Recent new drug approvals

1. Icosapent ethyl (Vascepa)

• Indication: Adjunct to diet to reduce triglyceride (TG) levels in adult patients with severe (≥500mg/dL) hypertriglyceridemia. 
• Pharmacology: Icosapent ethyl is an ethyl ester of the omega-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).
• Studies suggest that eicosapentaenoic acid reduces hepatic very low-density lipoprotein triglycerides (VLDL-TG) synthesis and/or secretion and enhances TG clearance from circulating VLDL particles.
• Potential mechanisms of action include 
• increased ß-oxidation;
•  inhibition of acyl-CoA:1,2-diacylglycerol acyl­transferase (DGAT); 
• decreased lipogenesis in the liver; and
•  increased plasma lipoprotein lipase activity.

2. Cabozantinib (Cometriq)

• Indication

  :

Treatment of progressive, metastatic medullary thyroid cancer.

• Pharmacology:

• Cabozantinib inhibits the tyrosine kinase activity of RET, MET, VEGFR-1, -2 and -3, KIT, TRKB, FLT-3, AXL, and TIE-2. 
• These receptor tyrosine kinases are involved in both normal cellular function and pathologic processes such as oncogenesis, metastasis, tumor angiogenesis, and maintenance of the tumor microenvironment.

Antibacterial activity of Nigella sativa seed in various germination phases on clinical bacterial strains isolated from human patients

See full text of paper on antimicrobial activity of N. sativa in various germination stages against clinical strains. Nigella sativa is an important spice and flavoring agent which is widely used in various European and Asian cuisines. It harbors an array of medicinal properties as shown by various researches. Germination is a phenomenon during which rapid changes in metabolic activities and the interconversions of metabolites take place. The objective of present study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of N. sativa seed that are on various germination phases against clinical bacterial strains isolated from pus, urine, ascitic fluid and cerebrospinal fluid of various patients. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were determined by using a modified macro-broth dilution technique. The agar well diffusion method was used to test the antimicrobial effects of N. sativa extracts. Some broad spectrum antibiotics were used as positive control. The phytochemical constituents of N. sativa seed were also studied in germination phases. The distilled methanolic extracts of N. sativa showed significant antimicrobial activity against tested clinical strains of Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus mirabilis bacteria. Results showed day-dependent and dose-dependent activity and a significant antimicrobial effect was observed as germination proceeded.