The FDA has approved vamorolone (Agamree – Catalyst), an oral corticosteroid, for treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in patients ≥2 years old. Vamorolone is the second oral corticosteroid to be approved in the US for treatment of DMD; deflazacort (Emflaza) was approved in 2017.

Recent reports have suggested that some obese patients may benefit from long-term pharmacologic treatment (RL Atkinson and VS Hubbard, Am J Clin Nutr, 60:153, August 1994; DJ Goldstein and JH Potvin, Am J Clin Nutr, 60:647, November 1994). Fluoxetine (Prozac), widely used for treatment of depression and near approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of bulimia, is also being tried for treatment of obesity.

Use of epoetin alfa, a recombinant human erythropoietin, is being promoted directly to consumers in vague advertisements that promise renewed energy and improved work capacity. Epoetin is approved by the FDA for treatment of anemia due to chronic renal failure, cancer chemotherapy or HIV treatment, and before elective non-cardiac surgery. It is also used illicitly by competitive athletes to increase their endurance.

Bexxar, a combination of the monoclonal antibody tositumomab and radiolabeled Iodine-131 tositumomab (Corixa Corp/GlaxoSmithKline) has been approved by the FDA for a single treatment of relapsed follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in patients who are refractory to rituximab (Rituxan - Medical Letter 1998; 40:65). It is the second radioimmunoconjugate to be approved for refractory NHL; yttrium-90 linked to ibritumomab tiuxetan (Zevalin) was approved in 2002. Tositumomab, like ibritumomab, is a monoclonal antibody of mouse origin that binds to the CD20 antigen present on the surface of >90%...

Zolmitriptan (Zomig - AstraZeneca) nasal spray was recently approved by the FDA for treatment of migraine. It is the second selective serotonin receptor agonist ("triptan") to become available as a nasal spray; sumatriptan has been available in this form since 1997. Some patients with migraine cannot take tablets because of nausea and vomiting, and nasal sprays are more convenient than subcutaneous injections.

The FDA has approved pegaptanib sodium (Macugen - Pfizer/Eyetech) as an intravitreous injection for treatment of all subtypes of neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The only other approved treatment for this condition is photodynamic therapy with intravenous verteporfin (Visudyne), which is recommended only for patients with one subtype (predominantly classic) of neovascular AMD.

Some patients with primary immune deficiency are injected with intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) every 3-4 weeks. Now a subcutaneous immune globulin (SCIG) has also been approved in the US for this indication (Vivaglobin - CSL Behring). SCIG has been used in Europe for about 10 years.

Vilazodone (Viibryd – Forest), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and partial 5-HT_1A receptor agonist, has been approved by the FDA for treatment of depression. It has been claimed to have no sexual side effects and not to cause weight gain.

The FDA has approved indacaterol (in´´ da ka´ ter ol; Arcapta Neohaler – Novartis), an inhaled long-acting beta₂-agonist, for once-daily maintenance treatment of airflow obstruction in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Indacaterol is not approved for treatment of exacerbations of COPD or for treatment of asthma. It has been available in Europe as Onbrez Breezhaler since 2009.

The FDA has approved teduglutide (te due’ gloo tide; Gattex – NPS), a recombinant DNA analog of glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2), for treatment of short bowel syndrome (SBS) in adults who are dependent on parenteral support.