Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics
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Aliment. Pharmacol. Ther. · Oct 2013
ReviewReview article: biosimilars are the next generation of drugs for liver and gastrointestinal diseases.
A biosimilar is a copy version of an approved original biological medicine whose data protection has expired. ⋯ Biosimilars represent a new generation of drugs in liver and gastrointestinal diseases. On June 27, 2013, Hospira's Inflectra (INX) was the first biosimilar monoclonal antibody to receive positive opinion from European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use for rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and plaque psoriasis.
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Aliment. Pharmacol. Ther. · Sep 2013
Meta AnalysisMeta-analysis: Lactobacillus GG for treating acute gastroenteritis in children--updated analysis of randomised controlled trials.
The efficacy of each probiotic should be evaluated separately. Previously, we have shown that Lactobacillus GG (LGG) is effective in treating acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in children. ⋯ Lactobacillus GG reduces the duration of diarrhoea. A subset of patients that is more likely to benefit includes subjects treated with a high daily dose of LGG (≥10¹⁰ CFU/day) who are either in-patients or out-patients from geographical Europe. Given the methodological limitations of many of the included trials, the evidence should be viewed with caution.
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Aliment. Pharmacol. Ther. · Sep 2013
ReviewReview article: the role of gastrointestinal hormones in the treatment of delayed gastric emptying in critically ill patients.
Delayed gastric emptying limits the administration of enteral nutrition, leading to malnutrition, which is associated with higher mortality and morbidity. Currently available prokinetics have limitations in terms of sustained efficacy and side effects. ⋯ Manipulation of endogenous secretion, physiological replacement and administration of gastrointestinal hormones in pharmacological doses is likely to have therapeutic potential in the treatment of delayed gastric emptying. Future challenges in this field will include the search for candidates with improved selectivity and favourable kinetic properties.
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Aliment. Pharmacol. Ther. · Sep 2013
Comparative StudyThe management of alcoholic hepatitis: a prospective comparison of scoring systems.
The assessment of alcoholic hepatitis remains controversial. Several scores have been developed or used for this purpose. ⋯ In this single-centre study, a GAHS ≥9 identified patients who may benefit from treatment of alcoholic hepatitis. Intention-to-treat randomised-controlled trials using a GAHS ≥9 as the threshold for treatment are needed to validate these findings. Response to corticosteroids can be assessed using the Lille Score or by a 25% fall in bilirubin.