The FDA has approved Suflave (Sebela/Braintree), a low-volume polyethylene glycol (PEG)- and sulfate-based product for cleansing of the colon prior to colonoscopy in adults. Other oral colonoscopy preparations available in the US are listed in Table 2. Suflave is marketed as tasting better than other products.

Oat bran, the ground inner husk of the grain, has recently become popular as a dietary means of lowering blood lipids. It is available both separately and as a constituent of oatmeal, which is the ground product of the whole grain. Oat bran and oatmeal are available in various breakfast cereals and can also be used in baked goods, such as muffins or bread. Some of these sources are listed in the table on page 112.

The FDA has approved a new extended-release formulation of the corticosteroid budesonide (Uceris – Santarus) for induction of remission in patients with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis.

Bevacizumab (Avastin - Genentech) is a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody that binds to vascular endothelial growth factor and prevents it from binding to receptors on endothelial cells, inhibiting formation of new blood vessels. Previously approved by the FDA for use in combination regimens for first-line treatment of metastatic colon cancer and metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, and used off-label for treatment of agerelated macular degeneration, it has now also been approved by the FDA for use in combination with paclitaxel (Taxol, and others) for first-line treatment of...

The FDA has approved rifamycin (Aemcolo – Cosmo/ Aries), a minimally absorbed oral antibiotic, for treatment of adults with travelers' diarrhea (TD) caused by noninvasive strains of Escherichia coli. It is not recommended for treatment of diarrhea that is complicated by fever and/or bloody stools. Topical and injectable formulations of rifamycin have been used in Europe for other indications for many years.

View the Table: Some Drugs for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

MoviPrep (Salix) is a new polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based bowel cleansing preparation approved for use in adults prior to colonoscopy. It contains ascorbic acid, which acts as an additional cathartic and flavoring agent, and requires a lower volume of fluid (3 L compared to the traditional 4 L) than most other PEG products. HalfLytely is an FDA-approved 2-L PEG product, but it must be taken with bisacodyl.

Mesalamine (Rowasa - Reid-Rowell), probably better known as 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) and also called mesalazine in some other countries, was recently marketed in the USA as an enema for treatment of mild to moderate distal ulcerative colitis, including ulcerative proctosigmoiditis and ulcerative proctitis.

The FDA has approved Cologuard Plus (Exact Sciences), a new at-home multitarget stool DNA test, for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in average-risk adults ≥45 years old. Cologuard, the first FDA-approved multitarget stool DNA test, has been available since 2014.

Ursodiol (ursodeoxycholic acid), a naturally occurring bile acid, will soon be marketed in the USA as (Ciba-Geigy), an oral drug for dissolution of gallbladder stones. The labeling for the drug, which has been available in other countries for the past ten years, will restrict its use to dissolution of radiolucent, noncalcified gallbladder stones less than 20 mm in diameter in patients who have refused or are at increased risk from surgery.