Author: Emma

Migraine headache is a complex neurobiological disorder that is debilitating for many of its sufferers. Despite its long history, it remains an unmet medical need that is often inadequately recognized and undertreated. Current treatment options are centered on aborting acute episodes, as well preventive treatments to minimize the frequency of the migraine attacks. Developments in migraine studies have now established that the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) appears to have a central role in migraine pathogenesis through both peripheral and central mechanisms. Research has found that CGRP is released during migraine attacks and may trigger migraine in patients.  This article sheds…

Migraines – A true pain to treat Migraine is a complex neurobiological disorder that has been recognised since antiquity. Its core features include a throbbing and often unilateral headache that is exacerbated on movement, with associated features of nausea and sensitivity to light and sound. Migraine sufferers commonly report visual, sensory or language disturbances that comprise the aura phase just preceding the migraine headache. Developments in migraine studies have now established that the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) appears to have a central role in migraine pathogenesis through both peripheral and central mechanisms. Research has found that CGRP is released during…

Hypercholesterolemia is well-established major risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), along with others including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, obesity and metabolic syndrome.  While statin therapy remains the cornerstone for primary and secondary prevention of ASCVD, studies have suggested >70% patients with established ASCVD do not reach target low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, with poor adherence associated with increased risks for CVD. There have also been observations of an unmet clinical need in local patients who are not achieving target lipid goals despite effective statin therapy, with hypotheses of varied responses of Asian patients to statin therapy as…

Hot on the heels of sotrovimab, the Health Science’s Authority  (HSA) has granted pandemic special access route (PSAR) interim authorization to another monoclonal antibody therapeutic for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 – casirivimab and imdevimab , coformulated and marketed as REGEN-COV. The drug cocktail is developed by Regeneron and Roche. In the past month, COVID-19 has seen a resurgence in the local population, despite it having achieved target vaccination rates. At the time of this writing, 1288 COVID-19 cases were warded in local hospitals in Singapore. Statistics over the preceding 28 days of this report revealed that of…

As the COVID-19 pandemic enters into its 18-month mark, the global race for novel therapeutics blazes on, with international guidelines being updated to include new therapeutic agents by the flurried month. Relative to other countries, the face of the pandemic locally has had less worrisome features in Singapore. Today, local data reports 2,014 active COVID-19 cases, with 548 hospitalized and only 7 patients requiring care in intensive care units. These numbers suggest overall that the vast majority of infections are mild. To date, the pandemic has claimed 42 lives locally out of a total of more than 65,000 reported cases,…