June 2012 Drug Information Update - Pharmacy Benefits ...

Heart Associations's Emerging Science Series webinar.
Article link: http://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/Strokes/32373
Source website: http://www.medpagetoday.com/
FDA extends review for Salix diarrhea drug
April 30, 2012
Salix Pharmaceuticals Ltd said U.S. health regulators have extended the review date by three
months for its experimental pill for HIV therapy-related diarrhea. The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration was to review the drug, crofelemer, on June 5. The FDA has notified Salix that it
requires additional time for a full review but did not seek any additional studies, the company
said in a statement.
Article link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/30/ussalixpharmaceuticalsidUSBRE83T13520120430
Source website: http://www.reuters.com/
Obesity-Linked Diabetes Tougher to Treat in Children
April 30, 2012
Type 2 diabetes is harder to treat in children ages 10 to 17 than it is in adults, according to one of
the first large studies of the disease in younger people. The research also found that diabetes
develops more rapidly in this age group. About 700 overweight and obese U.S. children and
teens were given three therapies in the study: The oral drug metformin alone; that medicine
combined with GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK)’s Avandia; and metformin used alone with diet and
exercise.
Article link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-30/obesity-linked-diabetes-tougher-totreatin-chindren.html
Source website: http://www.bloomberg.com/
U.S. needs better way to track drug safety – study
May 1, 2012
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration should review drugs on a regular basis for as long as
they are on the market in order to catch any new safety issues, according to a report from an
independent research body. The Institute of Medicine, which often advises the government on
scientific matters, said the FDA should then create a comprehensive, publicly available
document that reflects risks that crop up throughout the "lifecycle" of the drug.
Article link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/01/us-fda-iom-safetyidUSBRE84015420120501
Source website: http://www.reuters.com/
Protalix Wins FDA Approval for Its First Drug on the Market
May 1, 2012
The Food and Drug Administration cleared the product called Elelyso to treat a condition caused
by lack of an enzyme that can lead to spleen and liver enlargement known as Gaucher disease.
The drug, chemically known as taliglucerase, is approved for Type 1 Gaucher disease affecting
about 6,000 people in the U.S., the agency said in a statement today.
Article link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-01/protalix-wins-fda-approval-for-itsfirstdrug-on-the-market.htmll
Source website: http://www.bloomberg.com/
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