Expert opinion on pharmacotherapy
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Expert Opin Pharmacother · Nov 2011
ReviewInhaled treprostinil sodium for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Inhaled treprostinil sodium, a prostacyclin analog, is the most recent agent to receive FDA approval for the treatment of a fatal orphan disease: pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). ⋯ Inhaled treprostinil seems to have a similar efficacy profile as inhaled iloprost, although the demonstrated trough effect on exercise tolerance with treprostinil is an advantage. Perhaps more importantly, the longer half-life makes treprostinil more convenient with four-times-daily dosing. As compared with iloprost, inhaled treprostinil has practical advantages for patients (less frequent dosing, shorter inhalation times, once-daily preparation of the drug delivery device, and easier routine maintenance of the nebulizer), but direct comparisons about efficacy or durability of the treatment effect cannot be made in the absence of carefully controlled trials.
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In early 2011, the FDA gave approval to a new preparation of gabapentin, licensed for the treatment of post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). Gabapentin is commonly used worldwide for multiple indications, which include neuropathic pain. The new drug combines generic gabapentin with a polymeric delivery system allowing for extended release and is licensed to be given only as a once-daily dosing regimen. ⋯ Although GpER has been approved by the FDA for once-daily use in PHN, there is a relative paucity of data for both its efficacy and the optimum dosing schedule (once or twice a day). There are no data directly comparing GpER with the immediate-release preparation or other first-line treatments for PHN. Therefore, the true status of GpER as a treatment option needs to be enhanced with additional experimental evidence for its efficacy and favourable side-effect profile.