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Drug costs cut in Norway following new rule on prescribing

Research in Norway has shown that there have been substantial savings in drug costs since the introduction of a regulation requiring doctors to prescribe the recommended first-line treatment for hypertension (high blood pressure).

9 Jul 2007

New skin patch offers help for Alzheimer's victims

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States has given approval for the first skin patch to treat Alzheimer's disease.

9 Jul 2007

Roche and Alnylam form RNAi therapeutics alliance

Roche and the US-based biopharmaceutical company Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that they have entered into a major alliance in which Roche obtains a non-exclusive license to Alnylam's technology platform for developing RNAi (RNA interference) therapeutics.

9 Jul 2007

Barr to market generic LAMISIL tablets

Barr Pharmaceuticals has announced that Gedeon Richter, Plc. has received final U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approval for its application to manufacture and market a generic version of Novartis Pharmaceutical Corporation's LAMISIL (terbinafine hydrochloride) Tablets, 250 mg. The approval follows the expiration of pediatric exclusivity for LAMISIL.

4 Jul 2007

Alli jokes - great marketing!

GlaxoSmithKline's new diet drug, Alli, hit shelves nationwide last month.

4 Jul 2007

Tamiflu for children

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States has given approval for Tamiflu to be used for children but at a lower dose than the adult version.

4 Jul 2007

Biomira files NDA for novel inhibitor of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha

Biomira Inc. has announced that it has submitted an investigational new drug (IND) application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for PX-478. PX-478 has been shown in preclinical studies to inhibit hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1 alpha, a protein that controls the transcription of a number of genes whose products are important for tumor growth and survival.

4 Jul 2007

A view on new drugs for macular degeneration

Restricting use of drugs for macular degeneration to patients who have already gone blind in one eye is "unacceptable" concludes the July issue of Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB).

4 Jul 2007

DIY tooth whitening kits can be dangerous

Consumers in Britain are being warned that some DIY tooth whitening kits can be dangerous.

28 Jun 2007

FDA fast tracks ViroPharma's treatment of hepatitis C

ViroPharma has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted fast track designation for HCV-796 for treatment of hepatitis C virus infection.

28 Jun 2007

Bayer and Onyx submit supplemental NDA for Nexavar

Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals and Onyx Pharmaceuticals have announced that a Supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for Nexavar (sorafenib) tablets has been submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer. Nexavar is currently approved in more than 50 countries for the treatment of advanced kidney cancer.

28 Jun 2007

Actavis launches Ondansetron tablets in the U.S.

Actavis Group has announced that it has launched Ondansetron Tablets in the U.S. Actavis will market the product under an agreement with Natco Pharma Limited. Distribution of the product will commence immediately.

28 Jun 2007

Barr announces tentative approval for generic version of Effexor tablets

Barr Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that its subsidiary PLIVA has received tentative approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its generic version of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s Effexor (Venlafaxine Hydrochloride) Tablets, 25mg, 37.5mg, 50mg, 75mg and 100mg.

27 Jun 2007

AMA says in-store health clinics put patients in danger

The American Medical Association (AMA) has raised questions about the service offered by in-store health clinics.

26 Jun 2007

Roche makes offer to acquire Ventana Medical Systems

Roche will make a tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of common stock of Ventana Medical Systems for $75.00 per share in cash, or an aggregate of approximately $3 billion on a fully diluted basis.

From Roche Sequencing and Life Science 26 Jun 2007

Abuse of prescription drugs

Increasingly, drug abusers are getting their next fix from their medicine cabinets, instead of from drug dealers.

26 Jun 2007

Mylan receives FDA approval for Ondansetron tablets

Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. has received final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its Abbreviated New Drug Applications (ANDAs) for Ondansetron Hydrochloride (HCl) Tablets, 4 mg (base), 8 mg (base) and 24 mg (base), and Ondansetron Orally Disintegrating Tablets (ODT) USP, 4 mg and 8 mg.

26 Jun 2007

SYMBICORT now available in the U.S. for asthma

AstraZeneca has announced today that SYMBICORT (budesonide/formoterol fumarate dihydrate) pressurized metered dose inhaler (pMDI) is now available in the United States for the long-term maintenance treatment of asthma in patients 12 years of age and older.

26 Jun 2007

FDA cracks down on dietary supplements

It's taken a few years but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. has finally established a set of regulations to ensure good manufacturing practices for dietary supplements.

25 Jun 2007