Ganciclovir sodium (Cytovene - Syntex), a synthetic antiviral nucleoside analog, is now available in the USA for intravenous treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis in immunocompromised patients. CMV retinitis occurs in 20% to 25% of patients with AIDS.

Entecavir (Baraclude - Bristol-Myers Squibb), a nucleoside analog, has been approved by the FDA for treatment of adults with active chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

The oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor baricitinib (Olumiant – Lilly), which was previously approved by the FDA for treatment of moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis and treatment of COVID-19 in certain hospitalized adults, has now been approved for treatment of severe alopecia areata in adults. Baricitinib is the first systemic treatment to be approved in the US for this indication.

Patients who receive pretravel advice can reduce their risk for many travel-related conditions. Vaccines recommended for travelers are reviewed in a separate issue.

The FDA has approved vancomycin oral solution (Firvanq – Cutis Pharma) for treatment of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea and enterocolitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant strains (MRSA).

Cosibelimab (Unloxcyt – Checkpoint Therapeutics), a programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) blocking antibody, has been approved by the FDA for treatment of locally advanced or metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in adults who are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation. It is the first PD-L1 inhibitor to be approved in the US for this indication. The PD-1 inhibitors pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and cemiplimab (Libtayo) are also approved for treatment of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

Berdazimer 10.3% gel (Zelsuvmi – Ligand), a first-in-class nitric oxide-releasing agent, has been approved by the FDA for topical treatment of molluscum contagiosum in patients ≥1 year old. It is the second drug to become available in the US for treatment of molluscum contagiosum and the first that can be applied by the patient or caregiver at home; cantharidin 0.7% solution (Ycanth), which is applied by a healthcare professional, was approved earlier for use in patients ≥2 years old.

The oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor upadacitinib (Rinvoq – Abbvie) has been approved by the FDA for treatment of giant cell arteritis. Upadacitinib was approved earlier for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis, atopic dermatitis, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn's disease.

The FDA has approved nirsevimab-alip (Beyfortus – AstraZeneca/Sanofi), a long-acting monoclonal antibody, for the prevention of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) lower respiratory tract disease in neonates and infants born during or entering their first RSV season, and in children ≤24 months old who are at increased risk for severe RSV disease through their second RSV season. Nirsevimab is the first drug to be approved for protection of all infants during their first RSV season.

Amprenavir is the fifth protease inhibitor to become available for treatment of HIV infection. It was approved by the FDA for use with other drugs in the treatment of HIV-infected adults and children at least four years old.