The Immunization Practices Advisory Committee of the US Public Health Service now recommends immunizing all infants and some adolescents against hepatitis B and using a new diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP; ACEL-IMUNE - Lederle) for the fourth and fifth doses of DTP, usually given at 15 to 18 months of age and before school entry (Morbid Mortal Weekly Rep, 40 RR-13:1, November 22, 1991; Morbid Mortal Weekly Rep, 41 RR-1:1, Feb 7, 1992). The Committee on Infectious Diseases of the American Academy of Pediatrics has made similar recommendations but would extend...

Salmeterol xinafoate (Serevent - Allen & Hanburys), a long-acting β 2 -selective adrenergic agonist for inhalation, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for maintenance treatment of asthma, with or without concurrent use of inhaled corticosteroids. Salmeterol is not recommended for acute treatment of bronchospasm.

Acrivastine/Pseudoephedrine (Semprex-D) for Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis (Burroughs-Wellcome), a combination of acrivastine with pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis. Acrivastine is a new H 1 -receptor antagonist with a chemical structure similar to that of triprolidine (Actidil, and others) (RN Brogden and D McTavish, Drugs, 41:927, 1991). Pseudoephedrine is an α -adrenergic agonist. The combination is available only by prescription.

Azelastine hydrochloride, a histamine-H1 receptor antagonist, has been marketed as a 0.1% nasal spray (Astelin - Wallace) for treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis. Corticosteroid and cromolyn sodium nasal sprays are also available for this indication (Medical Letter, 37:5, 1995). Cromolyn sodium (Nasalcrom) has now been approved for over-the-counter use.

Troglitazone (Rezulin - Parke-Davis), the first of a new class of thiazolidinedione derivatives ('glitazones') for diabetes, has been marketed for oral treatment of noninsulin- dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) in patients who take more than 30 units of insulin daily and still have a glycosylated hemoglobin concentration (HbA1c) of 8.5% or higher.

Two new formulations of existing drugs were recently approved by the FDA for treatment of male androgenetic alopecia. Finasteride, a steroid 5alpha-reductase inhibitor previously marketed in a 5-mg tablet as Proscar for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (Medical Letter, 34:83, 1992), has now been approved in a 1-mg tablet as Propecia (Merck) for oral treatment of men with male pattern hair loss. Minoxidil, a peripheral vasodilator used to treat hypertension, was previously available over the counter in a 2% topical solution (Rogaine, and others) for treatment of androgenetic alopecia...

Rofecoxib, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, has been approved by the FDA for treatment of osteoarthritis, acute pain and menstrual pain.

Perindopril, the tenth angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor to be marketed in the USA, and telmisartan and eprosartan, the fifth and sixth angiotensin receptor blockers, have recently become available for treatment of hypertension.

Nateglinide (Starlix), a new meglitinide oral glucose-lowering agent, has been approved by the FDA.

A vaccine to prevent both Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B (Twinrix), previously licensed in Canada and Europe, is now available in the US for adults.