Therapeutic advances in respiratory disease
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Ther Adv Respir Dis · Jan 2018
ReviewContemporary best practice in the management of malignant pleural effusion.
Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) affects more than 1 million people globally. There is a dearth of evidence on the therapeutic approach to MPE, and not surprisingly a high degree of variability in the management thereof. We aimed to provide practicing clinicians with an overview of the current evidence on the management of MPE, preferentially focusing on studies that report patient-related outcomes rather than pleurodesis alone, and to provide guidance on how to approach individual cases. ⋯ Definitive interventions, individualized according the patient's wishes, performance status, prognosis and other considerations (including the ability of the lung to expand) should be offered to the remainder of patients. Chemical pleurodesis (achieved via intercostal drain or pleuroscopy) and indwelling pleural catheter (IPC) have equal impact on patient-based outcomes, although patients treated with IPC spend less time in hospital and have less need for repeat pleural drainage interventions. Talc slurry via IPC is an attractive recently validated option for patients who do not have a nonexpandable lung.
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Ther Adv Respir Dis · Jan 2018
ReviewWhat is the role of bronchial thermoplasty in the management of severe asthma?
Asthma is a common chronic inflammatory condition of the airways. Conventional therapy comprises inhaled corticosteroid and bronchodilators as well as trigger avoidance and management of comorbid conditions. ⋯ Clinical trials to date have shown the efficacy and safety of bronchial thermoplasty with a persistent effect on extended follow up. Questions remain regarding the exact mechanism of action of bronchial thermoplasty, the cost effectiveness of the procedure and the ideal criteria for patient selection.
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Ther Adv Respir Dis · Jan 2018
ReviewSingle-inhaler triple therapy utilizing the once-daily combination of fluticasone furoate, umeclidinium and vilanterol in the management of COPD: the current evidence base and future prospects.
Maintenance pharmacological treatment for stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is based on inhaled drugs, including long-acting muscarinic receptor antagonists (LAMA), long-acting β2-adrenoceptor agonists (LABA) and inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). Inhaled pharmacological treatment can improve patients' daily symptoms and reduce decline of pulmonary function and acute exacerbation rate. ⋯ This review focuses on the role of single-inhaler triple therapy with once-daily fluticasone furoate/umeclidinium/vilanterol fixed-dose combination, which is in phase III clinical development for maintenance treatment of severe-to-very severe COPD. In this review, we summarize evidence providing the rationale for its use in COPD and discuss the gaps to be filled in this pharmacotherapeutic area.
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Immune checkpoint inhibitors, mainly drugs targeting the programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA4) pathways, represent a remarkable advance in lung cancer treatment. Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting PD-1 and PD-L1 are approved for the treatment of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer, with impressive clinical activity and durable responses in some patients. This review will summarize the mechanism of action of these drugs, the clinical development of these agents and the current role of these agents in the management of patients with lung cancer. In addition, the review will discuss the role of predictive biomarkers for optimal patient selection for immunotherapy and management of autoimmune side effects of these agents.
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Ther Adv Respir Dis · Jan 2018
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyEfficacy and safety of fluticasone propionate/formoterol fumarate in pediatric asthma patients: a randomized controlled trial.
The efficacy and safety of fluticasone propionate/formoterol fumarate pressurized metered-dose inhaler (pMDI) (fluticasone/formoterol; Flutiform®; 100/10 µg b.i.d.) was compared with fluticasone propionate (Flixotide® Evohaler® pMDI; 100 µg b.i.d.) and fluticasone/salmeterol (Seretide® Evohaler® pMDI; 100/50 µg b.i.d.) in a pediatric asthma population (EudraCT number: 2010-024635-16). ⋯ This study supports the efficacy and safety of fluticasone/formoterol in a pediatric asthma population and its superiority to fluticasone.