Clinical therapeutics
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Clinical therapeutics · Aug 2012
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyI-COMBINE study: assessment of efficacy and safety profile of irbesartan/amlodipine fixed-dose combination therapy compared with amlodipine monotherapy in hypertensive patients uncontrolled with amlodipine 5 mg monotherapy: a multicenter, phase III, prospective, randomized, open-label with blinded-end point evaluation study.
Hypertension guidelines recommend the use of 2 agents with synergistic action when >1 agent is needed to achieve blood pressure goals. Newer antihypertensive treatment combinations include fixed-dose combinations of an angiotensin receptor blocker and a calcium channel blocker. ⋯ Data from this adult population with essential hypertension suggest greater efficacy with the fixed-dose combination I150/A5 over A5 monotherapy in lowering SBP after 5 weeks. Both treatment regimens were well tolerated throughout the study. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00956644.
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Clinical therapeutics · Jul 2012
Comparative StudyCost-effectiveness of lanthanum carbonate in the treatment of hyperphosphatemia in dialysis patients: a Canadian payer perspective.
Hyperphosphatemia is a common and potentially harmful condition in patients with end-stage kidney disease. In Canada, first-line treatment of hyperphosphatemia consists primarily of calcium carbonate (CC). Lanthanum carbonate (LC) and sevelamer hydrochloride (SH) are non-calcium phosphate binders that have been used as second-line therapy in patients intolerant of or not responsive to CC. ⋯ Second-line treatment with LC is cost-effective in the treatment of end-stage kidney disease in patients with hyperphosphatemia, from a Canadian payer perspective. Second-line treatment with LC is less expensive, with similar effectiveness as second-line treatment with SH. The primary limitation of health economic evaluations of phosphate binders is the relative scarcity of clinical data on the association between phosphate concentration and long-term outcome.
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Clinical therapeutics · Jul 2012
ReviewVemurafenib in patients with BRAF V600E mutation-positive advanced melanoma.
Vemurafenib is an oral, small-molecule kinase inhibitor that selectively targets activated BRAF V600E and has been approved for the treatment of advanced BRAF mutation-positive melanoma. ⋯ Vemurafenib is effective for advanced melanomas expressing the BRAF V600E mutations. Resistance to BRAF inhibition can be problematic, but new evidence suggests that combination therapy may attenuate the issue. Targeting the cellular activity of melanoma cells is reported to be efficacious and is expected to delay progression and prolong survival.
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Clinical therapeutics · Jul 2012
ReviewTetrabenazine for the treatment of hyperkinetic movement disorders: a review of the literature.
Tetrabenazine (TBZ) is a monoamine storage inhibitor that was first introduced in the 1970s for the management of hyperkinetic movement disorders. Despite acceptance and usage worldwide, TBZ was only recently approved in the United States for the treatment of Huntington chorea. This review focuses on the use of TBZ in various hyperkinetic movement disorders, which are considered "rare" or "orphan" diseases, to help practitioners better understand its clinical role and use. ⋯ TBZ is an effective oral therapy for chorea of Huntington disease and may be considered as an alternative agent for the management of dystonia, TDk, and tic disorders (these latter 3 conditions are off-label uses in the United States). The drug possesses an acceptable tolerability profile and has been used in pediatric and adult populations.
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Clinical therapeutics · Jul 2012
Identifying potential predictors of high-quality oral anticoagulation assessed by time in therapeutic international normalized ratio range: a prospective, long-term, single-center, observational study.
The efficacy and risks of oral anticoagulation are largely associated with maintaining the quality of anticoagulation control. Nevertheless, few studies have addressed which factors, if any, are associated with this control. ⋯ The data suggest that independent predictors of high-quality oral anticoagulation included regular vitamin K intake, male sex, duration of anticoagulation treatment >2 months, presence of family support, good MMC, and no regular alcohol use. These findings may help clinicians to decide whether to start anticoagulation in intermediate-risk patients, to identify patients who will require closer attention on their anticoagulation management, and to direct their efforts to improve the quality of oral anticoagulation.