Prevalence, Attributes, and Risk Factors of QT-Interval-Prolonging Drugs and Potential Drug-Drug Interactions in Cancer Patients: A Prospective Study in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Introduction Cancer chemotherapy regimens include multiple classes of adjuvant drugs as supportive therapy. Because of the concurrent intake of other drugs (like antiemetics, antidepressants, analgesics, and antimicrobials), there is a heightened risk for possible QT interval prolongation. There is a dearth of evidence in the literature regarding the usage of QT-prolonging anticancer drugs and associated risk factors that have the propensity to prolong QT interval. The purpose was to explore the extent of the use of QT-interval-prolonging drugs and potential QT-prolonging drug-drug interactions (QT-DDIs) in cancer patients attending OPD in a tertiary-care hospital. Methods This was a hospital-based, cross-sectional, observational study. Risk stratification of QT-prolonging drugs for torsades de pointes (TdP) was done by the Arizona Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics (AzCERT)/CredibleMeds-lists, and potential QT-DDIs were determined with four online DDI-checker-software. Results In 1331 cancer patients, the overall prevalence of potential QT-prolonging drug utilization was 97.3%. Ondansetron, pantoprazole, domperidone, and olanzapine were the most frequent QT-prolonging drugs in cancer patients. The top six antineoplastics with potential QT-prolonging and torsadogenic actions were capecitabine, oxaliplatin, imatinib, bortezomib, 5-fluorouracil, and bendamustine. Evidence-based pragmatic QTc interval prolongation risk assessment tools are imperative for cancer patients. Conclusion This study revealed a high prevalence of QT-prolonging drugs and QT-DDIs among cancer patients who are treated with anticancer and non-anticancer drugs. As a result, it's critical to take precautions, stay vigilant, and avoid QT-prolonging in clinical situations. Evidence-based pragmatic QTc interval prolongation risk assessment tools are needed for cancer patients.

Safety of prolonged use of metoclopramide and domperidone as treatment for chronic gastrointestinal dysmotility disorders in patients with systemic sclerosis

Background

Metoclopramide and domperidone are prokinetic agents commonly used to treat gastrointestinal dysmotility disorders. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and associated side effects of prolonged-use metoclopramide and domperidone as treatment for chronic gastrointestinal dysmotility disorders in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Methods

A quantitative observational survey was conducted by interview questionnaire in rheumatology outpatients at a tertiary teaching hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The study included all patients aged 25-80 years diagnosed with SSc. All patients were on metoclopramide or domperidone for the treatment of chronic gastrointestinal dysmotility symptoms over at least 12 weeks.

Results

Eighteen eligible patients were included. Most study participants were diagnosed with SSc complicated by interstitial lung disease (n = 13; 72.2 %). The most frequently reported side effect that occurred while taking prokinetic drugs was shortness of breath (n = 12; 66.7 %). None of the participants reported experiencing depression, galactorrhea, or syncope. CNS side effects were reported in 5.6 %. There were no differences in side effects based on the type and dosage of prokinetic drug used.

Conclusions

Use of metoclopramide and domperidone for the treatment of chronic gastrointestinal dysmotility in SSc patients for 12 weeks or longer was not associated with any troublesome side effects. Further studies with more participants are needed to confirm our findings.

The comorbidity and co-medication profile of patients with progressive supranuclear palsy

BACKGROUND

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is usually diagnosed in elderly. Currently, little is known about comorbidities and the co-medication in these patients.

OBJECTIVES

To explore the pattern of comorbidities and co-medication in PSP patients according to the known different phenotypes and in comparison with patients without neurodegenerative disease.

METHODS

Cross-sectional data of PSP and patients without neurodegenerative diseases (non-ND) were collected from three German multicenter observational studies (DescribePSP, ProPSP and DANCER). The prevalence of comorbidities according to WHO ICD-10 classification and the prevalence of drugs administered according to WHO ATC system were analyzed. Potential drug-drug interactions were evaluated using AiDKlinik®.

RESULTS

In total, 335 PSP and 275 non-ND patients were included in this analysis. The prevalence of diseases of the circulatory and the nervous system was higher in PSP at first level of ICD-10. Dorsopathies, diabetes mellitus, other nutritional deficiencies and polyneuropathies were more frequent in PSP at second level of ICD-10. In particular, the summed prevalence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases was higher in PSP patients. More drugs were administered in the PSP group leading to a greater percentage of patients with polypharmacy. Accordingly, the prevalence of potential drug-drug interactions was higher in PSP patients, especially severe and moderate interactions.

CONCLUSIONS

PSP patients possess a characteristic profile of comorbidities, particularly diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The eminent burden of comorbidities and resulting polypharmacy should be carefully considered when treating PSP patients.

A fatal case of repeated ventricular fibrillation due to torsade de pointes following repeated administration of metoclopramide

Although metoclopramide has many adverse effects, torsade de pointes (TdP) is rare. We describe a fatal case of repeated ventricular fibrillation due to TdP following repeated administration of metoclopramide. Administration of multiple doses of metoclopramide over a short time to a patient with risk factors for TdP should be avoided.

Cardiac safety and clinical efficacy of high-dose domperidone for long-term treatment of gastroparesis symptoms

Domperidone is an effective antiemetic used worldwide, but there have been reports of possible cardiotoxicity. Our goal was to explore the cardiac safety and clinical efficacy of long-term domperidone, titrated as high as 120 mg/day, in patients not responding or unable to tolerate other therapies for gastroparesis (GP).This retrospective cohort study was conducted at a single tertiary care academic center. We objectively assessed the safety and efficacy of domperidone through questionnaires, clinical follow-up and frequent ECGs as mandated by the Food and Drug Administration. We excluded patients with a history of dangerous arrhythmias, prolonged QTc, clinically significant electrolyte disturbances, gastrointestinal hemorrhage or obstruction, presence of a prolactinoma, pregnant or breastfeeding females, or allergy to domperidone. A total of 21 patients met the inclusion criteria for eligibility in this study (52.4% white, 42.9% Hispanic; mean age 50.1 years; 90.5% female). The mean duration of domperidone therapy was 52.3 (range 16-97) months with a mean highest dose of 80 mg/day (range 40-120 mg). Two patients (9.5%) taking 120 mg/day experienced asymptomatic meaningful QTc prolongation (>450 ms in males, >470 ms in females). One-third of patients had asymptomatic non-meaningful QTc prolongation. Palpitations or chest pain was reported in 19% of patients without ECG abnormalities or adverse cardiac events. The mean severity of vomiting and nausea was improved by 82% and 55%, respectively.Long-term treatment with high doses of domperidone (40-120 mg/day) improved GP symptoms in patients previously refractory to other medical therapies and with a satisfactory cardiovascular risk profile.

Efficacy of Wang Nam Yen herbal tea on human milk production: A randomized controlled trial

Background

Insufficient milk production is a common problem affecting breastfeeding women, in particular following Cesarean delivery. Wang Nam Yen herbal tea is a promising traditional Thai medicine used by postpartum women to stimulate milk production, as an alternative to pharmaceutical galactagogues. We aimed to compare the efficacy of Wang Nam Yen herbal tea, domperidone, and placebo, in increasing milk production in mothers who underwent Cesarean delivery.

Methods

Women who underwent uncomplicated cesarean delivery at Sunpasitthiprasong Hospital were randomized into three groups. The participants received the treatments daily for three consecutive days. The primary outcome was breast milk volume at 72 hours after delivery. Secondary outcomes were pregnancy and neonatal outcomes, adverse events, and participant satisfaction.

Results

Of the 1,450 pregnant women that underwent cesarean delivery, 120 women were enrolled. Their mean age and gestational ages were 28.7 years and 38.4 weeks, respectively. Breast milk volume at 72 hours postpartum was significantly different among the three groups (p = 0.030). The post hoc Bonferroni correction indicated a significant difference in breast milk volume between Wang Nam Yen herbal tea group and placebo control group (p = 0.007) while there was no difference between Wang Nam Yen herbal tea group and domperidone group (p = 0.806) and between domperidone group and placebo control group (p = 0.018). There was no difference in pregnancy and neonatal outcomes, adverse events, and participant satisfaction among the three groups.

Conclusion

Wang Nam Yen herbal tea was effective in augmenting breast milk production at 72 hours postpartum in mothers following cesarean delivery, and there was no evidence that herbal tea and domperidone differed in terms of augmenting breast milk production.

Trial registration

The study was approved by the institutional review board of Sunpasitthiprasong Hospital (No.061/2559) and was registered TCTR20170811003 with the Thai Clinical Trial Registry.

Four-Way Crossover Phase 1 Thorough QT Study to Assess Cardiac Safety of Domperidone and Consideration for Design and Conduct of QT/QTc Study in China

This study aimed to evaluate the QT prolongation potential of domperidone in healthy Chinese participants and explore the possibility of a thorough QT (TQT) study in China with a smaller sample size using concentration-QT (C-QT) modeling. Part 1 was a randomized, placebo- and positive-controlled, multiple-dose, 4-way crossover TQT study in healthy Chinese participants; 44 participants were randomized to either domperidone 10/20 mg or placebo 3 times daily, on days 1 to 3, followed by a single dose of either 10/20 mg domperidone/domperidone-placebo/domperidone-placebo plus 400 mg of moxifloxacin, on day 4. Twelve-lead electrocardiograms were recorded in triplicate at predefined time points with pharmacokinetic sampling. The results were that change from baseline in QT interval corrected for heart rate (QTc) using the Fridericia formula (QTcF) between domperidone and placebo was 1.3 milliseconds and 2.7 milliseconds for 10 and 20 mg 3 times daily, and upper limits of 2-sided 90%CI for all time points were below regulatory threshold of 10 milliseconds. In part 2, resampling analysis using C-QT modeling for moxifloxacin showed false-negative rates of <5% with sample sizes ≥6. We could conclude that no clinically relevant effect on corrected QT interval or new safety signals was observed with domperidone. A dedicated TQT study with C-QT modeling could assess drug effects on QT/corrected QT intervals for novel drug development in China.

Gastrointestinal Dysfunction in Parkinson’s Disease: Current and Potential Therapeutics

Abnormalities in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of Parkinson’s disease (PD) sufferers were first reported over 200 years ago; however, the extent and role of GI dysfunction in PD disease progression is still unknown. GI dysfunctions, including dysphagia, gastroparesis, and constipation, are amongst the most prevalent non-motor symptoms in PD. These symptoms not only impact patient quality of life, but also complicate disease management. Conventional treatment pathways for GI dysfunctions (i.e., constipation), such as increasing fibre and fluid intake, and the use of over-the-counter laxatives, are generally ineffective in PD patients, and approved compounds such as guanylate cyclase C agonists and selective 5-hyroxytryptamine 4 receptor agonists have demonstrated limited efficacy. Thus, identification of potential targets for novel therapies to alleviate PD-induced GI dysfunctions are essential to improve clinical outcomes and quality of life in people with PD. Unlike the central nervous system (CNS), where PD pathology and the mechanisms involved in CNS damage are relatively well characterised, the effect of PD at the cellular and tissue level in the enteric nervous system (ENS) remains unclear, making it difficult to alleviate or reverse GI symptoms. However, the resurgence of interest in understanding how the GI tract is involved in various disease states, such as PD, has resulted in the identification of novel therapeutic avenues. This review focuses on common PD-related GI symptoms, and summarizes the current treatments available and their limitations. We propose that by targeting the intestinal barrier, ENS, and/or the gut microbiome, may prove successful in alleviating PD-related GI symptoms, and discuss emerging therapies and potential drugs that could be repurposed to target these areas.

Effect of a Persian metabolic diet on the functional dyspepsia symptoms in patients with postprandial distress syndrome: a randomized, double-blind clinical trial

OBJECTIVES

Postprandial distress syndrome (PDS) is associated with food indigestion. Efficacy of drugs used against PDS is limited whereas dietary modifications were shown to have important beneficial effects. Traditional Persian Medicine (TPM) sages suggested a dietary regimen known as Persian metabolic diet (PMD) for the management of PDS patients. In this study, the efficacy of PMD in alleviating the symptoms of PDS was explored.

METHODS

This single-center, parallel-group, randomized clinical trial included 56 patients whom were randomly allocated to PMD group (29 participants) and Optional diet (OD) group (27 participants). They were instructed to follow the protocol for two weeks. Using a standard validated questionnaire, all outcomes were evaluated at baseline, end of the intervention period, and end of follow-up time.

RESULTS

At the end of the intervention period, comparing the changes of severity scores between the groups showed a statistically significant difference in week 2 (p-value<0.001) and week 8 (p-value<0.001) follow-up comparing to the baseline. Similarly, at the end of the follow-up period, epigastric fullness, epigastric discomfort, and bloating were significantly improved in the PMD group (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This diet prepared based on Persian medicine seems to be effective in relieving the symptoms of patients with PDS.

Cardiovascular Safety of Metoclopramide Compared to Domperidone: A Population-Based Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Metoclopramide and domperidone are common prokinetics used to alleviate gastrointestinal symptoms. However, both drugs may trigger ventricular arrhythmias.

AIM

We conducted this population-based study to compare the 30-day cardiovascular safety of metoclopramide versus domperidone in outpatient care.

METHODS

We used health care databases to identify a cohort of patients in Ontario, Canada newly dispensed metoclopramide or domperidone. Inverse probability of treatment weighting based on propensity scores was used to balance the baseline characteristics of the two groups. All outcomes were assessed in the 30 days following drug dispensing. The primary outcome was hospital encounter with ventricular arrhythmia. The secondary outcomes were hospital encounter with cardiac arrest, all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality.

RESULTS

We identified 196,544 patients, 19% of whom were prescribed metoclopramide. There was no difference in the risk of a hospital encounter with ventricular arrythmia (0.02% in both groups), or cardiac arrest (0.10% with metoclopramide and 0.08% with domperidone). However, 1.34% of patients died after starting metoclopramide compared to 0.52% of patients starting domperidone; weighted risk ratio 2.50 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.13 to 3.03). Similarly, 0.42% of patients died of cardiovascular causes after starting metoclopramide compared to 0.19 % of patients starting domperidone; weighted risk ratio 2.00 (95% CI 1.44 to 2.77).

CONCLUSION

The 30-day risk for a hospital encounter with ventricular arrhythmia was low for both metoclopramide and domperidone, with no significant difference in the rate between the two drugs. The higher 30-day risk of death observed with metoclopramide compared with domperidone in this study has also been observed in other studies and warrants further investigation.

Wenxin Keli for the Treatment of Arrhythmia-Systems Pharmacology and In Vivo Pharmacological Assessment

This study employed a systems pharmacology approach to identify the active compounds and action mechanisms of Wenxin Keli for arrhythmia treatment. Sixty-eight components identified in vivo and in vitro by UPLC/Q-TOF-MS were considered the potential active components of Wenxin Keli. Network pharmacology further revealed 33 key targets and 75 KEGG pathways as possible pathways and targets involved in WK-mediated treatment, with the CaMKII/CNCA1C/Ca²⁺ pathway being the most significantly affected. This finding was validated using an AC-induced rat arrhythmias model. Pretreatment with Wenxin Keli reduced the malignant arrhythmias and shortened RR, PR, and the QT interval. Wenxin Keli exerted some antiarrhythmic effects by inhibiting p-CaMKII and intracellular Ca²⁺ transients and overexpressing CNCA1C. Thus, suppressing SR Ca²⁺ release and maintaining intracellular Ca²⁺ balance may be the primary mechanism of Wenxin Keli against arrhythmia. In view of the significance of CaMKII and NCX identified in this experiment, we suggest that CaMKII and NCX are essential targets for treating arrhythmias.

Domperidone increases harmful cardiac events in Parkinson's disease: A Bayesian re-analysis of an observational study

OBJECTIVES

To assess the risks of ventricular tachyarrhythmia/sudden cardiac death (VT/SCD) with domperidone use in Parkinson's disease (PD).

STUDY DESIGNS AND SETTINGS

Using Bayesian methods, results from an observationalstudy were combined with prior beliefs to calculate posterior probabilities of increasedrelative risk (RR)) of VT/SCD with use of domperidone compared to non-use and ofharm, defined as risk exceeding 15%. The analyses were carried with normallydistributed priors (log (RR)): uninformative (N(0,10)) or informative (N(0.53,179)),derived from a meta-analysis (OR (95%CI):1.70 (1.47-1.97)). Sensitivity analyses used:different priors' strengths, different priors, and Bayesian meta-analysis RESULTS: The uninformative prior yielded a RR: 1.23 (95% credible interval (CrI):0.94-1.62), like the published frequentist RR: 1.22 (95% CI:0.99-1.50), with 69% probabilityof harm. With an informative prior weighted at 100%, 50% and 10%, the RR were 1.63(1.41-1.88), 1.57 (1.31-1.91) and 1.39 (1.10-1.93), respectively. The correspondingprobabilities of harm were 100%, 99%, and 94%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

While both the frequentist and Bayesian approaches with anuninformative prior were unable to reach a definitive conclusion concerning thearrhythmic risk of domperidone in PD patients, the Bayesian analysis with informativepriors showed a high probability of increased risk that was robust to multiple priorsensitivity analyses.

Evaluation of the Pharmacokinetics of Trazpiroben (TAK-906), a Peripherally Selective D2/D3 Dopamine Receptor Antagonist, in the Presence and Absence of Itraconazole, a Potent CYP 3A4 Inhibitor

Purpose

Treatment options for gastroparesis, such as metoclopramide and domperidone, are limited because of safety concerns, which may be exacerbated in the presence of inhibitors of drug metabolism. This study evaluated the effect of itraconazole on the pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of trazpiroben (previously TAK-906), a novel, peripherally selective D₂/D₃ dopamine receptor antagonist.

Methods

This was a phase 1, two-period, crossover trial in healthy participants (NCT03161405). On day 1, period 1 (days 1–3), participants received a single oral dose of trazpiroben 25 mg. During period 2 (days 4–9), participants received oral itraconazole 200 mg once daily (days 1–5) and one oral dose of trazpiroben 25 mg post itraconazole on day 4. Trazpiroben pharmacokinetics were assessed. Safety assessments included triplicate electrocardiograms.

Results

Twelve healthy males (24–45 years old) were studied. Co-administration of itraconazole increased trazpiroben area under the concentration–time curve from time 0 to infinity by 1.28-fold (90% confidence interval: 1.10, 1.49) and maximum plasma concentration (C_max) by 1.98-fold (1.64, 2.39) versus trazpiroben alone. Placebo-corrected, change from baseline in corrected QT interval at the observed geometric mean C_max for trazpiroben alone (9.53 ng/mL) and with itraconazole (18.00 ng/mL) was estimated at 1.31 ms (−0.39, 3.01) and 1.54 ms (−0.15, 3.24), respectively. There were no clinically relevant abnormalities in any safety parameters.

Conclusion

These results indicate that TAK‑906 is relatively insensitive to inhibition of cytochrome P450 3A4, and cardiovascular safety concerns associated with domperidone are unlikely to be elicited by trazpiroben under similar conditions.

Off-label postpartum use of domperidone in Canada: a multidatabase cohort study

BACKGROUND

Trends in off-label postpartum use of domperidone and the impact of safety advisories on its use remain unknown. Our objectives were to describe postpartum use of domperidone in Canada, to evaluate the impact of Health Canada advisories on prescribing patterns, and to describe the association between domperidone use and a composite end point of sudden cardiac death or ventricular tachycardia (VT) among postpartum patients.

METHODS

We conducted a multidatabase cohort study involving pregnant patients with live births between 2004 and 2017 using administrative health databases from 5 Canadian provinces (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario). We excluded patients with less than 1 year of prepregnancy database history and with approved indications for domperidone. We assessed domperidone use in the 6 months postpartum and the impact of the 2012 and 2015 Health Canada advisories on prescribing via interrupted time series analysis. We estimated crude rates of VT and sudden cardiac death.

RESULTS

We included 1 190 987 live births. Mean maternal age was 28.6 (standard error 0.6) years. Domperidone use increased over time, from 7% in 2003-2005 to 12% in 2009-2011, when it plateaued. The 2012 advisory was followed by a drop in use and a reduction in slope, and the 2015 advisory had a more modest impact. Crude analysis suggests that domperidone may be associated with increased VT or sudden cardiac death (0.74 v. 0.37 per 10 000 person-years; difference per 10 000 person-years: 0.37, 95% confidence interval -0.67 to 1.41).

INTERPRETATION

Postpartum domperidone use increased between 2004 and 2017, with prescribing attenuated after Health Canada advisories and a very low absolute rate of VT or sudden cardiac death. These findings suggest that Health Canada advisories affected prescribing; any potential increase in VT or sudden cardiac death with use of domperidone is small and could not be confirmed in this large study STUDY REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, no. NCT04024865.

Drug use for gastrointestinal symptoms during pregnancy: A French nationwide study 2010-2018

PURPOSE

To describe drug prescription for gastrointestinal symptoms during pregnancy.

METHODS

Using the French national health database, we identified pregnancies ending with a birth between April 2010 and December 2018, in France. We studied prescription of antacids, antispasmodics, antinauseants, laxatives and antidiarrheals during pregnancy, between two trimesters before and two trimesters after delivery. We also assessed hospitalization for gastrointestinal symptoms during pregnancy.

RESULTS

Among 6,365,471 pregnancies, 4,452,779 (74.0%) received at least one gastrointestinal drug during pregnancy; 2,228,275 (37.0%) received an antacid, 3,096,858 (51.5%) an antispasmodic, 1,861,731 (31.0%) an antinauseant, 919,116 (15.3%) a laxative and 617,808 (10.3%) an antidiarrheal. Prescription of proton pump inhibitors doubled from 12.2% in 2010 to 26.0% in 2018, while domperidone use decreased from 18.3% in 2010 to 2.2% in 2018. In addition, prescription of antacids increased from 7.0% during the trimester before pregnancy to 11.8% during the 1st trimester, 17.0% during the 2nd trimester and 23.4% during the 3rd trimester. Antispasmodic use was 10.6% during the trimester before pregnancy, 23.1% during the 1st trimester, 25.2% during the 2nd trimester and 24.0% during the 3rd trimester. Prescription of antinauseant drugs increased from 5.0% during the trimester before pregnancy to 25.7% during the 1st trimester, then decreased to 6.4% during the 2nd trimester and 3.2% during the 3rd trimester. Nausea/vomiting was the most common cause of hospitalization for gastrointestinal symptoms or diseases during pregnancy, although it accounted for only 1.0% of pregnancies.

CONCLUSIONS

Approximately three-quarters of women use drugs for gastrointestinal symptoms during pregnancy in France. Prescription of gastrointestinal drugs during pregnancy should be the subject of more detailed risk-benefit assessment and recommendations.

Domperidone and the risks of sudden cardiac death and ventricular arrhythmia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

AIMS

Concerns exist regarding the cardiovascular safety of domperidone. However, many of the previous studies addressing this issue had important limitations. We aimed to examine domperidone and the risks of sudden cardiac death and ventricular arrhythmia through a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies, including an in-depth methodological assessment.

METHODS

We systematically searched MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus and CINAHL Plus to identify observational studies examining the association of domperidone and sudden cardiac death and/or ventricular arrhythmia. We assessed study quality in duplicate using the ROBINS-I tool supplemented by an assessment of specific biases and the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations) approach. Data were pooled across studies using DerSimonian and Laird random-effects models.

RESULTS

Six case-control studies, 1 case-crossover study and 1 retrospective cohort study were included (n = 480 395). Based on ROBINS-I, 3 studies had moderate risk of bias, 4 had serious risk, and 1 had critical risk. The overall GRADE rating is moderate. When data were pooled across nonoverlapping studies, domperidone was associated with an increased risk of composite endpoint of sudden cardiac death or ventricular arrhythmia compared to nonuse (adjusted odds ratio: 1.69; 95% confidence interval: 1.46, 1.95; I² : 0%; τ² : 0). This association persisted when restricted to higher-quality studies (odds ratio: 1.60; 95% confidence interval: 1.30, 1.97; I² : 0%; τ² : 0).

CONCLUSION

Domperidone is associated with an increased risk of sudden cardiac death and ventricular arrhythmia compared to nonuse. Further investigation comparing domperidone to an active comparator and in younger populations are warranted.

Leading 20 drug-drug interactions, polypharmacy, and analysis of the nature of risk factors due to QT interval prolonging drug use and potentially inappropriate psychotropic use in elderly psychiatry outpatients

BACKGROUND

Psychotropic medications extend corrected QT (QTc) period in the electrocardiogram (ECG). Psychiatric patients exposed to ⩾1 psychotropic medication(s) represent a group with marked probability of drug-activated QTc-prolongation. Prolonged QTc interval in elderly patients (age > 60 years) is connected to greater risk of all-cause and coronary heart disease deaths. This study aimed at investigating pattern of utilization of QTc-interval protracting medications, QT-extending drug interactions, and prevalence of QTc-interval extending hazard factors in elderly patients.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional, prospective study at the Psychiatry OPD at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India from 1 October 2017 to 30 August 2019 employing the pertinent prescriptions.

RESULTS

A total of 832 elderly patients (age 60 years or more) visiting the Psychiatry OPD during the aforementioned study duration were investigated. About 420 (50.5%) patients were males while 412 (49.5%) were females. Of the 832 patients, 588 (70.7%) were using interacting agents with capacity to produce TdP. Almost 1152 interacting torsadogenic medication pairs were unraveled. As per AzCERT/CredibleMeds Classification, 1016 (48.8%), 724 (34.8%), and 248 (12%) agents with potential to interact were identified with 'known', 'possible', and 'conditional risk of TdP', respectively. The common interacting medications belonged to antidepressant (288), proton pump inhibitor (364), antipsychotic (340), antinausea (184), antimicrobial (156), and H2 receptor antagonist (60) therapeutic categories. The all-inclusive frequency of potentially inappropriate psychotropic (PIP) agents administered was 62% (1343/2166) with Beers Criteria 2019, and 46% (997/2166) with STOPP Criteria 2015.

CONCLUSION

Many geriatric patients were administered drugs and drug combinations with heightened proclivity toward QT-interval prolongation. Furthermore, reliable evidence-based online drug knowledge resources, such as AzCERT/CredibleMeds Drug Lists, Medscape Drug Interactions Checker, Epocrates Online Interaction Check, and Drugs.com Drug Interactions Checker, can facilitate clinical professionals in selecting drugs for psychiatric patients. A wise choice of medications is imperative to preclude serious adverse sequelae. Therefore, we need to exigently embrace precautionary safety means, be vigilant, and forestall QT-extension and TdP in clinical environments.

Evaluation of Prescription Practices of Domperidone in Parkinson's Disease: A Cross Sectional Study Among French Neurologists

BACKGROUND

Domperidone is used to treat gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease. Because of an increased risk of cardiac adverse events, the European Medicines Agency has issued recommendations restricting its use mainly in terms of age, dose, and treatment duration.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate current prescription practices of domperidone in Parkinson's disease among French neurologists.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study based on a questionnaire was conducted among French neurologists from Parkinson's disease expert centers from the French NS-Park/FCRIN network, general hospitals, and private practice.

RESULTS

Among the 253 neurologists who completed the questionnaire, 86 (34%) were physicians from expert centers and 167 (66%) were from other healthcare settings; 209 (83%) were aware of recommendations restricting domperidone use. The majority of neurologists (92%) declared prescribing domperidone regardless of the age of the patients. Sixty-one percent of neurologists prescribed domperidone beyond 7 days in newly diagnosed patients, 33% in patients with orthostatic hypotension, and 79% in patients receiving continuous apomorphine treatment. They did not follow the recommendation on posology in newly diagnosed patients (7% of neurologists), patients with orthostatic hypotension (10%), and patients receiving continuous apomorphine therapy (25%). Finally, only 58% of neurologists declared taking specific precautions before prescribing domperidone.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings show most French neurologists who responded to our questionnaire do not fully follow the restrictions on domperidone use, particularly in terms of treatment duration, and in patients receiving continuous apomorphine treatment. This may reflect the unmet need to prevent nausea in patients with Parkinson's disease treated with dopaminergic drugs, particularly continuous apomorphine therapy.

Top 20 drug - drug interactions, polypharmacy and analysis of the nature of risk factors due to QT interval prolonging drug use in elderly psychiatry outpatients

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

Psychotropic medications extend the corrected QT (QTc) period in the ECG. Psychiatric patients exposed to ≥ 1 psychotropic medication (s) represent a group with a marked probability of drug-activated QTc-prolongation. Prolonged QTc interval in elderly patients (age > 60 years) is connected to a greater risk of all-cause and coronary heart disease deaths. We investigated the pattern of utilization of QTc-interval prolonging medications, QT-extending interactions between drugs, and prevalence of QTc-interval prolonging risk factors in elderly patients.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional, prospective study at the Psychiatry OPD at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India from October 1, 2017 to December 31, 2018 employing the pertinent prescriptions.

RESULTS

A total of 208 elderly patients (age 60 years or more) visiting the Psychiatry OPD during the aforementioned study period were investigated. 105 (50.5%) patients were males whereas 103 (49.5%) were females in our study. 147 out of 208 patients (70.7%) were using interacting agents with the capacity to produce TdP. 288 interacting torsadogenic medication pairs were unraveled. As per AzCERT/CredibleMeds Classification, 254 (48.8%), 181 (34.8%), and 62 (12%) interacting medications were identified with known, possible, and conditional risk of TdP, respectively. The common interacting medications belonged to antidepressant (144), proton pump inhibitor (91), antipsychotic (85), anti-nausea (46), antimicrobial (39), and H2 receptor antagonist (15) therapeutic categories.

CONCLUSIONS

Many geriatric patients were administered drugs and drug combinations with heightened proclivity towards QT-interval prolongation. Therefore, we need to exigently embrace precautionary safety interventions, to be vigilant, and forestall QT-prolongation and TdP in clinical settings. Online evidence-based drug information resources can aid clinicians in choosing drugs for psychiatric patients.

Regulatory post-market drug safety advisories on cardiac harm: A comparison of four national regulatory agencies

Information on rare adverse effects is often limited when a medication is initially approved for marketing. Medicines regulators use safety advisories to warn health professionals and consumers about emerging harms. This study aimed to identify characteristics and advice provided in cardiac safety advisories released by regulators in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. This was a retrospective study of safety advisories about cardiac-related adverse events issued by these four international medicines regulators between 2010 and 2016. A descriptive overview was followed by a more detailed content analysis, focusing on recommended actions for health professionals, including monitoring advice. For the latter, we applied the systematic information for monitoring (SIM) scale to assess adequacy. Over this period, 164 safety advisories about cardiac harms were issued by the four regulators. There were 61 drugs with advisories of cardiac risk, only 9 (14.7%) of which had advisories from all regulators in countries where the drug was approved. The most common adverse events were cardiac arrhythmias (n = 97, 59.1%) and coronary artery disorders (n = 39, 23.8%). The most frequent advice to prescribers was to monitor patients (n = 74, 45.1%), although only 41.2% of these advisories provided detailed advice on how monitoring should occur. We found many differences in the decision to warn and the advice provided. Patient monitoring was most often recommended, but key information such as frequency or thresholds for action was often lacking. Healthcare professionals and consumers need consistent information about rare serious harms so that they can make informed decisions.

Safety considerations when managing gastro-esophageal reflux disease in infants

Introduction: Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) in infants is worldwide diagnosed with increasing frequency, resulting in an increasing number of infants exposed to treatment. In this review, we focus on the safety of therapeutic options. Areas covered: English articles were searched from 1990 until May 2020 in PubMed and Google Scholar. Evidence suggests that non-pharmacological treatment is often effective and safe. Guidelines restrict pharmacological treatment to acid-suppressive medication, which is associated with adverse effects, often related to gastro-intestinal dysbiosis and consequences of the latter. Aluminum-free alginates have some efficacy and are not associated with relevant adverse effects. Especially in infants, GERD is often nonacid related. Prokinetics are not recommended because of lack of efficacy and numerous adverse effects. Expert opinion: Pediatric trials are underpowered regarding adverse effects. The number of infants exposed to anti-secretory agents is increasing worldwide, often without indication. Informing healthcare providers about adverse effects of acid-secretory medication may contribute to a more rational use. Acid inhibiting agents such as alginates are a drug class associated with limited efficacy and devoid of serious adverse effects. Regarding prokinetics, the risk of adverse effects outweighs the benefit. Reassurance of parents and nutritional management of GERD in infants is effective and safe.

Risk of domperidone induced severe ventricular arrhythmia

There has been controversy over the cardiovascular safety of domperidone, attributable to the lack of a well-designed study as well as inconsistent results. This study aimed to examine the risk of severe domperidone-induced ventricular arrhythmia (VA), compared to mosapride, itopride, or non-use of all three prokinetics, in the general population. We conducted a population-based, self-controlled case series analysis. Enrolled subjects were individuals who were diagnosed with severe VA and were prescribed domperidone, mosapride, or itopride from 2003 to 2013 in the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort. The incidence rate ratio for severe VA was measured during exposure to prokinetics and compared with unexposed periods and itopride (no-proarrhythmic effect)-exposure periods, as control. A total of 2,817 subjects were included. Domperidone, mosapride, or itopride use was associated with increased risk of severe VA, compared with non-use (adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRR) of 1.342 (95% CI 1.096–1.642), 1.350 (95% CI 1.105–1.650), and 1.486 (95% CI 1.196–1.845), respectively). The risk of severe domperidone-induced VA was lower, compared to that of itopride [adjusted IRR of 0.548 (95% CI 0.345–0.870)]. Of the subjects who had been prescribed all three prokinetics, domperidone-exposure was associated with a lower risk of severe VA, compared to itopride-exposure (crude IRR, 0.571; 0.358–0.912). Mosapride-exposure did not show IRR difference for severe VA, compared to itopride-exposure. Domperidone, mosapride, or itopride use is associated with an increased risk of severe VA. However, the magnitude of association was modest and domperidone use does not increase further the risk, compared with other prokinetics.

Risk of Serious Ventricular Arrhythmia in Users of Gastrointestinal Medications: A Retrospective Cohort Study in China

INTRODUCTION

Clinical data have demonstrated prolongation of the QTc interval associated with domperidone use. The risk of serious ventricular arrhythmias (SVA) in clinical practice in China has not been investigated.

METHODS

The incidence of SVA and all-cause cardiac arrest associated with medications for gastrointestinal disorders in China was assessed in a retrospective cohort study using information from electronic medical record databases from the Xijing and Guangzhou general hospitals. Inpatients and outpatients with at least one prescription for domperidone, mosapride/itopride, metoclopramide, a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), or histamine H₂ receptor antagonist were identified in the hospital databases from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2014.

RESULTS

The inpatient exposure cohorts included 66,282 inpatients at Xijing and 23,643 inpatients at Guangzhou hospitals. There were 67 cases of SVA and two cases of SVA at the respective hospitals during the study period. Three cases (all at Xijing) occurred in patients prescribed domperidone (incidence rate 2.9/100 person-years (PYs), 95% CI 0.9-9.0) compared to 1.3/100 PYs (95% CI 0.2-8.9) for mosapride/itopride and 5.6/100 PYs (95% CI 4.4-7.2) for PPIs. The hazard ratio adjusted for age, sex, and co-morbidities for SVA in patients prescribed domperidone compared to PPIs was 0.79 (95% CI 0.25-2.56). There were 44 cases of all-cause cardiac arrest at Xijing and 21 at Guangzhou hospital. Three patients had received domperidone and all had underlying cardiovascular diseases.

CONCLUSIONS

SVA and cardiac arrest are very rare events in patients prescribed medications for gastrointestinal disorders in China. We found no evidence that domperidone carried a higher risk of SVA compared to other gastrointestinal medications.

Awareness of, and Compliance with, Domperidone Revised Labeling After a Risk-Minimization Activity in Europe

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Risk-minimization measures (RMM), including label revisions were implemented in Europe for domperidone because of evidence of increased incidence of cardiac arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. In accordance with the guideline on good pharmacovigilance practices, the European Medicines Agency Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee requested to conduct two studies to evaluate the effectiveness of these risk minimization measures.

METHODS

In Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, and the UK, surveys were conducted to assess physicians' knowledge on the updated domperidone labeling information, and a drug-utilization study (DUS) was conducted using healthcare databases to assess domperidone prescribing patterns before and after the RMM. Four DUS sensitivity analyses (scenarios) evaluated uncertainty regarding domperidone treatment duration and indication.

RESULTS

Among 1805 physicians participating in the survey, most were aware of the approved indication (nausea and vomiting, 80%), treatment duration (≤ 7 days, 70%), and maximum adult daily dose (10 mg three times daily, 84%). Only 33% selected the on-label indication from a list of indications for which they would prescribe domperidone. Awareness was low for medications contraindicated for concomitant use (26%) and contraindicated conditions (4%). In the DUS, under the optimistic scenario, a large improvement in labeling compliance from pre- to post-implementation period was observed in France (27% vs. 69%), while Belgium, Germany, Spain, and the UK showed small improvements (< 10%). In the other scenarios, there was little to no improvement in compliance with the revised labeling from the pre- to post-implementation periods in most countries.

CONCLUSIONS

The survey findings documented that most physicians in all five countries were aware of the main aspects of the revised labeling. Results of the DUS were inconclusive regarding the effect of the RMM and compliance with the revised labeling for all countries except France.

An evaluation of medication appropriateness in pregnant women with coexisting illness in a tertiary care hospital

Aim:

Prescribing drugs during pregnancy needs careful consideration of benefit to the mother and risk to the fetus. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the appropriateness of medications among pregnant women with coexisting illness in a tertiary care hospital, Western India.

Materials and Methods:

It was a hospital-based cross-sectional study conducted in the obstetrics and gynecology department of a tertiary care hospital. The study was conducted over a period of 12 months wherein data from 800 pregnant women suffering from any co-existing illness and being prescribed any medication apart from routine supplementation were analyzed. The Medication Appropriateness Index (MAI) was used to assess the appropriateness of medications. Higher MAI scores indicate more inappropriate prescribing.

Results:

Drugs which were most inappropriately prescribed with the highest average MAI scores were albendazole, itraconazole, injection amikacin, oxcarbazepine, warfarin, domperidone, propylthiouracil, and combiflam (ibuprofen + paracetamol). Diseases with the highest average MAI scores were anemia, Grave's disease, umbilical hernia, urinary tract infection, urticaria, allergic rhinitis, and preeclampsia. The MAI criteria which had the highest percentage of inappropriately prescribed medications were “cost of drugs,” “duration of therapy,” and “indication.”

Conclusion:

Potentially inappropriate prescribing was seen in the study with some of the common coexisting illness being treated with drugs which fared poorly on the MAI. The study has also highlighted areas in drug prescribing where scope for improvement exists. Further, it can act as a benchmark for comparison of future studies to evaluate medication appropriateness in pregnant women.

PHARMIP: An insilico method to predict genetics that underpin adverse drug reactions

Pharmacovigilance is the pharmacological science that focuses on the safe and appropriate use of drugs.Variability in response to drug therapy in both terms of safety and efficacy is highly related to patient's personal genomics. Hence, pharmacovigilance considers pharmacogenomics methodologies in the evaluation of medicinal products. The aim of this work is to introduce the pharmacovigilance/ pharmacogenomics insilico pipeline (PHARMIP) that uses the drug (or drug candidate) digital structure and the advances in bioinformatics tools and databases to figure-out the genetic factors underlying the drug reported adverse reactions (ADRs).PHARMIP uses user-friendly freely available bioinformatics resources to help pharmacovigilance and pharmacogenomics scientists with minimal bioinformatics experience to retrieve helpful information for their daily basis activities. Also, PHARMIP could help the advances in precision medicine in a drug-centric approach as it can be used to reveal genetic risk factors for certain drug ADRs. Domperidone was used as an example to the application of PHARMIP as the pipeline was initially developed during the insilico exploration of domperidone cardiotoxic ADRs.

Method is composed of 3 main steps:

•

Preparing the drug off-label targets (OLT) list.

•

Retrieving the related diseases/ adverse reactions (DA) list.

•

Analysis of DA list to get answers.

Combination Formulation of Tetrodotoxin and Lidocaine as a Potential Therapy for Severe Arrhythmias

Severe arrhythmias-such as ventricular arrhythmias-can be fatal, but treatment options are limited. The effects of a combined formulation of tetrodotoxin (TTX) and lidocaine (LID) on severe arrhythmias were studied. Patch clamp recording data showed that the combination of LID and TTX had a stronger inhibitory effect on voltage-gated sodium channel 1.5 (Nav1.5) than that of either TTX or LID alone. LID + TTX formulations were prepared with optimal stability containing 1 μg of TTX, 5 mg of LID, 6 mg of mannitol, and 4 mg of dextran-40 and then freeze dried. This formulation significantly delayed the onset and shortened the duration of arrhythmia induced by aconitine in rats. Arrhythmia-originated death was avoided by the combined formulation, with a decrease in the mortality rate from 64% to 0%. The data also suggests that the anti-arrhythmic effect of the combination was greater than that of either TTX or LID alone. This paper offers new approaches to develop effective medications against arrhythmias.

Effect of Chronic Domperidone Use on QT Interval: A Large Single Center Study

GOALS

The goal of this study was to determine the effect and safety of domperidone on QTc interval at the commonly prescribed doses of 30 to 80 mg daily.

BACKGROUND

Domperidone is a dopamine receptor antagonist used for the treatment of gastroparesis. However, it has been associated with QT prolongation, ventricular arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death.

STUDY

This study analyzed patients prescribed domperidone for treatment of gastroparesis between January 2012 and September 2017 at a single center. This study reviewed EKGs, primarily the QTc interval, taken at baseline, 2 to 6 months after initiation of domperidone, 6 to 12 months after initiation, and ≥12 months after initiation. Concurrent QTc prolonging medications were recorded for each patient. The primary endpoint was QTc prolongation >500 ms. Secondary endpoints were QTc >450 ms for males, a QTc>470 ms for females, QTc prolongation ≥20 ms above baseline, and QTc prolongation >60 ms above baseline.

RESULTS

In total, 246 patients were included for analysis (age, 46.3±17.4 y; F 209). EKGs were available for all 246 patients before treatment, 170 patients at 2 to 6 months, 135 at 6 to 12 months, and 152 patients at least 1 year after domperidone initiation.Of 246 subjects, 15 patients (6.1%, 9 female) had clinically important QTc prolongation; 11 had QTc >450 ms for males or >470 ms for females; none had QTc prolongation >500 ms; 5 (2.0%) had >60 ms over baseline and 61 (24.7%) patients had QTc increase of ≥20 ms but <60 ms from baseline.

CONCLUSIONS

Domperidone at the conventionally used doses to treat gastroparesis (30 to 80 mg/d) was associated with QTc prolongation in only 6% of patients with no QT interval reaching the point considered to be clinically significant. These data suggest that domperidone can be safely prescribed at doses of 30 to 80 mg daily for the treatment of gastroparesis.

Impact of Safety Warning on Domperidone Prescribing for Geriatric Patients in South Korea: Analysis of National Insurance Claim Data

Domperidone is a dopamine antagonist used for the symptomatic management of nausea and vomiting. Many countries banned or add a black box warning due to an increased risk of serious adverse cardiac effects. In 2014, the Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety also released a safety warning to carefully consider adverse cardiac effects when prescribing domperidone. Therefore, we conducted this study to analyze the impact of the safety warning on domperidone prescribing. This study included patients 65 years or older who used national health insurance services in the years 2011 and 2016, using the national patient sample dataset in South Korea. We analyzed the characteristics of domperidone prescribing and compared on pre- and post-safety warning. Prescribing frequency of domperidone was significantly reduced from 603,962 cases in 2011 to 24,623 cases in 2016. In 2011, 53,272 (8.8%) prescriptions were for greater than 30 mg/day, whereas only 200 (0.8%) prescriptions were in 2016. The number of patients with one or more comorbidities and electrocardiogram monitoring showed positive changes after the safety warning. In conclusion, after the 2014 safety letter was issued, domperidone was more safely prescribed in various aspects in elderly patients, including frequency of prescribing, maximum daily dose, and duration of continuous prescription.

Metoclopramide for the treatment of diabetic gastroparesis

Introduction: Gastroparesis is a chronic disorder of the stomach characterized by delayed gastric emptying without mechanical obstruction. Diabetes is the most commonly known cause of gastroparesis. Management of diabetic gastroparesis involves lifestyle modifications, glycemic control, pharmacological drugs, and for refractory cases surgical treatments. Metoclopramide remains the only drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for diabetic gastroparesis. The aim of this article is to provide a concise review of the pharmacology, clinical efficacy and tolerability of metoclopramide. Areas covered: We searched PubMed using the key words 'metoclopramide', 'diabetic gastroparesis', and 'gastric emptying'. The relevant articles and their bibliography were reviewed. Metoclopramide acts on several different receptors; primarily as a dopamine receptor antagonist, both peripherally improving gastric emptying, and centrally resulting in an anti-emetic effect. Metoclopramide side effects, mostly related to its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, include drowsiness, restlessness, hyperprolactinemia, and tardive dyskinesia (TD), a movement disorder that may be irreversible. Expert opinion: Metoclopramide carries a black box warning for use >12 weeks due to the risk of TD. However, gastroparesis patients experience chronic symptoms often requiring prolonged treatments. Physicians and patients look forward to FDA approval of new agents for gastroparesis with better efficacy and safety profile.

What Evidence Do We Have for Pharmaceutical Galactagogues in the Treatment of Lactation Insufficiency?-A Narrative Review

Inadequate breast milk supply is a frequently reported reason for early discontinuation of breastfeeding and represents a critical opportunity for intervening to improve breastfeeding outcomes. For women who continue to experience insufficient milk supply despite the utilisation of non-pharmacological lactation support strategies, pharmacological intervention with medications used to augment lactation, commonly referred to as galactagogues, is common. Galactagogues exert their pharmacological effects through altering the complex hormonal milieu regulating lactation, particularly prolactin and oxytocin. This narrative review provides an appraisal of the existing evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of pharmaceutical treatments for lactation insufficiency to guide their use in clinical practice. The greatest body of evidence surrounds the use of domperidone, with studies demonstrating moderate short-term improvements in breast milk supply. Evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of metoclopramide is less robust, but given that it shares the same mechanism of action as domperidone it may represent a potential treatment alternative where domperidone is unsuitable. Data on remaining interventions such as oxytocin, prolactin and metformin is too limited to support their use in clinical practice. The review provides an overview of key evidence gaps and areas of future research, including the impacts of pharmaceutical galactagogues on breast milk composition and understanding factors contributing to individual treatment response to pharmaceutical galactagogues.

Critical review of European Medicines Agency (EMA) assessment report and related literature on domperidone

European Medicines Agency (EMA) issued a final decision on September 01, 2014 that restricts the maximum daily dose of domperidone to 30 mg and treatment duration to 7 days. This paper presents a critical review of the scientific basis of the literatures having a role in the decision of EMA on domperidone with an approach based on statistical and epidemiological perspective. Although observational studies used by EMA were published, the EMA didn't use an algorithm including "randomized clinical trials" according to evidence-based medicine when presenting their results. In conclusion, the results obtained from published studies are controversial, especially for the bias. From these publications, it cannot be concluded that domperidone exposure definitely increases the risk of "sudden cardiac death", "death associated with ventricular arrhythmia" or "ventricular arrhythmia" The most concrete result of these studies is that the risk is higher with metoclopramide exposure compared to domperidone exposure.

The risk of bias in observational studies of exposures (ROBINS-E) tool: concerns arising from application to observational studies of exposures

BACKGROUND

Systematic reviews, which assess the risk of bias in included studies, are increasingly used to develop environmental hazard assessments and public health guidelines. These research areas typically rely on evidence from human observational studies of exposures, yet there are currently no universally accepted standards for assessing risk of bias in such studies. The risk of bias in non-randomised studies of exposures (ROBINS-E) tool has been developed by building upon tools for risk of bias assessment of randomised trials, diagnostic test accuracy studies and observational studies of interventions. This paper reports our experience with the application of the ROBINS-E tool.

METHODS

We applied ROBINS-E to 74 exposure studies (60 cohort studies, 14 case-control studies) in 3 areas: environmental risk, dietary exposure and drug harm. All investigators provided written feedback, and we documented verbal discussion of the tool. We inductively and iteratively classified the feedback into 7 themes based on commonalities and differences until all the feedback was accounted for in the themes. We present a description of each theme.

RESULTS

We identified practical concerns with the premise that ROBINS-E is a structured comparison of the observational study being rated to the 'ideal' randomised controlled trial. ROBINS-E assesses 7 domains of bias, but relevant questions related to some critical sources of bias, such as exposure and funding source, are not assessed. ROBINS-E fails to discriminate between studies with a single risk of bias or multiple risks of bias. ROBINS-E is severely limited at determining whether confounders will bias study outcomes. The construct of co-exposures was difficult to distinguish from confounders. Applying ROBINS-E was time-consuming and confusing.

CONCLUSIONS

Our experience suggests that the ROBINS-E tool does not meet the need for an international standard for evaluating human observational studies for questions of harm relevant to public and environmental health. We propose that a simpler tool, based on empirical evidence of bias, would provide accurate measures of risk of bias and is more likely to meet the needs of the environmental and public health community.

A meta-analysis on the cardiac safety profile of domperidone compared to metoclopramide

BACKGROUND

This meta-analysis aimed to assess the cardiac safety profile of domperidone treatment for the risk of cardiovascular (CV) event and QT prolongation.

METHODS

Data from nine studies involving 101,155 patients were used for the analysis of CV event risk, while data from eight studies involving 390 patients were used for the analysis of QT prolongation risk.

RESULTS

Meta-analysis findings suggested a significant increase in CV risk under domperidone as compared to no treatment for domperidone doses of >30 mg/day (OR: 3.14, 95% CI, 1.191 to 8.304, p = 0.021), no significant increase in QT prolongation event rates with domperidone (3.54%, 95% CI, 1.73% to 7.10%) and a significantly lower CV risk for domperidone than for metoclopramide (OR: 0.63, 95% CI, 0.58 to 0.70, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The present meta-analysis indicates that domperidone treatment may not be associated with an overall CV event risk increase at doses ≤30 mg/day and does not result in QT prolongation.

Domperidone for insufficient lactation in England 2002-2015: A drug utilization study with interrupted time series analysis

PURPOSE

Our aim was to describe trends in the prescription of domperidone for insufficient lactation in England, the characteristics of women prescribed it postpartum, and the impact of a 2014 European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommendation to restrict its use due to a potential increased risk of sudden cardiac death associated with its use.

METHODS

We conducted a population-based cohort study with interrupted time series analysis using data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink linked to Hospital Episode Statistics. We identified women with live births from 2002 to 2015, excluding those with nonlactation indications for domperidone (n = 247 349). We evaluated trends in the prescription rate of domperidone in the 6 months postpartum and differences in this rate before and after the EMA recommendation.

RESULTS

Domperidone was prescribed among 1438 deliveries at a rate of 1.24 per 100 person-years. This rate increased from 0.56 to 2.1 per 100 person-years between 2002-2004 and 2011-2013 (rate ratio: 3.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.2-4.6). Prescribing decreased in level by 0.35 (95% CI, -0.86 to 0.16) per 100 person-years immediately following the recommendation with little change in trend (0.003; 95% CI, -0.059 to 0.065 per 100 person-years). Following the recommendation, prescription of doses >30 mg and coprescription of drugs with a risk of torsade de pointes decreased. No arrhythmic events were observed among domperidone users.

CONCLUSIONS

Although we observed an important increase in prescribing during the study period, domperidone remains infrequently prescribed postpartum in England. While overall prescribing changed little, some prescribing practices became more restricted following the EMA's recommendation.

Increased risk of all-cause mortality associated with domperidone use in Parkinson's patients: a population-based cohort study in the UK

AIMS

Domperidone is used to treat gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and is linked to an increased risk of mortality. We sought to examine the risk of all-cause mortality associated with domperidone exposure in PD.

METHODS

We conducted a cohort study using data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink database (1987-2011). The first recorded PD diagnosis defined index date. Time-dependent Cox proportional hazards models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) of all-cause mortality associated with domperidone use. PD patients were stratified by domperidone use (current/recent/past), with never used as the referent. Current domperidone users were stratified by daily dose, domperidone duration and other anti-Parkinson's medications. A secondary analysis compared PD patients to matched (1:1) non-PD patients.

RESULTS

A total of 5114 PD patients were identified. Current use of domperidone among PD patients was associated with a two-fold increase in all-cause mortality (HR_adj  = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.64-2.45), as compared to patients never exposed to domperidone. All-cause mortality risk was highest in those starting domperidone in the previous month [HR_adj  = 2.97, 95% CI: 2.06-4.27]. When compared to matched non-PD patients, PD was associated with a 43% increased risk of all-cause mortality, yet this increased to a 2.4-fold increased risk among PD patients currently using domperidone.

CONCLUSION

Current use of domperidone was associated with a two-fold increased mortality risk in PD patients, as compared to PD patients that never used domperidone. The risk is highest in the first month of use and does not appear to be attributable to PD alone.

Cardiovascular safety of prokinetic agents: A focus on drug-induced arrhythmias

BACKGROUND

Gastrointestinal sensorimotor dysfunction underlies a wide range of esophageal, gastric, and intestinal motility and functional disorders that collectively constitute nearly half of all referrals to gastroenterologists. As a result, substantial effort has been dedicated toward the development of prokinetic agents intended to augment or restore normal gastrointestinal motility. However, the use of several clinically efficacious gastroprokinetic agents, such as cisapride, domperidone, erythromycin, and tegaserod, is associated with unfavorable cardiovascular safety profiles, leading to restrictions in their use.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this review is to detail the cellular and molecular mechanisms that lead commonly to drug-induced cardiac arrhythmias, specifically drug-induced long QT syndrome, torsades de pointes, and ventricular fibrillation, to examine the cardiovascular safety profiles of several classes of prokinetic agents currently in clinical use, and to explore potential strategies by which the risk of drug-induced cardiac arrhythmia associated with prokinetic agents and other QT interval prolonging medications can be mitigated successfully.

Randomized clinical trials and observational studies in the assessment of drug safety

Randomized clinical trials are considered as the preferred design to assess the potential causal relationships between drugs or other medical interventions and intended effects. For this reason, randomized clinical trials are generally the basis of development programs in the life cycle of drugs and the cornerstone of evidence-based medicine. Instead, randomized clinical trials are not the design of choice for the detection and assessment of rare, delayed and/or unexpected effects related to drug safety. Moreover, the highly homogeneous populations resulting from restrictive eligibility criteria make randomized clinical trials inappropriate to describe comprehensively the safety profile of drugs. In that context, observational studies have a key added value when evaluating the benefit-risk balance of the drugs. However, observational studies are more prone to bias than randomized clinical trials and they have to be designed, conducted and reported judiciously. In this article, we discuss the strengths and limitations of randomized clinical trials and of observational studies, more particularly regarding their contribution to the knowledge of medicines' safety profile. In addition, we present general recommendations for the sensible use of observational data.

Therapeutic response to domperidone in gastroparesis: A prospective study using the GCSI-daily diary

Common symptoms of gastroparesis include nausea, vomiting, early satiety, postprandial fullness, and upper abdominal pain. Domperidone is used for treatment of gastroparesis. Daily symptom scoring may help document efficacy.

AIM

To determine the effectiveness of domperidone for gastroparesis symptoms using the gastroparesis cardinal symptom index-daily diary (GCSI-DD) and to determine which symptoms improve and when with domperidone treatment.

METHODS

Symptomatic patients with diabetic or idiopathic gastroparesis were enrolled. Gastric emptying was performed using 4 hour scintigraphy. GCSI-DD recorded symptoms at baseline and during six weeks of treatment with domperidone 10 mg TID. GCSI-DD records severity of nausea, early satiety, postprandial fullness, upper abdominal pain, overall gastroparesis symptoms on a scale of 0 (no symptom) to 4 (very severe) and records the number of vomiting episodes per day.

RESULTS

Thirty-four patients with gastroparesis (5 diabetic, 29 idiopathic) participated in this open label study. Treatment duration averaged 36.9 ± 7.6 days. Improvement in overall gastroparesis symptoms occurred on day 3 of treatment and maintained during the treatment. Early satiety, postprandial fullness, and overall symptom severity significantly improved from baseline to the final week of treatment (P < .05 for all), whereas nausea had borderline improvement (P = .055). Side effects included palpitations (5 patients), headache (5), breast tenderness (2), menstrual bleeding (2), dizziness (1), drowsiness (1), chest pain (1), swelling (1), constipation (1).

CONCLUSIONS

Domperidone improves symptoms of gastroparesis, reducing overall gastroparesis symptom severity and decreasing early satiety, postprandial fullness, and nausea. GCSI-DD is useful to document efficacy of therapy for gastroparesis.

Adult Human Primary Cardiomyocyte-Based Model for the Simultaneous Prediction of Drug-Induced Inotropic and Pro-arrhythmia Risk

Cardiac safety remains the leading cause of drug development discontinuation. We developed a human cardiomyocyte-based model that has the potential to provide a predictive preclinical approach for simultaneously predicting drug-induced inotropic and pro-arrhythmia risk.

Methods: Adult human primary cardiomyocytes from ethically consented organ donors were used to measure contractility transients. We used measures of changes in contractility parameters as markers to infer both drug-induced inotropic effect (sarcomere shortening) and pro-arrhythmia (aftercontraction, AC); contractility escape (CE); time to 90% relaxation (TR90). We addressed the clinical relevance of this approach by evaluating the effects of 23 torsadogenic and 10 non-torsadogenic drugs. Each drug was tested separately at four multiples of the free effective therapeutic plasma concentration (fETPC).

Results: Human cardiomyocyte-based model differentiated between torsadogenic and non-torsadogenic drugs. For example, dofetilide, a torsadogenic drug, caused ACs and increased TR90 starting at 10-fold the fETPC, while CE events were observed at the highest multiple of fETPC (100-fold). Verapamil, a non-torsadogenic drug, did not change TR90 and induced no AC or CE up to the highest multiple of fETPCs tested in this study (222-fold). When drug pro-arrhythmic activity was evaluated at 10-fold of the fETPC, AC parameter had excellent assay sensitivity and specificity values of 96 and 100%, respectively. This high predictivity supports the translational safety potential of this preparation and of the selected marker. The data demonstrate that human cardiomyocytes could also identify drugs associated with inotropic effects. hERG channel blockers, like dofetilide, had no effects on sarcomere shortening, while multi-ion channel blockers, like verapamil, inhibited sarcomere shortening.

Conclusions: Isolated adult human primary cardiomyocytes can simultaneously predict risks associated with inotropic activity and pro-arrhythmia and may enable the generation of reliable and predictive data for assessing human cardiotoxicity at an early stage in drug discovery.

Should Domperidone be Used as a Galactagogue? Possible Safety Implications for Mother and Child

Domperidone has been used as a galactagogue; however, solid evidence from an adequate sized randomized clinical trial is missing. Optimal dosage, start of treatment, length of treatment and scope of patients who can benefit also remain unknown. Although milk obtained after domperidone administration has not been shown to have untoward effects on newborns, no sufficiently large randomized clinical trial has been done to establish safety. Domperidone has repeatedly been shown to produce sudden cardiac death, starting at 30 mg/day. Because of this known cardiac effect, the use of domperidone to increase breast milk production may not be justified.

Algorithms used to identify ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death in retrospective studies: a systematic literature review

Drug-induced QT interval prolongation may increase the risk of sudden cardiac death or ventricular arrhythmias (SCD/VA), and therefore affects the safety profile of medications. Administrative databases can be used to inform pharmacoepidemiologic drug safety studies for such rare events. In order to compare event rates between studies, validated operational definitions of these events are needed. We conducted a systematic literature review in PubMed to identify algorithms for SCD/VA. Twenty-two studies were included in the review. Fifteen (68%) studies evaluated International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision (ICD-9) based medical data, of which six utilized a common, validated operational definition. This algorithm was based on principal hospitalization discharge diagnosis or first-listed emergency department visit diagnosis, with an average positive predictive value (PPV) of 85%. Four studies evaluated ICD-9 based death data, of which three utilized a common algorithm with an average PPV of 88%. Further validation of ICD, 10th revision algorithms are needed. In conclusion, we identified a validated algorithm for SCD/VA in medical data, as well as in death data. As such, to ensure comparability between new research and the existing literature, pharmacoepidemiologic research in this area should utilize common, validated algorithms, such as the ones identified in our review, to operationally define these events.

Considerations for general anaesthesia in Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is a common neurodegenerative disorder in the elderly which when present has a significant influence on surgical management. These patients necessitate additional perioperative and anaesthetic considerations across disease specific domains as well as in relation to the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. This brief review focuses on the factors which contribute to perioperative morbidity, including the use of medications that may exacerbate symptoms or adversely interact with treatments for Parkinson's disease. Recommended dosing practices to reduce complications during hospitalisation are covered. In addition, recent concerns regarding anaesthetic exposure in early childhood as a risk factor for the development of Parkinson's disease are discussed in light of data from animal models of anaesthetic neurotoxicity and epidemiological studies.

Cardiac microphysiological devices with flexible thin-film sensors for higher-throughput drug screening

Microphysiological systems and organs-on-chips promise to accelerate biomedical and pharmaceutical research by providing accurate in vitro replicas of human tissue. Aside from addressing the physiological accuracy of the model tissues, there is a pressing need for improving the throughput of these platforms. To do so, scalable data acquisition strategies must be introduced. To this end, we here present an instrumented 24-well plate platform for higher-throughput studies of engineered human stem cell-derived cardiac muscle tissues that recapitulate the laminar structure of the native ventricle. In each well of the platform, an embedded flexible strain gauge provides continuous and non-invasive readout of the contractile stress and beat rate of an engineered cardiac tissue. The sensors are based on micro-cracked titanium-gold thin films, which ensure that the sensors are highly compliant and robust. We demonstrate the value of the platform for toxicology and drug-testing purposes by performing 12 complete dose-response studies of cardiac and cardiotoxic drugs. Additionally, we showcase the ability to couple the cardiac tissues with endothelial barriers. In these studies, which mimic the passage of drugs through the blood vessels to the musculature of the heart, we regulate the temporal onset of cardiac drug responses by modulating endothelial barrier permeability in vitro.