Rocuronium bromide (Zemuron - Organon), a new short-onset, intermediate-acting, nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocking drug, is now available in the USA for intravenous use. It is being promoted particularly for use in rapid endotracheal intubation.

Yohimbine hydrochloride, a presynaptic 2 -adrenergic receptor antagonist available by prescription in the USA (Yocon, Yohimex, and others), is advertised for treatment of impotence and has been used as an aphrodisiac. A pre-1938 drug, yohimbine has never been approved for marketing by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Adapalene (Differin - Galderma), a synthetic retinoid analog, has been marketed in the USA in a 0.1% gel formulation for topical treatment of acne vulgaris.

The U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has recommended administration of the quadrivalent conjugated polysaccharide meningococcal vaccine (Menactra – Sanofi Pasteur) to all persons 11 to 18 years old, particularly those entering high school and college freshmen living in dormitories.1,2 The peak incidence of meningococcal disease, after early childhood, occurs in the 15-19 year-old age group. The conjugate vaccine is more immunogenic than the meningococcal capsular polysaccharide vaccine (Menommune – Sanofi Pasteur).ADVERSE EFFECTS — The most common adverse reactions with...

(Med Lett Drugs Ther 2009; 51:25) In the paragraph on dosing, the second-to-last sentence should have said that the new recommendations suggest considering use of an alternative antibiotic when the MIC for the infecting organism is ≥2 mg/L, not >2 mg/L.

An extended-release oral formulation of guanfacine hydrochloride (Intuniv – Shire), a selective alpha_2A-adrenergic agonist, has been approved by the FDA for treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children 6-17 years old.

The Medical Letter recently reviewed a topical gel formulation of testosterone (Fortesta) for treatment of hypogonadism in men. A topical testosterone replacement product for application to the axilla, Axiron (Lilly) solution, has now become available for the same indication. This site of application presumably minimizes the risk of transferring the drug to a family member or sexual partner.

The FDA has approved tafluprost ophthalmic solution (Zioptan – Merck), a prostaglandin analog, for reduction of intraocular pressure in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. It is being marketed as the first preservative-free topical prostaglandin

Ziv-aflibercept (Zaltrap – Sanofi/Regeneron), a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor, has been approved by the FDA for use in combination with 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin and irinotecan (FOLFIRI) for treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer that is resistant to or has progressed following an oxaliplatin-containing regimen. It is the same drug as aflibercept, which was approved last year as an intravitreal injection (Eylea) for treatment of neovascular (wet) agerelated macular degeneration (AMD). Ziv-aflibercept is the second VEGF inhibitor approved for treatment...

The FDA has approved an inhalation powder formulation of loxapine (Adasuve – Teva), a first-generation antipsychotic long available in an oral formulation, for treatment of acute agitation related to schizophrenia or bipolar I disorder in adults. Adasuve is the first inhaled drug to be approved for this indication.