By: Melissa Roy, Co-Copy Editor [Graphics Focused] – During Pharmacy Lobby Day, pharmacists and students from all over New York gather at the capitol in Albany to meet with various members of Congress to discuss the state of pharmacy. This year, similar to previous years, a group of students and faculty from St. John’s University…

By: Erica Dimitropoulos Co-Copy Editor [Content- Focused]  – On February 14, 2014, elosulfase alfa (Vimizim™) became an FDA-approved enzyme replacement therapy for Morquio A Syndrome, a type of mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS IVA).1 Elosulfase alfa was granted priority review and was also the first drug to receive the Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher that motivates the development…

By: Hayeon Na, Co-Copy Editor (Content Focused) – On February 26th, 2014, pharmacists, clinical faculty, and pharmacy students from St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences gathered at the Freeport Memorial Library for a “Brown Bag,” one of the yearly calendar events at the public library. This event was conducted through the joint…

By: Sabrina Ahmed, PharmD Candidate c/o 2017 – One recent stride towards combating worldwide infectious disease has been in the improved surveillance of Japanese encephalitis in Asia, predominantly in South and South-East Asia. This potentially deadly virus is transmitted to humans via mosquito bites. The Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus is the leading cause of encephalitis…

By: Tamara Yunusova, Senior Staff Editor – After a lengthy fifteen-year hiatus in recombinant drug approvals, FDA-approved Recombinant Coagulation Factor IX (Rixubis) has mounted to the forefront of Hemophilia B drug therapy. The recombinant coagulation factor gained orphan drug approval on June 26, 2013 for routine prophylaxis, control of bleeding episodes, and perioperative management in…

By: Hayeon Na, Co-Copy Editor [Content-Focused] – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on July 26th that oral dosage forms of ketoconazole (Nizoral®) should no longer be prescribed as first-line therapy for any fungal infections.1 The label and indication for oral ketoconazole were updated, and a new medication guide was added. Other dosage forms…

By: Beatrisa Popovitz, Staff Editor –  You may have heard the countless horror stories passed on by upperclassman of how D&Ds seep into the crevices of our brains and take over our psyches to inevitably make us breathe, sleep, and speak pharmacy.  Stressing out over exams and investing what may seem like all of your…

By: Erica Dimitropoulos, Senior Staff Editor – Lupus is highly unpredictable and occurs without warning; there is no known cause and no known cure. It affects over 1.5 million Americans, 90% of whom are women between the ages of 15 – 44.1 No two cases of lupus are alike, making it a very difficult disease…

By: Erica Dimitropoulos, Senior Staff Editor – Rheumatoid arthritis is a painful and often debilitating autoimmune disease characterized by symmetric polyarthritis, most commonly of the proximal interphalangeal and metacarpophalangeal joints, elbows, knees, ankles, and spine.1 Its clinical manifestations vary, from a slowly progressing onset of fatigue and musculoskeletal discomfort to a sudden and worsening destruction…

By Taryn Mondiello and Frances Trosa, Pharm. D. Candidates c/o 2015 – On Saturday, April 13th, there was a Red Storm on campus. This Red Storm, however, was probably not the one you are thinking about. While the people were in fact wearing red, they were actually participants of the APhA-ASP’s event “Run for the…

By: Mahdieh Danesh Yazdi, Associate Student Editor, with Special Thanks to Dr. Tomasz Jodlowski for his contributions to this article – In the 1990s, major urban and rural areas across the United States grappled with a common problem: drug addiction.  At that time, the drugs of choice were illicit substances (i.e. heroin).  In order to combat…

By: Nagma Gargi, Pharm.D. Candidate c/o 2013 – Smoking cessation programs are extremely important in our society as increasing evidence emerges showing the correlation between smoking and the risk factors for various disease states. Thus as professionals it is our duty to educate ourselves first, then our patients. In this article, I want to discuss…

By: Jessica Lee, Pharm.D. Candidate c/o 2013 – Dr. Hira Shafeeq received her PharmD in 2009 from St. John’s University.  After graduating, she went on to do her PGY-1 at the Brooklyn Hospital Center.  Upon finishing her first year of residency, she decided to complete her specialty residency in critical care at University of Chicago…

By: Mohamed Dungersi – On January 27, the FDA approved Bydureon® (exenatide extended-release) for use in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), as an adjunct to diet and exercise.  Bydureon®, a product of Amylin Pharmaceuticals, is a modified formulation of the twice-daily injection, Byetta® (exenatide).  It is the first once-a-week medication for T2DM in the market.…

By Dr. Sharon See, PharmD, FCCP, BCPS – Sharon See, Pharm.D., FCCP, BCPS is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Clinical Pharmacy Practice Department at St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions. In conjunction with her full time appointment at St. John’s University, she is a clinical faculty member in the Beth…

By: Alisha Kumar, PharmD Candidate c/o 2012 – HIV transmission via organ transplantation is rare in the United States. However, after a public health investigation in 2010, a case of HIV transmission via kidney transplantation was confirmed. The kidney recipient had no history of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), injection drug use, sex with injection drug…