Serelaxin as a potential treatment for renal dysfunction in cirrhosis: Preclinical evaluation and results of a randomized phase 2 trial.

Background: Chronic liver scarring from any cause leads to cirrhosis, portal hypertension, and a progressive decline in renal blood flow and renal function. Extreme renal vasoconstriction characterizes hepatorenal syndrome, a functional and potentially reversible form of acute kidney injury in patients with advanced cirrhosis, but current therapy with systemic vasoconstrictors is ineffective in a substantial proportion of patients and is limited by ischemic adverse events. Serelaxin (recombinant human relaxin-2) is a peptide molecule with anti-fibrotic and vasoprotective properties that binds to relaxin family peptide receptor-1 (RXFP1) and has been shown to increase renal perfusion in healthy human volunteers.

Amlodipine/valsartan single-pill combination: a prospective, observational evaluation of the real-life safety and effectiveness in the routine treatment of hypertension.

Introduction: As several international guidelines on hypertension have now recommended, single-pill/fixed-dose combination antihypertensive therapies may be particularly beneficial as first-line therapy in high-risk patients, in whom more rapid and pronounced blood pressure (BP) control is desired. Upon the single-pill combination of amlodipine and valsartan becoming available, the authors conducted this international, observational study to evaluate its efficacy and safety in a real-life practice setting.

Methods: This prospective, open-label, postmarketing surveillance study enrolled adults with arterial hypertension (systolic BP >140 mmHg and/or diastolic BP >90 mmHg) who were prescribed antihypertensive therapy with single-pill combination amlodipine/valsartan 5/80, 5/160, or 10/160 mg once daily.

Efficacy, safety, and tolerability of valsartan/hydrochlorothiazide in Asian patients with essential hypertension.

Introduction: Previous studies have demonstrated that hypertensive patients need concomitant therapy with one or more drugs from different classes of antihypertensive agents to achieve their blood pressure control targets. We performed the first multinational observational study of valsartan/hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) single pill combination in Asia to determine the efficacy, safety, and tolerability in hypertensive patients. The objective of this multinational, multicenter, 24-week follow-up observational study is to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of valsartan/hydrochlorothiazide single pill combination in the treatment of essential hypertension in the Asia-Pacific region.

Real-life safety and effectiveness of amlodipine/valsartan combination in the treatment of hypertension.

Introduction: The aim of our study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the free combination of amlodipine/valsartan in patients with arterial hypertension in a real-life setting.

Methods: This was a multicenter, open-label, observational, noninterventional, postmarketing surveillance study conducted in 298 centers in China, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, and Russia. We evaluated changes in heart rate, systolic and diastolic office blood pressure (BP), as well as BP control rate (<140/90 mmHg) overall, and in clinically relevant subgroups of hypertensive patients (BP >140/90 mmHg) after 12 weeks of treatment with 5/10 mg amlodipine and 80/160 mg valsartan combination.

Comparison of the effects of parecoxib and diclofenac in preemptive analgesia: A prospective, randomized, assessor-blind, single-dose, parallel-group study in patients undergoing elective general surgery.

Background: Preoperative administration of analgesics may prevent or reducehyperalgesia, inhibit inflammation, and reduce pain by reducing the synthesis of prostaglandins in response to tissue damage caused by surgery. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are a potent, widely used class of analgesic agents; however, they may not be as effective as selective cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitors.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and tolerabilityof the COX-2 inhibitor parecoxib sodium and the NSAID diclofenac sodium as preemptive analgesics in patients undergoing elective general surgery.

Evaluation of the efficacy, safety and tolerability of valdecoxib gel (1%) in adult patients with painful inflammatory joint disease.

Valdecoxib, a COX-2 inhibitor, has recently been introduced as a gel formulation. The present study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of valdecoxib gel in adult patients with painful inflammatory joint conditions. The present study was a 10-day prospective, open, multicentric (6 centres) trial.

Efficacy and safety of the first parenteral selective COX-2 inhibitor, parecoxib sodium, in adult patients with postoperative pain.

Parecoxib, a prodrug of valdecoxib, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, has been recently introduced for the treatment of moderate to severe postoperative pain. This prospective, open, multicentric study enrolled 260 patients undergoing orthopaedic, gynaecological, dental and general surgery. Postoperatively, patients were treated with parecoxib, 40 mg IM/IV.

Comparison of the efficacy, safety and tolerability of telmisartan with losartan in Indian patients with mild to moderate hypertension: a pilot study.

A prospective, randomised, double-blind, parallel group study was carried out to compare the efficacy, safety and tolerability of telmisartan 40 mg once daily with losartan 50 mg once daily in Indian patients with mild to moderate hypertension. It had a placebo run-in period of 2 weeks followed by drug treatment (telmisartan 40 mg, once daily or losartan 50 mg once daily) for 8 weeks. Supine BP was assessed at the end of every 2 weeks.