Effect of bronchodilators in healthy individuals receiving lumacaftor/ivacaftor combination therapy

In an open-label, single-center phase 1 pharmacokinetic study in healthy subjects who received lumacaftor (LUM) in combination with ivacaftor (IVA), review of spirometry data showed a transient decline in percent predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s (ppFEV₁) within 4 h of drug administration. An additional cohort of healthy subjects with normal baseline ppFEV₁ values was studied to evaluate the ppFEV₁ response to LUM/IVA administration and assess the effect of long-acting bronchodilators (LABDs) and short-acting bronchodilators (SABDs) on ppFEV₁ response. The ppFEV₁ decline observed at 4 h was attenuated following administration of an LABD and reversed following administration of an SABD. Concomitant administration of LUM/IVA with bronchodilators was well tolerated. These data show that a transient decline in ppFEV₁ was observed in healthy subjects following administration of LUM/IVA combination therapy, which can be ameliorated with LABDs or SABDs.     

Optimization of Ultrasonic Extraction of Major Phenolic Components from Flowers of Ghav-Patta (Argyreia Speciosa Linn.) Via Response Surface Model

Pharmaceutical Chemistry Journal - Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) or ultrasonic extraction technology has been used for the isolation of bioactive compounds from Argyreia speciosa (Linn. f.)...     

Arterial stiffness in elderly patients with normotension and hypertension in Brazil

Data on arterial stiffness in older populations, according to blood pressure (BP) levels, are scarce in Brazil. The objective of this study was to establish reference values for core measures of arterial stiffness, including carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity (cf‐PWV) and aortic augmentation index (AIx), in a cohort of older individuals with normotension (NT) and hypertension. Cross‐sectional analysis was performed with applanation tonometry data from 1192 patients aged 60 years or older. The authors classified patients according to their BP levels as having NT, controlled hypertension (CH), and uncontrolled hypertension (UH). The cf‐PWV values were 9.11 ± 0.16 m/s (NT), 9.12 ± 0.18 m/s (CH), and 9.42 ± 2.2 m/s (UH) (P < 0.005; UH vs NT and CH). The AIx was 33.3% for the entire cohort and similar across all groups. The cf‐PWV increased with age but reached a ceiling at 75 years. Compared with men, women had a higher AIx but similar cf‐PWV levels. In conclusion, the markers of arterial stiffness were similar among individuals with NT/CH and higher among individuals with UH.     

Multitarget antithrombotic drugs

Thromboembolic disorders are still the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in developed societies. Therefore, prophylaxis and treatment of arterial and venous thrombosis are among the main therapeutic challenges nowadays. Simultaneous action on several targets involved in pathology of thrombosis offers potential advantages compared to existing drugs which were developed as selective modulators of single targets. The review focuses on dual inhibitors of coagulation enzymes, dual antiaggregatory compounds exerting their action on different combinations of platelet targets, as well as on anticoagulant/antiaggregatory compounds which interfere with at least one target involved in blood coagulation and at least one target engaged in the process leading to platelet aggregation.