The FDA has recently approved 2 new drugs for treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Simeprevir (Olysio – Janssen) is the third oral protease inhibitor to...

Anticoagulants are the drugs of choice for treatment of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), collectively referred to as venous thromboembolism (VTE).

The FDA has approved the marketing of another extended-release brand-name formulation of the serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) desvenlafaxine (Khedezla – Par/Osmotica) for...

The FDA has approved the nucleotide polymerase inhibitor sofosbuvir (Sovaldi – Gilead) for use in combination with other antiviral drugs for treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV)...

Superseded by The Medical Letter "Antiviral Drugs for Influenza" - Issue 1589, January 13, 2020Antiviral drugs can be used for treatment of influenza and as an adjunct to influenza...

The October 2013 suspension of marketing and sales of ponatinib (Iclusig – Ariad) for treatment of leukemia1 has been lifted by the FDA, and the drug is expected to return to the market...

Perampanel (per am’ pa nel; Fycompa – Eisai), a first-in-class noncompetitive AMPA receptor antagonist, has been approved by the FDA for adjunctive treatment of partial-onset seizures...

Certolizumab pegol (Cimzia – UCB), a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor previously approved for treatment of Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis, and ustekinumab (Stelara...

The FDA has removed prescribing and dispensing restrictions placed on rosiglitazone (Avandia, and others) in 2010 because of concerns about its cardiovascular safety.1 The removal of...

Our July 9, 2012 article (Med Lett Drugs Ther 2012; 54:55) on renal sympathetic denervation for multiple-drug resistant hypertension concluded that the catheter-based procedure (Symplicity...

Dapagliflozin (dap" a gli fl oe' zin; Farxiga – Bristol-Myers Squibb/AstraZeneca), an SGLT2 (sodium-glucose co-transporter 2) inhibitor, has been approved by the FDA for oral treatment...

The FDA has approved macitentan (ma" si ten' tan; Opsumit – Actelion), for oral treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Macitentan is the second nonselective endothelin...

Prompted by the recent publication of 2 retrospective studies, the FDA has announced that it is investigating the risk of stroke, heart attack, and death in men taking FDA-approved testosterone...

The FDA has approved the sGC stimulator riociguat (rye" oh sig' ue at; Adempas – Bayer) for oral treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary...

The FDA has approved Zorvolex (Iroko), a low-dose oral formulation of the relatively COX-2 selective NSAID diclofenac, for treatment of mild-to-moderate acute pain in adults.

An outbreak of mumps has occurred among students at Fordham University in New York. All of those who developed mumps had been vaccinated against the disease.

The recent increase in deaths from heroin overdose in the US has led to renewed interest in the opioid antagonist naloxone, particularly in making it available as an intranasal spray to...

Superseded by The Medical Letter "Drugs for Gout" - Issue 1567, March 11, 2019The goals of gout treatment are threefold: treating acute inflammation, preventing flares, and lowering...

The FDA has approved golimumab (Simponi – Janssen), a fully human monoclonal antibody specific for tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha, for induction and maintenance of remission in...

The FDA has approved testosterone undecanoate (Aveed – Endo), an injectable depot formulation, for use in men with hypogonadism who require testosterone replacement therapy.

The FDA has approved a new injectable formulation of methotrexate (Otrexup – Antares) for use in rheumatoid arthritis and polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and for severe...

The FDA has approved ibrutinib (eye broo' ti nib; Imbruvica – Janssen/Pharmacyclics), an oral kinase inhibitor, for second-line treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). It is the...

The FDA has approved an inhaled fixed-dose combination of the long-acting anticholinergic umeclidinium (ue mek" li din' ee um) and the long-acting beta₂-adrenergic agonist (LABA)...

The FDA has approved an inhalation powder formulation of loxapine (Adasuve – Teva), a first-generation antipsychotic long available in an oral formulation, for treatment of acute...

The FDA has approved Duavee (Pfizer), a fixed-dose combination of conjugated estrogens and the new selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) bazedoxifene, for treatment of moderate to...

The FDA has approved the melatonin receptor agonist tasimelteon (Hetlioz – Vanda) for treatment of non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder (non-24), which is common in totally blind persons....

One of our readers has suggested that more attention should have been paid to a study comparing the antiplatelet effects of immediate-release and enteric-coated aspirin that appeared in...

The FDA has approved avanafil (Stendra – Vivus), an oral phosphodiesterase type-5 (PDE5) inhibitor, for treatment of erectile dysfunction. It is the fifth PDE5 inhibitor to be approved...

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which was traditionally a nosocomially-acquired organism but now frequently occurs in the absence of healthcare exposure, is the...

Apremilast (Otezla – Celgene), an oral phosphodiesterase type-4 (PDE4) inhibitor, has been approved by the FDA for treatment of active psoriatic arthritis in adults. It is the fi rst...

Eslicarbazepine acetate (Aptiom – Sunovion) has been approved by the FDA for adjunctive treatment of partial-onset seizures in adults. New drugs for epilepsy are often approved by the...

The FDA has approved the use of the oral multikinase inhibitor sorafenib (Nexavar – Bayer) for treatment of locally recurrent or metastatic, progressive, differentiated thyroid cancer...

The FDA has approved the use of an equine heptavalent botulism antitoxin (BAT, Cangene Corporation). The new antitoxin includes antibodies against all 7 botulinum neurotoxin types (A-G). A...

A recent Medical Letter article reported renewed interest in the intranasal administration (off-label) of the opioid antagonist naloxone because of an increase in deaths from opioid overdose in the...

The FDA has approved an extended-release oral formulation of the opioid agonist hydrocodone (Zohydro ER – Zogenix) for management of pain severe enough to require continuous, long-term...

The FDA has approved 3 allergen extracts for sublingual administration as immunotherapy for allergic rhinitis confirmed by a positive skin test or in vitro testing for pollen-specific IgE...

The FDA has required the manufacturer of eszopiclone (Lunesta – Sunovion), a benzodiazepine receptor agonist approved for the treatment of insomnia, to lower the current recommended...

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) have recommended that women at risk for preeclampsia take low-dose aspirin daily...

The FDA has approved luliconazole (Luzu Cream, 1% – Valeant) for treatment of tinea pedis, tinea cruris, and tinea corporis infections.

The FDA has approved another solution of the aminoglycoside antibiotic tobramycin (Bethkis – Chiesi/Cornerstone) for oral inhalation via a nebulizer for management of cystic fibrosis...

Superseded by The Medical Letter "Drugs for Atrial Fibrillation" - Issue 1580, September 9, 2019The treatment of atrial fibrillation includes anticoagulation, rate control, and rhythm...

The FDA has authorized two manufacturers (Teva, Mylan) to market generic formulations of celecoxib (Celebrex – Pfizer), the only COX-2 selective inhibitor remaining on the US market....

The FDA has approved a fixed-dose extended-release formulation of oxycodone and acetaminophen (Xartemis XR – Mallinckrodt) for oral treatment of acute pain severe enough to require an...

The FDA has approved an oral solution of the nonselective beta-adrenergic blocker propranolol (Hemangeol – Pierre Fabre) for treatment of proliferating infantile hemangiomas.

Ceritinib (Zykadia – Novartis), an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has received accelerated approval from the FDA for treatment of patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive...

The FDA has approved the use of a responsive neurostimulator device (RNS System – NeuroPace) for adjunctive treatment of adults with partial-onset seizures that are not controlled with...

The FDA has approved the proton pump inhibitor (PPI) esomeprazole strontium for use in adults for the same indications as esomeprazole magnesium (Nexium): treatment of gastroesophageal...

The same pharmaceutical company (Iroko) that recently marketed low-dose diclofenac (Zorvolex) for treatment of mild to moderate acute pain1 has now received approval from the FDA to market...

Superseded by The Medical Letter "Drugs for Inflammatory Bowel Disease" - Issue 1550, July 2, 2018Aminosalicylates are effective for induction and maintenance of remission in mild to...

The FDA has approved two new drugs for treatment of adults with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections caused by susceptible gram-positive bacteria. Dalbavancin...

Most patients with end-stage renal disease develop hyperphosphatemia, which can lead to secondary hyperparathyroidism, vascular calcification, and cardiovascular mortality. The FDA has approved...

The FDA has approved an oral liquid formulation of glycerol phenylbutyrate (Ravicti – Hyperion) for chronic management of patients ≥2 years old with urea cycle disorders that cannot...

The FDA has approved the use of a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation device (Cefaly – Cefaly Technology) for prevention of episodic migraine in patients ≥18 years old. The...

In 2012, the FDA required manufacturers of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) to add a warning to their labels about reports of increased blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c)...

Superseded by The Medical Letter "Drugs for Osteoarthritis" - Issue 1596, April 20, 2020Many different drugs are used for treatment of osteoarthritis pain, but none of them prevent...

Wild poliovirus has circulated during the previous 12 months in Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Iraq, Israel (also the West Bank and Gaza), Somalia, and Syria, as well as in those countries...

The FDA has approved vorapaxar (Zontivity – Merck), an oral protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR-1) antagonist, for use with aspirin and/or clopidogrel to reduce the risk of thrombotic...

The FDA has approved vedolizumab (Entyvio - Takeda), an intravenous integrin receptor antagonist, for treatment of moderate to severe ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease in adults who...

The FDA has approved efinaconazole 10% solution (Jublia – Valeant) for topical treatment of toenail onychomycosis due to Trichophyton rubrum and/or Trichophyton...

The FDA has approved miltefosine (Impavido – Knight Therapeutics), an oral alkylphosphocholine analog, for treatment of visceral, cutaneous, and mucosal leishmaniasis caused by some...

Superseded by The Medical Letter "Drugs for Postmenopausal Osteoporosis" - Issue 1602, July 13, 2020US guidelines for the treatment of osteoporosis have been published. The diagnosis of...

Superseded by The Medical Letter "Influenza Vaccine for 2020-2021" - Issue 1607, September 21, 2020Annual vaccination against influenza A and B viruses has been shown to decrease influenza...

Empagliflozin (Jardiance – Boehringer Ingelheim/Lilly), an SGLT2 inhibitor, has been approved by the FDA for oral treatment of type 2 diabetes. It is the third SGLT2 inhibitor to be...

The FDA has approved Cologuard (Exact Sciences), a stool DNA test, to screen average-risk adults ≥50 years old for colorectal cancer.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has reclassified all hydrocodone combination products as schedule II controlled substances; they were previously classified as schedule III....

The US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) now recommends routine immunization with 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13; Prevnar 13), in addition to the...

Antiplatelet drugs are the drugs of choice for prevention and treatment of arterial thrombosis. Anticoagulants are the drugs of choice for prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism and...

Two new injectable GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor agonists, dulaglutide (Trulicity [trū li si tee] – Lilly) and albiglutide (Tanzeum [tan' zee um] – GSK), have been...

The FDA has approved a fixed-dose combination (Harvoni [har voe' nee] – Gilead) of sofosbuvir and ledipasvir (led' i pas' vir), two oral direct-acting antiviral agents, for treatment of...

The FDA has approved a fixed-dose combination of the opioid receptor antagonist naltrexone (ReVia, and others) and the antidepressant and smoking cessation agent bupropion (Wellbutrin...

Obinutuzumab (Gazyva – Genentech), a humanized anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, has been approved by the FDA for use in combination with chlorambucil (Leukeran) in patients with...

The FDA has approved pembrolizumab (Keytruda – Merck), a human programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) blocking antibody, for treatment of unresectable or metastatic melanoma that has...

Superseded by The Medical Letter "Vaccines for Travelers" - Issue 1560, November 19, 2018Patients planning to travel to other countries should be up to date on routine immunizations and,...

Superseded by The Medical Letter "Antiviral Drugs for Influenza" - Issue 1589, January 13, 2020Antiviral drugs can be used for treatment of influenza and as an adjunct to influenza...

The FDA has approved 2 oral drugs for treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Pirfenidone (Esbriet) has been available in Europe since 2011 and in Canada since 2012. Nintedanib...

The FDA has approved fixed-dose combinations of metformin with either canagliflozin (Invokamet) or dapagliflozin (Xigduo XR) for treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes not...

Recent guidelines from the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association reviewed antithrombotic therapy options for secondary prevention of stroke in patients who have had a stroke...

Combining a statin with another drug that lowers low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), such as colesevelam (Welchol), niacin (Niaspan, and others), or ezetimibe...

The FDA has approved a new extended-release capsule formulation of topiramate (Qudexy XR – Upsher Smith), which can be opened and sprinkled on food for patients who have difficulty...

Superseded by The Medical Letter "Drugs for Rheumatoid Arthritis" - Issue 1552, July 30, 2018For initial treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, most expert clinicians prescribe a...

View the 2014 Annual Index