Auvelity (Axsome), an extended-release fixed-dose combination of dextromethorphan and bupropion that was approved by the FDA for treatment of major depressive disorder in 2022, has now been approved for treatment of agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD). It is the second product to be approved in the US for this indication; the oral second-generation antipsychotic drug brexpiprazole (Rexulti) was approved in 2023.

View the Comparison Chart: Safety of Drugs for IBS in Pregnancy and Lactation

View the Comparison Chart: Some Drugs for Abdominal Pain in Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

The FDA has approved the oral second-generation antipsychotic drug brexpiprazole (Rexulti – Otsuka/Lundbeck) for once-daily treatment of agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Brexpiprazole is the first drug to be approved in the US for this indication. It is also approved for treatment of schizophrenia and as an adjunct to antidepressants for treatment of major depressive disorder.

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is recommended for initial treatment of chronic insomnia. CBT-I includes stimulus control, sleep education and hygiene, sleep restriction, relaxation training, and cognitive therapy. When CBT-I alone is not effective, pharmacologic treatment should be added.

The FDA has approved daridorexant (Quviviq – Idorsia), an orexin receptor antagonist, for treatment of sleep-onset and/or sleep-maintenance insomnia in adults. Daridorexant is the third orexin receptor antagonist to be approved for this indication; suvorexant (Belsomra) and lemborexant (Dayvigo) were approved earlier.

The FDA has approved Tonmya (Tonix), a sublingual tablet formulation of the skeletal muscle relaxant cyclobenzaprine, for treatment of fibromyalgia in adults. Cyclobenzaprine is available in immediate-release tablets and extended-release capsules for short-term treatment of muscle spasms and has been used off-label for treatment of fibromyalgia.

The oral second-generation antipsychotic drug lumateperone (Caplyta – Intra-Cellular Therapies), which was approved by the FDA in 2020 for treatment of schizophrenia, is now approved for use as monotherapy or as an adjunct to lithium or valproate for treatment of depressive episodes associated with bipolar I or II disorder in adults.

Breztri Aerosphere (AstraZeneca), a three-drug inhaler containing the inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) budesonide, the long-acting antimuscarinic agent (LAMA) glycopyrrolate, and the long-acting beta2-agonist (LABA) formoterol fumarate, has been approved by the FDA for maintenance treatment of asthma in patients ≥12 years old. It was approved in 2020 for treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Breztri Aerosphere is the second ICS/LAMA/LABA combination to become available for treatment of asthma. Trelegy Ellipta, which contains the ICS fluticasone, the...

Anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and various phobias) are the most common form of psychiatric illness. They can be treated effectively with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and/or pharmacotherapy.