Drugs
-
Parecoxib (parecoxib sodium) is an injectable pro drug of valdecoxib, which is a potent and selective inhibitor of cyclo-oxygenase-2. Intravenous (IV) or intramuscular (IM) parecoxib >20 mg has analgesic activity superior to that of placebo and similar to that of IV or IM ketorolac 30 or 60 mg well controlled trials in patients with postoperative dental pain (n = 304 to 457). In a well controlled trial (n = 202), IV parecoxib 20 or 40mg showed analgesic activity greater than that of placebo and IV morphine 4mg and similar to that of IV ketorolac 30 mg following gynaecological surgery Following orthopaedic surgery, the analgesic activity of IV parecoxib 20 or 40mg was similar to that of IV ketorolac 30 mg and superior to that of IV morphine 4 mg or placebo in well controlled trials (n = 175 and 208). ⋯ The most common adverse events irrespective of treatment (parecoxib, ketorolac or placebo) after dental surgery were nausea, alveolar osteitis, dizziness and headache. Nausea, abdominal pain, headache, abdominal fullness, dizziness, back pain, fever, hypoactive bowel sounds, vomiting, tachycardia, somnolence, abnor mal breath sounds and pruritus occurred in > or = 10% of parecoxib recipients after gynaecological surgery. Similar results were seen in placebo recipients.
-
Review
Inhaled mometasone furoate: a review of its use in adults and adolescents with persistent asthma.
Mometasone furoate is a corticosteroid with relatively high in vitro potency. Recent randomised, double-blind, multicentre trials have assessed the efficacy of mometasone furoate delivered by dry powder inhaler over 12 weeks in adults and adolescents with mild to severe persistent asthma. Mometasone furoate 200 microg twice daily or 400 microg once daily in the morning or 200 microg once daily in the evening improved lung function, asthma symptom scores and use of rescue medication to a significantly greater extent than placebo in patients who had previously received only short-acting inhaled beta2-adrenoceptor agonists alone as treatment in 3 trials (n = 195 to 306). In studies in 227 to 733 patients with mild to moderate asthma who were receiving ongoing treatment with inhaled corticosteroids prior to enrolment, mometasone furoate 100 to 400 microg twice daily was consistently better at improving the above indicators of asthma than placebo. Mometasone furoate 100 to 200 microg twice daily was as effective as beclomethasone dipropionate 200 microg twice daily or budesonide 400 microg twice daily and mometasone furoate 200 microg twice daily was as effective as fluticasone propionate 250 microg twice daily. Mometasone furoate 400 or 800 microg twice daily was also consistently more effective than placebo in reducing oral corticosteroid dosages and improving lung function and asthma symptoms in 132 patients with oral corticosteroid-dependent asthma. Once daily administration of mometasone furoate 400 microg appears to be as effective at improving indicators of asthma as twice daily administration of 200 microg. Patients receiving mometasone furoate < or =800 microg/day and recipients of placebo experienced a similar overall incidence of adverse events considered to be related to treatment. The most common of these events were oral candidiasis, headache, pharyngitis and dysphonia. Mometasone furoate 100 to 400 microg twice daily, beclomethasone dipropionate 200 microg twice daily, budesonide 400 microg twice daily or fluticasone propionate 250 microg twice daily were similarly tolerated. ⋯ Inhaled mometasone furoate is well tolerated, with minimal systemic activity and is equally effective when administered as a divided dose or as a single daily dose. Use of the drug can result in a decrease in requirements for oral corticosteroids in patients with oral corticosteroid-dependent asthma and is as effective as other inhaled corticosteroids currently used in the treatment of mild to moderate persistent asthma. Thus mometasone furoate is suitable for the control of mild to severe persistent asthma in adults or adolescents.