Dorzolamide hydrochloride (Trusopt - Merck), a thienothio-pyran-2-sulfonamide carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in a 2% ophthalmic solution for treatment of elevated intraocular pressure in patients with ocular hypertension or open-angle glaucoma.

An aqueous formulation of alprostadil (prostaglandin E 1 ; - Upjohn) has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for injection into the corpus cavernosum to treat erectile dysfunction. The drug is also marketed as Prostin VR, an alcohol-containing formulation, for intravenous use in newborns with congenital heart disease to maintain the patency of the ductus arteriosus.

Itraconazole (Sporanox - Janssen), an oral antifungal triazole that has been available in the USA since 1992 for treatment of deep fungal infections (Medical Letter, 35:7, 1993), is now being marketed for treatment of dermatophyte infections of the toenails, with or without fingernail involvement.

High-dose chemotherapy followed by bone marrow transplantation continues to be widely used in the treatment of malignant diseases (Medical Letter, 37:25, 1995). The source of the transplant has been autologous or allogeneic bone marrow or, more recently, stem and progenitor cells harvested from peripheral blood (Medical Letter, 37:71, 1995). Now, blood taken from the umbilical cord and placenta of a newborn infant is being tried as a source of cells to restore the bone marrow. A single collection of umbilical cord blood contains about as many progenitor cells as most autologous bone...

Valsartan (Diovan - Novartis), a non-peptide tetrazole, is the second angiotensin II receptor antagonist approved for oral treatment of hypertension by the US Food and Drug Administration. The first was losartan (Cozaar - Medical Letter, 37:57, 1995).

Ardeparin sodium (Normiflo - Wyeth-Ayerst), a low-molecular-weight heparin, and danaparoid sodium (Orgaran - Organon), a heparinoid, have been approved by the FDA for prevention of deep vein thrombosis. Without anticoagulation, deep vein thrombosis occurs in up to 30% of patients after abdominal surgery, and in 40% to 70% of patients after major orthopedic operations on the lower limbs. Danaparoid sodium is approved in the USA only for use in hip replacement. Ardeparin is approved here only for use in knee replacement.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved two new retinoids for treatment of psoriasis. Tazarotene gel 0.05% and 0.1% (Tazorac - Allergan) is being marketed for topical use in patients with stable, mild to moderate plaque psoriasis. Acitretin (Soriatane - Roche) is being promoted for systemic use in severe psoriasis.

Zolmitriptan (Zomig - Zeneca), a selective serotonin (5-HT1)-receptor agonist, is now available in the USA for oral treatment of migraine headache. Zomitriptan structurally resembles sumatriptan (Imitrex - Medical Letter 34:91, 1992). Drugs currently used for acute treatment of migraine include injectable, oral and nasal spray formulations of sumaptriptan, injectable dihydroergotamine, dihydroergotamine nasal spray, ergotamine tartrate alone or with caffeine, and various analgesics. Anoterh 5-HT1-receptor agonist, naratriptan (Amerge - Gaxo Wellcome), has been approved by the FDA but has not...

Trovafloxacin (Trovan - Pfizer) and its prodrug alatrofoxacin (Trovan IV) are new fluroroquinolones marketed for an unusually wide variety of infections, including oral and intravenous treatment of nosocomial and community-acquired pneumonia, acute ecerbations of chronic bronchitis, acute sinusitis, complicate intra-abdominal and pelvic infections, diabetic foot infection, uncomplicated urinary tract infection, prostatitis, cervicitis and uncomplicated gonorrhea.

Celecoxib, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, has been approved by the FDA for treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.