Generic Drug News and Research

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Generic Drugs are official nonbrand names by which medicines are known. Generic names usually refer to the chemical name of the drug.

Antiretroviral drug efavirenz associated with better outcomes in HIV-infected adults

A study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that HIV-infected patients taking the antiretroviral drug efavirenz were more likely to adhere to treatment and less likely to experience virologic failure and death compared to patients taking nevirapine.

14 Oct 2008

Georgia Tech models future pandemic flu, improves food, quarantine strategies

The 1918 flu pandemic killed more than 40 million people worldwide and affected persons of all age groups. While it is difficult to predict when the next influenza pandemic will occur or how severe it will be, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed models to help organizations like the American Red Cross and Georgia Department of Education prepare emergency response plans.

12 Oct 2008

Private health plan spending growth slows in Minnesota, report finds

Spending by private health plans in Minnesota increased by 4.3% from 2006 to 2007, the lowest growth rate since 1997, according to a report released Tuesday by the Minnesota Department of Health, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

5 Oct 2008

Kill the tobacco industry, or it will keep killing

This month in Rio de Janeiro, the global tobacco industry's annual conference features a special session on what many are seeing as its Armageddon: plain, generic packaging. All packs are identical except for the brand name, printed in standard font. No colours, no logos, no box variations. Nothing but the brand and the health warning.

2 Oct 2008

Office of personnel management estimates premiums for Federal employees will increase by 8% in 2009

The Office of Personnel Management on Thursday announced that federal employees in 2009 will have to pay on average about 8% more for their health insurance premiums, the Washington Post reports. The projected increase is significantly higher than the 2.9% increase in 2008 and the 2.3% increase in 2007.

29 Sep 2008

PEPFAR suspends funding for three Ranbaxy AIDS drugs banned by FDA

The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief program has suspended funding for three antiretroviral drugs manufactured by Indian generic drugmaker Ranbaxy that were included in an importation ban imposed by FDA on Sept. 16, Bloomberg reports.

29 Sep 2008

House members send letter to Condoleezza Rice requesting information on antiretrovirals supplied to PEPFAR by Ranbaxy

Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) and members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on Friday sent a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice requesting information about alleged safety problems with antiretrovirals manufactured by the Indian generic pharmaceutical company Ranbaxy and distributed through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the AP/International Herald Tribune reports (AP/International Herald Tribune, 9/19).

22 Sep 2008

Pharmacy benefits managers promote low-cost generics, adherence to drug plans

Pharmacy benefits managers have begun offering tools to help consumers find low-cost generic drugs, adhere to drug regimens and increase consumer choice, all of which can help increase profit margins, the Wall Street Journal reports.

22 Sep 2008

Advisers to Presidential candidates discuss positions on reimportation, generics, biotechnology medications

Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) and Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) have begun "reviewing their support" for prescription drug reimportation in response to recent cases of contaminated medications and other products from other nations, advisers to the candidates said on Thursday during the annual conference of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association in Washington, D.C., Reuters/Boston Globe reports.

22 Sep 2008

Brazil to produce generic version of Merck's antiretroviral Efavirenz

Brazilian Health Minister Jose Gomes Temporao on Wednesday said Brazil will begin producing a generic version of Merck's antiretroviral efavirenz, the AP/USA Today reports.

22 Sep 2008

Mylan receives FDA approval for generic version of Risperdal

Mylan Inc today announced that its subsidiary Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. has received final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Risperidone Tablets USP, 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 2 mg, 3 mg and 4 mg.

16 Sep 2008

FDA warns Ranbaxy Labs and issues import alert

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today issued two Warning Letters to Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd., of the Republic of India, and an Import Alert for generic drugs produced by Ranbaxy's Dewas and Paonta Sahib plants in India.

16 Sep 2008

Herpes drug Acyclovir could help control HIV

Acyclovir -- a low-cost, generic drug used to treat herpes -- also might help control HIV in people living with both viruses, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal ell Host and Microbe, Reuters reports.

15 Sep 2008

Counterfeit drugs for malaria, other diseases threaten public health, WHO Director-General Chan says

The increasing availability of counterfeit drugs for malaria and other diseases poses a threat to public health, and governments must take action to supply affordable and effective treatments, World Health Organization Director-General Margaret Chan said Monday at the 26th Southeast Asia Region Health Ministers Meeting in New Delhi, Bernama/Daily Malaysian News reports.

10 Sep 2008

Presidential candidates discuss proposals for health care, other issues at AARP convention

Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) and Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) on Saturday appeared via satellite at an AARP convention in Washington, D.C., and spoke about health care and other issues that affect seniors, the Washington Post reports.

9 Sep 2008

Salix commences patent infringement litigation against Novel Laboratories

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. has announced that Salix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey against Novel Laboratories, Inc. for infringement of the patent protecting OSMOPREP (sodium phosphate monobasic monohydrate, USP and sodium phosphate dibasic anhydrous, USP) Tablets.

8 Sep 2008

Free drug samples may end up costing uninsured more

Free drug samples provided to physicians by pharmaceutical companies could actually be costing uninsured patients more in the long run, according to a study done by researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues.

7 Sep 2008

Gilead's antiretroviral patent request rejected by Brazil

A patent request from the pharmaceutical company Gilead for its antiretroviral drug tenofovir was rejected by Brazil Wednesday, Reuters reports.

4 Sep 2008

Biovail files abbreviated new drug application for Fenofibrate tablets

Biovail Corporation today announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the Company's abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) for a generic formulation of 145mg and 48mg strengths of fenofibrate tablets (sold under the brand name Tricor by Abbott Laboratories).

3 Sep 2008