The tables in this article list drugs used for treatment of cancer in the USA and Canada and their major adverse effects. The choice of drugs in Table I is based on the opinions of Medical Letter consultants. Some drugs are listed for indications for which they have not been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. In some cases, such as elderly patients or those with many co-morbid illnesses, the regimen of choice might not be suitable. For many of the cancers listed, surgery and/or radiation therapy may be the treatment of choice or may also be part of the management. Anticancer...

Duloxetine (Cymbalta - Lilly) is the second drug to be approved by the FDA for treatment of fibromyalgia. Pregabalin (Lyrica), which is also approved for treatment of neuropathic pain and epilepsy, was the first. Duloxetine is a selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) that is already marketed for treatment of depression and diabetic neuropathy.

Development of abuse-deterrent opioid products, including reformulation of existing products, has become a priority for drug manufacturers and public health advocates. Three available opioid formulations, OxyContin (Purdue), Embeda (Pfizer), and Hysingla ER (Purdue), now include claims of abuse deterrence in their package inserts.

The FDA has approved Qmiiz ODT (TerSera), an orally disintegrating tablet formulation of the prescription NSAID meloxicam. Qmiiz ODT, like conventional oral meloxicam tablets (Mobic, and generics), is indicated for relief of the symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in adults and of juvenile RA in children who weigh ≥60 kg. Vivlodex, a low-dose capsule formulation of meloxicam, is FDA-approved only for management of OA pain.

The FDA has approved Acuvue Theravision with Ketotifen (Johnson & Johnson Vision Care), a daily-wear, disposable, vision-correcting soft contact lens that releases the H₁-antihistamine ketotifen, for prevention of ocular itch due to allergic conjunctivitis in contact lens users. This is the first approval for a drug-eluting contact lens. Ketotifen eye drops (Alaway, Zaditor, and others) are available over the counter.

Disodium pamidronate (Aredia - Ciba-Geigy), an aminohydroxypropilidene bisphosphonate, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for intravenous (IV) treatment of hypercalcemia associated with malignancy, with or without bone metastases. The drug is also being investigated for use in Paget's disease of bone, hyperparathyroidism, and postmenopausal osteoporosis. An oral formulation of pamidronate has been used in Europe, but is not available in the USA.

An extended-release formulation of the centrally-acting muscle relaxant cyclobenzaprine (Amrix - Cephalon) has been approved by the FDA for treatment of muscle spasms. Immediate-release (IR) cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril, and others) has been available since 1977.

The FDA has approved eluxadoline (Viberzi – Actavis), a mu-opioid receptor agonist and delta-opioid receptor antagonist, for oral treatment of adults with irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D).

Since the implication of aspirin in Reye's syndrome, acetaminophen (Tylenol; and others) has become the standard drug for symptomatic treatment of fever and pain in children. Ibuprofen, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) available for many years in tables (Mortin; Advil; and others), has now become available in a suspension. The suspension will be sold by presecription for treatment of fever or arthritis in children.

The FDA has approved a lingual aerosol formulation of nitroglycerin (NitroMist – Akrimax) for acute relief of an attack or acute prophylaxis of angina pectoris. It is the second nitroglycerin lingual spray to become available in the US; Nitrolingual Pumpspray was approved in 1985. Most patients with angina use sublingual nitroglycerin tablets.