Clinical therapeutics
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Clinical therapeutics · Sep 2008
Compliance with antithrombotic prescribing guidelines for patients with atrial fibrillation--a nationwide descriptive study in Taiwan.
This study examined compliance with prescribing guidelines for antithrombotic therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) in Taiwan, using the 2001 joint guideline from the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, and European Society of Cardiology. The study also sought to identify factors associated with the appropriate prescribing of antithrombotic therapy. ⋯ Most of these patients with AF in Taiwan did not receive appropriate antithrombotic therapy over the period studied. Bleeding risk factors, hypertension, coronary artery disease, thyrotoxicosis, and older age were associated with low rates of warfarin use.
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Clinical therapeutics · Sep 2008
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyBioequivalence and pharmacokinetic comparison of a single 200-mg dose of meclofenoxate hydrochloride capsule and tablet formulations in healthy Chinese adult male volunteers: a randomized sequence, open-label, two-period crossover study.
Meclofenoxate hydrochloride is a psychostimulant in the nootropic agent group available in capsule and tablet formulations approved for traumatic cataphora, alcoholic poisoning, anoxia neonatorum, and children's enuresis in China. Although these 2 generic formulations are marketed in China, information regarding their pharmacokinetics and bioequivalence in humans has not been published. ⋯ In this small study in healthy Chinese adult male volunteers, a single 200-mg dose of the capsule formulation was found to be bioequivalent to a single 200-mg dose of the tablet formulation based on the US FDA's regulatory definition (rate and extent of absorption). Both formulations were well tolerated.
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Clinical therapeutics · Sep 2008
ReviewIxabepilone: a novel microtubule inhibitor for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer.
Ixabepilone is the first member of the epothilones, a new class of anticancer drugs. It is approved for use as monotherapy in patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer that has failed to respond to therapy with a taxane, an anthracycline, and capecitabine, or in combination with capecitabine in patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer that has failed to respond to therapy with a taxane and an anthracycline. ⋯ Ixabepilone, a new antineoplastic agent with antimitotic capabilities, is approved for use with or without capecitabine in the management of metastatic or locally advanced breast cancer. It has also been evaluated for antitumor activity in a number of other cancers. The potential for significant toxicity with ixabepilone requires close clinical observation to assess the need for dose adjustment.
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Clinical therapeutics · Sep 2008
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyAn 18-week, prospective, randomized, double-blind, multicenter study of amlodipine/ramipril combination versus amlodipine monotherapy in the treatment of hypertension: the assessment of combination therapy of amlodipine/ramipril (ATAR) study.
A combination of antihypertensive agents of different drug classes in a fixed-dose combination (FDC) may offer advantages in terms of efficacy, tolerability, and treatment compliance. Combination of a calcium channel blocker with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor may act synergistically to reduce blood pressure (BP). ⋯ In this population of patients with essential hypertension, the amlodipine/ramipril FDC was associated with significantly reduced ambulatory and office-measured BP compared with amlodipine monotherapy, with the exception of office DBP. Both treatments were well tolerated.
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Clinical therapeutics · Sep 2008
ReviewCognitive and psychomotor effects of risperidone in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder.
The aim of this review was to discuss data from double-blind, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that have investigated the effects of oral and long-acting injectable risperidone on cognitive and psychomotor functioning in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. ⋯ The results of this review of within-group comparisons of oral risperidone suggest that the agent appeared to be associated with improved functioning in the cognitive domains of processing speed, attention/vigilance, verbal and visual learning and memory, and reasoning and problem solving in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Long-acting injectable risperidone seemed to be associated with improved functioning in the domains of attention/vigilance, verbal learning and memory, and reasoning and problem solving, as well as psychomotor functioning, in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.