A research team from the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), has found that long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics provide better treatment outcomes than oral antipsychotic medications for patients aged 65 and above with schizophrenia. Among this group, LAI antipsychotics were found to reduce relapse-related hospital admissions by 29% and all-cause mortality by 77% compared to oral antipsychotics. In people with bipolar disorder, relapse-related hospital admissions were reduced by 33%. Both studies highlight the potential value of LAI antipsychotics, particularly second-generation formulations, in improving long‑term stability, especially in patients with poor medication adherence. Benefits were optimised when LAI antipsychotics were used in the earlier stage of the illness. The findings were published in The Lancet Psychiatry and The American Journal of Psychiatry respectively. 

A Concordia University survey of over 15,000 people in 81 countries reveals why single-use plastic water bottles remain popular despite known health risks. Researchers identified three consumer types—driven by convenience, advertising, or limited access to safe drinking water—shaped by age, education, and infrastructure. The findings, published in Journal of Cleaner Production, could help policymakers craft more targeted strategies to curb plastic bottle reliance.

A  study published in Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy detects increased levels of the active form of meprin-β in advanced stages of the disease and of its messenger RNA in intermediate stages.

The researchers also observe increased levels of the protein when human neurons are exposed to beta-amyloid, pointing to a possible relationship between the two processes.

The Asia-Pacific region accounts for a larger share of the hepatitis B burden than any other regions of the world, presenting a challenge to meeting the World Health Organization (WHO) 2030 elimination targets. In this study, we aimed to quantify the burden of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and project its trends through 2030 using the Global Burden of Disease 2023 framework, thereby identifying gaps and priorities for the Asia-Pacific region to achieve WHO 2030 targets.

A new review study in the Journal of Medical Internet Research published by JMIR Publications shows that adapting existing language models is the key to ensuring they can safely and effectively assist with clinical diagnoses, patient triaging, and treatment planning in real-world health care settings.

Biomedical researchers at Texas A&M University’s College of Engineering and the University of São Paulo have developed dissolvable microneedles, each only a few times wider than a human hair, that can deliver therapeutic drugs and redistribute light beneath the skin, offering a practically painless, scar-free alternative to invasive surgery and a new path to treating skin cancer and other light-responsive conditions.

An Osaka Metropolitan University-led research team investigated the prevalence and characteristics of mcr-positive Enterobacteriaceae in retail meat in Thailand following the national ban on prophylactic colistin use in food producing animals.