The Grabowski collection in the Kraków Museum of Pharmacy

The article presents 23 antique pharmaceutical vessels from the Kraków’s Museum of Pharmacy. The whole collection consists of 83 vessels, which in 1976 were donated to the Museum by Bronisław Mateusz Grabowski, a pharmacist and an art collector. Apart from the information about the donor as well as the major types of majolica pharmaceutical vessels, the article presents the pictures of the selected vessels and their descriptions which are made up of such elements as the type of a vessel, its size, character of decoration, the place and time of origin and the explanation of the inscription (name of medicament, its composition and application)

The Jagiellonian University Museum of Pharmacy : candle Wheel and Apothecary's tradition of making candles and wax to seal

In the article, a 19th c. device for manufacturing candles, exhibited in the Kraków Museum of Pharmacy, is described. The article discusses also the tradition of producing candles and wax for seals by European apothecaries in the period from 13th to 19th century

A Contribution to the Question of Marcin Siennik’s Nationality

The aim of the article is to supplement the knowledge of the German origin of Marcin Siennik by, among many other things, the information concerning his Protestant denomination, which influenced the way in which some fragments of the originally Italian The Secrets of the Reverend Maister Alexis of Piemont (Venice, 1555) were translated into Polish, and at the same time to present the views and doings of Sebastian Śleszkowski, the publisher of the second edition of the Polish translation of The Secrets (Kraków, 1620)

Ulisses Aldrovandi, jego kolekcja przyrodnicza oraz związki z polskimi uczonymi. Część 2

The article is a continuation of the subject connected with the work of Ulissess Aldrovandi focusing on Polish scholars’ contribution to enrich his collection. Some specimens and prints he could not find personally, he received thanks to his friendship and correspondence with fellow scientists, former students and travellers interested in his work and in visiting his museum. Thanks to his Polish contacts, Aldrovandi could also extend his collection by specimens from Poland. The Professor of the Kraków Academy, Marcin Fox, who met the naturalist during his studies in Bologna, was particularly instrumental in acquiring exhibits. The exchange of letters and nature exhibits between the scientists continued from 1579 to 1588

Ulisses Aldrovandi, jego kolekcja przyrodnicza oraz związki z polskimi uczonymi. Część 1.

Born in Bologna, educated at Bologna and Padua universities, Ulisse Aldrovandi (1522–1605), is generally known as a naturalist and biologist, the author a great work: Natural History, in which he aimed to contain his entire knowledge of nature. Aldrovandi was a man of very receptive mind, thoroughly educated and thus he was appointed to various offices throughout his life. He was the Head of the Chair of Natural Sciences at the Bologna University. He contributed to the opening of the municipal botanical garden of which he was the director for many years. While holding the office of Protomedicus, he compiled the first Bologna’s pharmacopoeia which is still binding in the city. He spent most of his free time and funds on travelling and collecting materials for his Natural History. His steadily growing collection of books, manuscripts, drawings and natural exhibits was displayed in his own house and was available to visitors. In his last will, Aldrovandi bequeathed his natural collection and library to the Senate of Bologna which transferred the collection to the Municipal Palace. The surviving exhibits and prints are now kept at the Palazzo Poggi and the University Library in Bologna

Impact of safety-related dose reductions or discontinuations on sustained virologic response in HCV-infected patients: Results from the GUARD-C Cohort

BACKGROUND: Despite the introduction of direct-acting antiviral agents for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, peginterferon alfa/ribavirin remains relevant in many resource-constrained settings. The non-randomized GUARD-C cohort investigated baseline predictors of safety-related dose reductions or discontinuations (sr-RD) and their impact on sustained virologic response (SVR) in patients receiving peginterferon alfa/ribavirin in routine practice. METHODS: A total of 3181 HCV-mono-infected treatment-naive patients were assigned to 24 or 48 weeks of peginterferon alfa/ribavirin by their physician. Patients were categorized by time-to-first sr-RD (Week 4/12). Detailed analyses of the impact of sr-RD on SVR24 (HCV RNA <50 IU/mL) were conducted in 951 Caucasian, noncirrhotic genotype (G)1 patients assigned to peginterferon alfa-2a/ribavirin for 48 weeks. The probability of SVR24 was identified by a baseline scoring system (range: 0-9 points) on which scores of 5 to 9 and <5 represent high and low probability of SVR24, respectively. RESULTS: SVR24 rates were 46.1% (754/1634), 77.1% (279/362), 68.0% (514/756), and 51.3% (203/396), respectively, in G1, 2, 3, and 4 patients. Overall, 16.9% and 21.8% patients experienced 651 sr-RD for peginterferon alfa and ribavirin, respectively. Among Caucasian noncirrhotic G1 patients: female sex, lower body mass index, pre-existing cardiovascular/pulmonary disease, and low hematological indices were prognostic factors of sr-RD; SVR24 was lower in patients with 651 vs. no sr-RD by Week 4 (37.9% vs. 54.4%; P = 0.0046) and Week 12 (41.7% vs. 55.3%; P = 0.0016); sr-RD by Week 4/12 significantly reduced SVR24 in patients with scores <5 but not 655. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, sr-RD to peginterferon alfa-2a/ribavirin significantly impacts on SVR24 rates in treatment-naive G1 noncirrhotic Caucasian patients. Baseline characteristics can help select patients with a high probability of SVR24 and a low probability of sr-RD with peginterferon alfa-2a/ribavirin

Omecamtiv mecarbil in chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, GALACTIC‐HF: baseline characteristics and comparison with contemporary clinical trials

Aims: The safety and efficacy of the novel selective cardiac myosin activator, omecamtiv mecarbil, in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is tested in the Global Approach to Lowering Adverse Cardiac outcomes Through Improving Contractility in Heart Failure (GALACTIC‐HF) trial. Here we describe the baseline characteristics of participants in GALACTIC‐HF and how these compare with other contemporary trials. Methods and Results: Adults with established HFrEF, New York Heart Association functional class (NYHA) ≥ II, EF ≤35%, elevated natriuretic peptides and either current hospitalization for HF or history of hospitalization/ emergency department visit for HF within a year were randomized to either placebo or omecamtiv mecarbil (pharmacokinetic‐guided dosing: 25, 37.5 or 50 mg bid). 8256 patients [male (79%), non‐white (22%), mean age 65 years] were enrolled with a mean EF 27%, ischemic etiology in 54%, NYHA II 53% and III/IV 47%, and median NT‐proBNP 1971 pg/mL. HF therapies at baseline were among the most effectively employed in contemporary HF trials. GALACTIC‐HF randomized patients representative of recent HF registries and trials with substantial numbers of patients also having characteristics understudied in previous trials including more from North America (n = 1386), enrolled as inpatients (n = 2084), systolic blood pressure &lt; 100 mmHg (n = 1127), estimated glomerular filtration rate &lt; 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 (n = 528), and treated with sacubitril‐valsartan at baseline (n = 1594). Conclusions: GALACTIC‐HF enrolled a well‐treated, high‐risk population from both inpatient and outpatient settings, which will provide a definitive evaluation of the efficacy and safety of this novel therapy, as well as informing its potential future implementation

The JagiellonianUniversity Museum of Pharmacy : a majolica jarinscribed "Conf. Alkermes Compl." and the history of the medication

The article consists of four elements: description of the jar (type, character of decoration, provenance etc.), explanation of the inscription (the name of a former multi-ingredient medication), information about its principal ingredient (kermes and its substitutes: cochineal and Polish cochineal), and the history of the medication (from antiquity to the end of the 19th century)