Clinical studies of patients with both ST-elevation and non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes have shown that ticagrelor, when compared with clopidogrel, reduces the rates of vascular death and myocardial infarction while increasing the rate of non-coronary artery bypass graft-related major bleeding. Ticagrelor was also associated with a higher incidence of dyspnea and ventricular pauses.
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First-time generic approvals May 2010
May 1st 2010Generic drugs approved by FDA (through April 2010): Losartan potassium tablets in 25-mg, 50-mg, and 100-mg, Losartan potassium and hydrochlorothiazide tablets in 50 mg/12.5 mg, 100 mg/12.5-mg, and 100 mg/25 mg, Hydromorphone hydrochloride injection, Mesna injection
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More than $119 million awarded to support public health efforts
April 15th 2010The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded more than $119 million to states and U.S. territories to support public health efforts to reduce obesity, increase physical activity, improve nutrition, and decrease smoking.
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Report shows shortage of primary care doctors
April 15th 2010With more people gaining access to affordable coverage and an increasing elderly population, America will need more general internists and other primary care doctors than the primary care physician supply, according to the American College of Physicians (ACP).
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AARP research says brand-name drug prices far outpace inflation
April 15th 2010AARP?s Public Policy Institute finds that average manufacturer price increases for brand-name and specialty prescription drugs widely used by Medicare beneficiaries continued to outstrip the price increases for other consumer goods and services.
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ACEI and ARB use in pregnancy an increasing concern
April 9th 2010Despite being known teratogenic agents contraindicated in pregnancy, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) are being increasingly prescribed to women with hypertension during their childbearing years.
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Ticagrelor use leads to lower mortality after coronary artery bypass graft surgery
April 7th 2010Patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who undergo coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery are less likely to develop fatal outcomes when given ticagrelor instead of clopidogrel as an antiplatelet medication, new research indicates.
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On March 12, 2010, FDA announced that the manufacturers of clopidogrel, an antiplatelet agent given to reduce the risk of heart attack, unstable angina, stroke, and cardiovascular death in patients with cardiovascular disease, will be placing a new black box warning into the drug's prescribing information.
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SSRI escitalopram improves cognitive function recovery in recent stroke survivors
April 1st 2010A randomized controlled trial of recent stroke survivors found that patients receiving the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor escitalopram had greater improvement in global cognitive function than those receiving placebo or Problem Solving Therapy.
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Reducing cardiovascular risk in patients with type 2 diabetes: management of dyslipidemia
April 1st 2010Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in patients with diabetes mellitus, accounting for 50% of all deaths. Dyslipidemia is an important modifiable risk factor in diabetic patients and represents a key area for intervention in these patients. Diabetic patients have a lipid profile characterized by low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and an increase in triglyceride levels. Diabetics have increased numbers of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) particles but with a shift to smaller, denser LDL-C particles. The net effect is that patients with type 2 diabetes do not have substantially higher LDL-C concentrations than patients without diabetes.
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Naproxcinod: A first-in-class cyclooxygenase-inhibiting nitric oxide donor for osteoarthritis pain
April 1st 2010Naproxcinod, a cyclooxygenase-inhibiting nitric oxide donor, is pending FDA approval for the indications of knee and hip osteoarthritis. Treating osteoarthritis pain can be challenging because many agents commonly used for this indication carry potential risk for increased cardiovascular events including increased blood pressure, increased upper gastrointestinal bleeding, and increased hepatotoxicity.
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