Mobocertinib (Exkivity – Takeda), an oral kinase inhibitor, has received accelerated approval from the FDA for treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 20 insertion mutations in adults whose disease has progressed on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. Accelerated approval was based on the overall response rate and duration of response. Mobocertinib is the second drug to become available in the US for this indication; the IV EGFR-MET bispecific antibody amivantamab (Rybrevant) was approved...

The FDA has approved tofacitinib (toe” fa sye’ ti nib; Xeljanz – Pfizer), an oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, for treatment of adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have had an inadequate response to or are intolerant of methotrexate. Ruxolitinib (Jakafi) is the only other JAK inhibitor available in the US; it is FDA-approved for treatment of myelofibrosis.

The FDA has approved upadacitinib (Rinvoq – Abbvie), an oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, for treatment of adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have had an inadequate response to or cannot tolerate methotrexate (Trexall, and others). Upadacitinib is the third JAK inhibitor to be approved in the US for treatment of RA; tofacitinib (Xeljanz, Xeljanz XR) and baricitinib (Olumiant) were approved earlier.

Advertisements for atorvastatin (Lipitor), the market leader facing generic competition, have been in the news recently in the US. Lovastatin, pravastatin and simvastatin are all available generically at a much lower retail price or lower co-pay than atorvastatin.

About 2.5 million persons in the US had hepatitis C between 2017 and 2020. Guidelines from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) on management of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection were updated in 2023.

View the Comparison Table: Some Oral Anticoagulants for VTE

In the short time since fluoxetine (Prozac - Lilly) first became available in the USA (Medical Letter, 30:45, 1988), it has become the most frequently prescribed of all antidepressants. Some recent reports, however, have questioned its safety.

In overactive bladder, involuntary bladder contractions due to detrusor overactivity result in urinary urgency, frequency, nocturia, and incontinence. The prevalence of the disorder increases with age. Nonpharmacologic treatment, including bladder training, urge suppression, pelvic floor muscle exercises, constipation management, modification of fluid intake, and avoidance of dietary irritants such as alcohol and caffeine, should be tried first.

Galantamine hydrobromide (Reminyl), a tertiary alkaloid and phenanthrene derivative extracted from daffodil bulbs, is now being marketed for oral treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. Galantamine is the fourth acetylcholinesterase inhibitor approved for this indication.

Sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis) and vardenafil (Levitra, Staxyn) have become the standard treatment for erectile dysfunction. Head-to-head comparisons of these agents are still lacking, but some differences between them and new recommendations for their dosing (see Table 2) are worth noting.