The FDA has approved golimumab (Simponi – Janssen), a fully human monoclonal antibody specific for tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha, for induction and maintenance of remission in patients with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis who do not respond to or cannot tolerate other therapies or who require continuous treatment with corticosteroids. Golimumab was approved earlier for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis. It is the third TNF inhibitor to be approved for use in ulcerative colitis.

Deflazacort (Emflaza – PTC Therapeutics), an oral corticosteroid, has been approved by the FDA for treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in patients ≥5 years old. It has been available outside the US for many years. Deflazacort is the second drug to be approved for treatment of DMD; eteplirsen (Exondys 51), an antisense oligonucleotide approved for IV administration in patients with mutations of the dystrophin gene amenable to exon 51 skipping (about 13% of DMD cases), was the first.

Opdualag (BMS), a fixed-dose combination of two immune checkpoint inhibitors — nivolumab (Opdivo), a programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) inhibitor, and relatlimab-rmbw, a lymphocyte-activation gene-3 (LAG-3) blocking antibody — has been approved by the FDA for treatment of unresectable or metastatic melanoma in patients ≥12 years old. Relatlimab, which is only available in combination with nivolumab, is the first LAG-3 blocking antibody to become available in the US. Immune checkpoint inhibitors, including the anti-CTLA-4 antibody ipilimumab (Yervoy) and the PD-1 inhibitors...

The oral kinase inhibitors dabrafenib (Tafinlar – GSK) and trametinib (Mekinist – Novartis) have received accelerated approval by the FDA for use together for a fifth indication: treatment of unresectable or metastatic solid tumors with a BRAF V600E mutation in patients ≥6 years old who have progressed following prior treatment and have no satisfactory alternative treatment options. The combination is not approved for treatment of colorectal cancer because of known intrinsic resistance to BRAF inhibition and dabrafenib is not approved for use in patients with wild-type BRAF...

The FDA has approved donislecel-jujn (Lantidra – CellTrans), an allogeneic pancreatic islet cellular therapy, for use in conjunction with immunosuppression for treatment of adults with type 1 diabetes who are unable to approach target HbA1c because of current repeated episodes of severe hypoglycemia despite intensive diabetes management and education. Donislecel is the first cell-based treatment to be approved in the US for type 1 diabetes.

Levocetirizine (Xyzal - UCB/Sanofi-aventis), the active enantiomer of the second-generation H₁-antihistamine cetirizine (Zyrtec), has been approved by the FDA for treatment of seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis (SAR and PAR) and chronic idiopathic urticaria in adults and children 6 years of age and older. Cetirizine has been approved by the FDA for over-the-counter use and may also become available generically in the US. Levocetirizine has been available in Europe since 2001.

The choice of drugs for treatment of pneumonia depends on the most likely pathogens causing the infection and local antimicrobial resistance patterns. Factors such as severity of illness, presence of co-morbid conditions and whether the infection is community or hospital-acquired also need to be considered.

Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic inflammatory arthropathy associated with psoriasis. A recent review found that about 20% of patients with psoriasis have psoriatic arthritis. Updated guidelines for treatment of psoriatic arthritis have recently been published.

The FDA has approved marketing of the corticosteroid budesonide in an oral inhalatoin powder formulation (Pulmicort Turbuhaler - Astra) for maintenance treatment of asthma in adults and children at least six years old. Budesonide has been available in the USA as an intranasal spray (Rhinocort) for treatment of allergic rhinitis since 1994 and has been used for inhalation treatment of asthma in Canada and Europe for ten years.

Echinacea, a plant also called purple coneflower, is widely used as a dietary supplement for prevention and treatment of colds.