1
2026-2027 COVID-19 Vaccination
The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics • October 26, 2026; (Issue 1766)
The FDA has licensed 2026-2027 formulas of the mRNA
COVID-19 vaccines Comirnaty, Spikevax, and mNEXSPIKE
and the adjuvanted protein subunit COVID-19 vaccine
Nuvaxovid.
2
Antiviral Drugs for Seasonal Influenza
The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics • November 9, 2026; (Issue 1767)
Influenza is typically a self-limited illness, but complications
including pneumonia, respiratory failure, and death can
occur, especially in persons at increased risk (see Table 1).
Influenza vaccination reduces the incidence of laboratory-confirmed influenza and the risk of complications associated
with influenza illness. Annual vaccination should be offered
to all persons ≥6 months old as long as influenza viruses are
circulating in the community.
3
In Brief: An Expanded Indication for Afrezza
The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics • October 26, 2026; (Issue 1766)
The rapid-acting inhaled human insulin Afrezza (MannKind),
which was approved in 2014 for treatment of type 1 or type
2 diabetes in adults, has now been approved by the FDA for
use in children ≥6 years old.
4
Seasonal Influenza Vaccination: 2026-2027
The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics • October 12, 2026; (Issue 1765)
Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for all persons
≥6 months old without a contraindication. Influenza
vaccines available this season in the US are listed in Table 3.
5
Comparison Chart: Antiviral Drugs for Seasonal Influenza (online only)
The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics • November 9, 2026; (Issue 1767)
View the Comparison Chart: Antiviral Drugs for Seasonal Influenza
6
Tezepelumab (Tezspire) for Nasal Polyps
The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics • October 26, 2026; (Issue 1766)
The FDA has approved tezepelumab (Tezspire – Amgen/AstraZeneca), a subcutaneously administered thymic
stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) blocker, for add-on
maintenance treatment of inadequately controlled chronic
rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) in patients
≥12 years old. It is the first TSLP blocker to be approved
for this indication. Tezepelumab was approved for add-on
maintenance treatment of severe asthma in 2021.
7
Camizestrant (Etcamah) for Advanced Breast Cancer
The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics • October 26, 2026; (Issue 1766)
Camizestrant (Etcamah – AstraZeneca), an oral estrogen
receptor antagonist, has received accelerated approval from
the FDA for use in combination with a cyclin-dependent
kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitor for treatment of hormone
receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor
receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer in adults who have ESR1 mutations that were
detected in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) during treatment
with an aromatase inhibitor and a CDK 4/6 inhibitor.
8
Iberdomide (Zenbexus) for Multiple Myeloma (online only)
The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics • October 26, 2026; (Issue 1766)
Iberdomide (Zenbexus – BMS), an oral first-in-class
cereblon-modulating protein degrader, has received
accelerated approval from the FDA for use in combination
with the CD38-directed cytolytic antibody daratumumab
(Darzalex Faspro) and dexamethasone for treatment of
multiple myeloma in adults who received at least one
prior line of therapy, including a proteasome inhibitor (e.g.,
bortezomib) and an immunomodulatory drug. The drug was
approved based on a surrogate endpoint of minimal residual
disease-negative complete response.
9
Zidesamtinib (Jideytro) – Another Kinase Inhibitor for NSCLC (online only)
The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics • October 26, 2026; (Issue 1766)
Zidesamtinib (Jideytro – GSK), an oral kinase inhibitor, has
been approved by the FDA for treatment of locally advanced
or metastatic ROS1-positive non-small cell lung cancer
(NSCLC) in adults who received at least one prior ROS1
kinase inhibitor. It is the fifth oral kinase inhibitor to be
approved in the US for treatment of ROS1-positive NSCLC;
crizotinib (Xalkori), entrectinib (Rozlytrek), repotrectinib
(Augtyro), and taletrectinib (Ibtrozi) were approved earlier.
10
Tavapadon (Juvmo) for Parkinson's Disease
The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics • November 9, 2026; (Issue 1767)
Tavapadon (Juvmo – Abbvie), an oral nonergot partial
dopamine agonist, has been approved by the FDA for
treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD).
