Drugs of today
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Out of a handful of new drugs currently in clinical trials for the treatment of tuberculosis, delamanid, a nitro-dihydro-imidazole derivative, has successfully emerged. Delamanid is a novel mycolic acid biosynthesis inhibitor that is equally potent against drug-sensitive as well as drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. One of the strongest points for delamanid is its inability to be metabolized by cytochrome P450 enzymes, making it a promising candidate to be used in combination therapies for the treatment of tuberculosis and HIV. Additionally, it has successfully completed phase II efficacy trials and has received conditional marketing authorization from the European Medicines Agency.
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Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and its ligands, programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) and 2 (PD-L2) play an important role in regulating immune response through various mechanisms. This inhibitory action is thought to assist in immune evasion by cancer cells as PD-1, PD-L1 and PD-L2 have been found to be abnormally expressed by tumor cells and lymphocytes in the tumor microenvironment. Preclinical studies described PD-1 blockade resulting in tumor growth suppression and even decreased metastasis. ⋯ Early clinical trials have shown high tumor response rates and long duration of effect in previously treated advanced melanoma resulting in accelerated FDA approval for the drug in this situation. Pembrolizumab has also had success in non-small cell lung cancer and is being tested in multiple other tumor types. This review will discuss the development, preclinical data, pharmacokinetics and clinical efficacy to date of pembrolizumab.
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Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare yet progressive and life-threatening condition that, despite the availability of FDA-approved therapies, remains incurable. Prostacyclin analogues are a mainstay of therapy for patients with PAH, but in spite of demonstrated improvements in survival, exercise capacity and hemodynamics, these agents have been limited by poor pharmacokinetics and complex administration requirements. ⋯ It displays similar pharmacokinetic properties, while offering the potential for improved patient compliance through the convenience of oral dosing. Following the demonstration of improved exercise capacity as monotherapy in patients with de novo PAH (FREEDOM-M), treprostinil diolamine was recently approved by the FDA for the treatment of patients with WHO group 1 PAH and continues to be evaluated in a number of clinical trials in this patient population.
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Obinutuzumab is a novel therapeutic anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody recently approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in combination with chlorambucil as first-line treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). It is distinguished from other anti-B-lymphocyte antigen CD20 (anti-CD20) therapeutic antibodies in current clinical use by its type II properties and glycoengineered Fc region. In vitro these unique properties translate into higher rates of antibody-dependent cytotoxicity and direct cell death compared to rituximab, and obinutuzumab demonstrates improved efficacy in human lymphoma xenograft models and whole blood lymphocyte depletion assays. ⋯ Toxicities of obinutuzumab are similar to those of other anti-CD20 antibodies, although infusion-related reactions and neutropenia appear to be more common. This trial establishes chemoimmunotherapy with obinutuzumab and chlorambucil as an attractive treatment option for CLL patients, particularly those with comorbid medical illnesses or advanced age. Obinutuzumab remains under study in combination with both chemotherapy and novel agents for CLL and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, where it is expected to find additional clinical applications.
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Not far from the Liberty Bell Hall and the historical parks of old Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Convention Center hosted this year's American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting for a full week of integrated science, symposium and general poster sessions. A great amount of research papers were presented and discussed during the meeting by attendees taking refuge from the downpour outside during at least 2 days. But the science was worth staying indoors to witness high-quality research, as summarized in this report.