The elderly is the fastest-growing segment of the global population, but only a few of their treatments have been clinically tested in age-appropriate patients
The elderly is the fastest-growing segment of the global population, but only a few of their treatments have been clinically tested in age-appropriate patients, and many therapies are still not available in suitable formulations and dosages, according to a report by GBI Research.
Many older people suffer from comorbid conditions and one in three takes at least five drugs or more on a daily basis, which significantly increases the risk of adverse drug events and hospitalization, with up to one third of elderly emergency admissions being drug-related, note the report (Geriatric Medicine Development - Carving Out New Opportunities to Treat Age-Related Diseases).
Pre-marketing drug trials often exclude geriatric patients and approved doses are not likely to be appropriate for the elderly, making off-label prescriptions relatively common for older patients. Antipsychotic medications, for example, are regularly prescribed off-label in up to 80% of care-home patients, to manage delirium, agitation and psychosis resulting from Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia, and these drugs have been associated with an increased risk of diabetes, cerebrovascular events and death, according to the authors.
The development of age-appropriate formulations and doses could allow for smarter prescriptions of approved drugs, such as anti-coagulants, anti-diabetic agents, antipsychotics and analgesics in older people, they note. Additionally, opportunities exist for companies to develop medicines for age-related diseases, including cognitive impairment, sarcopenia and neurodegenerative diseases.
Read the full release here.
Unifying Industry to Better Understand GCP Guidance
May 7th 2025In this episode of the Applied Clinical Trials Podcast, David Nickerson, head of clinical quality management at EMD Serono; and Arlene Lee, director of product management, data quality & risk management solutions at Medidata, discuss the newest ICH E6(R3) GCP guidelines as well as how TransCelerate and ACRO have partnered to help stakeholders better acclimate to these guidelines.
Merck Launches Phase III Trials of Once-Monthly Oral HIV PrEP Candidate MK-8527
July 14th 2025In the new EXPrESSIVE clinical trial program, Merck will evaluate MK-8527, a once-monthly, oral PrEP therapy, in populations at high risk of HIV-1 infection, including adolescent girls and women in sub-Saharan Africa.
Baxdrostat Shows Significant Blood Pressure Reduction in Phase III BaxHTN Trial
July 14th 2025In the BaxHTN Phase III study, AstraZeneca’s baxdrostat demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful reductions in systolic blood pressure in patients with uncontrolled or treatment-resistant hypertension.
Unifying Industry to Better Understand GCP Guidance
May 7th 2025In this episode of the Applied Clinical Trials Podcast, David Nickerson, head of clinical quality management at EMD Serono; and Arlene Lee, director of product management, data quality & risk management solutions at Medidata, discuss the newest ICH E6(R3) GCP guidelines as well as how TransCelerate and ACRO have partnered to help stakeholders better acclimate to these guidelines.
Merck Launches Phase III Trials of Once-Monthly Oral HIV PrEP Candidate MK-8527
July 14th 2025In the new EXPrESSIVE clinical trial program, Merck will evaluate MK-8527, a once-monthly, oral PrEP therapy, in populations at high risk of HIV-1 infection, including adolescent girls and women in sub-Saharan Africa.
Baxdrostat Shows Significant Blood Pressure Reduction in Phase III BaxHTN Trial
July 14th 2025In the BaxHTN Phase III study, AstraZeneca’s baxdrostat demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful reductions in systolic blood pressure in patients with uncontrolled or treatment-resistant hypertension.
2 Commerce Drive
Cranbury, NJ 08512