Wednesday, 2 September 2026
Hepatitis prescribing accreditation, SGLT2 inhibitors and kidney injury, Weekly oral HIV regimen
- 01
PBS scraps accreditation for hepatitis B and C prescribing
From 1 September, all GPs can initiate and manage PBS-subsidised hepatitis B and C treatment under the Highly Specialised Drugs program without mandated prescriber accreditation. Previously, GPs and authorised nurse practitioners had to be accredited to prescribe these medicines under the s100 program. Any GP or authorised nurse practitioner can now prescribe eligible hepatitis B medicines under Community Access arrangements, while authorised nurse practitioners can prescribe eligible hepatitis C medicines alongside medical practitioners in hospital settings. The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing expects the expanded prescriber cohort to improve timely access, particularly in regional, rural and remote areas. An estimated 219,800 Australians were living with chronic hepatitis B and 68,890 with chronic hepatitis C in 2023.
via RACGP newsGP · also covered by The Medical Republic
- 02
SGLT2 inhibitors linked to lower serious acute kidney injury risk
SGLT2 inhibitors reduced the risk of serious acute kidney injury by 26% in a meta-analysis of 10 randomised placebo-controlled trials, based on investigator-reported adverse events. A second meta-analysis that included three additional trials found an overall risk reduction of 20%. The drugs are recommended by leading nephrology and cardiovascular guideline groups for patients with chronic kidney disease and/or heart failure. However, the supplied source excerpt gives no results from the dapagliflozin cardiac-surgery study, so its perioperative kidney safety findings cannot be summarised.
- 03
Once-weekly oral HIV regimen maintained virological suppression in trials
Patients with HIV who took once-weekly islatravir and lenacapavir tablets maintained virological suppression in investigational trials, the drug manufacturers announced. The regimen remains investigational. The source gives limited detail about the trials, including their design, size and safety outcomes.
via JAMA
- 04
WHO and UNICEF release latest global immunisation coverage estimates
WHO and UNICEF have released their latest estimates of global immunisation coverage. The source gives limited detail and does not report the estimates, affected populations or changes in coverage.
via JAMA
- 05
EMA launches pilot for non-animal medicine development data
The European Medicines Agency has launched a voluntary pilot for submitting data generated through alternatives to traditional animal testing in non-clinical medicine development. New Approach Methodologies covered by the pilot can include organoids, microphysiological systems, computational models and combinations of methods. Companies, method developers, contract research organisations, academic laboratories and other stakeholders can submit and discuss data outside a marketing authorisation application, with selected participants receiving non-binding, non-decisional expert feedback. The pilot aims to build regulatory experience, support harmonised assessment across Europe and inform a sustainable framework for integrating scientifically robust methods into medicines regulation. Submissions are expected until the third quarter of 2027, after which the agency will publish a lessons-learned report.
- 06
First continuous glucose and ketone monitor approved in US
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the first device to continuously monitor both glucose and ketone levels, but the Therapeutic Goods Administration has not approved a similar device in Australia. The technology alerts users when ketone concentrations rise, potentially providing earlier warning of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) without relying on patients to initiate capillary or urine testing. DKA accounted for around 9400 hospitalisations among Australians with type 1 diabetes in 2023–24. Experts told newsGP that people with type 1 diabetes would comprise the vast majority likely to benefit, although some people with type 2 diabetes, including those using SGLT2 inhibitors, are also at risk of DKA.
via RACGP newsGP
MDDR is a news digest for medical professionals. It is not medical advice and should not be relied on for clinical decision-making.