Publications by authors named "Maria Teresa Bianco"
Article Synopsis
- Fluoroquinolones (FQs) are important antibiotics, but their usage has decreased due to ecological concerns and side effects, prompting antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) aimed at reducing their consumption.
- A 700-bed teaching hospital implemented an ASP in January 2021, which included monitoring antibiotic consumption, mandatory prescription motivation targeting over 75% motivation, and training on FQs usage.
- The intervention led to a 6.6% overall decrease in antibiotic use and a significant 48.3% reduction in FQs consumption, indicating that a straightforward ASP approach can effectively achieve targets for reducing antibiotic usage.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of SB5, a biosimilar of adalimumab, in treating noninfectious uveitis (NIU) due to concerns regarding immunogenicity and safety.
- A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients treated with SB5, measuring factors like uveitis relapses, visual acuity, and medication dosage before and after starting treatment.
- Results showed a dramatic reduction in uveitis relapses, improved visual acuity, significantly lowered glucocorticoid usage, and a high retention rate for SB5 over 20 months, indicating its effectiveness in managing NIU.
Recent expiry of patents for tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α inhibitors has led to the employment of biosimilars in clinical practice. The aim of the study was to identify any change in the control of ocular inflammatory manifestations among patients with non-infectious uveitis switching from an originator to a corresponding anti-TNF-α biosimilar. Thirty-seven consecutive patients (62 eyes involved) with non-infectious uveitis undergoing the switch from anti-TNF-α originators to biosimilars were retrospectively enrolled; the frequency of ocular flares before and after the switch as well as best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), daily systemic corticosteroid intake, and frequency of uveitic macular edema (UME) at the switch and at the following assessments were statistically analysed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Behçet's syndrome (BS) is a systemic inflammatory disorder characterized by a wide range of potential clinical manifestations with no gold-standard therapy. However, the recent classification of BS at a crossroads between autoimmune and autoinflammatory syndromes has paved the way to new further therapeutic opportunities in addition to anti-tumor necrosis factor agents.
Areas Covered: This review provides a digest of all current experience and evidence about pharmacological agents recently described as having a role in the treatment of BS, including interleukin (IL)-1 inhibitors, tocilizumab, rituximab, alemtuzumab, ustekinumab, interferon-alpha-2a, and apremilast.