On November 19, the FDA expanded the Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) for the mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by Pfizer/BioNTech (Comirnaty) and Moderna (Spikevax) to include administration of a booster dose for all adults ≥18 years old after primary immunization with either the same COVID-19 vaccine or a different one. Booster doses of these vaccines were previously authorized only for select populations (age ≥65 years or persons at high risk for severe COVID-19). The EUA for the adenovirus-based vaccine manufactured by Johnson & Johnson was amended in October 2021...

Invega Hafyera (Janssen), a long-acting, extended-release (ER) formulation of the second-generation antipsychotic paliperidone palmitate, has been approved by the FDA for twice-yearly IM treatment of schizophrenia in adults who have been adequately treated with another injectable ER formulation of the drug (Invega Sustenna or Invega Trinza). It is the first drug to become available in the US for twice-yearly treatment of schizophrenia.

The oral kinase inhibitor futibatinib (Lytgobi – Taiho) has received accelerated approval from the FDA for treatment of adults with previously treated, unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma with fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) fusions or other rearrangements. Accelerated approval was based on the overall response rate and duration of response. Futibatinib is the second drug to be approved for this indication; pemigatinib (Pemazyre) was approved earlier.

The investigational anti-complement component 5a (C5a) antibody vilobelimab (Gohibic – InflaRx) has been granted an FDA Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for IV treatment of hospitalized adults with COVID-19 beginning within 48 hours after invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is started. Vilobelimab is the first anti-C5a antibody to become available in the US.

The FDA has approved Inlexzo, a gemcitabine intravesical system, for treatment of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-unresponsive nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) with carcinoma in situ, with or without papillary tumors. The Inlexzo system is placed into the bladder to deliver gemcitabine for 3 weeks.

Nerandomilast (Jascayd – Boehringer Ingelheim), an oral phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitor, has been approved by the FDA for treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in adults. It is the third drug to be approved in the US for this indication; the oral antifibrotic drugs pirfenidone (Esbriet, and generics) and nintedanib (Ofev) were approved in 2014.

The FDA has expanded the licensed use of the recombinant respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine Arexvy (GSK) to include adults 18-49 years old. Arexvy and the two other available RSV vaccines, Abrysvo and mResvia, are now all licensed for prevention of RSV lower respiratory tract disease in persons ≥60 years old and in those 18-59 years old who are at increased risk of lower respiratory tract disease caused by RSV. Abrysvo is also licensed for use in pregnant women at 32-36 weeks' gestation to prevent RSV-associated lower respiratory tract disease in their infants from birth to...

Relacorilant (Lifyorli – Corcept Therapeutics), an oral first-in-class glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, has been approved by the FDA for use in combination with nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane, and generics) for treatment of platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer in adults who received 1-3 prior lines of systemic therapy, one of which included bevacizumab (Avastin, and others).

Pharmacologic treatment is recommended for postmenopausal women who have bone density T-scores (standard deviations from normal mean values in the spine, femoral neck, total hip, or distal radius) of -2.5 or below, T-scores between -1.0 and -2.5 with a history of fragility (low-trauma) fracture of the hip or spine, or T-scores between -1.0 and -2.5 with a FRAX 10-year probability of ≥3% for hip fracture or ≥20% for major osteoporotic fracture.

The FDA has approved changes to the wording of the cardiovascular risk reduction indications for the proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors evolocumab (Repatha) and alirocumab (Praluent). Both drugs are now approved to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in adults at increased risk for these events; they were previously approved to reduce the risk of MACE only in patients with established cardiovascular disease (CVD).