In this episode, we announce the second iteration of the HelixTalk Drug Superlative Awards -- awards given to medications on the market that are outstanding or notorious. In announcing these completely fictitious awards, we review key clinical pearls and pitfalls that every clinician should be aware of with these notable medications.

Key Concepts

1. The award for the most unique phase III patient population for a widely used medication goes to … Pneumovax-23 (PPSV-23) for its predecessor versions that were studied in South African novice gold miners.
2. The award for the most misunderstood boxed warning goes to … all of the DOACs (but specifically apixaban and rivaroxaban). In particular, due to BOTH an increased risk of thrombosis and bleeding when switching from a DOAC to warfarin therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation.
3. The award for the biggest difference between pharmacokinetic properties and pharmacodynamic effects goes to … aspirin due to its short-half life and short duration of analgesic effect and yet very prolonged antiplatelet effect.
4. The award for the drug that should be dispensed with extra toilet paper … TIE between irinotecan and clindamycin. The most common dose-limiting adverse effect of irinotecan is diarrhea – loperamide is extensively used in these patients. Clindamycin earns the award because it is the antibiotic most associated with Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD).

References

• Smit P, Oberholzer D, Hayden-Smith S, Koornhof HJ, Hilleman MR. Protective efficacy of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines. JAMA. 1977;238(24):2613-2616. Farrar JL, Childs L, Ouattara M, et al. Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Efficacy and
• Effectiveness of Pneumococcal Vaccines in Adults. Pathogens. 2023;12(5):732. Published 2023 May 19. doi:10.3390/pathogens12050732
• Pavia M, Bianco A, Nobile CG, Marinelli P, Angelillo IF. Efficacy of pneumococcal vaccination in children younger than 24 months: a meta-analysis. Pediatrics. 2009;123(6):e1103-e1110. doi:10.1542/peds.2008-3422
• Deshpande A, Pasupuleti V, Thota P, Pant C, Rolston DD, Sferra TJ, Hernandez AV, Donskey CJ. Community-associated Clostridium difficile infection and antibiotics: a meta-analysis. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2013 Sep;68(9):1951-61. doi: 10.1093/jac/dkt129.