Expert opinion on pharmacotherapy
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Expert Opin Pharmacother · Jun 2020
ReviewAn evaluation of the efficacy and safety of erdafitinib for the treatment of bladder cancer.
Treatment of unresectable or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC) has historically relied upon platinum-based chemotherapy and, more recently, immune checkpoint inhibitors. When tumors progress despite those therapies, remaining effective options are limited. ⋯ The approval of erdafitinib provides clinicians with an important new treatment option for patients with metastatic UC and projects forward into an era of enhanced molecular precision in identifying effective therapies in UC.
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Expert Opin Pharmacother · Jun 2020
ReviewEvaluating naloxegol for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation.
Due to the increased use of opioids for pain and their abuse globally, the rate of restrictive side effects is elevating. Opioid-induced constipation (OIC) is probably the most widespread, underdiagnosed, and yet common adverse effect. Naloxegol, as an opioid antagonist, is associated with beneficial impacts in OIC. Indeed, blocking mu (μ)-opioid receptors in the gastrointestinal tract (GI) may lead to neutralization of the GI adverse events of opioids. ⋯ Similar to the management of functional constipation, non-pharmacological therapies are applied as the first step of the procedure. However, in most cases, laxative therpaies with or without stool softeners, which may not result in satisfactory relief are applied. In these instances, administration of prokinetic agents is recommended. Furthermore, studies have shown that the best second-line therapy option is a peripherally acting μ-opioid receptor antagonist (PAMORA), which antagonizes GI adverse events.