Recent FDA approvals (through March 2010) related to Iprivask, VPRIV, Mirapex ER, Cayston, Menveo, Lamictal XR, Rituxan, Oleptro, Xiaflex, Norvir, Benicar, Crestor.
Desirudin for injection (Iprivask, Canyon) was approved for the prevention of deep vein thrombosis.
Velaglucerase alfa for injection (VPRIV, Shire) was approved for the long-term treatment of type 1 Gaucher disease in pediatric and adult patients.
Pramipexole dihydrochloride extended-release tablets (Mirapex ER, Boehringer Ingelheim) was approved for the signs and symptoms of early idiopathic Parkinson's disease.
Meningococcal oligosaccharide diptheria CRM197 conjugate vaccine (Menveo, Novartis), a quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine, was approved for active immunization to prevent invasive meningococcal disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A, C, Y, and W-135 in people aged 11 to 55 years.
Lamotrigine extended-release tablets (Lamictal XR, GlaxoSmithKline) was approved as a once-daily, add-on therapy for epilepsy patients 13 years of age or older with partial onset seizures.
Rituximab (Rituxan, Genentech/Roche, Biogen Idec) was approved in combination with fludarabine and cyclophosphamide for people with previously untreated and previously treated CD20-positive chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Trazodone hydrochloride extended-release tablets (Oleptro, Labopharm) was approved as a once-daily formulation of trazodone for the treatment of major depressive disorder in adults.
Collagenase clostridium histolyticum (Xiaflex, Auxilium Pharmaceuticals) was approved for the treatment of adult Dupuytren's contracture.
A heat-stable version of ritonavir (Norvir, Abbott Laboratories) was approved for the treatment of HIV treatment.
Olmesartan medoxomil (Benicar, Daiichi Sankyo) was approved to treat hypertension in children and adolescents aged 6 to 16 years.
Rosuvastatin calcium (Crestor, AstraZeneca) was approved for wider use to reduce the risk of stroke, myocardial infarction, and arterial revascularization procedures in individuals without clinically evident coronary heart disease but with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Coalition promotes important acetaminophen dosing reminders
November 18th 2014It may come as a surprise that each year Americans catch approximately 1 billion colds, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as 20% get the flu. This cold and flu season, 7 in 10 patients will reach for an over-the-counter (OTC) medicine to treat their coughs, stuffy noses, and sniffles. It’s an important time of the year to remind patients to double check their medicine labels so they don’t double up on medicines containing acetaminophen.
Support consumer access to specialty medications through value-based insurance design
June 30th 2014The driving force behind consumer cost-sharing provisions for specialty medications is the acquisition cost and not clinical value. This appears to be true for almost all public and private health plans, says a new report from researchers at the University of Michigan Center for Value-Based Insurance Design (V-BID Center) and the National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC).
Management of antipsychotic medication polypharmacy
June 13th 2013Within our healthcare-driven society, the increase in the identification and diagnosis of mental illnesses has led to a proportional increase in the prescribing of psychotropic medications. The prevalence of mental illnesses and subsequent treatment approaches may employ monotherapy as first-line treatment, but in many cases the use of combination of therapy can occur, leading to polypharmacy.1 Polypharmacy can be defined in several ways but it generally recognized as the use of multiple medications by one patient and the most common definition is the concurrent use of five more medications. The presence of polyharmacy has the potential to contribute to non-compliance, drug-drug interactions, medication errors, adverse events, or poor quality of life.
Medical innovation improves outcomes
June 12th 2013I have been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer of the pancreas, a disease that’s long been considered not just incurable, but almost impossible to treat-a recalcitrant disease that some practitioners feel has given oncology a bad name. I was told my life would be measured in weeks.