A Comprehensive Review of Novel FDA-approved Neurological Indications from 2018-2023
Abel Thomas1, Ikroop Miglani1, Rhea Shishodia1, Sadeepa Bulathsinhala2
1CHSU-COM, 2St. George's University, School of Medicine
Objective:
To provide timely and evidence-based updates on the latest developments in Neurology for healthcare professionals, drug developers, and policymakers, as well as support their decision-making regarding patient care and treatment strategies.
Background:
In recent years, the field of neurology has seen significant progress, with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approving new medications for various neurological conditions. This review highlights FDA-approved neurological medications from 2018 to 2023 for diverse conditions like neurodegenerative disorders, epilepsy, movement disorders, and pain management.
Design/Methods:
We searched and reviewed novel neurological indications approved by the FDA in the 2018-2022 timeframe. We then analyzed each medication in the US Clinical Trials registry and gathered updated results for efficacy/safety. Approval dates, active ingredients, target, mechanism of action, route of administration, and adverse events for each medication were examined.
Results:
We found 32 novel neurological indications out of 226 total pharmaceuticals approved between 2018-2023. The following list demonstrates the condition and quantity of medications that we examined: Migraines (9), Multiple Sclerosis (4), Alzheimer’s Disease (3), Parkinsonian Syndromes (3), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (2), Seizures / Epilepsy (3), Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (2), Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (1), Neurofibromatosis I (1), Spinal Muscular Atrophy (1), Hereditary Transthyretin-mediated Amyloidosis (1), Friedrich’s ataxia (1), Rett Syndrome (1). Clinical trials for each medication suggested favorable results in Phase III trials that led to their approval. The current status of each medication in their respective Phase IV trials was also reviewed.
Conclusions:
This paper explores new medications with diverse applications in neurology, such as addressing disease pathology, alleviating symptoms, or enhancing diagnostic accuracy. In future studies, off-label utilization of neurological medications that have not yet been FDA-approved may be examined. These neurologic medications are expected to provide promising results that will lead to new patterns of research in the years to come.