Expert opinion on pharmacotherapy
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Expert Opin Pharmacother · Aug 2011
ReviewAdvances in drug delivery: Is triple therapy the future for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?
Current therapies for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) focus on the improvement of clinical symptoms via the use of bronchodilators: β(2)-adrenoreceptor agonists and muscarinic (M3) acetylcholine receptor antagonists. The combination of inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) and long-acting β(2) agonists (LABAs), or LABAs and anticholinergics has become an efficient alternative to single therapies. These combinations consist of a LABA and an ICS together with an anticholinergic, such as ipratropium or tiotropium. ⋯ There is limited documented clinical evidence for the use of triple therapy in COPD, reflected in the lack of commercial activity in the field. The future for the management of COPD may lie with triple therapy, but may equally rest on a better understanding of the disease and subsequent development of new chemical entities, such as dimer molecules, longer-acting β-agonists and antimuscarinics.
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Expert Opin Pharmacother · Aug 2011
ReviewCombination therapy with naltrexone and bupropion for obesity.
Although pharmacological treatments for obesity represent only one option in managing obesity, they are a useful tool in an otherwise extremely limited armamentarium. Naltrexone/bupropion combination therapy was developed by using technological advances that have improved our understanding of how the brain regulates body weight. ⋯ Safety and tolerability issues seem to be manageable and consistent with the documented effects of each component. Appropriate patient management should address the mild sympathomimetic effect of bupropion, although the FDA has required that a cardiovascular outcomes study be conducted preapproval to determine the effects of long-term use of naltrexone/bupropion in an overweight/obese population. When used in conjunction with diet and exercise, the naltrexone/bupropion combination may be a useful treatment option for obesity, especially for overweight and obese adults who report difficulty controlling eating behavior and their response to food cravings.
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Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is a short-chain fatty acid that is synthesized within the CNS, mostly from its parent compound gamma amino butyric acid (GABA). GHB acts as a neuromodulator/neurotransmitter to affect neuronal activity of other neurotransmitters and so, stimulate the release of growth hormone. Its sodium salt (sodium oxybate: SXB) was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of narcolepsy. SXB has shown to improve disrupted sleep and increase NR3 (slow-wave restorative) sleep in patients with narcolepsy. It is rapidly absorbed and has a plasma half-life of 30 - 60 min, necessitating twice-nightly dosing. Most of the observed effects of SXB result from binding to GABA-B receptors. ⋯ Insomnia, fatigue and pain are important clinical FM symptoms that showed moderate improvements with SXB in several large, well-designed clinical trials. Because of the limited efficacy of currently available FM drugs additional treatment options are needed. In particular, drugs like SXB - which belong to a different drug class than other Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved FM medications such as pregabalin, duloxetine and milnacipran - would provide a much-needed addition to presently available treatment options. However, the FDA has set the bar high for future SXB re-submissions, with requirements of superior efficacy and improved risk mitigation strategies. At this time, no future FDA submission of SXB for the fibromyalgia indication is planned.
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Expert Opin Pharmacother · Aug 2011
ReviewExtended-release formulations of tramadol in the treatment of chronic pain.
Tramadol is a centrally acting analgesic available throughout the world. Its dual opioid and non-opioid mechanisms of action, favorable efficacy and safety clinical profiles and non-controlled regulatory status in most markets contribute to its widespread use. A drawback of the immediate-release formulation of tramadol (four-times-a-day dosing) might be addressed by an extended-release formulation. Extended-release formulations also can offer advantages in the management of chronic pain: convenience, reduced pill burden (possibly leading to improved compliance) and the attenuation of peaks and troughs in serum concentration (possibly leading to reduced adverse effects). ⋯ Based on the literature cited, extended-release formulations of tramadol seem to offer a rational and important addition to the analgesic armamentarium. As is true for all such options, the benefits and risks must be assessed for each patient.
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Expert Opin Pharmacother · Jul 2011
Review Comparative StudyFentanyl nasal spray for the treatment of cancer pain.
Breakthrough pain, a transitory flare of pain in patients with otherwise controlled chronic pain, has been well characterized in cancer patients but despite medical awareness, sometimes remains underdiagnosed and therefore undertreated. ⋯ The aim of this review is to summarize the pharmacological characteristics and data obtained from clinical studies of INFS in the past few years, and present Fentanyl Pectin Nasal Spray (PecFent), which uses an innovative delivery system and is now approved in the EU. Finally, we discuss the impact that it may have in the future management of breakthrough pain in cancer patients, because an accurate diagnosis followed by the best treatment is crucial for effective pain alleviation.