Drug development

In a breakthrough study, researchers have found that the world's most common type of arthritis – osteoarthritis (OA) – actually has a single core driver with clean-cut molecular pathways. It paves the way for much better treatment.

The US has broken a two-decade drought with the Food and Drug Administration adding bemotrizinol to the list of approved active ingredients that can be used in sunscreen, paving the way for more effective protection from ultraviolet radiation.

The US has its first and only oral COVID-19 post-exposure prophylaxis on its way, after a Phase III trial of the drug ensitrelvir met its goals needed for US Drug and Food Administration approval. It dramatically reduces spread from close contacts.

Nitrous oxide, known as laughing gas, has shown rapid antidepressant effects in people with depression, with symptoms easing within hours of inhaling it. The treatment involves breathing in a mix of nitrous oxide and oxygen for up to an hour.

For the first time, scientists have identified ancient cannabis enzymes dating back millions of years – and discovered they were more efficient at producing the plant’s bioactive compounds like THC and CBD. The team then resurrected them in the lab.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first intranasal diuretic for heart, liver and kidney disease patients, aiming to prevent a common and costly issue that results in more than a million hospitalizations each year.

A new drug candidate could become a first-in-class medication, after impressive results in a mid-stage clinical trial for drug-resistant epilepsy. It now moves to Phase 3 trials, raising hope for people who suffer seizures despite being on medication.

Australia's embattled koalas have been given some good news for once, with the approval of the world's first chlamydia vaccine. More than a decade in the making, a single jab will now protect koalas from the disease decimating their populations.

A new drug that significantly lowers "stubborn" blood pressure is on the horizon, following the results of its Phase III clinical trial. The drug, called baxdrostat, is being hailed as the most promising advance in hypertension management in decades.

The FDA has approved a new version of an Alzheimer’s disease drug that can be given as a quick at-home weekly injection, offering patients a more convenient option than lengthy infusion-center visits. It will be widely available from October 6, 2025.

This year a clinical trial will test a drug combination designed to bring lasting relief for people with panic disorder – a condition that can upend daily life and be notoriously difficult to treat. No new medications have been approved since 2003.

People with fibromyalgia will soon have access to a new drug that treats the chronic pain condition's most elusive trigger: Poor sleep. Tonmya, a non-opioid under-the-tongue tablet, is the first FDA-approved drug for fibromyalgia in more than 15 years.