Consensus Statement on the Use of Botulinum Neurotoxin

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Botulinum Neurotoxin

INTRODUCTION

Spasticity is characterized by increased muscle tone, exaggerated tendon jerks, and poor control of voluntary movement that occurs as part of an upper motor neuron syndrome. Patients with spasticity are at high risk of sustaining rheologic changes to the involved muscles, ultimately leading to contractures and painful limb deformities. The principal goal of spasticity management is to prevent irreversible soft-tissue changes and tendon contractures by maintaining muscle length and normal limb positioning.

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American Heart Association, 2006 Scientific Sessions: Dronedarone Maintains Sinus Rhythm in Atrial Fibrillation After Unsuccessful Previous Therapy

Posted by James

2006 Scientific Sessions

Speaker: Bramah N. Singh, MD, Professor of Medicine, Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California

Dronedarone (Multaq, Sanofi-Aventis), was found to be a viable treatment option for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) after other antiarrhythmic drugs had exhibited poor efficacy in maintaining sinus rhythm. Dronedarone is a novel multichannel blocking antiarrhythmic agent that is structurally related to amiodarone grug (e.g., Pacerone, Upsher-Smith; Corda-rone, Wyeth-Ayerst).

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American Heart Association, 2006 Scientific Sessions: Clopidogrel Plus Aspirin Benefits Patients at Higher Risk for Cardiovascular Disease

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Speaker: Keith A. Fox, MD, Professor of Cardiology, and Head of Medical and Radiological Services, Department of Cardiological Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

The impact of risk status, prior history, and proximity to recent cardiovascular events such as a myocardial infarction (MI) or stroke plays a major role in the efficacy of clopidogrel (Plavix medication, Sanofi-Aventis) when added to aspirin therapy in patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease, cardiovascular disease, peripheral artery disease, or a history of cardiovascular (CV) events.

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American Heart Association, 2006 Scientific Sessions: Fondaparinux Reduces Mortality and Re-infarction in Non-reperfused STEMI Patients

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Fondaparinux Reduces Mortality

Speaker: Lars C. Wallentin, MD, PhD, Professor of Cardiology, Uppsala Clinical Research Centre, Uppsala, Sweden

In non-reperfused patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), fondaparinux (Arixtra, GlaxoSmithKline), an anticoagulant that inhibits activated Factor X, reduced mortality and re-infarction without increasing bleeding or stroke when it was administered for eight days, compared with unfractionated heparin (UFH) for 48 hours or placebo.

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American Heart Association, 2006 Scientific Sessions: Pioglitazone and Management of Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetic Patients

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Speaker: Theodore Mazzone, MD, Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology, and Chief of the Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois, Chicago

Pioglitazone (Actos generic, Takeda), a diabetes medication that improves sensitivity to insulin, appears to stop the progression of arterial wall thickening when compared with glimepiride (Amaryl drug, Sanofi-Aventis), a sulfonylurea drug that stimulates insulin secretion.

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American Heart Association, 2006 Scientific Sessions

Posted by James

American Heart Association

Cardiovascular Risks Comparable with Two Pain Killers, Etoricoxib and Diclofenac

Speaker: Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and Associate Physician, Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts

Results from a late-breaking clinical trial showed that etoricoxib (Arcoxia drug, Merck), a highly selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor, and the pain medication diclofenac (Voltaren canadian, Novartis), a COX-1/COX-2 inhibitor, both of which are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), carried comparable rates of thrombotic cardiovascular events.

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Pharmaceutical Approval Update: Clindamycin Phosphate 1.2% and Tretinoin 0.025% (Ziana) Gel

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Manufacturer: Medicis, Scottsdale, AZ

Indication: The gel is indicated for the topical treatment of acne vulgaris in patients 12 years of age or older.

Drug Class: The gel combines a lincosamide antibiotic and a retinoid.

Uniqueness of Drug: The product contains two active ingredients. Generic clindamycin phosphate is a water-soluble ester of the semisynthetic antibiotic, produced by a 7(S)-chloro­substitution of the 7(R)-hydroxyl group of the parent antibiotic lincomycin.

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    So Many Advances in Medicine, So Many Yet to Come