The April update to the AHFS Drug Information/Essentials database has been published. Highlights from this month’s update include:

New AHFS/Essentials Monographs

• New Full-Length Monographs
  • Sebelipase Alfa (Kanuma^®) – 44:00 (Enzymes)
    • Sebelipase alfa is used for the treatment of lysosomal acid lipase deficiency and is designated an orphan drug by the FDA for management of this condition.
  • Reslizumab (Cinqair^®) – 48:10.20 (Interleukin Antagonists)
    • Reslizumab is used as adjunctive maintenance therapy in adults with severe eosinophilic asthma (i.e., having an eosinophilic phenotype).
  • Lesinurad (Zurampic^®) – 40:40 (Uricosuric Agents)
    • Lesinurad is used in combination with a xanthine oxidase inhibitor (e.g., allopurinol, febuxostat) for the management of hyperuricemia associated with gout in patients who have not attained target serum uric acid concentrations with xanthine oxidase inhibitor monotherapy.
  • Daclizumab (Zinbryta^®) – 92:20 (Immunomodulatory Agents)
    • Daclizumab is used in the management of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS; e.g., relapsing-remitting MS [RRMS]).
  • Eliglustat (Cerdelga^®) – 92:92 (Other Miscellaneous Therapeutic Agents)
    • Eliglustat is used for the long-term treatment of nonneuronopathic (type 1) Gaucher disease in patients who are extensive, intermediate, or poor metabolizers of cytochrome P-450 (CYP) 2D6.

• New First-Release Monographs
  • Von Willebrand Factor (recombinant) (Vonvendi^®) – 20:28.16 (Hemostatics)
    • Von Willebrand factor (recombinant) is a recombinant von Willebrand factor (VWF) indicated for on-demand treatment and control of bleeding episodes in adults diagnosed with von Willebrand disease (VWD).
  • Oxymetazoline Hydrochloride (Rhofade^®) – 84:92 (Skin and Mucous Membrane Agents, Miscellaneous)
    • Oxymetazoline hydrochloride is an alpha_1A adrenoceptor agonist indicated for the topical treatment of persistent facial erythema associated with rosacea in adults.
  • Deflazacort (Emflaza^®) – 68:04 (Adrenals)
    • Deflazacort is a corticosteroid indicated for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in patients 5 years of age and older.
  • Cholera Vaccine Live Oral (Vaxchora^®) – 80:12 (Vaccines)
    • Cholera vaccine live oral is a vaccine indicated for active immunization against disease caused by V. cholera serogroup O1.
  • Plecanatide (Trulance^®) – 56:92 (GI Drugs, Miscellaneous)
    • Plecanatide is a guanylate cyclase-C agonist indicated in adults for treatment of chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC).
  • Brodalumab (Siliq^®) – 84:92 (Skin and Mucous Membrane Agents, Miscellaneous)
    • Brodalumab is a human interleukin-17 receptor A (IL-17RA) antagonist indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adult patients who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy and have failed to respond or have lost response to other systemic therapies.
  • Anthrax Immune Globulin (human) (Anthrasil^®) – 80:04 (Antitoxins and Immune Globulins)
    • Anthrax immune globulin IV (human) is indicated for the treatment of inhalational anthrax in adult and pediatric patients in combination with appropriate antibacterial drugs.
  • Telotristat Etiprate (Xermelo^®) – 56:08 (Antidiarrhea Agents)
    • Telotristat etiprate is a tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of carcinoid syndrome diarrhea in combination with somatostatin analog (SSA) therapy in adults inadequately controlled by SSA therapy.
  • Ribociclib Succinate (Kisqali^®) – 10:00 (Antineoplastic Agents)
    • Ribociclib succinate is a kinase inhibitor indicated in combination with an aromatase inhibitor as initial endocrine-based therapy for the treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer.
  • Avelumab (Bavencio^®) – 10:00 (Antineoplastic Agents)
    • Avelumab is a programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) blocking antibody indicated for the treatment of adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC).

FDA MedWatch Alerts

• Eluxadoline (Viberzi^®)
  • FDA is warning that eluxadoline (Viberzi), a medicine used to treat irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D), should not be used in patients who do not have a gallbladder.