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Every month, the subjects in Prescrire’s Spotlight.
2022 : 1 | 30
The not-for-profit group "Preventing Overdiagnosis", dedicated to "winding back the harms of too much medicine", will be holding its 2022 conference in Calgary, Canada.
10 May 2022
FEATURED REVIEW This immunosuppressant has been authorised in the European Union for use in adults with a relapsing-remitting form of multiple sclerosis. Is ozanimod more effective than an interferon beta at reducing the number of relapses and slowing the progression of disability? And what are its adverse effects? Full review (3 pages) available for download by subscribers.
1 May 2022
FREE DOWNLOAD A solution for subcutaneous injection containing a fixed-dose combination of these two anti-HER2 monoclonal antibodies has been authorised in the EU. How do Prescrire's editors rate this combination in its new form? Full text available for free download.
Editorial Transparency is a requirement for better and safer patient care. There is no valid reason to hide information about clinical trials, their methodology or their results, or evaluation data obtained on drugs after their market introduction, particularly data on adverse effects.
In Focus The EMA's failings on transparency warrant an official inquiry, so that European decision-makers can take remedial action.
The initial treatment for patients with HIV-1 infection is based on a combination of antiretroviral drugs. Sometimes the virus is or becomes resistant to the various drug combinations that are available. How do Prescrire's editors rate fostemsavir (Rukobia°) in this situation?
Pharmacobezoars are a possibility to be kept in mind when, after intentional overdose with drugs taken in a solid form, symptoms of overdose persist or reappear after initial improvement.
Since 1993, Prescrire's Solidarity Support Programme has been raising funds from Prescrire subscribers, helping health professionals in countries with insufficient financial resources and those training to become healthcare professionals to obtain quality, independent information. The Programme has just published its annual report for 2021.
FEATURED REVIEW The standard treatment for patients with HIV infection is a combination of at least three antiretrovirals. An oral two-drug regimen is sometimes considered. How do Prescrire's editors rate this combination, administered by intramuscular injection? Full review (2 pages) available for download by subscribers.
1 April 2022
FREE DOWNLOAD Dupilumab is an immunosuppressant monoclonal antibody which was already authorised in the European Union for use in adults and adolescents with troublesome atopic eczema. How do Prescrire's editors rate this drug in younger children? Full text available for free download.
Editorial Making healthcare decisions is a balancing act, sometimes a tricky one. When the data are insubstantial or non-existent, the greater the uncertainty and the trickier the balancing act.
IN FOCUSEurope's "Joint Technology Initiative on Innovative Medicines" (IMI) was created in 2007. The official objective was to improve the drug development process, so that the pharmaceutical sector could produce safer, more effective new drugs in the long term. How has the partnership measured up? Full review (4 pages) available for download by subscribers.
Just 17 of the 108 new marketing authorisations analysed and rated in our French edition in 2021 represented a major or notable therapeutic advance for patients. How does this finding for 2021 compare with prior years?
Fast-acting forms of fentanyl, a strong opioid analgesic, must be used with caution, patients must be thoroughly informed, and excessive doses must be avoided.
Despite a series of measures, unborn children are still being exposed to isotretinoin during pregnancy, with a risk of serious malformations and/or neuropsychiatric disorders.
NEWS FLASH French medical journal La Revue Prescrire has just revealed a new report from the Universal Medicines Agency (UMA) dated 1 April 2022, highlighting the arbitrary and intrensically fallacious character of statistical analysis. The Agency is creating a new pathway for evaluation of medicines, based on a "democratic" interpretation of clinical trial results. > Read more
In today's ever more skewed world, it's more important than ever to use every tool at one's disposal to determine if a result is significant. Or just plain old fishy.
VIDEO How many new drugs offer an advantage and how many bring nothing new? Prescrire has been answering this key question since 1981. In a March 2022 webinar organised by Consilium Scientific, Pierre Chirac of Prescrire explained the reason for Prescrire's existence, the people behind it, its operations, its main achievements, and its limitations.
21 March 2022
COVID-19 Prescrire's editors are publishing an ongoing series of articles featuring independent analysis of developments related to the covid-19 pandemic. Useful and practical information, to help health professionals gain a clear and balanced view.
FEATURED REVIEW Is this triple therapy more effective than dual therapy at reducing the incidence of pulmonary exacerbations and alleviating symptoms? Does it slow disease progression and extend survival? What adverse effects are associated with the addition of elexacaftor? Full review (4 pages) available for download by subscribers.
1 March 2022
FREE DOWNLOAD Prescrire has responded to a public consultation on a planned revision of Directive 2001/83 "on the Community code relating to medicinal products" and Regulation 726/2004 "laying down Community procedures for the authorisation and supervision of medicinal products (...) and establishing a European Medicines Agency". Full text available for free download.
Editorial The term "deprescribing" has been used more and more in recent years. But deprescribing, like prescribing, is not without risk.
The independent French medical journal Prescrire conferred two "Pilule d'Or" ("Golden Pill") Awards for 2021; 5 drugs made the "Honours List", and 2 drugs were deemed "Noteworthy". Details for the Drug and Information Awards, published in the March issue of Prescrire International, are available HERE.
Tramadol, an opioid analgesic authorised for relief of moderate to severe pain, carries a risk of dependence. Discontinuation is sometimes difficult and can require strong patient motivation as well as long-term medical support.
Occasional benzodiazepine use is often followed by repeated use, and there is a risk of addiction. When a benzodiazepine is justified, it is important to plan its withdrawal, together with the patient, as soon as treatment starts.
DRUGS TO AVOID - 2022 UPDATE For the tenth consecutive year, independent French medical journal Prescrire has published its annual update of drugs to avoid. The goal is to make it easier to choose high-quality care, and to prevent disproportionate harm to patients
1 February 2022
FEATURED REVIEW A number of peer-reviewed articles and drug regulatory agency reports have been published around the world about cases of myocarditis attributed to the covid-19 messenger RNA vaccines tozinameran (Comirnaty°) and elasomeran (Spikevax°). What is known about the incidence, severity and risk factors for this adverse effect? Full review (2 pages) available for download by subscribers.
FREE DOWNLOAD In the "Marketing Authorisations" section of the February issue: what do Prescrire's editors make of the data regarding this new indication for rituximab? Full text available for free download.
Editorial The speed with which effective vaccines were developed to combat the covid-19 pandemic was astonishing. And the speed with which certain drug companies have reaped enormous profits has been equally spectacular.
A new naloxone-containing nasal spray (Nyxoid°) has been authorised in the European Union for emergency use in medical and non-medical settings in adults and adolescents aged 14 years and over. How do Prescrire's editors rate this product in its new form?