Medicine against malaria; a doctor drug dealer convicted; happy 40th, Psych Times – Morning Medical Update

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A new step in the fight against malaria

Malaria is rare in the United States but rampant in the developing parts of the globe, with the 263 million cases and 597,000 deaths in 2023, according to the World Health Organization. In the fight against the deadly infection, scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the U.S. National Institutes of Health have found new antibodies that are promising because they bind to regions of the malaria parasite not included in current malaria vaccines. The findings also could lead to new countermeasures against other pathogens.

A doctor drug dealer convicted

Joel Smithers, DO, 42, of Martinsville, Virginia, was convicted of 467 counts of dealing opioid drugs from August 2015 until a federal raid on his office in March 2017. He will be sentenced in March and could face prison terms up to 20 years per count, and fines in the millions of dollars. Smithers was convicted of the same charges in 2019, but was granted a new trial due to the U.S. Supreme Court changing the law regarding jury instructions in cases involving illegal distribution of controlled substances by health care providers. Read all about it in this announcement from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Hitting the big 4-0

A happy birthday wish is in order for Psychiatric Times, a sister publication of Medical Economics. The journal, now in its 40^th year, is devoted to mental health care and remains committed to serving as an independent forum for professional discussions, debate and sharing of information. Read about its founding here, and check out psychiatrictimes.com for the latest in the world of mental health.