The FDA has approved a new tablet formulation of immediate-release (IR) oxycodone (Oxecta – King) for management of acute and chronic moderate to severe pain.Oxecta uses a tamper-resistant technology designed to deter oxycodone abuse by injection or nasal snorting. Dissolving the crushed tablet in water or alcohol converts it into a viscous gel mixture, making it difficult to inject. Crushing the tablet and inhaling it through the nose causes burning and irritation. Whether the new formulation will actually prevent abuse of the drug has not been established. Oxecta is classified as a...

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 Circulation last year.1 The safety benefits of enteric-coated aspirin are unclear. It may protect against dyspepsia, but not against major gastrointestinal bleeding, which is thought to be mainly a systemic effect of prostaglandin inhibition.ANTIPLATELET EFFECTS OF ASPIRIN — Aspirin irreversibly acetylates cyclooxygenase-1, blocking thromboxane synthesis and inhibiting platelet activation and aggregation for...

A combination of the corticosteroid budesonide and the long-acting beta₂-agonist formoterol (Symbicort - AstraZeneca) has become available in a metered dose inhaler for long-term maintenance treatment of asthma in patients ≥ 12 years old. A combination product that contains fluticasone propionate and salmeterol (Advair) is already available for this indication in the US. Neither one of these combinations is approved for acute treatment of asthma symptoms. A dry powder inhaler formulation of Symbicort has been available in Europe and Canada for several years.

The FDA has approved Alyftrek (Vertex), an oral fixed-dose combination of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulators vanzacaftor, tezacaftor, and deutivacaftor, for once-daily treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF) in patients ≥6 years old who have at least one F508del mutation or another responsive mutation in the CFTR gene. This is the first approval for vanzacaftor and for deutivacaftor, a deuterated form of ivacaftor. Trikafta, a twice-daily oral fixed-dose combination of elexacaftor, tezacaftor, and ivacaftor, is FDA-approved for the same indication...

The FDA has approved a delayed-release oral formulation of prednisone (Rayos – Horizon Pharma). Rayos is not labeled for any specific indication, but the only published studies of the new product have been in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Fungal infections of the fingernails or toenails can persist for months or years despite topical and systemic antimicrobial therapy. The FDA has cleared several short-pulse laser systems for treatment of this mainly cosmetic disorder.

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 after the first trimester.

The CDC has issued a recommendation for use of a single dose of doxycycline for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs), specifically syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea, in men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW) who had a bacterial STI within the previous 12 months.

An intranasal formulation of the corticosteroid triamcinolone (Nasacort - Rh ne- Poulenc Rorer) was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for once-daily treatment of seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis.

Cabergoline (Dostinex - Pharmacia & Upjohn), an ergot alkaloid derivative recently marketed for treatment of hyperprolactinemia, is a selective D2 dopamine agonist that inhibits prolactin-secreting cells in the pituitary. Bromocriptine (Parlodel - Sandoz), the drug most commonly used for this condition, is also a D2 agonist, but affects D1 receptors as well.