Pharmaceutical News

RSS

Sagent Pharmaceuticals introduces pamidronate disodium injection in single-dose vials

Sagent Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced that it has launched pamidronate disodium injection in single-dose vials containing 30 mg per 10 mL and 90 mg per 10 mL. Pamidronate disodium injection, the generic alternative of Novartis Pharmaceutical Company's Aredia®, is a bone resorption inhibitor. The 2008 U.S. market for pamidronate disodium approximated $17 million, according to IMS data.

20 Jan 2010

LEO Pharma launches psoriasis franchise in the U.S.

Denmark-based LEO Pharma, a global leader in dermatology and critical care, announced its official launch in the U.S. Headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, LEO Pharma U.S. will be one of the largest individual operations in the pharmaceutical company’s network of worldwide affiliates and is expected to contribute significantly to the company revenues in 2010.

20 Jan 2010

Media outlets examine efforts to develop malaria vaccines

Scientists have identified a group of proteins they say could form the basis of a malaria vaccine, Australia's ABC News reports. "However, they say more laboratory work and clinical trials need to be done, with a vaccine at least 10 years away," the news service reports (Macey, 1/19).

20 Jan 2010

Antibiotic drops are safe and effective for treating swimmer's ear

When treating the pain and inflammation of swimmer's ear, antibiotic drops are the most effective — and safest - therapy, finds a new review of studies.

20 Jan 2010

Watson Laboratories files ANDA for Lidoderm

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading specialty pharmaceutical company, today confirmed that its subsidiary, Watson Laboratories, Inc., has filed an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval to market its lidocaine topical patch 8% prior to the expiration of U.S. Patent No. 5,827,529.

19 Jan 2010

New issue from Annals of Internal Medicine

Prescriptions of some opioids, such as oxycodone, have increased significantly over the past decade. As long-term opioid therapy for chronic noncancer pain becomes more common, the deaths associated with opioids increase.

19 Jan 2010

Scientists launch NEWMEDS project to develop drugs for schizophrenia and depression

An international consortium of scientists, led by H. Lundbeck A/S and King's College London, has launched one of the largest ever research academic-industry collaboration projects to find new methods for the development of drugs for schizophrenia and depression.

19 Jan 2010

Scientists publish study on the effects of nutritional supplement ingredients on cholesterol levels

In collaboration with the scientists in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Standard Process scientists have published a study examining the effects of nutritional supplement ingredients on cholesterol levels in Rapacz familial hypercholesterolemic swine or FH swine.

19 Jan 2010

Study examines how opioid overdose differs by prescribed dose for chronic pain conditions

More and more Americans with chronic pain not caused by cancer are taking medically prescribed opioids like Oxycontin (oxycodone) and Vicodin (hydrocodone). The January 19 Annals of Internal Medicine features the first study to explore the risk of overdose in patients prescribed opioids for chronic noncancer pain in general health care.

19 Jan 2010

Calsed earns proprietary clinical gold standard status from Decision Resources

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that Celgene/Nippon Kayaku's Calsed earns Decision Resources' proprietary clinical gold standard status in 2013 for the treatment of extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer, following its approval for the indication in 2012.

19 Jan 2010

FDA warns consumers about counterfeit and potentially harmful version of Alli capsules

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is today warning consumers about a counterfeit and potentially harmful version of Alli 60 mg capsules (120 count refill kit).

19 Jan 2010

Psoriasis therapy costs outpace inflation

Findings from a cost model suggest that expenses for systemic psoriasis therapy appear to be increasing at a faster rate than inflation, and newer biologically derived treatments are more expensive than traditional systemic therapies, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

19 Jan 2010

New findings support the development of vaccine against malaria

Walter and Eliza Hall Institute researchers have uncovered a group of proteins that could form the basis of an effective vaccine against malaria.

19 Jan 2010

Sodium oxybate to garner over 15% of the fibromyalgia drug market despite safety concerns

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that, despite potential safety concerns, Jazz Pharmaceuticals/UCB's sodium oxybate (JZP-6) will account for more than 15 percent of the fibromyalgia drug market in 2018 in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Japan. Sodium oxybate has demonstrated robust efficacy in Phase III clinical trials for fibromyalgia and interviewed thought leaders are impressed with its effect on several key symptom domains of fibromyalgia, which include pain, sleep and fatigue.

18 Jan 2010

Alcon to acquire U.S. rights to Sirion Therapeutics' Durezol and Zirgan

Alcon, the world’s leader in eye care, announced today that it will purchase the rights in the United States for two FDA-approved topical eye care products from Sirion Therapeutics, Inc. The two products purchased are Durezol™, a marketed ophthalmic corticosteroid approved for the treatment of inflammation and pain associated with eye surgery, and Zirgan™, a recently approved antiviral for the treatment of acute herpetic keratitis (corneal ulcers).

18 Jan 2010

Sunlight and vitamin D deficiency linked to 17 varieties of cancer

For humans, sunlight and vitamin D is critically important for the development, growth, and maintenance of a healthy body, from birth until death. "Humans make thousands of units of vitamin D within minutes of whole body exposure to sunlight. From what we know of nature, it is unlikely such a system evolved by chance," states Dr. John Cannell, Executive Director, Vitamin D Council.

18 Jan 2010

Risks associated with opioid pain medications may outweigh surgery risks

Despite limited evidence of long-term success in using opioid pain medications for chronic low back pain, opioid prescribing has increased in recent years for back pain and other non-cancer pain indications.

18 Jan 2010

Prescription drugs prove effective in managing moderate to severe psoriasis

Clinical trials to test the effectiveness of two prescription drugs for the debilitating skin condition psoriasis have revealed significant differences that should help inform physicians treating patients with the condition.

18 Jan 2010

Hyperphosphatemia following standard OSP doses is related to weight, reveals study

Colon cleansing is used widely for colonoscopic exploration and colonic and gynecological surgery. Oral sodium phosphate (OSP) solution is the osmotic laxative most commonly used for this purpose. It is known that OSP can induce severe hyperphosphatemia and hypocalcemia due to excessive absorption of phosphates, and there have been reports of deaths and irreversible dialysis-requiring renal insufficiency. However, no prospective studies have investigated the prevalence of hyperphosphatemia in low-risk patients.

18 Jan 2010

Mutagenic drugs designed to kill viruses may make them stronger, says research

As the flu season continues in full-swing, most people can appreciate the need for drugs that stop viruses after they take hold in the body. Despite this serious need for new drugs, a team of researchers from the University of Texas at Austin raise serious concerns about an emerging strategy for stopping viral infections.

18 Jan 2010