Tigecycline (Tygacil - Wyeth), a derivative of minocycline, is a new intravenous (IV) antibiotic approved for treatment of complicated intra-abdominal and skin and skin-structure infections.

Patients who receive pretravel advice can reduce their risk for many travel-related conditions. Vaccines recommended for travelers are reviewed in a separate issue.

The FDA has approved Viekira Pak (Abbvie), a fixed-dose combination of two new direct-acting antiviral agents (ombitasvir, paritaprevir) with the pharmacologic enhancer ritonavir in one tablet, co-packaged with a third new direct-acting antiviral agent (dasabuvir) in a second tablet, for oral treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection. Genotype 1 is responsible for 70-80% of HCV infections in the US.

Doripenem (Doribax - Ortho-McNeil Janssen), an intravenous (IV) carbapenem antibiotic with a spectrum of activity similar to that of imipenem and meropenem, has been approved by the FDA for treatment of complicated intra-abdominal and urinary tract infections. Use of doripenem for treatment of nosocomial pneumonia, including ventilator-associated pneumonia, is still under FDA review.

Drugs for gout are used to reduce the pain and inflammation of acute flares, decrease the frequency of exacerbations, and lower serum urate levels to prevent recurrent flares, development of tophi, and joint damage.

Fibrates, niacin and fish oil are promoted for treatment of hypertriglyceridemia. HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) can lower elevated serum concentrations of triglycerides, but less so than fibrates, niacins or fish oil. Lifestyle changes such as weight reduction, exercise and decreasing alcohol intake can also lower serum triglyceride levels and should be tried first.

The FDA has approved romosozumab-aqqg (Evenity – Amgen), a sclerostin inhibitor, for once-monthly subcutaneous (SC) treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women who are at high risk for fracture (history of osteoporotic fracture or multiple risk factors for fracture) or who have failed or cannot tolerate other drugs for this indication. Romosozumab is the first sclerostin inhibitor to be approved in the US and the third drug for treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis that stimulates bone formation; the parathyroid hormone (PTH) receptor agonists abaloparatide (Tymlos) and...

The FDA has approved IV amisulpride (Barhemsys – Acacia), a selective dopamine-2 and -3 (D₂/D₃) receptor antagonist, for prevention and treatment of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in adults. It is the first antiemetic to be approved for rescue treatment of PONV in patients who have symptoms despite receiving antiemetic prophylaxis. Oral formulations of amisulpride are available in Europe for treatment of schizophrenia and acute psychotic episodes.

The FDA has approved delafloxacin (Baxdela – Melinta), an anionic fluoroquinolone antibiotic, for oral and parenteral treatment of adults with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSIs), including those caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). It is the first fluoroquinolone to be approved for treatment of MRSA.

The FDA has approved the interleukin (IL)-23 antagonist risankizumab-rzaa (Skyrizi – Abbvie) for treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults. Risankizumab is the third IL-23 antagonist to be approved for this indication; guselkumab (Tremfya) and tildrakizumab (Ilumya) were approved earlier.