Milnacipran was recently approved by FDA for the management of fibromyalgia syndrome. Clinical trials have demonstrated that this agent may be a reasonable alternative or adjunct therapy for patients with fibromyalgia syndrome who are unable to tolerate first-line tricyclic antidepressant therapy.
New indication: Zoledronic acid (Reclast), a bisphosphonate, was approved on May 29, 2009, for the prevention of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women
Dutasteride reduces the risk of biopsy-detectable prostate cancer by approximately one-fourth in men at high risk for the disease without increasing the risk of high-grade cancers, said Gerald L. Andriole, Jr, MD, at the American Urological Association (AUA) 2009 Annual Meeting.
Pfizer is discontinuing a phase 3 study of sunitinib plus paclitaxel versus bevacizumab plus paclitaxel for the first-line treatment of patients with advanced breast cancer.
FDA has notified healthcare professionals that there is a risk of serious liver injury, including liver failure or death, with the use of propylthiouracil in both adult and pediatric patients.
Centocor Ortho Biotech has issued a Dear Healthcare Professionals letter to remind healthcare providers that golimumab (Simponi), a tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha blocker, is associated with a risk of serious fungal infections.
Sipuleucel-T represents the "first active immunotherapy to demonstrate improvement in overall survival for advanced prostate cancer," said David Penson, MD, MPH, who announced the results of a phase 3 study known as Immunotherapy for Prostate Adenocarcinoma Treatment (IMPACT), at the American Urological Association (AUA) 2009 Annual Meeting.
A prospective pharmacoepidemiologic cohort study published in JAMA demonstrated that hospitalized patients treated with acid-suppressive medications were 30% more likely to develop hospital-acquired pneumonia than those who were not treated with acid-suppressive medications.
A prospective study published in Archives of Internal Medicine demonstrated that despite standardization of data entry within the computerized provider order entry (CPOE) system in a specific healthcare facility, inconsistent communication in orders entered into the CPOE posed a significant safety risk.
Depression and its management in children and adolescents; Focus on bucindolol; Drug Watch: Agents in late-stage development for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and cognitive impairment
Prescribing psychotropic medications for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other disorders in children is common around the world, even though serious adverse drug reactions (ADRs) have been reported with the use of these drugs, said speakers at the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP)/European Society for Clinical Pharmacy (ESCP) International Congress on Clinical Pharmacy meeting in Orlando, Florida.
Results from the Regulation of Coagulation in Orthopaedic Surgery to Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism 4 (RECORD4) trial published in Lancet demonstrated that rivaroxaban 10 mg once daily is superior to subcutaneous (SC) enoxaparin in preventing venous thromboembolism (VTE) after total knee arthroplasty.
2008 Top 100 branded drugs by total prescriptions and total retail dollars
Top 100 branded drugs by total prescriptions
2008 Top 100 branded drugs by total dollars spent
Osteoarthritis: A review of treatment options; Focus on liraglutide; Drug Watch: Agents in late-stage development for the treatment of cystic fibrosis
The economic stimulus package approved by Congress in February provides more than $1 billion to support research on competing medical treatments. Although a fairly minor piece of the larger $789 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), the provision set off widespread reaction to the possibility that comparative study results may be used to limit coverage of more expensive medicines.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and the leading cause of disability in the United States, especially among older adults. This article reviews nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic approaches to management of OA of the knee and hip.
Liraglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogue that is currently pending FDA approval for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. This agent mimics the actions of food-induced endogenous GLP-1 release, thus causing glucose-dependent increased insulin secretion, decreased glucagon secretion, and reduced appetite and gastric emptying.
Generic drugs approved by FDA (through May 2009) including drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol, levalbuterol, and topiramate
Recent FDA approvals (through May 2009) related to Coartem, Ixiaro, Lexapro, Reclast, and Symbyax
Recent FDA action (through May 2009) related to budesonide/formoterol, sertindole, quetiapine, saxagliptin, bevacizumab, dronedarone, and ofatumumab
New indication: Tigecycline (Tygacil), a tetracycline-class antibiotic, was approved on March 20, 2009, for the treatment of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia
New molecular entity: Everolimus (Afinitor), an antineoplastic agent, was approved on March 30, 2009, for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma after failure of treatment with sunitinib or sorafenib
Because so many people nowadays seem to be using cell phones rather than computers and e-mail to stay in touch, telemedicine programs are taking note of this trend and beginning to rely more on mobile phone technology.
Agents in late-stage development for the treatment of cystic fibrosis.
