Drugs
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Intravenous ceftaroline fosamil (Zinforo™), a prodrug that is rapidly converted to its active metabolite ceftaroline, is approved for use in adults and children (from 2 months of age) with complicated skin and soft tissue infections (cSSTIs) or community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). In several multinational trials, ceftaroline fosamil was an effective and generally well tolerated treatment in adult and paediatric patients with cSSTIs or CAP. ⋯ Ceftaroline fosamil was also associated with high clinical cure rates in hospitalized children (aged 2 months to 17 years) with cSSTIs or CAP. With its broad spectrum of in vitro activity against clinically relevant Gram-positive [including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates] and Gram-negative pathogens implicated in cSSTIs and CAP, ceftaroline fosamil is an important treatment option for cSSTI and CAP in adults and children from the age of 2 months.
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Sumatriptan nasal powder delivered by a breath powered delivery device (ONZETRA® Xsail®) is indicated for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults. This narrative review discusses the clinical use of sumatriptan nasal powder in this population and summarizes its pharmacological properties. In migraineurs, sumatriptan nasal powder treatment was associated with significantly greater rates of pain relief than placebo from 0.5-2 h postdose after a single treatment in the phase 3 TARGET trial, with these benefits sustained at 24 and 48 h postdose. ⋯ Sumatriptan nasal powder was generally well tolerated, with the majority of adverse events administration-site related and mild or moderate in severity. In conclusion, sumatriptan nasal powder is an effective and generally well tolerated treatment of migraine. With its novel breath powered nasal delivery resulting in a faster onset of action than oral sumatriptan, sumatriptan nasal powder provides a useful new option for the acute treatment of migraine with and without aura in adults.
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Apixaban (Eliquis®) is an oral, direct factor Xa inhibitor that is available for use in the treatment and secondary prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Like other direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), apixaban has generally predictable pharmacological properties and does not require routine anticoagulation monitoring. ⋯ Similarly, in Japanese adults with acute VTE (AMPLIFY-J), apixaban was associated with a significantly lower risk of major or CRNM bleeding than unfractionated heparin plus warfarin, and no cases of recurrent VTE or VTE-related death over 24 weeks. Thus, apixaban is useful therapeutic alternative for the management of adults with VTE.
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Pixantrone (Pixuvri®) is an aza-anthracenedione with a novel mode of action that is conditionally approved in the EU for use as monotherapy in adult patients with multiply relapsed or refractory aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). In the randomized, open-label, multinational, phase 3 PIX301 trial in patients with multiply relapsed or refractory aggressive NHL, the complete response (CR) plus unconfirmed CR (uCR) rate at the end of treatment (primary endpoint) was significantly higher with intravenous pixantrone monotherapy than with a single-agent comparator (vinorelbine, oxaliplatin, ifosfamide, etoposide, mitoxantrone or gemcitabine). ⋯ In conclusion, pixantrone is a useful option in patients with multiply relapsed or refractory aggressive B-cell NHL. Further results examining the use of pixantrone in combination with rituximab in patients previously treated with rituximab-containing regimens are awaited with interest.
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Trifluridine/tipiracil (Lonsurf(®)) is a novel, orally active, antimetabolite agent comprised of trifluridine, a thymidine-based nucleoside analogue, and tipiracil, a potent thymidine phosphorylase inhibitor. Trifluridine is incorporated into DNA via phosphorylation, ultimately inhibiting cell proliferation. Tipiracil increases systemic exposure of trifluridine when coadministered. ⋯ Trifluridine/tipiracil was associated with an acceptable tolerability profile, with adverse events generally being managed with dose reductions, temporary interruptions in treatment or administration of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor. The most common grade 3-4 adverse events (≥10 %) were anaemia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia and leukopenia. In conclusion, trifluridine/tipiracil is a useful additional treatment option for the management of mCRC in patients who are refractory to, or are not considered candidates for, currently available therapies.