Since 1996, major mortality benefits for patients with systolic dysfunction have been demonstrated in several large trials involving bucindolol, carvedilol, and the long-acting form of metoprolol canadian succinate (Generic Toprol XL, AstraZeneca).
In 1948, Ahlquist demonstrated that adrenergic receptors can be divided into two types: alpha and beta. A decade later, a specific inhibitor of the beta class of adrenergic receptors was identified. There are at least three subtypes of beta receptors:
Introduction
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is one of the costliest chronic conditions in the U.S., with direct and indirect expenditures of approximately $27.9 billion in 2005. It is estimated that more than 4.5 million Americans have this condition. Each year, more than 500,000 new cases of heart failure are diagnosed in the U.S. Data from the Framingham Heart Study indicate that 20% of both men and women, at 40 years of age, will develop CHF at some point in their lifetime.
Manufacturer: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Princeton NJ Indication: Abatacept is indicated to reduce the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by inducing a major clinical response in patients. A major clinical response is defined as maintaining an American College of Radiology (ACR) score of 70 for six months.
Manufacturer: Celgene Corporation, Summit, NJ Indication: Lenalidomide has been approved for the treatment of patients with transfusion-dependent anemia caused by low-risk or intermediate-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) associated with a deletion 5q cytogenetic abnormality with or without additional cytogenetic abnormalities.
Drug Class: Lenalidomide, 3-(4-amino-1, 3-dihydro-1-oxo-2H-isoindol-2-yl)-2, 6-piperidinedione, is an analogue of thalidomide.
Uniqueness of Product: Lenalidomide is an immuno-modulatory agent with antiangiogenic properties. The drug inhibits the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and increases the secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines from peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
Letrozole (Femara drug)
Manufacturer: Novartis, Inc., East Hanover, NJ Indication: Originally approved for the treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone-sensitive early breast cancer, letrozole can now be used immediately after surgery (in the adjuvant setting) to prevent cancer recurrence.
During my regular scanning of the health care literature, I recently came across an advertisement for an “Executive Master of Science in Biomedical Informatics” on the Health Sciences Campus of Columbia University in New York City. did not think of myself as a potential student for such a program, but nevertheless I was curious about its content, purpose, and educational goals. With all the emphasis today on computerized physician order entry (CPOE) and clinical decision-support tools for drug prescribing, I wondered whether there was any connection between a typical P&T committee and this Master’s program.
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