Prescription Drug News and Research

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Physicians urge households to add 'clean my medicine cabinet' to Spring cleaning chores list

After marijuana and alcohol, the most commonly abused drugs by those over the age of 14 are prescription and over-the-counter medications.

28 Feb 2015

Ranibizumab drug reverses diabetes-related blindness

Ranibizumab, a prescription drug commonly used to treat age-related vision loss, also reverses vision loss caused by diabetes among Hispanic and non-Hispanic whites, according to a new study led by investigators from the University of Southern California Eye Institute.

19 Feb 2015

Breckenridge files Paragraph IV ANDA litigation with Sanofi for generic version of Jevtana

Breckenridge Pharmaceutical, Inc. announced today that it has filed an ANDA with a Paragraph IV certification for cabazitaxel solution; IV (infusion) in 60 mg/1.5 mL (40 mg/mL) strength, a generic version of Jevtana® by Sanofi.

12 Feb 2015

FDA advisory committees to review Amgen's talimogene laherparepvec for metastatic melanoma treatment

Amgen announced today that the Cellular, Tissue and Gene Therapies Advisory Committee and the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will jointly review the Company's Biologics License Application (BLA) for talimogene laherparepvec.

11 Feb 2015

FDA accepts NDA filing for Inspirion Delivery Technologies' investigational drug, MorphaBond ER

Inspirion Delivery Technologies, LLC, a specialty pharmaceutical company focused solely on the development of Abuse-Deterrent Formulations (ADFs) of opioid products, together with its financial partner Trygg Pharma Group, announced that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration has accepted for filing the New Drug Application ("NDA") submitted on November 21, 2014 for its investigational drug, MorphaBond ER, an extended-release (ER), abuse-deterrent formulation of morphine.

10 Feb 2015

Policymakers need to look beyond painkiller abuse to reduce opioid overdose deaths, say researchers

According to researchers at Brandeis University, the University of North Florida and Johns Hopkins University, policymakers must look beyond painkiller abuse, also called non-medical use, in their efforts to reduce opioid overdose deaths.

5 Feb 2015

One in four nonsmokers still exposed to secondhand smoke, shows CDC report

Although secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure in the United States dropped by half between 1999 to 2000 and 2011 to 2012, one in four nonsmokers -- 58 million people -- are still exposed to SHS, according to a new Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

4 Feb 2015

Trust for America's Health supports President's proposal to end sequestration

The following is a statement from Jeffrey Levi, PhD, executive director of the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and chair of the Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health.

4 Feb 2015

TOS announces FDA approval of new prescription drug for treating binge eating disorder

The United States Food and Drug Administration recently approved lisdexamfetamine dimesylate, under the brand name Vyvanse, to treat moderate to severe binge eating disorder (BED) in adults, a first of its kind prescription drug specifically indicated for BED.

3 Feb 2015

Study: Common pesticide may alter the development of brain's dopamine system

A commonly used pesticide may alter the development of the brain's dopamine system -- responsible for emotional expression and cognitive function - and increase the risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children, according to a new Rutgers study.

30 Jan 2015

HHS sets goals to shift Medicare payments to reward quality of care rather than volume

New plans announced by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) mean that hospitals will need to accelerate changes to patient care if they are to avoid receiving lower payments.

28 Jan 2015

Kaleo, CHMI partner to reduce prescription drug-related deaths

Kaleo, a privately-held pharmaceutical company, today announced a national strategic partnership with the Clinton Health Matters Initiative, an initiative of the Clinton Foundation, that will help support its goal of cutting prescription drug-related deaths in half, saving approximately 10,000 lives over five years.

27 Jan 2015

New study focuses on improving Iowa healthcare exchange

The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease released a public opinion poll of Iowa health care leaders and a new study analyzing the impact of increased cost sharing on patient adherence to prescription medications. The PFCD is a nationwide coalition working to educate policy makers and the public on the costs of chronic diseases.

23 Jan 2015

Alzheimer's drug Aricept (donepezil) linked to serious side effects

New warnings have been added to the prescribing information for the Alzheimer's drug Aricept (donepezil) advising of the risk of two rare but potentially serious conditions: muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis) and a neurological disorder called neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS).

21 Jan 2015

China Jo-Jo Drugstores opens eight new retail pharmacies in Hangzhou

China Jo-Jo Drugstores, Inc., a leading China-based retail and wholesale distributor of pharmaceutical and health care products through its own online and retail pharmacies, announced today that it opened eight new retail pharmacies in Hangzhou on January 10, 2015, a company record for same-day store openings.

15 Jan 2015

LongROAD project launched to improve safety and mobility needs of older adults

In the coming decades, the population of older adults in the United States will reach unprecedented numbers. By the year 2029, more than one in five Americans will be over the age of 65. And most of them will continue driving. To understand their safety and mobility needs, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has launched a five-year, $12 million Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers (LongROAD) project with Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and six other institutions.

13 Jan 2015

FDA receives Actavis' NDA resubmission for cariprazine

Actavis plc (NYSE: ACT) and Gedeon Richter Plc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has acknowledged receipt of Actavis' New Drug Application (NDA) resubmission for its atypical antipsychotic cariprazine, a potent dopamine D3/D2 receptor partial agonist with preferential binding to D3 receptors.

6 Jan 2015

Catamaran acquires Salveo Specialty Pharmacy for $260 million

Catamaran Corp., a leading provider of pharmacy benefit management (PBM) services and technology solutions, announced today the completion, effective as of January 2, 2015, of its previously disclosed acquisition of Salveo Specialty Pharmacy, for a purchase price of $260 million in cash, subject to certain customary post-closing adjustments.

5 Jan 2015

Saatchi Bill: an interview with Dr. David Collingridge, Editor-in-Chief, The Lancet Oncology

The intention of the Medical Innovation Bill is to encourage and support doctors to explore new medicines for their patients when they believe existing options are no longer achieving good outcomes.

4 Jan 2015

Additional products seized from Calgary stores contain undeclared drug ingredients

Further to its recent Advisory, Health Canada has identified additional products seized from two Samson's Supplements stores in Calgary that pose a risk to health.

2 Jan 2015