Expert review of clinical pharmacology
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Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the large intestine that often develops in the young. A few new treatment options have become available in the past decade, but management of a large proportion of patients still remains challenging because of side effects, unresponsiveness and cost. ⋯ In this article we discuss molecules that block leukocyte trafficking to inflamed bowel that have been tested in ulcerative colitis. Because of favourable efficacy and safety data, we will review the development, pharmacology and clinical data of vedolizumab, a gut-selective α4β7 antibody, in depth.
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Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol · Jul 2014
EditorialSildenafil for pulmonary hypertension complicating bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
Sildenafil, a phospohodiesterase-5 inhibitor, is widely used to treat pulmonary hypertension in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia despite a lack of evidence to support either safety or efficacy and US FDA advice against its use.
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Hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte disorder and is associated with serious neurologic sequelae and increased mortality. Conventional treatment options for hyponatremia, such as fluid restriction, hypertonic saline, loop diuretics, demeclocycline or urea, are ineffective in the long-term. ⋯ Lixivaptan is an oral selective V2 receptor inhibitor, which produces a significantly greater increase of serum sodium levels compared with placebo. These effects seem promising, but more trials are needed to examine whether the beneficial effect of lixivaptan on serum sodium concentration translates into clinical benefit in these patient populations.