Amyn Sayani

Clinical, economic, and humanistic burden of asthma in Canada: a systematic review

BackgroundAsthma, one of the most common chronic respiratory diseases, affects about 3 million Canadians. The objective of this study is to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the published literature that reports on the clinical, economic, and humanistic burden of asthma in Canada.MethodsA search of the PubMed, EMBASE, and EMCare databases was conducted to identify original research published between 2000 and 2011 on the burden of asthma in Canada. Controlled vocabulary with “asthma” as the main search concept was used. Searches were limited to articles written in English, involving human subjects and restricted to Canada. Articles were selected for inclusion based on predefined criteria like appropriate study design, disease state, and outcome measures. Key data elements, including year and type of research, number of study subjects, characteristics of study population, outcomes evaluated, results, and overall conclusions of the study, were abstracted and tabulated.ResultsThirty-three of the 570 articles identified by the clinical and economic burden literature searches and 14 of the 309 articles identified by the humanistic burden literature searches met the requirements for inclusion in this review. The included studies highlighted the significant clinical burden of asthma and show high rates of healthcare resource utilization among asthma patients (hospitalizations, ED, physician visits, and prescription medication use). The economic burden is also high, with direct costs ranging from an average annual cost of

Audible acoustics in high-shear wet granulation: application of frequency filtering.

366 to

Cost analysis of fixed-dose combination of dutasteride and tamsulosin compared with concomitant dutasteride and tamsulosin monotherapy in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia in Canada

647 per patient and a total annual population-level cost ranging from ~

The effect of process parameters on audible acoustic emissions from high-shear granulation

46 million in British Columbia to ~

The effect of dutasteride on the detection of prostate cancer: A set of meta-analyses

141 million in Ontario. Indirect costs due to time loss from work, productivity loss, and functional impairment increase the overall burden. Although there is limited research on the humanistic burden of asthma, studies show a high (31%-50%) prevalence of psychological distress and diminished QoL among asthma patients relative to subjects without asthma.ConclusionsAs new therapies for asthma become available, economic evaluations and assessment of clinical and humanistic burden will become increasingly important. This report provides a comprehensive resource for health technology assessment that will assist decision making on asthma treatment selection and management guidelines in Canada.

Persistent Disease Activity Remains a Burden for Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Previous work has shown analysis of audible acoustic emissions from high-shear wet granulation has potential as a technique for end-point detection. In this research, audible acoustic emissions (AEs) from three different formulations were studied to further develop this technique as a process analytical technology. Condenser microphones were attached to three different locations on a PMA-10 high-shear granulator (air exhaust, bowl and motor) to target different sound sources. Size, flowability and tablet break load data was collected to support formulator end-point ranges and interpretation of AE analysis. Each formulation had a unique total power spectral density (PSD) profile that was sensitive to granule formation and end-point. Analyzing total PSD in 10 Hz segments identified profiles with reduced run variability and distinct maxima and minima suitable for routine granulation monitoring and end-point control. A partial least squares discriminant analysis method was developed to automate selection of key 10 Hz frequency groups using variable importance to projection. The results support use of frequency refinement as a way forward in the development of acoustic emission analysis for granulation monitoring and end-point control.

Formulation containing anti-inflammatory androstane derivatives

INTRODUCTION We estimate the lifetime cost of treatment for moderate/severe symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in a cohort of Canadian men aged 50 to 59, and we evaluate the costs of 2 daily bioequivalent treatment options: fixed-dose combination (FDC) of dutasteride (0.5 mg) and tamsulosin (0.4 mg), or concomitant administration of dutasteride (0.5 mg) and tamsulosin (0.4 mg) monotherapies. METHODS The expected lifetime costs were estimated by modelling the incidence of acute urinary retention (AUR), BPH-related surgery and clinical progression over a patients lifetime (up to 25 years). A model was developed to simulate clinical events over time, based on a discrete Markov process with 6 mutually exclusive health states and annual cycle length. RESULTS The estimated lifetime budget cost for the cohort of 374 110 men aged 50 to 59 in Canada is between

Belimumab use, clinical outcomes and glucocorticoid reduction in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus receiving belimumab in clinical practice settings: results from the OBSErve Canada Study

6.35 billion and

An investigation of the relationship between acoustic emissions and particle size

7.60 billion, equivalent to between

Monitoring quality attributes for high-shear wet granulation with audible acoustic emissions

16 979 and