Drug Pipeline

The American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions comprise the world's largest conference for scientists and healthcare professionals focusing on cardiovascular disease.

Short-term treatment with the macrolide clarithromycin may cause significantly higher cardiovascular mortality in patients with stable coronary heart disease, according to a randomized, placebo-controlled multicenter study that took place in Denmark and was published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy, one of the most common late complications of diabetes, is associated with decreased quality of life and increased morbidity. The pathophysiology of diabetic neuropathy (DN) is multifactorial, contributing to ischemic and painful events and neuronal damage.

In an observational study of patients with type 2 diabetes being treated for heart failure, researchers found that metformin—whether used alone in vulnerable patients or in combination—is associated with lower mortality, less morbidity, and fewer hospitalizations compared with sulfonylurea monotherapy. The study, conducted in Canada, was published in Diabetes Care.

This dual-acting antidepressant is believed to exert its effect through the inhibition of neuronal serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake. Venlafaxine was approved on November 18, 2005, for the treatment of panic disorder, with or without agoraphobia, as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV).

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is expressed on the surface of normal cells and cancer cells, and erlotinib inhibits the intracellular phosphorylation of tyrosine kinase associated with EGFR.

In response to the emerging threat of pandemic (avian) influenza, FDA has announced the formation of a Rapid Response Team to ensure that antiviral drugs are available to citizens in the United States if they are needed. While avian flu has not emerged in this country, the team will help ensure an adequate supply of treatments, such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu, Roche) and other anti-influenza drugs, for stockpiling in the event there is an outbreak in the United States.

In an effort to meet the administration's goal of expanded electronic government, FDA is requiring drug manufacturers to submit prescription drug label information to the agency in a new electronic format. This electronic format will allow healthcare providers and consumers to more easily access the product information found in package inserts for all approved medications in the United States.

The future leadership of FDA remains highly uncertain following the unexpected resignation of commissioner Lester M. Crawford, DVM, PhD, in September. Andrew C. von Eschenbach, MD, director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), was named acting FDA commissioner, but conflict arose initially because Dr von Eschenbach wanted to retain a leadership role at NCI while also taking the helm of FDA. Although he handed over day-to-day leadership of NCI to a deputy, that move failed to fully appease critics concerned about conflicts of interest in advocating for speedy access to new cancer treatments while overseeing the safety and effectiveness of those therapies. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) secretary Michael Leavitt has indicated that Dr von Eschenbach is not likely to get the top job at FDA on a permanent basis.

Men who have used 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors to reduce their cholesterol levels may be at less risk of developing prostate cancer, according to a case-control study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Results from a 6-month, phase 3b/4 study of eszopiclone (Lunesta, Sepracor) in adult patients with chronic insomnia demonstrated that nightly use of eszopiclone 3 mg resulted in statistically significant improvements (P<.0001) compared with placebo in patient-reported measures of sleep latency (onset of sleep), sleep maintenance, total sleep time, and sleep quality. These results were announced in late September at the American Neurological Association (ANA) Annual Meeting in San Diego, Calif.

Eszopiclone (Lunesta, Sepracor), a novel, non-benzodiazepine sleep aid, shows significant value in the treatment of insomnia associated with menopause, said Claudio N. Soares, MD, PhD, at the North American Menopause Society's 16th annual meeting in San Diego, Calif.

Results from a phase 3 clinical study demonstrate that a novel transdermal estradiol gel (Bio-E-Gel, BioSante) represents a major improvement in low-dose estrogen therapy, significantly reducing the frequency and severity of hot flashes in menopausal women in a dose-dependent manner at all 3 doses studied, with the low dose being identified as the lowest effective approach, stated James A. Simon, MD, at the North American Menopause Society's 16th annual meeting in San Diego.

Quetiapine (Seroquel, AstraZeneca), olanzapine (Zyprexa, Lilly), and risperidone (Risperdal, Janssen) are equally effective in patients experiencing first episode psychosis, according to data presented in late October during the Breaking News session at the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) Congress.

A single IV bolus of enoxaparin (Lovenox, Aventis) is just as effective as and associated with less bleeding than unfractionated heparin in patients undergoing elective PCI, said Gilles Montalescot, MD. Dr Montalescot was lead investigator of STEEPLE (Safety and Efficacy of Enoxaparin in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Patients), the results of which were announced during the the ESC Congress 2005 in Stockholm, Sweden.

Children suffering from acute exacerbation of asthma can expect levalbuterol (Xopenex, Sepracor) (LEV) to produce results that are no better-yet are more costly-than racemic albuterol (RAC), according to a study published in Pediatric Emergency Care.

ACE inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) possess a similar and significant ability to reduce the development of new-onset type 2 diabetes among patients with hypertension, coronary artery disease, and heart failure, according to a meta-analysis study published in Diabetes Care.

Program will allow rapid access to population-based data sources tohelp ensure public safety

Judith Cahill, executive director of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP), gave testimony in early November during FDA's public hearing on direct-to-consumer advertising (DTC) of pharmaceutical products.

Evaluation of newly released medications for potential formulary inclusion should focus on clinical benefit over product price or rebate. Dossiers are invaluable to the evaluation process, but it's important to note that dossiers obtained from pharmaceutical manufacturers are often incomplete, according to presenters at AMCP's 2005 Educational Conference last month in Nashville, Tenn.

Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios produced by pharmacoeconomic modeling are the gold standard for evaluating drug alternatives, but the result of such an analysis often requires a value judgment on the part of the managed care organization (MCO), Daniel C. Malone, PhD, RPh, said at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy's (AMCP's) 2005 Educational Conference last month in Nashville, Tenn.

Accumulating data have demonstrated that the endothelin axis plays a role in the progression of many malignancies. Endothelin-1, which is produced by prostate cancer cells, can stimulate new bone formation. It can also act synergistically with a number of growth factors promoting cancer cells growth and proliferation. Over-expression of endothelin-1 and diminished capacity for its clearance have been seen in prostate cancer cell lines. The highest concentration of endothelin-1 is found in patients with hormone refractory metastatic disease. Atrasentan (Xinlay, Abbott) is a member of a new class of drugs called the selective endothelin-A receptor antagonists (SERAs). The safety and efficacy of atrasentan in hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) have been evaluated in several clinical trials. Atrasentan demonstrated some efficacy in delaying the progression of disease and improving patients' quality of life while having an acceptable safety profile. An NDA for atrasentan was submitted in December 2004 for..

The manufacturer of ato-moxetine (Strattera, Lilly) was directed by FDA to revise the prescribing information for the drug to include a black box warning and additional statements that alert healthcare providers of an increased risk of suicidal thinking in children and adolescents being treated with this medication.

Too much reliance on class effect could undermine the medical care of geriatric patients, according to an article published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society. In turn, the clinical community should work to ensure that sufficient choices remain to prescribe wisely for elderly patients, authors Mark H. Beers, MD, and Richard G. Stefanacci, DO, stated.

Acetaminophen at doses of more than 500 mg/d and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) at doses of more than 400 mg/d increase the risk of incident hypertension in younger and older women, according to cohort studies published in Hypertension.

Amlodipine tablets 2.5, 5, and 10 mg (equiv to Norvasc tablets).

This tablet formulation of lopinavir and ritonavir provides several advantages over the capsule formulation.

This recombinant IgG1 monoclonal antibody exerts its therapeutic effect through inhibition of human tumor necrosis factor (TNF).

The prodrug of a cytotoxic deoxyguanosine analogue, nelarabine inhibits DNA synthesis and leads to cell death.