An experimental treatment happens to be the solution to delay Alzheimer's symptoms in some people. These people are the ones who are genetically destined to get the disease in their 40s or 50s. These new findings form ongoing research has now been caught up in Trump administration funding delas. The early results of the study has been published on Wednesday and the participants too are worried that politics could cut their access to a possible lifeline.

One of the participants had said, "It is still a study but it has given me an extension to my life that I never banked on having." The participant is named Jake Henrichs, form New York City, who is 50 years old. He is one of them to be treated in that study for more than a decade now and has remained symptom-free despite inheriting an Alzheimer's-causing gene that had killed his father and brother around the same age.

Slowing Down The Symptoms

Two drugs which can modestly slow down early-stage Alzheimer's are sold in the United States. These drugs clear the brain of one of its hallmarks, a sticky gunk-like part called the amyloid. However, there have not been any hints that removing amyloid far earlier, way many years before the first symptoms appear, may postpone the disease.

How Was The Research Conducted?

The research is led by Washington University in St Louis, which involved families that passed down rare gene mutation as participants. This meant it was almost guaranteed that they will develop symptoms at the same age their affected relatives did.

The new findings is based on a subset of 22 participants who received amyloid-removing drugs the longest, on average eight years. Long-term amyloid removal cut in half their risk of symptom onset. The study is published in the journal Lancet Neurology.

Washington University's Dr Randall Bateman, who directs the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer's Network of studies involving families with these rare genes says, "What we want to determine over the next five years is how strong is the protection. Will they ever get the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease if we keep treating them?”

The researchers before though did not know what exactly caused Alzheimer's which affects nearly 7 million Americans, most of them in their later life. However, it is clear that these silent changes occur in the brain at least two decades before the first symptom shows up. The big contributor. At some point amyloid buildup can trigger a protein named tau that then starts to kill neurons, which can lead to cognitive decline.

Researchers are now thus studying the Tau-fighting drugs and are looking into other factors, like inflammation, brain's immune cells and certain virus.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) has expanded its focus as researchers have found more reasons for Alzheimer's. In 2013, the NIH's National Institute on Aging funded 14 trials of possible Alzheimer's drugs over a third targeting amyloid. By last fall, there were 68 drugs and 18% of them target amyloid. However, there are scientists too who think that amyloid is not everything and their is way more in the brain tissue, immune cells, and more which can be studied.

Men in the UK could face limited access to prostate cancer testing under updated guidance that gives GPs authority to decide if some men without symptoms should receive a PSA blood test.

The development comes after the UK Government rejected calls for routine prostate cancer screening for all men. It instead backed a targeted approach in which those at highest genetic risk would be considered first.

Why Is The UK Changing Prostate Cancer Testing Guidance?

Under existing NHS guidance, men aged 50 and over can request a PSA test after discussing the benefits and limitations with their GP.

The new guidance states that the decision to authorise PSA testing ultimately rests with the doctor. Recent reports suggested that the policy has sparked criticism from cancer charities and campaigners.

Regardless, a PSA test can find prostate cancer, but it cannot reliably tell doctors which cancers are dangerous and which may be manageable with treatment.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) concluded in May that routine screening of the whole male population could do more harm than good.

It said that for every 1,000 men aged 50 to 60 screened using PSA, up to two lives could be saved, but as many as 20 men could experience overdiagnosis.

Also read: Prostate Cancer: NHS England's New Precision Radiotherapy Offers Hope In Just 5 Sessions

Who Will Be Eligible For Regular Screening?

The UK NSC has recommended targeted screening every two years for a much smaller group who are more likely to get prostate cancer. It includes men in the age group of 45 to 61 who have a BRCA2 gene variant and a family history of breast, ovarian, pancreatic or prostate cancer.

Importantly, the committee did not recommend targeted screening for other groups at higher risk, including Black men or men with a family history but no BRCA2 variant. It said that more evidence is needed to take a call on those matters.

What Is A PSA Test?

PSA, or prostate-specific antigen, is a protein produced by prostate cells. Higher levels can be associated with prostate cancer. But they can also increase because of non-cancerous prostate enlargement or inflammation.

This means screening can produce false alarms and lead to biopsies or treatment that some men may never need. Cancer Research UK says PSA testing may also fail to detect some prostate cancers.

Also read: Testicular Cancer Warning: Be Vigilant About These Unnoticeable Signs, Doctor Warns

Why Are Black Men Ineligible Despite Being In Higher Risk Group?

Black men have a substantially higher risk of developing and dying from prostate cancer, but the UK NSC said there is currently insufficient evidence to establish whether routine screening of Black men would help.

At the same time, the UK Government has expanded access for Black men to the TRANSFORM prostate cancer screening trial, which is designed to find a better way of detecting clinically significant prostate cancer.

The change does not mean PSA testing is being banned. Men with symptoms or particular risk factors can still be assessed by their GP, and doctors can request testing when it is clinically appropriate.

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is expanding at a rapid pace. According to a senior United Nations humanitarian official, the virus now estimated to be claiming one life every 30 minutes.

Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, issued the warning on August 14, calling for urgent international response as the outbreak continues to overwhelm communities and health systems in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“The outbreak is the fastest growing on record,” Fletcher said, according to reports, urging the international community to step up support.

The latest warning comes as the outbreak has crossed a grim milestone. According to Reuters, DRC had recorded 4,449 confirmed Ebola cases and 2,061 deaths as of August 11.

What Makes It One Of The Most Rapidly Spreading Ebola Outbreaks?

The outbreak was officially declared in mid-May, but WHO has since found evidence that transmission may have started months earlier. Early patients were reportedly misdiagnosed with illnesses such as malaria or typhoid, allowing the virus to spread before Ebola was identified.

Currently, the virus has also moved far beyond its epicentre in Ituri province. WHO reported in July that cases had spread across five provinces and 46 health zones, with the outbreak concentrated in Ituri but also affecting North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele and Tshopo.

More recent reporting indicates that the outbreak has now reached a sixth province, while more than 2,100 deaths have been reported.

Also read: Ebola 2026 Outbreak Spreading Faster Than Any Before, On Track To Become Deadliest: WHO Chief

DRC Ebola Outbreak Is Challenging To Contain

Apart from an overwhelmed healthcare system, conflict, uncontrolled population displacement, poor infrastructure, lack of protective equipment and mistrust of health authorities are making it harder for health workers to identify contacts and reach patients. Health workers have also gone on strike due to nonpayment of wages, which has further weakened the response.

Reports suggested that 60% to 70% of newly detected infections are occurring outside known contact chains, a crucial sign that indicates contact tracing is struggling to keep up with transmission.

Vaccine For Bundibugyo Ebola Strain

Also read: Ebola Death Toll Tops 2,000 In DRC: New Study Reveals Likely Source Of Bundibugyo Virus Outbreak

The widely used Ervebo vaccine targets the Zaire variant of Ebola, not Bundibugyo virus. WHO says there is currently no licensed vaccine or specific treatment for Bundibugyo virus, although several candidates are now being investigated.

WHO experts have recently recommended a clinical trial to determine whether Ervebo could provide some protection against Bundibugyo, after encouraging results in animal studies.

Meanwhile, clinical trials of potential vaccines and treatments are underway in affected areas.

Progress Made

Despite the challenges, WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said significant progress has been made towards containing and eradicating the virus. It includes:

• More than 21,000 community health workers have been trained.
• Treatment centres, safe burial teams, laboratories and community engagement teams are operating across the affected provinces, reaching hundreds of thousands of people.
• A total of 886 patients have recovered, even without specific therapeutics and vaccines, which are progressing through trials.
• For the first time, two vaccines specifically designed against Bundibugyo virus have entered Phase 1 safety trials in humans.
• Two new animal studies of a vaccine against Zaire ebolavirus — the more common species — have shown promising evidence of cross-protection in animals, Tedros said.

Kenya recently approved seven semaglutide-based drugs, expanding access to a class of drugs that has rapidly moved from diabetes treatment to one of the most talked-about weight-management therapies.

The Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) said the medicines were assessed by regulatory authorities for quality, safety, and effectiveness. The move adds new options as demand for GLP-1 drugs continues to rise in the country.

Kenya Approves New Semaglutide-Based Medicines

Kenya already had Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy in the market. The five newly registered generic semaglutide products have been approved for treating and managing type 2 diabetes. A generic product called Truglyx was also launched in Nairobi in July.

An important thing to remember considering using these drugs is that even though they have the same active ingredient, it does not mean these medicines can be used interchangeably.

“While these products contain the same active ingredient, their approved uses are not necessarily interchangeable and must be understood with reference to the indication approved for each product,” PPB Chief Executive Officer Dr Ahmed Mohamed said.

Ozempic And Wegovy Cannot Be Used Interchangeably

Also read: GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro Tied To Over 60 Reported Deaths In Australia

Although Ozempic and Wegovy contain the same active ingredient, they are not simply two names for the same treatment.

Ozempic is approved for adults with type 2 diabetes whose blood sugar is not adequately controlled, alongside diet and physical activity.

Wegovy is intended to be used for weight management in adults with a high BMI, alongside diet and exercise.

That is why the PPB has warned patients against assuming that all semaglutide products can be substituted for one another.

“While these products contain the same active ingredient, their approved uses are not necessarily interchangeable,” PPB Chief Executive Officer Dr Ahmed Mohamed said.

The regulator has also stressed that semaglutide medicines are prescription-only drugs and should be used only after assessment and prescription by a qualified healthcare professional.

Semaglutide Drugs Have Become Increasingly Popular

Also read: UK Woman Dies After Sudden Abdominal Pain Following Increase In Her Mounjaro Dose

The drugs have become popular for their ability to reduce appetite and help lose weight. But the effects of these drugs extend way beyond the weighing scale.

A 2026 analysis of the SELECT trial found semaglutide was associated with fewer hospital admissions and shorter hospital stays among people with overweight or obesity and cardiovascular disease who did not have diabetes.

At the same time, the rapid expansion of the market means there will be more competition. South Africa’s regulator was reviewing 12 generic semaglutide applications in July after patent expiry opened the door to generic competition.

Brazil also approved five new injectable semaglutide medicines last month, showing that manufacturers are rapidly responding to growing demand of GLP-1 drugs.

Are GLP-1 Drugs Completely Safe?

Just as GLP-1 medicines are steadily gaining popularity, reports emerged stating that semaglutide had the highest number of reported deaths with suspected associations, followed by Tirzepatide, Liraglutide and Dulaglutide.

62 deaths in Australia have been reported to the medicines regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), with suspected associations with GLP-1 medicines, including Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro.

The TGA has also received reports of nearly 3,000 serious adverse events involving these medicines, which are used by hundreds of thousands of Australians, The Herald Sun reported.

Reported adverse reactions include nausea, pancreatitis, suicidal thoughts and a rare eye condition that can cause blindness.