Advances in therapy
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With the advent of new oral anticoagulants (NOACs) for the treatment of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) and/or pulmonary embolism (PE), a new era of oral anticoagulation for patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) has begun. Rivaroxaban is the first NOAC to receive regulatory approval for the acute and continued treatment of DVT and PE, and for the secondary prevention of VTE. Here, the clinical trials of rivaroxaban in patients with VTE are reviewed, and the clinical use of rivaroxaban for patients with PE is discussed. Even though rivaroxaban will facilitate the therapeutic management of PE, its use in specific clinical situations needs further study.
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Advances in therapy · Mar 2013
ReviewLinaclotide, novel therapy for the treatment of chronic idiopathic constipation and constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.
Chronic constipation (CC) and irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) are common gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. Current treatment options, either prescription or nonprescription medications, have limited efficacy in a subset of patients. There is significant demand for more efficacious medications for the treatment of CC and IBS-C. ⋯ It has a low oral bioavailability with negligible systemic side effects, and it acts locally in the intestinal lumen. In several clinical trials, in health and disease, linaclotide has demonstrated durable efficacy and safety in CC and IBS-C. Linaclotide received approval by the Federal Drug Administration in August 2012 to treat chronic idiopathic constipation and IBS-C.
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Chronic pain reduces quality of life, utilizes healthcare resources, and increases healthcare costs. It is widespread, but generally inadequately treated or managed, partly due to several obstacles, including a limited number of mechanistic options for long-term pharmacologic agents. Opioids are generally the primary class of analgesic prescribed, but because of associated side effects during long-term treatment, many patients become noncompliant or discontinue treatment. A long-term use analgesic with a good benefit/risk ratio is advantageous. ⋯ The two mechanisms of analgesic action of tapentadol, combined with an ER, appears to provide equal efficacy to a strong controlled-release opioid while providing greater gastrointestinal tolerability. The reduction in incidence and severity of gastrointestinal side effects correlated with a higher compliance rate. These findings suggest that tapentadol ER might be a viable alternative to conventional strong opioids for pain management for chronic pain patients.
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Advances in therapy · Dec 2012
ReviewInitial combination with linagliptin and metformin in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes and severe hyperglycemia.
Making appropriate treatment decisions for patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and severe hyperglycemia (glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c]>10% or fasting plasma glucose≥250 mg/dL) presents a formidable challenge to primary care physicians. Extreme defects in insulin secretion make it unlikely that these patients will achieve glycemic targets with metformin monotherapy. Additionally, uncontrolled hyperglycemia is associated with an increased risk of short-term acute complications, such as hyperosmolar coma, and long-term complications affecting the micro- and macrovasculature. ⋯ In the phase 3 study, open-label treatment of severely hyperglycemic patients (HbA1c≥11.0%) with linagliptin plus metformin resulted in a mean change in HbA1c of -3.7%±1.7%. This combination therapy was generally well tolerated with most adverse events being of mild or moderate intensity; asymptomatic hypoglycemia was reported by just 1 of 66 (1.5%) patients. These findings provide evidence in support of linagliptin plus metformin as a well-tolerated and effective treatment alternative to insulin for new-onset patients with T2DM and severe hyperglycemia.
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Although chronic opioid therapy is usually initiated using short-acting opioids, many patients with chronic pain are subsequently converted to long-acting and extended-release preparations. In clinical practice, optimal management requires careful individualization of dosage in order to achieve an appropriate balance of efficacy and adverse effects. After successful initiation and stabilization of opioid treatment, subsequent changes in regimen may still be required to maintain efficacy with an acceptable adverse effect profile. ⋯ Although continued research is needed to refine equianalgesic doses further, opioid rotation is an important and necessary practice in patients with chronic cancer or noncancer pain that is refractory to the initially used opioid.