Treprostinil (marketed under the trade names Remodulin for infusion) is a vasodilator that is used for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a disease in which blood pressure is abnormally high in the arteries between the heart and lungs. PAH is characterized by symptoms of shortness of breath during physical exertion. The condition can ultimately lead to heart failure. Treprostinil is a potent oral antiplatelet agent. The major pharmacologic actions of treprostinil are direct vasodilation of pulmonary and systemic arterial vascular beds and inhibition of platelet aggregation. In animals, the vasodilatory effects reduce right and left ventricular afterload and increase cardiac output and stroke volume. Other studies have shown that treprostinil causes a dose-related negative inotropic and lusitropic effect. No major effects on cardiac conduction have been observed. Treprostinil had high affinity for the Prostaglandin D2 receptor (DP1), Prostaglandin E2 receptor EP2 subtype (EP2) and Prostaglandin D2 receptor (IP) receptors (Ki 4.4, 3.6 and 32 nM, respectively), low affinity for EP1 and EP4 receptors and even lower affinity for EP3, Prostaglandin F (FP) and thromboxane (TP) receptors. Treprostinil has demonstrated a unique effect on PPAR gamma, a transcription factor important in vascular pathogenesis as a mediator of proliferation, inflammation and apoptosis. Through a complementary, yet cyclic AMP-independent pathway, treprostinil activates PPARs, another mechanism that contributes to the anti-growth benefits of the prostacyclin class.

Oseltamivir phosphate is an ethyl ester prodrug requiring ester hydrolysis for conversion to the active form, oseltamivir carboxylate. Oseltamivir carboxylate is an inhibitor of influenza virus neuraminidase affecting release of viral particles. Oseltamivir is a well tolerated orally active neuraminidase inhibitor which significantly reduces the duration of symptomatic illness and hastens the return to normal levels of activity when initiated promptly in patients with naturally acquired influenza.

Aminolevulinic Acid is the first compound in the porphyrin synthesis pathway. The metabolism of aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is the first step in the biochemical pathway resulting in heme synthesis. Aminolevulinic acid is not a photosensitizer, but rather a metabolic precursor of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), which is a photosensitizer. The synthesis of ALA is normally tightly controlled by feedback inhibition of the enzyme, ALA synthetase, presumably by intracellular heme levels. ALA, when provided to the cell, bypasses this control point and results in the accumulation of PpIX, which is converted into heme by ferrochelatase through the addition of iron to the PpIX nucleus. Marketed under the brand name LEVULAN KERASTICK for Topical Solution plus blue light illumination using the BLU-U Blue Light Photodynamic Therapy Illuminator, it is indicated for the treatment of minimally to moderately thick actinic keratoses (Grade 1 or 2, see table 2 for definition) of the face or scalp. Aminolevulinic acid is also being studied in the treatment of other conditions and types of cancer. An orally-administered in vivo diagnostic agent, Aminolevulinic acid, is used in photodynamic diagnosis (PDD) whose aim is to help doctors visualize the tumor tissue during surgical resection of malignant glioma, it is already sold in over 20 European countries including Germany and the U.K. According to the presumed mechanism of action, photosensitization following application of aminolevulinic acid (ALA) topical solution occurs through the metabolic conversion of ALA to protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), which accumulates in the skin to which aminolevulinic acid has been applied. When exposed to light of appropriate wavelength and energy, the accumulated PpIX produces a photodynamic reaction, a cytotoxic process dependent upon the simultaneous presence of light and oxygen. The absorption of light results in an excited state of the porphyrin molecule, and subsequent spin transfer from PpIX to molecular oxygen generates singlet oxygen, which can further react to form superoxide and hydroxyl radicals. Photosensitization of actinic (solar) keratosis lesions using aminolevulinic acid, plus illumination with the BLU-UTM Blue Light Photodynamic Therapy Illuminator (BLU-U), is the basis for aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy (PDT).

Carvedilol competitively blocks β1, β2 and α1 receptors. The drug lacks sympathomimetic activity and has vasodilating properties that are exerted primarily through α1-blockade. Animal models indicate that carvedilol confers protection against myocardial necrosis, arrhythmia and cell damage caused by oxidising free radicals, and the drug has no adverse effects on plasma lipid profiles. COREG® (carvedilol) is a racemic mixture in which nonselective β-adrenoreceptor blocking activity is present in the S(-) enantiomer and α1-adrenergic blocking activity is present in both R(+) and S(-) enantiomers at equal potency. Carvedilol is the first drug of its kind to be approved for the treatment of congestive heart failure, and is now the standard of care for this devastating disease. Carvedilol is also confirmed as effective in the management of mild to moderate hypertension and ischaemic heart disease.

Fludarabine or fludarabine phosphate is a chemotherapy drug used in the treatment of hematological malignancies (cancers of blood cells such as leukemias and lymphomas). It is a purine analog, which interferes with DNA synthesis. Fludarabine phosphate is a fluorinated nucleotide analog of the antiviral agent vidarabine, 9-β-D-arabinofuranosyladenine (ara-A), that is relatively resistant to deamination by adenosine deaminase. Fludarabine (marketed as fludarabine phosphate under the trade name Fludara) is a chemotherapy drug used in the treatment of hematological malignancies. Fludarabine phosphate is rapidly dephosphorylated to 2-fluoro-ara-A and then phosphorylated intracellularly by deoxycytidine kinase to the active triphosphate, 2-fluoro-ara-ATP. This metabolite appears to act by inhibiting DNA polymerase alpha, ribonucleotide reductase and DNA primase, thus inhibiting DNA synthesis. The mechanism of action of this antimetabolite is not completely characterized and may be multi-faceted.

Azithromycin is one of the world's best-selling antibiotics, used to treat or prevent certain bacterial infections: Acute bacterial exacerbations of chronic bronchitis in adults; acute bacterial sinusitis in adults; uncomplicated skin and skin structure infections in adults; urethritis and cervicitis in adults; genital ulcer disease in men; acute otitis media in pediatric patients; community-acquired pneumonia in adults and pediatric patients; pharyngitis/tonsillitis in adults and pediatric patients. Azithromycin should not be used in patients with pneumonia who are judged inappropriate for oral therapy because of moderate to severe illness or risk factors. A team of researchers at the Croatian pharmaceutical company Pliva, discovered azithromycin in 1980. It was patented in 1981. In 1986, Pliva and Pfizer signed a licensing agreement, which gave Pfizer exclusive rights for the sale of azithromycin in Western Europe and the United States. Pliva put its azithromycin on the market in Central and Eastern Europe under the brand name of Sumamed in 1988. Pfizer launched azithromycin under Pliva's license in other markets under the brand name Zithromax in 1991. Azithromycin is a semi-synthetic macrolide antibiotic of the azalide class. Like other macrolide antibiotics, azithromycin inhibits bacterial protein synthesis by binding to the 50S ribosomal subunit of the bacterial 70S ribosome. Binding inhibits peptidyl transferase activity and interferes with amino acid translocation during the process of translation. Its effects may be bacteriostatic or bactericidal depending of the organism and the drug concentration. Its long half-life, which enables once daily dosing and shorter administration durations, is a property distinct from other macrolides.

Chromium sulfate(III) hexahydrate or chromium sulphate, a trivalent compound of chromium that was investigated as a toxic compound. Experiments on rodent have shown chromium sulfate produced severe and widespread effects in the nasal cavity, larynx, lungs, and mediastinal lymph node. Effects were characterized by the accumulation of foreign material, infiltration of alveolar macrophages, septal cell hyperplasia, and granulomatous and chronic inflammation. Besides, chromium sulphate exerted a disadvantageous effect on the skeleton, as it decreases bone density and resistance.

Ribavirin is a synthetic nucleoside analogue, which was first discovered and developed in 1970 by researchers from the International Chemical & Nuclear Corporation (ICN), today known as Valeant Pharmaceuticals. Ribavirin was initially approved for use in humans to treat pediatric respiratory syncytial virus infections (RSV). In cell cultures the inhibitory activity of ribavirin for RSV is selective. The mechanism of action is unknown. Reversal of the in vitro antiviral activity by guanosine or xanthosine suggests ribavirin may act as an analogue of these cellular metabolites. There were no other significant advancements in the treatment of hepatitis C until 1998, when the combination of ribavirin and interferon-alpha gained approval. Clinically, ribavirin showed a small, additive antiviral effect in combination with interferon, but its main effect was dose-dependent prevention of virological relapse. The mechanism by which the combination of ribavirin and an interferon product exerts its effects against the hepatitis C virus has not been fully established. However, it could be thorough the inhibition of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH), which is the key step in de novo guanine synthesis, a requirement for viral replication.

Estramustine is an antineoplastic agent indicated in the palliative treatment of patients with metastatic and/or progressive carcinoma of the prostate. Estramustine is a combination of estradiol with nitrogen mustard. In vivo, the nitrogen-mustard moiety becomes active and participates in alkylation of DNA or other cellular components. This causes DNA damage in rapidly dividing cancerous cells leading to cell death and ideally, tumor shrinkage. Also, due to the drugs estrogen component, it can bind more selectively to active estrogen receptors. Used for the palliative treatment of patients with metastatic and/or progressive carcinoma of the prostate.

Dobutamine is a sympathomimetic drug used in the treatment of heart failure and cardiogenic shock. Dobutamine hydrochloride is a direct-acting inotropic agent whose primary activity results from stimulation of the ß-receptors of the heart while producing comparatively mild chronotropic, hypertensive, arrhythmogenic, and vasodilative effects. It does not cause the release of endogenous norepinephrine, as does dopamine. Dobutamine directly stimulates beta-1 receptors of the heart to increase myocardial contractility and stroke volume, resulting in increased cardiac output. Dobutamine Injection, USP is indicated when parenteral therapy is necessary for inotropic support in the short-term treatment of adults with cardiac decompensation due to depressed contractility resulting either from organic heart disease or from cardiac surgical procedures.