The FDA has approved plerixafor (Mozobil – Genzyme), a CXCR4 chemokine receptor antagonist, for use in combination with granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF; Neupogen) to mobilize peripheral blood stem cells in adults with multiple myeloma or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma before high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell rescue.

A Medical Letter reader recently received a diagnosis of athlete’s foot and a prescription for Naftin gel, for which his pharmacy charged $145, and his insurance company required a $70 copay because this formulation was not included in its formulary. Do patients need to pay prices like these to treat tinea pedis?

The FDA has approved a recombinant human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (Cervarix – GlaxoSmithKline) for use in girls and women 10-25 years old to prevent infection with HPV types 16 and 18, which have been associated with cervical cancer. A recombinant quadrivalent HPV vaccine (Gardasil – Merck) already on the market in the US prevents infection with HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18.

The FDA has approved tocilizumab (Actemra – Genentech; RoActemra in Europe) for intravenous (IV) treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis who have had an inadequate response to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors.

Chemotherapy can result in premature menopause and infertility in young women. Pretreatment fertility counseling followed by appropriate action may prevent some of these undesirable consequences.

Sumatriptan was first marketed in the US in 1993 as Imitrex for subcutaneous injection, followed by tablets for oral administration and then by a nasal spray. It is one of seven serotonin receptor agonists (“triptans”) marketed in the US for treatment of migraine, but it is the only one available for subcutaneous injection. Now the FDA has approved Sumavel DosePro> (Zogenix), a needle-free device for delivering sumatriptan succinate to subcutaneous tissue, for treatment of migraine and cluster headache in adults.

The FDA has approved Basaglar (Lilly/Boehringer Ingelheim), a "follow-on" 100 units/mL insulin glargine product similar to Lantus (Sanofi), which recently went off patent. A 300 units/mL formulation of insulin glargine (Toujeo) was approved in 2015.

The FDA has recently approved RotaTeq (Merck), an oral live, human-bovine reassortant rotavirus vaccine, for use in infants to prevent rotavirus gastroenteritis, a frequent cause of severe diarrhea in infancy.

An injectable extended-release formulation of the opioid-receptor antagonist naltrexone (Vivitrol - Alkermes/Cephalon) has been approved by the FDA for once-monthly use, along with psychosocial support, to maintain abstinence from alcohol. Naltrexone inhibits the rewarding effects of alcohol. Oral naltrexone (Revia, and others) has been approved for treatment of alcohol dependence since 1994, but poor adherence has limited its effectiveness. In the new extended-release (XR) formulation, naltrexone is encapsulated in polylactide-co-glycolide microspheres (similar to absorbable suture material)...

Ibandronate (Boniva - Roche) is the first bisphosphonate approved by the FDA for intravenous (IV) treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. It is given as a bolus injection once every 3 months. Ibandronate is also available as an oral once-a-month 150-mg tablet and as a daily 2.5-mg tablet.