Current medical research and opinion
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Association of baseline C-reactive protein and prior anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy with need for weekly dosing during maintenance therapy with adalimumab in patients with moderate to severe Crohn's disease.
A post hoc analysis of data from the adalimumab Crohn's disease (CD) maintenance trial (CHARM, NCT00077779), examining the relationship between adalimumab dosing and maintenance of remission and response in subgroups stratified by previous anti-TNF use and baseline CRP. ⋯ These subgroup analyses suggest that in patients with moderately to severely active CD, weekly dosing may be most effective in the anti-TNF-experienced patients with elevated CRP at baseline.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Comparison of safety outcomes among Caucasian, Hispanic, Black, and Asian patients in duloxetine studies of chronic painful conditions.
This post-hoc analysis was conducted to investigate if safety outcomes differed among race/ethnic subgroups of patients treated with duloxetine for chronic painful conditions. ⋯ Overall, these results detected only minimal differences among safety outcomes assessed in these race/ethnic subgroups in patients treated with duloxetine for chronic painful conditions. The unbalanced sample sizes among the race/ethnic subgroups may have limited the power to detect treatment by race subgroup interactions. These post-hoc subgroup analyses were of an exploratory nature and the results should be interpreted with appropriate caution.
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The capsaicin 8% cutaneous patch is an emergent new treatment option for patients with peripheral neuropathic pain. In randomized controlled clinical studies relevant pain relief for 12 weeks was achieved in about one third of patients following a single application. The first part of this paper is a review of the pathophysiology, pharmacology, and published clinical trials with the capsaicin 8% cutaneous patch. ⋯ Treatment with the capsaicin 8% cutaneous patch was generally safe and well tolerated. The workshop panel recommended further investigation of opportunities to improve the application procedure and to perform studies on the skin penetration and distribution of capsaicin. A modified quantitative sensory testing (QST) should be developed for clinical practice in order to better understand the correlation of sensory profiles and response to capsaicin treatment.
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To discuss challenges in the pharmacologic management of osteoarthritis (OA) pain. ⋯ The safety and efficacy concerns associated with currently available OA treatment options establish a need to develop new treatment strategies. Disease-modifying agents and novel drug formulations are currently under investigation. As these new pharmacologic options evolve, their adoption may lower risk and improve clinical outcomes.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Accuracy and preference assessment of prefilled insulin pen versus vial and syringe with diabetes patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals.
The primary objective of this study was to investigate the dosing accuracy of the new prefilled FlexTouch insulin pen (FT) in comparison to conventional vial and syringe (V&S) when used by patients (Pts), caregivers (CG) and healthcare professionals (HCPs). ⋯ FT, compared to V&S, was more accurate at all tested doses and was used with similar accuracy by patients, HCPs, and CGs. Using questionnaires only, and without dexterity assessment, study participants rated FT higher than V&S in every component of the PPQ and the vast majority of them preferred FT. These findings may point to a better alternative for dosing accuracy and improved adherence when using the new prefilled insulin pen compared to V&S for insulin delivery in patients with diabetes.