Current medical research and opinion
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Review Comparative Study
Systematic review of tapentadol in chronic severe pain.
A systematic review of chronic pain treatment with strong opioids (step 3 WHO pain ladder) and a comparison to a new drug recently approved for the treatment of severe chronic pain in Europe, tapentadol (Palexia, Nucynta*), were performed. ⋯ Taken together, the benefit-risk ratio of tapentadol appears to be improved compared to step 3 opioids.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
A randomized placebo-controlled trial of duloxetine in patients with major depressive disorder and associated painful physical symptoms.
Painful physical symptoms are common in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and may predict poorer treatment outcomes. Duloxetine has demonstrated efficacy in treating both MDD and certain other painful conditions. This randomized, double-blind clinical trial assessed the effects of duloxetine in patients with both MDD and MDD-associated physical pain. ⋯ These results support the efficacy and tolerability of duloxetine in the treatment of depression and associated painful physical symptoms in patients with MDD and at least moderate MDD-associated pain.
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Review Comparative Study
A mixed treatment comparison of the short-term efficacy of biologic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs in established rheumatoid arthritis.
The short-term efficacy of biological disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) for the treatment of established moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been demonstrated by various randomized placebo or active treatment controlled trials. However, there is a lack of direct comparison of these agents. ⋯ The analyses, using MTC of efficacy of nine bDMARDs suggest that treatment with anakinra is inferior to other bDMARDs and that etanercept and certolizumab may be more effective than other bDMARDs. There are some limitations of our analyses due to MTC assumptions, variations in trial design and the fact that only ACR outcomes at six months were included.
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Chronic non-cancer pain - unlike acute pain, which can be regarded as a symptom of disease or injury - is gaining recognition as a disease in its own right. It is a burden for the individual sufferer that has a severe impact on physical and social functioning. ⋯ The CHANGE PAIN initiative aims to enhance the understanding of patients who suffer from severe chronic pain and to improve pain management. The following special supplement, consisting of 10 commentaries, describes the proceedings from the first international Expert Meeting of the CHANGE PAIN initiative, which was held in Rome on June 20th and 21st, 2010.