amifampridine
Firdapse
Pharmaceutical company: Catalyst Pharmaceuticals
NEW INDICATION & DOSAGE
Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome
Children age 6 and older weighing 45 kg or more (Firdapse): 15 to 30 mg/day PO in three to four divided doses. May increase by 5 mg daily every 3 or 4 days. Maximum single dose is 20 mg; maximum daily dose is 80 mg.
Children age 6 and older weighing less than 45 kg (Firdapse): 5 to 15 mg/day PO in three to four divided doses. May increase by 2.5 mg daily every 3 or 4 days. Maximum single dose is 10 mg; maximum daily dose is 40 mg.
Released: December 2022
Nursing Drug Handbook
© 2022 Wolters Kluwer
dupilumab
Dupixent
Pharmaceutical company: Sanofi Regeneron
NEW INDICATION & DOSAGE
Prurigo nodularis
Adults: Initially, 600 mg subcut given as two 300-mg injections in different sites followed by 300 mg subcut every other week.
Released: December 2022
Nursing Drug Handbook
© 2022 Wolters Kluwer
durvalumab
Imfinzi
Pharmaceutical company: AstraZeneca
NEW INDICATION & DOSAGE
Unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma in combination with tremelimumab-actl
Adults weighing 30 kg or more: Tremelimumab-actl 300 mg IV over 60 minutes as a single dose day 1 of cycle followed by a 1-hour observation period; then give durvalumab 1,500 mg IV the same day followed by 1,500 mg every 4 weeks as a single agent until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurs.
Adults weighing less than 30 kg: Tremelimumab-actl 4 mg/kg over 60 minutes as a single dose day 1 of cycle 1 followed by a 1-hour observation period; then give durvalumab 20 mg/kg IV the same day followed by 20 mg/kg every 4 weeks as a single agent until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurs.
Released: December 2022
Nursing Drug Handbook
© 2022 Wolters Kluwer
selpercatinib
Retevmo
Pharmaceutical company: Eli Lilly and Company
NEW INDICATION & DOSAGE
Locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors with RET gene fusion in patients with progression on or following prior systemic treatment, or who have no alternative treatment options
Adults weighing 50 kg or more: 160 mg PO b.i.d. until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
Adults weighing less than 50 kg: 120 mg PO b.i.d. until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
Released: December 2022
Nursing Drug Handbook
© 2022 Wolters Kluwer
upadacitinib
Rinvoq
Pharmaceutical company: AbbVie
NEW INDICATION & DOSAGE
Active nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis in patients with inadequate response or intolerance to TNF blocker therapy
Adults: 15 mg PO daily.
Adjust-a-dose: If serious infection develops, interrupt the drug until the infection is controlled. Interrupt therapy if ANC is less than 1,000 cells/mm3, or absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) is less than 500 cells/mm3, or hemoglobin level is less than 8 g/dL. May restart the drug once ANC, ALC, or hemoglobin level returns to above these values. If hepatic transaminase levels rise and drug-induced liver injury is suspected, interrupt therapy.
Released: December 2022
Nursing Drug Handbook
© 2022 Wolters Kluwer