Drug updates and approvals: 2018 in review

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology and Therapeutics
• Drug Approval and Regulation

Background:

• Primary care physicians manage a wide range of conditions.
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plays a crucial role in approving new medications.
• Keeping abreast of new drug approvals is essential for evidence-based practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review key drugs approved by the FDA in 2018 for primary care settings.
• To provide a concise overview of novel therapeutic agents available to clinicians.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of FDA drug approvals in 2018.
• Identification of drugs indicated for conditions commonly managed in primary care.
• Summarization of drug names and key components.

Main Results:

• Six novel drug formulations/combinations received FDA approval in 2018 for primary care use.
• Approved medications include Biktarvy (bictegravir, emtricitabine, tenofovir alafenamide) for HIV.
• Other approvals include Bonjesta (doxylamine succinate/pyridoxine hydrochloride) for nausea, Aimovig (erenumab-aooe) for migraine, Lucemyra (lofexidine hydrochloride) for opioid withdrawal, Symdeko (tezacaftor/ivacaftor) for cystic fibrosis, and Ilumya (tildrakizumab-asmn) for psoriasis.

Conclusions:

• The 2018 FDA approvals introduced significant new pharmacologic options for primary care.
• These new drugs address diverse conditions including infectious diseases, neurological disorders, and chronic conditions.
• Clinicians should familiarize themselves with these agents to optimize patient care.