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Agreement expands Quintiles capabilities to support drug approvals in Japan

Quintiles Transnational Corp. today announced an agreement to conduct clinical trials in Peru involving ethnic Japanese, further expanding the company's ability to support new drug applications in Japan.

5 May 2004

Mylan announces FDA approval of Parkinson’s disease drug

The FDA approval clears the way for Bertek to market APOKYN and provides a new therapy for “off” episodes, one of the most debilitating aspects suffered by patients with Parkinson’s disease.

5 May 2004

First canine insulin drug

FDA has approved a porcine insulin zinc suspension product as the first drug for treating diabetic dogs. Prior to the development of this product, the only treatment veterinarians could use on diabetic dogs was human insulin, which is less compatible with a dog’s metabolic system.

4 May 2004

UK researchers get 180,000 Euros to identify and develop new vaccines against Tuberculosis

A researcher from Birmingham University's School of Biosciences has won EU funding of 180,000 Euros to identify and develop new vaccines against Tuberculosis.

4 May 2004

New license agreement for rotavirus diarrhea vaccine

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announced today a new license agreement aimed at helping to prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths annually from rotavirus diarrhea in children living in developing countries.

4 May 2004

Pfizer targets five internet sites for selling an unapproved copy of Pfizer's top selling cholesterol medicine, Lipitor

Pfizer has filed lawsuits against the operators of five internet sites for selling an unapproved copy of Pfizer's top selling cholesterol medicine, Lipitor, the company said today.

4 May 2004

First drug product for treatment of short bowel syndrome

Short bowel syndrome (SBS) is a rare and potentially life-threatening condition in which the ability of the small intestine to absorb the nutrition a person needs from food is impaired. Short bowel syndrome can occur after surgical removal of part of the intestine, due to trauma or because the intestine is diseased.

4 May 2004

FDA to create database to help identify counterfeit pharmaceutical brands

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is planning to create a database of the major pharmaceutical brands on the US market, to make it easier to establish the authenticity of suspect products and identify counterfeit versions that enter the supply chain.

3 May 2004

Schering-Plough Corporation settles with $27 million to the State of Texas

Schering-Plough Corporation has announced that it has reached an agreement with the Attorney General's Office of the State of Texas to settle issues related to reimbursement by Texas' Medicaid program of albuterol sulfate solution and inhaler products.

3 May 2004

Australian company receives FDA orphan drug designation for product to treat malignant melanomas

Progen Industries Limited, an Australian anti-cancer drug development company, announced today that it has received orphan drug designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for their lead anti-angiogenesis product PI-88 for treatment of malignant melanoma.

3 May 2004

America’s Health Insurance Plans to provide drug discount cards to Medicare beneficiaries

Karen Ignagni, President and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), made the following statement regarding HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson's announcement today of the start of the prescription drug card program:

3 May 2004

Pharmacy Care Alliance set to begin marketing to Medicare beneficiaries

The Pharmacy Care Alliance today announced that it received approval from Medicare to begin education, outreach and enrollment activities for its Medicare-approved drug discount card on May 3.

3 May 2004

Cymbalta helped patients with depression feel better

Patients treated successfully with 60 mg per day of the investigational antidepressant Cymbalta® (duloxetine hydrochloride), were less likely to have their emotional and physical symptoms of depression return than those who stopped taking medication after beginning to feel better

3 May 2004

Medicare drug discount cards now available

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced today that seniors and people with disabilities who receive Medicare can now begin to compare and choose the Medicare-approved drug discount card that best fits their needs in providing savings on their prescription medicines.

3 May 2004

76 percent of Medicare beneficiaries believe the Medicare drug discount cards are a good idea

According to a survey commissioned by the Pharmacy Care Alliance, a large majority-76 percent-of Medicare beneficiaries without prescription drug coverage polled believe the Medicare drug discount cards are a good idea and will help them save money.

2 May 2004

Botox helps children with cerebral palsy

Botox, or botulinum toxin, offers a new, non-surgical option for improving the upper extremity function of children with cerebral palsy (CP), report researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. L. Andrew Koman, M.D., orthopedic surgeon at Brenner Children’s Hospital, and his team recently completed a study using Botox to treat muscle spasticity of the arm and hand in children with CP.

1 May 2004

New medicare website shows inaccurate pricing

The new Medicare Web site with comparative prescription drug pricing contains inaccurate, erroneous information, sponsors of drug discount cards said on Friday. Companies offering the cards said the government and its contractor had posted inaccurate data just hours after the web site launch.

1 May 2004