ASCLS eNewsBytes

• Simple Guide Improves Informed Decisions About HIV Prevention June 30, 2026
  The HIV-prevention guide emphasizes the significance of understanding patients' motivations for seeking information on pre-exposure prophylaxis. A pilot study at three clinics used a two-page decision aid to help patients choose between a daily pill and a bi-monthly injectable treatment, while maintaining their privacy regarding personal sexual details.
• Step-Down Oral Antibiotic Therapy Effective for Uncomplicated Gram-Negative Bacteremia June 30, 2026
  Step-down oral antibiotic therapy is as effective as full intravenous therapy in hospitalized patients with uncomplicated gram-negative bacteremia. This study compares outcomes based on patient comorbidities, the type of gram-negative pathogen and the antibiotic regimen used.
• FDA Approves Lebrikizumab for 8 Week Maintenance of Atopic Dermatitis June 30, 2026
  The FDA has approved a new dosing regimen for Eli Lilly’s lebrikizumab, allowing for a single 250 mg injection every 8 weeks for patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. This establishes lebrikizumab as the only biologic needing just 6 maintenance injections annually, removing the necessity for topical corticosteroids at treatment initiation.
• New Diagnostic Platform Enables Automated HER2 Scoring of Breast Cancer Tissue Samples June 30, 2026
  Researchers have created a compact and cost-effective diagnostic platform that merges lensfree holography with deep learning to automate HER2 scoring in breast cancer tissue samples, offering a transformative alternative to traditional, expensive digital pathology equipment for clinical applications.
• Stem Cell Particles Target and Reset Chronic Nerve Pain June 30, 2026
  A precision neuro-pharmacology and immunology initiative has received international funding to explore a novel therapeutic framework for chronic neuropathic pain, examining the potential of naturally secreted extracellular particles from stem cells to alleviate persistent neural inflammation.