Tratamientos y bioterapias para COVID-19 / Therapeutics and biotherapies for covid-19

INTRODUCCIÓN: Un nuevo brote de coronavirus surgió en 2019 en Wuhan, China, causando conmoción en el sistema sanitario de todo el mundo; el Comité Internacional de Taxonomía de Virus lo denominó SARS-CoV-2, agente causante de la enfermedad COVID-19.El espectro de gravedad de la enfermedad es muy amplio: la mayoría de los pacientes no presentan gravedad, pero otros pueden desarrollar neumonías, y la insuficiencia respiratoria aguda es la causa más frecuente de mortalidad. Objetivo: analizar y desarrollar las distintas alternativas terapéuticas aportadas por la Biotecnología para tratar los síntomas de aquellos pacientes con COVID-19. Metodología: se realizó una revisión de la bibliografía disponible, a partir de enero de 2020 en PubMed, acerca de los tratamientos que se encuentran aún en ensayos clínicos y aquellos que cuentan con aprobación bajo uso de emergencia para la enfermedad COVID-19. También se realizaron búsquedas a través de Google y Google Académico para publicaciones de organismos de Salud en referencia a políticas de salud establecidas para la terapéutica durante dicha pandemia. Resultados: este trabajo aborda las nuevas alternativas terapéuticas para COVID-19 derivadas de la Biotecnología, que se encuentran tanto en uso como en etapas de ensayos clínicos comprendidos dentro del segmento de los biofármacos y las bioterapias. Se incluye un breve resumen del estatus regulatorio de entidades de salud, el mecanismo de acción de dichas terapias y características generales de cada uno. Se incluyen novedosas bioterapias que se empezaron a implementar para afrontar la pandemia. Conclusiones: la pandemia de coronavirus está poniendo a prueba el sistema sanitario internacional, para brindar soluciones tanto desde el diagnóstico y prevención como para el tratamiento de la población a fin de disminuir la mortalidad. Esto incluyó, obviamente también, al área de la Biotecnología aplicada a la salud, que ha aportado en los tres aspectos mencionados; el presente trabajo se centra en las respuestas de tipo terapéutico que ha brindado y que están comercializadas o en fases clínicas. (AU)

INTRODUCTION: A new coronavirus outbreak emerged in 2019 in Wuhan, China, causing a shock to the healthcare system around the world; the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses named it SARS-CoV- 2, the infectious agent of the COVID-19 disease. The spectrum of severity of the disease is very wide, most patients are not serious, but others can develop pneumonia, with acute respiratory failure being the most frequent cause of mortality. Objective: to analyze and develop the different therapeutic alternatives provided by Biotechnology dedicated to Health, to treat the symptoms of those COVID-19 patients who require it, and thus reduce mortality.Methodology: a review of the available literature from January 2020 in PubMed of the treatments that are still in clinical trials and those that have been approved under emergency use for the disease COVID-19 was performed. Searches were also carried out through Google and Google Scholar for publications of Health organizations in reference to health policies established for therapeutics during the mentioned pandemic. Results: this work addresses the new therapeutic alternatives derived from Biotechnology, which are both in use and in stages of clinical trials, to treat patients who developed COVID-19 included within the segment of biopharmaceuticals and biotherapies. A brief summary of the regulatory status of health entities, the mechanism of action of said therapies and general characteristics of each one is included. Innovative biotherapies that began to be implemented to face the pandemic are included. Conclusions: The coronavirus pandemic has driven the international health system to the test, to provide solutions both from the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of the population to reduce the mortality of patients. This obviously also included the area of Biotechnology applied to health, which has contributed in the three aspects mentioned. The present work focuses on the therapeutic responses that it has provided and that are commercialized or in clinical phases. (AU)

Perfil dos casos de câncer de mama entre acometidos no acre período de 2015 a 2019 ­ um estudo transversal / Profile of breast cancer cases between affected in acre period from 2015 to 2019 - a cross-sectional study / Perfil de los casos de cáncer de mama entre las personas afectadas en el período acre de 2015 a 2019 - un estudio transversal

Este estudo teve como objetivo analisar o perfil dos casos de câncer de mama no estado do Acre no período de 2015 a 2019. Trata-se de um estudo quantitativo com delineamento transversal. A amostra foi constituída por todos os casos de câncer de mama registrados no Acre e inseridos no Departamento de Informática do Sistema Único de Saúde (DATASUS) no período de 2015 a 2019. Foram identificados no período 293 casos da doença, com maior número de casos registrados no ano de 2019 (25,0%), sendo a maioria do sexo feminino (98,0%), na faixa etária de 40 a 49 anos (29,0%). O tempo decorrido desde o diagnóstico até o início do tratamento foi de mais de 60 dias (51,0%). A modalidade terapêutica mais utilizada foi a quimioterapia (55,0%). O local da realização do tratamento ocorreu capital do estado Rio Branco (80,0%). A maior parte dos acometidos, ainda encontra-se em tratamento (56,0%), no entanto (44,0%) evoluiu para óbito. O aumento da doença com o passar dos anos é notável no Acre. É importante destacar que ações voltadas para a prevenção e controle do câncer de mama continuam sendo fundamentais para auxiliar na diminuição do número de casos, como o rastreamento e diagnóstico precoce.

This study aimed to analyze the profile of breast cancer cases in the state of Acre in the period from 2015 to 2019. This is a quantitative study with a cross-sectional design. The sample consisted of all breast cancer cases registered in Acre and inserted in the Informatics Department of the Unified Health System (DATASUS) in the period from 2015 to 2019. In the period 293 cases of the disease were identified, with a greater number of cases registered in 2019 (25.0%), with the majority being female (98.0%), aged 40 to 49 years (29.0%). The time elapsed from diagnosis to the start of treatment was more than 60 days (51.0%). The most used therapeutic modality was chemotherapy (55.0%). The place where the treatment was performed took place in the state of Rio Branco (80.0%). Most of the people affected are still under treatment (56.0%), however (44.0%) died. The increase in the disease over the years is notable in Acre. It is important to highlight that actions aimed at the prevention and control of breast cancer continue to be fundamental to assist in reducing the number of cases, such as screening and early diagnosis.

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo analizar el perfil de los casos de cáncer de mama en el estado de Acre en el período de 2015 a 2019. Se trata de un estudio cuantitativo con diseño transversal. La muestra consistió en todos los casos de cáncer de mama registrados en Acre e ingresados en el Departamento de Informática del Sistema Único de Salud (DATASUS) en el período de 2015 a 2019. En el periodo se identificaron 293 casos de la enfermedad, siendo el mayor número de casos registrados en 2019 (25,0%), siendo la mayoría mujeres (98,0%), en el grupo de edad de 40 a 49 años (29,0%). El tiempo transcurrido desde el diagnóstico hasta el inicio del tratamiento fue superior a 60 días (51,0%). La modalidad terapéutica más utilizada fue la quimioterapia (55,0%). El lugar donde se realizó el tratamiento fue Rio Branco, la capital del estado (80,0%). La mayoría de los pacientes afectados siguen en tratamiento (56,0%), sin embargo, (44,0%) fallecieron. El aumento de la enfermedad a lo largo de los años es notable en Acre. Es importante destacar que las acciones dirigidas a la prevención y control del cáncer de mama siguen siendo fundamentales para ayudar a reducir el número de casos, como el cribado y el diagnóstico precoz.

Sesgos en investigación quirúrgica / Biases in surgical research

Resumen Los resultados de diversos hallazgos de investigación han sido objeto de crítica, en especial en los últimos años, debido a presencia de errores sistemáticos (sesgos), los que ponen en duda la validez interna de los resultados obtenidos. Estos sesgos pueden ocurrir en cualquier etapa del curso de una investigación, es decir, desde la planificación del estudio hasta la presentación y publicación de sus resultados. Los sesgos se han clasificado de diferentes formas, intentado agruparlos bajo dimensiones conceptuales, objeto de organizar de mejor forma la información existente, que además es considerable. Los sesgos pueden ocurrir por diversos motivos, pero en general, los más frecuentes son aquellos originados por el observador (él o los que miden), por lo que es observado (sujeto en estudio); y aquello con lo que se observa (instrumento de medición). Por otra parte, varios de los múltiples sesgos existentes, se pueden agrupar en: sesgos de selección, de medición o información, y de confusión. El objetivo de este manuscrito fue comentar la importancia de los sesgos más comunes en la investigación quirúrgica, y su relación con algunos diseños de investigación; así como, conocer las estrategias existentes para minimizar su ocurrencia.

The results of many research findings have come under scrutiny in recent years due to the introduction of systematic errors (biases), which can occur at any stage during an investigation, from planning to presentation of results and their presentation and further publication. Biases have been classified in different ways, trying to group them under conceptual dimensions to better organize the existing information, which is considerable. Biases can occur for various reasons, but in general, the most frequent are those originated by the observer, what is observed; and what is observed with. I.e., the subject that is measured, who measures it and with what it measures it. On the other hand, several of the multiple biases can be grouped into selection, measurement or information, and confounding biases. The aim of this manuscript was to comment on the importance of the most common biases in surgical research, and their relationship with some research designs; as well as know the existing strategies to reduce its occurrence.

Implementación de ensayos clínicos y acceso posensayo a vacunas para la COVID-19 en Latinoamérica / Implementation of clinical trials and post-trial access to COVID-19 vaccines in Latin America

Latinoamérica fue durante noviembre de 2020 una de las regiones más afectada por la pandemia de COVID-19 en cuanto a prevalencia y muertes atribuidas al virus. Por ello, el inicio de testeo de vacunas en ciudadanos de la región fue recibido con altas expectativas sobre su efectividad. Frente a lo cual es esencial tener en cuenta ciertos principios fundamentales que deben guiar este proceso asegurando su correcta implementación. El objetivo de este artículo es ofrecer consideraciones sobre el proceso de implementación de ensayos clínicos y acceso posensayo a vacunas para COVID-19 en Latinoamérica. En particular los relacionados con el respeto a la dignidad de los participantes, las tensiones históricas globales y regionales en materia de economía política de ensayos clínicos, algunos aspectos de la gobernanza global y el rol de la Organización Mundial de la Salud en la pandemia, y la necesidad de asegurar el acceso posensayo a la vacuna. Se concluye que la pandemia es una oportunidad para estrechar lazos de cooperación y solidaridad entre países latinoamericanos. Los ensayos clínicos son una instancia clave para reforzar la gobernanza local y regional con miras a fortalecer la transparencia y la vigilancia de la correcta realización de alianzas público-privadas en el desarrollo de terapias, en los que la Organización Mundial de la Salud y la Organización Panamericana de la Salud, tienen un rol importante para la implementación de estrategias de integración y acceso a vacunas(AU)

Latin America was during November 2020 one of the most affected regions by the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of prevalence and deaths attributed to the virus. Therefore, the start of vaccine testing in citizens of the region was received with high expectations about its effectiveness. Therefore, it is essential to take into account certain fundamental principles that should guide this process ensuring its correct implementation. The objective of this article is to provide considerations on the process of implementing clinical trials and post-trial access to COVID-19 vaccines in Latin America, in particular those related to respect for the dignity of participants, the historical global and regional tensions regarding the political economy of clinical trials, some aspects of global governance and the role of the World Health Organization in the pandemic, and the need to ensure post-trial access to the vaccine. It is concluded that the pandemic is an opportunity to strengthen bonds of cooperation and solidarity between Latin American countries. Clinical trials are a key instance to strengthen local and regional governance with a view to consolidate transparency and monitoring of the correct implementation of public-private partnerships in the development of therapies, in which the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization have an important role for the implementation of integration strategies and access to vaccines(AU)

Clinical trials and evaluation of Chinese patent medicine for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease / 中国中药杂志

The clinical randomized controlled trials(RCTs) of Chinese patent medicine in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) were reviewed and analyzed to provide references for clinical research, guideline development, policy formulation, and quality improvement of clinical evidence. On the basis of the collection in the Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) Clinical Evidence Database System(EVDS), CNKI, Wanfang, SinoMed, Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMbase were searched for RCTs of Chinese patent medicine for COPD as a source of clinical evidence from database inception to December 31, 2019. The publication time, sample size, intervention and control measures, course of treatment, outcome indicators, and methodological quality of the trials were analyzed and evaluated. A total of 733 RCTs of Chinese patent medicine for COPD were included, among which 228 RCTs had a sample size higher than 100, accounting for 31.1% of total RCTs. Eighty-eight Chinese patent medicines were involved, including 40 oral medicines and 48 injections. A total of 327 RCTs mentioned intervention and control measures(Chinese patent medicine + conventional treatment vs conventional treatment), accounting for 43.0%. In addition, 94.40% of the RCTs reported the course of treatment, and 53.20% of the RCTs determined 8-14 d as the intervention course. The evaluation indicators adopted were numerous, among which physicochemical indicators(70.57%) and symptoms/signs(24.35%) were the most frequently employed. The operation of allocation concealment and blinding was not standard. Registration and the procedure related to ethics were mostly missing. The results indicate that there are prominent methodological problems in the clinical trials of Chinese patent medicine in the treatment of COPD, affecting the reliability and practicability of the trials. It is necessary to further standardize the design, implementation, and quality control of clinical trials of Chinese patent medicine in the treatment of COPD, highlight the clinical value of Chinese patent medicine for COPD, and improve the quality of evidence.

Clinical trials and evaluation of Chinese patent medicine for influenza / 中国中药杂志

The clinical randomized controlled trial(RCT) of Chinese patent medicine in the treatment of influenza were reviewed and analyzed to provide basic information for clinical decision and related research. On the basis of the collection in the Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) Clinical Evidence Database System(EVDS), CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, EMbase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library were searched for RCTs of Chinese patent medicine for influenza published from database inception to July 25, 2021. The publication time, sample size, intervention and control measures, course of treatment, outcome indicators, and methodological quality of the trials were analyzed and evaluated. Ninety-two RCTs of Chinese patent medicine for influenza published between 2005 and 2021, were included, among which 17 RCTs(18.48%) had a sample size higher than 200 and the average sample size was about 145. Twenty-seven Chinese patent medicines were involved, including twenty-one oral medicines and six injections. The Chinese patent medicines in trials reported in more than five papers included Lianhua Qingwen Capsules/Gra-nules, Tanreqing Injection, and Reduning Injection. Fourteen intervention protocols were reported, of which Chinese patent medicine+western medicine+conventional treatment vs western medicine+conventional treatment(20.65%) was the most frequently employed. Additionally, 85.87% of the RCTs reported the course of treatment, and 80.43% of the RCTs determined 3-7 d as the intervention course. Forty-five outcome indicators were extracted, which were used 434 times, including symptoms/signs, physicochemical detection, safety events, TCM symptoms/syndromes, quality of life, long-term prognosis, and economic evaluation. Symptoms/signs(61.52%) exhibited the highest frequency. Methodological problems were prevalent in the included trials. The findings reveal that there are few clinical trials on influenza treatment by Chinese patent medicine, and the methodological problems are prominent, affec-ting the reliability and practicability of the trials. In the future research, the value characteristics of Chinese patent medicine should be highlighted and the quality control in the whole process should be strengthened based on the scientific and rigorous design.

Clinical trials and evaluation of Chinese patent medicine for stroke / 中国中药杂志

To systematically collect and analyze clinical randomized controlled trial(RCT) of Chinese patent medicine treatment for stroke in 2020, in order to provide basic information for clinical decision-making and related research. On the basis of the collection in the Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) Clinical Evidence Database System(EVDS), CNKI, Wanfang, SinoMed, Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMbase were searched for RCTs of Chinese patent medicine for stroke in 2020. The publication, sample size, intervention and control measures, course of treatment, outcome indicators, methodological quality and other contents were statistically analyzed.A total of 68 RCTs studies on Chinese patent medicine for stroke were included in 2020, of which 29(42.60%) were RCTs with sample size>100 cases. A total of 41 kinds of proprietary Chinese medicines were involved, including 23 kinds of oral proprietary Chinese medicines and 18 kinds of injections. A total of 18 intervention/control cases were included in RCTs, and 19 cases(Chinese patent medicine+Western medicine vs Western medicine) were applied in RCTs, accounting for 27.90%. The duration of treatment was reported in 91.18% of the studies, and the intervention duration was 8-14 days in 50.00% of the studies. Evaluation indexes were widely used, among which physical and chemical testing indexes(49.36%) were the most widely used. According to the methodological quality evaluation, the overall methodological quality of the study is not high, especially the implementation of the allocation hidden, blind method is not accurate, and the registration, ethics and other links are often missing. In conclusion, 2020 implementation of proprietary Chinese medicine in the treatment of stroke research methodology problems is outstanding, the similar function scale large range of optional, no specification selection criteria, reliability and practicability of the impact study, need to further standardize the proprietary Chinese medicine in the treatment of stroke study design, implementation and quality control, and highlight the value of proprietary Chinese medicine in the treatment of stroke and improve the quality of the evidence.

Evidencia sobre las vacunas para COVID-19 en niñas, niños y adolescentes / Evidence on vaccines for COVID-19 in children and adolescents

En Argentina, tres de las vacunas contra el COVID-19 autorizadas por la entidad regulatoria local se aplican en menores de edad: la vacuna desarrollada por Sinopharm (BBIBP-CorV) para niños de 3 años o más, y las desarrolladas por Moderna (ARNm 1273) y Pfizer (BNT162b2) a partir de los 12 años. Dado que estas recomendaciones no coinciden exactamente con las emitidas por diferentes organismos internacionales y debido al corto plazo de seguimiento de los ensayos publicados, surgieron dudas fundamentalmente en relación a su seguridad. En este artículo, los autores sintetizan la evidencia disponible hasta el momento sobre las vacunas aplicadas en niños, niñas y adolescentes en nuestro país, basada en informes preliminares de ensayos clínicos y reportes de vigilancia epidemiológica. (AU)

In Argentina, three of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized by the local regulatory entity are applied to minors: the vaccine developed by Sinopharm (BBIBP-CorV) for children 3 years of age or older, and those developed by Moderna (RNAm1273) and Pfizer (BNT162b2) from the age of 12 and onwards. Given that these recommendations do not coincide exactly with those issued by different international organizations and due to the short follow-up period of the published trials, doubts arose fundamentally in relation to their safety. In this article, the authors summarize the evidence available to date on vaccines applied to children and adolescents in our country, based on preliminary studies of clinical trials and epidemiological surveillance reports. (AU)

Immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of colorectal cancer: a review of clinical trials / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the world. The treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and targeted therapy. The guidelines of many tumor types have been rewritten with the advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors. There are significant differences in the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in colorectal cancer according to microsatellite status. Microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) colorectal cancer has made a breakthrough in immunotherapy, whether in the late-line, first-line, adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy. The success of KEYNOTE-177 study has changed the guidelines with pembrolizumab becoming a standard treatment in the first-line treatment of MSI-H advanced colorectal cancer. The NICHE study, which used immunotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment of colorectal cancer, has made exciting achievements in MSI-H colorectal cancer. For microsatellite stability (MSS) colorectal cancer, many studies are ongoing, and immunotherapy is still unable to challenge the status of traditional treatment. In this paper, we review the clinical trials related to immune checkpoint inhibitors of colorectal cancer, expecting to provide references for the development of colorectal cancer immunotherapy.

Quality control in the implementation of multi-center acupuncture clinical trial / 中国针灸

The paper introduced the experiences of quality management in the implementation of multi-center acupuncture clinical trials and the keys in training acupuncture operators. The process management was explained in view of the division of labor for researchers, protocol learning and the communication among sub-centers. Besides, specificity links of acupuncture research were summarized, i.e. meaning implementation brief of acupuncture operation training, control for quantity of stimulus in acupuncture and doctor-patient communication. It is anticipated to provide a valuable reference for the quality control and improvement of multi-center acupuncture clinical trial in future.

JCOG lung cancer surgery trial series: review and interpretation / 中华肿瘤杂志

Surgery is so far the most effective treatment for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Since the 1990s, the pathology spectrum of early-stage lung cancer has gradually changed because of the increased detection of ground-glass opacity (GGO). The findings from preoperative thin-section computed tomography are strong predictors for the invasiveness and lymph node involvement of GGO, and limited surgery is believed to be implemented safely for radiological less invasive lesions, which calls into question the dominance of lobectomy. After the JCOG0201 trial establishing the radiologic criteria of pathological noninvasiveness for lung adenocarcinoma, the Japan Clinical Oncology Group (JCOG) and the West Japan Oncology Group (WJOG) have successively carried out a series of prospective imaging-guided trials to investigate the optimal surgical procedure for early-stage lung cancer. JCOG0804, was a single-arm, non-randomized, confirmatory trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sublobar resection (wedge resection and segmentectomy) for GGO dominant peripheral lung cancer. The primary end point was 5-year relapse-free survival. JCOG0802/WJOG4607L, was a multicentre, open-label, phase 3, randomized, controlled, non-inferiority trial to investigate if segmentectomy was non-inferior to lobectomy in patients with small-sized peripheral NSCLC. The primary endpoint was 5-year overall survival. JCOG1211 was also a non-randomized confirmatory trial to confirm the efficacy of a segmentectomy for clinical T1N0 lung cancer with dominant GGO. The primary endpoint was 5-year relapse-free survival. The findings of JCOG0804 and JCOG0802, and the primary analysis results of JCOG1211 have been officially published. This article systematically reviewed and interpreted the results of the JCOG lung cancer surgery trial series.

Rethinking the marketing strategy of anti-tumor drugs by single-arm trials supported / 中华肿瘤杂志

Single-arm trial refers to a clinical trial design that does not set up parallel control group, adopts open design, and does not involve randomization and blind method. These features, on the one hand, speed up the process of clinical trials, significantly shorten the time to market and meet the needs of patients with advanced malignancies, but also lead to the uncertainty of single-arm clinical trials themselves. Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration held a meeting of the oncologic drug advisory committee to discuss six tumor indications that have been accelerated approved, which once again triggered the discussion of single-arm trials. The basis of accelerated approval by single-arm trial is actually a compromise on the level of evidence-based medical evidence requirements after assessing the benefit risk. Therefore, the sponsor should strictly grasp the applicable conditions of single-arm trial in anti-tumor drugs and conduct single-arm trial scientifically. Post-marketing clinical trial should be implement as early as possible to ensure the benefit of patients. Based on the characteristics of single-arm trial, combined with two guidance relevant to single-arm trial issued by National Medical Products Administration recently, this article is supposed to propose and summarize the strategy of single-arm trial supporting the marketing of anti-tumor drugs.

Music-based therapy in rehabilitation of people with multiple sclerosis: a systematic review of clinical trials / Terapia baseada na música na reabilitação de indivíduos com esclerose múltipla: revisão sistemática de ensaios clínicos

Abstract Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a major cause of chronic neurological disability in young adults. An increasing number of controlled studies have assessed the potential rehabilitative effects of new drug-free treatments, complementary to the standard care, including music-based therapy (MBT). Objective: To analyze the evidence for the effectiveness of MBT within the therapeutic approaches to individuals diagnosed with MS. Methods: A systematic review of clinical trials was performed with searches in the following databases: BIOSIS, CINAHL, Cochrane, EBSCO, ERIC, Google Scholar, IBECS, LILACS, LISA (ProQuest), Medline, PEDro, PsycINFO (APA), Psychological & Behavioral, PubMed, SciELO, Scopus, SPORTDiscus and Web of Science. Clinical trials comparing MBT versus conventional therapy/no intervention were included. Results: From the 282 studies identified, 10 trials were selected. Among these, the total sample consisted of 429 individuals: 253 were allocated to the experimental group (MBT) and 176 to the control group (conventional therapies or no intervention). All the studies presented high methodological quality. Modalities of MBT were clustered into four groups: (1) Rhythmic auditory; (2) Playing musical instruments; (3) Dance strategy; and (4) Neurological music therapy. Overall, the studies consistently showed that MBT was better than conventional therapy or no intervention, with regard to gait parameters (double support time and walking speed), fatigue level, fatigability, coordination, dexterity, balance, walking endurance, lower extremity functional strength, emotional status and pain. Regarding mental fatigability and memory, the data were conflicting and the evidence was unclear. Conclusion: MBT is a safe and effective approach for clinical rehabilitation of MS patients that leads to positive results regarding both motor and non-motor functions.

RESUMO Introdução: A esclerose múltipla (EM) é a maior causa de incapacidade neurológica crônica em adultos jovens. Um crescente número de estudos controlados avalia a reabilitação por meio de tratamentos não medicamentosos, cuidados complementares incluindo a terapia baseada na música (TBM). Objetivo: Analisar a evidência de efetividade da TBM na abordagem terapêutica de indivíduos diagnosticados com EM. Métodos: Foi realizada uma revisão sistemática de ensaios clínicos com busca nas bases de dados Biosis, Cinahl, Cochrane, Ebsco, Eric, Google Scholar, Ibecs, Lilacs, Lisa (ProQuest), Medline, PEDro, PsycINFO (APA), Psychological & Behavioral, PubMed, SciELO, Scopus, Sportdiscus e Web of Science. Foram incluídos ensaios clínicos comparando TBM versus terapia convencional/sem intervenção. Resultados: Dentre os 282 estudos identificados, 10 ensaios foram selecionados. Desses, a amostra total consistia em 429 indivíduos (253 alocados no grupo experimental (TBM) e 176 no grupo controle (terapias convencionais ou sem intervenção). Todos os estudos apresentaram elevada qualidade metodológica. Modalidades da TBM foram reunidas em quatro grupos: (1) Audição rítmica; (2) Tocar instrumentos musicais; (3) Dança como estratégia; e (4) Terapia neurofuncional baseada na música. A maioria dos estudos identificou que a TBM é melhor que a terapia convencional ou nenhuma intervenção nos parâmetros da marcha (duplo apoio e velocidade), níveis de fadiga, fatigabilidade, coordenação, destreza, equilíbrio, força de membros inferiores, estado emocional e dor. Os dados sobre fatigabilidade mental e memória foram conflitantes e as evidências são incertas. Conclusão: A TBM é uma abordagem segura na reabilitação clínica de indivíduos com EM e propicia resultados positivos nas funções motoras e não motoras.

Sistema para el manejo de datos de Ensayos Clínicos XAVIA SIDEC / Clinical Trials Data Management System XAVIA SIDEC

El ensayo clínico constituye el método empleado para evaluar un producto, sustancia, medicamento, técnica diagnóstica o terapéutica. La industria biotecnológica emplea sistemas de gestión de ensayos clínicos para lograr un manejo eficiente de los datos recopilados durante el proceso. El Centro de Inmunología Molecular (CIM) emplea el Sistema de Gestión de Ensayos Clínicos XAVIA Clínicas desarrollado por la UCI, para soportar el 100 por ciento de los ensayos clínicos desde el 2012. XAVIA Clínicas posee limitantes en sus funcionalidades; además, a partir de la experiencia obtenida por su uso, se identificaron mejoras y nuevas funcionalidades que constituyen el incentivo para desarrollar un nuevo sistema. El objetivo del presente artículo es presentar el Sistema para el manejo de datos de Ensayos Clínicos XAVIA SIDEC y su generalización en las instituciones de BioCubaFarma. Se estudió la bibliografía referente al manejo de datos de ensayos clínicos y cuadernos de recogida de datos electrónicos y se analizaron sistemas homólogos disponibles en el mercado internacional. La metodología de desarrollo empleada fue AUP-UCI. Se utilizó Eclipse como entorno integrado de desarrollo, Java como lenguaje de programación, JBoss como servidor de aplicaciones y PostgreSQL como sistema de gestión de bases de datos. El Sistema para el manejo de datos de Ensayos Clínicos XAVIA SIDEC facilita y flexibiliza el diseño y aprobación de los Cuadernos de recogida de información (CRD), estandariza la información manejada, valida los datos recopilados a través de reglas, mejora el flujo de información entre las entidades que conducen el ensayo y optimiza el proceso de monitoreo(AU)

Clinical trial is the method used to evaluate a product, substance, medicine, diagnostic or therapeutic technique. The biotechnology industry employs clinical trial management systems to achieve efficient management of data collected during clinical trials. CIM (Centro de Inmunología Molecular) uses the Clinical Trials Management System XAVIA Clínicas developed by UCI, to support 100 percent of clinical trials since 2012. This system has limitations in its functionalities; furthermore, based on the experience obtained, improvements and new functionalities were identified, so it was decided to develop a new version of the system. The objective of this article is to present the Clinical Trials Data Management System XAVIA SIDEC and its generalization in BioCubaFarma institutions. The bibliography referring to the clinical trial data management and electronic data collection notebooks was studied and homologous systems available in the international market were analyzed. The development methodology used was AUP-UCI. Eclipse was used as an integrated development environment, Java as a programming language, JBoss as an application server and PostgreSQL as a database management system. The Clinical Trials Data Management System XAVIA SIDEC facilitates and makes the Case Report Forms (CRF) design and approval more flexible, standardizes the information handled, validates the data collected through rules, improves the flow of information between the entities conducting the trial and optimizes the monitoring process(AU)

La regulación de los ensayos clínicos para la COVID-19 en el Perú / The regulation of COVID-19 clinical trials in Peru

RESUMEN La COVID-19 ha afectado la conducción de los ensayos clínicos a nivel mundial. Iniciada la emergencia sanitaria en Perú, el gobierno nacional tomó medidas para promover y garantizar la realización de los ensayos clínicos en COVID-19. Se conformó un comité de ética nacional exclusivo para ensayos clínicos COVID-19 y se implementó una regulación para asegurar la realización ética y oportuna de ensayos clínicos. Hasta el 31 de diciembre del 2020, el Instituto Nacional de Salud autorizó 29 ensayos clínicos, de los cuales cinco evalúan vacunas. El tiempo promedio y desviación estándar de la autorización fue 19,3 y 10,5 días, respectivamente. El 58,6% (n= 17) fueron ensayos clínicos fase II y el 34,5% (n= 10) fueron fase III; el 31,0% (n= 9) tuvo como patrocinador a una institución peruana. La finalidad de las acciones implementadas fue promover la investigación para la COVID-19, respondiendo a las necesidades y tiempos de la emergencia sanitaria, sin afectar la protección de los participantes ni la rigurosidad de los estudios.

ABSTRACT COVID-19 has affected the conduct of clinical trials worldwide. Once the health emergency began in Peru, the national government took measures to guarantee the conduct of COVID-19 clinical trials. A national research ethics committee was exclusively established for COVID-19 clinical trials; and a regulatory framework was implemented to ensure the ethical and timely conduct of these studies. To december 31, 2020, the Peruvian National Health Institute authorized 29 clinical trials, of which 4 test vaccines. The mean and standard deviation of time authorization were 19.3 and 10.5 days, respectively. 58.6% (n= 17) were phase II clinical trials and 34.5% (n= 10) were phase III; 31.0% (n= 9) were sponsored by a Peruvian institution. The aim of the actions implemented was to promote COVID-19 research while responding to the health emergency needs without affecting the protection of participants or the rigor of the studies.

La regulación de los ensayos clínicos para la COVID-19 en el Perú / The regulation of COVID-19 clinical trials in Peru

RESUMEN La COVID-19 ha afectado la conducción de los ensayos clínicos a nivel mundial. Iniciada la emergencia sanitaria en Perú, el gobierno nacional tomó medidas para promover y garantizar la realización de los ensayos clínicos en COVID-19. Se conformó un comité de ética nacional exclusivo para ensayos clínicos COVID-19 y se implementó una regulación para asegurar la realización ética y oportuna de ensayos clínicos. Hasta el 31 de diciembre del 2020, el Instituto Nacional de Salud autorizó 29 ensayos clínicos, de los cuales cinco evalúan vacunas. El tiempo promedio y desviación estándar de la autorización fue 19,3 y 10,5 días, respectivamente. El 58,6% (n= 17) fueron ensayos clínicos fase II y el 34,5% (n= 10) fueron fase III; el 31,0% (n= 9) tuvo como patrocinador a una institución peruana. La finalidad de las acciones implementadas fue promover la investigación para la COVID-19, respondiendo a las necesidades y tiempos de la emergencia sanitaria, sin afectar la protección de los participantes ni la rigurosidad de los estudios.

ABSTRACT COVID-19 has affected the conduct of clinical trials worldwide. Once the health emergency began in Peru, the national government took measures to guarantee the conduct of COVID-19 clinical trials. A national research ethics committee was exclusively established for COVID-19 clinical trials; and a regulatory framework was implemented to ensure the ethical and timely conduct of these studies. To december 31, 2020, the Peruvian National Health Institute authorized 29 clinical trials, of which 4 test vaccines. The mean and standard deviation of time authorization were 19.3 and 10.5 days, respectively. 58.6% (n= 17) were phase II clinical trials and 34.5% (n= 10) were phase III; 31.0% (n= 9) were sponsored by a Peruvian institution. The aim of the actions implemented was to promote COVID-19 research while responding to the health emergency needs without affecting the protection of participants or the rigor of the studies.

El panorama de los ensayos clínicos sobre COVID-19 en América Latina y el Caribe: evaluación y desafíos / The landscape of COVID-19 clinical trials in Latin America and the Caribbean: assessment and challenges

RESUMEN Se está llevando a cabo un número considerable de ensayos clínicos en todo el mundo en respuesta a la pandemia de COVID-19, incluso en países de ingresos bajos y medios como los de América Latina y el Caribe. Sin embargo, la abundancia de estudios no necesariamente acorta el camino para encontrar intervenciones seguras y eficaces frente a la COVID-19. Se analizaron los ensayos para el tratamiento y la prevención de la COVID-19 de los países de América Latina y el Caribe que están registrados en la Plataforma de Registros Internacionales de Ensayos Clínicos de la Organización Mundial de la Salud, y se identificó una tendencia hacia la realización de estudios pequeños, repetitivos y no rigurosos que duplican los esfuerzos y merman recursos limitados sin producir conclusiones significativas sobre la seguridad y la eficacia de las intervenciones evaluadas. Se evaluaron asimismo los desafíos que plantea la realización de investigaciones científicamente sólidas y socialmente valiosas en América Latina y el Caribe a fin de brindar recomendaciones que alienten la realización de ensayos clínicos que tengan más probabilidades de producir evidencia sólida durante la pandemia.

ABSTRACT A considerable number of clinical trials is being conducted globally in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including in low- and middle-income countries such as those in the Latin America and Caribbean region (LAC). Yet, an abundance of studies does not necessarily shorten the path to find safe and efficacious interventions for COVID-19. We analyze the trials for COVID-19 treatment and prevention that are registered from LAC countries in the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and identify a trend towards small repetitive non-rigorous studies that duplicate efforts and drain limited resources without producing meaningful conclusions on the safety and efficacy of the interventions being tested. We further assess the challenges to conducting scientifically sound and socially valuable research in the LAC region in order to inform recommendations to encourage clinical trials that are most likely to produce robust evidence during the pandemic.

Diretrizes metodológicas: elaboração de revisão sistemática e meta-análise de ensaios clínicos randomizados [recurso eletrônico] / Methodological guidelines: elaboration of systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials [electronic resource]

DEFINIÇÃO DE REVISÃO SISTEMÁTICA: A RS sintetiza os resultados de estudos primários que se enquadram nos critérios de elegibilidade para responder uma pergunta de pesquisa3. A busca por estudos é realizada de forma sistemática, por meio de várias fontes de dados, com o uso de uma estratégia de busca ampla e sensível7 . A pergunta da pesquisa nas RS de ECR é estruturada no formato PICO (População, Intervenção, Comparador e Desfecho ­ em inglês, outcome). Esse tipo de revisão se baseia em métodos rigorosos, explícitos e reprodutíveis, para minimizar o risco de viés, entender as inconsistências dos resultados e então fornecer resultados confiáveis para a tomada de decisão. DEFINIÇÃO DE META-ANÁLISE META-ANÁLISE: é um método estatístico que pode ser realizado em RS para combinar os resultados de dois ou mais estudos independentes, que podem testar ou não a mesma pergunta/hipótese, gerando uma única estimativa de efeito8. A meta-análise pode ser em pares/ direta ou as meta-análises em rede, ou meta-análises de comparações múltiplas. Na presente diretriz, serão apresentados apenas os conceitos de meta-análise em pares. A vantagem da meta-análise é que esta pode apresentar uma estimativa mais precisa do tamanho do efeito, com considerável aumento do poder estatístico, o que é importante quando o poder do estudo primário é limitado devido ao pequeno tamanho da amostra9. Uma meta-análise pode, em alguns casos, produzir resultados conclusivos quando estudos individuais primários são inconclusivos. Uma RS não necessariamente precisa apresentar uma meta-análise para sintetizar seus resultados. Ao contrário, em alguns casos não é apropriado que elas sejam realizadas, podendo até mesmo gerar conclusões errôneas. Nesse caso, sínteses qualitativas devem ser utilizadas. IMPORTÂNCIA DAS REVISÕES SISTEMÁTICAS: A RS sintetiza os estudos primários da literatura sobre uma questão específica de pesquisa, auxiliando a tomada de decisão na saúde em torno da melhor conduta terapêutica ou profilática. Além disso, esse tipo de estudo ajuda a evitar desperdícios de pesquisa, garantindo que novas pesquisas primárias sejam realizadas com pleno conhecimento da evidência existente11. Um único estudo primário frequentemente não consegue detectar diferenças clinicamente relevantes de efeitos entre dois tratamentos, pois elaborar um ECR, com estimativas corretas para o cálculo do tamanho de amostra e poder estatístico adequados, exige, na maioria das vezes, um tamanho de amostra bastante significativo. Finalizar um ECR com um tamanho de amostra grande necessita de infraestrutura, recursos humanos especializados e recursos financeiros importantes, não disponíveis na maioria das vezes. De qualquer forma, RS com ou sem meta-análise são complementares aos estudos randomizados, por fornecerem ao profissional de saúde uma síntese do conhecimento atual disponível11. As RS também podem contribuir para aumentar a validade externa dos estudos, ou seja, contribuir para a generalização dos resultados. Em algumas situações, os achados de um estudo particular podem ser válidos apenas para uma população com as mesmas características das investigadas no estudo 10. LIMITAÇÕES E DESAFIOS DA ELABORAÇÃO DE REVISÕES SISTEMÁTICAS: As RS possuem alguns desafios, como a gestão de grande volume de informações e extração de dados, o tempo para a realização do estudo e as possíveis limitações de recursos humanos e materiais disponíveis12. As principais limitações que podem afetar a confiabilidade dos resultados de uma RS são o viés de publicação, além de dificuldades em combinar estudos que possam ter diferenças nas populações, nas intervenções, nos comparadores e na definição dos desfechos (diversidade clínica). Assim, é necessário explorar criticamente a evidência apresentada pela RS. Interpretações enganosas podem ser evitadas se princípios básicos forem observados. Nessa diretriz, serão discutidas as etapas para realização de RS de ECR, com ênfase em princípios básicos para garantir a validade dos resultados. RECURSOS NECESSÁRIOS: O conjunto de recursos, conhecimentos e habilidades da equipe envolvida é decisivo para a realização de uma RS de forma otimizada. O tempo é fator predominante e vai depender do tema e do escopo da revisão, assim como das habilidades e dos conhecimentos técnicos dos revisores. É preciso estimar o tempo que será necessário para a condução da RS e a disponibilidade que cada membro da equipe terá para trabalhar na revisão. A elaboração de um cronograma é importante, e este deve incluir todas as etapas, como treinamentos, reuniões, desenvolvimento do protocolo, busca e seleção dos estudos, extração e análise de dados etc. É importante prever gastos, como a necessidade de contratar um tradutor, para tradução de estudos em idioma não dominado pela equipe, ou comprar estudos em texto completo, não disponíveis para os revisores. Assim, sugere-se a elaboração de um orçamento, contemplando todos os itens com seus respectivos valores. Os recursos financeiros podem ser próprios ou podem ser financiados por entidades de agências de fomento à pesquisa (ex.: Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico [CNPq], Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo [Fapesp] etc.), instituições responsáveis pela avaliação tecnológica (Ministério da Saúde) ou envolvidas na elaboração de diretrizes para prática clínica (sociedades brasileiras de especialidades clínicas). Recursos humanos: é importante estimar o número de pessoas que irão compor a equipe da revisão, em quais etapas, quem será o coordenador principal da revisão, a necessidade de consultoria de especialistas no assunto, além de apoio estatístico e bibliotecário (se necessário). É importante ter pelo menos três pesquisadores envolvidos para que seja possível minimizar os vieses e os erros em todos os estágios da RS7 . A equipe de pesquisa pode conter outros membros da sociedade envolvidos com o tema, os quais podem ser consultados em vários estágios da RS, como profissionais de saúde especialistas no tema pesquisado, representantes de pacientes, usuários de serviços e especialistas em métodos estatísticos7 . As habilidades e os conhecimentos são fundamentais para a garantia da qualidade metodológica da RS. Assim, conhecimentos aprofundados sobre métodos de pesquisa, epidemiologia, conhecimento clínico da questão de pesquisa, informática e domínio de língua inglesa são necessários. Além disso, a equipe deve saber utilizar as ferramentas necessárias à condução da revisão, como os gerenciadores de referência, bases de dados bibliográficas, softwares que auxiliem na condução ou no relato da revisão sistemática, programas estatísticos para meta-análise. Recursos materiais: é importante estimar todos os recursos necessários para elaboração da RS, como computadores, acesso à internet, softwares de gerenciamento de referências (por exemplo, Mendeley, Endnote, Zotero), e softwares estatísticos (RevMan, R, Stata, Comprehensive Meta-Analysis, por exemplo), além de eventual aquisição de textos completos de publicações com acesso restrito.

El panorama de los ensayos clínicos sobre COVID-19 en América Latina y el Caribe: evaluación y desafíos / The landscape of COVID-19 clinical trials in Latin America and the Caribbean: assessment and challenges

RESUMEN Se está llevando a cabo un número considerable de ensayos clínicos en todo el mundo en respuesta a la pandemia de COVID-19, incluso en países de ingresos bajos y medios como los de América Latina y el Caribe. Sin embargo, la abundancia de estudios no necesariamente acorta el camino para encontrar intervenciones seguras y eficaces frente a la COVID-19. Se analizaron los ensayos para el tratamiento y la prevención de la COVID-19 de los países de América Latina y el Caribe que están registrados en la Plataforma de Registros Internacionales de Ensayos Clínicos de la Organización Mundial de la Salud, y se identificó una tendencia hacia la realización de estudios pequeños, repetitivos y no rigurosos que duplican los esfuerzos y merman recursos limitados sin producir conclusiones significativas sobre la seguridad y la eficacia de las intervenciones evaluadas. Se evaluaron asimismo los desafíos que plantea la realización de investigaciones científicamente sólidas y socialmente valiosas en América Latina y el Caribe a fin de brindar recomendaciones que alienten la realización de ensayos clínicos que tengan más probabilidades de producir evidencia sólida durante la pandemia.

ABSTRACT A considerable number of clinical trials is being conducted globally in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including in low- and middle-income countries such as those in the Latin America and Caribbean region (LAC). Yet, an abundance of studies does not necessarily shorten the path to find safe and efficacious interventions for COVID-19. We analyze the trials for COVID-19 treatment and prevention that are registered from LAC countries in the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and identify a trend towards small repetitive non-rigorous studies that duplicate efforts and drain limited resources without producing meaningful conclusions on the safety and efficacy of the interventions being tested. We further assess the challenges to conducting scientifically sound and socially valuable research in the LAC region in order to inform recommendations to encourage clinical trials that are most likely to produce robust evidence during the pandemic.