As these regimens have comparable efficacy in the first-line treatment of metastatic RCC, the predicted cost savings in relation to the management of bevacizumab plus IFN could provide benefits to physicians and payers and may be an important consideration when making therapeutic Romidepsin chemical structure choices. These findings raise important points and potential resource benefits in the current cost-conscious oncology environment, in which there is a demand for novel agents that provide the greatest benefit. Acknowledgments We acknowledge Prof JM Graf von der Schulenburg, Dr TH Mittendorf and Prof W Greiner (Centre for Health Economics and Health System Research, University of Hanover, Germany); and Dr A Lafuma (French College of Health Economics) for their support and provision of cost data.
In addition, we acknowledge medical writing support of Gardiner-Caldwell Communications, Macclesfield, UK. The study and medical writing support were funded by F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.
Potential Conflicts of Interest: Consultant or Advisory Role: Dr. Tabernero: Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Genentech, Merck KGaA, Millennium, Novartis, Onyx, Pfizer, ImClone, Roche, Sanofi Dr. Sharma: Novartis Dr. Ryan: Genomic Health, Boehringer Ingelheim Dr. Fuchs: Sanofi, Pfizer, Amgen, Metamark Genetics, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Bayer Honoraria: Dr. Tabernero: Amgen, Merck KGaA, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi Research Funding: Dr. Sharma: Novartis Employment or Leadership: Dr. Sedova: Novartis Pharma AG (Statistician) Dr. Jin: Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation (Expert Clinical Manager) Dr.
Malek: Novartis Pharma AG (Global Clinical Leader) Stock Ownership: Dr. Sedova: Novartis Pharma AG Dr. Malek: Novartis Pharma AG All remaining authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
Low back pain is commonly conceptualised and managed as being either mechanical or inflammatory in nature. The inflammatory origin of low back pain can be sensitively detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) [1]. Frequently patients with spondylitis suffer from “autoimmune” spondyloarthritis, a group of disorders that includes ankylosing spondylitis, reactive arthritis, and the spondylitis that may accompany psoriasis and inflammatory bowel diseases. All these forms of spondylitis are amenable to treatment with TNF-�� blockers. Infection should be ruled out in atypical cases by searching for foci, blood culture and eventually vertebral biopsy.
In contrast to the multisegmental spinal involvement typical of the “autoimmune” spondyloarthritis group of disorders, it is unusual for infectious agents to manifest with spondylitis on multiple levels in the lumbar spine [2]. Staphylococcus aureus is the most common organism involved in spinal infections and is thought to hematogenously spread through Entinostat the paravertebral collateral arteria into the vertebral bone marrow [3]. Whipple’s disease is a rare, multisystemic infection caused by Tropheryma whipplei.