Science Archives - IKON Malaysia

Roche Launches First-in-Human Clinical Trial in Malaysia for Innovative Drug Targeting Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

4Jan

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Science

Roche Launches First-in-Human Clinical Trial in Malaysia for Innovative Drug Targeting Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Roche Pharmaceutical, a global pharmaceutical leader, has marked a groundbreaking moment by selecting Malaysia as the location for its First-in-Human (FIH) trials focused on a rheumatology indication. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad highlighted this significant achievement during the Clinical Research Excellence in Early Phase and People Development event. Dzulkefly emphasized the acknowledgment of Malaysia's clinical trial capabilities by a multinational healthcare giant, stating, "Malaysia’s clinical trial ecosystem has developed rapidly, with over 2,300 sponsored clinical research conducted since the establishment of Clinical Research Malaysia (CRM) in 2012." The FIH trial, centered around an experimental drug for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), will be con...

Researchers Discover 15 Everyday Factors That Increase Early Dementia Risk

3Jan

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Science

Researchers Discover 15 Everyday Factors That Increase Early Dementia Risk

Early-onset dementia before age 65 has long been blamed on genetics alone. But groundbreaking new research reveals it's not just genes at play. A team of scientists has identified 15 lifestyle and environmental factors that can significantly raise one's risk of developing dementia early in life. The study, published in JAMA Neurology, analyzed health data from over 350,000 participants under 65 in the UK Biobank. It highlights influences like alcohol use disorder, hearing loss, social isolation, depression, diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. According to the researchers, these factors point to new prevention strategies beyond genetic screening. As Dr. Stevie Hendriks of Maastricht University explains, "Young-onset dementia has a serious impact because people affected are still...

$10 Billion Dispute Emerges Over Sunken 300-Year-Old Warship, Home to Potentially Largest Maritime Treasure

10Nov

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Science

$10 Billion Dispute Emerges Over Sunken 300-Year-Old Warship, Home to Potentially Largest Maritime Treasure

A centuries-old Spanish warship, resting untouched at the ocean's depths for nearly three hundred years, has ignited a modern-day legal showdown over the rightful owners of its invaluable antique riches, estimated to be worth billions of dollars. According to an October legal filing by the government of Colombia, the San José galleon, which met its fate off the coast of Cartagena in 1708, held "the biggest treasure in the history of humanity." Now, over three centuries after the San José's tragic demise, a US salvage company is pursuing legal action against the Colombian government, demanding a share of the ship's treasures, asserting that they were the first to locate the wreck back in 1981. When the San José was lost in a clash with the British in 1708, it was transporting ...

PAC Report Reveals RM505 Million Loss Due to 8.5 Million Expired Covid-19 Vaccine Doses

1Nov

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Business, Science

PAC Report Reveals RM505 Million Loss Due to 8.5 Million Expired Covid-19 Vaccine Doses

In a recently released report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) concerning the management of the Covid-19 outbreak, it was disclosed that 8.5 million Covid-19 vaccine doses, amounting to a total of RM505 million, had expired. The report, which was published on the official Parliament website, highlighted that while the expiration date for these vaccines had been extended up to 18 months from the production date, as of June 1, 2023, 8.5 million doses had still expired. This significant loss resulted from the Ministry of Health (MOH) procuring vaccines based on projected demand, which led to an oversupply due to a drop in vaccination demand, delays in receiving vaccine supplies, and donations from foreign countries. By April 2022, Malaysia had received a total of 82.85 mil...

Major Breakthrough in Cervical Cancer Treatment Celebrated as the Most Significant in Two Decades

25Oct

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Science, Women’s Corner

Major Breakthrough in Cervical Cancer Treatment Celebrated as the Most Significant in Two Decades

A groundbreaking development in the treatment of cervical cancer has emerged, with scientists hailing it as the most significant breakthrough in two decades. Their approach involves administering a course of affordable existing drugs before standard radiotherapy treatment. During the ESMO medical conference, trial results were unveiled, indicating that this approach reduced the risk of women dying from cervical cancer or experiencing a cancer recurrence by 35%. Cancer Research UK, which financed the research, described the results as "remarkable" and anticipates that medical clinics will soon adopt this treatment protocol for patients. Cervical cancer affects numerous women annually, particularly those in their early 30s, in the UK. Despite improvements in radiotherapy care, can...

Maryland Man Shows Progress After Historic Pig Heart Transplant

24Oct

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Science

Maryland Man Shows Progress After Historic Pig Heart Transplant

A month after receiving a groundbreaking pig heart transplant, Maryland resident Lawrence Faucette, who was ineligible for a traditional heart transplant due to heart failure, is making strides in his recovery. Doctors at the University of Maryland School of Medicine performed the experimental surgery, offering Faucette a chance at life. In a recently released hospital video, physical therapist Chris Wells can be seen encouraging Faucette in his recovery efforts. The footage shows the 58-year-old patient undergoing a pedaling exercise to regain strength, with Faucette displaying determination and resilience. Notably, this is the second attempt at a pig-to-human heart transplant, with the first ending in tragedy when the recipient, David Bennett, survived only two months. Some si...

Frank Rubio, first U.S. astronaut to spend 365 days in space

29Sep

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Science, The IKON

Frank Rubio, first U.S. astronaut to spend 365 days in space

Frank Rubio. Credit: NASA Frank Rubio becomes the first U.S. astronaut to spend one year in space. Others have gotten close, but only four other people—all Russians—have ever reached the 365-day milestone. Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin, two additional Russians, have been added to the list in addition to Rubio. Expedition 68 cosmonaut Dmitri Petelin of Roscosmos, left, Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos, and Frank Rubio of NASA. Photo Credit: NASA The trio arrived on Soyuz MS-22 last year and were forced to remain an additional six months after the spacecraft had a technical malfunction and had to be replaced, causing a modification in the crew rotation timetable. He returned to Earth on September 27 with Prokopyev and Petelin. Speaking to reporters, their extra days in...

27Sep

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Environment, Science

World’s largest flower risks extinction

Most species of the famously large Rafflesia flower, which has long captured the imagination with its enormous speckled red petals, are now at risk of extinction, new research warned last Wednesday. Rafflesia is actually a parasite and lives on tropical vines across parts of South-East Asia, producing blooms that are among the largest in the world. It is something of an enigma, with its flowers emerging unpredictably, and botanists have had limited success propagating it outside its natural environment. One species of the flower is currently classed as “critically endangered”, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). To better understand the plant and its conservation status, an international group of botanists examined 42 known Rafflesia specie...