Frontiers in Pharmacology

BackgroundThe novel corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been causing a massive global public health havoc. Use of quinolones for treatment of COVID-19 was a matter of huge discussion in scientific community. Falsified data about efficacy of the drug against COVID-19 disseminated. This review was designed to study the dosages of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine planned to be administered in clinical trials registered up to March 2020. SummaryInclusion of chloroquine and hydroxych...

BackgroundEffective antiviral drugs for COVID-19 are still lacking. This study aims to evaluate the clinical outcomes and plasma concentrations of baloxavir marboxil and favipiravir in COVID-19 patients. MethodsFavipiravir and baloxavir acid were evaluated for their antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro before the trial initiation. We conducted an exploratory trial with 3 arms involving hospitalized adult patients with COVID-19. Patients were randomized assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio into b...

The potential of Dahuang to eliminate lung pathogens was often highlighted in Wenyi Lun. This investigation aimed to identify potential antiviral compounds of herbal component Dahuang (Rheum palmatum rhizomes and roots) of LianhuaQingwen capsule, with respect to their systemic exposure and lung reachability. Circulating Dahuang compounds were identified in human volunteers receiving LianhuaQingwen. The reachability of these compounds to SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro was assessed by in vitro transport, metab...

Background and ObjectiveRecently, in the scramble to find drugs to treat COVID-19, chloroquine (CQ) and its derivative hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) have rapidly gained the publics attention. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CQ and HCQ in the treatment of viral diseases. MethodsWe searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Central, Web of Science, Clinical Trials Registries, CNKI, Wanfang Data, CQVIP, and Preprint Servers ...

BackgroundCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) leads to inflammatory cytokine release, which can downregulate the expression of metabolizing enzymes. This cascade affects drug concentrations in the plasma. We investigated the association between lopinavir (LPV) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) plasma concentrations and the values of acute phase inflammation marker C-reactive protein (CRP). MethodsLPV plasma concentrations were prospectively collected in 92 patients hospitalized at our institution. L...

BackgroundRecently, chloroquine (CQ) and its derivative hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) have emerged as potential antiviral and immunomodulatory options for the treatment of 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19). To examine the safety profiles of these medications, we systematically evaluated the adverse events (AEs) of these medications from published randomized controlled trials (RCTs). MethodsWe systematically searched PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CEN...

IntroductionThe efficacy and safety of elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI) have been established in prospective clinical trials. Liver function test elevations were observed in a greater proportion of patients receiving ETI compared with placebo; however, the relatively small number of patients and short duration of study preclude detection of rare but clinically significant associations with drug-induced liver injury (DILI). To address this gap, we assessed the real-world risk of DILI associ...

Pharmacogenomic studies on psychiatric drugs have slowly identified genetic variations that influence drug metabolism and treatment effectiveness in patients with mental illness. However, most of these studies have predominantly centered on people of European descent, leaving a substantial knowledge gap on the clinical implications of current pharmacogenomic evidence in multi-ancestry populations such as Africans. Thus, whether pharmacogenomic (PGx) genetic testing implemented in European popula...

Alzheimers disease psychosis (ADP) is a common and serious condition with substantial unmet need for safe and effective treatments. Pimavanserin is approved in the US to treat Parkinsons disease hallucinations and delusions. This post-hoc analysis of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial of nursing-home-residents with ADP evaluated the efficacy of pimavanserin by improvements (least squares mean change) in the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Nursing Home Version Psychosis Score ...

ObjectiveTo assess adverse events and safety of aripiprazole and olanzapine treatment. MethodsTwenty-four healthy volunteers receiving 5 daily oral doses of 10 mg aripiprazole and 5 mg olanzapine in a crossover clinical trial were genotyped for 46 polymorphisms in 14 genes by qPCR. Drug plasma concentrations were measured by HPLC-MS/MS. Blood pressure and 12-lead ECG were measured in supine position. Adverse events were also recorded. ResultsAripiprazole decreased diastolic blood pressure on t...

ContextErogothioniene (EGT), a potent natural antioxidant, exerts hepatoprotection. However, human clinical evidence remains absent. Objectiveto observe the clinical efficacy and safety studies of GeneIII(R) L-Ergothioneine Capsules in the Hepatoprotective Efficacy. Materials and methodsThirty subjects with some abnormal liver function indicators were selected to take 2 capsules of 30mg GeneIII(R) L-Ergothioneine Capsules per day, for 30 consecutive days. The changes in serum liver function bi...

BackgroundLong-term benzodiazepine (BZD) use may lead to dependence, addiction, and neuropsychiatric disturbances. BZD discontinuation can cause severe withdrawal symptoms and resurgence of premorbid conditions. There are guidelines on how to stop BZD if it is necessary. Pharmacological management is an option among several other recommendations, but its benefit remains unclear. This study investigates whether certain pharmacological classes can manage or facilitate BZD withdrawal beyond BZD it...

RelevanceManagement of symptoms like anxiety, delirium and agitation cannot be neglected in COVID-19 patients. Antipsychotics are usually used for the pharmacological management of delirium, and confusion and behavioral disturbances. The selection of concomitant COVID-19 medications and antipsychotics should be evidence-based and closely monitored ObjectiveTo systematically review evidence-based available on drug-drug interactions between COVID-19 treatments and antipsychotics. Evidence Review...

Anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs like isoniazid and rifampin can cause hepatotoxicity leading to treatment termination. Although Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified variants linked to the risk of developing anti-tuberculosis drug-induced liver injury (AT-DILI), findings remain inconsistent. This study aimed to systematically summarise previous observational studies and assess the association between genetic polymorphisms and AT-DILI risk in adults. We conducted a comprehensive se...

Alzheimers Disease (AD) is the most common type of age related dementia in the world. Many hypotheses shed light on several reasons that lead to AD development. The cholinergic hypothesis describes that the destruction of an essential neurotransmitter, acetylcholine (AChE) by acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme, leads to the AD onset. The hydrolysis of acetylcholine by excess amount of AChE decreases the amount of acetylcholine in the brain, thus interfering with the normal brain functions. Many ...

Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) is a common type of pneumonia among school-aged children and adolescents. Jinzhen Oral Liquid (JZOL) and Azithromycin (AZ) are commonly used treatment options in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine, respectively. There are several clinical and basic research reports on their solo effect against MPP, enabling their combined treatment to become possible. However, the mechanisms and specific pharmacodynamics of their combined therapy remain ...

The risk-benefit ratio associated with the use of repurposed drugs to treat 2019 SARS-CoV-2 related infectious disease (COVID-19) is complicated since benefits are awaited, not proven. A thorough literature search was conducted to source information on the pharmacological properties of 5 drugs and 1 combination (azithromycin, chloroquine, favipiravir, hydroxychloroquine, remdesivir, and lopinavir/ritonavir) repurposed to treat COVID-19. A risk assessment of drug-induced Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) a...

BackgroundBamlanivimab is routinely used in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in worldwide. We performed a meta-analysis to investigate the efficacy and safety of bamlanivimab treatment in patients with COVID-19. MethodsWe searched articles from Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library and MedRxiv between 30 January 2020 and August 5, 2021. We selected randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and observational studies with a control group to assess the efficiency of baml...

Proton-pump inhibitors, PPIs, are widely prescribed and are available over the counter for prolonged reduction of stomach acid production and related disorders. PPIs irreversibly inhibit the hydrogen/potassium ATPase in gastric parietal cells. Recent retrospective studies have described an association between PPI use and depression. However, there is conflicting evidence that PPI therapy improves depressive symptoms. Considering the widespread use and over the counter availability of these drugs...

Background and objectiveCYP3A4 (rs2242480), CYP3A5 (rs776746) and SCN1A (rs3812718 and rs2298771) gene polymorphisms were previously indicated to be associated with carbamazepine (CBZ) metabolism and resistance in epilepsy. However, previous studies regarding the effects of these polymorphisms still remain controversial. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to evaluate whether the four polymorphisms are associated with CBZ metabolism and resistance. MethodsThe PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane librar...