Author Interviews, Infections, OBGYNE, Pharmaceutical Companies / 21.01.2021

MedicalResearch.com interview with: Dr. Stephen Brand, Chief Development Officer Mycovia Pharmaceuticals  Dr. Stephen Brand discusses the results of Mycovia’s three Phase 3 studies for recurrent vaginal yeast infections (RVVC )and what’s next for the company.  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for these Phase 3 studies? Answer: Our Phase 3 clinical program for our oral therapy oteseconazole was comprised of three trials enrolling more than 870 patients at 176 sites across 11 different countries. Two of these trials, referred to as VIOLET were identical Phase 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials to evaluate the safety of oteseconazole and its ability to prevent episodes of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC), commonly referred to as chronic yeast infection. The trials took place over 48 weeks in subjects with an established disease history of at least three episodes of acute VVC in the past 12 months. More than 650 patients randomized at 125 sites across 11 countries. The VIOLET trials consisted of two parts: During the first part of the study which lasted two weeks after patients presented with an active VVC episode, patients were treated with three sequential 150mg doses of fluconazole. The second part consisted of 12 weeks, when the patient either took oteseconazole 150mg or a placebo once weekly (according to a random assignment), and then a 36-week follow-up period. In addition, subjects participating in the VIOLET trials in the U.S. who remained infection-free at their Week 48 visit were offered the opportunity to participate in an extension study and are being monitored for an additional 48 weeks to further define the long-term protection profile of oteseconazole. Eighty-five subjects are enrolled. The third Phase 3 study, called ultraVIOLET, was designed to complement and extend VIOLET as a 50-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of oteseconazole. In addition the study compared the effectiveness of oteseconazole compared to fluconazole, the current standard of care, to treat an acute VVC infection in the RVVC population. A total of 220 patients were randomized at 51 sites in the U.S. for the ultraVIOLET trial. The ultraVIOLET trial consisted of two parts: In the first part of the study RVVC subjects presenting with an active infection were randomized to receive either 2 days of dosing with oteseconazole or 3 sequential 150 mg doses of fluconazole (every 72 hours). The second part consisted of 11 weeks, when the patient took either oteseconazole or a placebo weekly (according to the random assignment from the first part of the study), and then a 37-week follow-up period. (more…)
Author Interviews, OBGYNE, Pediatrics / 21.05.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Yanmin Zhu, M.S., Ph.D. Postdoctoral Research Fellow Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Animal studies and case reports suggest a potential teratogenic effect associated with the use of high doses of fluconazole during pregnancy. The malformations reported in case reports have a distinct phenotype, including femoral bowing, thin ribs, cleft palate, and abnormal craniofacial ossification. A few controlled studies have examined the risk of congenital malformations associated with the use of fluconazole during the first trimester, but findings are inconsistent. (more…)
Author Interviews, CMAJ, OBGYNE / 19.02.2019

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Anick Bérard PhD FISPE Research chair FRQS on Medications and Pregnancy Director, Réseau Québécois de recherche sur le médicament Professor, Research Chair on Medications, Pregnancy and Lactation Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Montrealand Director, Research Unit on Medications and Pregnancy Research Center CHU Ste-Justin   MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Yeast infections are common during pregnancy (10%). Although topical treatments are first-line therapies, yeast infections during gestation are often more severe and are resistant to topical options. Hence, low dose oral fluconazole is often the treatment of choice for pregnant women (1 dose for 1 day). Human and animal studies have shown that high dose of fluconazole is teratogenic.Few studies are available for the risk associated with low dose of fluconazole (the most used during pregnancy). Also, no one has studied the combined effect of low- and high-dose fluconazole use during pregnancy on overall adverse pregnancy outcomes (spontaneous abortions, stillbirths and major malformations).  (more…)
Author Interviews, Infections, Nature / 16.12.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Professor Alistair J P Brown  DSc FSB FAAM FRSE Aberdeen Fungal Group, MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Aberdeen, Institute of Medical Sciences, Foresterhill, Aberdeen UK  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Most of us harbor the yeast Candida albicans, and most of the time it does us no harm.  However, under certain circumstances it can break out to cause nasty infections of the mouth or genitalia (thrush), or potentially fatal infections in vulnerable intensive care patients.  Indeed, over half of women will suffer at least one episode of vulvovaginal candidiasis in their lifetime, and over 5% of women suffer recurrent episodes (four or more episodes per annum).  Also, it has been estimated that there are over 400,000 life-threatening systemic Candida infections worldwide per annum, of which over 40% are fatal (see Science Translational Medicine (2012) vol. 4, 165rv13).  A key to this is the potency of our immunological defenses: the weaker our defenses the more vulnerable we are to fungal infection.  Therefore, we in the Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Medical Mycology – and other groups worldwide – are studying the mechanisms by which our immune cells recognize and kill invading Candida cells, thereby protecting us from infection. (more…)