What is ciclesonide? What is ciclesonide used for? Ciclesonide (Alvesco) is a man-made steroid for inhalation in the glucocorticoid family. It is related to the naturally-occurring steroid hormone, cortisol or hydrocortisone, produced by the adrenal glands. The body converts ciclesonide to des-ciclesonide, which is the active form of the drug. Glucocorticoid steroids have potent anti-inflammatory...
What brand names are available for rosiglitazone/metformin? Avandamet Is rosiglitazone/metformin available as a generic drug? Yes Do I need a prescription for rosiglitazone/metformin? Yes What are the uses for rosiglitazone/metformin? Avandamet is used with diet and exercise to improve blood glucose control in adult patients with type 2 diabetes. What are the side effects of...
What is erythromycin and benzoyl peroxide, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Benzamycin is a combination of erythromycin and benzoyl peroxide and is used for the topical treatment of acne (pimples). Erythromycin is an antibiotic. The exact mechanism by which topical erythromycin reduces pimples is unknown. Erythromycin probably reduces pimples by penetrating into...
What is Halaven? What is Halaven used for? Eribulin mesylate is a chemotherapeutic medicine approved to treat metastatic breast cancer, an advanced form of breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. Microtubules are dynamic intracellular structures that are responsible for various kinds of movements including cell division, organization of intracellular structure,...
What is iloperidone? What are the side effects of iloperidone? Iloperidone is an oral, atypical antipsychotic used to treat schizophrenia. Other atypical antipsychotic drugs include olanzapine (Zyprexa), quetiapine (Seroquel), ziprasidone (Geodon), and aripiprazole (Abilify). Atypical antipsychotics differ from typical antipsychotics because they cause a lesser degree of movement (extrapyramidal) side effects and constipation. The exact...
What is lesinurad, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Lesinurad is an oral medication that reduces uric acid levels in people who have too much uric acid in their blood (hyperuricemia) and have symptoms of gout. It is the first approved drug in a new class of drugs called selective uric acid reabsorption...
What is Harvoni? What is Harvoni used for? Harvoni is an oral tablet containing two drugs used for the treatment of chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV), genotype 1 in adults. The components belong to a class of drugs called direct-acting antiviral agents. Similar drugs include boceprevir (Victrelis), sofosbuvir (Sovaldi), simeprevir (Olysio), telaprevir...
What is raltegravir, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Raltegravir (Isentress) is an antiretroviral medicine approved for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Raltegravir is an integrase inhibitor similar to elvitegravir (Vitekta) and dolutegravir (Tivicay). Raltegravir slows the spread of HIV infection by blocking the HIV integrase enzyme required for virus...
What is hyaluronate injection, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Hyaluronic acid is a natural chemical that is found in almost all species of animal and in various parts of the human body. It works as a biological lubricant, reducing friction between adjacent tissues. It is present in high amounts in joints and...
What is Orkambi? What is Orkambi used for? Orkambi is a combination of two drugs, lumacaftor and ivacaftor (Kalydeco) and is used for treating cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited disease that affects the secretory glands, including the mucus and sweat glands. Cystic fibrosis mostly affects the lungs, pancreas, liver, intestines, sinuses, and...