March 2025

New Products

• Fenfluramine (hydrochloride) (Fintepla) is a serotonin releasing agent and thereby stimulates multiple 5HT receptor sub-types through the release of serotonin. Fenfluramine may reduce seizures by acting as an agonist at specific serotonin receptors in the brain, including the 5HT1D, 5HT2A, and 5HT2C receptors, and also by acting as a positive modulator of the sigma-1 receptor. Fintepla is indicated as add-on therapy in the treatment of seizures associated with Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome in patients 2 years of age and older. Fintepla is contraindicated in patients with aortic or mitral valvular heart disease; in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension; and for concomitant use, or within 14 days of the administration of monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Fintepla oral solution contains fenfluramine 2.2 mg per 1 mL and is available in a 360 mL bottle.
   
• Indocyanine green (Verdye) is a diagnostic agent that has a sharply defined spectral peak absorption of near-infrared light at 800 nm in blood plasma or blood. This is the same wavelength at which the optical density of oxygenated haemoglobin in blood approximately equals that of reduced haemoglobin. Therefore, this coincidental light absorption makes it possible to measure indocyanine green concentrations in blood, plasma and serum in terms of its optical density at 800 nm, independent of variations in oxygen saturation level. Indocyanine green permits recording of the indicator-dilution curves for both diagnostic and research purposes. Verdye is indicated for the measurement of cardiac output, stroke volume, circulating blood volumes, cerebral perfusion; liver blood flow, excretory function of the liver; and perfusion of the choroid. Verdye is contraindicated in patients with hypersensitivity to sodium iodide (unless special precautions are taken) or iodine; in patients with hyperthyroidism, autonomic thyroid adenomas; in premature infants or neonates in whom an exchange transfusion is indicated due to hyperbilirubinemia; and if injection of Verdye was poorly tolerated in the past. Verdye powder for injection contains indocyanine green 25 mg and is available in packs of 5 vials.

New Presentation

• Clobetasol propionate (Xobet) is now available as cream and ointment. Xobet Cream and Ointment are indicated in the short-term treatment of resistant or severe inflammatory and pruritic manifestations of steroid responsive dermatoses, including psoriasis (excluding widespread plaque psoriasis), recalcitrant dermatoses, lichen sclerosus/planus and discoid lupus erythematosus in adults. Xobet Cream and Ointment are contraindicated in dermatoses in children under one year of age, including dermatitis and nappy eruptions; in cutaneous bacterial and mycobacterial, viral (varicella, herpes simplex, herpes zoster), fungal or parasitic infections; in ulcerous wounds, rosacea, acne vulgaris, pruritus without inflammation, perianal and genital pruritus, and perioral dermatitis. Xobet Cream and Ointment contain clobetasol proprionate 0.05% and are available in a 30 g tube.

New Indications

• Blinatumomab (Blincyto) is now also indicated for the treatment of B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in the consolidation phase in combination with chemotherapy in patients with Philadelphia chromosome negative disease, and in combination with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor in patients with Philadelphia chromosome positive disease who are unable to receive chemotherapy.
   
• Durvalumab (Imfinzi) in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment, followed by Imfinzi as monotherapy after surgery, is now indicated for the treatment of adults with resectable (tumours ≥ 4 cm and/or node positive) non-small cell lung cancer and no known epidermal growth factor receptor mutations or anaplastic lymphoma kinase rearrangements.
   
• Letermovir (Prevymis) is now also indicated for the prophylaxis of CMV disease in adult kidney transplant recipients at high risk (donor CMV-seropositive/recipient CMV-seronegative).

New Contraindications

• Carbamazepine (Tegretol) is now contraindicated in neonates below 4 weeks of age.
   
• Clarithromycin (Klacid) is now contraindicated for concomitant use with ivabradine.
   
• Esomeprazole (magnesium trihydrate), amoxicillin (trihydrate) and clarithromycin (Nexium Hp7) is now contraindicated for concomitant use with ivabradine.
   
• Triptorelin (embonate) (Diphereline) is now contraindicated in patients where there are indications that the tumour is not hormone-dependent or following surgical castration.

This list is a summary of only some of the changes that have occurred over the last month.
Before prescribing, always refer to the full product information.