Drugs in context
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Severe acute respiratory syndrome-correlated new coronavirus (SARS-Cov-2) infection may result in neurological signs and symptoms through different mechanisms. Although direct infection of the central nervous system is uncertain or very rare and the para-infectious complications (e.g. inflammatory neuropathies) are rare, delirium and septic encephalopathy are common in severely ill patients. Smell dysfunction and headache are very common in mild cases, especially in younger people and females. ⋯ Most of the neurological manifestations may occur early in the illness. Therefore, during the pandemic period, neurologists need to be involved, alert, and prepared. Neurological practice will not be the same until a vaccine is available.
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Europe is now the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak. Many concerns have arisen about the management and treatment of children with cancer while researchers are wondering how to deal with this devastating pandemic. In view of the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of the COVID-19 outbreak, it is fundamental to stress that the behavior and hygiene rules adopted by children with cancer must be respected and implemented in order to continue to safeguard their health for the current pandemic.
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Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the best way to find effective and acceptable safe treatments for COVID-19 and any possible future outbreak. However, caution is needed when comparing the number of participants in RCTs with that of patients with COVID-19 treated with compassionate and/or off-label drugs to support the hypothesis that the latter are preferred by clinicians as an alternative to the former.
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The treatment of symptomatic uncomplicated colonic diverticular disease (SUDD) is still under debate, and new data show a pathogenic role of dysbiosis and low-grade inflammation in intestinal mucosa. Recent research has highlighted the anti-inflammatory effects of botanical extracts such as Curcuma longa L. and Boswellia serrata Roxb. ex Colebr. The aim of this work is to investigate the potential role of a new delivery formulation of the association of curcumin and boswellia phytosome extracts (CBP) in SUDD. ⋯ A phytosome of curcumin and boswellia extracts may be useful for the relief of SUDD pain. However, controlled studies should be performed for final conclusions to be drawn.
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In the randomized, phase III, global SELECT-COMPARE study, upadacitinib 15 mg demonstrated efficacy at week 12 versus placebo and adalimumab with methotrexate (MTX) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and inadequate response to MTX, which was maintained over 48 weeks. This post hoc analysis of SELECT-COMPARE reports the efficacy and safety of upadacitinib in Central and Eastern European (CEE) patients. ⋯ Consistent with the global population of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and an inadequate response to MTX, in CEE patients, upadacitinib 15 mg demonstrated clinical and functional improvements versus placebo and adalimumab, radiographic improvements versus placebo, and reasonable safety, over 48 weeks.