Cephalon has issued two “Dear Health Care Professional” letters to inform prescribers and other health care providers of important safety information regarding fentanyl buccal tablets (Fentora). Fentanyl buccal tablets are indicated only for breakthrough pain in patients with cancer who are already receiving and who are tolerant to opioid therapy for underlying persistent cancer pain.
One-third of older emergency department (ED) patients may be taking a potentially inappropriate medication, according to a retrospective analysis from Cleveland Clinic and MetroHealth Medical Center.
The average number of medications taken per patient was 8.4. Of the 352 patients, 111 (32%) were taking at least one potentially inappropriate drug when they arrived at the ED. Propoxyphene/ acetaminophen drug (Darvocet, Xanodyne), muscle relaxants, and antihistamines were the most common ones.
Diclofenac sodium topical gel 1% (Voltaren Gel, Novartis) has been approved as the first topical prescription treatment that patients can apply directly to sites of pain associated with osteoarthritis, a condition in which the cartilage in the joint breaks down.
Voltaren Gel is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that can be used to treat pain associated with osteoarthritis in joints amenable to topical treatment (e.g., the knees and hands).
Patients with chronic ulcerative colitis (UC) have a less-than-ideal choice: long-term steroid therapy or immunosuppressant drugs. But a new option might give them a better chance. The treatment is based on the concept of UC being caused by a dysfunction in the mucosal barrier in the colon, which in turn results from a lack of mucoprotective phos-phatidylcholine.
In a study at University Hospital in Heidelberg, Germany, 60 patients with chronic steroid-refractory UC and high clinical and endoscopic disease activity scores were assigned to receive phosphatidylcholine or cellulose placebo four times daily for 12 weeks.
NeurogesX, Inc., has announced the approval of an orphan drug designation for Qutenza (formerly NGX-4010), a high-concentration capsaicin dermal patch, to manage neuropathic pain in patients with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). PHN is a chronic condition that develops following a herpes zoster (shingles) outbreak. Current therapies for PHN include antidepressants, anticonvulsant agents, topical anesthetics, and opioid analgesics.
The FDA is requiring revised labeling to help reduce the risk of an overdose in patients using pain medications such as Darvon (propoxyphene napsylate) and Darvocet (propoxyphene napsylate plus acetaminophen) because of data linking propoxyphene to fatal overdoses. A widely prescribed opioid, propoxyphene has been sold since 1957 as a therapy for mild-to-moderate pain.
The FDA has warned eight companies about their marketing of unapproved over-the-counter topical agents containing the pain reliever ibuprofen drugs. The letters advise the companies that they may not continue to market their products without FDA approval.
Orally administered generic ibuprofen has been approved as safe and effective for pain and inflammation, but there are no approved applications for topical ibuprofen. The topical form is often promoted as a safer alternative to oral ibuprofen drags.
