The FDA has approved Dextenza (Ocular Therapeutix), a dexamethasone ophthalmic insert, for treatment of ocular itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis. Dextenza was approved earlier for treatment of ocular inflammation and pain following ophthalmic surgery.

The FDA has approved cantharidin 0.7% solution (Ycanth – Verrica) for topical treatment of molluscum contagiosum in patients ≥2 years old. Ycanth was the first drug to be approved in the US for this indication. A 10.3% gel formulation of berdazimer (Zelsuvmi), a nitric oxide-releasing agent, has also been approved by the FDA for treatment of molluscum contagiosum (in patients ≥1 year old); it will be reviewed in a future issue.

View the Comparison Chart: Some Inhaled Drugs for Treatment of Asthma

The FDA has approved the marketing of certolizumab pegol (Cimzia - UCB), a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blocker, for treatment of moderate to severe Crohn's disease refractory to conventional treatment. It is the third TNF blocker approved for this indication.

Astemizole (Hismanal - Janssen), a new antihistamine, was recently marketed in the USA for treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis and chronic idiopathic urticaria. Like terfenadine (Seldane - Medical Letter, 27:65, 1985), astemizole is claimed to be no more sedating than placebo, but the new drug offers the advantage of a once-daily dosage schedule.

Flumazenil (Mazicon - Roche), a benzodiazepine receptor antagonist, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to reverse the sedative effects of benzodiazepines after anesthesia, sedation for brief surgical or diagnostic procedures, or after benzodiazepine overdosage. The drug does not antagonize opioids, non-benzodiazepine sedatives, or anesthetic drugs.

Gabapentin (Neurontin - Parke-Davis), a cyclohexane acetic acid derivative, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in addition to other antiepileptic drugs in patients with partial (focal) seizures with or without secondary generalization. Since this diagnostic category includes the largest number of patients with intractable epilepsy, new drugs with antiepileptic activity are generally tried first for this indication.

An aqueous formulation of alprostadil (prostaglandin E 1 ; - Upjohn) has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for injection into the corpus cavernosum to treat erectile dysfunction. The drug is also marketed as Prostin VR, an alcohol-containing formulation, for intravenous use in newborns with congenital heart disease to maintain the patency of the ductus arteriosus.

Rabeprazole, a benzimidazole proton pump inhibitor similar to omeprazole and lansoprazole, has been approved by the FDA for treatment of duodenal ulcers, healing and maintenance treatment of erosive or ulcerative gastroesophageal reflux disease, and for long-term treatment of chronic hypersecretory conditions, including Zollinger-Ellison syndrome

Aggrenox, a fixed-dose oral combination of aspirin and extended-release dipyridamole, is now being advertised for secondary prevention of a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or ischemic stroke.