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.…
General information Racecadotril (ecadotril, anorphan, (S)-aetophan), through its active metabolite thiorphan, is an inhibitor of the neutral endopeptidase known as enkephalinase, thereby increasing exposure to substrates of the enzyme, including enkephalins and atrial natriuretic peptide [ ]. Increased exposure to…
See also Vaccines General information Rabies vaccine was for a long time prepared from infected brain tissue, and neurological complications were likely to occur in as many as one in 300 cases. A second-generation vaccine prepared from duck embryo tissue…
See also Proton pump inhibitors General information The benefit to harm balance of rabeprazole, a proton pump inhibitor, has been reviewed [ , ]. The overall rate of drug withdrawal because of adverse reactions was 3%. Common adverse reactions included…
General information Quinupristin and dalfopristin are two semisynthetic pristinamycin derivatives that are given in combination parenterally. Each component has bacteriostatic activity against Gram-positive bacteria, including multidrug resistant bacilli [ , ]. Quinupristin + dalfopristin can be used to treat macrolide-resistant…
General information Quinine was originally extracted from the bark of the Cinchona tree (Peruvian bark or Jesuits’ bark) and was used to treat ague (i.e. fever), usually due to malaria. It fell out of fashion with the advent of other…
General information Quinidine is a class I antidysrhythmic drug. Its actions, clinical use, interactions, and adverse effects and reactions have been reviewed [ ]. General adverse effects and adverse reactions Gastrointestinal symptoms, including anorexia, nausea, and vomiting, are common. Quinidine…