Content about Australia

SYDNEY — A Food and Drug Administration panel will consider whether to recommend approval for an experimental painkiller in July, the drug's developer said Friday.

Australia-based QRxPharma said the FDA had determined that an advisory committee would meet on July 17 to consider a resubmitted application for Moxduo, an immediate-release formulation of the opioid painkillers morphine and oxycodone.

SYDNEY, Australia — Soho Flordis International recently launched Calorease, formulated with a patented fat binder called FBCx, into the U.S. market. 

The dietary fiber used by Calorease, binds up to nine times its weight in fat from food, safely removing it from the body before it can be absorbed. Taken with each meal, Calorease can reduce dietary fat by up to 15,000 calories per month without the restrictions of a low fat diet. 

BETHESDA, Md. — There are many reasons not to eat junk food, but researchers in Australia have found one reason why pregnant mothers especially might want to avoid it.

CHICAGO — Swisse Wellness, one of Australia's leading multivitamin brands, on Thursday announced availability of 15 of its most popular multivitamins and dietary supplements through Walgreens. 

"We are impressed by Swisse's growth, commitment to its principles and the research investment in the premium quality of their multivitamins and supplements," stated Robert Tompkins, divisional VP and general merchandise manager for Walgreens.  

NEW YORK — A new strain of norovirus from Australia accounts for more than half of outbreaks around the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

NORTHBROOK, Ill. — Astellas Pharma US announced the Food and Drug Administration's review of their new drug application for tacrolimus extended-release capsules, a once-daily formulation of the calcineurin-inhibitor immunosuppressant tacrolimus, for the prophylaxis of organ rejection in adult kidney transplant recipients and adult male liver transplant recipients.

NEW YORK – BECCA Cosmetics will debut a collection at select Sephora stores in October, the company announced. The iconic beauty line, which originated in Australia, currently has global distribution in 30 countries and is known for its commitment to offering a wide range of color cosmetics.

With a following among celebrities and makeup artists, BECCA Cosmetics' new retail partnership with Sephora — the leading beauty specialty retailer — will make the cosmetics line more accessible to consumers.

NEW YORK — Pop star Nicki Minaj is launching at retail in September her first fragrance, Pink Friday, in partnership with Elizabeth Arden.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Watson Pharmaceuticals has acquired the Australia and Southeast Asia generic pharmaceutical business of Strides Arcolab for $392.4 million in cash.

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario — Canadian drug maker Valeant Pharmaceuticals International is acquiring an Australian drug maker for up to A$700 million, Valeant said.

Valeant announced that it would acquire iNova, which sells and distributes prescription and OTC drugs in Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia and South Africa, from iNova's current shareholders, Archer Capital, Ironbridge and others.

Valeant will pay iNova shareholders A$625 upfront and up to A$75 million in milestones.

NEW YORK — A drug designed to boost high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels also may improve blood-sugar control for diabetics, according to a new analysis of a discontinued study.

Australian researchers found that torcetrapib, a cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibitor, could improve HDL or "good" cholesterol levels while improving blood-sugar control among diabetics.

NEW YORK — A new strain of swine flu has emerged that appears somewhat resistant to flu drugs, according to published reports.

Reuters reported that scientists in Australia and Singapore had found a variant of the H1N1 flu that showed some resistance to Roche’s Tamiflu (oseltamivir phosphate) and GlaxoSmithKline’s Relenza (zanamivir), though drug maker BioCryst currently is developing a drug called peramivir, to which the strain was not resistant.