IOBENGUANE I-123 (AdreView®) is a radiopharmaceutical agent for gamma-scintigraphy. It is similar in structure to the antihypertensive drug guanethidine and to the neurotransmitter norepinephrine (NE). IOBENGUANE is, therefore, largely subject to the same uptake and accumulation pathways as NE. It is taken up by the NE transporter in adrenergic nerve terminals and stored in the presynaptic storage vesicles. IOBENGUANE accumulates in adrenergically innervated tissues such as the adrenal medulla, salivary glands, heart, liver, spleen, and lungs as well as tumors derived from the neural crest. By labeling IOBENGUANE with the isotope iodine 123 (I-123), it is possible to obtain scintigraphic images of the organs and tissues in which the radiopharmaceutical accumulates. IOBENGUANE I-123 (AdreView®) is indicated for use in the detection of primary or metastatic pheochromocytoma or neuroblastoma. It is also used for scintigraphic assessment of sympathetic innervation of the myocardium by measurement of the heart to mediastinum (H/M) ratio of radioactivity uptake in patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II or class III heart failure and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤ 35%. Among these patients, IOBENGUANE I-123 (AdreView®) may be used to help identify patients with lower one and two-year mortality risks, as indicated by an H/M ratio ≥ 1.6.

Erlotinib hydrochloride (trade name Tarceva, Genentech/OSIP, originally coded as OSI-774) is a drug used to treat non-small cell lung cancer, pancreatic cancer and several other types of cancer. Similar to gefitinib, erlotinib specifically targets the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase. It binds in a reversible fashion to the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) binding site of the receptor. Erlotinib has recently been shown to be a potent inhibitor of JAK2V617F activity. JAK2V617F is a mutant of tyrosine kinase JAK2, is found in most patients with polycythemia vera (PV) and a substantial proportion of patients with idiopathic myelofibrosis or essential thrombocythemia. The study suggests that erlotinib may be used for treatment of JAK2V617F-positive PV and other myeloproliferative disorders. The mechanism of clinical antitumor action of erlotinib is not fully characterized. Erlotinib inhibits the intracellular phosphorylation of tyrosine kinase associated with the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Specificity of inhibition with regard to other tyrosine kinase receptors has not been fully characterized. EGFR is expressed on the cell surface of normal cells and cancer cells.

(+)-Fluprostenol is the optically active enantiomer of fluprostenol. It is a potent and highly selective prostaglandin F2-alpha (FP) receptor agonist. (+)-Fluprostenol corrected corpora lutea persistence in the mares without significant clinical side effects. It was also an effective at inducing parturition in alpacas.

(+)-Fluprostenol is the optically active enantiomer of fluprostenol. It is a potent and highly selective prostaglandin F2-alpha (FP) receptor agonist. (+)-Fluprostenol corrected corpora lutea persistence in the mares without significant clinical side effects. It was also an effective at inducing parturition in alpacas.

Ertapenem is a carbapenem antibiotic marketed by Merck as Invanz. The bactericidal activity of ertapenem results from the inhibition of cell wall synthesis and is mediated through ertapenem binding to penicillin binding proteins (PBPs). In Escherichia coli, it has strong affinity toward PBPs 1a, 1b, 2, 3, 4 and 5 with preference for PBPs 2 and 3. Ertapenem has been designed to be effective against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The most common drug-related adverse experiences in patients treated with INVANZ, including those who were switched to therapy with an oral antimicrobial, were diarrhea (5.5%), infused vein complication (3.7%), nausea (3.1%), headache (2.2%), vaginitis in females (2.1%), phlebitis/thrombophlebitis (1.3%), and vomiting (1.1%). The coadministration with probenecid to extend the half-life of ertapenem is not recommended.

Levalbuterol is the (R)-enantiomer of the drug substance racemic albuterol (salbutamol). Binding studies have demonstrated that (R)-albuterol binds to the beta2-adrenergic receptor with a high affinity, whereas (S)-albuterol binds with 100-fold less affinity than (R)-albuterol. Other evaluations have suggested that (R)-albuterol possesses the bronchodilatory, bronchoprotective, and ciliary-stimulatory properties of racemic albuterol, while (S)-albuterol does not contribute beneficially to the therapeutic effects of the racemate and was originally assumed to be inert. Xopenex (levalbuterol HCl) Inhalation Solution is indicated for the treatment or prevention of bronchospasm in adults, adolescents, and children 6 years of age and older with reversible obstructive airway disease.

Montelukast (SINGULAIR®) is a selective and orally active leukotriene D4 (LTD4) receptor antagonist that inhibits the cysteinyl leukotriene CysLT1 receptor. It is indicated for the prophylaxis and chronic treatment of asthma, for prevention of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, and for the relief of symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis. LTD4 is a product of arachidonic acid metabolism and is released from various cells, including mast cells and eosinophils. This eicosanoid binds to CysLT1 receptor found in the human airway (including airway smooth muscle cells and airway macrophages) and on other pro-inflammatory cells (including eosinophils and certain myeloid stem cells). Cysteinyl leukotriene receptors (CysLTs) have been correlated with the pathophysiology of asthma and allergic rhinitis. In asthma, leukotriene-mediated effects include airway edema, smooth muscle contraction, and altered cellular activity associated with the inflammatory process. In allergic rhinitis, CysLTs are released from the nasal mucosa after allergen exposure during both earlyand late-phase reactions and are associated with symptoms of allergic rhinitis. Montelukast (SINGULAIR®) binds with high affinity and selectivity to the CysLT1 (in preference to other pharmacologically important airway receptors, such as the prostanoid, cholinergic, or beta-adrenergic receptor). It inhibits physiologic actions of LTD4 at the CysLT1 receptor without any agonist activity.

Tramadol (sold under the brand name Ultram) is a narcotic analgesic proposed for moderate to severe pain. Tramadol and its O-desmethyl metabolite (M1) are selective, weak OP3-receptor agonists. Opiate receptors are coupled with G-protein receptors and function as both positive and negative regulators of synaptic transmission via G-proteins that activate effector proteins. As the effector system is adenylate cyclase and cAMP located at the inner surface of the plasma membrane, opioids decrease intracellular cAMP by inhibiting adenylate cyclase. Subsequently, the release of nociceptive neurotransmitters such as substance P, GABA, dopamine, acetylcholine, and noradrenaline is inhibited. The analgesic properties of Tramadol can be attributed to norepinephrine and serotonin reuptake blockade in the CNS, which inhibits pain transmission in the spinal cord. The (+) enantiomer has the higher affinity for the OP3 receptor and preferentially inhibits serotonin uptake and enhances serotonin release. The (-) enantiomer preferentially inhibits norepinephrine reuptake by stimulating alpha(2)-adrenergic receptors. Tramadol is used primarily to treat mild-severe pain, both acute and chronic. Its analgesic effects take about one hour to come into effect and 2 h to 4 h to peak after oral administration with an immediate-release formulation. On a dose-by-dose basis, tramadol has about one-tenth the potency of morphine and is approximately equally potent when compared to pethidine and codeine. The most common adverse effects of tramadol include nausea, dizziness, dry mouth, indigestion, abdominal pain, vertigo, vomiting, constipation, drowsiness, and headache. Compared to other opioids, respiratory depression and constipation are considered less of a problem with tramadol.