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Biomedical subjects

Robert M White

Publications and source records attributed to Robert M White.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Pemetrexed in malignant pleural mesothelioma.

PURPOSE: This report describes the data and analysis leading to the approval of pemetrexed (LY 231514, MTA, Alimta, Eli Lilly and Co., Indianapolis, IN) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of a New Drug Application for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: The FDA review of the efficacy and safety of pemetrexed assessed in a randomized clinical trial of 448 patients with unresectable MPM comparing pemetrexed plus cisplatin with cisplatin alone, as well as preclinical pharmacology and chemistry data, are described. The basis for marketing approval is discussed. RESULTS: In one randomized, single-blind, multicenter international trial, 226 patients were randomized to the pemetrexed and cisplatin arm and 222 patients were randomized to cisplatin alone. Median survival times were 12.1 months for pemetrexed and cisplatin and 9.3 months for cisplatin (P = 0.021; hazard ratio, 0.766; 95% confidence interval, 0.61-0.96). Myelosuppression, predominantly neutropenia, was the most common toxicity of pemetrexed plus cisplatin. Other common adverse events were fatigue, leucopenia, nausea, dyspnea, vomiting, chest pain, anemia, thrombocytopenia, and anorexia. CONCLUSIONS: Pemetrexed in combination with cisplatin was approved by the FDA on February 4, 2004 for the treatment of patients with MPM whose disease is either unresectable or who are otherwise not candidates for curative surgery. The recommended dose of pemetrexed is 500 mg/m(2) intra venous infusion over 10 minutes on day 1 of each 21-day cycle in combination with 75 mg/m(2) cisplatin infused over 2 hours beginning 30 minutes after the pemetrexed infusion. Patients must receive oral folic acid and vitamin B(12) injections before the start and during therapy to reduce severe toxicities. Patients should also receive corticosteroids with the chemotherapy to decrease the incidence of skin rash. Approval was based on a demonstration of survival improvement in a single randomized trial. Response rates and time to tumor progression were not included in product labeling because of inconsistencies in assessments among the investigators, independent radiologic reviewers, and the FDA, reflecting the difficulty of radiographic assessments in malignant mesothelioma. Complete prescribing information is available on the FDA Web site at http://www.fda.gov/cder/approval/index.htm.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Misrepresentations of the Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis.

The Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis (TSUS) is the subject of medical research, healthcare, ethics, race relations and fictitious media portrayals (e.g., movie, play). Unraveling misrepresentations about the TSUS is important because prevailing views continue to contribute to alleged mistrust of the medical system by the black community and compromised doctor-patient and researcher-participant relationships. A comparative analysis of standard TSUS information was conducted and included evidenced-based alternative information in an effort to: (a) contextualize the TSUS with accurate medical, public health and historical information and (b) balance claims of racism, nontreatment and denial of treatment. An article in the Winter 2003 Radcliffe Quarterly misrepresented the images of two historical African-American health institutions, the John A. Andrew Memorial Hospital and the Tuskegee Veterans Administration Hospital. A critical analysis challenges these pictorial misrepresentations and documents, in part, a continuing and prevailing pattern of biased misrepresentations in discussions about the TSUS. The National Medical Association (NMA) and the Journal of the National Medical Association have a history of advocacy for African-American health, a record of combating racial discrimination and a quest for truth about the status of the black community. As past NMA historical notables have performed through their advancement, service and leadership, health professionals now have the opportunity, obligation and information to educate the American community about the TSUS with evidenced-based information.

Black or African American↗
PubMed2005

Misinformation and misbeliefs in the Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis fuel mistrust in the healthcare system.

The Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis (TSUS) is an important issue in research, healthcare, ethics and race relations. The assumed consequences of knowledge of this study on the African-American community include mistrust of the healthcare system. In the July 2005 issue of the Journal of the National Medical Association, Brandon, Isaac and LaVeist (the authors), who were at the Center for Health Disparities Solutions, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, reported the results of black-white differences in awareness of and knowledge about the TSUS and the effect of that awareness and knowledge on medical mistrust. The study surveyed blacks, whites and others in the Baltimore, MD community about their knowledge of and attitudes about the TSUS. The respondents who were aware of the TSUS were asked survey items to assess specific factual information about the TSUS. The respondents who were not aware of the TSUS were read a brief description of the TSUS taken from the CDC website. Both groups were asked if a similar study was possible today. The authors performed a regression analysis of mistrust of medical care based on race, knowledge of the TSUS and demographic variables. The editorial identified and explained challenges in the article, i.e., challenges in calculations, demographic analysis by race, knowledge of TSUS, cultural sensitivity and methodology. The authors miscalculated the "similar proportions" of blacks and whites who were aware of the TSUS; the recalculated proportions, favoring whites, were different than reported by others. There was no demographic analysis by race in their article--also different than other published reports. Most respondents--blacks and whites--who were aware of the TSUS at baseline answered incorrectly the author-selected questions about the TSUS, particularly the fact-based question of whether the TSUS researchers gave syphilis to the men-not dissimilar to one other report. The source for TSUS information (the CDC website) that was used to educate respondents who were not aware of the TSUS at baseline had contradictions, errors and challenges in black history, medical and public health history, and women's studies. The content of what was actually read to respondents was unknown. Proportionally more whites who were not aware of the TSUS but who were read author-selected information about the TSUS believed that a similar study could happen today-a belief and possibly mistrust of medical care that appeared to be induced-compared to whites with prestudy awareness of the TSUS but not read information from the CDC website. Both black groups were not dissimilar from each other. The authors used a survey that measured a race difference in response to a medical event (TSUS) specific to only one racial group (blacks) when there were inclusive examples specific to other groups available. The authors used "Tuskegee" as a single-word sound bite for the TSUS--a misuse that was inappropriate in scientific and research discourse and that may fuel mistrust of medical care. Whether knowledge of the TSUS was a predictor of mistrust of the healthcare system was inconclusive based on the results in the authors' article. The core findings of the article made believing their case difficult. The editorial suggested that bias and misinformation in undertaking, analysis and reporting the study may in itself fuel mistrust in medical care in the community. Because of these challenges, the editorial urged caution with regard to any change in research direction or policy debate based on the results reported in the article.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

FDA drug approval summaries: pemetrexed (Alimta).

The purpose of this report is to summarize information on pemetrexed (LY231514; MTA; Alimta; Eli Lilly and Company; Indianapolis, IN), a drug recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The review of the efficacy and safety of pemetrexed is summarized below. Pemetrexed is a pyrrolopyrimidine antifolate. It inhibits thymidylate synthase, glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase, and dihydrofolate reductase. In a single, randomized, single-blind, multicenter phase III trial, the efficacy and safety of pemetrexed combined with cisplatin (Platinol; Bristol-Myers Squibb; Princeton, NJ) were compared with those of single-agent cisplatin in 448 patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. Two hundred twenty-six patients were randomized to receive pemetrexed and cisplatin, while 222 patients were randomized to receive cisplatin alone. The primary study end point was survival. Median survival times were 12.1 months for the pemetrexed plus cisplatin treated arm and 9.3 months for the cisplatin alone arm. Pemetrexed causes myelosuppression. The most common adverse events were neutropenia, fatigue, leukopenia, nausea, dyspnea, and vomiting. On February 4, 2004, pemetrexed was approved by the FDA in combination with cisplatin for the treatment of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma whose disease is unresectable or who are otherwise not candidates for curative surgery. The recommended dose of pemetrexed is 500 mg/m(2) administered as an i.v. infusion over 10 minutes on day 1 of each 21-day cycle together with cisplatin at a dose of 75 mg/m(2) infused over 2 hours beginning 30 minutes after the pemetrexed infusion. Patients must receive oral folic acid and vitamin B(12) injections prior to the start of therapy and continue these during therapy to reduce severe toxicities. Patients should also receive corticosteroids with chemotherapy to reduce the risk of skin rashes. Approval was based on superior survival as a clinical benefit.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗