Low-intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy similar to that used to fragment kidney stones or gallstones is a new option for treatment of erectile dysfunction that is now being advertised extensively in the US. It has not been approved by the FDA for treatment of erectile dysfunction.

The subcutaneously injected interleukin (IL)-4 receptor alpha antagonist dupilumab (Dupixent – Sanofi/Regeneron) has been approved by the FDA for treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria in patients ≥12 years old who remain symptomatic despite H₁-antihistamine treatment. Dupilumab was approved earlier for treatment of asthma, atopic dermatitis, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, eosinophilic esophagitis, prurigo nodularis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with an eosinophilic phenotype.

An old conjugated estrogens vaginal cream (Premarin Vaginal Cream - Wyeth) has been newly approved by the FDA specifically for treatment of moderate to severe dyspareunia due to vulvar and vaginal atrophy associated with menopause. Synthetic conjugated estrogens A vaginal cream (Barr) has also been approved for this indication, but has not yet been marketed.

The FDA has approved Airsupra (AstraZeneca), a metered-dose inhaler containing the short-acting beta₂-agonist (SABA) albuterol and the inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) budesonide, for use as needed for treatment or prevention of bronchoconstriction and to reduce the risk of exacerbations in patients ≥18 years old with asthma. Airsupra is the first combination of a SABA and an ICS to become available in the US. It is not approved for use as maintenance therapy.

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) has 6 FDA approved indications and is prescribed off-label for many others. How many of these uses are justified is controversial.

Many drugs can cause psychiatric symptoms, but a causal connection is often difficult to establish. Psychiatric symptoms that emerge during drug treatment could also be due to the underlying illness, previously unrecognized psychopathology, or psychosocial factors. The withdrawal of some drugs can cause symptoms such as anxiety, psychosis, delirium, agitation or depression.

Click here to view the free full article.

(Kodak) perform clinical chemistry tests using desk-top instruments, microliter samples and postage-stamp-sized analytical slides containing dry reagents layered on clear polyester and mounted in plastic. The system requires no wet reagents, except for electrolyte determinations, and is designed to require a minimum amount of training to operate. A single analysis takes about five minutes.

Isotretinoin (Accutane - Roche), an effective oral drug for treatment of acne, will soon be available generically. Concerns about its adverse effects, particularly psychiatric symptoms in adolescents, have been widely reported in the media.

An extended-release oral formulation of guanfacine hydrochloride (Intuniv – Shire), a selective alpha_2A-adrenergic agonist, has been approved by the FDA for treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children 6-17 years old.

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 agitation related to schizophrenia or bipolar I disorder in adults. Adasuve is the first inhaled drug to be approved for this indication.