Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) have gained considerable media attention, but there is limited knowledge about those receiving the drugs. This study aimed to assess demographic characteristics and previous diagnoses in patients dispensed GLP-1 RAs in Region Stockholm, Sweden, between 2019 and 2023, with a focus on off-label prescribing. This was a register...
Low-dose (0.5 mg/day) colchicine improves cardiovascular outcomes in patients with stable coronary disease. Around 10–15% of these patients simultaneously use anticoagulant therapy, including vitamin-K antagonists (VKAs). In vitro studies and case reports have described a possible interaction between colchicine and VKAs leading to increased INR, but controlled studies are lacking...
Every drug development is a complex and long journey. Clinical pharmacology is an essential discipline in modern drug development. With its applications, computational modelling, and simulation techniques, it can significantly contribute to the efficiency in drug development today. In this perspective, we highlight why pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics are important, what...
Antiretroviral drugs are recommended during pregnancy to achieve HIV viral suppression and reduce mother-to-child transmission. Congenital anomaly signals were reported after fetal exposure to antiretroviral drugs in several studies warranting further investigation. We aimed to evaluate the risk of congenital anomalies after fetal exposure to antiretroviral drugs using the...
The clinical benefit of up-titration of metoprolol to a guideline-recommended target dose after myocardial infarction (MI) is unknown. Our aim was to investigate whether variation in metoprolol exposure determined by cytochrome p450 enzyme 2D6 (CYP2D6) influences the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and cardiovascular death (CV death) among patients...
Tranexamic acid (TXA) is widely used as an antifibrinolytic drug. However, studies to determine the optimal blood concentration of TXA have produced inconsistent results. During cardiac surgery, cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) has serious effects on drug distribution, elimination, and plasma concentration. Therefore, we aimed to establish a population pharmacokinetics model of TXA...
This study aimed to characterize non-commercial Spanish COVID-19 trials and to determine the availability of results. Differences in outcomes according to the interventions assessed (medicines, non-medicines) will also be determined. This systematic review was conducted in March 2024 by searching non-commercial Spanish COVID-19 trials on four registers (EUCTR, Clinical.Trials.gov...
Several studies have attempted to identify genetic determinants of clinical response to opioids administered during labor or after cesarean section. However, their results were often contrasting. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to quantitatively assess the association between gene polymorphisms and clinical outcomes of opioid administration in the treatment of...
To explore how hospital interns and residents specialising in family medicine act on drug interaction alerts in a specific patient case, and on interaction alerts in general. A 4-page questionnaire, including a fictional patient case (73-year-old woman; 10 drugs in the medication list triggering 11 drug interaction alerts) and questions regarding the use of interaction alerts in...
Pulmonary hemorrhage is a life-threatening condition characterized by blood leakage into lung tissues, leading to severe respiratory distress. Nebulized tranexamic acid (TXA) has emerged as a promising treatment option for pulmonary hemorrhage due to its localized hemostatic effects and minimal systemic side effects. This review aims to summarize the research progress on the...
The shape and position of the hemoglobin-oxygen dissociation curve (ODC) is of critical importance in medicine, as it determines the uptake of O2 in the lungs and the delivery of O2 to the tissues. Numerous reports have identified affinity-modulating effects of drugs in humans. Such effects may be relevant to conditions such as pulmonary diffusion disorders, peripheral vascular...
The purpose of this study is to investigate the reporting of risks associated with transporter-mediated drug-drug interactions (DDIs) in medicinal product information and to identify suitable wording for future standardisation of summaries of product characteristics (SmPCs). The SmPCs of medicinal products approved in the European Union from 2012 to 2023 were screened for...
Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, is employed by numerous cancer patients to support conventional cancer therapy. This systematic review aims to summarize the existing clinical evidence and to provide an overview of the potential benefits and risks associated with curcumin supplementation. In January 2024, we conducted a systematic search of five electronic databases...
The prevalence of harms in healthcare related to drug treatment is often quantified using terms developed for pharmacovigilance and pharmaceutical care. In this overview, we guide through the definitions and the settings for which they were developed, with the underlying intention to facilitate the interpretation of hitherto available research intended to contribute information...
To evaluate the population pharmacokinetics of unbound F-Ara-A (the circulating metabolite of fludarabine) in 211 patients (age range, 0.1–63.4 years) undergoing allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation conditioning. Total (n = 2480) and unbound (n = 1403) F-Ara-A concentrations were measured in blood samples collected at timed intervals after fludarabine doses ranging...
Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of voriconazole (VCZ) should be mandatory for all pediatric patients with invasive fungal infections (IFIs). The narrow therapeutic index, inter-individual variability in VCZ pharmacokinetics, and genetic polymorphisms cause achieving therapeutic concentration during therapy to be challenging in this population. The study included 44 children...
The recognition of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) is an important part of daily clinical work. However, medical education in this field is mostly drug-based and does not address adequately the complexity of this field regarding individual risk factors and polypharmacy. This study investigates the potential of the web-based serious game SeeMe (side-effect exposure—medical education...
We aimed to develop and evaluate a population PK model of mycophenolic acid (MPA) in pediatric kidney transplant patients to aid MPA dose optimization. Data were collected from pediatric kidney transplant recipients from a Dutch academic hospital (Radboudumc, the Netherlands). Pharmacokinetic model-building and model-validation analyses were performed using NONMEM. Subsequently...
Monitoring free valproate concentrations, as with other highly protein-bound anticonvulsants, is essential in clinical situations where protein binding may be disrupted. Conversion of measured total concentrations to approximate free concentrations offers a cost-effective alternative. This study evaluated the relationship between total and free valproate concentrations for...
Isoniazid, a first-line antitubercular drug, is associated with nervous system adverse drug reactions such as seizures, peripheral neuropathy, and psychosis. This systematic review of case reports and case series aimed to characterize the demographic, social, and clinical factors associated with isoniazid-induced psychosis in patients with active tuberculosis (TB) and those who...
Drug administration via feeding tubes is considered a process with many uncertainties. This review aimed to give a comprehensive overview of data available on feeding tube application and to carry out risk assessments for drug substances commonly administered to stroke patients. Drugs frequently administered via feeding tubes were identified through a retrospective analysis of...