Gender equality in science, medicine, and global health: where are we at and why does it matter?

The purpose of this Review is to provide evidence for why gender equality in science, medicine, and global health matters for health and health-related outcomes. We present a high-level synthesis of global gender data, summarise progress towards gender equality in science, medicine, and global health, review the evidence for why gender equality in these fields matters in terms of health and social outcomes, and reflect on strategies to promote change. Notwithstanding the evolving landscape of global gender data, the overall pattern of gender equality for women in science, medicine, and global health is one of mixed gains and persistent challenges. Gender equality in science, medicine, and global health has the potential to lead to substantial health, social, and economic gains. Positioned within an evolving landscape of gender activism and evidence, our Review highlights missed and future opportunities, as well as the need to draw upon contemporary social movements to advance the field

Pharmacokinetics of cannabidiol in children with refractory epileptic encephalopathy

Growing interest in the clinical use of cannabidiol (CBD) as adjuvant therapy for pediatric refractory epileptic encephalopathy emphasizes the need for drug treatment optimization. The aim of this study was to characterize the pharmacokinetics of CBD in pediatric patients with refractory epileptic encephalopathy receiving an oil-based oral solution. To evaluate CBD concentrations, six serial blood samples per patient were collected after the morning dose of CBD, at least 21 days after the beginning of treatment. Twelve patients who received a median (range) dose of 12.2 (5.3-19.4) mg/kg/d (twice daily) were included in the analysis. Median (range) CBD time to maximum plasma concentration, maximum plasma concentration, and area under the concentration versus time curve up to 6 hours after dosing were 3.2 hours (1.9-6.2), 49.6 ng/mL (14.4-302.0), and 226.3 ng ⋅ h/mL (70.5-861.3), respectively. CBD systemic exposure parameters were in the lower range of previous reports in pediatric patients receiving doses in a similar range. Most of our patients (83%) showed little CBD plasma level fluctuation during a dosing interval, comparable to that encountered after oral administration of an extended release drug delivery system. CDB administration was generally safe and well tolerated, and a novel levothyroxine-CBD interaction was recorded. Similar to other studies, large interindividual variability in CBD exposure was observed, encouraging the use of CBD therapeutic drug monitoring