The FDA has approved the marketing of extended release (ER) ranolazine (Ranexa - CV Therapeutics) for treatment of chronic angina in patients who have not achieved an adequate response with other antianginal drugs. It should be used in combination with a nitrate, a beta-blocker or the dihydropyridine calcium-channel blocker amlodipine (Norvasc), and appears to be more effective in men. The labeling for ranolazine specifies amlodipine as the calcium-channel blocker of choice because the use of other dihydropyridines with ranolazine has not been studied, and use with diltiazem (Cardizem, and...

The FDA has approved Exforge (Novartis) and Azor (Daiichi Sankyo), the first combinations of a calcium channel blocker (CCB) with an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) for treatment of hypertension. Amlodipine is the CCB in both products. The ARBs are valsartan in Exforge and olmesartan in Azor. All 3 of these drugs are available in fixed-dose combinations with other antihypertensive drugs.

Bupropion (Wellbutrin - GlaxoSmithKline, and others) is a norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitor that has been a useful antidepressant because, unlike some other antidepressants, it does not cause sexual dysfunction, weight gain or sedation. Some patients who were switched from Wellbutrin to a generic alternative have reported worsening side effects and relapse of previously controlled depressive symptoms.1 Most of the complaints have come from patients switched from Wellbutrin XL 300 mg to the generic 300-mg formulation of extended-release bupropion marketed by Teva (Budeprion XL).2...

Effective treatment of hypertension can prevent organ damage and death. The choice of drugs for initial treatment continues to be controversial.

Most patients with hypertension require more than one drug to control their blood pressure. Exforge HCT (Novartis) is a new 3-drug fixed-dose combination tablet approved by the FDA for treatment of hypertension. It combines the calcium-channel blocker amlodipine (Norvasc, and others) and the angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) valsartan (Diovan), which are already available in a combination tablet (Exforge), with the most commonly prescribed diuretic hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ). Exforge HCT is not approved for initial treatment of hypertension, but rather for patients not adequately controlled...

The FDA has approved cangrelor (Kengreal – The Medicines Company), an IV P2Y12 platelet inhibitor, as an adjunct to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients who have not been pretreated with a P2Y12 inhibitor and are not being given a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor.

The FDA has approved Duzallo (Ironwood), a fixed-dose combination of the uric acid transporter 1 (URAT1) inhibitor lesinurad (Zurampic) and the xanthine oxidase inhibitor allopurinol (Zyloprim, and generics), for once-daily treatment of gout-associated hyperuricemia in patients who have not achieved target serum uric acid levels with allopurinol alone.

The drugs of choice for treatment of common cardiac arrhythmias are listed in Tables 1 and 2. Some drugs are recommended for indications that have not been approved by the FDA.

Use of screening tests to identify cancers before they cause symptoms can lead to earlier therapy and may improve outcomes. Screening tests for some common cancers are reviewed below.

Etodolac (Lodine - Wyeth-Ayerst), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) available in Europe for several years, was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in osteoarthritis and as a general-purpose analgesic. It has not been approved for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.