E-DRUG: Content of Prescrire International, October 2008 Volume 17 N° 97
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prescrire International is the English language edition of the reference French journal la revue Prescrire. It contains comparative evaluation of new drug interventions, reviews of adverse effects, and papers on drug policy issues.
Prescrire International is totally funded by subscribers, with no support from pharmaceutical industry or government. It is published six times a year and health professionals in low income countries can also benefit from the journal thanks to Solidarity Subscription Rates. Drug companies are excluded from applying to Solidarity Rates.
Contents of Prescrire International,
October 2008 Volume 17 N° 97
Editorial _____________________
. Thanks, but no thanks
Regulators encourage overmedication
New Products _____________________
. Ziconotide (severe pain)
Limited analgesic efficacy, too many adverse effects
. Ramelteon (insomnia)
No role for risky placebos
Melatonin: licensed, but still no proof of efficacy
. Fluoxetine (depression in children)
Too many uncertainties
. Vildagliptin and vildagliptin/metformin (type 2 diabetes)
Same limited efficacy as sitagliptin
. Pioglitazone (type 2 diabetes)
No glitazones with or without insulin
Editors' opinion: Do not use glitazones either alone or in combination
for treatment of diabetes
. Miconazole mucoadhesive gingival tablet (oropharyngeal candidiasis)
New form of tablet, no proven advantages
. Methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta (symptomatic anaemia)
Risk of cardiovascular disorders
. Risedronic acid (osteoporosis in men)
No fewer symptomatic fractures
. Verteporfin (neovascular forms of ARMD)
A welcome restriction of indications
. Piroxicam (restriction of indications)
Only half-measures
. Common stems - INN: -vudine and -taxel
. Teriparatide (osteoporosis in men)
No evidence of efficacy, frequent adverse effects
. Dexrazoxane
Possibly helpful for preventing anthracycline cardiotoxicity
. Timothy pollen oral lyophilisate (hay fever)
Not acceptable
. Rotarix° packaging
More improvement needed
Adverse effects _______________________
. Drug-induced taste disorders
. Varenicline: a British review
. Dopamine agonists: pathological gambling and hypersexuality
. Osteonecrosis of the jaw due to bisphosphonates
. Ischaemic colitis and neuroleptics
. Hypertrichosis in children treated with steroids
. Acute adrenal failure: inhaled steroids too
. Oseltamivir: gastrointestinal bleeding
. Renal failure and gadolinium
. Levofloxacin and glycaemic disorders
. Vertebroplasty and adverse effects of cement
Reviews _____________
. Sleep complaints
Avoid the use of sleeping pills
. Prescrire's advice: How to help a patient who complains of poor-quality
sleep and who has not yet been treated
. Agitation in Alzheimer's disease: no to donepezil
Social and behaviour management is best
. Higher type 2 diabetes-related mortality when HbA1c levels are too
low. HbA1c of 7% is best
. Do not use bisphosphonate therapy indefinitely for fracture
prevention
No longer than 5 years
. Surgery in asymptomatic carotid stenosis: no advantage
A meta-analysis of about 5000 patients
Outlook _______
. Editorial: Human guinea pigs
. Direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs: harmful and difficult to regulate
. Standing up to salt industry lobbies
. Forum - Kept in the dark about dangerous medicines