Health-related quality of life and symptom concordance between patients and physicians in pulmonary arterial hypertension in the United States, Europe, and Japan.

This study involved analysis of a real world, cross-sectional survey of physicians and their patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Physician and patient symptom concordance was assessed and patients self-reported Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). Data were drawn from the Adelphi PAH Disease Specific Programme (DSP)™ in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, and Japan, between March and August 2022.

Clinical Characteristics and Treatment of Patients Diagnosed with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: A Real-World Study in the USA, Europe and Japan.

Introduction: This study aimed to describe the clinical characteristics of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, treatment received, and factors predicting initial or earlier combination therapy.

Methods: The Adelphi Real World Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) Disease Specific Programme™ is a cross-sectional survey with retrospective data collection conducted in the USA, Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK), and Japan from March to August 2022. Physicians reported patient characteristics, treatment history, and reasons for treatment selection.

Longitudinal changes in risk status in pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Aims: Low-risk status in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) predicts better survival. The present study aimed to describe changes in risk status and treatment approaches over multiple clinical assessments in PAH, taking age and comorbidity burden into consideration.

Methods And Results: The study included incident patients from the Swedish PAH registry, diagnosed with PAH in 2008-2019.

Poor outcome of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension with insufficient response to phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors alone or in combination with other specific therapy: a registry-based study.

Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors are commonly used in pulmonary arterial hypertension but, as suggested by the RESPITE study, phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor therapy (mono-/combination) does not always have a satisfactory treatment effect. This study aimed to investigate the clinical course of pulmonary arterial hypertension patients not at treatment goal after at least 90 days of treatment with phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, alone or in combination with other pulmonary arterial hypertension therapies. The study included 106 incident patients from the Swedish Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Registry, treated with phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors for ≥90 days, who were not at a pre-specified treatment goal, i.

Rates of pneumonia among children and adults with chronic medical conditions in Germany.

Background: The objective of this study is to evaluate rates of all-cause pneumonia among "at-risk" and "high-risk" children and adults in Germany-in comparison with age-stratified healthy counterparts-during the period following the 2006 recommendation for universal immunization of infants with pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.

Methods: Retrospective cohort design and healthcare claims information for 3.4 M persons in Germany (2009-2012) were employed.

Optimising assessments of the epidemiological impact in The Netherlands of paediatric immunisation with 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine using dynamic transmission modelling.

This work is the first attempt to quantify the overall effects of a 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) vaccination programme in the Dutch population taking into account all the direct and indirect effects of the vaccine on invasive pneumococcal disease. Using available Dutch data, a dynamic transmission model for the spread of pneumococci and potential subsequent invasive pneumococcal disease has been adapted to the Dutch setting. Overall, invasive pneumococcal disease cases in the Netherlands are predicted to decrease from a pre-vaccination level of 2623 cases annually to 2475, 2289, 2185, 2179, and 2178 cases annually 5-, 10-, 20-, 30-, and 40-years, respectively, post-vaccination.

Cost-effectiveness of a 10- versus 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in Denmark and Sweden.

Background: The introduction of a 7-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccine (PCV7) had profound public health effects across the globe. PCV7 vaccination in a national immunization program is generally considered cost-effective and potentially cost-saving. Two new PCVs have been launched, a 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV10) and a 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13).

Cost-effectiveness models of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines: variability and impact of modeling assumptions.

Currently, 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV); and ten-valent PCV vaccine are marketed. Neither vaccine obtained regulatory approval based on efficacy trials, but instead were approved based on a surrogate end point: immunogenicity data measuring effective antibody levels. Therefore, direct measures of efficacy were unavailable at the time economic analyses were conducted.

Quality of life in relation to constipation among opioid users.

Objective: Opioid users often experience constipation. In this study the impact of constipation on QoL was assessed in patients using opioids either for non-advanced illness or advanced illness.

Methods: Patients using opioids, recruited via public pharmacies, were asked to complete questionnaires on opioid use, constipation and the EuroQol five-dimension questionnaire (EQ-5D).

Methylnaltrexone bromide for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation in patients with advanced illness--a cost-effectiveness analysis.

Background: Opioid-induced constipation is a common adverse event in patients with advanced illness and has a significant negative impact on patients' quality of life and costs.

Aim: To examine the cost-effectiveness of treating opioid-induced constipation with methylnaltrexone bromide (MNTX) plus standard care compared with standard care alone in patients with advanced illness who receive long-term opioid therapy from a third-party payer perspective in the Netherlands.

Methods: A decision-analytical model was created in which advanced-illness patients with constipation were treated with MNTX plus standard care or standard care alone.

Evaluation of [11C]laniquidar as a tracer of P-glycoprotein: radiosynthesis and biodistribution in rats.

At present, P-glycoprotein (P-gp) function can be studied using positron emission tomography (PET) together with a labelled P-gp substrate such as R-[11C]verapamil. Such a tracer is, however, less suitable for investigating P-gp (over)expression. Laniquidar is a third-generation P-gp inhibitor, which has been used in clinic trials for modulating multidrug resistance transporters.

Cost-effectiveness of a potential future Helicobacter pylori vaccine in the Netherlands: the impact of varying the discount rate for health.

To estimate the cost-effectiveness of a potential Helicobacter pylori (HP) vaccine for the Dutch situation, we developed a Markov model. Several HP prevalence scenarios were assessed. Additionally, we assessed the impact of the discount rate for health on the outcomes, as this influence can be profound for vaccines.

Incremental cost effectiveness of proton pump inhibitors for the prevention of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug ulcers: a pharmacoeconomic analysis linked to a case-control study.

Introduction: We estimated the cost effectiveness of concomitant proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in relation to the occurrence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) ulcer complications.

Methods: This study was linked to a nested case-control study. Patients with NSAID ulcer complications were compared with matched controls.

Synthesis of 2-(1,1-dicyanopropen-2-yl)-6-(2-[18F]-fluoroethyl)-methylamino-naphthalene ([18F]FDDNP).

2-(1,1-dicyanopropen-2-yl)-6-(2-[18F]-fluoroethyl)-methylamino-naphthalene ([18F]FDDNP) was synthesized in a single step labeling procedure. The precursor, 2-(1,1-dicyanopropen-2-yl)-6-(2-tosyloxyoethyl)-methylamino-naphthalene, was fluorinated with 18F in acetonitrile. After 15 min the reaction mixture was subjected to preparative HPLC purification.

Pharmacoeconomics of quetiapine for the management of acute mania in bipolar I disorder.

Bipolar disorder (or manic depression) is a lifelong, severe and complex psychiatric illness characterized by recurrent episodes of depression and mania. The aim of this study is to explore the cost-effectiveness of quetiapine compared with other alternatives for the treatment of acute manic episodes in bipolar I disorder, with a specific focus on serious side effects. Four trials investigating quetiapine monotherapy and adjunctive therapy were performed to investigate the efficacy of quetiapine in patients with bipolar I disorder.

Direct medical costs of serious gastrointestinal ulcers among users of NSAIDs.

Background: The occurrence and prevention of gastrointestinal ulcers during use of NSAIDs has become a major healthcare issue.

Objective: To determine the direct medical costs of serious NSAID-related ulcer complications.

Method: An observational cost-of-illness study was conducted in a large general hospital serving a population of 152,989 persons.

Residual solvent analysis by gas chromatography in radiopharmaceutical formulations containing up to 12% ethanol.

For the detection and quantification of residual solvents in solutions of radiopharmaceuticals for human applications, a new analysis method was set up. With a simple direct gas chromatography injection, no special sample treatments or special injection techniques (such as head-space or solid-phase microextraction) are necessary. This method is especially suited for the fast and quantitative analysis of residual solvents in radiopharmaceutical formulations where 5-12% ethanol is present.

Radiosynthesis and biodistribution of a histamine H3 receptor antagonist 4-[3-(4-piperidin-1-yl-but-1-ynyl)-[11C]benzyl]-morpholine: evaluation of a potential PET ligand.

The potent histamine H(3) receptor antagonist JNJ-10181457 (1) was successfully labeled with (11)C in a novel one-pot reaction sequence, with high chemical yield (decay-corrected yield, 28+/-8%) and high specific radioactivity (56+/-26 GBq/mumol). The binding of [(11)C]1 to H(3) receptors was studied in vitro in rat brain and in vivo in rats and mice. The in vitro binding of [(11)C]1 in rat coronal brain slices showed high binding in the striatum, and this binding was blocked by histamine and by two known H(3) antagonists, JNJ-5207852 (2) and unlabeled Compound (1), in a concentration-dependent manner.

Switch patterns before and after patent expiry of omeprazole: a case study in The Netherlands.

Background: An increase of therapeutic substitution after patent expiry might have a negative effect on cost-savings generated with newly introduced generic drugs. To evaluate influences of patent expiry on therapeutic substitution, switch behaviour before and after patent expiry was investigated.

Aim: To describe proton pump inhibitor use and investigate substitution patterns from omeprazole before and after patent expiry.