Current Clinical Pharmacology - Volume 9, Issue 2, 2014

Influenza A is a viral disease of global dimension, presenting with high morbidity and mortality in annual epidemics, and in pandemics which are of infrequent occurrence but which have very high attack rates. Influenza vaccines of the future must be directed toward use of conserved group-specific viral antigens, such as are present in transitional proteins which are exposed during the fusion of virus to the host cell. Influenza Read More

The goal of this review is to address the medical implications of placebos and placebo effects in future medical practice. The applications of placebos have become increasingly relevant due to a recent abundance of clinical research that has been conducted on the mechanisms under which a placebo response is formed. With current research on placebo, the thoughts of using placebo effects as an effective form of co- Read More

Background: We sought to determine whether sustained-release bupropion (bupropion-SR) reduces smoking and promotes smoking cessation among alcohol-dependent (AD) smokers while they are in early recovery from alcohol. Methods: We conducted an open-label, naturalistic study among AD smokers enrolled in an outpatient treatment program. The treatment group (n=58) was offered bupropion-SR and brief smok Read More

Background: Observational pharmacoepidemiological (PE) studies on drug safety have produced discrepant results that may be due to differences in design, conduct and analysis. Purpose: The pharmacoepidemiology work-package (WP2) of the Pharmacoepidemiological Research on Outcomes of Therapeutics by a European ConsorTium (PROTECT) project aims at developing, testing and disseminating methodological standards f Read More

Introduction: Previously, we demonstrated that oral docetaxel plus the P-glycoprotein (Pgp; ABCB1) inhibitor cyclosporin A (CsA) is safe and results in adequate exposure to docetaxel. This phase II study evaluates the anti-tumor activity, safety and pharmacokinetics of oral docetaxel in combination with CsA in women with advanced breast cancer. Materials and Methods: Patients with measurable advanced breast cancer Read More

Background: Retigabine is an antiepileptic drug (AED) that reduces neuronal excitability by enhancing neuronal KCNQ (Kv7) potassium channel activity. Methods: This manuscript provides an overview of the drug-drug interaction potential of retigabine with other AEDs, using data collated from both in vitro work and clinical studies, either previously published or from relevant information collated during the development of Read More

CD26 is a widely expressed transmembrane glycoprotein with peptidase activity in its extracellular domain and which regulates multiple biological processes. It acts mainly as catabolic enzyme for a number of circulating proteins involved in common pathological conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease and may represent a target to modulate bioavailability of crucial substrates. The aim of the present review is to s Read More

Valproic acid (VPA) is an anti-epileptic and mood-stabilizing compound successfully used in the clinics since many decades. During the last few years, research on VPA revitalized. VPA has profound impact on nuclear chromatin structure in target cells by impinging on epigenetic mechanisms such as inhibition of histone deacetylase HDAC1, with implications for HIV and cancer treatment, and for the direct reprogramming in g Read More

Sarcopenia is characterized by progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength with a risk of adverse outcomes such as physical disability, poor quality of life, and death. Primary sarcopenia is considered to be age-related when no other cause is evident, other than ageing itself. Secondary sarcopenia should be considered when one or more other causes are evident, such as activity-, disease-, or nut Read More