The HCPFive: Top News for Healthcare Providers from the Week of 05/18

Welcome to The HCPFive, your go-to roundup for the latest healthcare news and breakthroughs, curated specifically for busy healthcare professionals.

Each week, we highlight 5 key developments or headlines from healthcare that you need to know—whether it's a cutting-edge treatment, regulatory updates, or innovations shaping the future of medicine. This week's top stories include promising Phase 2 results for Ruxoprubart in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), a major triglyceride-lowering breakthrough, new US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warnings on itching related to antihistamine use, approvals for sustained delivery in diabetic retinopathy, and expanded use of roflumilast foam for scalp and body psoriasis

With The HCPFive, you'll get the essential takeaways to stay informed and ahead of the curve. Here’s your quick dive into the top stories for the week of May 18, 2025—let’s jump in!

Interested in oncology news? Check out The OncFive, from our sister publication OncLive.

FDA Approves Once-Daily Roflumilast (ZORYVE) Foam 0.3% for Scalp and Body Psoriasis

The FDA approved Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc.’s roflumilast (Zoryve) foam 0.3% as a once-daily topical treatment for the treatment of plaque psoriasis of the scalp and body in adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older. This approval marked the second for this specific formulation of roflumilast foam and the fifth indication for roflumilast, with roflumilast cream boasting a trio of approvals in psoriasis as well as atopic dermatitis.

FDA Warns About Rare, Severe Itching After Stopping Cetirizine or Levocetirizine

The FDA announced it will add a warning about pruritus risk after stopping long-term use of common anti-histamines, cetirizine or levocetirizine, to the prescribing information. The label will note that pruritus symptoms may improve with restarting the medications, and regulators are requesting manufacturers add a warning to the label of over-the-counter cetirizine and levocetirizine.

FDA Approves Susvimo for Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy

The FDA approved Genentech’s Susvimo 100 mg/mL, a ranibizumab injection administered via the Port Delivery System (PDS), to treat diabetic retinopathy. Susvimo became the first approved continuous delivery treatment capable of maintaining vision in people with diabetic retinopathy through one refill every 9 months, after similar approvals for wet age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema (DME).

Olezarsen Cuts Triglyceride Levels at 6 Months in Essence Study

Olezarsen significantly cut mean triglyceride levels, compared with placebo, for people with moderate hypertriglyceridemia at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Topline results from the Essence study showed monthly doses of 80 mg and 50 mg led to a significant ~60% reduction in triglycerides at six months, with most patients returning to normal levels (<150 mg/dL).

Ruxoprubart Shows Efficacy for PNH in Interim Phase 2 Trial Results

Interim results from the Phase 2 trial of Ruxoprubart, a novel complement-targeting immunotherapy, were positive for the treatment of adults with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). At 12 weeks, NovelMed’s ruxoprubart achieved all primary efficacy endpoints, including transfusion avoidance, increased hemoglobin levels, reduced lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and increased PNH clone size.