Author: Kaye

Semaglutide tablet (Rybelsus), the first GLP-1RA developed for oral administration, heralds a milestone for diabetes management in the 15 years since the introduction of the first glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA). Rybelsus and its parenteral counterpart, Semaglutide (Ozempic), are approved for use in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) as:  Mono-therapy in patients who are not candidates for metformin or;  Adjunct to other glucose-lowering therapies in patients with inadequate glycemic control. GLP-1RAs are peptide-based incretin mimetics that activate GLP-1 receptors in the pancreas, leading to enhanced insulin release and reduced glucagon secretion in a glucose-dependent manner, with a…

It is estimated that 15% to 20% of women with newly diagnosed breast cancer have tumours that over-express human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). These tumours tend to be more aggressive and are associated with poorer outcomes compared to other subtypes. Assuringly, the advent of targeted anti-HER2 therapies in the 1990s have lead to markedly improved outcomes for these patients. Trastuzumab (Herceptin®) by Roche, was the first anti-HER2 antibody developed and has been studied in adjuvant and neoadjuvant settings for the treatment of HER2 over-expressing breast cancer, demonstrating improvements to key disease endpoints. Its place-in-therapy is cemented in European…

In May 2021, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) approved the use of Romosozumab (Evenity), a novel biologic, for the treatment osteoporosis in postmenopausal women at high risk of fractures. Fragility fractures are common amongst postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, and often result in limitation of ambulation, physical deformity, chronic pain, disability, loss of independence and decreased quality of life. Osteoporotic hip fractures are especially devastating, contributing to 5% of all-cause mortality globally. In Singapore, absolute fracture numbers in women increase by 3.3% annually, leading to an average increase of 46.3 fractures per year. The registry approval of Evenity augments the clinician’s…