FDA OKs Octreotide Capsules; COVID-19 Damages Endocrine System

The FDA approved octreotide (Mycapssa) capsules for long-term maintenance of acromegaly in those already treated with octreotide or lanreotide, Chiasma announced.

Certain medication and medical devices may inadvertently expose patients to harmful endocrine-disrupting chemicals, argued authors of an Invited Perspective in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. "In order to provide ethically sound medical care, the health care community must be made aware of these risks, manufacturers must strive to identify and eliminate endocrine-disrupting chemicals from their products, and patients must be empowered with knowledge and options to make informed decisions that limit their exposure to potentially harmful chemicals," author Robert Sargis, MD, PhD, of the University of Illinois at Chicago, said in a statement.

Uneven access to costly insulin among racial and ethnic minorities is just one example of the many disparities in healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic. (The Hill)

Another harmful effect of COVID-19? Damage to the endocrine system, causing worsening of certain endocrine conditions, according to a mini review of the literature. "The virus that causes COVID-19 -- SARS-CoV-2 -- binds to the ACE2 receptor, a protein which is expressed in many tissues. This allows the virus to enter endocrine cells and cause the mayhem associated with the disease," said study author Noel Pratheepan Somasundaram, MD, of the National Hospital of Sri Lanka, in a statement. (Journal of the Endocrine Society)

Treat all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals as a class and avoid whenever possible, researchers urged in Environmental Science & Technology Letters. "By avoiding the entire class of PFAS, we can avoid further rounds of replacing a banned substance with a chemical cousin which is also later banned," said study author Tom Bruton, PhD, of the Green Science Policy Institute.

A new phase III trial found that the Cushing's disease treatment osilodrostat (Isturisa) was effective at sustaining normal mean urinary free cortisol over 36 weeks, Recordati Rare Diseases announced. The treatment was FDA approved in March for patients ineligible or who weren't cured with pituitary surgery.

A new "ultra-rapid" insulin formulation studied in pigs with diabetes worked twice as fast as insulin options currently on the market. (Science Translational Medicine)

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