人用药品注册技术要求国际协调会议关于通用技术文件的协调进展及其启示

本文旨在遵从药品注册技术要求一致化的原则下,对人用药品注册技术要求国际协调会议(ICH)所倡导执行的通用技术文件(CTD)进行比较全面的阐述和理解,详细介绍CTD在ICH6上的进展情况,就美国食品药品监督管理局对CTD的实施过程予以简介和研究,并深入探讨其对于我国药品注册规范等方面的影响和启示。     

药物遗传毒性研究相关要求进展

遗传毒性研究是药物非临床安全性评价的重要内容。人用药品注册技术要求国际协调会(ICH)对药物遗传毒性指导原则进行修订改版,于2008年颁布了S2(R1)人用药物遗传毒性试验和结果分析指导原则,该指导原则对于我国药物遗传毒性研究具有借鉴作用。文中简介了该指导原则修订的科学背景、主要修订内容,并讨论了目前我国药物遗传毒性研究中应关注的几个问题。     

薛伯寿教授“和合”思想的临证体现

和合思想在中国哲学及文化中都具有非常悠久的历史,也是中医学基础理论及临床应用的重要体现。“和”有和谐、包容、合而为一之意,“合”为统一,把握大道之意。著名中医学家薛伯寿教授认为中医学大道至简,因此执简驭繁是临证关键。薛老在临床过程中,处处体现谨守和合思想。在遣方用药中,善于针对不同疾病多运用调和阴阳、表里分消、补泻同用、寒热并用、调畅气血、升降互用等治则综合运用。在方剂配伍以及用药剂量方面,认为中药配伍本身就是和合增效减毒思想的具体反映。药物配伍是通过有效整合药物的偏性,来纠正人体阴阳气血的偏盛偏衰。临床用药或从七情配伍,或遵脏腑配伍,或依性味配伍,随证而变,灵活组方施治。其他如待人谦和、与人为善,药物治疗与心理调节相辅相成等亦体现和合思想。     

Medical Rehabilitation: Guidelines to Advance the Field With High-Impact Clinical Trials

The purpose of this Special Communication is to summarize guidelines and recommendations stemming from an expert panel convened by the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR) for a workshop entitled The Future of Medical Rehabilitation Clinical Trials, held September 29-30, 2016, at the NCMRR offices in Bethesda, Maryland. The ultimate goal of both the workshop and this summary is to offer guidance on clinical trials design and operations to the medical rehabilitation research community, with the intent of maximizing the effect of future trials.     

From cutting edge to guideline: A first step in harmonization of the zebrafish embryotoxicity test (ZET) by describing the most optimal test conditions and morphology scoring system

In the last couple of years, the interest in the zebrafish embryotoxicity test (ZET) for use in developmental toxicity assessment has been growing exponentially. This is also evident from the recent proposal for updating the ICHS5 guideline. The methodology of the ZET used by the different groups varies greatly. To further evaluate its successfulness and to take the ZET to the next level, harmonization of procedures is crucial. In the present study, based on literature and empirical data, the most optimal study design regarding temperature, test chamber, exposure period, presence of chorion, solvent use, exposure method, choice of concentrations, and teratogenic classification is proposed. Furthermore, our morphology scoring system is reported in detail as protocol to further enhance study design harmonization.     

临床化学检测的标准化现状

实验室的质量管理和检验结果标准化是临床化学检测项目实现结果互认的2个重要基础。开展标准化工作,建立检验项目的标准化体系可为检验质量提供准确性依据,是确保检验结果准确、具有可比性的最有效措施。实现检验结果准确、可比的重要方法之一是建立和保证检验结果的溯源性。国际组织一般通过建立参考测量程序、参考物质和一致性方案等来解决不同项目的量值溯源性问题。正确度验证计划和能力验证的开展为临床化学检验项目的结果互认提供了依据。文章对临床化学检测标准化的现状进行综述,以期为临床实验室质量管理提供参考。     

Detection of genital tuberculosis among women with infertility using best clinical practices in India: An implementation study

BackgroundDiagnosis of genital tuberculosis (TB) as a cause of infertility still remains a diagnostic dilemma for clinicians, as no standard guidelines exist. The recently proposed best practices for genital TB diagnosis have not been evaluated yet in India.ObjectivesTo implement best practices to diagnose and treat likely genital TB as a cause of infertility.MethodsBetween April 2016 and June 2018, consenting women seen at a tertiary hospital infertility clinic were assessed by thorough TB related clinical history, ultrasonography, tuberculin skin test (TST), and ESR. Those with suspected genital TB underwent laparohysteroscopy. Clinical and laboratory characteristics were compared between likely (microbiologically confirmed or probable TB) and unlikely (possible and no genital TB) genital TB. Fertility outcome was assessed among women initiated on anti-TB treatment (ATT).ResultsOf 185 women seeking infertility care, likely genital TB was identified among 29 (15.7%) women, with 6 (21%) confirmed and 23 (79%) probable genital TB. Compared to unlikely genital TB cases, the likely genital TB group were found to have past history of TB (p < 0.001); positive TST (p = 0.002) and elevated ESR (p = 0.001). Among the likely genital TB group, all 6 confirmed genital TB were started on ATT and 2 (33.3%) conceived. Of 5 probable genital TB started on ATT, 3 (60%) conceived.ConclusionApproximately 1/6th of women seeking infertility care met the criteria for likely genital TB. Conception among over-half of treated probable genital TB cases provides preliminary evidence that best clinical practices can be utilized, but needs further confirmatory studies.     

Evaluation of safety and tolerance of microencapsulated Lactobacillus reuteri NCIMB 30242 in a yogurt formulation: A randomized,placebo-controlled,double-blind study

Probiotic organisms have shown promise in treating diseases. Previously, we have reported on the efficacy of microencapsulated Lactobacillus reuteri NCIMB 30242 in a yogurt formulation at lowering serum cholesterol levels in otherwise healthy hypercholesterolemic adults. This study investigates the safety and toxicology of oral ingestion of microencapsulated L. reuteri NCIMB 30242 in a yogurt formulation. A randomized group of 120 subjects received a dose of 5 × 10¹⁰ CFU microencapsulated L. reuteri NCIMB 30242 in yogurt (n = 59) or placebo yogurt (n = 61) twice/day for 6 weeks. Clinical chemistry and hematological parameters of safety were analyzed. Fecal samples were collected at these time points for the analysis of deconjugated bile acids. The frequency, duration and intensity of adverse events (AEs) and clinical significance of safety parameters were recorded for both groups. No clinically significant differences between the probiotic yogurt and placebo yogurt treated groups were detected in either the blood clinical chemistry or hematology results and there was no significant increase in fecal deconjugated bile acids (P > 0.05) between treated and control groups. The frequency and intensity of AEs was similar in the two groups. These results demonstrate the safe use of this formulation in food.     

Prolonged QTc Interval in Cancer Therapeutic Drug Development: Defining Arrhythmic Risk in Malignancy

Anticancer therapy drug development is an arduous task, taking 10 to 15 years to complete, requiring approximately 1 billion dollars, and rarely leads to Food and Drug Administration approval. Methods to predict unacceptable drug-induced toxicity, such as a prolonged QTc interval/risk of torsade de pointes, should be highly informative to quickly and accurately determine if further resources should be allocated in the continued development of an agent. Expert consensus has established guidelines to ascertain the ability of a new drug to prolong the QTc interval. Although QTc measurement is the best way to assess arrhythmic risk, it is imprecise for a variety of reasons. In addition, oncology patients have multiple risk factors for QTc prolongation at baseline. Competing interests involved in assessing arrhythmic risk of a new oncology agent include inability to precisely follow published guidelines for QTc assessment, patients' concomitant medical problems interfering with drug assessment and therefore clinical trial enrollment, patient safety concerns, general public safety concerns regarding toxicity assessment, need for discovery of more curative drug therapies, and individual patient perception of therapeutic risk vs benefit. Oncology patients are concerned about access to experimental agents, as well as early abandonment of a potentially beneficial agent because of a low estimated risk of toxicity, even if the event is catastrophic. We review the issues involved in evaluating the QTc interval-prolonging risk in new anticancer agents.     

Toxicological evaluation of a chicory root extract.

An Ames test and a 28-day sub-chronic toxicity study in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were conducted to evaluate the safety of a chicory root extract being investigated as a therapeutic for inflammation. Chicory extract had no mutagenic activity in the Ames test although it was cytotoxic to certain strains of Salmonella at higher doses with and without metabolic activation. For the 28-day rat study, measurements included clinical observations, body weights, food consumption, clinical pathology, gross necropsy and histology. There were no treatment-related toxic effects from chicory extract administered orally at 70, 350, or 1000 mg/kg/day. Since there were no observed adverse effects of chicory extract in these studies, the NOAEL for the extract is 1000 mg/kg/g administered orally for 28 days.