Bipolar disorder is characterized by episodes of mania, hypomania, and depression. Recurrences of manic or (more frequently) depressive symptoms are common. About 15-20% of patients with bipolar disorder die by suicide.

Tuberculosis (TB) is still a common cause of death worldwide, and the prevalence of drug-resistant TB poses challenges to its treatment and control. Guidelines with detailed management recommendations are available from the American Thoracic Society, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA).

Mesalamine (Rowasa - Reid-Rowell), probably better known as 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) and also called mesalazine in some other countries, was recently marketed in the USA as an enema for treatment of mild to moderate distal ulcerative colitis, including ulcerative proctosigmoiditis and ulcerative proctitis.

Mitoxantrone (Novantrone - Lederle), a synthetic anthracene related to the anthracyclines doxorubicin (Adriamycin) and daunorubicin (Cerubidine), has now been marketed in the USA to be used in combination with other drugs for initial treatment of acute nonlymphocytic leukemia in adults.

Ganciclovir sodium (Cytovene - Syntex), a synthetic antiviral nucleoside analog, is now available in the USA for intravenous treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis in immunocompromised patients. CMV retinitis occurs in 20% to 25% of patients with AIDS.

Mefloquine hydrochloride (Lariam - Roche), a new antimalarial drug chemically related to quinine, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for prevention and treatment of Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax malaria.

Mirtazapine (mir taz a peen; Remeron - Organon) has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of depression. A tetracyclic piperazinoazepine, it is an analog of mianserin, an antidepressant available in Europe, but is structurally unrelated to antidepressants previously available in the USA.

Brimonidine tartrate 0.2% ophthalmic solution (Alphagan - Allergan), a selective alpha2-adrenergic agonist, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of increased intraocular pressure due to open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension and for its prevention in patients undergoing argon laser trabeculoplasty.

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.

Cerivastatin (Baycol - Bayer), a new HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (or "statin"), has been approved by the FDA for treatment of hypercholesterolemia. Cerivastatin is the sodium salt of a synthetic fluorophenyl pyridinyl-substituted heptanoic acid.