The FDA has approved erenumab-aooe (Aimovig – Amgen/Novartis), a once-monthly, subcutaneously-injected, monoclonal antibody against the calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor, for preventive treatment of migraine in adults. It is the first drug in its class to be approved by the FDA.

An oral formulation of the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist semaglutide (Rybelsus – Novo Nordisk) has been approved by the FDA for once-daily treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults. Semaglutide, which has been available in a subcutaneously-injected formulation (Ozempic) since 2017, is the first GLP-1 receptor agonist to become available for oral administration; the 4 other GLP-1 receptor agonists currently available in the US are administered by subcutaneous (SC) injection.

The injectable glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist semaglutide, previously approved by the FDA as Ozempic to treat type 2 diabetes and to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease, has now been approved in a higher dose as Wegovy (Novo Nordisk) for chronic weight management in adults with or without type 2 diabetes who have a body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2 or a BMI ≥27 kg/m2 and ≥1 weight-related comorbidity (e.g., hypertension, dyslipidemia). An oral formulation of semaglutide...

The importance of adequate control of hypertension in preventing organ damage and death is well established, but the choice of drugs is still controversial. Three recent drug trials, one supporting initial therapy with a diuretic, the second favoring an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, and the third showing equivalence between a calcium-channel blocker and an angiotensin-receptor blocker (ARB) have intensified the debate.

Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are common causes of peptic ulcer disease. Patients infected with Helicobacter pylori who take aspirin or another NSAID have an especially high risk. Drugs that have been tried for prevention of ulcers in patients taking NSAIDs including H2-receptor antagonists, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), aluminum- or magnesium-containing antacids, the prostaglandin misoprostol (Cytotec, and others), and antibiotics to eradicate H. pylori.Click here to view the free full...

The FDA has approved the marketing of pitavastatin (Livalo – Kowa), an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (“statin”), for treatment of primary hyperlipidemia or mixed dyslipidemia. It has been available in Japan since 2003. All of the statins now available in the US are listed in the table on page 58.

The FDA has approved nivolumab (Opdivo – BMS), an IV programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) blocking antibody, for treatment of unresectable or metastatic melanoma that has progressed following treatment with ipilimumab (and a BRAF inhibitor in patients who are BRAF V600 mutation positive) and for treatment of metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has progressed on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. It is the second PD-1 inhibitor to be marketed in the US after pembrolizumab (Keytruda), and the first to be approved for treatment of NSCLC.

The FDA has approved omadacycline (Nuzyra – Paratek), a semisynthetic tetracycline derivative, for once-daily IV and oral treatment of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CAP) and acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSIs) in adults.

New guidelines from The National Cholesterol Education Program recommend, as a therapeutic option, lowering treatment goals for LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) from <100 mg/dL to <70 mg/dL for patients at very high risk for coronary heart disease and from 130 mg/dL to <100 mg/dL for those at moderately high risk. A likely consequence of these recommendations is increased use of statins and use of higher doses with a concomitant increase in adverse effects.

Estrogen is the most effective treatment for menopausal vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes), but the Women's Health Initiative study found that women who took estrogen plus a progestin for more than 5 years were at increased risk for myocardial infarction, stroke, pulmonary emboli, deep vein thrombosis, breast cancer, and possibly dementia. Are there effective alternatives?