View the Expanded Table: Some Oral Drugs for Chronic Insomnia

Desogen (Organon) and Ortho-Cept (Ortho), two oral contraceptives each containing a low dose (30 mcg) of the estrogen ethinyl estradiol plus 150 mcg of the progestin desogestrel, were recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for marketing in the USA. They are the first US oral contraceptives to contain desogestrel, which is widely used in oral contraceptive combination products in other countries. Desogestrel is one of three new progestins (norgestimate and gestodene are the others) considered less androgenic than previously available progestins (L Speroff et al, Obstet...

The FDA has approved Fortesta (Endo), a topical gel, for testosterone replacement therapy in adult males with hypogonadism. It is classified as a Schedule III controlled substance. Table 1 lists some available testosterone products, including 2 other gels.

The investigational monoclonal antibodies casirivimab and imdevimab (REGEN-COV – Regeneron) have been available in the US under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) since late 2020 for use together to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 in persons ≥12 years old who weigh ≥40 kg and are at high risk of progression to severe disease or hospitalization. The FDA has now expanded this EUA to allow use of the antibodies together for post-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 in such persons, if they are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or are unlikely to have an adequate immune response...

The oral antimalarial tafenoquine succinate, a long-acting analog of primaquine, has been approved by the FDA in 2 different strengths. Arakoda (100-mg tablets; Sixty Degrees) is indicated for the prophylaxis of malaria in adults. Krintafel (150-mg tablets; GSK) is indicated for the prevention of relapse (radical cure) of Plasmodium vivax malaria in patients ≥16 years old undergoing treatment for acute P. vivax infection.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in the world. Risk factor modification, anticoagulation, rhythm control, and rate control are the four pillars of its management. American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guidelines on management of AF were updated recently.

The oral retinoid isotretinoin (Accutane, and others) is the most effective drug available for treatment of acne.1 The FDA has recently approved a new oral isotretinoin product (Absorica – Cipher/Ranbaxy) for treatment of severe, recalcitrant nodular acne.Isotretinoin can completely clear severe nodulocystic lesions, in some cases leading to remission that can persist for years after treatment is stopped. Mucocutaneous adverse effects include dry skin, dry eye, epistaxis, nasopharyngitis, cheilitis, alopecia, eczema, skin fragility and photosensitivity. Musculoskeletal symptoms,...

The FDA is requiring stronger warnings in the labeling of the leukotriene receptor antagonist montelukast (Singulair, and generics) about the risk of suicidal behavior and other serious neuropsychiatric events associated with its use.

View the Comparison Table: Some Topical Drugs for Rosacea

Pramipexole (Mirapex - Pharmacia & Upjohn) and ropinirole (Requip - SmithKline Beecham), two new dopamine agonists, have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of both early (without levodopa) and advanced (with levodopa) Parkinson's disease. Bromocriptine (Parlodel) and pergolide (Permax) are older dopamine agonists marketed in the USA for adjunctive use with levodopa.