Sucralose (Splenda - McNeil Specialty) has been approved by the FDA for use as a nonnutritive sweetener in beverages, baked goods and other foods, and as a tabletop sugar substitute (Fed Reg, 63:16417, April 3, 1998). Other non-caloric sweeteners available in the USA include saccharin (Sweet'n Low, and others), aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal) and acesulfame potassium (Sunette - Medical Letter, 30:116, 1988).

Tolterodine tartrate (Detrol - Pharmacia & Upjohn) is a new muscarinic receptor antagonist now being widely promoted for treatment of urinary frequency, urgency and urge incontinence caused by bladder (detrusor) overactivity.

Prosorba, an antibody-adsorbing column used with plasmapheresis, has been approved by the FDA for treatment of moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis in patients refractory or intolerant to methotrexate and other disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs).

Temozolomide has received accelerated approval from the FDA for oral treatment of adults with anaplastic astrocytoma that has relapsed after treatment with a nitrosourea (lomustine or carmustine) and procarbazine.

Nearly 30 years after the first publication of Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution promoting a high-protein, extremely low-carbohydrate diet, patients once again are asking their physicians about the Atkins diet.

Once-a-week formulations of alendronate (Fosamax) in 35- and 70-mg tablets have now been approved by the FDA and are being heavily promoted for prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. A new formulation of risedronate (Actonel) for once-a-week use is under development and may be available next year.

A penicillin is the drug of choice for treatment of many infections, but allergic reactions to these drugs occur frequently and, rarely, can be fatal. From 5% to 20% of patients have a history of a rash or some other reaction while taking a penicillin, but maculopapular rashes with ampicillin or amoxicillin, especially in children with infectious mononucleosis, are probably not allergic.

Ursodiol (ursodeoxycholic acid), a naturally occurring bile acid, will soon be marketed in the USA as (Ciba-Geigy), an oral drug for dissolution of gallbladder stones. The labeling for the drug, which has been available in other countries for the past ten years, will restrict its use to dissolution of radiolucent, noncalcified gallbladder stones less than 20 mm in diameter in patients who have refused or are at increased risk from surgery.

Diclofenac sodium (Voltaren - Geigy), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) available in some countries since 1974, was recently introduced in the USA for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. It is being promoted as 'The number one prescribed antiarthritic in the world.'

Nicardipine (Cardene - Syntex), a dihydropyridine calcium-entry blocker structurally related to nifedipine (Procardia; Adalat), was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for oral treatment of angina and hypertension. Advertisements for the drug claim that nicardipine is more vasoselective; than other calcium-channel blockers and does not depress myocardial contractility.