Elinzanetant (Lynkuet – Bayer), a first-in-class neurokinin 1 (NK1) and neurokinin 3 (NK3) receptor antagonist, has been approved by the FDA for treatment of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms (VMS) due to menopause. Fezolinetant (Veozah), an NK3 receptor antagonist, was approved for the same indication in 2023.

Ever-increasing specialization has made it difficult for many physicians to keep up with therapeutic standards in intensive-care units (ICUs). This issue of Treatment Guidelines offers current recommendations for use of cardiovascular drugs in the ICU for treatment of hypertensive emergencies; shock, cardiac arrest or decompensated heart failure; and ventricular arrhythmias.

Artesunate for injection (Amivas LLC), a semi-synthetic artemisinin derivative, is now approved by the FDA for initial (induction) treatment of severe malaria in children and adults. It has been available from the CDC on a compassionate use basis since 2007. Artemether/lumefantrine (Coartem), another artemisinin-based drug, was approved earlier for oral treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria. IV artesunate is now the only FDA-approved injectable antimalarial drug available in the US; IV quinidine has been discontinued.

The FDA has approved a new interferon beta-1b product (Extavia – Novartis) for treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Extavia is identical to Betaseron (Bayer); both are produced in the same factory and packaged separately.

The FDA has approved the use of subcutaneous injections of deoxycholic acid (Kybella – Kythera/Allergan) to improve the appearance of moderate to severe convexity or fullness associated with submental fat (double chin) in adults. It is the first drug approved for this indication.

Metipranolol hydrocholride 0.3% (OptiPranolol - Bausch & Lomb), a nonselective beta-adrenergic receptor blocking drug, was recently marketed of ophthalmic use to decrease intraolular pressure in ocular hypertension or chronic open-angle glaucoma. Beta-blockers available in the USA for treatment of glaucoma are listed in this article.

Enfortumab vedotin-ejfv (Padcev – Astellas), a nectin-4-directed antibody and microtubule inhibitor conjugate, has received accelerated approval from the FDA for use with the immune checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for treatment of locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer in adults who are ineligible for cisplatin-containing chemotherapy. Accelerated approval was based on tumor response rates and the durability of response.

The FDA has approved Wegovy HD, a 7.2-mg dose of the injectable glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist semaglutide, for use in adults who have tolerated the 2.4-mg dose for at least 4 weeks and require additional weight reduction.

Carteolol (Cartrol - Abbott) and penbutolol (Levatol - Reed & Carnrick), two oral beta-adrenergic blocking drugs, were recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for once-daily treatment of systemic hypertension. Both drugs are non-selective beta-blockers with mild partial agonist activity. Beta-blockers currently available in the USA for treatment of hypertension are listed in the table on the next page.

Nalmefene (Revex - Ohmeda), an i methylene analog of naltrexone (Trexan), is a long-acting opioid antagonist that has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for reversal of postoperative opioid drug effects, including respiratory depression, sedation and hypotension and for management of known or suspected opioid overdose in the emergency department. The only other opioid antagonists available in the USA are naloxone (Narcan), which is also injectable but has a short duration of action, and naltrexone, which has a long duration of action but is marketed only for oral...