The FDA has approved a subcutaneously injected, extended-release formulation of the mu-opioid receptor partial agonist and kappa-opioid receptor antagonist buprenorphine (Brixadi – Braeburn) for once-weekly or once-monthly treatment of moderate to severe opioid use disorder. Brixadi is the second subcutaneously injected buprenorphine formulation to be approved in the US; Sublocade, which is administered once monthly, was the first. Buprenorphine is also available for treatment of opioid use disorder in sublingual formulations with and without the opioid antagonist...

The FDA has approved a fixed-dose combination of the amide local anesthetic bupivacaine and the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) meloxicam as an extended-release (ER) solution (Zynrelef – Heron) for single-dose, intraoperative, soft-tissue or periarticular instillation to provide postsurgical analgesia for up to 72 hours in adults undergoing foot and ankle, small-to-medium open abdominal, or lower extremity total joint arthroplasty surgical procedures.

Clostridioides (formerly Clostridium) difficile infection (CDI) is the most common infectious cause of healthcare-associated diarrhea in adults. Guidelines on management of CDI have recently been updated.

Treatment options for snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) now include, in addition to lifestyle remedies such as weight loss and avoidance of alcohol in the evening, mechanical devices, injection of botulinum toxin into the soft palate and a variety of ENT surgical outpatient procedures. Palatal implants (Pillar procedure - Restore Medical Inc) have been approved by the FDA for treatment of snoring and OSA.

Moricizine (mor i'; siz een) hydrochloride (Ethmozine - Du Pont), a class I antiarrhythmic drug developed in the USSR, was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for oral treatment of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias.

Loratadine (Claritin - Schering), a new H 1 -receptor antagonist, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis in patients more than 12 years old. It will compete with older, relatively sedating drugs such as chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton, and others) and clemastine (Tavist - Medical Letter, 35:9, 1993) and with newer relatively non-sedating agents such as terfenadine (Seldane) and astemizole (Hismanal).

Bupropion (Wellbutrin - Burroughs Wellcome) was recently marketed in the USA for treatment of depression. First approved by the Food and Drug Administration in late 1985, the drug was withdrawn from the market in early 1986 because of a high incidence of seizures in one study.

Adenosine (Adenocard - Fujisawa), an endogenous purine nucleoside, was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for intravenous treatment of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, including Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome. Adenosine is not approved for and has not been effective in treating atrial flutter, atrial fibrillation, or ventricular tachycardias.

Milnacipran (Savella - Forest), an oral selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), is the third drug approved by the FDA for management of fibromyalgia. The 2 others are pregabalin, a gammaaminobutyric acid (GABA) analog also approved for treatment of diabetic neuropathy, post-herpetic neuralgia and epilepsy, and duloxetine, an SNRI also approved for treatment of depression, diabetic neuropathy and generalized anxiety disorder.

Nabilone, an oral synthetic cannabinoid similar to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana, has recently been reintroduced to the US market (Cesamet - Valeant) after a 17-year absence. The previous manufacturer discontinued marketing of the drug for commercial reasons. Nabilone is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance.