I found this nice list of 2010 drug approvals on The Health Wisdom Blog. This probably is the most informative posting on Drug Approvals from 2010.Glaxo (GSK), Merck (MRK), Novartis (NVS), Sanofi-Aventis (SNY), and Amgen (AMGN) were again at the top on these approvals.
New Drugs Approved Summer 2010
New drugs not only offer hope, but possibly a better quality of life, for those awaiting new treatments. However, new drug approvals can also spark controversy. The FDA approved 17 new drugs this summer (June-August 2010). Many offer new promise, and one in particular promises a great deal of future debate.
Since nearly one in three Americans has high blood pressure, it isn't surprising that two of the 17 newly approved drugs are antihypertensives. The most recently approved drug is Tekamlo (aliskiren and amlodipine) from Novartis, a single-pill combination drug for high blood pressure. Tribenzor is a new three-in-one combination drug that is taken once-daily to treat high blood pressure.
The most controversial newly approved drug is the emergency contraceptive ella (ulipristal acetate) that can prevent pregancy for up to 5 days after sex. Plan B, the so-called morning after pill, is less effective and can only be used within 3 days of having sex. ella has been available as ellaOne in Europe since May 2009 and will be available to US women this fall.
Many are against the FDA approval of ella as a contraceptive when it can be used to induce abortion. Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) says this classification may pave the way to “covertly allow federal funding for abortion." (1) Supporters and opponents agree this approval highlights the increasing influence of the FDA on political ideology and will be entangled with future political and regulatory battles.
A promising new drug, Cuvposa (glypopyrrolate), is the first liquid treatment for children who suffer from chronic severe drooling associated with neurologic conditions such as cerebral palsy. The FDA reports that 78% of children on this drug reached clinical improvement during trials.
The 17 new drugs approved this summer with their indications are listed in Figure 1. New drugs for asthma (Dulera), enlarged prostate (Jalyn), migraine (Alsuma), osteoporosis (Prolia), acne (Veltin), and erectile dysfunction (Staxyn) are a sampling of 2010 FDA approvals.
For a full list of this summer's approvals please follow on this link:
Figure 1: Drug Approvals Summer 2010
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