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出典(authority):フリー百科事典『ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』「2013/11/15 14:08:37」(JST)

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Combination therapy or polytherapy is the use of more than one medication or other therapy (vs. monotherapy, which is any therapy taken alone). Typically, these terms refer to using multiple therapies to treat a single disease, and often all the therapies are pharmaceutical (although it can also involve non-medical therapy, such as the combination of medications and talk therapy to treat depression). 'Pharmaceutical' combination therapy may be achieved by prescribing/administering separate drugs, or, where available, dosage forms that contain more than one active ingredient (such as fixed-dose combinations).

Polypharmacy is a related term, referring to the use of multiple medications (without regard to whether they're for the same or separate conditions/diseases). Sometimes "polymedicine" is used to refer to pharmaceutical combination therapy. Unfortunately, most of these kinds of terms lack a universally consistent definition, so caution and clarification are often advisable.

Uses for combination therapy[edit]

Conditions treated with combination therapy include tuberculosis, leprosy, cancer, malaria, and HIV/AIDS. One major benefit of combination therapies is that they reduce development of drug resistance, since a pathogen or tumor is less likely to have resistance to multiple drugs simultaneously. Artemisinin-based monotherapies for malaria are explicitly discouraged to avoid the problem of developing resistance to the newer treatment.

Combination therapy may seem costlier than monotherapy in the short term, but when used appropriately, it causes significant savings: lower treatment failure rate, lower case-fatality ratios, slower development of resistance and consequently, less money needed for the development of new drugs.

Contrast to monotherapy[edit]

Monotherapy can be applied to any therapeutic approach, but it is most commonly used to describe the use of a single medication. Normally, monotherapy is selected because a single medication is adequate to treat the medical condition. However, monotherapies may also be used because of unwanted side effects or dangerous drug interactions.^[1]

References[edit]

^ "Glossary". Retrieved 2008-04-02. "Monotherapy: The treatment of epilepsy with a single medication rather than a combination. Monotherapy has advantages over combining medications in many patients, including absence of drug-drug interactions, fewer side effects, simpler dosing, and lower cost. However, not all patients can be controlled with monotherapy."

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1. 慢性B型肝炎ウイルス感染に対するラミブジン単剤療法 lamivudine monotherapy for chronic hepatitis b virus infection
2. 成人における双極性障害：抗うつ剤による大うつ病エピソードの治療 bipolar disorder in adults treating major depression with antidepressants
3. 成人における単極性うつ病：第2世代抗精神病薬による治療 unipolar depression in adults treatment with second generation antipsychotics
4. 成人の単極性うつ病：リチウムによる治療 unipolar depression in adults treatment with lithium
5. 成人における市中肺炎の治療に関する抗菌薬の研究 antibiotic studies for the treatment of community acquired pneumonia in adults

English Journal

Reversible visual loss caused by combination therapy of alfuzosin and finasteride in a patient with uveitic glaucoma.

Lee JW, Lee HJ.SourceDepartment of Ophthalmology, Eulji Medical Center, Eulji University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. sarahlhj@hanmail.net
Cutaneous and ocular toxicology.Cutan Ocul Toxicol.2013 Jun;32(2):182-4. doi: 10.3109/15569527.2012.733788. Epub 2012 Oct 24.
PURPOSE: To report a case of ischemic optic neuropathy caused by medication for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).METHODS: The medical record of a patient who experienced gradual visual loss during the BPH medication was retrospectively reviewed.OBSERVATIONS: A 60-year-old man who had uveitic glauc
PMID 23094797

Does combination pharmacological intervention for smoking cessation prevent post-cessation weight gain? A systemic review.

Yang M, Bhowmik D, Wang X, Abughosh S.SourceDepartment of Clinical Sciences and Administration, College of Pharmacy, University of Houston, 1441 Moursund St., Houston, TX 77030, USA. Electronic address: myang8@uh.edu.
Addictive behaviors.Addict Behav.2013 Mar;38(3):1865-75. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2012.11.007. Epub 2012 Nov 23.
BACKGROUND: Most smokers who quit smoking gain weight. There are some interventions designed to limit weight gain following smoking cessation.OBJECTIVE: To conduct a systematic review to evaluate if combination pharmacological therapy interventions for smoking cessation are effective in reducing pos
PMID 23305808

Combination treatment with eldecalcitol (ED-71) and raloxifene improves bone mechanical strength by suppressing bone turnover and increasing bone mineral density in ovariectomized rats.

Takeda S, Sakai S, Shiraishi A, Koike N, Mihara M, Endo K.SourceProduct Research Department, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Japan.
Bone.Bone.2013 Mar;53(1):167-73. doi: 10.1016/j.bone.2012.12.001. Epub 2012 Dec 8.
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of combination treatment with eldecalcitol (ELD) and raloxifene (RAL) on bone turnover, bone mineral density (BMD), and bone strength. Eight-month-old rats were ovariectomized (OVX) or sham operated, and divided into five groups (Sham, OVX+vehicle,
PMID 23232307

Japanese Journal

Highlighted Paper selected by Editor-in-Chief : Neuroprotective Effect of Ocular Hypotensive Drugs : Latanoprost/Timolol in Combination Are More Effective than Each as Monotherapy in RGC-5