1
Seasonal Influenza Vaccination: 2026-2027
The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics • October 12, 2026; (Issue 1765)
Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for all persons
≥6 months old without a contraindication. Influenza
vaccines available this season in the US are listed in Table 3.
2
In Brief: A Cardiovascular Indication for Tirzepatide (Mounjaro)
The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics • October 12, 2026; (Issue 1765)
The injectable GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist tirzepatide
(Mounjaro – Lilly), which was approved by the FDA in 2022
for treatment of type 2 diabetes, has now been approved
to reduce the risk of MACE in adults with type 2 diabetes
who are at high risk for these events. Tirzepatide is also
available as Zepbound for chronic weight management
and for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea in adults with
obesity.
3
2026-2027 COVID-19 Vaccination
The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics • October 26, 2026; (Issue 1766)
The FDA has licensed 2026-2027 formulas of the mRNA
COVID-19 vaccines Comirnaty, Spikevax, and mNEXSPIKE
and the adjuvanted protein subunit COVID-19 vaccine
Nuvaxovid.
4
In Brief: An Expanded Indication for Afrezza
The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics • October 26, 2026; (Issue 1766)
The rapid-acting inhaled human insulin Afrezza (MannKind),
which was approved in 2014 for treatment of type 1 or type
2 diabetes in adults, has now been approved by the FDA for
use in children ≥6 years old.
5
Lunsotogene Parvec (Otarmeni) for Hearing Loss (online only)
The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics • October 12, 2026; (Issue 1765)
Lunsotogene parvec (Otarmeni – Regeneron), an adeno-associated
viral vector-based gene therapy, has received
accelerated approval from the FDA for treatment of severe-to-profound or profound sensorineural hearing loss (any
frequency >90 decibels hearing level [dB HL]) in patients with
confirmed variants in both copies of the otoferlin (OTOF)
gene. It is the first gene therapy to be approved in the US for
genetic hearing loss.
6
Gedatolisib (Revtorpyk) for Breast Cancer (online only)
The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics • October 12, 2026; (Issue 1765)
The kinase inhibitor gedatolisib (Revtorpyk – Celcuity)
has been approved by the FDA for use in combination with
fulvestrant, with or without the cyclin-dependent kinase
(CDK) 4/6 inhibitor palbociclib (Ibrance), for treatment of
hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth
factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative locally advanced or
metastatic breast cancer without a PIK3CA mutation in
adults who had disease progression on or after at least one
prior line of endocrine therapy for metastatic disease.
7
Vusolimogene Oderparepvec (Tudriqev) – An Oncolytic Viral Therapy for Melanoma (online only)
The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics • October 12, 2026; (Issue 1765)
Vusolimogene oderparepvec (Tudriqev – Replimune), a
genetically-modified herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)
oncolytic therapy, has been granted accelerated approval by
the FDA for use in combination with the programmed death
receptor-1 (PD-1)-blocking antibody nivolumab (Opdivo) for
treatment of unresectable advanced cutaneous melanoma
in adults who had disease progression on a PD-1-blocking
antibody-based regimen. About 30-50% of patients develop
primary resistance to anti-PD-1 therapy. The oncolytic viral
therapy talimogene laherparepvec (Imlygic) was approved
in 2015 for treatment of patients with melanoma recurrence
postsurgery.
8
Tezepelumab (Tezspire) for Nasal Polyps
The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics • October 26, 2026; (Issue 1766)
The FDA has approved tezepelumab (Tezspire – Amgen/AstraZeneca), a subcutaneously administered thymic
stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) blocker, for add-on
maintenance treatment of inadequately controlled chronic
rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) in patients
≥12 years old. It is the first TSLP blocker to be approved
for this indication. Tezepelumab was approved for add-on
maintenance treatment of severe asthma in 2021.
9
Camizestrant (Etcamah) for Advanced Breast Cancer
The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics • October 26, 2026; (Issue 1766)
Camizestrant (Etcamah – AstraZeneca), an oral estrogen
receptor antagonist, has received accelerated approval from
the FDA for use in combination with a cyclin-dependent
kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitor for treatment of hormone
receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor
receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer in adults who have ESR1 mutations that were
detected in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) during treatment
with an aromatase inhibitor and a CDK 4/6 inhibitor.
10
Iberdomide (Zenbexus) for Multiple Myeloma (online only)
The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics • October 26, 2026; (Issue 1766)
Iberdomide (Zenbexus – BMS), an oral first-in-class
cereblon-modulating protein degrader, has received
accelerated approval from the FDA for use in combination
with the CD38-directed cytolytic antibody daratumumab
(Darzalex Faspro) and dexamethasone for treatment of
multiple myeloma in adults who received at least one
prior line of therapy, including a proteasome inhibitor (e.g.,
bortezomib) and an immunomodulatory drug. The drug was
approved based on a surrogate endpoint of minimal residual
disease-negative complete response.
