The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has recently concluded that available evidence is insufficient to assess the balance between potential benefits and harms of using the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) to screen men < 75 years old for prostate cancer and has recommended against screening men > 75 years old.

Bendamustine HCl (Treanda - Cephalon), an unusual DNA-alkylating agent that has been used in Europe for many years to treat lymphoma, has now been approved by the FDA for treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL).

Idarubicin hydrochloride (Idamycin - Adria), an anthracycline structurally related to daunorubicin (Cerubidine, and others) and doxorubicin (Adriamycin, and others), was recently approved in the USA for treatment of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) in adults.

The US Department of Health and Human Services, in conjunction with the US Department of Agriculture, has released the latest update of its Dietary Guidelines (www.health.gov). The emphasis this time is on weight loss through calorie restriction and exercise. A low-fat intake is recommended; a low-carbohydrate diet is not. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are encouraged. A review of Diet, Drugs and Surgery for Weight Loss appeared in the December 2003 issue of Treatment Guidelines from The Medical Letter.

The Medical Letter review of Palladone (hydromorphone HCl) extended-release capsules (March 14, 2005) warned that a lethal dose could be released if the new formulation was taken with alcohol. Because of that risk, the FDA asked the manufacturer (Purdue) to withdraw the drug from the market (FDA News. July 13, 2005; FDC Reports – “The Pink Sheet” July 18, 2005; 67:3).

Our article on Antiviral Drugs for Prophylaxis and Treatment of Influenza (Med Lett Drugs Ther 2005;47:93) mentioned possible use of amantadine (Symmetrel, and others) and rimantadine (Flumadine, and others), but warned that the incidence of resistance has increased substantially. The CDC recently issued a Health Alert (www.cdc.gov) saying that current evidence indicates that a high proportion of circulating influenza A viruses in the US are now resistant to amantadine and rimantadine and they should not be used for this indication, at least this year. Click here to go to this update...

Fungal infections of the fingernails or toenails can persist for months or years despite topical and systemic antimicrobial therapy. The FDA has cleared several short-pulse laser systems for treatment of this mainly cosmetic disorder.

Exagamglogene autotemcel (Casgevy – Vertex), a cell-based gene therapy recently approved for treatment of sickle cell disease1, has now been approved by the FDA for treatment of patients ≥12 years old with transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia. Casgevy is the first gene therapy that uses CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology to be approved in the US for any disorder. Betibeglogene autotemcel (Zynteglo), an autologous lentiviral vector cell-based gene therapy, was approved in the US in 2022 for treatment of transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia.

A variety of cancer chemotherapy drugs are used, mostly in combination, for treatment of locally advanced and metastatic esophageal, gastric and colorectal cancers. The mechanism of action, indications and adverse effects of some of these drugs are discussed in thei article.

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.