Interferons: a viable alternative to antibiotics?
Posted 9th December 2009 in Articles, Therapeutic Area | 3 comments
In response to two recent articles looking at antibiotic de-escalation and antimicrobial peptides, Richard Müller explores a third option for dealing with antibiotic resistance and asks whether interferons should play a much larger role in the West.
As we all know the macrophage plays an essential role in initiation and maintenance of the immune response, and so in light of the increased…
Read the full articleAntimicrobial peptides – evolution’s answer to microbial resistance?
Posted 11th November 2009 in Articles, Therapeutic Area | 3 comments
As the increase in bacterial resistance to conventional antibiotics becomes an ever more prevalent problem, Jan Alenfall discusses a new class of drugs known as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and the potential they have for helping to manage resistant infections.
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are an ancient group of defence molecules. They display multiple modes of action, such as bactericidal, fungicidal and cytolytic properties, as well as having immunomodulating properties…
Read the full articleThe mediKOL brief – will dabigatran replace warfarin?
Posted 2nd October 2009 in Articles, Therapeutic Area | 2 comments
Simon Smyth looks at upcoming competitors to warfarin for the prevention of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation and asks whether dabigatran, the lead runner, will significantly impact the market.
Warfarin is used to prevent strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation. It is the most effective medication approved for this indication; however, for many well documented reasons, patients do not like taking it and physicians do not like prescribing it…
Read the full articleWhat’s stopping antibiotic de-escalation therapy?
Posted 4th September 2009 in Articles, Therapeutic Area | 3 comments
Peter West explores what is holding back widespread use of antibiotic de-escalation therapy.
Everyone seems to agree that antibiotic de-escalation therapy seems to make sense. The big question is therefore why aren’t we doing it?…
Read the full articleTreating pain as a disease and not just a symptom
Posted 26th August 2009 in Articles, Therapeutic Area | 5 comments
Alasdair Naylor and Eliot Forster discuss novel approaches to the treatment of pain.
The treatment of chronic pain is recognised as one of the largest unmet needs in the medical community. Neuropathic pain, a form of chronic pain, is caused by lesions to the nervous system resulting from trauma/compression, infection, metabolic disease, toxic chemicals, or other insults…
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