Becky McCall

South East District

Medical Journalist at Freelance

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Articles

Drug Slows Progression of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis

3 days ago | medscape.com | Becky McCall

AMSTERDAM — Norucholic acid (NCA), an investigational therapy, demonstrated significant superiority over placebo in halting disease progression in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), meeting the primary efficacy endpoint in a phase 3 trial presented on May 10 at the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Congress 2025.
AI in Liver Care Needs Vigilance and Tailoring to Population

3 days ago | medscape.com | Becky McCall

AMSTERDAM — As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly embedded within healthcare, including liver care, it will be essential to tailor AI to the local population and ensure regular model monitoring to ensure both effective and safe outcomes for patients. Ashley Spann, MD, is a transplant hepatologist interested in developing informatics and AI to optimize outcomes in liver disease, including transplantation, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
Tirzepatide Tops Semaglutide for Weight Loss

3 days ago | medscape.com | Becky McCall

MÁLAGA, Spain — In the first head-to-head trial of its kind, tirzepatide (Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes and Zepbound for obesity; Eli Lilly) produced significantly greater weight loss, and reduction in waist circumference, than semaglutide (Ozempic for type 2 diabetes and Wegovy for weight loss; Novo Nordisk) in adults with obesity but without type 2 diabetes over 72 weeks in the SURMOUNT-5 trial.
Efruxifermin Shows Fibrosis Reduction in MASH Cirrhosis

5 days ago | ourcommunitynow.com | Becky McCall

Share AMSTERDAM — A once daily, 50 mg dose of efruxifermin reduced fibrosis at 96 weeks in patients with compensated cirrhosis due to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) compared with placebo, but it did not significantly reduce fibrosis at 36 weeks (primary endpoint), according to results from the phase 2b SYMMETRY trial. Efruxifermin is a long-acting, bivalent fibroblast growth factor 21 analogue.
Efruxifermin Shows Fibrosis Reduction in MASH Cirrhosis

6 days ago | medscape.com | Becky McCall

AMSTERDAM — A once daily, 50 mg dose of efruxifermin reduced fibrosis at 96 weeks in patients with compensated cirrhosis due to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) compared with placebo, but it did not significantly reduce fibrosis at 36 weeks (primary endpoint), according to results from the phase 2b SYMMETRY trial. Efruxifermin is a long-acting, bivalent fibroblast growth factor 21 analogue.
Breaking the Silence: Europe Unites Against Alcohol Harm

1 week ago | medscape.com | Becky McCall

AMSTERDAM — Today, the EU launched a new coalition of health organizations and experts to advocate for the reduction of alcohol-related illnesses, injuries, and deaths here at the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Congress 2025. The European Health Alliance on Alcohol aims to reduce alcohol’s impact on health, raise public awareness, and advocate for the implementation of effective policies that save lives.
Respect Patients and Get Peers Involved

1 week ago | medscape.com | Becky McCall

AMSTERDAM — Around 1.8 million people are infected with hepatitis C virus in European Union and European Economic Area countries, according to the latest estimates. The burden is particularly high among people who inject drugs, those in prison, and some migrant populations. Many with the infection are undiagnosed, receive a diagnosis late in the course of disease, or are not receiving treatment.
Waist Circumference Predicts Obesity-Related Cancer in Men

1 month ago | medscape.com | Becky McCall

TOPLINE:Waist circumference was shown to be a stronger marker than body mass index (BMI) for the risk of developing obesity-related cancers in men but not in women, a Swedish study showed. METHODOLOGY:Data on BMI and waist circumference from 339,190 individuals (average age, 51.4 years) were drawn from various Swedish populations; cancer diagnoses were obtained from the Swedish Cancer Register.
Subcutaneous Guselkumab Proves Efficacious for IBD

2 months ago | medscape.com | Becky McCall

BERLIN — Induction therapy with subcutaneous guselkumab demonstrated significant efficacy in patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC), according to results from the phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled ASTRO study. Importantly, the study also showed that subcutaneous induction is consistent with intravenous (IV) induction of guselkumab in UC.
The forgotten social and emotional toll of rare diseases

2 months ago | re-solveglobalhealth.com | Becky McCall

For people with rare diseases, living in a high- or low-income country shapes their experience, but all can face stigma, isolation, and neglect. Tackling the social and emotional impacts is crucial for better support. Across Asia, a rare disease diagnosis often carries an additional burden of stigma. Photo: Nicola BartsExpert clinicians and specialised therapies for people living with rare diseases are few and far between.