General information The genera in the family of Ranunculaceae ( Table 1 ) include anemone, buttercup, columbine, hellebore, larkspur, marsh marigold, and pasque flower. Table 1 Genera of Ranunculaceae Aconitum (monkshood) Clematis (leather flower) Kumlienia (false buttercup) Actaea (baneberry) Consolida…
General information Ranolazine is a piperazine derivative approved for the treatment of chronic angina [ ]. It is thought to act by shifting myocardial energy metabolism away from free fatty acids and towards glucose as a substrate for production of…
See also Histamine H 2 receptor antagonists General information Ranitidine is a histamine H 2 receptor antagonist. Compared with cimetidine, it inhibits hepatic metabolism of other substances only to a very slight extent and is not antiandrogenic. In most other…
Ranibizumab is a specific, affinity-mature, recombinant, humanized, antivascular endothelial growth factor-A (anti-VEGF-A) antibody fragment, which binds all isoforms of VEGF-A, rendering them inactive; it is effective in the treatment of age-related macular degeneration after intravitreal injection [ ]. Drug studies…
General information Ramoplanin was the first in a new class of antimicrobials to reach clinical trials [ ]. It is a glycolipodepsipeptide produced by the fermentation of Actinoplanes species [ ]. Ramoplanin blocks bacterial cell wall biosynthesis by interfering with…
See also Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors General information Ramipril is an ACE inhibitor, a prodrug that is rapidly hydrolysed after absorption to its active metabolite ramiprilat. It has been used in patients with hypertension, heart failure, and myocardial infraction. Organs and…
See also Cytotoxic and immunosuppressant drugs General information Raltitrexed is a specific inhibitor of thymidylate synthase. It is used to treat colorectal cancers. In about 1000 patients with advanced colorectal cancer, the dose-limiting toxic effects in phase 1 studies were…
General information Raloxifene is a non-steroidal so-called “selective estrogen receptor modulator” (SERM), that is it binds to estrogen receptors, but this binding produces agonist effects at some sites and antagonist effects at others [ ]. It has estrogen agonist effects…
See also Thorotrast General information Radioactive substances may be used in medicine as tracers, the quantities used in this case being merely sufficient to enable them to be detected, or as therapeutic agents, in which case the quantities employed and…
General information Three radioactive isotopes of iodine are currently used in clinical medicine: 1. 131 I has a radioactive half-life of 8 days and a high-energy emitter; it is used mainly in the therapy of hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer. 2.…