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.

Access to NAbs testing important for MS therapy management

Teva Neuroscience today announced results at the 62nd American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting which demonstrated that eliminating barriers to neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) testing significantly impacted multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment choices in patients receiving interferon beta (IFNβ) therapies.

17 Apr 2010

Penwest Pharmaceuticals signs drug development and commercialization agreement with Alvogen

Penwest Pharmaceuticals Co. today announced that it has signed a drug development and commercialization agreement with Alvogen, Inc. under which Penwest and Alvogen have agreed to identify and select up to five compounds for generic development. Penwest's TIMERx technology may be used for each compound selected.

9 Apr 2010

McKesson Asia Pacific to be sold to Medibank Private

McKesson Corporation, the world's leading healthcare services company, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its McKesson Asia Pacific business to Medibank Private Ltd., the largest private health services and insurer in Australia. The acquisition is expected to close in the second calendar quarter of 2010, subject to customary conditions, including regulatory review in Australia.

9 Apr 2010

New report assesses optimal future for REMS

Two years after the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007 gave FDA new powers to require Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies for higher risk drugs and biologics, a new report concludes that an optimal future for REMS is possible if the agency adopts a systems approach when designing REMS programs and takes advantage of new technologies -- from electronic medical records to genetic testing -- that are changing the way medicine is practiced.

5 Apr 2010

As reform hangs in balance, policy benefits continue to be discussed

NPR reports on the immediate effects of the proposed health care bill, and that Congressional Democrats are focusing on those benefits in messages to constituents. "The White House is trying to shift the conversation away from the messy legislative process — which Republicans are keying on — and instead focus on what the health care overhaul would do for families and businesses."

19 Mar 2010

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries to acquire ratiopharm for €3.625 billion

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire ratiopharm, Germany’s second largest generics producer and the sixth largest generic drug company worldwide, for an enterprise value of €3.625 billion. The transaction is subject to certain conditions including relevant regulatory approvals. On a pro forma basis, the combined company would have had 2009 revenues of $16.2 billion. Teva expects to complete the transaction by year-end 2010.

18 Mar 2010

Genetic test helps reduce hospitalization rates for heart patients on warfarin

Hospitalization rates for heart patients taking warfarin, the world's most-prescribed blood thinner, dropped by approximately 30 percent when genetic information was available to doctors prescribing the drug, researchers from Medco Health Solutions, Inc.-- in association with the Medco Research Institute™ -- and Mayo Clinic announced today.

17 Mar 2010

Arthritis drug could be useful for treating patients with type 2 diabetes

Clinical studies of a generic drug called salsalate, widely prescribed for arthritis, now provide early promising results that it may be useful for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes as well.

16 Mar 2010

Early administration of metformin can prevent long-term complications of diabetes: Study

The sooner people with diabetes start taking metformin, the longer the drug remains effective, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published in the March issue of Diabetes Care, a journal of the American Diabetes Association.

10 Mar 2010

China Pharma Holdings reports 21% increase in 2009 revenue

China Pharma Holdings, Inc., which develops, manufactures, and markets specialty pharmaceutical products in China, today announced financial results for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009.

5 Mar 2010

Elsevier releases special issue to mark the 25th anniversary of antiretroviral drug development

Elsevier, the world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, released a special issue of the journal Antiviral Research (www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/01663542), marking the 25th anniversary of antiretroviral drug development.

4 Mar 2010

Generic version of Flomax Capsules receives FDA approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the first generic version of Flomax Capsules 0.4 mg (tamsulosin hydrochloride) to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a condition in which an enlarged prostate gland causes problems with urination.

2 Mar 2010

New Clinical Pharmacology Mobile for drug information and medication management reference

Gold Standard/Elsevier (http://www.goldstandard.com), a leading provider of drug decision support announced today the availability of Clinical Pharmacology Mobile, a mobile device-optimized web site offering users access to the features and functions of Clinical Pharmacology, an award-winning electronic drug information and medication management reference.

1 Mar 2010

ViroPharma reports 76% growth in fourth-quarter net product sales

ViroPharma Incorporated reported today its financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2009.

24 Feb 2010

Obecure granted patent covering betahistine with olanzapine for mitigating antipsychotic drug associated weight gain

Obecure Ltd., a subsidiary of Bio-Light Israeli Life Science Investments Ltd., has received notice of allowance from the US Patent Office for its two key patent applications covering methods of use and compositions covering the use of betahistine with olanzapine for the mitigation of the serious weight gain associated as a side effect of the antipsychotic drug.

23 Feb 2010

Obecure enters into licensing and clinical supply agreement with Grunenthal's subsidiary for XR betahistine

Obecure Ltd (http://www.obecure.com)., a subsidiary of Bio-Light Israeli Life Science Investments Ltd., announced today the execution of a licensing and clinical supply agreement with Farmaceutici Formenti SPA, the Italian Subsidiary of the Grunenthal Group.

17 Feb 2010

APCER PHARMA to demonstrate pharmacovigilance/drug safety and regulatory services at GPhA meeting

APCER PHARMA executives will discuss and demonstrate their expertise in providing generic drug manufacturers with the best in class pharmacovigilance/drug safety, regulatory and risk management services at the GPhA Annual Meeting, February 16-18, at the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Florida. APCER will be in Booth #27.

17 Feb 2010

Obama's budget includes a tempered vision of health reform

Democrats' health overhaul efforts are stalled in Congress, but President Obama's 2011 budget offers a "modest" back-up plan, the Associated Press reports. "The budget released Monday contains lots of respectable ideas to squeeze savings, expand coverage and improve quality, but no ambitious change that launches the nation on a path to health care for all."

2 Feb 2010

Collaborative approach will build drug system that works for patients, pharmacies, government

The Alberta Pharmacists' Association (RxA) and the Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores (CACDS) stated that they strongly support the new pharmacy funding and services model agreement announced today by Alberta Health and Wellness (AHW).

29 Jan 2010

PCMA releases statement on new legislation introduced by Congressman Stephen F. Lynch

The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) released the following statement today on new legislation introduced by Congressman Stephen F. Lynch (D-Mass.) — the FEHBP Prescription Drug Integrity, Transparency, and Cost Savings Act (H.R. 4489) — which would increase prescription drug costs and reduce choices for federal employees

22 Jan 2010