The FDA has approved Twyneo (Galderma), a cream containing the retinoid tretinoin and the oxidizing agent benzoyl peroxide, for once-daily topical treatment of acne in patients ≥9 years old.

The FDA has approved cefiderocol (Fetroja – Shionogi), a new IV cephalosporin antibiotic, for treatment of complicated urinary tract infections (UTI) caused by susceptible gram-negative bacteria in adults who have limited or no alternative treatment options.

Many physicians believe that antimicrobial prophylaxis before procedures that may cause transient bacteremia can prevent endocarditis and prosthetic joint infection in patients at increased risk for these disorders. The effectiveness of this common practice has never been established by controlled trials in humans.

The FDA has approved trifarotene 0.005% cream (Aklief – Galderma) for topical treatment of acne vulgaris in patients ≥9 years old. Trifarotene is the fourth topical retinoid to be approved in the US for treatment of acne; tretinoin (Retin-A, and others), adapalene (Differin, and generics), and tazarotene (Tazorac, and others) have been available by prescription for decades. Adapalene 0.1% gel has been available over the counter since 2016 for treatment of acne in patients ≥12 years old.

The FDA has approved nivolumab (Opdivo – BMS), an IV programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) blocking antibody, for treatment of unresectable or metastatic melanoma that has progressed following treatment with ipilimumab (and a BRAF inhibitor in patients who are BRAF V600 mutation positive) and for treatment of metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has progressed on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. It is the second PD-1 inhibitor to be marketed in the US after pembrolizumab (Keytruda), and the first to be approved for treatment of NSCLC.

Oat bran, the ground inner husk of the grain, has recently become popular as a dietary means of lowering blood lipids. It is available both separately and as a constituent of oatmeal, which is the ground product of the whole grain. Oat bran and oatmeal are available in various breakfast cereals and can also be used in baked goods, such as muffins or bread. Some of these sources are listed in the table on page 112.

The FDA has approved a 1.5% topical foam formulation of minocycline (Zilxi – Foamix) for treatment of inflammatory lesions of rosacea in adults. It is the only topical minocycline product approved for this indication. The same manufacturer markets minocycline foam 4% (Amzeeq) for treatment of acne in patients ≥9 years old.

In recently published clinical trials, once-weekly subcutaneous injection of the glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist semaglutide (Ozempic – Novo Nordisk), which is FDA-approved for treatment of type 2 diabetes and to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease, has reduced body weight significantly in patients with and without type 2 diabetes when given in addition to lifestyle intervention. Liraglutide (Saxenda), another GLP-1 receptor agonist, has been FDA-approved for chronic weight...

Recently published guidelines from the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Diabetes Work Group recommend addition of the oral nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA) finerenone (Kerendia) to standard treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD).

The FDA has approved two new ophthalmic drugs for reduction of intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension: latanoprostene bunod (Vyzulta – Bausch and Lomb), a modified prostaglandin analog, and netarsudil (VRhopressa – Aerie), the first Rho kinase inhibitor to be approved in the US.