The FDA has approved Cologuard (Exact Sciences), a stool DNA test, to screen average-risk adults ≥50 years old for colorectal cancer.

Infliximab, a monoclonal antibody that inhibits tumor necrosis factor, has received an accelerated approval from the FDA for intravenous treatment of moderate to severe Crohn's disease refractory to other medical treatment.

Rabeprazole, a benzimidazole proton pump inhibitor similar to omeprazole and lansoprazole, has been approved by the FDA for treatment of duodenal ulcers, healing and maintenance treatment of erosive or ulcerative gastroesophageal reflux disease, and for long-term treatment of chronic hypersecretory conditions, including Zollinger-Ellison syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder characterized by recurrent abdominal pain and altered bowel habits, often accompanied by bloating. IBS is classified by its predominant bowel symptom: constipation (IBS-C), diarrhea (IBS-D), mixed type (IBS-M), or unclassified (IBS-U). Since the exact cause of IBS is unknown, the goal of treatment is symptom control. Some over-the-counter (OTC) products and prescription drugs for IBS are listed in Tables 1-4. The safety of these drugs during pregnancy and lactation is described in Table 5 (online only).

The FDA has approved adjunctive treatment with Dartisla ODT (Edenbridge), a new orally disintegrating tablet (ODT) formulation of the anticholinergic drug glycopyrrolate, to reduce symptoms of a peptic ulcer. Glycopyrrolate oral tablets (Robinul, Robinul Forte, and generics) were approved for the same indication in 1961.

View the Table: Safety of Drugs for IBD in Pregnancy

The FDA has approved plecanatide (Trulance – Synergy), a guanylate cyclase-C receptor agonist, for treatment of chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC) in adults. Linaclotide (Linzess), another guanylate cyclase-C receptor agonist, and lubiprostone (Amitiza), a chloride channel activator, were approved earlier for treatment of CIC in adults.

A reader has asked us to review the use of propofol (Diprivan, and others) as a sedative agent for brief procedures, such as colonoscopy.First marketed more than 20 years ago,1 propofol has a rapid onset of action (patients usually lose consciousness in less then one minute) and a short duration of action with a rapid recovery (3-5 minutes) that makes it highly suitable for brief ambulatory procedures. Propofol is now the most commonly used parenteral anesthetic in the US.2 The main problems with its use have been pain on injection and bacterial contamination, both related to its lipid...

Obeticholic acid (Ocaliva – Intercept), a farnesoid X receptor agonist, has been approved by the FDA for treatment of primary biliary cholangitis; it is indicated for use in combination with ursodeoxycholic acid (ursodiol, UDCA; Urso, and others) in adults with an inadequate response to UDCA and as monotherapy in adults unable to tolerate UDCA. Obeticholic acid is the second drug to be approved for this indication; UDCA was the first.

The oral sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulator etrasimod (Velsipity – Pfizer) has been approved by the FDA for treatment of moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis in adults. It is the second oral S1P receptor modulator to be approved in the US for this indication; ozanimod (Zeposia) was the first.