The FDA has approved the antiviral drug remdesivir (Veklury – Gilead) for IV treatment of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients who are ≥12 years old and weigh ≥40 kg. Hospitalized children who are <12 years old or weigh <40 kg can receive remdesivir through an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). Remdesivir is the first drug to be approved in the US for treatment of COVID-19.

The FDA has approved the oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor ripretinib (Qinlock – Deciphera) for treatment of adults with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) who have previously received treatment with ≥3 kinase inhibitors, including imatinib (Gleevec, and generics).

More antibiotics are prescribed for treatment of acute otitis media (AOM) than for any other infection in young children. Children with AOM typically present with otalgia, fever, and bulging and erythema of the tympanic membrane.

The FDA has approved daxibotulinumtoxinA-lanm (Daxxify – Revance), an acetylcholine release inhibitor and neuromuscular blocking agent, for temporary improvement in the appearance of moderate to severe glabellar (frown) lines associated with corrugator and/or procerus muscle activity. Daxxify is the fifth botulinumtoxin type A product to be approved in the US for this indication (see Table 1). It is also approved for treatment of cervical dystonia in adults

The FDA has approved Mavyret (Abbvie) and Vosevi (Gilead), two new fixed-dose combinations of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) drugs, for treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection caused by any of the six major HCV genotypes in patients without cirrhosis or with compensated cirrhosis. Both are approved for use in treatment-experienced patients. Mavyret is also approved for treatment-naive patients.

Nabilone (Cesamet - Lilly), a synthetic cannabinoid chemically related to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active ingredient in marijuana, was recently marketed in the USA for oral treatment of nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy. Oral THC itself, known generically as dronabinol (Marinol), is also commercially available as an antiemetic for cancer patients (Medical Letter, 27:97, 1985). Other drugs used for this purpose include metoclopramide (Reglan - Medical Letter, 24:67, 1982), prochlorperazine (Compazine; and others), haloperidol (Haldol; and others), and...

Cefixime (Suprax - Lederle), an oral cephalosporin antibiotic, was recently approved for marketing by the US Food and Drug Administration. Claimed to be the first oral third-generation cephalosporin, the new drug is offered for once-a-day treatment of otitis media, pharyngitis, bronchitis and urinary tract infections.

With the deployment of hundreds of thousands of troops in Saudi Arabia, health problems endemic to the Arabian Peninsula may be coming to the attention of physicians in the USA and other areas.

Ofloxacin (Floxin - McNeil, Ortho), a new fluoroquinolone antibacterial agent, was recently marketed in the USA for oral treatment of various infections caused by susceptible microorganisms. Ofloxacin is the third fluoroquinolone to become available in this country. Norfloxacin (Noroxin - Medical Letter, 29:25, 1987) is marketed only for treatment of urinary tract infections. Ciprofloxacin (Cipro - Medical Letter, 30:11, 1988), like ofloxacin, is approved for use in a variety of infections.

immune globulin (human) has been available for many years in an intramuscular (IM) formulation for prevention of Rh isoimmunization in pregnant Rh-negative women (Medical Letter, 16:3, 1974). Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first intravenous (IV) immune globulin preparation (WinRho SD - Univax), not only for preventing Rh isoimmunization, but also for treatment of immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) in Rh-positive patients.