February 2012 Drug Update Information - Pharmacy Benefits ...

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Patients with rare, sometimes life-threatening condition can now treat themselves at home at the first sign of acute facial, abdominal or laryngeal swellingg attacks. CSL Behring today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a label expansion for self- therapy indicatedd for the treatment of acute attacks of hereditary angioedemaa (HAE), a rare and administration of Berinert ®, C1 Esterase Inhibitor (Human), a pasteurized, nanofiltered potentially fatal genetic disorder. With appropriate training from a physician, patients can now self-administer Berinert by intravenous infusion. As partt of the labell expansion, Berinert is now also indicated to treat life-threatening laryngeal HAE attacks, as well as facial and abdominal attacks. Article link: http://www.pharmalive.com/News/index.cfm?articleid= =819777 Source website: http: ://www.pharmalive.com/ Arena says addressed FDA concerns on weight loss drug January 3, 2012 Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc said on Tuesday it submitted data to health regulators that should squash cancer concerns tied to the company's experimental weight loss drug lorcaserin, and believes it will gain U.S. approval. Article link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/03/us-arena- you thousands, prevent hospital stays obesityidUSTRE8021VJ20120103 Source website http:/ //www.reuters.com Following the doctor's orders on your medicine can save January 3, 2012 Not taking your medicines as prescribed can hurt your wallet as welll as your health and far outweigh any savings on your pharmacy bill. Not filling prescriptions and even skipping doses can result in serious complication ns and lead to ER visits and hospitall stays, even premature death. Article link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/ /business/sns-ap-us-money--health-taking- yourmeds,0,4075199.story Source website: http: ://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ Cancer rates in U.S. keep falling: report January 4, 2012 Cancer death rates are continuing to fall, dropping by 1.88 percent perr year in men and 1.6 percent per year in women between 2004 and 2008, according too the American Cancer Society's annual report on cancer statistics released on Wednesday. Advances in cancer screening and treatment have prevented more than a million total deaths from cancer since the early 1990s, according to the report. But the influential cancer group said new cases of seven less-common cancers rose in the past decade, suggesting more could be done in America's 40-yearr war on cancer. This year, the cancer group projects 1,638,910 people will be newlyy diagnosed with cancer and 577,190 people will die from it. Article link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/04/us-usa-cancer-rates- idUSTRE8032A420120104 Source website: http: ://www.reuters.com FDA restricts class of antibiotics in animals January 4, 2012 Health regulators placed restrictions on animal use of a class of antibiotics often used to treat diseases like pneumonia in humans, as part of an effort too prevent the rise of drug-resistant 12
acteria. The Food and Drug Administration issued an order on Wednesday to stop the widespread injection of cephalosporins into cattle, pigs, chickens and turkeys beginning April 5. Cephalosporins are commonly used to treat people with pneumonia and skin and soft tissue infections, the FDA said. They can also be used to treat foodborne illnesses such as salmonella and E. coli. Article link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/04/us-fda-antibiotics- promising results in an idUSTRE80329V20120104 Source website: http: ://www.reuters.com Achillion's hepatitis C drug gets FDA fast track January 4, 2012 A new vaccine against the chronic liver disease hepatitis C has shown early-stage clinical trial in humans, British and Italian scientists said Wednesday. They said the experimental vaccine, which is based on a modified coldd virus and was safety-tested in 41 people, generated immune responses similar to those seen in people who have a rare but natural defense against the disease. Article link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/04/us-hepatitis-c-vaccine- that combining anti-HIV and anti- idUSTRE8031QW20120104 Source website: http: ://www.reuters.com Guideline Urges Care in Mixing HIV, Seizure Drugs January 4, 2012 Althoughh the evidence is weak, doctors should be aware epileptic medications may lead to drug-on-drug interactions, according to a new guideline. The issue is growing in importance as more and more people -- especially in the developing world -- are living with HIV as a chronic disease. And upp to 55% of people taking antiretroviral medications may need epilepsy control drugs at some point, althoughh not for seizures in every case. Article link: http://www.medpagetoday.com/ /Neurology/ Seizures/30489 Source website http:/ //www.medpagetoday.com J&J Halts Study of Doribax Antibiotic on Higher Death Rate Jan 5, 2012 Johnson & Johnson halted a clinical trial of its antibiotic Doribax after more pneumonia patients who took the product died and fewer were cured, regulators said. Doribax, already approved for urinary and abdominal infections in the U.S., is still considered safe and effective for those uses, the Food and Drug Administration said today in a statement on its website. The trial tested the drug in pneumonia patients who were on ventilators, an indicationn for which it’ s approved in Europe. Article link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-05/j-j-halts-study-of-doribax-antibiotic- a onhigher-death-rate.html Source website: http: ://www.bloomberg.com/ Drug Eases Gout Flare-ups in Some Patients: Study January 5, 2012 Starting gout treatment can lead to flare-ups, this drug might help. Preliminary findings suggest drug used to treat another diseasee might also reduce painful flareups in gout patients starting new medication regimens. In a new study, the protein-inhibitor drug rilonacept (Arcalyst) appeared to markedly lower the risk of gout flare-ups during the firstt few monthss of treatments aimed at lowering uric acid levels. 13
Page 1 and 2: February 2012 Drug Information Upda
Page 3 and 4: GENERIC DRUG NAME GENERIC APPROVAL
Page 5 and 6: CICLOPIROX/ TOPICAL PEDIPIROX-4 New
Page 7 and 8: [Posted 01/09/2012] ISSUE: Novartis
Page 9 and 10: Studies Article Link: http://www.fd
Page 11: the use of XARELTO® (rivaroxaban),
Page 15 and 16: Statins raise risk of Type 2 diabet
Page 17 and 18: The Million Women Study, a U.K. pro
Page 19 and 20: Azithromycin 250 mg tablets, 1 card
Page 21 and 22: RECALLING FIRM/MANUFACTURE Recallin
Page 23 and 24: Recalling Firm: Pfizer Us Pharmaceu
Page 25 and 26: 250 mg, 100 count (NDC 00591-3969-0
Page 27 and 28: Sandoz states the shortage is due t
Page 29 and 30: 5 mL ampule (NDC 10019-0033-72) 20
Page 31 and 32: Article Link: http://www.ashp.org/D
Page 33 and 34: Lidocaine 2% (with epinephrine 1:10
Page 35 and 36: Source: http://www.a ashp.org Halop
Page 37 and 38: ecome unavailable for an extended t
Page 39 and 40: American Regent resumed manufacturi
Page 41 and 42: Trandate tablets, Prometheus 100 mg
Page 43 and 44: Article link: http://www.ashp.org/D
Page 45 and 46: Bedford Laboratories has multiple p
Page 47 and 48: Thiothixene capsules, Mylan 2 mg ca
Page 49 and 50: 20 mL vials (NDC 10019-0905-03) - d
Page 51 and 52: 500 mg extended release, 500 count
Page 53 and 54: 1 mg/mL, 4 mL vial (NDC 25021-0781-
Page 55 and 56: West-Ward states the shortage is du
Page 57 and 58: 150 mL bottle (NDC 63304-0954-02) C

February 2012 Drug Update Information - Pharmacy Benefits ...

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