Drug Formulary Review articles from November 2004

Drug Formulary Review archives from November 2004

Rofecoxib withdrawal from market shakes the pharmaceutical industry: patients should reconsider basic NSAIDs as alternatives, pharmacist says.
November 1, 2004... The recent withdrawal of the popular arthritis drug rofecoxib (Vioxx) from the market has left patients scrambling for alternatives and providers looking at long-term consequences. "I was not dramatically surprised [about the withdrawal],...

The focus now shifts to COX-2 inhibitor class: some providers demanding investigations now.
November 1, 2004... Now that Merck & Co. has withdrawn rofecoxib (Vioxx) from the market because of increased risk of heart attack and stroke, the attention is shifting to the other drugs of this class. Rofecoxib, celecoxib (Celebrex), and valdecoxib (Bextra)...

HIV management guidelines emphasize primary care: drug therapy adherence strategies key component.
November 1, 2004... New HIV guidelines address long-term management in the context of a person s overall life and health--and emphasize the importance of strategies to improve adherence to drug regimens. The HIV Medicine Association and the Infectious Diseases...

Should AIDS therapy start at higher cell counts?
November 1, 2004... New research suggests that AIDS therapy should be initiated at higher CD4 levels than current guidelines recommend. In the study, published in the Sept. 15 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases, researchers wanted to reevaluate the...

Oral erythromycin, CYP3A inhibitor combination risky.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Patients who took the antibiotic erythromycin with medications that inhibit CYP3A drug enzymes, such as certain calcium-channel blockers, certain antifungal drugs, and some antidepressants, had a five times greater risk of sudden death from...

Many patients don't tell docs about medication underuse.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... A recent study found that two-thirds of chronically ill patients who planned to underuse medication because of the cost did not tell a clinician in advance. Thirty-five percent never discussed it at all. The researchers conducted a...

Scientists find potential way to control drug-resistant bacteria.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Researchers are reporting that they believe they have discovered a potential new way to control drug-resistant bacteria. The results of the study were published in the Sept. 23 issue of the journal Nature. The new research, funded by the...

Drug shortages negatively affect patient safety, costs of care.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... A new study finds that ongoing drug shortages are having far-ranging, negative effects on patient care and hospital costs. The survey, published in the Oct. 1 issue of the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, polled almost 1,500...

Wyeth: glass vial breakage of pantoprazole sodium.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... WYeth is informing health care professionals about reports of glass vial breakage of pantoprazole sodium (Protonix IV 40 mg vials) for injection during attempts to connect vials to spiked intravenous (IV) system adaptors. This may be a...

New FDA approvals.
November 1, 2004... These drugs were recently approved by the FDA: * Hydromorphone hydrochloride (Palladone) capsules by Purdue Pharma L.P. The FDA has approved hydromorphone hydrochloride (Palladone) for the management of persistent moderate-to-severe pain in...

Cinacalcet HCl (sensipar) formulary evaluation: Part 1 of 2: indications, mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, dosing & administration, adverse events, and interactions.
November 1, 2004... Cinacalcet is the first in a class of calcimimetic agents that increases the sensitivity of the calcium-sensing receptor to activation by extracellular calcium. Indications Cinacalcet is indicated for the treatment of: * Secondary...

MediGene AG has initiated a clinical Phase I/II trial of the drug candidate NV1020 for the treatment of liver metastases developing from colorectal cancer.(In The Pipeline)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... MediGene AG has initiated a clinical Phase I/II trial of the drug candidate NV1020 for the treatment of liver metastases developing from colorectal cancer. NV1020 is a herpes simplex virus, genetically modified for the specific destruction of...

Sangart has initiated a Phase II clinical trial involving MP4 (Hemospan).(In The Pipeline)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Sangart has initiated a Phase II clinical trial involving MP4 (Hemospan), a hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier designed to serve as an alternative for blood transfusions.

Corautus Genetics has begun its Phase IIb clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-2 (VEGF-2).(In The Pipeline)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Corautus Genetics has begun its Phase IIb clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-2 (VEGF-2) for the treatment of severe cardiovascular disease.

Encysive Pharmaceuticals has completed enrolling 240 patients in the company's multicenter.(In The Pipeline)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Encysive Pharmaceuticals has completed enrolling 240 patients in the company's multicenter, Phase III STRIDE-2 (Sitaxsentan To Relieve ImpaireD Exercise) trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of sitaxsentan (Thelin) in patients with...

Genentech and OSI Pharmaceuticals have initiated a Phase IIIB clinical study.(In The Pipeline)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Genentech and OSI Pharmaceuticals have initiated a Phase IIIB clinical study of the investigational therapy erlotinib HC1 (Tarceva) in patients with second- and third-line non-small cell lung cancer who have previously received chemotherapy.

AstraZeneca is recruiting patients for a new clinical trial for non-small-cell lung cancer.(In The Pipeline)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... AstraZeneca is recruiting patients for a new clinical trial for non-small-cell lung cancer. The INTEREST (IRESSA Non-small-cell lung cancer Trial Evaluating REsponse and Survival against Taxotere) trial will evaluate the effectiveness of the...

Threshold Pharmaceuticals has received a Special Protocol Assessment from the FDA for a pivotal Phase III clinical trial.(In The Pipeline)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Threshold Pharmaceuticals has received a Special Protocol Assessment from the FDA for a pivotal Phase III clinical trial to evaluate Glufosfamide in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer refractory to first-line treatment.

CE questions.
November 1, 2004... Pharmacists participate in this continuing education program by reading the article, using the provided references for further research, and studying the CE questions. Participants should select what they believe to be the correct answers. ...

Salary statistics and shortage data give broader picture: administrator positions are overly burdened with regulations, pharmacists say.
November 1, 2004... New salary statistics show that hospital pharmacy administrators may make $100,000 or more and work 50 hours a week or fewer. Even so, pharmacy management positions are some of the hardest to fill, according to a second survey. The...