April 2012 Drug Information Update - Pharmacy Benefits ...

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Novartis Cancer Drugs Fight Deadly Ebola Virus in Lab, Researchers Find February 29, 2012 Two Novartis AG leukemia drugs, Gleevec and Tasigna, fought the deadly Ebola virus in laboratory experiments, suggesting the products could be used against a disease for which there are no treatments. The two medicines stopped the release of viral particles from infected cells in lab dishes, a step that in a person may prevent Ebola from spreading in the body and give the immune system time to control it, researchers from the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases wrote in the journal Science Translational Medicine today. Article link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-29/novartis-cancer-drugs-fightdeadlyebola-virus-in-lab-researchers-find.html Source website: http://www.bloomberg.com/ U.S. Food and Drug Administration Extends Action Date for ELIQUIS (apixaban) by Three Months March 1, 2012 Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Pfizer announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the action date by three months for the New Drug Application (NDA) for Eliquis® (apixaban) for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation. The new Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) goal date is June 28, 2012. Article link: http://pharmalive.com/News/index.cfm?articleid=828467# Source website: http://pharmalive.com/ Parkinson’s Drug Helps Speed Recovery After Brain Trauma, Researchers Say March 1, 2012 A drug for Parkinson’s disease accelerated the ability of patients with severe brain injuries to open their eyes and speak, providing what researchers said is the first evidence that a medical treatment might help speed head trauma recovery. Patients taking the medicine, amantadine, for four weeks regained cognitive functioning faster than those on a placebo, according to the 184- patient study published online yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine. The rate of recovery declined in two weeks after treatment and it’s unknown whether the drug aided longterm improvement. Article link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-29/parkinson-s-drug-helps-speedrecoveryafter-brain-trauma-researchers-say.html Source website: http://www.bloomberg.com/ Thalidomide Induces Complete Response in Cutaneous Lupus March 1, 2012 Low-dose thalidomide induces complete, sustained response for majority with refractory CLE Low-dose thalidomide successfully induces complete response in a majority of patients with refractory cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE), according to research published in the March issue of the British Journal of Dermatology. Article link: http://www.physiciansbriefing.com/Article.asp?AID=662192 Source website: http://www.physiciansbriefing.com/ Study describes pros and cons of antidepressant use in pregnancy March 5, 2012 14
Some women with depression who become pregnant face a troubling decision: whether to continue taking antidepressant medication to keep the depression at bay even though the medications may harm the fetus. The latest on a series of studies on this issue, published Monday in the Archives of General Psychiatry, shows benefits and risks to continuing medication during pregnancy and concludes that more study is needed on the topic. As many as 6% of pregnant women take antidepressants. Article link: http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-pregnant-antidepressants- 20120305.0.5919035.story Source website: http://www.latimes.com/ Estrogen-Only Hormone Therapy May Ward Off Breast Cancer March 6, 2012 Estrogen, a hormone known to fuel breast cancer, may protect against the disease in some cases, according to a study that found the therapy reduced the risk in women who took it after a hysterectomy. The trial of 7,645 women showed that those on estrogen, sold as Premarin by Pfizer Inc., for six years and then stopped were more than 20 percent less likely to develop breast cancer and die from the disease than those who never took the hormone therapy. The study is published online in the Lancet Oncology. Article link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-06/estrogen-only-hormone-therapymayprotect-against-breast-cancer.html Source website: http://www.bloomberg.com/ Gilead Quad HIV drug causes fewer side effects March 7, 2012 Full details from a pivotal trial of Gilead Sciences Inc experimental Quad HIV pill show that it caused fewer adverse side effects than the company's current three-drug pill, Atripla. Gilead said last year that the trial had met its goal of showing that the four-drug Quad worked as well as Atripla in controlling levels of the virus that causes AIDS. Article link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/07/us-gilead-quadidUSTRE8261Y620120307 Source website: http://www.chicagotribune.com/ Study finds key dementia drugs should be used more March 7, 2012 Pfizer's dementia drug Aricept, already commonly used to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, can also help patients with severe disease and should be used more widely and for longer, according to research published on Wednesday. British scientists who studied the possible longer-term benefits of giving Aricept suggested that extending treatment could help twice as many Alzheimer's sufferers worldwide. Article link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/07/us-dementiadrugsidUSTRE82621J20120307 Source website: http://www.reuters.com/ Study suggests overall benefit from antidepressants March 7, 2012 Despite recent debate about how well antidepressants really work in people with only mild or moderate depression, a new analysis of drug studies suggests they may have some benefit across the board. Researchers found that more patients taking Prozac or Effexor had 15
Page 1 and 2: April 2012 Drug Information Update
Page 3 and 4: First-Time Generics GENERIC DRUG NA
Page 5 and 6: GENERAL ANESTHETICS, INJECTABLE MID
Page 7 and 8: Gruenhaupt, Mark R.Ph. Argus Health
Page 9 and 10: Statin Drugs - Drug Safety Communic
Page 11 and 12: Vytorin (ezetimibe/simvastatin) Tab
Page 13: low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) in p
Page 17 and 18: Survival increased for all groups o
Page 19 and 20: finding that it also may reduce the
Page 21 and 22: Syringes (2 mL size), Rx only. NDC
Page 23 and 24: Patheon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Cinci
Page 25 and 26: 50-ct. bottles (NDC 0067-6238-50);
Page 27 and 28: PRODUCT (Class II) 1) Ventolin HFA
Page 29 and 30: Lot #: 0693, Exp: 10/2012 RECALLING
Page 31 and 32: 24 (Display case UPC# 3030045074923
Page 33 and 34: CODE Lot # 139961 RECALLING FIRM/MA
Page 35 and 36: Reason for the Shortage • Teva co
Page 37 and 38: Reason for the Shortage • Ben Ven
Page 39 and 40: Products Affected - Description Gan
Page 41 and 42: 37.5 mg/25 mg, 1000 count (NDC 0078
Page 43 and 44: Acyclovir tablets, Major 400 tablet
Page 45 and 46: 500 mg, 100 count (NDC 63304-0726-0
Page 47 and 48: 750 mg tablets, 100 count (NDC 1013
Page 49 and 50: • Bedford Laboratories has multip
Page 51 and 52: Daunorubicin Hydrochloride Injectio
Page 53 and 54: Ciprofloxacin Immediate-Release Tab
Page 55 and 56: • APP had tobramycin 40 mg/mL pre
Page 57 and 58: • Ben Venue voluntarily suspended
Page 59 and 60: 50 mg/mL, 10 mL vial, package of 10
Page 61 and 62: 2 mL vial, preservative-free (NDC 6
Page 63 and 64: 5 mg single dose vial, package of 1
Page 65 and 66:
20 mL glass ampule, sterile pack (N
Page 67 and 68:
2 mL iSecure syringe (NDC 00406-112
Page 69 and 70:
Lidocaine 0.5% Xylocaine 0.5% injec
Page 71 and 72:
• Teva discontinued all ciproflox
Page 73 and 74:
Nicardipine hydrochloride injection
Page 75 and 76:
Article link: http://www.ashp.org/D
Page 77 and 78:
• Apotex had metformin products u
Page 79:
• Covis purchased all rights to F
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