The opioid agonist tramadol is now available in an oral solution (Qdolo – Athena Bioscience) for management of pain severe enough to require an opioid and for which alternative treatment options are inadequate. Tramadol has been available for years in immediate-release tablets and capsules, extended-release capsules (Ultram, and others), and in a fixed-dose combination tablet with acetaminophen (Ultracet, and generics).

The FDA has approved Onyda XR (Tris), an extended-release (ER) oral suspension formulation of the alpha_2-adrenergic agonist clonidine, for use as monotherapy or as an adjunct to stimulant therapy for treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children ≥6 years old. Clonidine ER tablets have been available for years for treatment of ADHD in children 6-17 years old.

Nefazodone (Serzone - Bristol-Myers Squibb) was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of depression. A phenylpiperazine, nefazodone is chemically related to trazodone (Desyrel, and others).

Aripiprazole (Abilify - Bristol-Myers Squibb/Otsuka), a second-generation (atypical) antipsychotic drug, was approved by the FDA in 2002 for treatment of schizophrenia and more recently for bipolar disorder as well. It has been promoted as causing fewer adverse effects than other antipsychotics, without sacrificing efficacy.

Atrial fibrillation increases the risk of thromboembolic stroke. Anticoagulant therapy can reduce this risk and is recommended for patients with atrial fibrillation and one or more of the following: congestive heart failure, hypertension, age ≥75 years, diabetes, or prior stroke or transient ischemic attack (CHADS₂ score ≥1).

Lapatinib (Tykerb - GlaxoSmithKline), an oral inhibitor of both HER-2 and epidermal growth factor receptor type 1 (EGFR-1 or ErbB-1), has been approved by the FDA for use in combination with capecitabine (Xeloda) to treat advanced or metastatic breast cancer that overexpresses HER-2 in patients who have received prior therapy that included an anthracycline, a taxane and trastuzumab (Herceptin), an intravenous monoclonal antibody that also inhibits HER-2.

View the Comparison Table: Some Oral Antiseizure Medications

The FDA has approved bremelanotide (Vyleesi – Amag), a melanocortin receptor agonist, for subcutaneous treatment of premenopausal women with acquired, generalized hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). Bremelanotide is not approved for use in men or postmenopausal women. It is the second drug to be approved in the US for this indication; flibanserin (Addyi), which was approved in 2015, was the first.

The FDA has approved osilodrostat (Isturisa – Recordati), a cortisol synthesis inhibitor, for oral treatment of adults with Cushing's disease when surgical resection of the pituitary adenoma is not an option or has not been curative. Osilodrostat is the first cortisol synthesis inhibitor to be approved in the US for this indication. Other oral steroidogenesis inhibitors such as ketoconazole and metyrapone have been used off-label for this indication for many years.

The FDA has approved the interleukin-1 (IL-1) beta inhibitor canakinumab (Ilaris – Novartis) for treatment of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA; formerly called juvenile rheumatoid arthritis or Still’s disease) in children ≥2 years old. Canakinumab was approved earlier for treatment of cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (CAPS). Tocilizumab (Actemra), an interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibitor that has been available since 2010 for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in adults, was also recently approved by the FDA for sJIA. Canakinumab is the only IL-1 inhibitor approved...