Publications by authors named "Jordi Gras"

Abediterol is a novel potent, long-acting inhaled β(2)-adrenoceptor agonist in development for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Abediterol shows subnanomolar affinity for the human β(2)-adrenoceptor and a functional selectivity over β(1)-adrenoceptors higher than that of formoterol and indacaterol in both a cellular model with overexpressed human receptors and isolated guinea pig tissue. Abediterol is a full agonist at the human β(2)-adrenoceptor (E(max) = 91 ± 5% of the maximal effect of isoprenaline).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aims: Aclidinium bromide is a novel, long-acting, inhaled muscarinic antagonist currently in registration phase for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Since urinary difficulty and retention have been reported for anticholinergic agents such as tiotropium and ipratropium, it is important to examine the preclinical urinary and renal safety profile of aclidinium.

Main Methods: The effect of aclidinium on urine and electrolyte excretion, renal function and voiding cystometry was analysed in conscious water-loaded Wistar rats (10-1000 μg/kg, s.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Icatibant for hereditary angioedema.

Drugs Today (Barc)

December 2009

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is an autosomal dominant, potentially life-threatening disease, characterized by recurrent self-limiting bouts of edema mainly involving the extremities, genitalia, face, intestines and airways. The prevalence of HAE in the general population has been estimated to be in the range of 1:10,000 to 1:150,000. Currently, acute attacks of HAE are treated mainly symptomatically, with poor outcomes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aclidinium bromide is a novel potent, long-acting inhaled muscarinic antagonist in development for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Aclidinium showed subnanomolar affinity for the five human muscarinic receptors (M(1)-M(5)). [(3)H]Aclidinium dissociated slightly faster from M(2) and M(3) receptors than [(3)H]tiotropium but much more slowly than [(3)H]ipratropium.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A series of indolylpiperidinyl derivatives were prepared and evaluated for their activity as histamine H(1) antagonists. Structure-activity relationship studies were directed toward improving in vivo activity and pharmacokinetic profile of our first lead (1). Substitution of fluorine in position 6 on the indolyl ring led to higher in vivo activity in the inhibition of histamine-induced cutaneous vascular permeability assay but lower selectivity toward 5HT(2) receptor.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Ebastine (CAS 90729-43-4), cetirizine (CAS 83881-51-0) and loratadine (CAS 79794-75-5) are second generation H1-antihistamines of proven efficacy for treating allergy. Recent clinical studies have found ebastine to be more effective than cetirizine or loratadine in alleviating the symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of these compounds in three guinea-pig modeles of bronchoconstriction, elicited either by histamine, allergen or leukotriene C4 in order to shed light onto the mechanisms that might explain differences found in clinical studies.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Almotriptan is a new anti-migraine agent with nanomolar affinity for human 5-HT(1B), 5-HT(1D), and 5-HT(1F) receptors, weak affinity for 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(7) receptors and no significant affinity for more than 20 other pharmacological receptors. Almotriptan was effective in animal models predictive of anti-migraine activity in humans and had a good safety profile in animal studies. From the toxicological point of view, almotriptan has a profile similar to that of other marketed triptans.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF