Update on the Treatment of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Focus on the Cost-Effectiveness of New Agents.

Update on the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer: focus on the cost-effectiveness of new agents.

Clinicoecon Outcomes Res. 2013; 5: 137-41
Vergnenègre A, Borget I, Chouaid C

The incidence of lung cancer and the cost of drug treatment have increased dramatically in the last decade. This article examines the costs of new target agents, such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and anti-angiogenic drugs.This study uses PubMed research to focus on the topics of lung cancer, economics, and new targeted therapies.The published papers only addressed TKIs and anti-angiogenic antibodies. For gefitinib, the results favored a clinical-based selection, despite the low number of studies. Erlotinib was studied in second line and as a maintenance treatment (with the studies reaching opposite conclusions in terms of cost-effectiveness). Economic analyses were not in favor of bevacizumab, but the studies on this topic were very heterogeneous.The economic impact of a drug depends on the health care system organization. Future clinical trials must include economic analyses, particularly with TKIs in the first line. HubMed – drug

 

Profile of lacosamide and its role in the long-term treatment of epilepsy: a perspective from the updated NICE guideline.

Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2013; 9: 467-76
Nunes VD, Sawyer L, Neilson J, Sarri G, Cross JH

The goal of antiepileptic treatment is to achieve seizure freedom or seizure control. The aim of this paper is to review the evidence for the use of lacosamide for adjunctive treatment of refractory focal seizures with or without secondary generalization, within the scope of the 2012 update of the Clinical Guideline published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).Clinical evidence for the use of lacosamide and other antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) was systematically reviewed, evaluated, and presented to the Guideline Development Group. Only randomized clinical trials were included. Outcomes of clinical efficacy (seizure freedom, 50% reduction in seizure frequency, time to first seizure, time to 12-month remission, treatment withdrawal, and time to treatment withdrawal), experience of adverse events, and cognitive and quality of life outcomes were reviewed. A decision model was built to weigh the clinical benefits of each adjunctive AED, measured by seizure control and seizure reduction, compared with the harm from adverse events, as measured by withdrawals from treatment due to adverse events.Lacosamide was included as part of the recommended AEDS to be used in tertiary epilepsy centers. The evidence review showed that more participants who received lacosamide as an adjunctive treatment had at least a 50% reduction in seizure frequency compared with those taking placebo. However, more participants on lacosamide were found to experience adverse events and withdrawal from treatment compared with those on placebo. The cost-effectiveness analysis showed that compared with placebo, the benefits gained from adjunctive lacosamide were modest and uncertain, whereas the costs were significantly high. Compared with other AEDs licensed for adjunctive therapy in focal seizures, lacosamide was associated with fewer quality-adjusted life years and higher costs. Therefore, the Guideline Development Group noted that the balance of benefit and harm needs to be carefully monitored in all patients. HubMed – drug

 

Formulation and evaluation of drug-loaded targeted magnetic microspheres for cancer therapy.

Int J Nanomedicine. 2013; 8: 1393-402
Enriquez GG, Rizvi SA, D’Souza MJ, Do DP

Enhanced and targeted drug delivery using biodegradable microspheres is emerging as a promising approach for cancer therapy. The main objective of the present research was to formulate, characterize, and evaluate iron oxide (magnetic) containing a bovine serum albumin-based microsphere drug delivery system, capable of efficiently delivering sulforaphane, a histone deacetylase inhibitor, for an extended period of time in vivo. Magnetic microspheres were prepared by spray-drying and characterized for their physicochemical properties and dissolution profile. Further, they were evaluated for therapeutic efficacy in in vitro and in vivo systems. In vitro studies in B16 melanoma cells revealed that there was about 13%-16% more inhibition of cell viability when either 30 ?M or 50 ?M of sulforaphane was used with iron oxide in the polymeric carrier. Data from in vivo studies in C57BL/6 mice revealed that the magnetic microspheres (localized to the tumor site with the help of a strong magnet) inhibited 18% more tumor growth as compared with sulforaphane in solution. In addition, there was a 40% reduction in histone deacetylation levels in mice treated with iron oxide microspheres containing sulforaphane. Thus, magnetic microspheres are shown to be an effective drug delivery system for anticancer drugs. HubMed – drug