{"title":"Revisiting the role of danazol in the contemporary management of endometriosis-related pain: a systematic review.","authors":"Milo Giani, Claudia Tucci, Virginia Manzi, Carlotta Campatelli, Silvia Vannuccini, Felice Petraglia","doi":"10.1080/14656566.2026.2726518","DOIUrl":"10.1080/14656566.2026.2726518","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Danazol is a synthetic steroid approved in 1976 for the treatment of endometriosis-associated pain. Despite its established efficacy, its clinical use has markedly declined due to androgenic and metabolic adverse effects, prompting reconsideration of its role in current practice.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines and registered in PROSPERO. Six electronic databases were searched up to June 2025 for studies evaluating oral danazol in women with endometriosis. Thirty studies (1,486 patients), including 22 randomized trials, were included.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Danazol was evaluated across a wide range of dosing regimens, although most studies used 600 mg/day for 6 months. Consistent reductions in dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia and chronic pelvic pain were reported across the majority of studies. Amenorrhea rates generally increased with higher doses, whereas treatment discontinuation due to adverse events ranged from 0 to approximately 14%. Symptom recurrence after treatment discontinuation was frequently observed. Overall risk of bias was low to moderate.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Danazol demonstrates consistent efficacy in reducing endometriosis-associated pain. Although high-dose regimens are limited by adverse effects, limited evidence suggests that lower-dose regimens may offer a more favorable balance between efficacy and tolerability. These findings support a reappraisal of danazol as a therapeutic option for carefully selected patients within contemporary management strategies.</p><p><strong>Protocol registration: </strong>International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO), CRD420251088044. Available at: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero.</p>","PeriodicalId":12184,"journal":{"name":"Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148839682","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lorenzo Perilli, Giovanni Battista Dell'isola, Pietro Ferrara, Salvatore Savasta, Federico Vigevano, Pasquale Striano, Alberto Verrotti
{"title":"From syndrome to precision therapy: current and emerging therapeutic options for selected pediatric focal epilepsies.","authors":"Lorenzo Perilli, Giovanni Battista Dell'isola, Pietro Ferrara, Salvatore Savasta, Federico Vigevano, Pasquale Striano, Alberto Verrotti","doi":"10.1080/14656566.2026.2725871","DOIUrl":"10.1080/14656566.2026.2725871","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Pediatric focal epilepsies comprise a heterogeneous group of disorders, ranging from self-limited childhood syndromes to severe drug-resistant forms associated with structural, genetic, immune, or unknown etiologies. Despite newer antiseizure medications, pediatric evidence remains largely extrapolated from heterogeneous focal-onset seizure trials, with limited syndrome- or localization-specific data.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>A structured iterative narrative search of PubMed, Scopus, and Embase was completed in May 2026 and supplemented by section-specific searches and manual reference screening. This review summarizes current and emerging pharmacotherapeutic options for selected representative pediatric focal epilepsies using a syndrome- and localization-oriented approach. We discuss self-limited focal epilepsies of childhood, frontal lobe epilepsy, and temporal lobe epilepsy, highlighting conventional antiseizure medications, newer agents, and investigational or repurposed treatments. Particular attention is given to drug resistance, comorbidities, rational polytherapy, and integration of pharmacological treatment with genetic diagnosis, neuroimaging, and surgical evaluation.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>Management is moving from a purely seizure-based approach toward individualized, mechanism-informed care. Newer antiseizure medications expand therapeutic options, particularly in drug-resistant focal epilepsies, but should not delay etiological work-up or timely referral for epilepsy surgery. Future progress will require pediatric condition-specific trials, genotype-driven stratification, real-world data, and targeted therapies.</p>","PeriodicalId":12184,"journal":{"name":"Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148826479","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Angelo Cagnacci, Stefano Lello, Anna Capozzi, Tommaso Simoncini
{"title":"Natural estrogens: the new reference in contraception. An Italian expert opinion paper.","authors":"Angelo Cagnacci, Stefano Lello, Anna Capozzi, Tommaso Simoncini","doi":"10.1080/14656566.2026.2725109","DOIUrl":"10.1080/14656566.2026.2725109","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Combined oral contraceptives (COCs) have undergone continuous pharmacological evolution since their introduction in the 1960s. The replacement of synthetic ethinyl estradiol (EE) with natural estrogens - estradiol (E2), estradiol valerate (E2V), and estetrol (E4) - represents a significant advancement in improving the tolerability, safety, and acceptability of hormonal contraception.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>This paper surveys the extensive literature existing on the historical and pharmacological evolution of COCs, with particular focus on the role of the estrogenic component in balancing efficacy and tolerability. The pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles of available estrogens are discussed, highlighting the distinctive properties of estradiol, estradiol valerate and estetrol. Evidence from clinical trials and observational studies supporting a favorable metabolic, hemostatic, and cardiovascular profile of natural estrogen-based COCs is reviewed, alongside emerging data supporting their designation as a first-line contraceptive option.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>Natural estrogens represent the culmination of approximately 70 years of COC development. Their incorporation into clinical guidelines as first-line options requires comprehensive awareness among healthcare providers and broader access for users. Further lines of research may focus on pharmacological optimization and long-term safety across diverse populations as in women with comorbidities to fully realizing their clinical wide potential.</p>","PeriodicalId":12184,"journal":{"name":"Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148826537","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Dopamine transporter and beyond: evolving targets and combination strategies in stimulant use disorder.","authors":"Ike de la Peña, Justin Row, Wei-Xing Shi","doi":"10.1080/14656566.2026.2697064","DOIUrl":"10.1080/14656566.2026.2697064","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Stimulant use disorder (StUD), including cocaine and methamphetamine use disorders, remains a major unmet clinical need with no approved pharmacotherapies. Despite strong mechanistic rationale, dopamine transporter (DAT)-directed strategies have largely failed to translate into consistent clinical benefit.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>This review evaluates the contemporary pharmacotherapy landscape for StUD, focusing on phase II/III clinical trials and systematic reviews published from January 2020- April 2026. Evidence was identified through PubMed/MEDLINE and ClinicalTrials.gov and synthesized narratively due to study heterogeneity. Therapeutic approaches are organized by mechanistic class, including DAT-targeting agents, non-DAT strategies (multi-monoaminergic, glutamatergic, serotonergic, and neuroimmune), and combination pharmacotherapy. Across studies, monotherapies generally demonstrate limited or inconsistent efficacy, although mirtazapine has shown the most consistent positive findings. Combination pharmacotherapy approaches, particularly naltrexone-bupropion, have generated some of the most encouraging clinical results to date. The role of DAT is reappraised within emerging biological frameworks and a systems-level model of addiction.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>Current evidence supports a reappraisal of DAT as one component of a broader neurobiology of stimulant addiction. Future therapeutic development may benefit from moving beyond DAT-centric strategies toward integrated, multi-target approaches. Combination pharmacotherapy represents a promising direction for investigation, although available evidence remains heterogeneous and requires substantial clinical validation.</p>","PeriodicalId":12184,"journal":{"name":"Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"1149-1162"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148351356","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Current perspectives on β<sub>2</sub>-adrenergic receptor agonists in asthma: navigating from track to track within GINA recommendations.","authors":"Luigino Calzetta, Paola Rogliani","doi":"10.1080/14656566.2026.2702385","DOIUrl":"10.1080/14656566.2026.2702385","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Asthma treatment has long relied on short-acting β<sub>2</sub>-adrenergic receptor (β<sub>2</sub>-AR) agonists (SABA) such as salbutamol for as-needed relief, often without concurrent anti-inflammatory therapy. Emerging data link frequent SABA use to higher exacerbation rates and mortality. Current recommendations organize asthma treatment into Track 1, with as-needed inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)/formoterol used also as maintenance-and-reliever therapy, and Track 2, with SABA or ICS/SABA reliever plus separate maintenance; Track 1 is identified as the preferred option.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>This review evaluates β<sub>2</sub>-AR agonist use within the Track 1/Track 2 context. Randomized trials show as-needed ICS/formoterol reduces severe exacerbations more than SABA-based regimens, without a detectable mortality signal. Large observational evidence indicates that 3-5 SABA canisters per year already associates with increased mortality, with higher risk at 6-10 and ≥11 canisters per year. Contemporary trials and real-world studies reveal many patients on SABA-centered or fluticasone furoate/vilanterol regimens may reach these exposure levels, whereas ICS/formoterol regimens produce lower reliever use and fewer exacerbations.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>Where ICS/formoterol is accessible, Track 1 should be the default strategy. Clinicians should minimize SABA overuse, prioritize ICS/formoterol regimens, and advocate policies improving access to reduce preventable morbidity and mortality.</p>","PeriodicalId":12184,"journal":{"name":"Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"1085-1095"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148435787","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Gepotidacin in oral antibacterial pharmacotherapy: efficacy, safety, and clinical positioning.","authors":"Muhammad Saeed Akhtar","doi":"10.1080/14656566.2026.2705348","DOIUrl":"10.1080/14656566.2026.2705348","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Rising antimicrobial resistance and limited innovation in oral antibacterial therapy continue to complicate treatment of common outpatient infections. Gepotidacin (Blujepa) is an oral triazaacenaphthylene antibacterial that inhibits bacterial type II topoisomerases. In the United States, it is approved for uncomplicated urinary tract infection (uUTI) in eligible female adults and adolescents, and for uncomplicated urogenital gonorrhea in eligible patients with limited or no alternative treatment options.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>This narrative review evaluates gepotidacin's mechanism, clinical pharmacology, efficacy, safety, and therapeutic positioning. Literature published through 30 June 2026 was identified through PubMed, Scopus, and SciFinder-n, supplemented by targeted searches of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), World Health Organization (WHO), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sources. Efficacy is assessed primarily from the EAGLE-2, EAGLE-3, and EAGLE-1 phase 3 trials, while regulatory and surveillance evidence informs approved use, safety, resistance, and clinical positioning.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>Gepotidacin should be viewed as a selective addition to oral antibacterial pharmacotherapy rather than a replacement for established first-line regimens. Its long-term role will depend on stewardship-aligned use, resistance surveillance, comparative-effectiveness data, and careful safety management.</p>","PeriodicalId":12184,"journal":{"name":"Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"1197-1208"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148445300","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Poonkiat Suchonwanit, Kasama Tejapira, Nawara Sakpuwadol
{"title":"Future directions for pharmaceutical management of alopecia areata in Asia.","authors":"Poonkiat Suchonwanit, Kasama Tejapira, Nawara Sakpuwadol","doi":"10.1080/14656566.2026.2709661","DOIUrl":"10.1080/14656566.2026.2709661","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Alopecia areata (AA) has entered a new therapeutic era, but the future of pharmaceutical management in Asia will be determined not only by drug efficacy but also by how targeted therapies are selected, monitored, sequenced, and financed across heterogeneous health systems.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>This narrative review examines the evolving pharmacologic management of AA in Asia, with emphasis on Asian clinical practice guidelines as well as pivotal randomized trials, long-term extension studies, and recent Asian real-world evidence. This review highlights regional differences in disease burden, access to therapy, infection-aware safety monitoring, outcome assessment, and implementation challenges that distinguish Asian practice from Western treatment models.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>The next major advance in Asia will not be the simple expansion of Janus kinase inhibitor availability. Rather, it will be the development of implementation-ready, precision-oriented care pathways that integrate disease trajectory, patient-reported burden, special-population needs, and pharmacoequity. Future progress will depend on better evidence for early intervention, maintenance and discontinuation strategies, multidimensional outcome measures beyond scalp regrowth alone, and regional registries capable of supporting long-term comparative effectiveness and pharmacovigilance.</p>","PeriodicalId":12184,"journal":{"name":"Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"1353-1366"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148561203","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Francesco Panza, Vittorio Dibello, Antonio Daniele, Madia Lozupone
{"title":"Do sigma-1 receptor agonists offer therapeutic promise for Alzheimer's disease?","authors":"Francesco Panza, Vittorio Dibello, Antonio Daniele, Madia Lozupone","doi":"10.1080/14656566.2026.2706070","DOIUrl":"10.1080/14656566.2026.2706070","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains a major unmet medical need despite recent advances in amyloid-targeting therapies. The modest efficacy, safety concerns, and limited accessibility of monoclonal antibodies highlighted the need for alternative/complementary therapeutic strategies. The sigma-1 receptor (σ-1R), a ligand-operated chaperone involved in cellular stress responses, has emerged as a promising target in neurodegeneration.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>The present Special Report provided a focused overview of σ-1R agonists in AD, emphasizing their mechanistic role in modulating calcium homeostasis, mitochondrial function, autophagy, and neuroinflammation. We discussed clinical-stage compounds, including blarcamesine, evaluating their potential effects on both cognitive decline and neuropsychiatric symptoms. In addition, we highlighted emerging precision medicine approaches, including biomarker development and patient stratification.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>σ-1R agonists represented a novel therapeutic class that may enhance neuronal resilience rather than directly targeting specific pathological aggregates. This mechanism positions them as attractive candidates for combination strategies and for broader patient populations, including those ineligible for biologic therapies. However, challenges remained, including incomplete understanding of receptor biology in aging and disease, variability in clinical response, and the need for robust biomarkers of target engagement. Future research should prioritize well-designed clinical trials and integrative biomarker strategies to define their role in AD treatment paradigms.</p>","PeriodicalId":12184,"journal":{"name":"Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"1243-1250"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148454997","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Moza Hamoud, Victor M Samperio, Aishwarya Ghonge, Alainya Tomanec, Constantin A Dasanu
{"title":"Selecting optimal therapy in the evolving therapeutic landscape of metastatic pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma.","authors":"Moza Hamoud, Victor M Samperio, Aishwarya Ghonge, Alainya Tomanec, Constantin A Dasanu","doi":"10.1080/14656566.2026.2704873","DOIUrl":"10.1080/14656566.2026.2704873","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12184,"journal":{"name":"Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"1037-1040"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148435791","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Pharmacotherapeutic strategies for the treatment of severe juvenile acne.","authors":"Chiara Palagiano, Luca Potestio, Claudio Brescia, Maddalena Napolitano","doi":"10.1080/14656566.2026.2715706","DOIUrl":"10.1080/14656566.2026.2715706","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Severe juvenile acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory disorder that can impair quality of life and lead to permanent scarring during adolescence. Advances in understanding acne pathophysiology have shifted treatment toward early intervention, antimicrobial stewardship, and individualized systemic strategies.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>This narrative review summarizes current evidence on pharmacotherapy for severe juvenile acne, focusing on systemic treatments. PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov database were searchede from inception to March 2026. Key pathogenic mechanisms,, including sebaceous hyperactivity, follicular hyperkeratinization, Cutibacterium acnes, dysbiosis, immune-inflammatory activation, and hormonal influences, are reviewed.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>Severe juvenile acne should not be dismissed as a physiologic feature of adolescence, because delayed or inadequate treatment may cause major physical and psychological sequelae. Oral isotretinoin remains the gold standard for severe nodulocystic, scarring, or treatment-resistant acne. Timely specialist assessment is essential to avoid unnecessary delay when licensed criteria are met, while ensuring compliance with product information, regulatory requirements, and risk-minimization measures. Prolonged systemic antibiotic use should be limited through benzoyl peroxide combinations and shorter courses. Future strategies will likely become more individualized, microbiome-conscious, and inflammation-targeted, aiming to prevent scarring and psychosocial burden as well as achieve lesion clearance.</p>","PeriodicalId":12184,"journal":{"name":"Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"1321-1330"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148677698","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}