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News Comparison of the Risk of Interstitial Lung Disease in Patients with RA with Biological and Targeted Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Therapy

The authors of a newly published study sought to answer whether the risk of developing interstitial lung disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is affected by the administration of biological or targeted disease-modifying antirheumatic therapy. They analyzed data from more than 28,000 patients with RA.

Source: Arthritis 8. 6. 2023

News Study AMPLIFY Confirmed Safety and Efficacy of Fixed Combination Aclidinium/Formoterol in COPD Therapy

The randomized double-blind phase III AMPLIFY study compared the efficacy of a fixed combination of formoterol/aclidinium with monotherapy of the individual components or with tiotropium in patients with moderate to very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Source: Treatment of Asthma and COPD 15. 7. 2020

News Efficacy and Speed of Pain Relief in Rheumatoid Arthritis When Adding Baricitinib to Methotrexate

The phase III clinical trial RA-BEAM conducted in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) inadequately controlled by methotrexate demonstrated the benefit of adding baricitinib or adalimumab compared to placebo in terms of reducing the number of swollen joints. However, baricitinib showed greater pain relief starting from week 1 compared to placebo and from week 2 compared to adalimumab. Thus, the recently published results of an analysis using the data from this study aimed to compare the proportion of patients who achieved certain pain relief thresholds, the time required for pain relief, and the relationship between the presence of inflammation and pain.

Source: Biological Treatment 17. 2. 2020

News When to Initiate Dabigatran Therapy in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation After First Ischemic Stroke?

After a cardioembolic ischemic stroke (iCMP), approximately 5% of patients experience a recurrence within the first 14 days without anticoagulant therapy. The aim of the retrospective observational study presented below was to evaluate the optimal timing of initiating dabigatran anticoagulant therapy with respect to the risk of intracerebral hemorrhage.

Source: Anticoagulant Treatment 21. 7. 2020

News Incidence of Secondary Malignancies in CLL Patients on FCR Regimen in Central Europe

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) represents the most common type of leukemia in Western countries with closely related incidence in Central European states. Since 2000, new therapeutic regimens have been explored and applied in an effort to improve patient prognosis, including the combination of fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab (FCR). However, the development of new therapeutic regimens is also associated with concerns about the risk of secondary malignancies.

Source: Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia 7. 12. 2022

News Does Intense Monitoring After Colorectal Cancer Resection Bring Benefits?

Is it necessary to intensely monitor patients with colorectal cancer after curative resection? Not always, as shown by the results of the PRODIGE 13 study presented at the virtual ESMO 2020 conference.

Source: Colorectal Cancer 25. 5. 2021

News Spectrum of Mechanisms of Action of Fenfluramine in the Treatment of Rare Epilepsies

Fenfluramine (FFA) is an anticonvulsant used in the treatment of rare epilepsies such as Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. In addition to effectively reducing seizure frequency, it also mitigates non-seizure comorbidities in patients with these conditions. Last year, Belgian authors published a detailed review of all its described mechanisms of action. They also explain how these mechanisms might contribute to the clinical benefits of FFA beyond seizure suppression, such as reducing the risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) or improving executive functions.

Source: Rare Diseases in Neurology 21. 6. 2024

News Less is Sometimes More –⁠ How Generic Substitution Can Affect Patient Adherence

It is undisputed that the use of generic drugs saves the healthcare system significant costs. Although doctors should certainly care about the health of the system, they primarily care for the health of individual patients –⁠ and for them, generic substitution may not always be the best choice. For instance, it is now known that it is not ideal for drugs with a narrow therapeutic range, such as antiepileptics, antidepressants, or antiparkinsonian drugs. But does this mean that generic substitution is always a welcome choice for other drugs?

Source: Modern Treatment of Diabetes 17. 2. 2022

News Different doses of LMWH in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 –⁠ interim experience

Many experts recommend administering heparin to patients with COVID-19 as part of anticoagulant prophylaxis, especially in severe forms of this infection. However, data on dosage, administration duration, and the effectiveness of this approach are limited. Therefore, authors from Bologna, Italy, investigated the relationship between various doses of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) and mortality in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

Source: Thromboprophylaxis 18. 11. 2020

News Vaccination and ALEmtuzumab: ALE when?

When, why and against what should patients with multiple sclerosis treated with alemtuzumab be vaccinated? And is vaccination effective in this population?

Source: Multiple Sclerosis 5. 6. 2023

News Pharmacokinetics and Safety Profile of Bilastine in Patients Aged 6–11 Years –⁠ Findings from Post-hoc Analysis of Studies

The second-generation antihistamine bilastine is approved in Europe for the treatment of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and urticaria in children over 6 years old. Post-hoc analyses of two clinical studies focused on its safety profile and pharmacokinetics in the pediatric population.

Source: Allergic Reactions 4. 3. 2020

News How did alemtuzumab fare in real clinical practice?

A study published by authors from the University of Massachusetts in January this year in the journal Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders focused on the effectiveness and safety of alemtuzumab. How did it fare in real clinical practice?

Source: Multiple Sclerosis 11. 6. 2021

News Economic Costs and Concomitant FVIII Consumption in Hemophilia Patients Treated with Emicizumab in the 1st Year −⁠ A US Experience

The authors of a recent study, summarizing real-world experience from the US, focused on the concomitant consumption of FVIII (Factor VIII) concentrates during emicizumab prophylaxis and the financial costs in the first year after starting emicizumab treatment.

Source: Hemophilia 27. 11. 2023

News Development and Benefits of Intestinal Gel LECIG for Patients with Parkinson's Disease

Patients with advanced Parkinson's disease, for whom the current regimen of orally and transdermally administered medications is insufficient for symptom relief, now have a new treatment option. It involves the continuous administration of an intestinal gel that combines three effective antiparkinsonian drugs.

Source: Parkinson's Disease 10. 3. 2023

News Untreated Bleeding in Hemophilia A –⁠ An Underestimated Problem? To What Extent?

How common is bleeding in hemophilia A that ultimately goes untreated? This was the focus of a recent study, the results of which were published in the journal Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Hemostasis.

Source: Hemophilia 27. 11. 2023