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SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administraiton has approved a treatment for replacing clotting proteins in the blood for conditions in which patients have too little of them.

The FDA announced the approval of Octapharma's Octaplas, a sterile, frozen solution of pooled human plasma from multiple donors that has been treated with a solvent detergent process.

NEW YORK — Fortune magazine has released its list of the 100 best companies to work for this year, and a number of retailers and suppliers made the cut.

Among retailers, Wegman's Food Markets came in at fifth place, with 8.3% job growth. Nugget Market, a supermarket chain based in Sacramento, Calif., ranked 37th; Whole Foods ranked 71st; and Publix Super Markets ranked 77th.

Among suppliers, Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company, ranked 20th; Genentech ranked 36th; and Novo Nordisk ranked 48th. Confectionary manufacturer Mars ranked 95th.

NEW YORK — New York is hoping to battle the theft of highly addictive prescription drugs, such as Oxycontin, by stocking pharmacies with fake pill bottles that are fitted with GPS tracking devices, according to published reports.

The Washington Post reported that Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said, in prepared remarks provided before a conference Tuesday in California sponsored by former president Bill Clinton’s foundation, that the initiative was sparked by a series of crimes associated with the black market for prescription painkillers.

NEW YORK — The state supreme court in Alabama ruled that brand-name drug companies could be sued if patients suffer complications from generic versions of their medicines, according to published reports.

According to The New York Times, an Alabama man named Danny Weeks claimed he developed tardive dyskinesia after taking generic versions of Pfizer's acid reflux drug Reglan (metoclopramide). Pfizer acquired rights to the drug when it bought Wyeth in 2009, and generic drug makers Teva and Actavis, now owned by Watson, make generic versions.

ROCKVILLE, Md. — A maker of drugs for epilepsy has appointed a new executive.

Supernus Pharmaceuticals announced the appointment of Victor Vaughn as SVP sales, a position in which he will be responsible for leading all the company's sales activities.

HORSHAM, Pa. — Symphony Health Solutions on Tuesday named Frank Lavelle CEO.  

The nation’s highest court has agreed to hear three cases stemming from the longstanding but controversial practice by which branded and generic drug makers agree to delay introduction of a me-too medicine as its brand-name counterpart nears the end of its patent protection. A ruling by the Supreme Court could alter the delicate balance sometimes struck between the two industries as they scramble to either delay or hasten the onset of generic competition for big-selling, patented drugs.

Amid an unusually strong flu season that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has called an epidemic, supplies of flu vaccines are running low, and some people hoping to get immunized are having trouble finding them.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — According to a new study by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center released Thursday, less than 45% of children were vaccinated against the flu during a five-year study period.

NEW YORK — A new drug for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder made by Pfizer is now available, the drug maker said.

Pfizer announced the availability of Quillivant XR (methylphenidate hydrochloride) extended-release oral suspension, calling it the first once-per-day, extended-release liquid formulation of methylphenidate. The Food and Drug Administration approved the drug in September 2012.

As if the reported spot shortages of flu vaccine aren't bad enough, there have been reports of similar shortages of flu drugs throughout the United States and parts of Canada due to increased demand.

NEW YORK -- Growth in the consumer products market is likely to slow down over the next five years, while pharmacy retailers will see a profit windfall due to the generic drug cycle, according to a new report.