Pharmacology (in Greek: pharmacon (φάρμακον) meaning drug, and logos (λόγος) meaning science) is the study of how chemical substances interact with living systems. If substances have medicinal properties, they are considered pharmaceuticals. The field encompasses drug composition and properties, interactions, toxicology, therapy, and medical applications and antipathogenic capabilities. The science is considered to have been invented by Arab physicians in Baghdad during the Golden Age of Islam; pharmacopoeias were penned in Arabic as early as the 7th century (Amin A. Khairallah: Outline of Arabic Contributions to Medicine: Chapter X, Chemistry and Pharmacy. 1946, ).

Development of medication is a vital concern to medicine, but also has strong economical and political implications. To protect the consumer and prevent abuse, many governments regulate the manufacture, sale, and administration of medication. In the United States, the main body that regulates pharmaceuticals is the Food and Drug Administration and they enforce standards set by the United States Pharmacopoeia.

Pharmacology as a science is practiced by pharmacologists. Subdisciplines are clinical pharmacology (the medical field of medication effects on humans), neuro- and psychopharmacology (effects of medication on behavior and nervous system functioning), and theoretical pharmacology.

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Pharma Industry / Biotech Industry News From Medical News Today

Stimulus Grant To Help MSU Team Improve Drug Development From Plants
Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:00:00 -0800
Scientists at Michigan State University are receiving nearly $3 million from the National Institutes of Health to uncover how several popular plants make medicinal compounds.
Novexel Starts Phase II Clinical Trial With NXL103 In Adults With Acute Bacterial Skin And Skin Structure Infections (ABSSSI)
Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:00:00 -0800
Novexel, a speciality pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel antibiotics designed to overcome the significant global problem of microbial resistance, announces that its most advanced oral antibacterial NXL103 (flopristin/linopristin), has started a Phase II clinical trial in adults with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI).
Oncolytics Biotech(R) Inc. Collaborators Present Positive Phase II Sarcoma Trial Results At CTOS Annual Meeting
Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:00:00 -0800
Oncolytics Biotech Inc. (TSX:ONC, NASDAQ:ONCY) ("Oncolytics" or the "Company") announced updated results from a Phase II study of intravenous REOLYSIN(R) in patients with sarcomas metastatic to the lung in a poster presentation at the 15th Annual Connective Tissue Oncology Society Meeting held in Miami Beach, Florida, from November 5th to 7th.
DNA Molecules In Moss Open Door To New Biotechnology
Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:00:00 -0800
Plasmids, which are DNA molecules capable of independent replication in cells, have played an important role in gene technology. Researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden have now demonstrated that plasmid-based methods, which had been limited to single-cell organisms such as bacteria and yeasts, can be extended to mosses, opening the door to applications of a number of powerful techniques in plant research.
Novartis Receives Regulatory Approval In Germany For Celtura®, A Cell Culture-based Influenza A(H1N1) Pandemic Vaccine
Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:00:00 -0800
Novartis announced that it received approval from the German regulatory authorities for its adjuvanted cell culture-based Influenza A(H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccine, Celtura®. Novartis continues to pursue registration in other major countries, including Japan and Switzerland.
Lundbeck Starts Clinical Phase IIa With Lu AA24493 (cEPO) In Friedreich's Ataxia In A Study Also Assessing Efficacy Via Biomarkers
Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:00:00 -0800
H. Lundbeck A/S strengthens its pipeline of pharmaceuticals in clinical development by initiating phase IIa clinical studies with the innovative project Lu AA24493 in order to evaluate safety and tolerability and to explore theoretical efficacy parameters of the drug in humans. Lundbeck expects to enrol 35-40 people suffering from Friedreich's ataxia in this study.

Annals of Pharmacotherapy PAP Articles

Multidrug-Resistant Enterococcus faecium Endocarditis Treated with Combination Tigecycline and High-Dose Daptomycin (December)
Schutt, A. C, Bohm, N. M OBJECTIVE: To report a case of multidrug-resistant Enterococcus faecium requiring combination antibacterial therapy. CASE SUMMARY: A 39-year-old female presented with chest pain and a history of endocarditis 3 years prior to admission. Blood cultures were positive for E. faecium. She was treated initially with daptomycin 6 mg/kg daily, which was later increased to 8 mg/kg daily despite poor gentamicin clearance. A variety of antibiotics were used in combination with daptomycin, but the patient remained febrile, with positive blood cultures revealing vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) greater than 256 µg/mL and daptomycin MIC 3 µg/mL (and later, 4 µg/mL). Following the addition of tigecycline, the patient experienced rapid clinical and microbiologic improvement, and blood cultures remained negative 9 weeks after discharge. DISCUSSION: Limited clinical data support the use of daptomycin for the treatment of E. faecium endocarditis, and information regarding the effects of escalating doses and combination therapy is scant. After failing multiple combination regimens, this patient responded to a combination of tigecycline and daptomycin. Daptomycin 8 mg/kg daily did not result in creatine kinase elevation in the face of evidence of possible renal dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing doses of daptomycin may enhance efficacy without compromising safety, even in patients with some renal dysfunction. The combination of daptomycin and tigecycline may be useful for the treatment of multi-drug- resistant E. faecium.
Prevalence and Risk Factors for Acute Kidney Injury Associated with Parenteral Polymyxin B Use(December)
Mendes, C. A., Cordeiro, J. A, Burdmann, E. A BACKGROUND: The main adverse effect of polymyxin B is nephrotoxicity. There are few data on polymyxin-associated renal injury. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of and risk factors for acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients treated with polymyxin B. METHODS: The studied population included 114 patients who received at least 3 consecutive days of intravenous polymyxin B and had baseline serum creatinine (SCr) and at least one further SCr measurement during treatment. AKI was defined as an SCr increase to 1.8 mg/dL or greater in patients with baseline SCr less than 1.5 mg/dL, or an increase greater than or equal to 50% in baseline SCr when it was already greater than or equal to 1.5 mg/dL, or need for dialysis. RESULTS: AKI developed in 22% of the patients. They were older, had a higher baseline SCr, had a higher frequency of baseline SCr greater than or equal to 1.5 mg/dL, used other nephrotoxic drugs and furosemide more often, and required vasoactive drugs and mechanical ventilation more frequently. Progression to renal failure was significantly more probable when the bacteria were isolated in the abdomen, catheter, or blood. AKI patients had a higher mortality rate (92% vs 53%; p < 0.001). Logistic regression identified abnormal baseline SCr (odds ratio [OR] 3.51); need for vasoactive drugs (OR 3.03); and abdomen, blood, or catheter as the infection site (OR 3.82) as independent risk factors for AKI. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who developed AKI had a strikingly elevated mortality rate. Polymyxin B should be used with extreme caution in patients who have an abnormal baseline SCr; use vasoactive drugs; or have abdomen, blood, or catheter as the infection site.
Sorafenib-Induced Hepatic Encephalopathy (December)
Marks, A.-B., Gerard, R., Fournier, P., Coupe, P., Gautier, S.
Successful Use of Topical Voriconazole 1% Alone as First-Line Antifungal Therapy Against Candida albicans Keratitis (December)
Al-Badriyeh, D., Leung, L., Davies, G. E, Stewart, K., Kong, D. OBJECTIVE: To report the successful use of topical voriconazole 1% given alone as primary therapy against a case of Candida albicans keratitis. CASE SUMMARY: A 48-year-old previously well man presented to the emergency department with pain and foreign body sensation in the left eye following exposure to dust while driving a forklift. He wore weekly disposable soft contact lenses. Anterior stromal scar and dense infiltrate were detected in the left eye. The anterior chamber remained deep, with flare and copious white cells. Intraocular pressure was 12 mm Hg and visual acuity was 20/200. The epithelial defect persisted, with progressive thinning despite topical fluorometholone and ofloxacin 0.3% therapy for 2 days. Microbiology testing revealed C. albicans as the affecting pathogen. Hourly administration of voriconazole 1% eye drops was initiated as antifungal therapy. The corneal infiltrate began to resolve and the epithelial defect decreased in size within 2 days. Visual acuity improved to 20/120. After 4 days of voriconazole use, the epithelial defect was completely healed and visual acuity was 20/30 in the affected eye. No fungi were isolated from a second eye scrape. DISCUSSION: Topical voriconazole as salvage monotherapy to manage fungal keratitis has been previously reported. It can be argued, however, that the primary therapy has facilitated the positive response to subsequent topical voriconazole. To date, there has been no solid evidence to suggest that topical voriconazole is effective when used as primary therapy. The current report provides evidence of topical voriconazole demonstrating clinical success when used as first-line therapy to treat C. albicans keratitis. The use of topical voriconazole can reduce the costs, toxicity, and drug interactions associated with common antifungal therapies. CONCLUSIONS: Topical voriconazole 1% eye drops administered alone demonstrated success as first-line therapy against the most common fungal keratitis, C. albicans keratitis.

Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics - Issue - nature.com science feeds

In This Issue
Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0000
In This Issue Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics 86, 451 (November 2009). doi:10.1038/clpt.2009.202
Nephropharmacology: Drugs and the Kidney
A J AtkinsonS-M Huang Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0000
Nephropharmacology: Drugs and the Kidney Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics 86, 453 (November 2009). doi:10.1038/clpt.2009.191 Authors: A J Atkinson & S-M Huang
Highlights
Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0000
Highlights Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics 86, 458 (November 2009). doi:10.1038/clpt.2009.203 Author:
ASCPT News
Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0000
ASCPT News Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics 86, 460 (November 2009). doi:10.1038/clpt.2009.196
Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology: The Essentials
M J Avram Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0000
Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology: The Essentials Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics 86, 462 (November 2009). doi:10.1038/clpt.2009.189 Author: M J Avram
Use of the MDRD Study Equation to Estimate Kidney Function for Drug Dosing
L A StevensA S Levey Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0000
Use of the MDRD Study Equation to Estimate Kidney Function for Drug Dosing Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics 86, 465 (November 2009). doi:10.1038/clpt.2009.124 Authors: L A Stevens & A S Levey

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