or prevent AMR without addressing gender-based violence because such violence affects women’s ability to seek healthcare.

“Women are at a very high risk of intimate partner violence or domestic violence - physical or sexual. This could lead to more infections. And because of their position within the household and the community, they are less likely to seek timely and adequate care for these injuries or infections, which could lead to drug-resistant infections,” said Dr. Swaminathan, Chairperson at MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, and former Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

“Whether it is STIs or UTIs, or reproductive tract infections, or pelvic inflammatory disease, all of these are linked with sexual violence and an increased risk of antibiotic use. Also, even if the woman may seek care, quite often follow-up is poor. She may have taken a partial course of antibiotics or the wrong doses. Women facing an unplanned pregnancy, who go for an unsafe abortion in some cases, are also at higher risk of AMR,” she added.

Shobha Shukla, Chairperson of GAMA, said gender inequalities and harmful social norms often lead to the neglect of women’s health, making girls and women more vulnerable to antimicrobial resistance.

The experts also discussed the risk of AMR with infectious diseases like TB and HIV/AIDS, which carry deep stigma for women. Women patients often hide their illness, delay testing, avoid clinics, take medicines secretly, or stop treatment early.

Also read: WHO's New Guidance to Accelerate Antibiotics Development for 3 Deadly Bacterial Infections

Antimicrobial Resistance: Gender norms And Power Play

Dr. Esmita Charani, Associate Professor at the University of Cape Town, South Africa highlighted the strong power imbalance between patients and healthcare providers, which is often shaped by gender norms.

“Women frequently have less power to advocate for themselves in healthcare settings, whether they are patients or healthcare workers. Many women also prioritize the health of their family members over their own. Social norms also play a major role in AMR control,” the expert said.

Further, Dr. Deepshikha Bhateja from the Indian School of Business noted that cultural practices surrounding menstruation, pregnancy, and caregiving responsibilities can limit women’s access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities.

Lower education levels and limited awareness also prevent many women and girls from seeking healthcare freely. This reduces their ability to access and afford essential antibiotics and quality medical services, leading to incorrect diagnoses and inappropriate treatments that worsen AMR.

Dr. Swaminathan also pointed to the “feminization of agriculture” as another factor.

“From an intersectional perspective, here is a woman who lives in a rural area, she is also a small farmer, she has some livestock, she does some agriculture, and she has a family to look after. And she is alone because she has a migrant husband. And therefore, she has less access to health centers. She has less financial autonomy as well. In such a situation, she would probably be more likely to either neglect infections or take inappropriate treatment”.

Antimicrobial Resistance: How To Tackle

The experts emphasized that effectively tackling AMR requires ensuring that

• Women are diagnosed early,
• women receive proper treatment,
• women complete their medications,
• health policies are designed with women’s realities in mind
• empowering women to play a leading role in preventing the misuse of antibiotics
• gender inequality gets addressed in national AMR action plans.

In a first, a tech entrepreneur from Australia, Paul Conyngham, has claimed to have developed a personalized cancer vaccine for his dog, Rosie, using two popular Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots -- ChatGPT from OpenAI and Grok, built by Elon Musk's xAI.

Conyngham's eight-year-old rescue dog developed large tumors on her legs and was diagnosed with mast cell cancer -- the most common skin cancer in dogs.

Rosie, a staffy-cross-shar pei, had multiple surgeries, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. While that could slow down the disease, it could not help stop her tumor growth. Vets then gave her a maximum of 6 months to live.

However, not willing to give up on his "best mate" who has been with him "through really tough times", Conyngham turned to AI, The Australian reported.

Conyngham, leveraging 17 years of his expertise in data science and artificial intelligence, used ChatGPT and Google DeepMind 's AlphaFold to develop a plan, along with researchers at the University of New South Wales.

"The final vaccine construct for Rose was designed by Grok," Conyngham shared in a post on social media platform X.

The team analyzed two samples of DNA — one healthy, and one from Rosie's cancer. He explained that they converted the tumor into DNA data and used it to develop a treatment, with guidance from ChatGPT throughout the process.

After analyzing protein structures linked to cancer, customized mRNA vaccine was designed to target specific mutations in Rosie's tumor. The vaccine was administered to Rosie in December 2025.

Rosie is now showing significant improvement, and the tumor has reportedly shrunk by half. Conyngham was even shocked to see her jump over a fence while chasing a rabbit.

"This represents a breakthrough in personalized medicine," said Professor Páll Thordarson from UNSW. He added that Rosie’s case shows mRNA-based personalized therapies can be effective and applied quickly, with potential lessons for human treatments.

Despite the positive signs, Conyngham remains cautious. “I’m under no illusion that this is a cure, but I do believe this treatment has bought Rosie significantly more time and quality of life.”

He is now working on developing another vaccine to target a remaining tumor. Conyngham also believes that this approach may one day change how some cancers are treated, and is now helping people who are facing the disease with their pet friends.

"A lot of people have been asking if this can be done for their dogs and for people. I'm speaking with everyone involved to see what is possible here," Conyngham wrote on X, asking them to connect personally via a Google form.

Two people have died, including a university student in meningitis outbreak. University of Kent reported an outbreak of "invasive" meningitis. As per a BBC South East report, 11 people from Cantebury area have also been hospitalized and reported to be seriously ill. Most of these patients are of ages between 18 and 21, and a number of them are students at the university.

The people who have died are also between the age 18 and 21. The spokesperson of University of Kent confirmed that one of the two who died was a student at the university.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is contacting the over 30,000 students, staff and their families to inform them of the situation.

Read: What This 19-Year-Old Thought Was 'Freshers' Flu' Actually Turned Out To Be Meningitis

What Is Meningitis?

Meningitis is a serious medical condition that affects the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, the meninges. While fever is not always present, it is usually considered as one of the classic symptoms of meningitis. It is important to know the varied symptoms, causes, and treatments of meningitis for early diagnosis and proper management of the disease.

Meningitis is an infectious illness that brings about inflammation in the meninges. The most common cause of such inflammation is bacterial or viral infections, though other causes are also possible including fungal, parasitic, or non-infectious causes (autoimmune disease, head injury, or brain surgery). Meningitis may be caused by bacterial meningitis, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates can be so severe and bring about conditions like hearing loss, vision problems, and death if not received on time.

Also Read: What Is the Viral Water Stacking Trend?

Does Meningitis Always Cause Fever?

Although fever is a common presentation of meningitis, it is not always present. Certain people, particularly those with compromised immune systems, newborns, or the elderly, can get meningitis without significant temperature elevation. In these instances, other signs such as headache, confusion, or stiff neck can be more suggestive symptoms of the disease.

Fever in meningitis is usually caused by the body's immune reaction to the infection, but some factors can affect its occurrence or absence, such as:

• The nature of meningitis (bacterial, viral, fungal, or non-infectious)
• The immune response of the individual
• Pre-existing health conditions
• The course of the disease

What Are The Common Symptoms Of Meningitis?

Meningitis signs may differ based on the reason and severity of infection. Even though fever is a common symptom, it should also be noted for other vital symptoms, which are:

• Severe headache
• Stiff neck
• Photophobia (sensitivity to light)
• Nausea and vomiting
• Confusion or inability to concentrate
• Fatigue or trouble waking up
• Seizures
• Skin rash (in meningococcal meningitis)

Symptoms in infants can be different and also involve excessive crying, irritability, feeding problems, a bulging soft spot (fontanelle) on the head, and unusual lethargy.