Have you ever gotten a song stuck in your head that you can’t seem to get out? (Odds suggest you have). Research by James Kellaris indicates that 98% of people experience “stuck song syndrome,” scientifically referred to as an “earworm.” For a subset of lucky individuals, experiencing an earworm is regarded as a positive or …
Kybella (Deoxycholic acid) is an injectable medication engineered by Kythera Biopharmaceuticals and approved by the FDA in April 2015 for the management of moderate-to-severe submental fat (fat beneath the chin) in adults. Reducing the appearance of a protruding “double chin” with Kybella entails visiting a medical professional to receive a series of subcutaneous [deoxycholic acid] …
Buspar (Buspirone) is a drug of the azapirone chemical classification that was engineered and patented in the 1970s by Mead Johnson. It was later acquired by the pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb and approved by the FDA in 1986 for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). What’s unique about buspirone compared to other anxiolytics such …
Hyperthermia is defined as supraphysiological body temperature resulting from absorption and/or production of more heat than is dispelled. Medically, local hyperthermia is often used as an adjunct to radiation and/or chemotherapy for the treatment of cancers. It is thought that deliberate induction of hyperthermia to a cancerous region of the body increases the sensitivity of …
Belviq (Lorcaserin) is an anorectic medication manufactured by Arena Pharmaceuticals for the long-term management of obesity. As of 2012, the FDA approved lorcaserin to promote weight loss in adults with: BMIs exceeding 30 or BMIs exceeding 27 plus [at least] one weight-related medical comorbidity such as diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and/or hypertension. Upon administration, lorcaserin functions primarily …
Pindolol is a beta blocker initially synthesized by the pharmaceutical company Sandoz in the 1960s. As of 1977 it received FDA approval for the management of hypertension and was sold under the brand name “Visken.” Pharmacologically, pindolol acts as a non-selective beta blocker, meaning it competitively binds to all 3 beta-adrenergic receptor sites (Beta-1, Beta-2, …
Phentermine is a sympathomimetic amine [derived from amphetamine] initially approved by the FDA in 1959 for the treatment of obesity. Its usage in the treatment of obesity was considered ideal due to the fact that phentermine suppressed appetite through central modulation of norepinephrine, and peripherally mobilized fat stores through catecholaminergic upregulation. That said, in the …