IPIT Good.

Eshelman gift, match net $2 million for UNC pharmacy education
On the heels of his recent $9 million gift to the School of Pharmacy at UNC, Fred Eshelman has contributed another $1 million... (more)

Efficacy Similar Among Antidepressants, Side Effects Drive Multiple Prescriptions
A review of 293 studies that assessed 12 commonly prescribed second-generation antidepressants found no significant differences between the drugs... (more)

Health Plans Face More Coverage Issues With Pharmacogenomic Tests
Health plans face more difficult coverage decisions as pharmacogenomic tests continue to enter the marketplace and rise in cost... (more)

Smart drugs start to deliver
Research is creating medicine that is matched to a patient's genetic makeup
Carolyn Distasio's cancer treatment is a doctor's dream come true. Diagnosed 10 months ago with advanced colon cancer... (more)

Researcher Set to Lead Institute
Howard McLeod has a passion to reduce the amount of drug-related deaths in the United States.... (more)

Analysis: Lack of diversity dogs trials
Vigorous efforts are under way to increase racial and ethnic diversity in clinical trials, but more needs to be done, researchers and advocates say... (more)

Sharon Terry receives Award for Patient Service at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
On May 19, Sharon Terry, MA, president and CEO of Genetic Alliance, was honored with IPIT at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Award for Patient Service... (more)

Patient Power Radio program featuring Dr. Howard McLeod
Is your medication right for you? The latest in personalized medicine... (more)

To Test or Not to Test: An update on UGT1A1 testing
Oncology Issues recently interviewed Howard McLeod, PharmD, about Genzyme’s in-vitro diagnostic test that helps identify patients with a greater risk... (more)

“We wouldn't buy a car
based solely on the outward appearance, neither should we select therapy without a more thorough understanding... (more)

New institute matches medicine
to genes
A new research institute launched at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will make drugs safer... (more)

Pharmacogenomics Enable More Targeted Treatment
Researchers at the UNC Lineberger are advancing beyond one-size-fits-all treatments for cancer... (more)

Graying anatomy? Toward molecular tumor characterization
Will anatomical tumor classification become history as we make way for molecular characterization in oncology? (more)

Personalized Drug Therapy: The Era of Pharmacogenomics
We live in a remarkable time, where multiple therapeutic options are available for most common diseases... (more)


	NEWS & EVENTS

	Eshelman gift, match net $2 million for UNC pharmacy education On the heels of his recent $9 million gift to the School of Pharmacy at UNC, Fred Eshelman has contributed another $1 million... (more) Efficacy Similar Among Antidepressants, Side Effects Drive Multiple Prescriptions A review of 293 studies that assessed 12 commonly prescribed second-generation antidepressants found no significant differences between the drugs... (more) Health Plans Face More Coverage Issues With Pharmacogenomic Tests Health plans face more difficult coverage decisions as pharmacogenomic tests continue to enter the marketplace and rise in cost... (more) Smart drugs start to deliver Research is creating medicine that is matched to a patient's genetic makeup Carolyn Distasio's cancer treatment is a doctor's dream come true. Diagnosed 10 months ago with advanced colon cancer... (more) Researcher Set to Lead Institute Howard McLeod has a passion to reduce the amount of drug-related deaths in the United States.... (more) Analysis: Lack of diversity dogs trials Vigorous efforts are under way to increase racial and ethnic diversity in clinical trials, but more needs to be done, researchers and advocates say... (more) Sharon Terry receives Award for Patient Service at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill On May 19, Sharon Terry, MA, president and CEO of Genetic Alliance, was honored with IPIT at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Award for Patient Service... (more) Patient Power Radio program featuring Dr. Howard McLeod Is your medication right for you? The latest in personalized medicine... (more) To Test or Not to Test: An update on UGT1A1 testing Oncology Issues recently interviewed Howard McLeod, PharmD, about Genzyme’s in-vitro diagnostic test that helps identify patients with a greater risk... (more) “We wouldn't buy a car based solely on the outward appearance, neither should we select therapy without a more thorough understanding... (more) New institute matches medicine to genes A new research institute launched at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will make drugs safer... (more) Pharmacogenomics Enable More Targeted Treatment Researchers at the UNC Lineberger are advancing beyond one-size-fits-all treatments for cancer... (more) Graying anatomy? Toward molecular tumor characterization Will anatomical tumor classification become history as we make way for molecular characterization in oncology? (more) Personalized Drug Therapy: The Era of Pharmacogenomics We live in a remarkable time, where multiple therapeutic options are available for most common diseases... (more)



Efficacy Similar Among Antidepressants, Side Effects Drive Multiple Prescriptions 28 Jan 2007 / www.medicalnewstoday.com download PDF A review of 293 studies that assessed 12 commonly prescribed second-generation antidepressants found no significant differences between the drugs for the treatment of acute-phase depression, according to a report by the RTI International-University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Evidence-based Practice Center. However, side effects among the drugs varied, causing many patients to have to try more than one before settling on long-term therapy. The drugs reviewed were bupropion, citalopram, duloxetine, escitalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, mirtazapine, nefazodone, paroxetine, sertraline, trazodone and venlafaxine. The studies included randomized controlled trials with active or placebo controls, observational studies and systematic reviews. "Based on our review of the available research, we found very little difference in the effectiveness of various antidepressants," said Dr. Gerald Gartlehner, lead author of the report and a research associate at UNC's Sheps Center for Health Services Research. Despite their similarities, the drugs create different side effects that lead only about 60 percent of patients to respond to an initial treatment regimen, said Linda Lux, an RTI researcher. And, she said, 61 percent of patients in efficacy trials experienced at least one adverse side effect, including constipation, diarrhea, dizziness, headache, insomnia and vomiting. "Because of the high incidence of side effects, many patients try more than one medication before finding an effective treatment," Lux said. "Predicting which one will be most effective or best tolerated by any individual is not yet possible." "This study highlights the important issue that side effects happen to patients, not doctors, and we need to take them a bit more seriously," said Dr Howard McLeod, director of the UNC's Institute for Pharmacogenomics and Individualized Therapy. McLeod, who was not part of this study, and others at UNC are trying to solve this drug-prescribing dilemma by using a patient's DNA to help direct the selection of treatment. Gartlehner and Lux said more research is also needed to determine the effects that dosage and duration of second-generation antidepressant treatment have on efficacy, and to see if efficacy differs in patients who also suffer from anxiety, insomnia, pain or fatigue. The project was supported by the Agency for Healthcare Quality Research, and is posted on the agency's Web site: http://www.ahrq.gov.