The FDA has approved oteseconazole (Vivjoa – Mycovia), a new oral azole antifungal, to reduce the incidence of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) in females with a history of RVVC. Oteseconazole is the first drug to be approved in the US specifically for treatment of RVVC.

The FDA has approved Dovato (ViiV), a fixed-dose combination of the integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) dolutegravir (Tivicay) and the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) lamivudine (Epivir, and generics), as a once-daily complete regimen for treatment of adults with HIV-1 infection who are antiretroviral-treatment naive and have no known substitutions associated with resistance to either drug. Dolutegravir/lamivudine is the first complete regimen to be approved by the FDA for initial treatment of HIV-1 infection that contains 2 rather than 3 antiretroviral...

Sunitinib (Sutent - Pfizer) and sorafenib (Nexavar - Bayer), two oral tyrosine kinase inhibitors, have been approved by the FDA for treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Sunitinib is also approved for use in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) who are not responding to or are intolerant of standard therapy with imatinib (Gleevec).

Pregabalin (Lyrica - Pfizer) is the first drug approved by the FDA for management of fibromyalgia. When it was first marketed, pregabalin, which is structurally similar to gabapentin (Neurontin, and others), was approved for treatment of neuropathic pain associated with postherpetic neuralgia and diabetic peripheral neuropathy and for adjunctive treatment of partial onset seizures in adults with epilepsy. It has also been prescribed off-label for other types of neuropathic pain such as sciatica.

In the US, over one third of adults under the age of 35 and about one quarter of those aged 18-50 now have at least one tattoo. In later life, some people come to regret their tattoos, but tattoo inks can be difficult and expensive to remove.2 Recently, some new tattoo inks have been designed for improved safety and ease of removal.

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.

A recent advertisement for the proton pump inhibitor (PPI) lansoprazole (Prevacid - TAP) suggests that children who cough at night, complain of abdominal pain, refuse to eat, or have a bad taste in their mouths may all have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). A Bunny's Tummy Trouble, a children's book about GERD published by TAP, is now available as a patient handout in pediatricians' waiting rooms. The use of acid-suppressive drugs in infants and children has increased markedly in recent years and many of these drugs are now available in child-friendly formulations. A table in the article...

Paliperidone (Invega - Janssen) has been approved by the FDA in an extended-release formulation for treatment of schizophrenia. It is the primary active metabolite of the second-generation antipsychotic risperidone (Risperdal - Janssen), which is scheduled to lose its patent exclusivity in December 2007.

Golimumab (Simponi - Centocor), a fully humanized anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a antibody, has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of: (1) moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in combination with methotrexate; (2) active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) alone or in combination with methotrexate; and (3) active ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

The FDA has approved a 12.5-mg tablet formulation of the thiazide-like diuretic chlorthalidone (HemiClor – Ingenus) for treatment of hypertension. Chlorthalidone has been available for years in 15-, 25-, and 50-mg tablets (Thalitone, and generics) and in fixed-dose combinations with azilsartan medoxomil (Edarbyclor) and atenolol (Tenoretic, and generics).