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 PITTSBURGH — Mylan on Friday announced that its subsidiary, Mylan Pharmaceuticals, has received final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its phenytoin chewable tablets USP in the 50 mg strength.

The product is a generic version of Pfizer's Dilantin Chewable Tablets, which are indicated for the control of generalized tonic-clonic (i.e., grand mal) and complex partial (i.e., psychomotor, temporal lobe) seizures, and prevention and treatment of seizures occurring during or following neurosurgery.

PITTSBURGH — Women deficient in vitamin D early in their pregnancies are more likely to deliver babies with lower birth weights, according to research released last week by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.

The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, will be reported in the January print edition of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

PITTSBURGH — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a generic malaria drug made by Mylan, the drug maker said Tuesday.

Mylan announced the approval of quinine sulfate capsules in the 324-mg strength and has begun shipping it. The drug is a generic version of Mutual Pharmaceutical's Qualaquin and is used to treat uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria.

Various versions of the drug had sales of about $31.9 million during the 12-month period ended in September 2012, according to IMS Health.

PITTSBURGH — McKesson High Volume Solutions on Tuesday unveiled an all new ExpressRx Track pharmacy automation solution featuring state-of-the-art robotics, upgraded imaging and expanded vial capabilities. The company suggested the solution was ideal for pharmacies dispensing 1,000 to 3,000 prescriptions per shift looking to drive efficiency, reduce cost-to-fill and redeploy labor into revenue-generating front-of-store programs.  

PITTSBURGH — Nearly 160 students, faculty and staff from Duquesne University’s Mylan School of Pharmacy recently visited Capitol Hill to promote the role that pharmacists play in providing medication therapy management services, the university announced Tuesday.

Student pharmacists from the School of Pharmacy’s class of 2015 met with members from 37 U.S. House and Senate offices on Oct. 22 to demonstrate how pharmacist-provided medication therapy management services can improve patient healthcare outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.

PITTSBURGH — Bayer on Friday announced that it is providing monetary support for disaster relief efforts through donations totaling $150,000 from the Bayer USA Foundation. 

The American Red Cross and Save the Children will each receive $75,000. 

“When millions of people are affected by devastation in the form of natural disasters, it is important to be able to provide assistance to families and communities in a time of great need,” stated Tracy Spagnol, chairperson of the Bayer USA Foundation.

PITTSBURGH — Mylan is challenging a federal court decision ordering the Food and Drug Administration to allow Watson Pharmaceuticals to launch a generic diabetes drug, Mylan said.

The generic drug maker said it filed a motion in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Tuesday to stay the court's order, which called on the FDA to let Watson launch a generic version of Takeda's Type 2 diabetes drug Actos (pioglitazone).

PITTSBURGH — Giant Eagle on Thursday announced it will help families better manage their grocery budgets by locking low prices through the holidays on hundreds of the items customers purchase most. 

PITTSBURGH — Generic drug maker Mylan has received regulatory approval for a drug used to treat high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, the company said Friday, saying that it would launch both drugs immediately.

Mylan said the Food and Drug Administration approved its irbesartan tablets in the 75 mg, 150 mg and 300 mg strengths and irbesartan and hydrochlorothiazide tablets in the 150 mg/12.5 mg and 300 mg/12.5 mg strengths. The drugs are respectively generic versions of Sanofi's Avapro and Avalide.

PITTSBURGH — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a generic drug for motion sickness made by Mylan.

The drug maker announced Friday that the FDA had approved meclizine hydrochloride tablets in the 12.5-mg, 25-mg and 50-mg strengths. Mylan said it would launch the drug immediately.

The drug is a generic version of Pfizer's Antivert, which is used to treat nausea, vomiting and dizziness associated with motion sickness. Antivert had sales of about $53.5 million during the 12-month period ended in June, according to IMS Health.

 PITTSBURGH — The National Community Pharmacists Association and a number of independent pharmacy entities on Monday refiled its complaint against Express Scripts concerning its acquisition of Medco, demanding either Express Scripts be compelled to "unwind their merger" or alternatively be required to divest assets acquired from Medco. The independent pharmacy plaintiffs are also suing for the cost of the suit as well as "such other relief as the Court may deem just and proper."

PITTSBURGH — Mylan has launched an application version of the reference guide to its drugs, the generic drug maker said Thursday.

The company announced what it called the first ever app of its Generic Brand Reference Guide, a free reference for healthcare professionals, patients and pharmacy students that enables the fast identification of brand and generic drugs. The 2012 print edition of the GBR was made available in a pocket-sized format earlier this year.