Etravirine (Intelence) review from Health Canada
Information about: etravirine (Intelence) for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in treatment-experienced adult patients who have failed prior therapy and have HIV-1 strains resistant to multiple antiretroviral agents, including NNRTIs. From Health Canada. On March 27, 2008, Health Canada issued a Notice of Compliance to Janssen-Ortho Inc. for the drug product Intelence.
Efficacy definition in pharmacodynamics
Pharmacodynamics definition of efficacy.
Recomendations for the use of erlotinib (Tarceva) in patients with liver disease
Letter dated December 12, 2008 published on the Health Canada website on erlotinib adverse effects: Dear Health Care Professional, Hoffmann-La Roche Limited, in consultation with Health Canada would like to inform prescribers of important new safety information regarding the use of TARCEVA® (erlotinib) in patients with moderate hepatic impairment and advanced solid tumors. TARCEVA is […]
Potency of a drug. Equipotent drug definition
The following pharmacology definition has been taken from the Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Department Glossary at Boston University School of Medicine. Equipotent: Equally potent, or equally capable of producing a pharmacologic effect of a specified intensity. The masses of the drugs required to produce this degree of effect may be compared, quantitatively, to
Pharmacodynamics. Half maximal effective concentration (EC50) definition
Half maximal effective concentration (EC50) definition.
Dose response curve definition in plain english.
An explanation in plain english of the dose-response curves, by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences: One of the most important principles of pharmacology, and of much of research in general, is a concept called “dose-response.” Just as the term implies, this notion refers to the relationship between some effect—let’s say, lowering of blood […]
HIV protease inhibitors: animation showing their mechanism of action
About the HIV-1 protease, from Wikipedia: HIV-1 protease (HIV PR) is an aspartic protease that is essential for the life-cycle of HIV, the retrovirus that causes AIDS. HIV PR cleaves newly synthesized polyproteins at the appropriate places to create the mature protein components of an infectious HIV virion. Without effective HIV PR, HIV virions remain […]
Opioid antagonists mnemonic. Naloxone and naltrexone
A quite simple but effective mnemonic from MedExcel: Narcotic antagonists The Narcotic Antagonists are NAloxone and NAltrexone. _ Important clinically to treat narcotic overdose.
Off-label intravitreal use of bevacizumab (Avastin): reports of ocular side effects
Letter from Roche to health care professionals dated December 16, 2008. Related to off- label uses in ophtalmology of bevacizumab (Avastin): Reports of Eye Inflammation, Endophthalmitis, and Toxic Anterior Segment Syndrome (TASS) Following Off-label Intravitreal Use of AVASTIN® (bevacizumab)
Phenytoin adverse effects mnemonic
Phenytoin: adverse effects PHENYTOIN: P-450 interactions Hirsutism Enlarged gums (Gingival hyperplasia, the most common) Nystagmus Yellow-browning of skin Teratogenicity Osteomalacia Interference with B12 metabolism (hence anemia) Neuropathies: vertigo, ataxia, headache Thanks to MedExcel
Efalizumab (Raptiva) and progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). New safety information
This is duplicated text of a letter from EMD Serono Canada Inc to health care professionals, available at Health Canada . Dear Health Care Professional, EMD Serono Canada Inc., in collaboration with Health Canada, would like to inform you of important new safety information regarding the risk of serious infections, including progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), […]
Mnemonic for drugs used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease
Parkinsonism: drugs SALAD: Selegiline Anticholinenergics (trihexyphenidyl, benzhexol, ophenadrine) L-Dopa + peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor (carbidopa, benserazide) Amantadine Dopamine postsynaptic receptor agonists (bromocriptine, lisuride, pergolide, pramipexole)
Dabigatran (Pradaxa, Pradax) for the prevention of VTE. Mechanism of action, indications, contraindications, pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics.
Information about dabigatran (Pradaxa in Europe, Pradax in Canada) for the prevention of venous thromboembolic events (VTE), from Health Canada. On June 10, 2008, Health Canada issued a Notice of Compliance to Boehringer Ingelheim Canada Ltd. for the drug product, Pradax. Pradax contains the medicinal ingredient dabigatran etexilate used in its salt form, dabigatran etexilate […]
Pharmacology glossary. Dose duration curve definition
The following pharmacological definition has been taken from the Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Department Glossary at Boston University School of Medicine. Dose-Duration Curve: The curve describing the relationship between dose (as the independent variable) and duration of drug effect (as the dependent variable, T). The slope of the curve is always positive, in contrast to