Taste assessment for paediatric drug Development: A comparison of bitterness taste aversion in children versus Naïve and expert young adult assessors

Medicines for children often taste bitter, presenting a significant challenge to treatment compliance. However, most studies on paediatric drug development rely on adult volunteers for sensory research, and the level of expertise required from these assessors is unclear. This study aimed to address this gap by investigating perceived bitterness aversion to taste strips impregnated with different concentrations of quinine hydrochloride in 439 school-aged children. Expert (n = 26) and naïve (n = 65) young adult assessors evaluated quinine solutions as well as taste strips, for methodological bridging purposes. All assessors differentiated the aversiveness of the taste strips in a dose dependent manner. Younger children aged 4–8 years had difficulty discriminating higher bitter concentrations, whereas pre-adolescents 9–11 years and naive adults showed better discrimination at the top of the scale. Naive assessors showed similar bitter perception as children. However, the results were slightly different between strips and solution in adults. These findings highlight the key role that adult panels can play in paediatric formulation development. Taste strips show promise as a safe and pragmatic tool for sensory pharmaceutical evaluations, though further studies are warranted to establish the relationship between age and hedonic taste perception using compounds with diverse physicochemical and sensory qualities

In vitro susceptibility testing of Candida and Aspergillus spp. to voriconazole and other antifungal agents using Etest ® : results of a French multicentre study

International audienceMinimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the antifungal agent voriconazole were determined using the Etest(R) and compared with those of amphotericin B. itraconazole and fluconazole using 1986 clinical isolates of Candida spp. Voriconazole MICs were also compared with those of amphotericin B and itraconazole using 391 clinical isolates of Aspergillus spp. Voriconazole was found to have more potent activity and lower MIC values than amphotericin B, itraconazole and fluconazole against C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis and C. kefyr. Against C. glabrata and C. krusei, voriconazole was more active than either of the other two azole antifungals but had similar activity to amphotericin B. For species of Aspergillus, MIC values of voriconazole were lower than those of amphotericin B and itraconazole against A. fumigatus and A. flavus, and were similar to those of amphotericin B against A. niger. Against A. terreus, MIC values for voriconazole and itraconazole were similar. A. terreus is known to be resistant to amphotericin B, and this was reflected in higher MIC values compared with those of voriconazole and itraconazole. Voriconazole therefore compares very favourably with other antifungal agents against a large number of clinical isolates of Candida and Aspergillus spp

Intraneural ganglia: A clinical problem deserving a mechanistic explanation and model

Intraneural ganglion cysts have been considered a curiosity for 2 centuries. Based on a unifying articular (synovial) theory, recent evidence has provided a logical explanation for their formation and propagation. The fundamental principle is that of a joint origin and a capsular defect through which synovial fluid escapes following the articular branch, typically into the parent nerve. A stereotypical, reproducible appearance has been characterized that suggests a shared pathogenesis. In the present report the authors will provide a mechanistic explanation that can then be mathematically tested using a preliminary model created by finite element analysis