E-drug: Association Diclofenac/Misoprostol (cont)
---------------------------------------------
Dear Edith,
In Italy two drugs containing the association Diclofenac/Misoprostol
have been available on the market since 1996.
These are prescription-only drugs, labelled for the treatment of
rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis in patients with a history of
gastrointestinal diseases.
As Dr. Trinkle said, misoprostol is not the only drug used to prevent
NSAID-induced ulcers. In The Medical Letter (1082 USA Ed.) it is
reported that also proton pump inhibitors or high doses of famotidine
could be effective for this purpose.
In Italy the use of misoprostol as an abortifacient is not approved and
no data regarding any potential/illegal use for this indication are
available.
Antonio Clavenna
Francesca Rocchi
Regional Drug Information Center
Laboratory for Mother and Child Health
Institute for Pharmacological Research "Mario Negri"
Milan, Italy
rocchi@marionegri.it
--
Send mail for the `E-Drug' conference to `e-drug@usa.healthnet.org'.
Mail administrative requests to `majordomo@usa.healthnet.org'.
For additional assistance, send mail to: `owner-e-drug@usa.healthnet.org'.