The Hospital of Dénia participates along with eight other public hospitals in the province of Alicante in the Congress of the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists to present two studies on therapeutic advances in the treatment of prostate cancer and psoriasis.
These are two investigations, carried out jointly by the staff of the Hospital Pharmacy services of these centers and whose results will be announced at the next event, which will be held in Bordeaux between March 20 and 23.
The first focuses on the efficacy and safety of the drug guselkumab for the treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Eight hospitals in the Valencian Community have participated: the Dénia Hospital, the Vega Baja Hospital in Orihuela, the General Hospital in Elda, the San Juan Hospital in Alicante, the General Hospital in Elche, the Marina Baixa Hospital in La Vila. Joiosa, the Virgen de los Lírios Hospital in Alcoy and the Doctor Balmis General Hospital in Alicante.
The Outpatient Pharmaceutical Care Units of all these Valencian health centers have analyzed the evolution of almost 200 patients over 42 months, with excellent health results.
According to Jaime Poquet, head of the Pharmacy Service at the Dénia Hospital, "24 weeks after treatment they significantly reduced their PASI levels, which is the index that marks the severity of psoriasis. After a year of follow-up, total control of the disease was certified, while, after 42 months, 87% of the patients continued with maintenance treatment.
Treatment of prostate cancer
The second presentation focuses on the use of apalutamide, a drug for the treatment of hormone-sensitive metastatic prostate cancer. In this case, the Torrevieja Hospital also joins the eight previous public hospitals.
The study has evaluated the efficacy and safety of treatment with apalutamide in 172 patients for six months. "In the first 3 months, 70% of the patients reduced the level of PSA (prostate-specific antigen test) by 90%, while after a year 80% of the patients continued with the treatment," Jaime detailed. Poquet.
The presentation of both works at the congress will be an opportunity to share these advances with the international scientific community and consolidate the leadership of the Valencian Community in this field.
The collaborative work between the different Outpatient Pharmaceutical Care Units for patient monitoring and the preparation and publication of studies opens the door to closer cooperation between the different Valencian hospital centers. This will allow us to tackle larger projects in the future and obtain relevant health results that improve the well-being of the population.
