Search

Darshan Mehta,1 Matthew Davis,2 Andrew J Epstein,3 Brian Wensel,1 Todd Grinnell,4 G Rhys Williams1 1Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Marlborough, MA, USA; 2Medicus Economics, LLC, Milton, MA, USA; 3Medicus Economics, LLC, Philadelphia, PA, USA; 4Medical Affairs, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Marlborough, MA, USACorrespondence: Darshan MehtaAssociate Director, Health Economics and Outcomes Research, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc, 84 Waterford Drive, Marlborough, MA, 01752, USATel +1-774-369-7913Email Darshan.Mehta@sunovion.comObjective: To examine the association between initiating first-line (1L) monotherapy with eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) vs a generic antiseizure drug (ASD) and healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and charges in adults with treated focal seizures (FS).Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of Symphony Health’s Integrated Dataverse® open-source claims data. Two cohorts were identified as having initiated 1L monotherapy with ESL or literature-defined generic ASDs. Linear regression models with person fixed effects and inverse probability treatment weights assessed the relative additional changes in HCRU and charges among patients who received ESL compared to generic ASD.Results: A total of 250 and 43,220 patients initiated ESL (48.3 years; 57.2% female) or a generic ASD (54.5 years; 58.1% female), respectively. Compared to patients initiating a generic ASD, patients treated with ESL had additional reductions of 11.8 percentage points in the likelihood of any all-cause outpatient visits (P< 0.001), 7.4 percentage points in the likelihood of any emergency department (ED) visits (P=0.013), and 22.7 percentage points in the likelihood of any FS-related outpatient visits (P< 0.001). Patients initiating ESL had greater reductions in mean charges for all-cause medical ($2620; P=0.002), outpatient ($1995; P=0.005), and non-FS-related medical ($2708; P< 0.001) services. Patients initiating ESL had greater relative increases in mean total prescription ($1368; P< 0.001) and ASD-related prescription ($1636; P< 0.001) charges, but greater relative reductions in non-ASD prescription ($269; P=0.032) charges. The increases in prescription charges were of a lower magnitude than the decreases in medical charges.Conclusion: Initiation of ESL as 1L monotherapy was associated with statistically significantly greater reductions in any use of several all-cause and FS-related services, number of visits, and charges compared to initiation of a generic ASD as 1L monotherapy in patients with FS. Initiation of a generic ASD as 1L monotherapy was associated with significantly smaller increases in total prescription charges and ASD-related prescription charges.Keywords: eslicarbazepine acetate, focal seizures, healthcare resource utilization, medical charges

Darshan Mehta,1 Matthew Davis,2 Andrew J Epstein,2 G Rhys Williams1 1Health Economics and Outcomes Research, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Marlborough, MA, USA; 2Health Economics and Outcomes Research, Medicus Economics, LLC, Milton, MA, USACorrespondence: Darshan MehtaHealth Economics and Outcomes Research, 84 Waterford Drive, Marlborough, MA 01752, USATel +1-774-369-7913Email Darshan.Mehta@sunovion.comObjective: To examine the impact of initiating treatment with eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) on healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) among pediatric patients with focal seizures (FS).Methods: This retrospective study used Symphony Health’s Integrated Dataverse® claims data. Patients aged 4 to 17 years with a diagnosis of FS and a new prescription for ESL between April 2015 and June 2018 were included and defined as the overall patient population. Index date was the first dispensed claim for ESL. Baseline period was the 90-day block immediately prior to the index date. The follow-up period comprised up to 4 consecutive 90-day blocks immediately following the index date. Subgroups were defined based on the presence (DP+) or absence (DP−) of developmental and/or psychiatric disorders at baseline. All-cause and FS-related inpatient (IP), emergency room (ER), outpatient (OP) hospital, and office (OF) visits were measured during the follow-up period. Reduction in HCRU per block in the post-ESL period was assessed using fixed-effects linear regression models.Results: A total of 234 patients were included in the overall study population, of whom 86 (36.8%) were DP+ and 148 (63.2%) were DP−. Relative to the baseline period, significant reductions were observed in the overall population for all-cause ER (P=0.001), OP (P< 0.001), and OF (P< 0.001) visits and FS-related IP (P=0.037) and OF (P< 0.001) visits in the follow-up period. Among DP+ and DP− patients, significant reductions were observed for all-cause ER (DP+: P=0.024; DP−: P=0.017), OP (DP+: P< 0.001; DP−: P=0.035), and OF (DP+: P=0.004; DP−: P=0.001) visits during the follow-up period. No significant differences were observed between DP+ and DP− patients in the change in all-cause or FS-related HCRU from baseline to the follow-up period.Conclusion: Pediatric patients with FS (DP+ and DP-) who initiated ESL had significant reductions in all-cause ER, OP, and OF visits and FS-related IP and OF visits.Keywords: eslicarbazepine acetate, focal seizure, health resource utilization, pediatric

Background: The aim of the present clinical study was to compare the efficacy of bovine porous bone mineral (BPBM) with and without platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for the treatment of periodontal intrabony defects. Materials and Methods: Twenty eight identical bilateral periodontal intrabony defects were selected from 14 chronic periodontitis patients. The subjects were randomly assigned to test group (BPBM+PRP) or the control group (BPBM). The clinical, radiographic, and intrasurgical (re-entry) measurements were made at baseline and at 9 months postoperatively. Results: Both treatment modalities resulted in significant reduction in probing depth and gain in clinical attachment level as compared to baseline values. The probing depth reduction was 6.20±1.40 mm in BPBM and 6.60±1.43 mm for the BPBM/PRP-treated sites. The gain in clinical attachment level observed was 4.16±1.05 mm for BPBM and 4.70±0.76 mm for the BPBM/PRP group. Radiographically, there was a significant defect fill (3.83±1.01 mm) for the BPBM group and (4.04±1.77 mm) in the BPBM/PRP group. Similar trend was observed between the two groups in relation to intrasurgical parameters. Conclusions: The combination therapy (BPBM+PRP) showed more favorable clinical outcome in the treatment of intrabony defects than the BPBM alone group, although the mean difference between the two groups was statistically nonsignificant.

Background and Objectives: The primary goal of periodontal therapy is to restore the tooth supporting tissues lost due to periodontal disease. The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy of combination of type I collagen (GTR membrane) and xenogenic bone graft with open flap debridement (OFD) in treatment of periodontal intrabony defects. Materials and Methods: Twenty paired intrabony defects were surgically treated using split mouth design. The defects were randomly assigned to treatment with OFD + collagen membrane + bone graft (Test) or OFD alone (Control). The clinical efficacy of two treatment modalities was evaluated at 9 month postoperatively by clinical, radiographical, and intrasurgical (re-entry) parameters. The measurements included probing pocket depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), gingival recession (GR), bone fill (BF), bone density (BD) and intra bony component (INTRA). Results: The mean reduction in PD at 0-9 month was 3.3±0.82 mm and CAL gain of 3.40±1.51 mm occurred in the collagen membrane + bone graft (Test) group; corresponding values for OFD (Control) were 2.20±0.63 mm and 1.90±0.57 mm. Similar pattern of improvement was observed when radiographical and intra-surgical (re-entry) post operative evaluation was made. All improvement in different parameters was statistically significant (P< 0.01). Interpretation and Conclusion: Treatment with a combination of collagen membrane and bone graft led to a significantly more favorable clinical outcome in intrabony defects as compared to OFD alone.

Orthodontic treatment in adult patients is one of the most frequently encountered components involving multidisciplinary approaches. In the present report, a 28-year-old male patient was treated for localized chronic periodontitis with pocket formation, mobility, pathologic migration and malalignment of maxillary left lateral incisor tooth #22. The periodontal therapy included motivation, education and oral-hygiene instructions (O.H.I.), scaling and root planing and periodontal flap surgery. Subsequently on resolution of periodontal inflammation, orthodontic therapy was carried out using the orthodontic aligner for a period of 6 months. Post-treatment (3 years) results showed complete resolution of infrabony pocket with significant bone fill, reduced tooth mobility and complete alignment of the affected maxillary left lateral incisor, thus restoring the esthetics and function.

Gingival overgrowth represents an over-exuberant response to a variety of local and systemic conditions. Certain anticonvulsants, immuno-suppressive drugs and a number of calcium channel blockers have been shown to produce similar gingival overgrowths in certain susceptible patients. Amlodipine is a comparatively new calcium channel blocker and has been used with increasing frequency in the management of hypertension and angina. Although amlodipine is considered as a safe drug, very rarely it may induce gingival overgrowth also. A rare case of amlodipine-induced gingival overgrowth has been reported herein in a 50-year-old female patient. The treatment aspect included Phase-1 therapy, substitution of the drug, the surgical excision and the maintenance and supportive therapy resulting in excellent clinical outcome.

We present a simple algorithm for management of post-traumatic posterior heel defect. We covered these with various flaps depending upon the defect size, its exact location, associated injuries, extent of zone of trauma, and complexity of the defect. The aim was to select the most suitable method for soft tissue coverage for posterior heel reconstruction.

The nutritional aspects of burns is an important but yet not properly looked after problem in the management of burns. We present our experience with dealing with such a problem giving a practical and easy to deliver solution to nutrition. Early enteral nutrition should be started with frequent assessment to the need of the patient and it requires a team approach.

We report a patient who had earlier penetrating keratoplasty with amniotic membrane transplant and autologous limbal cell transplant for chemical injury who underwent cataract surgery by phacoaspiration. A posterior limbal incision with corneal valve was made superotemporally with extreme caution to avoid damage to the limbal graft. Aspiration flow rates and vacuum were kept low to avoid any turbulence during surgery. A 6.0 mm optic diameter acrylic foldable intraocular lens was inserted in the bag. The patient achieved a best-corrected visual acuity of 6/12 at 10 months′ follow-up with a clear corneal graft. We conclude that caution during wound construction and phacoaspiration can help preserve corneal and limbal graft integrity in patients undergoing cataract surgery after corneal graft and limbal transplantation.

The high spin structure of 108Ag nucleus has been studied using the reaction 11B + 100Mo at 39 MeV with Indian National Gamma Array (INGA) at TIFR-BARC accelerator facility. From the two- and higher-fold coincidence analysis of the emitted γ-rays, the level structure of the nucleus is built, with addition of around ∼ 60 new transitions. A new positive parity dipole band has been observed and significant additions have been made in the low spin region. A pair of nearly degenerate, negative parity, dipole bands is established, which is studied using the triaxial projected shell model (TPSM).

Probiotics utilize naturally occurring bacteria to confer a health benefit when administered in adequate amounts. A few conventional foods containing probiotics are yogurt, fermented and unfermented milk, soy beverages etc. Most often, they come from two groups of bacteria, Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium. Probiotics have been extensively studied for their health promoting effects. Scientific understanding of probiotics and their potential for preventing and treating periodontal conditions is at its infancy, but moving ahead. Extensive research to create a probiotic product intended to maintain dental and periodontal health is needed.

The ongoing anticancer treatment is resulting in resistance to treatments, less efficacy, side effects, and other issues that need to be overcome by new anticancer drugs. Focusing on novel anticancer target ErbB4 kinase, responsible for tumor growth can be a promising approach against cancer. Naturally occurring plant-derived compounds are an important source of biologically active molecules with different chemical components having very little toxicity and high efficacy. This research highlights binding affinity, drug-like properties, bioactivity and toxicity prediction, and in-silico study of various flavonoids in cancer with the help of different software. The selected flavonoids had the lowest binding affinity which is the highest docking score, stipulating that they are efficacious and potent anticancer agents. These compounds are good contenders for further experimental investigations because of their potential for bioactivity and potential drug-like qualities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]