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A LEFACEPT Is A NEW BIOLOGICAL AGENT FOR THE treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. The drug, which targets T lymphocytes, is a fusion protein combining the binding site of lymphocyte [...]

THE FDA RECENTLY APPROVED THE FIRST ORAL DRUG for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Bosentan is an endothelin-1 receptor antagonist developed by Actelion Pharmaceuticals. The drug will not [...]

CEFDITOREN IS A NEW SEMISYNTHETIC 'THIRD/FOURTH generation' cephalosporin recently approved by the FDA. It has good antimicrobial activity against common pathogens of the respiratory tract such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus [...]

THE FDA RECENTLY APPROVED A STAND-ALONE package' of ribavirin capsules for the treatment of hepatitis C. Ribavirin is used in combination with interferon--either interferon alfa-2b or peginterferon alfa-2b. In 1998 [...]

Dabigatran: An Oral Direct Thrombin Inhibitor Pharmacology Watch In this issue: Results from a Phase 3 study of dabigatran, intensive lipid-lowering in CVD, H1N1 vaccine dosing and efficacy, and FDA [...]

Oral Anticoagulant + Antiplatelet Therapy = Danger Pharmacology Watch In this issue: Adding an anticoagulant to aspirin is of no value in patients with peripheral artery disease, older adults with [...]

Pharmacology Update Lisdexamfetamine Dimesylate Capsule (Vyvanse™) CII By William T. Elliott, MD, FACP, and James Chan, PharmD, PhD, Dr. Elliott is Chair, Formulary Committee, Northern California Kaiser Permanente; Assistant Clinical [...]

Pharmacology Update Sitagliptin and Metformin Tablets (Janumet™) By William T. Elliott, MD, FACP, and James Chan, PhD, PharmD, Dr. Elliott is Chair, Formulary Committee, Northern California Kaiser Permanente; Assistant Clinical [...]

Pharmacology Update Lapatinib Tablets (Tykerb®) By William T. Elliott, MD, FACP, and James Chan, PhD, PharmD, Dr. Elliott is Chair, Formulary Committee, Northern California Kaiser Permanente; Assistant Clinical Professor of [...]

Pharmacology Update Sitagliptin Phosphate Tablets (Januvia™) By William T. Elliott, MD, FACP, and James Chan, PhD, PharmD, Dr. Elliott is Chair, Formulary Committee, Northern California Kaiser Permanente; Assistant Clinical Professor [...]

Pharmacology Update Ranibizumab Intravitreal Injection (Lucentis™) By William T. Elliott, MD, FACP, and James Chan, PhD, PharmD, Dr. Elliott is Chair, Formulary Committee, Northern California Kaiser Permanente; Assistant Clinical Professor [...]

Wait and See Prescriptions for Treatment of Otitis Media Pharmacology Watch Wait and see prescriptions (WASP) is a new concept for the treatment of otitis media in children. Children with [...]

Pharmacology Update Idursulfase Solution for Intravenous Infusion (Elaprase) By William T. Elliott, MD, FACP, and James Chan, PhD, PharmD, Dr. Elliott is Chair, Formulary Committee, Northern California Kaiser Permanente; Assistant [...]

Pharmacology Update Lubiprostone Capsules (Amitiza™) By William T. Elliott, MD, FACP, and James Chan, PhD, PharmD, Dr. Elliott is Chair, Formulary Committee, Northern California Kaiser Permanente; Assistant Clinical Professor of [...]

THE FDA RECENTLY APPROVED A COMBINATION OF tramadol and acetaminophen for the short-term management of acute pain. Acetaminophen (APAP), which has long been added to narcotic pain releivers to potentiate [...]

THE FDA RECENTLY APPROVED A 'STAND-ALONE package' of ribavirin capsules for the treatment of hepatitis C. Ribavirin is used in combination with interferon--either interferon alfa-2b or peginterferon alfa-2b. In 1998 [...]

THE FDA HAS APPROVED NESIRITIDE, A NEW DRUG for treating inpatients with acutely decompensated congestive heart failure (CHF). Nesiritide represents a new approach to treating CHF. It is a 32 [...]

EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE FDA APPROVED THE FIRST IN a new class of antifungal agents. Caspofungin represents the first of the echinocandine class, antifungal agents that inhibit fungal cell wall [...]

THE FIRST PARENTERAL PROTON PUMP INHIBITOR (PPI)is now available in this country. Wyeth Laboratories' pantoprazole, which has been marketed for more than a year under the trade name Protonix, will [...]

THE FDA RECENTLY APPROVED A VACCINE THAT PRO-vides dual protection against hepatitis A and B. Marketed as Twinrix by GlaxoSmitbKline Pharmaceuticals, the vaccine combines inactivated hepatitis A vaccine with hepatitis [...]

THE FDA HAS APPROVED BERLIX'S 'YASMIN,' A UNIQUE new monophasic oral contraceptive. The product contains ethinyl estradiol and drospirenone--a new progestogen. Drospirenone is an analog of spironolactone, an aldosterone antagonist, [...]

THE FDA HAS APPROVED PHARMACIA'S ALMOTRIPTAN malate for the treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults. The drug is touted as being as effective as other triptans, but [...]

IMATINIB (GLEEVEC) WAS RECENTLY APPROVED FOR the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The drug is considered a major breakthrough in oncologic therapy and its approval was heralded with much [...]

DICLOFENAC GEL FOR THE TREATMENT OF ACTINIC keratosis (AK) is reaching the market several months after it received FDA approval. The gel combines the anti-inflamatory diclofenac with hyaluronate sodium for [...]

MERCK & CO. HAS RECEIVED FDA APPROVAL TO market once-a-week doses of alendronate for the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis. Alendronate is a bisphosphonate that inhibits bone resorption. It has [...]

THE FDA RECENTLY APPROVED FORMOTEROL INHALAtion powder, a long-acting, inhaled selective beta-2 adrenergic agonist. The drug is the second long-acting beta agonist on the market along with salmeterol (Serevent). Formoterol [...]

THE FDA HAS APPROVED THE FOURTH ACETYLCHOLIN-easterase (AchE) inhibitor for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Galantamine, a reversible competitive inhibitor of AchE, is an alkaloid that was originally extracted [...]

WITH THE PENDING PATENT EXPIRATION OF FLUOXEtine (Prozac), Eli Lilly is introducing another version of their blockbuster selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). Following the introduction of fluoxetine as Sarafem for [...]

A STRAZENECA IS LAUNCHING ITS NEW PROTON PUMP inhibitor (PPI) esomeprazole (Nexium). The new drug is coming to market just as AstraZeneca is losing patent protection on its multibillion dollar [...]

A NEW STEROID INHALER FOR THE TREATMENT OF asthma has been released in a nonchlorofluorocar bon (CFC) metered dose form. Beclomethasone dipropionate has been reformulated in a nonozone-depleting propellant, hydrofluoroalkane-134a. [...]

NATEGLINIDE IS THE NEWEST ORAL AGENT FOR THE management of type 2 diabetes. Nateglinide is a D-phenylalanine derivative, nonsulfonylurea that has a short duration of action similar to repaglinide (Prandin). [...]

THE FDA RECENTLY APPROVED A TOPICAL PREPARAtion of the immunosuppressant tacrolimus for the treatment of atopic dermatitis. Tacrolimus was originally developed as an immunosuppressant for preventing allograft rejection in organ [...]

LANSOPRAZOLE HAS BEEN GRANTED A NEW INDICAtion by the FDA--it is the first proton pump inhibitor (PPI) approved for the treatment of NSAID-associated gastric ulcers. The drug was introduced in [...]

THE FDA HAS APPROVED TENECTEPLASE, A NEW SINgle bolus thrombolytic for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Tenecteplase is a modified tissue plasminogen activator produced by recombinant DNA technology [...]

A NEW COMBINATION PROTEASE INHIBITOR IS THE latest anti-HIV medication to be approved by the FDA. Abbott's Kaletra combines lopinavir with a low dose of the previously approved ritonavir (Norvir). [...]

GLAXO WELLCOME HAS RECEIVED FDA APPROVAL TO market a combination inhaler comprised of fluticasone propionate and salmeterol xinafoate for the long-term maintenance treatment of asthma. Fluticasone is a synthetic, trifluorinated [...]

THE FDA RECENTLY APPROVED A FIXED COMBINATION of glyburide and metformin for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The product, marketed under the trade name Glucovance, combines two of [...]

ON SEPTEMBER 28, 2000, THE FDA APPROVED THE antiprogesterone agent mifepristone for the termination of early pregnancy. The drug, also known as RU 486, was granted 'approvable' status by the [...]

THE FDA HAS APPROVED AN EXTENDED-RELEASE form of methylphenidate for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHA). Methylphenidate has been available for more than 30 years for this indication; [...]

THE FDA HAS APPROVED BALSALAZIDE DISODIUM FOR the treatment of ulcerative colitis, the first new drug approved for this indication in more than 10 years. Balsalazide is the prodrug of [...]

INSULIN ASPART IS A NEW RAPID-ONSET, SHORT-ACTing insulin produced with recombinant technology. This new insulin's activity is the result of replacing proline at position B28 of human insulin with aspartic [...]

THE FDA HAS APPROVED A CREAM FOR THE REDUCtion of unwanted facial hair in women. Eflornithine is an inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase, an enzyme that is found in hair follicles [...]

THE FDA RECENTLY APPROVED A COMBINATION OF atovaquone and proguanil for the treatment and prophylaxis of malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum. Atovaquone and proguanil are blood schizonticides with some synergistic [...]

THE FDA APPROVED A COMBINATION OF ATOVAQUONE and proguanil for the treatment and prophylaxis of malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum. Atovaquone and proguanil are blood schizonticides with some synergistic activity. [...]

ELI LILLY HAS RECEIVED FDA APPROVAL TO MARKET fluoxetine for a new indication, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Fluoxetine, under the trade name Prozac, was the first selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor [...]

IN JUNE, THE FDA APPROVED THE FIRST NEW BILE sequestrant in many years. Colesevelam hydrochloride is a nonabsorbable polymer that has a high affinity for both trihydroxy and dihyciroxy bile [...]

INSULIN GLARGINE IS A NEW LONG-ACTING INSULIN produced by recombinant DNA technology. The drug is an analog of human insulin with asparagine replaced by glycine in position A21 and two [...]

THE OXAZOLINDINONES ARE A NEW CLASS OF ANTI-microbial agents with a wide range of activity against many important human pathogens including many gram-positive bacteria. The FDA recently approved linezolid (Zyvox--Pharmacia [...]

RIVASTIGMINE WAS RECENTLY APPROVED BY THE FDA for the treatment of mild to moderate dementia of the Alzheimer's type. It is a cholinesterase inhibitor similar to tacrine and donepezil. Rivastigmine [...]

GIVEN THE POPULARITY OF THE NEW COX-2 inhibitors, the introduction of a new nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) seems positively old fashioned, but that is exactly what Boehringer Ingelheim has done. [...]