Voclosporin (Lupkynis – Aurinia), an oral calcineurin inhibitor, has been approved by the FDA for use in combination with the antimetabolite immunosuppressant mycophenolate mofetil (Cellcept, and generics) and a corticosteroid for treatment of adults with active lupus nephritis. It is the first calcineurin inhibitor to be approved in the US for this indication. Tacrolimus (Prograf, and others) and cyclosporine (Neoral, and others), the other available systemic calcineurin inhibitors, are approved for prophylaxis of organ rejection in transplant patients.

The FDA has approved ritlecitinib (Litfulo – Pfizer), an oral JAK and TEC kinase family inhibitor, for treatment of severe alopecia areata in patients ≥12 years old. Ritlecitinib is the second oral drug to be approved in the US for treatment of severe alopecia areata; baricitinib (Olumiant), a JAK inhibitor, is approved only for use in adults.

The FDA has approved the injectable interleukin (IL)-17A/17F antagonist bimekizumab-bkzx (Bimzelx – UCB) for treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults who are candidates for systemic treatment or phototherapy. Bimekizumab is the first IL-17A/17F antagonist to be approved in the US. It was approved in the European Union for the same indication in 2021.

The oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor baricitinib (Olumiant – Lilly), which was previously approved by the FDA for treatment of moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis and treatment of COVID-19 in certain hospitalized adults, has now been approved for treatment of severe alopecia areata in adults. Baricitinib is the first systemic treatment to be approved in the US for this indication.

The FDA has approved vamorolone (Agamree – Catalyst), an oral corticosteroid, for treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in patients ≥2 years old. Vamorolone is the second oral corticosteroid to be approved in the US for treatment of DMD; deflazacort (Emflaza) was approved in 2017.

The FDA has approved an intranasal formulation of the opioid antagonist nalmefene (Opvee – Indivior) for emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose in persons ≥12 years old. Nalmefene, which is available by prescription, is the second opioid antagonist to become available as a nasal spray for this indication; the first was naloxone, which is now available for sale over the counter (Narcan, and generic). Other nasal spray formulations of naloxone and injectable formulations of nalmefene and naloxone are available by prescription (see Table 2).

Opioid use disorder is a chronic, relapsing disease with physical and psychiatric components. It is associated with economic hardship, social isolation, incarceration, increased rates of blood-borne infections such as HIV and viral hepatitis, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and increased mortality. According to the NIH, there were 80,411 deaths involving an opioid in the US in 2021, more than in any previous year. Several guidelines on the management of opioid use disorder are available; all recommend maintenance pharmacotherapy as the standard of care.

The injectable interleukin (IL)-23 antagonist risankizumab-rzaa (Skyrizi – Abbvie) has been approved by the FDA for treatment of moderately to severely active Crohn's disease (CD) in adults. Risankizumab was approved earlier for treatment of plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

When used for the appropriate seizure type, antiseizure medications (ASMs) are roughly equivalent in efficacy. In addition to the seizure type, the choice of drug is usually based on factors such as ease of use, spectrum of activity, adverse effects, interactions with other drugs, presence of comorbid conditions, suitability for elderly persons and those with childbearing potential, and cost. Treatment should begin with a single drug, increasing the dosage gradually until seizures are controlled or adverse effects become unacceptable. If seizures persist, expert clinicians generally...

Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), referred to collectively as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), are chronic immune-mediated inflammatory conditions. Guidelines for treatment of UC and CD have been updated in recent years