March 1st 2022
Despite the promise of savings billions of dollars in the United States, adoption of biosimilars has been slow. A roundtable discussion among employers highlighted some of the barriers, including formulary design and drug pricing and rebates.
Rosuvastatin effective at slowing progression of asymptomatic aortic stenosis
May 1st 2007Prospective treatment with rosuvastatin can slow the hemodynamic progression of asymptomatic aortic stenosis. This was the conclusion of the prospective, open-label Rosuvastatin Affecting Aortic Valve Endothelium (RAAVE) trial.
Triple therapy for COPD demonstrates benefit, fails to meet end point in randomized study
May 1st 2007In a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group trial, triple therapy with tiotropium plus salmeterol (SAL) and fluticasone failed to reduce the proportion of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) experiencing exacerbations requiring treatment with systemic corticosteroids and/or antibiotics (the primary end point) compared with tiotropium plus salmeterol or tiotropium alone.
Gabapentin monotherapy as effective as gabapentin plus antidepressant in treatment of hot flashes
May 1st 2007A phase 3 study evaluating the use of gabapentin alone and in combination with an antidepressant in women with hot flashes who had an inadequate response with antidepressant monotherapy demonstrated that gabapentin reduced hot flashes by approximately 50%, whereas the combination of an anti-depressant with gabapentin appeared to offer no additional benefit.
Poor adherence to warfarin therapy significantly affects anticoagulation control
May 1st 2007Patients who fail to adhere to warfarin therapy as prescribed are more likely to experience problems with anticoagulation control, according to the authors of the International Normalized Ratio Adherence and Genetics (IN-RANGE) study.
E-prescribing offers a neat and safe alternative to pad and pen
April 1st 2007One of the numerous factors shaping pharmacy and therapeutics (P&T) committees' operations and decisions is the push for electronic health information systems, including electronic prescribing (e-prescribing). E-prescribing is expected to help prescribers comply with plan formularies and formulary policies.
RFID goes to work to help prevent errors, tampering
March 1st 2007Due to pressure from regulators, the pharmaceutical industry is working to implement Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology in pharmacies, hospitals, and healthcare facilities to help prevent medication errors. This technology is also being used in a variety of ways to help meet FDA drug pedigree requirements.
FDA releases proposals for PDUFA IV; federal report addresses cost of drug development
February 1st 2007A public forum scheduled this month will help to solidify proposals FDA unveiled in January for reauthorization of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA). Once public comment from the February 16 meeting is received and incorporated into the finalized proposal, negotiations between the agency and the federal government over the fourth incarnation of this important funding mechanism will be key in determining FDA's fiduciary future.
Rifaximin considered as possible treatment for IBS
February 1st 2007Rifaximin has demonstrated global improvement of the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in patients for ≤10 weeks after the discontinuation of therapy. Rifaximin is a nonabsorbed (≤0.4%), broad-spectrum antibiotic that was approved by FDA in 2004 for travelers' diarrhea.
Arformoterol: The first nebulized long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonist
February 1st 2007Bronchodilators play an important role in the management of stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although bronchodilators do not prevent the decline in lung function in patients with COPD, their efficacy in improving disease-related symptoms, reducing the frequency and severity of disease exacerbations, and improving patients' quality of life has been demonstrated in clinical trials. Arformoterol, the (R,R)-enantiomer of the selective beta2-agonist formoterol, is a potent, highly specific, nebulized long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonist recently approved by FDA for the long-term maintenance treatment of bronchoconstriction in patients with COPD, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. In 2 large, 12-week, phase 3 studies, arformoterol demonstrated an efficacy superior to that of placebo and comparable to that of salmeterol in patients with COPD. In these trials, arformoterol was well tolerated, with a safety profile similar to that of other inhaled long-acting beta2-agonists when used at..