OBJECTIVES This meta-analysis was conducted to examine the effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine (either alone or with interferon alfa) in treating chronic hepatitis B. METHODS We searched the TCMLARS, AMED, CISCOM, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Collaboration databases and then hand-searched the articles' bibliographies. RESULTS Chinese herbal medicine significantly increased seroreversi...

BACKGROUND Sustained erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) have recently been identified as the standard therapeutic agent for anemia in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD). However, few reports have compared pain between various types of sustained ESAs or between administration routes. Furthermore, the change ratio of the dose of sustained ESAs reportedly ranges from 0.8 to 1.3. In...

Lonoctocog alfa (rVIII-SingleChain; Afstyla®) is a novel single-chain recombinant factor VIII (FVIII) molecule, with a truncated B-domain and the heavy and light chains covalently linked to form a stable and homogenous drug that binds with high affinity to von Willebrand factor (VWF). Intravenous lonoctocog alfa is approved for the prophylaxis and treatment of bleeding in patients with haemophi...

STUDY QUESTION Is treatment with corifollitropin alfa, a new recombinant gonadotrophin with sustained follicle-stimulating activity, safe in terms of perinatal complications and birth defects in infants conceived following corifollitropin alfa treatment for contolled ovarian stimulation (COS)? SUMMARY ANSWER In terms of neonatal outcome and risk of malformations, treatment with a single dose ...

BACKGROUND A randomized, double-blind, multinational, phase 3 study was conducted comparing the efficacy and safety of peginterferon lambda-1a (Lambda)/ribavirin (RBV)/telaprevir (TVR) vs. peginterferon alfa-2a (Alfa)/RBV/TVR in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype-1 (GT-1) infection. METHODS Patients (treatment-naïve or relapsers on prior Alfa/RBV treatment) were randomly a...

BACKGROUND Available treatments for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative chronic hepatitis B are associated with poor sustained responses. As a result, nucleoside and nucleotide analogues are typically continued indefinitely, a strategy associated with the risk of resistance and unknown long-term safety implications. METHODS We compared the efficacy and safety of peginterferon alfa-2a (180 ...

BACKGROUND To estimate, from the perspective of the Chinese healthcare system, the economic outcomes of five different first-line strategies among patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). METHODS AND FINDINGS A decision-analytic model was developed to simulate the lifetime disease course associated with renal cell carcinoma. The health and economic outcomes of five first-line str...

Cure of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is achievable without interferon alfa through the use of new direct-acting antiviral (DAA) drugs. In this era of interferon alfa-sparing therapy, however, interferon alfa sensitivity still matters, even as it turns out, if interferon alfa is not used. Inclusion of ribavirin in the treatment regimen remains a factor in treatment response, as does duratio...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Darbepoetin alfa is a novel erythropoiesis-stimulating protein developed for treating anemia. In animal models, exogenous recombinant human erythropoietin has been reported to be beneficial in treating experimental cerebral ischemia. In this study, we determined whether darbepoetin alfa would protect in a rat model of transient focal cerebral ischemia. METHODS Rats rece...

BACKGROUND Peginterferon alfa-2a (40 kDa) is currently administered using a prefilled syringe. The peginterferon alfa-2a disposable autoinjector is a new safety-engineered device designed to facilitate injection and reduce the risk of needlestick injuries. The analysis of two open-label Phase I trials evaluated the pharmacokinetics, successful administration, and tolerability of peginterferon a...