Content about Pharmaceutical sciences

PITTSBURGH — Mylan has settled a patent-infringement lawsuit filed by Shionogi over its generic version of a drug for diabetes, Mylan said.

The generic drug maker said that under the agreement, it can launch a generic version of Shionogi's Fortamet (metformin hydrochloride) extended-release tablets in the 500-mg and 1,000-mg strengths on Aug. 1.

Metformin hydrochloride extended-release tablets in those two strengths had sales of about $125 million during the 12-month period that ended in September, according to IMS Health.

ATLANTA — SoloHealth on Thursday announced it has been selected as one of the Technology Association of Georgia’s Top 10 Innovative Technology Companies. SoloHealth was recognized for its FDA-approved health and wellness kiosk, the SoloHealth Station.

"The Top 10 awards are given to an elite group of companies whose products and solutions are not only changing their respective industries, they also are putting Georgia on the map as a state where technology innovation can thrive," stated Tino Mantella, president & CEO of TAG. 

NEW YORK — The attorneys general of 46 states and two territories are calling on the Food and Drug Administration to make prescription painkillers harder to abuse.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — VoicePort today announced a finalized agreement to deploy their services with WellSpan Health, a new client located in York, Pa., offering a vast array of inpatient, outpatient, home health and physician services.

The company will install two of VoicePort's patient solutions: PharmaRemind patient notifications and Meducation prescription translation, education and written instruction service. Both innovative solutions will enter Wellspan Health's pharmacy work-flow in pursuit of delivering improved medication adherence for their pharmacy patients.

WASHINGTON — Nearly 1,000 biotech drugs and vaccines for more than 100 diseases are currently under development, according to a new report.

While the Food and Drug Administration released draft guidance on regulations for biosimilars in February 2012, the final regulations have yet to appear. But already, everyone from analysts to trade groups to drug makers is preparing for a time when knock-off versions of biotech drugs will become available.

A new report sheds light on some of the opportunities and challenges that exist in follow-on biologics, arguing that their opportunity to generate value depends on factors like the speed of development, clarity of regulation, ease of access and the roles of all stakeholders.

Just about every healthcare practitioner recommends over-the-counter medicines to their patients. And nearly 3-out-of-4 make that OTC recommendation as the first therapy option, according to a recent survey released by the Consumer Healthcare Products Association. 

This is another proof point that OTC medicines play an important role in holding down cost. 

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Community Pharmacists Association on Wednesday joined the North Dakota Pharmacy Association in support of a pharmacy benefit manager transparency bill that was passed by the state assembly by a vote of 93-0 on Feb. 25. 

WASHINGTON — Nearly 98% of primary care physicians, nurse practitioners and pharmacists trust and recommend over-the-counter medicines to their patients, according to a new survey released Wednesday by the Consumer Healthcare Products Association. Nearly three-fourths of primary care physicians recommend OTC medicines to relieve symptoms before recommending a prescription treatment.

HYDERABAD, India — Generic drug maker Dr. Reddy's Labs has launched a drug used to treat certain cancers, the company said Tuesday.

Dr. Reddy's announced the launch of injectable zoledronic acid in the 4-mg-per-5-mL strength. The launch followed the Food and Drug Administration's approval of the drug.

The drug is a generic version of Novartis' Zometa. The drug is used to treat cancers that have spread to the bones and multiple myeloma.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misstated the strength of the drug. The story has been corrected.

NEW YORK — The stakes are high in a case involving generic drug maker Actavis and the Federal Trade Commission that will soon go before the Supreme Court, the head of a generic drug industry lobbying group said in a conference call with reporters Tuesday.

The case, FTC v. Actavis, will go before the high court on March 25 and may decide the future of patent settlements between branded and generic drug companies. The Generic Pharmaceutical Association filed an amicus brief with the court last week defending the settlements as beneficial to consumers.

You might want to make a note of this. On paper. Despite all the hoopla surrounding electronically generated prescriptions, e-communications and digitized patient recordkeeping over the past decade, most doctors still prefer to write prescriptions the old fashioned way, by hand, scrawled on a prescription pad and handed to the patient.