Naproxen/esomeprazole magnesium (Vimovo, AstraZeneca and Pozen) 500/20-mg delayed-release tablets was generally well tolerated in osteoarthritis patients requiring daily NSAID therapy who were at risk for NSAID-associated ulcers, according to an open-label, multicenter phase 3 study.
Naproxen/esomeprazole magnesium (Vimovo, AstraZeneca and Pozen) 500/20-mg delayed-release tablets was generally well tolerated in osteoarthritis patients (OA) requiring daily nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) therapy who were at risk for NSAID-associated ulcers, according to an open-label, multicenter phase 3 study.
Vimovo is a fixed-dose combination of enteric-coated naproxen and immediate-release esomeprazole magnesium, an ulcer risk-reducing proton pump inhibitor, approved for the relief of signs and symptoms of OA. Researchers studied H. Pylori-negative patients aged 18 and older with OA, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), or other conditions requiring daily NSAID therapy. The patients were at risk for NSAID-associated gastric ulcers because of age (at least 50 years) or history of ulcer in the past 5 years. Patients received Vimovo twice daily for 12 months.
No new or unexpected safety issues emerged throughout the treatment period among all 239 patients in the study. The most common adverse events were dyspepsia (7.9%), constipation (5.9%), and nausea (5.0%). Among the 135 patients who completed the trial, the most common adverse events were upper respiratory tract infection (9.6%), dyspepsia (5.9%), back pain (5.2%), and contusion (5.2%).
Vimovo is not recommended for the initial treatment of acute pain because the absorption of naproxen is delayed compared to the absorption from other naproxen-containing products, reported AstraZeneca. As with other NSAIDs, Vimovo may increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. The risk increases with longer use of NSAIDs and in patients with heart disease.
Results from the study were reported at the recent annual meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine and published in Current Medical Research & Opinion.
Coalition promotes important acetaminophen dosing reminders
November 18th 2014It may come as a surprise that each year Americans catch approximately 1 billion colds, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as 20% get the flu. This cold and flu season, 7 in 10 patients will reach for an over-the-counter (OTC) medicine to treat their coughs, stuffy noses, and sniffles. It’s an important time of the year to remind patients to double check their medicine labels so they don’t double up on medicines containing acetaminophen.
Support consumer access to specialty medications through value-based insurance design
June 30th 2014The driving force behind consumer cost-sharing provisions for specialty medications is the acquisition cost and not clinical value. This appears to be true for almost all public and private health plans, says a new report from researchers at the University of Michigan Center for Value-Based Insurance Design (V-BID Center) and the National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC).
Management of antipsychotic medication polypharmacy
June 13th 2013Within our healthcare-driven society, the increase in the identification and diagnosis of mental illnesses has led to a proportional increase in the prescribing of psychotropic medications. The prevalence of mental illnesses and subsequent treatment approaches may employ monotherapy as first-line treatment, but in many cases the use of combination of therapy can occur, leading to polypharmacy.1 Polypharmacy can be defined in several ways but it generally recognized as the use of multiple medications by one patient and the most common definition is the concurrent use of five more medications. The presence of polyharmacy has the potential to contribute to non-compliance, drug-drug interactions, medication errors, adverse events, or poor quality of life.
Medical innovation improves outcomes
June 12th 2013I have been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer of the pancreas, a disease that’s long been considered not just incurable, but almost impossible to treat-a recalcitrant disease that some practitioners feel has given oncology a bad name. I was told my life would be measured in weeks.