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.

Botulinum toxin type A (Botox Cosmetic - Allergan) has received formal approval from the FDA for treatment of glabellar ("frown") lines in adults not more than 65 years old, and is being heavily advertised. Even before this approval, cosmetic use of botulinum toxin to reduce wrinkles on the face and neck had become a popular alternative to cosmetic surgery (Medical Letter 1999; 41:63). Botulinum toxin type A (Botox) and type B (Myobloc) are approved for treatment of cervical dystonia (Medical Letter 2001; 43:53), and type A has been approved since 1989 for treatment of strabismus and...

Summer heat waves cause thousands of cases of heat-related illness in the US each year and hundreds of heat-related deaths, especially among the elderly. This review describes the contributing factors, clinical signs, and ways to prevent and treat heat injury.

Epinastine HCl, an H₁-receptor antagonist and mast cell stabilizer, has been approved by the FDA for use in a 0.05% ophthalmic solution (Elestat - Allergan/Inspire) for prevention of itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis. The drug is available orally in Europe and Asia.

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).

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.

Phosphonoformic acid or foscarnet (Foscavir - Astra), a synthetic antiviral drug, has now been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for intravenous (IV) treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis in patients with AIDS. CMV retinitis occurs in up to 30% of patients with AIDS and often causes blindness (MD de Smet and RB Nussenbatt, JAMA, 266:3019, Dec 4, 1991).

Itraconazole (Sporanox - Janssen), an antifungal triazole, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for oral treatment of histoplasmosis and blastomycosis. These two endemic mycoses occur both in normal hosts and in immunocompromised patients, such as those with AIDS (RW Bradsher, Clin Infect Dis, 14:S82, 1992; LJ Wheat, Clin Infect Dis, 14:S91, 1992).

The FDA has approved a 1.5% topical foam formulation of minocycline (Zilxi – Foamix) for treatment of inflammatory lesions of rosacea in adults. It is the only topical minocycline product approved for this indication. The same manufacturer markets minocycline foam 4% (Amzeeq) for treatment of acne in patients ≥9 years old.

The FDA has approved ritlecitinib (Litfulo – Pfizer), an oral JAK and TEC kinase family inhibitor, for treatment of severe alopecia areata in patients ≥12 years old. Ritlecitinib is the second oral drug to be approved in the US for treatment of severe alopecia areata; baricitinib (Olumiant), a JAK inhibitor, is approved only for use in adults.