TheraCALC Clinical Updates

The Pulse

Clinical updates that change practice — what's new, and why it matters at the bedside.
Curated for clinicians & patients · each item reviewed against primary sources

Concise, sourced briefs on the developments most likely to affect how you practice — outbreaks, approvals, guideline shifts — each linking to a full TheraCALC reference.

Cardiology NEW

FDA approves Lipfendra — the first oral PCSK9 inhibitor

Merck's once-daily pill lowered LDL by ~56–59% vs placebo in two late-stage trials, holding up in familial hypercholesterolemia. The breakthrough is the route: PCSK9 lowering without an injection — an access and adherence shift for statin-inadequate patients. Open question: cardiovascular-outcomes data vs the LDL surrogate.

Source: FDA · Merck PI Read the full reference ›
Infectious Disease

Cyclosporiasis — 2026 U.S. multistate outbreak

6,707 lab-confirmed across 45 states (>11,500 under review) — a 9-state outbreak (IL, IN, KS, KY, MI, OH, OK, PA, WV) linked to shredded iceberg lettuce served at some Taco Bell locations. TMP–SMX remains the drug of choice — the brief covers recognition, host-stratified dosing, monitoring, and the stool-O&P testing trap that misses the diagnosis.

Source: CDC · FDA Read the full reference ›