Tramadol

Losartan is available in a combination formulation with a low dose thiazide diuretic, invariably hydrochlorothiazide, to counteract the increase in renin and to achieve an additive antihypertensive effect. The losartan/hydrochlorothiazide combination preparation is marketed by merck under the trade name hyzaar.

Trimetazidine is a drug for angina pectoris, sometimes referred to by the brand name Vastarel MR. Each tablet contains 35 mg of trimetazidine. Trimetazidine is an anti-ischemic (anti-anginal) metabolic agent, which improves myocardial glucose utilization through stopping of fatty acid metabolism.

Trimetazidine is a drug for angina pectoris, sometimes referred to by the brand name Vastarel MR. Each tablet contains 35 mg of trimetazidine. Trimetazidine is an anti-ischemic (anti-anginal) metabolic agent, which improves myocardial glucose utilization through stopping of fatty acid metabolism.

Etoricoxib (brand name Arcoxia worldwide; also Algix and Tauxib in Italy) is a new COX-2 selective inhibitor (approx. 106.0 times more selective for COX-2 inhibition over COX-1) from Merck & Co. Doses are 60, 90 mg/day for chronic pain and 120 mg/day for acute pain. Currently it is approved in more than 60 countries worldwide but not in the US, where the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) require additional safety and efficacy data for etoricoxib before it will issue approval. Current therapeutic indications are: treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, chronic low back pain, acute pain and gout. Note that approved indications differ by country.

Meloxicam is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to relieve the symptoms of arthritis, primary dysmenorrhea, fever; and as an analgesic, especially where there is an inflammatory component. It has been developed by Boehringer-Ingelheim. It is closely related to piroxicam.

In Europe it is marketed under the brand names Movalis, Melox, and Recoxa. In the UK and U.S. it is generally marketed under the brand name Mobic, in Canada as Mobicox. In Latin America, the drug is marketed as Tenaron.

Alendronate (Fosamax, Merck) is a bisphosphonate drug used for osteoporosis and several other bone diseases. It is marketed alone as well as in combination with vitamin D (2,800 U and 5600 U, under the name Fosamax+D). Merck's U.S. patent on alendronate is set to expire in 2008 and Merck has lost a series of appeals to block a generic version of the drug from being certified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Esomeprazole (pronounced /so'mprzol/) is a proton pump inhibitor (brand names Zoleri, Nexium, Lucen, Esopral; Axagon in Italy) developed and marketed by AstraZeneca which is used in the treatment of dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease (PUD), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GORD/GERD) and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Esomeprazole is the S-enantiomer of omeprazole (marketed as Losec/Prilosec), and AstraZeneca claims improved efficacy of this single enantiomer product over the racemic mixture of omeprazole. However, this greater efficacy has been disputed, with some claiming it offers no benefit from its older form. (see below). Esomeprazole was the third biggest selling pharmaceutical drug in the world for 2005, totaling US$ 5.7 billion in sales.

Lansoprazole is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) in the same pharmacologic class as omeprazole. Lansoprazole has been marketed for many years and is one of several PPI's available.

Lansoprazole's plasma elimination half-life is not proportional to the duration of the drug's effects (i.e. gastric acid suppression). The mean plasma elimination half-life is 1.5 hours, and the effects of the drug last for over 24 hours after it has been used for 1 day or more.