Excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation can cause erythema, photoaging, and skin cancer. Sunscreens are widely used to reduce these risks, but questions remain about their effectiveness and safety. In 2021, the FDA proposed a rule that would require additional safety studies for some sunscreen active ingredients and mandate better UVA protection in sunscreen products.

For patients with diabetes poorly controlled with a single oral drug, addition of a second drug with a different mechanism can be helpful. A fixed-dose combination (Actoplus met - Takeda) of two widely used antihyperglycemic drugs, the thiazolidinedione pioglitazone (Actos) and the biguanide metformin (Glucophage, and others), has been approved by the FDA for management of type 2 diabetes. It is indicated for patients already being treated with both pioglitazone and metformin or as second-line therapy for those not adequately controlled with either metformin or pioglitazone alone....

Lybrel (Wyeth) is the first FDA-approved low-dose combination oral contraceptive taken 365 days a year without a placebo or pill-free interval. All tablets contain low doses of levonorgestrel (0.09 mg) and ethinyl estradiol (20 mcg). Most oral contraceptives are packaged as a 21/7 cycle (21 days of active tablets and 7 days of placebo), resulting in 13 withdrawal bleeding episodes each year. Two formulations are taken for 24 days followed by 4 days of inert tablets (Yaz and Loestrin 24). Two others (Seasonique and Seasonale) have a 91-day cycle with only 4 withdrawal bleeds per...

The FDA has approved a new Japanese encephalitis vaccine (Ixiaro - Intercell/Novartis). It will replace JEVax (Sanofi Pasteur), which has had tolerability and safety problems and is no longer being manufactured.

Three oral poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors have been approved by the FDA for treatment of advanced, recurrent ovarian cancer. Olaparib (Lynparza – AstraZeneca), niraparib (Zejula – Tesaro), and rucaparib (Rubraca – Clovis) are each approved for somewhat different indications and for patients with different biomarkers (see Table 2).

Tuberculosis (TB) is still a common cause of death worldwide, and the prevalence of drug-resistant TB poses challenges to its treatment and control. Guidelines with detailed management recommendations are available from the American Thoracic Society, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA).

Patients who receive pretravel advice can reduce their risk for many travel-related conditions. Vaccines recommended for travelers are reviewed in a separate issue.

Acamprosate calcium (Campral - Forest) is now being marketed for oral use to maintain abstinence from alcohol. It has been used in France and other countries since 1989.

The FDA has approved ziconotide (Prialt - Elan) intrathecal infusion for management of severe chronic pain in patients who are intolerant of or refractory to other treatments. Ziconotide is a synthetic neuronal N-type calcium channel blocker. It is intended for use with a programmable implanted microinfusion device, but an external microinfusion device can be used temporarily.

A transdermal patch formulation of methylphenidate (Daytrana - Noven/Shire) has been approved by the FDA for treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in patients ≥ 6 years old. Like other methylphenidate products, the patch is a schedule II controlled substance. According to the manufacturer, it will be available in pharmacies by the end of June.