Evolocumab (Repatha – Amgen), a subcutaneously injected PCSK9 inhibitor, has been approved by the FDA as an adjunct to diet and maximally tolerated statin therapy for adults with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) or clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease who require additional lowering of LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C). It was also approved as an adjunct to diet and other LDL-lowering therapies in patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) who require additional lowering of LDL-C. Evolocumab is the second PCSK9 inhibitor to be approved in the...

The FDA has approved Juluca (ViiV Healthcare/Janssen), a fixed-dose combination of the integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) dolutegravir (Tivicay) and the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) rilpivirine (Edurant), as a once-daily complete regimen for treatment of adults with HIV-1 infection who do not have a history of treatment failure or known substitutions associated with resistance to either drug and have been taking a stable suppressive antiretroviral regimen for ≥6 months. Dolutegravir/rilpivirine is the first complete regimen to be approved for...

The FDA has approved prabotulinumtoxinA-xvfs (Jeuveau – Evolus) for temporary improvement in the appearance of moderate to severe glabellar lines associated with corrugator and/or procerus muscle activity. Jeuveau is the fourth botulinum toxin product to be approved in the US for this indication (see Table 1). It has been available in South Korea as Nabota since 2014.

The FDA has approved onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi (Zolgensma – Avexis), an adeno-associated virus vector-based gene therapy, for one-time IV treatment of children <2 years old who have spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and bi-allelic mutations in the survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene. It is the first gene therapy and the second drug to be approved in the US for SMA; nusinersen (Spinraza) was approved in 2016.

View the Expanded Table: Some Drugs for Altitude Illness, Jet Lag, and Motion Sickness

The FDA has approved a dextroamphetamine transdermal patch (Xelstrym – Noven) for once-daily treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in patients ≥6 years old. Xelstrym is the first transdermal amphetamine product to be approved in the US. A methylphenidate transdermal patch (Daytrana, and generics) has been available for years for treatment of ADHD.

The FDA has approved pilocarpine 0.4% preservativefree ophthalmic solution (Qlosi – Orasis) for treatment of presbyopia in adults. Pilocarpine 1.25% ophthalmic solution (Vuity) was approved in 2021 for the same indication. Pilocarpine 1%, 2%, and 4% ophthalmic solutions (Isopto Carpine, and others) have been available for years for treatment of glaucoma, but local (e.g., blurry vision and instillation-site pain) and systemic (e.g., sweating and GI disturbances) adverse effects have limited their use.

Donanemab-azbt (Kisunla – Lilly), an IV amyloid beta-directed monoclonal antibody, has been approved by the FDA for treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The label states that the drug should only be started in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild dementia. Donanemab is the third IV amyloid beta-directed monoclonal antibody to be marketed in the US. Lecanemab (Leqembi – Biogen/Eisai) was approved by the FDA in 2023 for the same indication as donanemab. Aducanumab (Aduhelm – Lilly) was granted accelerated approval in 2021, but it was withdrawn from the market...

The FDA has licensed Capvaxive (PCV21; Merck), a 21-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, for prevention of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and pneumococcal pneumonia in adults. Four other pneumococcal vaccines are currently available in the US: Prevnar 20 (PCV20), Vaxneuvance (PCV15), and Prevnar 13 (PCV13) are conjugate vaccines licensed for use in persons ≥6 weeks old, and Pneumovax 23 (PPSV23) is a pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine licensed for use in persons ≥2 years old (see Table 1).

Many patients ask physicians to help them stop smoking. Since nicotine gum and patches were first marketed (Medical Letter, 26:47, 1984; 34:37, 1992), more data have become available on their effective use, and new formulations of the drug have been developed. Because of its slower rate of absorption, nicotine from gum or patches does not produce the pleasure some people associate with cigarette smoking, but it can relieve the irritability, difficulty in concentrating and other symptoms that occur after withdrawal from smoking.