The FDA has approved osimertinib (Tagrisso – AstraZeneca), an oral kinase inhibitor, for adjuvant treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after tumor resection in adults who have epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 19 deletions or exon 21 L858R mutations. Osimertinib is the first targeted therapy to be approved in the US for this indication. The drug was previously approved for first-line treatment of adults with NSCLC with EGFR exon 19 deletions or exon 21 L858R mutations and for treatment of EGFR T790M mutation-positive NSCLC in adults whose disease progressed...

Akeega (Janssen), a fixed-dose combination of the oral poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor niraparib (Zejula) and the antiandrogen abiraterone acetate (Zytiga, and others), has been approved by the FDA for use in combination with prednisone for treatment of adults with deleterious or suspected deleterious BRCA-mutated (BRCAm) metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Niraparib has been available since 2017 for treatment of epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer. Abiraterone acetate has been available since 2011 for treatment of CRPC...

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

Remestemcel-L (Ryoncil – Mesoblast), an allogeneic bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cell therapy, has been approved by the FDA for treatment of steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in patients ≥2 months old. Steroid-refractory GVHD is associated with a poor prognosis, organ damage, and death, particularly in pediatric patients. Remestemcel-L is the first cellular therapy to be approved in the US for this indication and the only treatment of any kind to be approved for GVHD in children <12 years old.

The subcutaneously injected interleukin (IL)-4 receptor alpha antagonist dupilumab (Dupixent – Sanofi/Regeneron) has been approved by the FDA for treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria in patients ≥12 years old who remain symptomatic despite H₁-antihistamine treatment. Dupilumab was approved earlier for treatment of asthma, atopic dermatitis, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, eosinophilic esophagitis, prurigo nodularis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with an eosinophilic phenotype.

The Interruption of Anticoagulation section of our article on Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation cited the recommendations of the American College of Chest Physicians on perioperative management of antithrombotic therapy (JD Douketis et al. Chest 2022; 162:e207). A reader suggested that our general statement on when to discontinue an oral anticoagulant would have benefited from inclusion of the recommendations of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (JA Joglar et al. Circulation 2024; 149:e1). Recommendations for periprocedural management of oral anticoagulant therapy...

View the Comparison Chart: Correct Use of Inhalers for Asthma

A selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) is generally used for initial treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). A serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), bupropion (Wellbutrin SR, and others), and mirtazapine (Remeron, and others) are reasonable alternatives. Improvement in symptoms can occur within the first two weeks of treatment with these drugs, but a substantial benefit may not be achieved for 4-8 weeks.

The oral kinase inhibitor alpelisib (Vijoice – Novartis) has been approved by the FDA for treatment of patients ≥2 years old with severe manifestations of PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum (PROS) who require systemic treatment. Alpelisib is the first drug to be approved in the US for this indication. It was also approved in 2019 as Piqray for use in combination with fulvestrant for treatment of certain types of breast cancer.

The FDA has approved Zunveyl (Alpha Cognition), a delayed-release formulation of the prodrug benzgalantamine, for treatment of mild to moderate dementia of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Immediate- and extended-release formulations of the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor galantamine have been available in the US for years for treatment of AD.