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.

Adenoscan patent lawsuits settled

Astellas Pharma Inc., King Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. have announced that U.S. subsidiaries of Astellas, along with Item Development AB and King have executed settlement agreements with one of Teva's subsidiaries on lawsuits filed in the United States against Teva's subsidiaries regarding their submission of an abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) for a generic version of Adenoscan (adenosine injection), a pharmacologic stress agent.

22 Oct 2007

Barr Labs and Par Pharmaceutical settle Diazepam patent case with Valeant

Barr Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that its Barr Laboratories, Inc. subsidiary and Par Pharmaceutical Companies, Inc. have entered into a settlement agreement regarding their joint patent challenge with Valeant Pharmaceuticals North America related to Valeant's DIASTAT(R) diazepam rectal gel products.

15 Oct 2007

Benefits of statin drugs continue for years

Scientists in the UK have found that the benefits to the heart from taking statin drugs may last for years and are sustained even after the drugs are stopped.

11 Oct 2007

Generic Trileptal (oxcarbazepine) approved in U.S.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first generic versions of Trileptal (oxcarbazepine), an anticonvulsant drug.

10 Oct 2007

Mylan settles Levetiracetam patent case

Mylan Inc. has announced that it and its subsidiary Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. have entered into an agreement to settle pending litigation with UCB Societe Anonyme and UCB Pharma Inc. (collectively, UCB) relating to Levetiracetam Tablets, 250mg, 500mg and 750mg, the generic version of UCB's Keppra.

4 Oct 2007

New FDA program will fast forward generic drug approvals

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States has a plan to fast forward it's approval process for generic drugs.

4 Oct 2007

Default options for medicine, healthcare

Anyone who has ever tried to set up an internet account or wants to make a purchase on a company's website, has experienced the ‘default option,' an event or condition that will be set in place if no alternative is actively chosen.

3 Oct 2007

Wal-Mart adds 11 generic drugs to discounted prescription drug program

Wal-Mart Stores on Thursday announced that it will begin selling eight additional generic drugs for $4 per 30-day prescription and several family-planning drugs for $9, USA Today reports (Appleby, USA Today, 9/28).

2 Oct 2007

Medicare part B premiums to increase by 3.1% in 2008 to $96.40 per month

CMS on Monday announced that the standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B, which covers physician visits and outpatient hospital care, will increase by $2.90, or 3.1%, to $96.40 in 2008 -- the smallest increase since 2000, when the premium remained the same, the New York Times reports.

2 Oct 2007

Omega-3 madness: fish oil or snake oil?

Omega-3 claims are popping up in everything from cereal to mayonnaise, but are those foods the panacea that marketers would have you believe According to the cover story in the October issue of Nutrition Action Healthletter , certain omega-3s may reduce the risk of heart disease and might even help protect against cancer, Alzheimer's, and vision problems.

2 Oct 2007

Genetic test announced for suicidal ideation in patients using antidepressant drugs

NeuroMark, a Boulder, Colorado company, announced today the immediate availability of a genetic test to identify people at risk of suicidal ideation - thoughts of committing suicide - when prescribed an antidepressant drug.

27 Sep 2007

Watson Pharmaceuticals receives FDA approval for generic Accuneb

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that it has received final approval from the United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for albuterol sulfate inhalation solution in the 0.021% (base) and 0.042% (base) strengths.

27 Sep 2007

Ten years of pharmaceutical television advertisements have Pennsylvanians asking their docs about medications

poll of Pennsylvania adults 10 years after the first direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical television advertisement ran suggests that nearly half of the participants have asked their doctor about a specific prescription drug or medical procedure they saw advertised.

27 Sep 2007

Barr confirms UROXATRAL patent challenge

Barr Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has confirmed that its subsidiary, Barr Laboratories, Inc., has initiated a challenge of the patents listed by Sanofi- Aventis U.S. LLC in connection with its UROXATRAL (alfuzosin hydrochloride extended-release tablets), 10mg.

25 Sep 2007

Nanoparticle that delivers vaccines more effectively

Good news for public health: Bioengineering researchers from the EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland, have developed and patented a nanoparticle that can deliver vaccines more effectively, with fewer side effects, and at a fraction of the cost of current vaccine technologies.

18 Sep 2007

Genetic lab test for Warfarin sensitivity approved by FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today cleared for marketing a new genetic test that will help physicians assess whether a patient may be especially sensitive to the blood-thinning drug warfarin (Coumadin), which is used to prevent potentially fatal clots in blood vessels.

18 Sep 2007

Chemoradiation in advanced head and neck cancers

Advanced cancer in the head and neck is traditionally treated with surgery followed by radiotherapy.

17 Sep 2007

Drug spending caps cause some seniors to quit taking key medicines

Many seniors quit taking drugs for chronic illnesses such as diabetes and high blood pressure when they exceed their drug plan's yearly spending limits, according to a RAND Corporation study.

12 Sep 2007

Novel angiogenic drugs could revolutionize treatment of peripheral arterial disease

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that the market entry of novel angiogenic agents, including a future blockbuster drug from Genzyme, could revolutionize symptomatic treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

12 Sep 2007

Generic prostate drug finasteride helps find high-risk cancers early

Men now have another good reason to consider taking finasteride, a well-known generic drug that shrinks an enlarged prostate and reduces the risk of getting prostate cancer by 25 percent.

12 Sep 2007