scholarly journals No Time to Waste: Real-World Repurposing of Generic Drugs as a Multifaceted Strategy Against COVID-19 (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moshe Rogosnitzky ◽  
Esther Berkowitz ◽  
Alejandro R Jadad
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Real World ◽  
Generic Drugs ◽  
Antiplatelet Agent ◽  
Safety Data ◽  
Drug Repurposing ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Off Label ◽  
Drug Candidates ◽  
Track Record

UNSTRUCTURED Real-world drug repurposing—the immediate “off-label” prescribing of drugs to address urgent clinical needs—is an indispensable strategy gaining rapid traction in the current COVID-19 crisis. Although off-label prescribing (ie, for a nonapproved indication) is legal in most countries, it tends to shift the burden of liability and cost to physicians and patients, respectively. Nevertheless, in urgent public health crises, it is often the only realistic source of a meaningful potential solution. To be considered for real-world repurposing, drug candidates should ideally have a track record of safety, affordability, and wide accessibility. Although thousands of such drugs are already available, the absence of a central repository of off-label uses presents a barrier to the immediate identification and selection of the safest, potentially useful interventions. Using the current COVID-19 pandemic as an example, we provide a glimpse at the extensive literature that supports the rationale behind six generic drugs, in four classes, all of which are affordable, supported by decades of safety data, and pleiotropically target the underlying pathophysiology that makes COVID-19 so dangerous. Having previously fast-tracked this paper to publication in summary form, we now expand on why cimetidine/famotidine (histamine type-2 receptor antagonists), dipyridamole (antiplatelet agent), fenofibrate/bezafibrate (cholesterol/triglyceride-lowering agents), and sildenafil (phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor) are worth considering for patients with COVID-19 based on their antiviral, anti-inflammatory, renoprotective, cardioprotective, and anticoagulation properties. These examples also reveal the unlimited opportunity to future-proof public health by proactively mining, synthesizing, and cataloging the off-label treatment opportunities of thousands of safe, well-established, and affordable generic drugs.

scholarly journals No Time to Waste: Real-World Repurposing of Generic Drugs as a Multifaceted Strategy Against COVID-19

JMIRx Med ◽  
10.2196/19583 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. e19583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moshe Rogosnitzky ◽  
Esther Berkowitz ◽  
Alejandro R Jadad
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Real World ◽  
Generic Drugs ◽  
Antiplatelet Agent ◽  
Safety Data ◽  
Drug Repurposing ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Off Label ◽  
Drug Candidates ◽  
Track Record

Real-world drug repurposing—the immediate “off-label” prescribing of drugs to address urgent clinical needs—is an indispensable strategy gaining rapid traction in the current COVID-19 crisis. Although off-label prescribing (ie, for a nonapproved indication) is legal in most countries, it tends to shift the burden of liability and cost to physicians and patients, respectively. Nevertheless, in urgent public health crises, it is often the only realistic source of a meaningful potential solution. To be considered for real-world repurposing, drug candidates should ideally have a track record of safety, affordability, and wide accessibility. Although thousands of such drugs are already available, the absence of a central repository of off-label uses presents a barrier to the immediate identification and selection of the safest, potentially useful interventions. Using the current COVID-19 pandemic as an example, we provide a glimpse at the extensive literature that supports the rationale behind six generic drugs, in four classes, all of which are affordable, supported by decades of safety data, and pleiotropically target the underlying pathophysiology that makes COVID-19 so dangerous. Having previously fast-tracked this paper to publication in summary form, we now expand on why cimetidine/famotidine (histamine type-2 receptor antagonists), dipyridamole (antiplatelet agent), fenofibrate/bezafibrate (cholesterol/triglyceride-lowering agents), and sildenafil (phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor) are worth considering for patients with COVID-19 based on their antiviral, anti-inflammatory, renoprotective, cardioprotective, and anticoagulation properties. These examples also reveal the unlimited opportunity to future-proof public health by proactively mining, synthesizing, and cataloging the off-label treatment opportunities of thousands of safe, well-established, and affordable generic drugs.

scholarly journals Delivering Benefits at Speed Through Real-World Repurposing of Off-Patent Drugs: The COVID-19 Pandemic as a Case in Point

10.2196/19199 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. e19199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moshe Rogosnitzky ◽  
Esther Berkowitz ◽  
Alejandro R Jadad
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
Generic Drugs ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Safety Data ◽  
Drug Repurposing ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Off Label ◽  
Drug Candidates ◽  
Track Record ◽  
Care Systems

Real-world drug repurposing—the immediate “off-label” prescribing of drugs to address urgent clinical needs—is a widely overlooked opportunity. Off-label prescribing (ie, for a nonapproved indication) is legal in most countries and tends to shift the burden of liability and cost to physicians and patients, respectively. Nevertheless, health crises may mean that real-world repurposing is the only realistic source for solutions. Optimal real-world repurposing requires a track record of safety, affordability, and access for drug candidates. Although thousands of such drugs are already available, there is no central repository of off-label uses to facilitate immediate identification and selection of potentially useful interventions during public health crises. Using the current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic as an example, we provide a glimpse of the extensive literature that supports the rationale behind six generic drugs, in four classes, all of which are affordable, supported by decades of safety data, and targeted toward the underlying pathophysiology that makes COVID-19 so deadly. This paper briefly summarizes why cimetidine or famotidine, dipyridamole, fenofibrate or bezafibrate, and sildenafil citrate are worth considering for patients with COVID-19. Clinical trials to assess efficacy are already underway for famotidine, dipyridamole, and sildenafil, and further trials of all these agents will be important in due course. These examples also reveal the unlimited opportunity to future-proof our health care systems by proactively mining, synthesizing, cataloging, and evaluating the off-label treatment opportunities of thousands of safe, well-established, and affordable generic drugs.

scholarly journals Delivering Benefits at Speed Through Real-World Repurposing of Off-Patent Drugs: The COVID-19 Pandemic as a Case in Point (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moshe Rogosnitzky ◽  
Esther Berkowitz ◽  
Alejandro R Jadad
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
Generic Drugs ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Safety Data ◽  
Drug Repurposing ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Off Label ◽  
Drug Candidates ◽  
Track Record ◽  
Care Systems

UNSTRUCTURED Real-world drug repurposing—the immediate “off-label” prescribing of drugs to address urgent clinical needs—is a widely overlooked opportunity. Off-label prescribing (ie, for a nonapproved indication) is legal in most countries and tends to shift the burden of liability and cost to physicians and patients, respectively. Nevertheless, health crises may mean that real-world repurposing is the only realistic source for solutions. Optimal real-world repurposing requires a track record of safety, affordability, and access for drug candidates. Although thousands of such drugs are already available, there is no central repository of off-label uses to facilitate immediate identification and selection of potentially useful interventions during public health crises. Using the current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic as an example, we provide a glimpse of the extensive literature that supports the rationale behind six generic drugs, in four classes, all of which are affordable, supported by decades of safety data, and targeted toward the underlying pathophysiology that makes COVID-19 so deadly. This paper briefly summarizes why cimetidine or famotidine, dipyridamole, fenofibrate or bezafibrate, and sildenafil citrate are worth considering for patients with COVID-19. Clinical trials to assess efficacy are already underway for famotidine, dipyridamole, and sildenafil, and further trials of all these agents will be important in due course. These examples also reveal the unlimited opportunity to future-proof our health care systems by proactively mining, synthesizing, cataloging, and evaluating the off-label treatment opportunities of thousands of safe, well-established, and affordable generic drugs.

scholarly journals Tuberculosis and viral hepatitis in patients treated with certolizumab pegol in Asia-Pacific countries and worldwide: real-world and clinical trial data

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chak Sing Lau ◽  
Yi-Hsing Chen ◽  
Keith Lim ◽  
Marc de Longueville ◽  
Catherine Arendt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Viral Hepatitis ◽  
Central Europe ◽  
Real World ◽  
Certolizumab Pegol ◽  
Safety Data ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Hbv Reactivation ◽  
Post Marketing

Abstract Introduction/objectives To evaluate the incidence rate (IR) of tuberculosis (TB) and viral hepatitis B and C (HBV/HCV) during certolizumab pegol (CZP) treatment, worldwide and in Asia-Pacific countries, across clinical trials and post-marketing reports (non-interventional studies and real-world practice). Method CZP safety data were pooled across 49 clinical trials from 1998 to June 2017. Post-marketing reports were from initial commercialization until March 2015 (TB)/February 2017 (HBV/HCV). All suspected TB and HBV/HCV cases underwent centralized retrospective review by external experts. Incidence rates (IRs) were calculated per 100 patient-years (PY) of CZP exposure. Results Among 11,317 clinical trial patients (21,695 PY), 62 TB cases were confirmed (IR 0.29/100 PY) including 2 in Japan (0.10/100 PY) and 3 in other Asia-Pacific countries (0.58/100 PY). From > 238,000 PY estimated post-marketing CZP exposure, there were 31 confirmed TB cases (0.01/100 PY): 5 in Japan (0.05/100 PY), 1 in other Asia-Pacific countries (0.03/100 PY). Reported regional TB IRs were highest in eastern Europe (0.17/100 PY), central Europe (0.09/100 PY), and Mexico (0.16/100 PY). Across clinical trials, there was 1 confirmed HBV reactivation and no HCV cases. From > 420,000 PY estimated post-marketing CZP exposure, 5 HBV/HCV cases were confirmed (0.001/100 PY): 2 HCV reactivations; 1 new HCV; plus 2 HBV reactivations in Japan (0.008/100 PY). Conclusions CZP TB risk is aligned with nationwide TB rates, being slightly higher in Asia-Pacific countries excluding Japan. Overall, TB and HBV/HCV risk with CZP treatment is currently relatively low, as risk can be minimized with patient/physician education, screening, and vigilant treatment, according to international guidelines. Key Points:• TB rates were highest in eastern/central Europe, Mexico, and Asia-Pacific regions.• With the implementation of stricter TB screening and risk evaluations in 2007, especially in high TB incidence countries, there was a notable reduction TB occurrence.• Safety profile of biologics in real-world settings complements controlled studies.• TB and hepatitis (HBV/HCV) risk with certolizumab pegol (CZP) treatment is low.

scholarly journals Dual MD–MPH Degree Students in the United States: Moving the Medical Workforce Toward Population Health

2021 ◽  
pp. 003335492097842
Author(s):  
Jo Marie Reilly ◽  
Christine M. Plepys ◽  
Michael R. Cousineau
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Population Health ◽  
Health Care Policy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Master Of Public Health ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
Public Health Training ◽  
The Impact

Objective A growing need exists to train physicians in population health to meet the increasing need and demand for physicians with leadership, health data management/metrics, and epidemiology skills to better serve the health of the community. This study examines current trends in students pursuing a dual doctor of medicine (MD)–master of public health (MPH) degree (MD–MPH) in the United States. Methods We conducted an extensive literature review of existing MD–MPH databases to determine characteristics (eg, sex, race/ethnicity, MPH area of study) of this student cohort in 2019. We examined a trend in the MD community to pursue an MPH career, adding additional public health and health care policy training to the MD workforce. We conducted targeted telephone interviews with 20 admissions personnel and faculty at schools offering MD–MPH degrees in the United States with the highest number of matriculants and graduates. Interviews focused on curricula trends in medical schools that offer an MD–MPH degree. Results No literature describes the US MD–MPH cohort, and available MD–MPH databases are limited and incomplete. We found a 434% increase in the number of students pursuing an MD–MPH degree from 2010 to 2018. The rate of growth was greater than the increase in either the number of medical students (16%) or the number of MPH students (65%) alone. Moreover, MD–MPH students as a percentage of total MPH students more than tripled, from 1.1% in 2010 to 3.6% in 2018. Conclusions As more MD students pursue public health training, the impact of an MPH degree on medical school curricula, MD–MPH graduates, and MD–MPH career pursuits should be studied using accurate and comprehensive databases.

scholarly journals Longitudinal analysis of safety and medication adherence of patients in the Fingolimod patient support program: a real-world observational study

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aline Bourdin ◽  
Marie Paule Schneider ◽  
Isabella Locatelli ◽  
Myriam Schluep ◽  
Olivier Bugnon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Patient Safety ◽  
Medication Adherence ◽  
Real World ◽  
Safety Data ◽  
Support Program ◽  
Patient Support ◽  
Patient Support Program ◽  
Dose Monitoring ◽  
Real World Evidence ◽  
Patient Reported

AbstractThe Fingolimod Patient Support Program (F-PSP) is an interprofessional specialty pharmacy service designed to ensure responsible use of fingolimod by promoting patient safety and medication adherence. This study aims to evaluate the safety and medication adherence of patients who joined the F-PSP between 2013 and 2016. Sociodemographic and medical characteristics, patient safety data (patient-reported symptoms, discontinuations due to adverse events (AEs), repeated first-dose monitoring), and medication adherence (implementation, persistence, reasons for discontinuation, influence of covariates, barriers and facilitators) were described. Sixty-seven patients joined the F-PSP. Patients reported a high frequency of symptoms. Due to AEs, 7 patients discontinued fingolimod, 3 took therapeutic breaks, and 1 reduced the regimen temporarily. Three patients repeated the first-dose monitoring. Patients had a high medication adherence over the 18-month analysis period: implementation decreased from 98.8 to 93.7%, and fingolimod persistence was 83.2% at 18 months. The patients’ level of education, professional situation, and living with child(ren) influenced implementation. Patients reported more facilitators of medication adherence than barriers. The F-PSP seems valuable for supporting individual patients (ensuring responsible use of fingolimod and inviting patients for shared-decision making) and public health (indirectly gathering real-world evidence).

miRNA-mediated Drug Repurposing Unveiled Potential Candidate Drugs for Prolactinoma Treatment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Büşra Aydin ◽  
Sema Arslan ◽  
Fatih Bayraklı ◽  
Betül Karademir ◽  
Kazim Yalcin Arga
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Data Integration ◽  
Cell Viability ◽  
Drug Repurposing ◽  
Serum Prolactin ◽  
Drug Candidates ◽  
Mirna Level ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Cell Cycle Phases

Introduction: Prolactinomas, also called lactotroph adenomas, are the most encountered type of hormone-secreting pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNET) in the clinic. The preferred first-line therapy is a medical treatment with dopamine agonists (DA), mainly cabergoline, to reduce serum prolactin levels, tumor volume, and mass effect. However, in some cases, patients have displayed DA-resistance with aggressive tumor behavior or are faced with recurrence after drug withdrawal. Also, currently used therapeutics have notorious side effects and impair the life quality of the patients. Methods: Since the amalgamation of clinical and laboratory data besides tumor histopathogenesis and transcriptional regulatory features of the tumor emerge to exhibit essential roles in the behavior and progression of prolactinomas, in this work, we integrated mRNA and microRNA (miRNA) level transcriptome data that exploit disease-specific signatures in addition to biological and pharmacological data to elucidate a rational prioritization of pathways and drugs in prolactinoma. Results: We identified eight drug candidates through drug repurposing based on mRNA-miRNA level data integration and evaluated their potential through in vitro assays in the MMQ cell line. Seven re-purposed drugs including 5-flourocytosine, nortriptyline, neratinib, puromycin, taxifolin, vorinostat, and zileuton were proposed as potential drug candidates for the treatment of prolactinoma. We further hypothesized possible mechanisms of drug action on MMQ cell viability through analyzing PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and cell cycle arrest via flow cytometry and western blotting. Discussion: We presented the transcriptomic landscape of prolactinoma through miRNA and mRNA level data integration and proposed repurposed drug candidates based on this integration. We validated our findings through testing cell viability, cell cycle phases, and PI3K/Akt protein expressions. Effects of the drugs on cell cycle phases and inhibition of PI3K/Akt pathway by all drugs gave us promising output for further studies using these drugs in the treatment of prolactinoma. This is the first study that reports miRNA-mediated repurposed drugs for prolactinoma treatment via in vitro experiments.

Real‐world off‐label use of icatibant for acute management of non‐hereditary angioedema

2021 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 419-423
Author(s):  
Thanh‐Thao (Adriana) Le ◽  
William Smith ◽  
Pravin Hissaria
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
Hereditary Angioedema ◽  
Acute Management ◽  
Off Label Use ◽  
Off Label ◽  
Label Use

scholarly journals Real-world comparative effectiveness of nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine versus FOLFIRINOX in advanced pancreatic cancer: a systematic review

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 175883591985036 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Gabriela Chiorean ◽  
Winson Y. Cheung ◽  
Guido Giordano ◽  
George Kim ◽  
Salah-Eddin Al-Batran
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Pancreatic Cancer ◽  
Real World ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Safety Data ◽  
Advanced Pancreatic Cancer ◽  
Progression Free Survival ◽  
First Line ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Grade 3

Background: No clinical trial has directly compared nab-paclitaxel/gemcitabine (nab-P/G) with FOLFIRINOX (fluorouracil/leucovorin/oxaliplatin/irinotecan) in metastatic or advanced pancreatic cancer (mPC or aPC). We conducted a systematic review of real-world studies comparing these regimens in the first-line setting. Methods: Embase and MEDLINE databases through 22 January 2019, and Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium 2019 abstracts were searched for real-world, retrospective studies comparing first-line nab-P/G versus FOLFIRINOX in mPC or aPC that met specific parameters. Studies with radiotherapy were excluded. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Results: Of 818 records initially identified, 35 were duplicates and 749 did not meet the eligibility criteria, mostly because they were either not comparative ( n = 356) or not first line ( n = 245). The remaining 34 studies (21 mPC; 13 aPC) assessed >6915 patients who received nab-P/G or FOLFIRINOX. In the studies identified, the median overall survival (OS) reached 14.4 and 15.9 months with nab-P/G and FOLFIRINOX, respectively, and median progression-free survival reached 8.5 and 11.7 months, respectively. Safety data were reported in 14 studies (2205 patients), including 8 single-institutional studies. In most single-institutional studies that reported safety data, rates were higher with FOLFIRINOX versus nab-P/G for grade 3/4 neutropenia (five of six studies) and febrile neutropenia (all three studies), while rates of grade 3/4 peripheral neuropathy were higher with nab-P/G in four of seven studies. Conclusions: Although FOLFIRINOX was associated with slightly longer median OS in more studies, the differences, when available, were not statistically significant. Therefore, a randomized, controlled trial is warranted. Toxicity profile differences represent key considerations for treatment decisions.

PALOMAGE, a French real-world cohort of elderly women beyond age 70 with advanced breast cancer receiving palbociclib: Baseline characteristics and safety evaluation.

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1012-1012
Author(s):  
Philippe Caillet ◽  
Marina Pulido ◽  
Etienne Brain ◽  
Claire Falandry ◽  
Isabelle Desmoulins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Advanced Breast Cancer ◽  
Real World ◽  
Older Patients ◽  
Systemic Treatment ◽  
Safety Data ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Advanced Breast ◽  
Baseline Characteristics ◽  
Grade 3

1012 Background: Advanced breast cancer (ABC) is common in older patients, resulting from the high incidence of breast cancer beyond age 70. This population is often limited in clinical trials. Endocrine therapy (ET) combined with a CDK4/6 inhibitor is the standard of care in ABC overexpressing hormonal receptors (HR+). Data specific to older patients are scarce in the literature, deserving further research. Methods: PALOMAGE is an ongoing French prospective study evaluating palbociclib (PAL) + ET in real life setting in women aged ≥70 with HR+ HER2- ABC, split in 2 cohorts: ET sensitive patients with no prior systemic treatment for ABC (cohort A), and ET resistant patients and/or with prior systemic treatment for ABC (cohort B). Data collected include clinical characteristics, quality of life (EORTC QLQ-C30 and ELD14) and geriatric description [G8 and Geriatric-COre DatasEt (G-CODE)]. This analysis reports on baseline characteristics and safety data for the whole population. Results: From 10/2018 to 10/2020, 400 and 407 patients were included in cohort A and B, respectively. The median age was 79 years (69-98), 15.1% with an age > 85. ECOG performance status (PS) was ≥2 in 17.9% patients, 68.3% had a G8 score ≤14 suggesting frailty, 32.1% had bone only metastasis, and 44% had visceral disease. 35.8% of patients in cohort B had no prior treatment for ABC. Safety data were available for 787 patients. The median follow-up was 6.7 months (IC95% = 6.1-7.6). At start of treatment, full dose of PAL (125 mg) was used in 76% of the patients: 62.6%, 68.7% and 71.6% of patients aged ≥ 80, those with ECOG PS ≥2 and those with a G8 score ≤14, respectively. In the safety population, 70% had ≥1 adverse event (AE), including 43.1% grade 3/4 AE, and 22.9% ≥ 1 serious AE. Most frequent AE reported were neutropenia (43.2%), anemia (17.5%), asthenia (16.3%) and thrombocytopenia (13.6%). Grade 3/4 neutropenia was observed in 32.3% of patients, with febrile neutropenia in 1.1%. Grade 3/4 AE PAL-related were reported in 40.1%, 31.4% of patients aged < 80, ≥80, respectively. Regarding PAL, 23.4% of patients had a dose reduction and 41.8% had a temporary or permanent discontinuation due to AE. Safety data were similar in both cohorts. Geriatric data and impact on safety will be presented. Conclusions: PALOMAGE is a unique large real-world cohort focusing on older patients treated with PAL in France. These preliminary data do not suggest any new safety signal, matching data derived from PALOMA trials. The occurrence of less grade3/4 AE related to PAL in patients aged 80 and beyond might reflect the 30% decrease of PAL dose upfront. Effectiveness analyses are eagerly awaited. Clinical trial information: EUPAS23012 .

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