Pharmaceutical News

RSS

FDA provides guidance on applying for orphan drug designation

As part of its continuing effort to make the agency more transparent and accessible, the FDA has scheduled a series of workshops about orphan drug designation for academics, biotechnology companies, and those unfamiliar with the process. The

24 Dec 2009

CVS/pharmacy and MinuteClinic expand H1N1 vaccine outreach effort

CVS/pharmacy, the nation's leading retail pharmacy, and MinuteClinic, the largest retail health care provider in the U.S., announced today an expanded H1N1 vaccine outreach effort.

24 Dec 2009

Walgreens offers H1N1 vaccinations throughout Indiana

Walgreens, the nation’s largest drugstore chain and industry leader with more than 17,000 certified or licensed immunizers, is now offering H1N1 vaccinations at all of its pharmacies throughout Indiana.

24 Dec 2009

UCB's Cimzia gains market share of Centocor's Simponi

BioTrends Research Group, Inc. announces the release of the final wave of LaunchTrends®: Simponi and Cimzia report. The survey was completed by U.S. Rheumatologists.

24 Dec 2009

New study indicates growing number of people are abusing prescription painkillers

This entire year was marked by an abundance of media coverage and attention surrounding prescription painkillers, largely the result of widespread misuse throughout Hollywood.

24 Dec 2009

Salix Pharmaceuticals sued over alleged kidney damage due to OsmoPrep

Suits were commenced Dec. 23, 2009 in North Carolina for four users who allege kidney damage due to the use of OsmoPrep, a prescription drug used to cleanse the intestines in preparation for a colonoscopy. (Holshouser et al v. Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. and Salix Pharmaceuticals. Inc.)

24 Dec 2009

Smith & Nephew adds PELNAC dermal replacement wound product to its portfolio

Smith & Nephew (LSE: SN) Advanced Wound Management division, announces the agreement to partner with Gunze Limited, Japan and exclusively distribute PELNAC dermal replacement in Japan, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

24 Dec 2009

Eli Lilly and Kowa Pharmaceuticals America to co-promote LIVALO in the U.S

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY), Kowa Company, Limited, and Kowa's U.S. subsidiary, Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc., today announced that Lilly and Kowa Pharmaceuticals America have entered into a co-promotion agreement in the United States to commercialize LIVALO® (pitavastatin). Lilly and Kowa have also entered into a licensing agreement in Latin America. LIVALO is a statin approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August 2009 for the treatment of primary hyperlipidemia and mixed dyslipidemia.

24 Dec 2009

Oxford Outcomes becomes a member of SAFE-BioPharma Association

Oxford Outcomes, an international health outcomes consultancy, has become a member of SAFE-BioPharma Association, the non-profit association that created and manages the global SAFE-BioPharma® digital identity and signature standard for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries.

24 Dec 2009

Drug companies winners of the American prescription drug debate

On Dec. 15, the Obama Administration rejected a plan to allow the wholesale reimportation of cheaper prescriptions drugs from abroad, despite projected intentions to take on the drug industry and secure cheaper prescription for Americans.

24 Dec 2009

PDI awarded contract sales engagement with Top 5 pharmaceutical company

PDI, Inc., a leading provider of sales and marketing support to U.S. health care companies, has been awarded a significant contract sales engagement with a Top 5 pharmaceutical company. This program is expected to generate approximately $6 million in revenue for PDI during the first quarter of 2010 and may extend through the remainder of 2010.

24 Dec 2009

Senate rejects mass importation of medicine from Canada

In the midst of President Obama's push for health care reform, the Senate rejected a plan to allow American pharmacies and drug wholesalers to import federally approved drugs from abroad. That vote has proved to be a headache for customer service staff at companies like Canadameds.com (http://www.Canadameds.com), which sells low-cost prescription drugs directly to American consumers.

24 Dec 2009

FDA issues Pfizer a Complete Response letter for Lyrica GAD monotherapy treatment

Pfizer Inc. announced today that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Complete Response letter regarding the company’s New Drug Application (NDA) for Lyrica® (pregabalin) capsules CV as a monotherapy treatment for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The FDA determined that the data contained in the NDA were insufficient to support approval.

24 Dec 2009

Anti-inflammatory coxib medications inhibit aspirin's protective qualities

A new study conducted at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) reveals that Celebrex and other anti-inflammatory coxib medications may counter the positive effects of aspirin in preventing blood clots.

24 Dec 2009

More H1N1 vaccines available in U.S., many Americans don't want it

While an increasing number of H1N1 (swine flu) vaccines are available in the U.S., "more than half of American adults say they still don't want it, and one-third of parents say they don't want their children to get it either, according to two surveys," the Washington Post reports. "As of this week, 111 million doses of vaccine against the pandemic strain of H1N1 flu have been released to states and cities.

24 Dec 2009

Fluzone High-Dose inactivated influenza virus vaccine receives FDA approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Fluzone High-Dose, an inactivated influenza virus vaccine for people ages 65 years and older to prevent disease caused by influenza virus subtypes A and B.

24 Dec 2009

AstraZeneca signs definitive agreement to acquire Novexel

Novexel, a speciality pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel antibiotics designed to overcome the significant global problem of microbial drug resistance, announces today that its shareholders have signed a definitive agreement whereby Novexel shall be acquired by AstraZeneca for a total cash consideration of up to $505 million, including contingent payments and the net cash position of the company at closing.

24 Dec 2009

Majority of Australians think H1N1 vaccination is not necessary

Australia risks a serious swine flu (H1N1 influenza virus) outbreak with two-thirds (65 per cent) of unprotected Australians stating they're unlikely to get vaccinated against the disease in the next 12 months, according to an MBF Healthwatch Poll.

23 Dec 2009

GlobalPost examines antibiotic resistance in China

GlobalPost examines antibiotic resistance and overprescribing in China. The country "has high rates of antibiotic resistance and a health care system that provides strong financial incentives for over-prescribing antibiotics.

23 Dec 2009

New findings show ether discovery might have occurred earlier

The successful use of ether to anesthetize patients was the first great milestone in the history of surgical anesthesia. But the discovery might have occurred earlier—and medical history written differently—but for a scientific error by another physician, according to an article in the January issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

23 Dec 2009