The FDA has approved deutetrabenazine (Austedo – Teva), a vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) inhibitor, for treatment of chorea associated with Huntington's disease and, more recently, for treatment of tardive dyskinesia in adults. It is the second VMAT2 inhibitor to be approved for each of these indications; tetrabenazine (Xenazine, and generics) was approved earlier for Huntington's chorea and valbenazine (Ingrezza) was recently approved for treatment of adults with tardive dyskinesia.

The FDA has approved Suflave (Sebela/Braintree), a low-volume polyethylene glycol (PEG)- and sulfate-based product for cleansing of the colon prior to colonoscopy in adults. Other oral colonoscopy preparations available in the US are listed in Table 2. Suflave is marketed as tasting better than other products.

Desmopressin acetate (DDAVP -Rorer), a synthetic analog of the natural human antidiuretic hormone arginine vasopressin, was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of primary nocturnal enuresis. DDAVP Nasal Spray, which is similar to an intranasal solution that has been available in the USA for treatment of central diabetes insipidus (Medical Letter, 20:26, 1978), will be used for the new indication.

Strontium-89 chloride was recently approved for marketing by the US Food and Drug Administration. It is offered for relief of pain caused by metastatic bone lesions

Tamsulosin (Flomax - Boehringer Ingelheim), an alpha 1 - adrenoreceptor blocker, has been approved by the FDA for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). It is claimed to bind preferentially to alpha1 receptors in the prostate.

The FDA has approved the opioid agonist hydromorphone in a once-daily extended-release (ER) oral tablet formulation (Exalgo – Covidien) for the management of moderate to severe pain in opioid-tolerant patients requiring continuous, long-term therapy. Another hydromorphone ER formulation (Palladone – Purdue) was available previously, but was withdrawn from the market because taking it with alcohol could interfere with the extended-release mechanism and lead to rapid release of potentially lethal amounts of the drug ("dose-dumping").

The results of the AIM-HIGH trial conducted by the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) were recently published. The goal of the trial was to test whether addition of niacin to intensive statin therapy would further reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. The trial was stopped prematurely after an average follow-up of 3 years because niacin therapy had not shown any clinical benefit.

The FDA has approved the interleukin-6 (IL-6) antagonist siltuximab (Sylvant – Janssen), a recombinant chimeric (human-mouse) monoclonal antibody, for treatment of multicentric Castleman's disease (MCD) in patients who are HIV negative and human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) negative. It is the first drug to be approved for this indication.

The FDA has approved Kimyrsa (Melinta), a new IV formulation of the long-acting lipoglycopeptide antibiotic oritavancin, for treatment of adults with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections caused by susceptible gram-positive bacteria. Orbactiv (Melinta), another IV formulation of oritavancin, was approved in 2014 for the same indication. Kimyrsa has a smaller infusion volume (250 mL vs 1 L) and a shorter infusion time (1 hour vs 3 hours) compared to Orbactiv (see Table 1).

A synthetic form of the protein apoaequorin is the active ingredient in the over-the-counter dietary supplement Prevagen (Quincy Bioscience), which is heavily marketed to improve memory.