February 22nd 2024
Research and development funding increased in 2023 but clinical trial starts fell by 15%, partly because of fewer COVID-19-related trials, according to IQVIA's worldwide report on research and development in the biopharmaceutical industry.
Focus On: Fondaparinux: A novel synthetic antithrombotic for prevention of venous thromboembolism
December 1st 2001Fondaparinux, the first in a new class of antithrombotics that selectively target factor Xa, has been deemed approvable by the FDA for prevention of venous thromboembolism following orthopedic surgery. Four phase III trials have suggested that it may be more effective than enoxaparin in this setting with little to no additional bleeding risk. This Focus review examines data from these trials and others in an effort to sketch out this pending agent's likely therapeutic role.
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Bioterror response to alter pharmaceutical development and marketing
December 1st 2001Uncle Sam is poised to authorize more than $1 billion to buy medicines and vaccines for the national pharmaceutical stockpile, and federal agencies are gearing up to spend millions more on research related to infectious disease. In response, the pharmaceutical industry is assessing how these developments may alter the way it does business.
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PBM shares strategy behind Prozac switch success
November 1st 2001In less than 2 weeks after the launch of generic fluoxetine in August, Merck-Medco had switched 85% of its mail-order Prozac prescriptions to generic versions of the antidepressant. It says its generic switch rate for retail Prozac scripts was 69% over the same time period.
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Federal protocols plus local follow-through is key to hospitals' terrorism readiness, experts say
November 1st 2001The September 11 terrorist attacks and October's wave of anthrax cases have forced hospitals and health systems to examine their emergency preparedness from a new perspective. When it comes to planning for possible shortages of critical drugs and the need for biodefense, experts say the right mix of federal guidance and local implementation is key.
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Practice setting, other variables determine success of preferred drug sample closet
November 1st 2001Harvard Pilgrim HealthCare, Wellesley, MA-It's well accepted that the provision of drug samples influences physician prescribing practices. Annually, the pharmaceutical industry provides billions of dollars worth of drug samples to physicians' offices and studies have shown the effectiveness of sample medications in shaping physician prescribing patterns.
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Federal fraudbusters focus on drug pricing while quest for Rx discount card continues
November 1st 2001With the government spending billions to fight terrorism at home and abroad, federal investigators are looking closely at all health care programs for opportunities to stymie abuses and collect big penalties.
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Hepatitis B: An ssessment of current and future treatment options (PDF)
October 1st 2001Interferon alfa-2b and the nucleoside analog lamivudine are the currently available options for treating chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. This article reviews major efficacy findings with these agents, defines their role according to patients' clinical status, and provides the latest data on optimal duration of therapy, predictors of response, and long-term effects. The authors also explore the emergence of hepatitis B immune globulin for post-liver transplant HBV prophylaxis and offer a progress report on experimental therapies for chronic HBV infection.
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Dalteparin for enoxaparin interchange: Chart review shows promising clinical, economic outcomes
October 1st 2001University Hospital and Medical Center (Tamarac)/University of Florida (Gainesville)-Dalteparin appears to be at least as clinically effective as enoxaparin for the prevention or treatment of the consequences of venous and arterial thromboembolic diseases, say clinicians from these two facilities.
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Market share shift analysis identifies scenario allowing maximum number of ED patients to be treated
September 1st 2001Minneapolis Veterans Administration Medical Center-Decreasing or eliminating the use of alprostadil-based erectile dysfunction treatments and converting to 100% sildenafil use would save this VA medical center more than $101,000 annually. Furthermore, the projected savings would allow an additional 405 men with erectile dysfunction to be treated for an entire year, say clinicians at this facility.
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Metformin prevents diabetes in high-risk subjects, but effect is trumped by lifestyle changes
September 1st 2001For the first time, a large clinical trial has shown that a medication can help prevent type 2 diabetes in high-risk individuals. At the same time, drug therapy emerged as a less effective preventive strategy than fairly modest diet and exercise changes.
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