NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. In this Healio Video Perspective, Kamran Hosseini, MD, PhD, CEO of Surface Ophthalmics, discusses the clinical trial progress of its dry eye and post-cataract surgery pain and inflammation candidates.

Deaths from fungal infections increased in the United States in 2020 and 2021 compared with previous years, with Aspergillus and Candida infections driving COVID-19-associated fungal deaths, researchers found.
“We performed this study because we wanted to provide more comprehensive data about the burden of fungal infections in the United States,” Jeremy A.W. Gold, MD, MS, a medical epidemiologist at the CDC and former Epidemic Intelligence Service officer in the CDC’s Mycotic Diseases Branch, told Healio.
“We know that COVID-19-associated fungal infections cause severe

Here are Healio’s top peer-tested stories from the International Liver Congress 2022, which highlight updates on the outbreak of acute hepatitis in children, hepatitis elimination strategies, antiviral combinations and more.
 
An outbreak of acute, severe hepatitis of unknown etiology in children has grown to 894 cases across 33 countries, according to data presented during a media briefing.
“As of June 20, we now have 894 probable cases reported in 33 countries in five WHO regions,” Philippa Easterbrook, MD, senior scientist at the Global HIV, Hepatitis and STI Programs

Statin use for primary prevention of CVD was associated with lower risk for COVID-19 hospitalizations and in-hospital deaths, according to findings from a cohort study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
“Statins are now known to be beneficial in primary prevention, decreasing all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease and stroke,” Kim Bouillon, MD, PhD, of the department of epidemiology and public health at the University College London, and colleagues wrote. “Furthermore, there is no evidence of any serious harm caused by

Alex A. Adjei, MD, PhD, has been appointed chair of Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute.
Adjei previously served as consultant in oncology, professor of oncology and professor of pharmacology at Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science in Rochester, Minnesota.
While there, he co-led the developmental therapeutics program at Mayo Clinic Cancer Center. He also oversaw oncology drug development, as well as lung cancer research and treatment across multiple Mayo Clinic sites.
“It’s an honor to welcome Dr. Adjei to lead our Taussig Cancer Institute,” Beri

OrthoPediatrics Corp. has announced an agreement to acquire Pega Medical in a transaction valued up to $33 million, according to a press release.
OrthoPediatrics will add to its trauma and deformity portfolio with the acquisition of Pega Medical’s products, which include the Fassier-Duval Telescopic Intramedullary System, an implant designed to treat bony deformities in pediatric patients with osteogenesis imperfecta.
“We are excited to announce the agreement to acquire Pega Medical. Similar to OrthoPediatrics, the Pega organization has been focused exclusively on addressing unmet