Expert opinion on pharmacotherapy
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Expert Opin Pharmacother · Feb 2015
ReviewNaloxegol , a new drug for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation.
With increasing chronic opioid use, opioid-induced constipation (OIC) is becoming a relevant clinical challenge. Presently, only few treatments have been demonstrated to be more effective than placebo in treating OIC but most of them have a restricted clinical application because of side effects. Naloxegol , an orally administered, peripherally acting, μ-opioid receptor antagonist (PAMORA), was developed for the treatment of OIC. ⋯ Naloxegol is the first approved, orally available PAMORA. The drug has the potential to substantially improve management of OIC patients.
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Expert Opin Pharmacother · Feb 2015
ReviewLCZ696 : a new paradigm for the treatment of heart failure?
Heart failure (HF) represents a significant healthcare issue because of its ever-increasing prevalence, poor prognosis and complex pathophysiology. Currently, blockade of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) is the cornerstone of treatment; however, the combination of RAAS blockade with inhibition of neprilysin (NEP), an enzyme that degrades natriuretic peptides, has recently emerged as a potentially superior treatment strategy. ⋯ Speculation that LCZ696 will pass the scrutiny of regulatory agencies for HF-REF appears to be justified, and it is likely to become a core therapeutic component in the near future. Replication of the eligibility criteria and titration protocol used in the PARADIGM-HF trial would be valuable in clinical practice and may minimize the risk of adverse events. Although long-term data remain to be generated, the promising results regarding hypertension are likely to expedite acceptance of the drug for HF-REF.