Cheap statins are equally effective

Maximum doses of drugs atorvastatin (marketed by Pfizer under the name Lipitor and Lipitor Zarator in Spain and the U.S.) or rosuvastatin (Crestor, AstraZeneca) with similar efficacy fight atherosclerosis . The main difference is that the former is cheaper because it has lost its patent and generic features in the Spanish market.

Both statins significantly reduce the formation of cholesterol plaques on the walls of the coronary arteries, according to results of a study presented at the Congress of the American Heart Association (AHA), held this week in Orlando (USA) , and simultaneously published in the journal 'The New England Journal of Medicine "(" NEJM ") . Moreover, the two agents led to a reversal of the disease in the majority of clinical trial participants.

The research involved 1,000 patients who were divided into two groups: half were given atorvastatin 80 mg daily dose and the remaining 50%, 40 mg of rosuvastatin. Treatment outcomes were assessed by intravascular ultrasound imaging system to visualize the inside of the coronary arteries. Two years after baseline, the volume of atherosclerotic plaques had decreased significantly in both groups with few notable side effects.

The most expensive drug, rosuvastatin produced a slightly greater decrease in LDL (bad) cholesterol and increased HDL cholesterol more (good). However, these advantages did not translate into a more favorable progression of coronary artery disease. "The difference was relatively modest," the study's authors acknowledge that company has been funded by AstraZeneca.

In itself there is variation in the price of the two products. In Spain, treatment with the doses used in the study costs almost double if rosuvastatin is used . The latter therapy costs about 77 euros per 28 days compared to about 37 in the case of atorvastatin (Source: Lower prices of the different presentations of drugs. Ministry of Health and Social Policy).

Researchers from more than 200 hospitals that participated in this trial led by the Cleveland Clinic (USA) concluded that either drug can be used to reduce atherosclerotic plaque. In this regard, ensure that the observed decline has been far superior to that shown by other studies.

According to Enrique Galve, president of the Hypertension Unit of the Spanish Society of Cardiology, that's the strength of the new research. "These statins are capable of reversing the plate very evident." Specifically, reduce by 1%, a figure that may seem laughable. However, the cardiologist stresses that it is a great achievement. "When we speak of the plaque, we say to our patients which we hope will not form again, you stay," he says. This alone reduced cardiovascular events . Going beyond this goal is to give a giant step forward.

To Galve, another positive reading of the study is that it manages to stop the progression of coronary artery disease "virtually no side effects." In fact, more than 1,000 patients treated was not observed any cases of rabdiomiolisis, a muscle toxicity is the most serious complication that can occur.

By the first drug against tuberculosis in 50 years

The antibiotics used to combat tuberculosis are becoming less effective. These are old drugs and the bacillus responsible for the disease long ago learned to cope. This explains the rise of resistant tuberculosis cases in all countries of the world that brings head to the health authorities. Therefore, the cooperation agreement reached to speed up the phase III trials with a new therapy is an important step.

The Alliance for Tuberculosis (TB Alliance), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the U.S. Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) have committed to do as quickly as can the phase III study REMox TB for which are currently enrolling patients.

The study will attempt to confirm the safety and efficacy of treatment for four months with moxifloxacin , an antibiotic of the family-fluoroquinolas two drugs in place of standard therapy (often used by four and the most common are isonizida, rifampicin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol) in patients who have failed current therapy, which lasts for more than six months.

"Moxifloxacin, which is already approved for certain respiratory and skin infections, acts differently to the drugs that are now part of standard therapy for tuberculosis. We are evaluating whether this medication can reduce the duration of a treatment 33% , as seen in previous trials, "explained ELMUNDO.es from TB Alliance.

Ready in three years

If the experiment is being developed in four parts of Africa, is successful, moxifloxacin "may be approved for treating tuberculosis in 2014 and became the first new drug for the disease in nearly 50 years," he added from the organization .

According to the latest report of the World Health Organization (WHO) 8.8 million people had tuberculosis in 2010 and 1.4 million died from the disease. However, despite these high figures, and although it is the leading cause of death among patients with HIV, the weapons to combat and detect the bacilli are very old.

The groups have reached agreement agree that "there is a very urgent need to accelerate clinical research towards new therapies against tuberculosis. Over the past decade have made efforts in this field, but still have to try harder" . "The purpose of this collaboration is to provide a more effective therapy and shorter for the millions of TB patients and for patients co-infected with HIV," says Dr. Mel Spigelman, TB Alliance president.