Drugs for Multiple Sclerosis
Date: March 22, 2021
Issue #:
1620Summary:
Most patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) present
with the relapsing-remitting form of the disease.
Pharmacologic treatment usually includes a
disease-modifying drug, corticosteroids for acute
exacerbations, and other drugs for managing
symptoms such as fatigue, depression, and pain.
Early use of disease-modifying therapy has improved
clinical outcomes. (Source: The Medical Letter)
Source: The Medical Letter - February 9, 2021 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: admin Tags: Alemtuzumab Aubagio Avonex Betaseron Cladribine Copaxone dimethyl fumarate diroximel Extavia Fingolimod Gilenya Glatect Glatiramer acetate Glatopa Interferon beta Kesimpta Lemtrada Mavenclad Mayzent mitoxantrone Mul Source Type: research
Vericiguat (Verquvo) for Heart Failure
Date: March 8, 2021
Issue #:
1619Summary:
The FDA has approved vericiguat (Verquvo– Merck),
an oral soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator,
to reduce the risk of hospitalization for heart failure
and cardiovascular (CV) death following a worsening
heart failure event (hospitalization for heart failure or
treatment with IV diuretics as an outpatient) in patients
with symptom atic chronic heart failure and left
ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)<45%. Vericiguat
is the second sGC stimulator to be marketed in the
US. Riociguat(Adempas), which is FDA-approved
for treatment ...
Source: The Medical Letter - February 9, 2021 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: admin Source Type: research
Comparison Table: Drugs for Parkinson's Disease (online only)
Date: February 22, 2021
Issue #:
1618Summary:
View the Comparison Table: Drugs for Parkinson ' s Disease (Source: The Medical Letter)
Source: The Medical Letter - February 5, 2021 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: admin Source Type: research
FDA Authorizes Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine
Date: March 22, 2021
Issue #:
1620Summary:
On February 27, 2021, the FDA issued an Emergency
Use Authorization (EUA) for the Johnson& Johnson
adenovirus-based vaccine for prevention of COVID-19
in persons ≥18 years old. It is the third COVID-19
vaccine to become available in the US and the first to
require only a single dose. Two-dose mRNA-based
vaccines manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech and
Moderna received EUAs in December 2020. (Source: The Medical Letter)
Source: The Medical Letter - February 4, 2021 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: admin Tags: COVID-19 vaccines Source Type: research
Ashwagandha Supplements
Date: March 8, 2021
Issue #:
1619Summary:
Ashwagandha is an herb extracted from the roots of
an evergreen shrub(Withania somnifera) found in
India that has been used as a " tonic " for centuries.
No specific constituent has been identified as an
active ingredient. Herbal supplements containing
ashwagandha, which is also known as winter cherry
and Indian ginseng, are widely promoted now in the
US for treatment of pain, anxiety, stress, fatigue, sleep
disturbances, cognitive decline, diabetes, arthritis,
male infertility, and various cancers. (Source: The Medical Letter)
Source: The Medical Letter - January 27, 2021 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: admin Tags: ashwagandha Herbals Source Type: research
Low-Dose Colchicine for Coronary Artery Disease
Date: April 5, 2021
Issue #:
1621Summary:
The centuries-old anti-inflammatory drug colchicine
(Colcrys, and others) is FDA-approved for prophylaxis
and treatment of gout flares and for treatment of
familial Mediterranean fever. It is also used off-label
to treat pericarditis, and in recent years has been
investigated for reduction of cardiovascular risk in
patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). (Source: The Medical Letter)
Source: The Medical Letter - January 27, 2021 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: admin Source Type: research
Oliceridine (Olinvyk) - A New Opioid for Severe Pain
Date: March 8, 2021
Issue #:
1619Summary:
Oliceridine (Olinvyk - Trevena), an IV opioid agonist,
has been approved by the FDA for management of
acute pain severe enough to require an opioid and for
which alternative treatment options are inadequate. (Source: The Medical Letter)
Source: The Medical Letter - January 27, 2021 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: admin Source Type: research
Sodium Sulfate-Based Tablets (Sutab) for Colonoscopy Preparation
Date: March 8, 2021
Issue #:
1619Summary:
The FDA has approved an oral tablet formulation of
sodium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, and potassium
chloride (Sutab– Braintree) for colon cleansing prior
to colonoscopy in adults. A sodium sulfate-based oral
solution(Suprep) has been available in the US since
2010.Sutab is the second tablet formulation to be
approved for bowel cleansing prior to colonoscopy;
a sodium phosphate-based tablet(OsmoPrep) was
approved earlier. (Source: The Medical Letter)
Source: The Medical Letter - January 27, 2021 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: admin Source Type: research
Drugs for Parkinson's Disease
Date: February 22, 2021
Issue #:
1618Summary:
The motor symptoms of Parkinson ' s disease (PD) are
caused primarily by degeneration of dopaminergic
neurons in the substantia nigra. The nonmotor symptoms
of the disease are thought to be caused by degeneration of
other neurotransmitter systems. No disease-modifying
drugs are available for treatment of PD. (Source: The Medical Letter)
Source: The Medical Letter - January 12, 2021 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: admin Source Type: research
Avapritinib (Ayvakit) for GIST
Date: February 8, 2021
Issue #:
1617Summary:
The FDA has approved the oral tyrosine kinase
inhibitor avapritinib (Ayvakit– Blueprint Medicines)
for treatment of unresectable or metastatic gastrointestinal
stromal tumors (GISTs) harboring a
platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha
(PDGFRA) D842V or other PDGFRA exon 18 mutation.
Avapritinib is the first drug to be approved for this
indication in the US. (Source: The Medical Letter)
Source: The Medical Letter - January 12, 2021 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: admin Tags: avapritinib Ayvakit GIST Gleevec Imatinib regorafenib Stivarga sunitinib Sutent Source Type: research
Osilodrostat (Isturisa) for Cushing's Disease
Date: February 8, 2021
Issue #:
1617Summary:
The FDA has approved osilodrostat (Isturisa–
Recordati), a cortisol synthesis inhibitor, for oral
treatment of adults with Cushing ' s disease when
surgical resection of the pituitary adenoma is not an
option or has not been curative. Osilodrostat is the
first cortisol synthesis inhibitor to be approved in
the US for this indication. Other oral steroidogenesis
inhibitors such as ketoconazole and metyrapone have
been used off-label for this indication for many years. (Source: The Medical Letter)
Source: The Medical Letter - January 12, 2021 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: admin Tags: Cabergoline Cushing ' Isturisa Ketoconazole Korlym Lysodren Metopirone metyrapone Mifegymiso Mifepristone Misoprostol Mitotane osilodrostat pasireotide Signifor Source Type: research
Pitolisant (Wakix) for Narcolepsy
Date: February 8, 2021
Issue #:
1617Summary:
The FDA has approved pitolisant (Wakix– Harmony), a
histamine-3 (H3)-receptor antagonist/inverse agonist,
for treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS)
or cataplexy in adults with narcolepsy. It is the first
H3-receptor antagonist/inverse agonist to become
available in the US and the first non-controlled substance
to receive FDA approval for these indications.
Pitolisant has been available in Europe since 2016. (Source: The Medical Letter)
Source: The Medical Letter - January 12, 2021 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: admin Tags: Adderall Alertec Amphetamine Anafranil armodafinil Clomipramine Effexor fluoxetine Methylphenidate Narcolepsy Nuvigil pitolisant Provigil Prozac Ritalin SNRIs Sodium oxybate solriamfetol SSRIS Sunosi Tricyclic antid Source Type: research
Twirla - A New Contraceptive Patch
Date: February 8, 2021
Issue #:
1617Summary:
The FDA has approvedTwirla (Agile Therapeutics),
a transdermal contraceptive patch containing the
estrogen ethinyl estradiol and the progestin
levonorgestrel, for use in women with a BMI<30 kg/m2.
It is the second contraceptive patch to become
available in the US;Xulane, a patch that delivers
ethinyl estradiol and the progestin norelgestromin,
has been available since 2014. (Source: The Medical Letter)
Source: The Medical Letter - January 12, 2021 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: admin Tags: Contraceptives Estrogens Evra IUD Levonorgestrel Nexplanon ombitasvir Oral contraceptives paritaprevir Progestins Ritonavir Technivie Twirla Viekira Pak Xulane Source Type: research
In Brief: Semglee - A New Insulin Glargine for Diabetes
Date: January 25, 2021
Issue #:
1616Summary:
The FDA has approvedSemglee (Mylan), an insulin
glargine product similar toLantus, for treatment of
type 1 diabetes in children and adults and type 2
diabetes in adults.Semglee is the second " follow-on "
insulin glargine product to become available in
the US;Basaglar, which is also similar toLantus, was
the first.Lantus is a recombinant analog of human
insulin that forms microprecipitates in subcutaneous
tissue, prolonging its duration of action to a mean of
about 24 hours with no pronounced peak effect. (Source: The Medical Letter)
Source: The Medical Letter - January 5, 2021 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: admin Tags: Basaglar glargine insulin Lantus Semglee type 1 diabetes type 2 diabetes Source Type: research
Encorafenib (Braftovi) for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
Date: January 25, 2021
Issue #:
1616Summary:
The FDA has approved the oral kinase inhibitor
encorafenib (Braftovi– Pfizer), in combination with
the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor
cetuximab(Erbitux), for treatment of adults with
metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) with a BRAF
V600E mutation. Encorafenib was approved in 2018
for use with the mitogen-activated kinase (MEK)
inhibitor binimetinib(Mektovi) for treatment of
unresectable or metastatic melanoma with a BRAF
V600E or V600K mutation. (Source: The Medical Letter)
Source: The Medical Letter - December 28, 2020 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: admin Tags: binimetinib Braftovi Cetuximab colorectal cancer encorafenib Erbitux Fluorouracil Irinotecan Leucovorin Mektovi Source Type: research
