What’s New This Year in the World of Drugs

By Eva Briggs, M.D.

Every year new medications or new formulations of existing drugs gain approval from the federal and Drug Administration.

Here’s a roundup of a few of these new drugs from 2024.

Because these drugs are new, they are likely to be expensive and therefore often not covered by insurance. But it’s still interesting to know about them. Those that are found useful may eventually become more affordable or available as a generic and perhaps covered by insurance.

The first category of drugs treats dermatologic (skin) problems.

Berdazimir gel treats molluscum contagiosum, a common viral skin infection that causes small bumps. Children are particularly susceptible. It can be applied at home, which is a plus, because laser therapy and certain other topical medicines must be applied in a medical office. But molluscum is a benign condition that usually goes away on its own although that may take months. The benefit of this expensive medicine may therefore be limited.

Lebrikizumab is a new monoclonal antibody for moderate to severe eczema in patients aged 12 or older. It’s administered as an injection, every two weeks to start and then every four weeks. It’s expensive, costing $3,500 per month. The syringe it’s supplied in contains breakable glass parts so if it’s dropped accidentally, the patient must throw it away.

Sofpironium treats excessive armpit sweating. Alas it is also expensive and benefits only about one in six patients.

There are also some new antibiotic medicines. Pivmecillin, in the penicillin family, treats uncomplicated urine infections in adult females. It’s actually been available in Europe for years. An advantage is the ability to treat some multi-drug-resistant bacteria. Downsides are cost, the need to take it three times per day and certain drug interactions.

Cefepime-enmetazobactam combines the cephalosporin antibiotic cefepime with a chemical that protects the antibiotic from being broken down by some bacteria. It treats complicated urinary tract infections, those with fever or involving the kidney. It’s administered via IV. Downsides include the administration time of hours to infuse and the need to combine each dose with a large volume of fluid.

A third newly approved antibiotic for urine infections is sulopenem etzadroxil plus probenecid. This drug treats uncomplicated urinary tract infections in adult females. Probenecid is a compound that prevents the antibiotic component from being metabolized and excreted too quickly. It’s the first oral antibiotic in the class called carbapenems. It can treat drug-resistant bacteria. But it is a wide-spectrum antibiotic increasing the chance that it will interfere with good bacteria in the body. Other potential side effects are the risk of causing gout to flare and increasing the risk of uric acid kidney stones.

A new maintenance medicine for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is ensifentrine. It’s given daily via nebulizer. It acts to open small airways. It is a maintenance medicine, not a rescue medicine for acute respiratory symptoms of COPD. It can’t be mixed with other nebulized medicines. Possible adverse reactions include back pain, elevated blood pressure, diarrhea, mood changes and suicidal thoughts.

This is a sampling of some newly approved medicines. In 2024, new dosage forms of some existing medicines were approved. The psychiatric drug aripiprazole, used for schizophrenia, major depression, Tourette’s syndrome and autism, now comes as an oral film. Budesonide, a steroid, now comes as suspension to treat a condition called eosinophilic esophagitis. Femlyv is an oral contraceptive that comes as an orally dissolving pill. Alas it costs about three times as much as traditional contraceptive pills. Entresto, which treats heart failure, is now available in sprinkle tabs for use in children as young as 1 year old. This makes pediatric dosing easier. Clonidine ER (extended release), used for attention deficit disorder has been released in an oral suspension. Because the tablet form can’t be crushed or split, this will facilitate dosing for individuals unable to swallow tablets. Epinephrine (the medicine found in an Epi-pen) is now available as a nasal spray. Although it avoids the need for injection, it’s much more costly than a generic Epi-pen.