On December 30, 2025, Vanda Pharmaceuticals announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved NEREUS™ (tradipitant), an oral neurokinin-1 (NK-1) receptor antagonist, for the prevention of vomiting induced by motion in adults. This approval represents a historic milestone, as it introduces the first new pharmacologic treatment for motion sickness in over 40 years, advancing beyond traditional antihistamines and antimuscarinics like scopolamine patches, which often carry limitations such as drowsiness or limited efficacy.
Injectable GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide (Wegovy® 2.4 mg weekly) have transformed obesity treatment, demonstrating substantial weight loss and cardiovascular risk reduction. However, patient preference for oral administration and potential barriers to injectable therapies highlight the need for non-injectable options. Novo Nordisk developed a once-daily oral formulation of semaglutide at 25 mg for weight management.
Observational studies and autopsy findings have suggested a potential role for herpes simplex virus (HSV), particularly HSV-1, in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), prompting interest in antiviral therapies to slow disease progression. The study evaluated whether high-dose valacyclovir, an antiviral agent effective against HSV, slows cognitive and functional decline in patients with early symptomatic AD who are seropositive for HSV-1 or HSV-2.
Tirzepatide, a dual agonist of the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptors, has demonstrated superior glycemic control and greater weight reduction compared with GLP-1 receptor agonists alone in patients with type 2 diabetes. Dulaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, has established cardiovascular benefits in this population. However, the cardiovascular effects of tirzepatide relative to dulaglutide remain unknown.
On December 12, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted approval for AKEEGA® (niraparib and abiraterone acetate dual-action tablet) in combination with prednisone for the treatment of adult patients with deleterious or suspected deleterious BRCA2-mutated metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC). This supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) approval marks AKEEGA as the first and only precision medicine combination of a PARP inhibitor and androgen receptor pathway inhibitor specifically indicated for BRCA2-mutated mCSPC, expanding its prior 2023 approval for BRCA-mutated metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).
