The U.S. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is known for ensuring the protection and effectiveness of drugs, devices, and other clinical merchandise to be used by the general public. While a drug or device is authorized by the FDA, it approaches that it has passed through rigorous checking out and has been verified to be safe and effective for its intended use.
In recent times, the FDA has approved a number of new treatments for a wide range of conditions. In this article, we will discuss some of the most significant FDA-approved treatments and how they are changing the way we treat certain diseases. Below, mentioned are some of the FDA approved treatments.
Table of Contents
1. Cancer Treatments:
- One of the most impactful areas of progress in recent times has been in the treatment of cancer. The FDA has accepted a number of new drugs for the treatment of several types of cancer, including immunotherapies that work by boosting the body’s natural defenses against cancer cells.
- Another important cancer treatment that has been approved by the FDA is CAR-T cell therapy. This treatment involves taking T-cells (a type of immune cell) from a patient’s blood, genetically modifying them to target cancer cells, and then reinfusing them back into the patient’s body. CAR-T cell therapy has shown remarkable success in treating certain types of blood cancers, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
2. Alzheimer’s Treatments:
- Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Up until recently, no medicinal remedies existed to address the fundamental factors contributing to this ailment. However, in June 2021, the FDA approved the drug aducanumab (Aduhelm) for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
- The mechanism operates by specifically focusing on beta-amyloid, a particular protein responsible for the formation of adhesive plaques within the brains of individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. By clearing away these plaques, the drug may slow or even reverse the cognitive decline associated with the disease. However, the drug has been controversial due to concerns about its efficacy and high cost.
3. COVID-19 Treatments:
- The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a race to develop effective treatments for the disease. In October 2020, the FDA granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for the antiviral drug remdesivir (Velury) for the treatment of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients. The drug works by inhibiting the replication of the virus in the body.
- In November 2020, the FDA granted EUA for another COVID-19 treatment, the monoclonal antibody bamlanivimab (LY-CoV555). This medication operates by imitating the immune system’s antibodies, which are naturally generated to combat the virus. However, in April 2021, the FDA revoked the EUA for bamlanivimab due to concerns about its effectiveness against certain variants of the virus.
- In May 2021, the FDA granted EUA for the monoclonal antibody combination therapy casirivimab/imdevimab (Regeneron). This treatment has been specifically developed to target various strains of the virus and has demonstrated significant success in diminishing hospitalizations and fatalities among vulnerable individuals with COVID-19.
4. Mental Health Treatments:
- Millions of individuals around the globe grapple with mental health disorders like depression and anxiety, impacting their overall well-being. In 2019, the FDA approved a new type of depression treatment called esketamine (Spravato) for treatment-resistant depression. Esketamine is a nasal spray that is used in conjunction with an oral antidepressant. The drug works by targeting the glutamate system in the brain, which is believed to play a role in depression.
- Another significant development in mental health treatments is the approval of the first drug specifically for postpartum depression. In March 2019, the FDA approved brexanolone (Zulresso) for the treatment of postpartum depression in women. Brexanolone is administered intravenously over the course of 60 hours and has been shown to have a rapid onset of action.
Conclusion:
The FDA plays a critical role in making sure that patients have to get admission to secure effective treatments for a huge variety of conditions. In recent years, the FDA has accepted some groundbreaking treatments for cancer, Alzheimer’s ailment, COVID-19, mental health conditions, and uncommon illnesses.
Those remedies represent significant advances in our ability to deal with and control these conditions, and they offer hope to patients who may additionally have previously had few alternatives. As studies continue to boost, it is probable that we can see even more innovative remedies approved with the aid of the FDA within the future years.
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