Brepocitinib, a novel oral TYK2/JAK1 inhibitor, demonstrated significant clinical efficacy in the phase 3 VALOR trial for dermatomyositis, achieving superior improvement scores, higher remission rates and meaningful reductions in corticosteroid use compared with placebo. Rapid improvements in itch, muscle strength and quality of life were observed, with a favorable safety profile and no increase in major adverse events such as thrombosis or malignancy. These findings mark a major advancement in targeted therapy for this difficult-to-treat autoimmune disease.

Recent empirical studies reveal that unregulated celebrity and influencer alcohol promotions on social media routinely bypass age restrictions, exposing millions of underage users to subtle drinking cues. This digital marketing leverages parasocial relationships and perceived authenticity, significantly increasing young adults’ immediate intentions to consume alcohol and prompting calls for stricter algorithmic regulation.

A pre-specified subgroup analysis of the VESALIUS-CV trial demonstrates that the PCSK9 inhibitor evolocumab significantly reduces major adverse cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality in high-risk patients with diabetes who do not have established atherosclerosis, supporting earlier and more intensive lipid-lowering therapy.

A retrospective cohort study from UCLA reveals that the sustained use of medications for alcohol use disorder (MAUD) for three months or longer is associated with significantly improved 1-year and 3-year survival rates among patients with severe alcohol-related liver disease undergoing transplant evaluation.

Updated results from the phase 1/2 Beamion LUNG-1 study, presented at the European Lung Cancer Congress, show that the HER2-targeted therapy zongertinib achieved a 76% objective response rate and a median progression-free survival of 14.4 months as a first-line treatment for advanced HER2-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

The MetALD-ALD Prediction Index (MAPI) is a validated diagnostic tool that utilizes five routine biomarkers (sex, MCV, GGT, HDL, HbA1c) to distinguish metabolic from alcohol-associated steatotic liver disease, bypassing the unreliability of patient self-reporting. Achieving ~76% diagnostic accuracy across international cohorts, MAPI establishes cost-effective triage cutoffs: a score $\le$ 0.09 effectively rules out significant alcohol involvement (94% NPV), while a score $\ge$ 0.33 identifies high-risk patients requiring confirmatory PEth testing.

Discontinuing SSRIs or SNRIs during pregnancy was associated with nearly double the risk of mental health emergencies, according to a cross-sectional analysis of 3,983 women. While prepregnancy psychiatric visit rates were similar between groups, antidepressant discontinuation was linked to significantly higher emergency department visits for psychiatric indications, particularly during the first and ninth months of pregnancy. These findings highlight the maternal risks of routine antidepressant discontinuation and reinforce the importance of individualized risk–benefit counseling during pregnancy.

A large UK Biobank analysis found that higher serum vitamin D levels were associated with a lower risk of hospitalization for respiratory tract infections, while severe deficiency increased risk. Although causality remains unproven, the findings position vitamin D status as a potentially modifiable factor in preventive health strategies.

Statin Therapy and Risk of Acute Exacerbations in Adults With Mild Asthma Background     Statins, widely prescribed for cardiovascular disease prevention, exhibit pleiotropic effects that extend beyond lipid lowering. …