Pharmacology News

July 21, 2026

Top Headlines

Scientists Found Mystery Bacteria Inside One of the Ocean’s Most Elusive Whales

July 21, 2026 Scientists studying decades of pygmy sperm whale strandings have uncovered three previously unknown types of Helicobacter bacteria hiding in the animals’ stomachs. All four infected whales showed ...

Alzheimer’s Breakthrough: Scientists Restore Two Hours of Sleep Without Clearing Brain Plaques

July 20, 2026 Researchers have uncovered a surprising culprit behind sleep loss in Alzheimer’s disease: the brain’s own immune cells. In mice with amyloid plaques, overactive microglia triggered inflammation ...

Coffee May Help the Body Fight Stress and Aging Through a Hidden Cellular Switch

July 19, 2026 Scientists may have uncovered one reason coffee is repeatedly associated with healthier aging and lower disease risk. Compounds in coffee appear to activate NR4A1, a receptor that helps protect cells ...

Common Antidepressant May Ease Long COVID’s Crushing Fatigue

July 18, 2026 A low-cost antidepressant may offer new hope for people struggling with long COVID fatigue. In a randomized clinical trial involving 399 adults, fluvoxamine significantly reduced fatigue and improved quality of life compared with a placebo, making ...

Tiny Plastics in Drinking Water May Be Making Dangerous Bacteria Stronger

July 17, 2026 Tiny plastic particles in drinking water may be doing more than contaminating the environment. New research suggests nanoplastics can actually help harmful bacteria survive by strengthening the slimy biofilms they form inside water systems. These ...

Scientists Tested 39 Sweeteners and Found Unexpected Gut Effects

July 17, 2026 A large laboratory study found that many commonly used sweeteners can directly change the growth of gut bacteria. Researchers identified more than 100 cases in which sweeteners behaved differently when combined with medications, caffeine, or ...

Common Constipation Drug May Help Clear Depression Brain Fog

July 15, 2026 An existing constipation drug may have an unexpected new use: helping clear the "brain fog" that often lingers after depression. In a small clinical trial, people with a history of depression who took the medication prucalopride for about a week ...

Chewing Bubble Gum After Beetroot May Help Lower Blood Pressure

July 14, 2026 A new study found that chewing sugary gum after eating nitrate-rich vegetables or drinking beetroot juice helped the body produce more beneficial nitrite, leading to a temporary drop in blood pressure. Researchers hope the discovery will lead to ...

July 14, 2026 Researchers found that semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, slowed biological aging markers in adults with HIV, marking the first clinical evidence that the drug may influence human aging. Although the findings are encouraging, ...

Scientists Discover a Hidden Heart Valve Risk Linked to Gum Disease

July 13, 2026 Researchers found that bacteria linked to gum disease may help drive the development of calcific aortic valve stenosis by triggering inflammation and calcium buildup in the heart valve. The early findings suggest that keeping gums healthy could play ...

Columbia Scientists Discover Surprising Link Between Serotonin and Heart Valve Disease

July 11, 2026 Scientists have uncovered evidence that serotonin, the chemical best known for regulating mood, may also speed the progression of a common heart valve disease in some people. The research suggests ...

Common Blood Pressure Drug Could Make Cancer Therapy Far More Powerful

July 11, 2026 Researchers found that the common blood pressure drug telmisartan can significantly improve the performance of the cancer drug olaparib, potentially expanding its benefits beyond patients with BRCA-related tumors. The combination is already being ...

Latest Headlines

updated 10:03am EDT

Experimental Drug Reverses Severe Fatty Liver Disease by Repairing the Gut

July 11, 2026 An experimental drug called DT-109 reversed severe fatty liver disease in animal studies by repairing the gut and preventing harmful toxins from damaging the liver. The discovery could open the door ...

Why the Human Body Has So Many Design Flaws

July 10, 2026 Many of the body's biggest flaws are the result of evolution building on old designs instead of starting over. Our spine, eyes, teeth, pelvis, and even certain nerves all reveal compromises that ...

Scientists Discover the One Nutrient Beneficial Parasites Can't Live Without

July 10, 2026 A new study found that dietary fiber can determine whether beneficial intestinal worms help reduce inflammation or become essentially inactive. With ...

This Frog Bacterium Wiped out Cancer Tumors in Mice With a Single Dose

July 10, 2026 A naturally occurring bacterium from amphibian intestines completely eliminated colorectal tumors in mice with a single treatment by both attacking cancer cells and activating the immune system. The ...

The Ozempic and Wegovy Mistake Sending Thousands to Poison Control

July 9, 2026 Poison control calls involving semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy) soared after the drug was approved for weight management, with researchers linking the increase to accidental dosing mistakes rather ...

Scientists Finally Crack Nature's Secret for Building Better Cancer Drugs

July 8, 2026 Researchers have cracked the code behind bacteria's ability to naturally manufacture multiple versions of powerful anti-cancer drugs. The discovery could make it much easier to engineer new cancer ...

Creatine Doesn't Just Build Muscle. It May Also Help Fight Cancer

July 8, 2026 Scientists have discovered that creatine may strengthen one of the immune system's most important cancer-fighting pathways by energizing dendritic cells that activate killer T cells. The promising ...

New Weight Loss Pill Beats Oral Ozempic in Major Trial

July 8, 2026 A new once-daily weight-loss pill called orforglipron delivered better weight loss and blood sugar improvements for people with type 2 diabetes than the leading oral semaglutide in a major clinical ...

Scientists Solve a 30-Year Rye Pollen Mystery That Could Transform Cancer Research

July 6, 2026 Scientists have finally solved a nearly 30-year-old mystery surrounding two unusual molecules found in rye pollen that once showed an intriguing ...

Scientists Find the “Achilles’ Heel” of Deadly Gut Bacteria

July 5, 2026 Researchers discovered an “Achilles’ heel” shared by E. coli, Shigella, and other diarrhea-causing bacteria: enzymes they use to breach the gut’s protective mucus layer. By targeting this ...

Scientists May Have Finally Found How Alzheimer's Spreads Through the Brain

June 30, 2026 A common brain protein may be giving Alzheimer’s disease an unexpected way to spread, carrying toxic Tau proteins from damaged neurons into healthy ones. By blocking these harmful protein packages ...

New Calculator Reveals Whether You Should Really Worry About Statin Side Effects

June 30, 2026 Scientists at the University of Oxford have created a calculator that predicts a person's individual risk of serious muscle disorders from statin medications. Their analysis found that more than ...

USC Scientists Just Unlocked an Endless Supply of Cancer-Fighting Immune Cells

June 29, 2026 A new stem-cell-inspired technique allows scientists to grow vast numbers of immune-cell progenitors that can be engineered to hunt cancer and strengthen immune responses. In animal studies, the ...

This Emerging Treatment Is Helping People Avoid Knee Replacement Surgery

June 22, 2026 A minimally invasive treatment called GAE is helping people with chronic knee pain get back to gardening, cycling, and other activities without undergoing knee replacement surgery. Early studies ...

Ozempic Changed Obesity Treatment, but Experts Say the Real Revolution Is Next

June 20, 2026 The obesity treatment landscape is changing fast, with GLP-1 drugs opening the door to more effective care than ever before. Experts now envision a future where medications, minimally invasive ...

Ozempic and Wegovy Linked to Surprising Drop in Violent Behavior

June 17, 2026 A Rutgers study suggests GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy may weaken the link between impulsive tendencies and violent behavior. The surprising finding hints that these medications could affect ...

A Surprising Discovery Reveals the Kidney Has a Secret Backup System

June 17, 2026 Scientists at Mayo Clinic have uncovered a surprising new way the kidneys conserve water, revealing a hidden backup system that works independently of the hormone long believed to control the ...

New Procedure Delivers Lasting Knee Arthritis Pain Relief Without Surgery

June 17, 2026 A minimally invasive treatment that blocks inflammation-driving blood vessels in the knee provided significant pain relief and improved function for osteoarthritis patients, with benefits lasting at ...

Most People Who Stop GLP-1 Drugs Like Ozempic Eventually Return

June 16, 2026 Many people prescribed GLP-1 drugs for type 2 diabetes (such as Victoza, Ozempic, or tirzepatide) stop taking them, but a surprising number later return to treatment. Researchers found that newer ...

Semaglutide (Ozempic) Linked to Fewer Bone Fractures Despite Greater Weight Loss

June 16, 2026 A large real-world study suggests semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus) may offer an unexpected bonus for people with type 2 diabetes: stronger protection against bone fractures while delivering ...

Copper Drug Clears Toxic Alzheimer’s Proteins and Restores Memory

June 15, 2026 A copper-based compound restored the brain’s ability to clear toxic Alzheimer’s proteins, dramatically reducing amyloid buildup and improving memory in laboratory experiments. The findings point ...

People Taking GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs Like Ozempic Started Moving Less

June 14, 2026 People taking popular weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound may be losing pounds, but they could also be moving less. Researchers analyzing Fitbit data found that daily ...

New Fentanyl Vaccine Blocks Deadly Overdoses Before They Start

June 13, 2026 A new experimental vaccine developed by Scripps Research could offer a powerful new way to prevent fentanyl overdoses by stopping the drug before it reaches the brain. Rather than targeting only ...

Butter and Margarine Look Similar but Their Chemistry Changes Everything

June 26, 2026 The battle between butter and margarine comes down to chemistry. Butter’s naturally occurring fats create rich flavors, golden browning, and flaky baked goods, while margarine’s modified plant ...

New GLP-1 Diabetes Pill Delivers Major Weight Loss and Blood Sugar Control

June 15, 2026 A new oral GLP-1 medication helped people with type 2 diabetes dramatically improve blood sugar control and lose weight in a major clinical trial. The results suggest that highly effective diabetes ...

Scientists Found a New Alzheimer’s Trigger and a Drug That Stops It

June 8, 2026 Researchers have identified a new Alzheimer’s target and created an experimental compound that blocks a damaging process inside brain cells. In mice, the treatment slowed nerve cell loss, reduced ...

June 6, 2026 A large study found that women taking GLP-1 drugs, the medication class behind Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound, were about 30% less likely to develop breast cancer. Researchers say the ...

Scientists Finally Crack an “undruggable” Pancreatic Cancer Target and Nearly Double Survival

June 4, 2026 For decades, pancreatic cancer has been one of the most lethal cancers, with few effective treatment options. A new drug, daraxonrasib, targets the KRAS mutation that fuels most pancreatic ...

This Tomato-Soy Juice Reduced Inflammation in Just Four Weeks

May 30, 2026 A specially formulated tomato-soy juice packed with natural plant compounds may help calm inflammation linked to obesity, according to a new clinical study. Healthy adults with obesity who drank the ...

Scientists Say Guava Juice Could Make Iron Supplements Work Better

May 27, 2026 Researchers found that drinking guava juice may significantly improve anemia by helping the body absorb iron more efficiently. In a review of 17 studies, women and teenage girls who consumed guava ...