Class | Name/Company | Approval Dates and Comments |
Antifungal | Amphotericin B Lipid Complex Injection Abelcet® Liposomes
| Approved by the FDA for the treatment of any progressive form of fungal infection that fails to respond to conventional treatment. This is in addition to its indication for aspergillosis. |
Butenafine HCl Cream 1% Mentax® Schering/Penederm
| Approved by the FDA on October 18, 1996 for the topical treatment of interdigital tinea pedis (athleteís foot). |
Itraconazole Sporanox® Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) | Approved by the FDA on December 6, 1996 for the “pulse treatment” of onychomycosis of the fingernails. Available in 100 mg capsules. The dose is 200 mg twice daily for the first week of each month for two months. (The dose of 200 mg daily given for 12 weeks for onychomycosis of the toenails is already established.) |
Antipsoriatic | Acitretin Soriatane® Roche
| Approved by the FDA on October 28, 1996 for the treatment of severe recalcitrant psoriasis. Soriatane® will be available in 10 and 25 mg tablets. |
Antiviral | Penciclovir cream 1% Denavir® SmithKline Beecham
| Approved by the FDA for the treatment of recurrent herpes labialis. This is the first topical antiviral cleared for this indication in the USA. |
Valacyclovir Valtrex® Glaxo-Wellcome
| The FDA has approved valacyclovir for the new indication of treating first episode genital herpes. This indication is also approved by the Canadian HPB. |
Hair transplantation | Laser device Sharplan Silktouch laser® Laser Industries
| Received marketing approval from the FDA early this month. It is claimed to be the first such technology to be approved by the FDA for use in installing hair plugs. |
Head lice prophylaxis | Permethrin lotion Nix® Warner-Lambert
| Permethrin was recently approved by the FDA for prophylactic use during head lice epidemics. OTC. |
Parasitic infections | Ivermectin Mectizan® (6 mg tablet) Merck
| Approved by the FDA on November 22, 1996 for the treament of strongyloidiasis and onchocerciasis. *Undergoing clinical trial for human scabies. |