Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Pharmacy for April 2011. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Zytiga Approved for Advanced Prostate Cancer
FRIDAY, April 29 (HealthDay News) -- Zytiga (abiraterone acetate), used in combination with prednisone, has been approved to treat advanced prostate cancer, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in statement.
National Cancer Institute
Ramipril May Lower End-Stage Renal Disease Risk in Obese
FRIDAY, April 29 (HealthDay News) -- Ramipril may reduce the risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in obese patients with non-diabetic chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a study published online April 28 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
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Fractures Seen in Older Levothyroxine Users
FRIDAY, April 29 (HealthDay News) -- Older people who take levothyroxine may be at risk for fractures, particularly if their cumulative doses are medium or high, according to research published online April 28 in BMJ.
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Flu Vaccination Safe for Post-Transplant Patients
THURSDAY, April 28 (HealthDay News) -- Influenza vaccination in the first year after renal transplantation is not associated with transplant rejection or loss, according to a study published online April 21 in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
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Wegener's Granulomatosis Tied to Higher Solid Tumor Risk
THURSDAY, April 28 (HealthDay News) -- The increased risk of solid malignancies seen in patients with Wegener's granulomatosis treated with etanercept during the Wegener's Granulomatosis Etanercept Trial (WGET) remained increased during long-term post-trial follow-up, according to a study published online April 11 in Arthritis & Rheumatism.
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Tanezumab Relieves Interstitial Cystitis Pain
THURSDAY, April 28 (HealthDay News) -- A single dose of intravenous (IV) tanezumab may alleviate interstitial cystitis pain, according to a study published in the May issue of The Journal of Urology.
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Monthly Injection Effective for Opioid Dependence
THURSDAY, April 28 (HealthDay News) -- A once-monthly injection of extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) appears to be effective and safe for the treatment of opioid dependence after detoxification, according to a study published online April 28 in The Lancet.
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Researchers Explore Genetic Basis for BCG Disease
WEDNESDAY, April 27 (HealthDay News) -- Genetic mutations affecting interferon regulatory factor 8 (IRF8) may thwart the development of monocytes and dendritic cells and impair antimycobacterial immunity, according to research published online April 27 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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New Approaches Useful for Management of IBD
WEDNESDAY, April 27 (HealthDay News) -- New therapeutic approaches may be useful in management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), specifically for inducing remission and preventing relapse in ulcerative colitis (UC), and Crohn's disease (CD), according to a review published as a supplement to the April issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology.
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Anti-Inflammatory Drugs May Lower Antidepressant Efficacy
WEDNESDAY, April 27 (HealthDay News) -- Anti-inflammatory drugs, including ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen, appear to reduce the effectiveness of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), according to a study published online April 25 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Vitamin E and Metformin Don't Improve Pediatric NAFLD
WEDNESDAY, April 27 (HealthDay News) -- For pediatric patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), neither treatment with vitamin E nor metformin significantly reduces alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels compared to placebo, according to a study published in the April 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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More MI Treatments Tied to Decreased Mortality in Sweden
TUESDAY, April 26 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in Sweden, an increase in evidence-based treatments is associated with a decrease in 30-day and one-year mortality, according to a study published in the April 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Epilepsy Drug Nonadherence Tied to Socioeconomic Status
TUESDAY, April 26 (HealthDay News) -- Adherence to antiepileptic drug therapy in children with newly diagnosed epilepsy varies greatly between children, and is significantly correlated with socioeconomic status, according to a study published in the April 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Black Cancer Patients More Willing to Pay to Extend Life
TUESDAY, April 26 (HealthDay News) -- Black cancer patients are more willing to expend their personal financial resources in order to extend life compared to white cancer patients, according to a study published online April 26 in Cancer.
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ACC/AHA Issue Blood Pressure Control Guidelines for Elderly
TUESDAY, April 26 (HealthDay News) -- The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) have released a consensus document to help clinicians control and reduce the risks for high blood pressure in elderly adults; the document has been published online April 25 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Diabetes Patients Benefit From Amlodipine Titration
TUESDAY, April 26 (HealthDay News) -- An amlodipine/olmesartan medoxomil (OM)-based titration regimen is well tolerated and may reduce blood pressure (BP) in patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes, according to a study published in the May 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
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Approval for Meningitis Vaccine Expanded to Include Toddlers
MONDAY, April 25 (HealthDay News) -- Use of the Menactra vaccine has been expanded by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to prevent meningitis and other forms of meningococcal disease in children as young as 9 months, the agency said in a news release.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Inhaled Corticosteroids May Decrease Mortality in COPD
MONDAY, April 25 (HealthDay News) -- Prior use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with a decreased risk of short-term mortality and use of mechanical ventilation following hospitalization for pneumonia, according to a study published online April 21 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Hypertension Drugs Tied to Risk of Cancer Recurrence
MONDAY, April 25 (HealthDay News) -- Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) appear to be associated with an elevated risk of breast cancer recurrence in women, while beta blockers (BBs) seem to have a protective effect, according to a study published online April 11 in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment.
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Studies Add to Evidence on Clot Risk Tied to Contraceptives
FRIDAY, April 22 (HealthDay News) -- Oral contraceptives containing drospirenone appear to be associated with a higher risk of non-fatal venous thromboembolism than formulations containing levonorgestrel, according to two studies published online April 21 in BMJ.
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Pirfenidone May Benefit People With Diabetic Nephropathy
FRIDAY, April 22 (HealthDay News) -- The anti-fibrotic agent pirfenidone improves kidney function in patients with diabetic nephropathy, according to a study published online April 21 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
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Intravaginal Probiotic May Lower UTIs in Premenopausal Women
THURSDAY, April 21 (HealthDay News) -- Treatment with an intravaginal suppository probiotic may help prevent recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) in premenopausal women, according to research published online April 14 in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
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Adalimumab Effective for Unresponsive Psoriasis Patients
THURSDAY, April 21 (HealthDay News) -- Approximately half of the patients with psoriasis who had a suboptimal response to etanercept, methotrexate (MTX), or narrowband (NB)-ultraviolet B (UVB) phototherapy achieved a clinically meaningful improvement after immediate transition to adalimumab treatment, according to a study published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
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Pioglitazone Not Tied to Most Cancers in Diabetes Patients
THURSDAY, April 21 (HealthDay News) -- Pioglitazone does not appear to be associated with common cancers in people with diabetes, though there may be an increased risk for bladder cancer in those who have received more than two years' treatment with the agent, according to two articles published in the April issue of Diabetes Care.
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Progesterone Gel Linked With Lower Rate of Preterm Birth
WEDNESDAY, April 20 (HealthDay News) -- Administration of vaginal progesterone gel in women with a sonographically short cervix in the second trimester is correlated with a significant reduction in the rate of preterm birth, according to a study published online April 6 in Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Arterial Obstruction Status Impacts IV Thrombolysis Benefit
WEDNESDAY, April 20 (HealthDay News) -- The infarct growth attenuating treatment effect of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is greater in ischemic stroke patients with arterial obstruction, according to a study published online April 7 in the Annals of Neurology.
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Triple-Class Viral Failure Low in HIV-Infected Children
WEDNESDAY, April 20 (HealthDay News) -- The rate of triple-class virological failure to three or more antiretroviral therapy (ART) drugs in children infected perinatally with HIV is low, but higher than the rate in adults, according to a study published online April 20 in The Lancet.
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Non-Inferior Efficacy for Subcutaneous Bortezomib
TUESDAY, April 19 (HealthDay News) -- Subcutaneous bortezomib has non-inferior efficacy and better safety than standard intravenous administration for patients with relapsed multiple myeloma, according to a study published online April 19 in The Lancet Oncology.
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New Test Effective for Detection of Tuberculosis
TUESDAY, April 19 (HealthDay News) -- Diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and rifampicin resistance (RIF), detected by the MTB/RIF test, is accurate and feasible in resource-poor countries, according to a study published online April 19 in The Lancet.
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AIDS-Free Survival Affected by CD4 Count at Start of cART
TUESDAY, April 19 (HealthDay News) -- Combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) initiated at a threshold of 0.500 × 109 cells/L may increase the rate of AIDS-free survival compared to initiation at lower thresholds, but does not affect mortality, according to a study published in the April 19 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Use of Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor Slows Vision Loss
MONDAY, April 18 (HealthDay News) -- Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) treatment shows promise for slowing the progression of vision loss in people with a type of age-related macular degeneration -- geographic atrophy (GA), according to the results of a phase 2 clinical trial published in the April 12 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Most Parents Consider Children's Vaccines Important
MONDAY, April 18 (HealthDay News) -- The majority of parents believe childhood vaccinations are safe and important, and while the most-trusted resource parents list for vaccine safety information is their child's doctor, non-health professional resources carry some weight as well, according to research published online April 18 in Pediatrics.
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Adalimumab Maintains Remission of Childhood Uveitis
MONDAY, April 18 (HealthDay News) -- Children with noninfectious childhood uveitis are more likely to remain in remission when treated with adalimumab compared to infliximab, according to a study published in the April issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
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Statins May Lower Post-Surgery Renal Complications
FRIDAY, April 15 (HealthDay News) -- Patients who use statins before major elective surgery may have a decreased likelihood of post-surgery renal complications and reduced postoperative mortality, according to a study published online April 14 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
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Anesthesia Complications Twice As Likely in Obese
THURSDAY, April 14 (HealthDay News) -- Airway management is a basic anesthetic responsibility and skill, and strategies need to be implemented to appropriately manage difficult airways, according to the Fourth National Audit Project (NAP4) of the Royal College of Anaesthetists and the Difficult Airway Society, published online March 29 in the British Journal of Anaesthesia.
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More Than Half of U.S. Adults Take Dietary Supplements
WEDNESDAY, April 13 (HealthDay News) -- Adult U.S. dietary supplement intake has increased since 1988-1994, according to a National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) data brief published April 13 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Antibiotics for Acne May Not Up Prevalence of S. aureus
WEDNESDAY, April 13 (HealthDay News) -- Contrary to common ideology, use of long-term tetracycline antibiotics for acne treatment does not appear to increase the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) or resistance to the antibiotics, according to research published online April 11 in the Archives of Dermatology.
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Adalimumab Antibodies Linked to Treatment Failure
WEDNESDAY, April 13 (HealthDay News) -- Development of antibodies against adalimumab may have an effect on treatment discontinuation, disease activity, and remission in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a study published April 13 in an infectious disease and immunology themed issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Alternative HPV Dosing Schedules Effective in Girls
TUESDAY, April 12 (HealthDay News) -- Human papillomavirus (HPV) standard schedule vaccine or alternative dosing schedules (zero, three, and nine months and zero, six, and 12 months) are well tolerated with comparable immunogenicity in adolescent girls, according to a study published April 13 in an infectious disease and immunology themed issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Fixed-Dose Combos Equally Effective in TB Treatment
TUESDAY, April 12 (HealthDay News) -- Compared with separately administered drugs, a four-drug fixed-dose combination (FDC) regimen partially satisfies noninferiority criteria for tuberculosis treatment, according to a study published April 13 in an infectious disease and immunology themed issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment May Reduce Diabetes Risk
MONDAY, April 11 (HealthDay News) -- Extended use of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) antagonists in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may reduce the risk of developing insulin resistance (IR), according to a review published in the April issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
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Substantial Weight Loss With Phentermine and Topiramate
TUESDAY, April 12 (HealthDay News) -- Overweight and obese individuals treated with phentermine and topiramate achieve substantial dose-related weight loss, according to a study published online April 11 in The Lancet.
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Memantine Not Indicated in Mild Alzheimer's Disease
TUESDAY, April 12 (HealthDay News) -- Memantine provides no treatment benefit in mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) and has only limited efficacy in moderate AD, according to a meta-analysis published online April 11 in the Archives of Neurology.
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Lenalidomide May Up Risk of Developing New Cancers
MONDAY, April 11 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has notified health care providers that lenalidomide (Revlimid) appears to be associated with an increased risk of developing new types of cancer.
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Imatinib Reduces Cutaneous Systemic Sclerosis Symptoms
MONDAY, April 11 (HealthDay News) -- Imatinib mesylate is well tolerated by patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc) with improvement in skin thickening and forced vital capacity (FVC), according to a study published online March 11 in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
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Antenatal Paracetamol Use May Be Tied to Childhood Wheeze
MONDAY, April 11 (HealthDay News) -- Children whose mothers used paracetamol during their pregnancy may have a slightly increased risk of childhood wheeze, according to a meta-analysis published in the April issue of Clinical & Experimental Allergy.
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Telaprevir Increases Second-Phase Hepatitis C Decline
FRIDAY, April 8 (HealthDay News) -- Analysis of the kinetics of telaprevir treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) shows a rapid second-phase viral decline, which may allow for shorter duration of treatment, according to a study published online March 7 in Hepatology.
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Insulin Secretagogues May Increase Mortality Risk
FRIDAY, April 8 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with type 2 diabetes treated with insulin secretagogue (IS) monotherapy are at increased risk of all-cause, cardiovascular, and composite (myocardial infarction [MI], stroke, and cardiovascular) mortality compared to those treated with metformin, according to a study published online April 6 in the European Heart Journal.
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Modified Chemo Effective for Lymphoma in Elderly
FRIDAY, April 8 (HealthDay News) -- A standard dose of rituximab combined with a low dose of CHOP (doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone) chemotherapy (R-miniCHOP) in elderly patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma offers good efficacy with acceptable levels of toxicity, according to a study published online April 8 in The Lancet Oncology.
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'Global Trigger Tool' Identifies 10 Times More Errors
THURSDAY, April 7 (HealthDay News) -- Use of the new Global Trigger Tool, developed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, detects at least 10 times more adverse events than other methods currently in use, according to a study published in the April issue of Health Affairs.
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Horizant Approved to Treat Restless Legs Syndrome
THURSDAY, April 7 (HealthDay News) -- Horizant extended release tablets (gabapentin enacarbil) have been approved as a once-daily treatment for restless legs syndrome (RLS).
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Vandetanib Approved for a Rare Thyroid Cancer
THURSDAY, April 7 (HealthDay News) -- Vandetanib has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as the first drug to treat a rare form of thyroid cancer in its latter stages.
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Electronic Systems Reduce Drug Errors in Psychiatry
THURSDAY, April 7 (HealthDay News) -- The combination of an electronic prescribing system and a computerized error reporting system significantly reduces the number of medication errors in a hospital's psychiatric unit, according to a study published in the March issue of the Journal of Psychiatric Practice.
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Guidelines for Juvenile Arthritis Treatment Published
THURSDAY, April 7 (HealthDay News) -- New guidelines for the treatment of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) have been developed by the American College of Rheumatology; the guidelines are based on the best available scientific evidence and expert opinion and have been published in the April issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
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Self-Management of Anticoagulant Therapy Effective
THURSDAY, April 7 (HealthDay News) -- Patient self-testing (PST), alone or in combination with patient self-management (PSM) of anticoagulant doses, reduces thromboembolic complications and all-cause mortality without increasing major bleeding events, according to a meta-analysis published in the April 5 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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New Yellow Fever Vaccine Safe and Effective
THURSDAY, April 7 (HealthDay News) -- A new vaccine against yellow fever that contains inactivated yellow fever antigen shows promise as a safe alternative to live vaccine, according to research published in the April 7 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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HIV Drug Resistance Mutations Increase Virologic Failure
WEDNESDAY, April 6 (HealthDay News) -- Low-frequency HIV-1 drug resistance mutations are associated with increased risk of virologic failure with first-line antiretroviral treatment (ART), according to a review published in the April 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Maximum Daily Opioid Doses Increase Mortality Risk
TUESDAY, April 5 (HealthDay News) -- Patients prescribed higher daily opioid doses for pain are at increased risk of opioid overdose death, according to a study published in the April 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Alteration in Health Outcomes Post Estrogen Therapy
TUESDAY, April 5 (HealthDay News) -- Among postmenopausal women with prior hysterectomy, cessation of conjugated equine estrogen (CEE) therapy reduces the risk of stroke, and the risk of breast cancer remains reduced, according to a study to be published on April 6 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Little Support Found for Medication of Autism Symptoms
MONDAY, April 4 (HealthDay News) -- Early behavioral and developmental interventions may benefit children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), but there is little evidence to support medical interventions, according to three studies published online April 4 in Pediatrics.
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Rituximab Does Not Improve Safety Profile of RA Treatment
MONDAY, April 4 (HealthDay News) -- Combining rituximab with a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor and methotrexate (MTX) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) does not offer any safety improvement, according to a study published in the March issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.
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Breast Cancer Survival Factors for Underserved Identified
MONDAY, April 4 (HealthDay News) -- Advanced stages at presentation, and limited diagnostic and treatment capabilities, contribute to lower breast cancer survival in low-income and middle-income countries (LMC), according to the executive summary of the Breast Health Global Initiative Consensus 2010, published in the April issue of The Lancet Oncology.
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Effects of Statin Therapy Independent of KIF6 Genotype
FRIDAY, April 1 (HealthDay News) -- Statin therapy significantly reduces the incidence of coronary and other major vascular events irrespective of the KIF6 Trp719Arg polymorphism (rs20455) genotype, according to a study published online March 30 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Medication, Communication Alleviate Latino Depression
FRIDAY, April 1 (HealthDay News) -- Among Latinos, symptoms of depression are more likely to abate with the use of antidepressants and quality doctor-patient communication, but symptoms are more likely to persist in the presence of stigma toward antidepressants, according to a study published online Jan. 19 in General Hospital Psychiatry.
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Autoimmune Diseases Number Two Cause of Chronic Illness
FRIDAY, April 1 (HealthDay News) -- Autoimmune diseases are the second leading cause of chronic illness in the United States and constitute a major direct and indirect economic burden to the U.S. health care system, according to a report released by the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) on March 22 at a congressional briefing.
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