Current Medicinal Chemistry - Volume 23, Issue 21, 2016

Rheumatoid arthritis is a common chronic inflammatory and destructive arthropathy that consumes considerable personal, social and economic costs. It consists of a syndrome of pain, stiffness and symmetrical inflammation of the synovial membrane (synovitis) of freely moveable joints such as the knee (diarthrodial joints). Although the etiology of rheumatoid arthritis is unclear, the disease is characterized by inflammation of Read More

Over the years, both first- (FGAs) and second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs), continue to gain increasing evidence of being effective in the treatment of psychotic symptoms. Currently, they represent the first-line treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, although they are widely used in psychotic depression and other clinical conditions, such as agitation and/or behavioural disturbances. Despite representing an in Read More

To date, two kinds of Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factors (G-CSF) have been approved for autologous peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell (PBSCs) mobilization and posttransplant hematologic recovery after high-dose chemotherapy: filgrastim (originator and biosimilar) and lenograstim. Biosimilar filgrastim has been approved on the basis of comparable efficacy and safety in clinical studies where it has been used as che Read More

Thrombin is a key enzyme of blood coagulation system which has multiple functions including pro- and anticoagulant, platelet aggregating and inflammatory activities. Unsurprisingly, this enzyme has been a target for anticoagulant drug development for decades. Among the most interesting direct thrombin inhibitors with intravenous administration route are the following ones: 1) hirudins, proteins with bivalent bind Read More

Ineffectively treated tuberculosis (TB) is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Cure of TB patients is hampered by the development of multidrug resistance in M. tuberculosis and the need of long-term treatment. The diarylquinoline derivative bedaquiline was approved in December 2012 under the accelerated-approval regulations of FDA as part of a combination therapy for treating adults with pulmonary MDR-TB for Read More

Pompe disease or glycogen storage disease type II (OMIM: 232300) is a lysosomal storage disorder resulting from a partial or total lack of acid alphaglucosidase, which may produce muscle weakness, gait abnormalities, or even death by respiratory failure. In the last decade, autophagy has been proposed as a mechanism involved in the severity of symptoms related to this disorder and as a potential therapeutic target to all Read More