Content about Pharmaceuticals policy

NEW YORK — Federal and industry officials have been negotiating a federal track-and-trace system as part of a reauthorization of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, according to published reports.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Generic drug maker Watson Pharmaceuticals is challenging the patent protection of a contraceptive drug made by Warner Chilcott, Watson said Friday.

The company announced that it had filed a regulatory application with the Food and Drug Administration for norethindrone acetate and ethinyl estradiol tablets in the 1-mg/0.01-mg strength and ethinyl estradiol and ferrous fumarate tablets in the 0.01-mg/75-mg strength. The treatment is a generic version of Warner Chilcott's Lo Loestrin Fe.

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — Sagent Pharmaceuticals has launched a generic version of a chemotherapy drug, the company said Thursday.

Sagent announced the launch of irinotecan injection, a generic version of Pfizer's Camptosar, in latex-free, preservative-free, single-dose vials.

Various versions of the drug had sales of about $28 million during the 12-month period ended in March, according to IMS Health.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark has aggressively set its sights on enhancing medication adherence, and the initiatives are paying off as the company estimates that its PBM clients saved nearly $2.4 billion in 2011 because of improved medication adherence for chronic conditions, according to findings of its annual Insights Report.

The report, released on Wednesday, reviews drug trend and highlights key issues in pharmacy care. 

One of the fastest-growing drug trends in the United States isn’t teenagers smoking pot or young adults on ecstasy at dance clubs, but abuse and misuse of legal prescription drugs.


NEW YORK — Legislation proposed in the House of Representatives would speed up Food and Drug Administration approval of knock-off versions of vaccines and other biologics while requiring the agency to conduct more inspections of drug factories overseas, according to published reports.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the bills, sponsored by Republican Rep. Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania, would create an expedited FDA approval pathway for follow-on versions of biogenetic medications such as vaccines and drugs made from human tissue and plasma.

DEERFIELD Ill. — Walgreens on Tuesday infused greater value into its Prescription Savings Club program, which now offers discounts on more than 8,000 brand-name and generic prescriptions, thanks to the inclusion of more than 700 "value-priced" generics, which retail as low as $12 for a 90-day supply.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — The past two weeks have seen two new additions to the list of retailers selling prescription drugs for pets, showing that this space, while still small, is growing in importance and offers a good way for retailers to drive customer traffic.

E-prescribing owes a debt of gratitude to meaningful use. Without the Office of the National Coordinator’s inclusion of the capability as a core measure, enabling physician technologies may not have taken off with such vigor.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Generic drug maker Watson Pharmaceuticals is hoping to be the first to market a generic version of a drug used to treat ulcerative colitis, the company said.

Watson announced that it had filed with the Food and Drug Administration through a subsidiary for melamine delayed-release tablets, a generic version of Shire Development's Lialda, in the 1.2-g strength. Watson's filing included a Paragraph IV certification, a legal assertion that Lialda's patent protection is invalid, unenforceable or won't be infringed.

WASHINGTON — An organization that promotes efforts to stop prescription drug abuse announced Tuesday the release of a mobile app that directs users to places where they can safely get rid of unwanted and unused medications.

The American Medicine Chest Challenge said the AMCC Rx Drop app, sponsored by the Generic Pharmaceutical Association, links to the AMCC's directory of local, county and state law enforcement-sponsored permanent collection sites around the country. The app is available for Apple and Android devices.

WASHINGTON — The battle for public opinion and legislative sway was in full swing Monday as executives from the National Community Pharmacists Association lobbied congressional leaders regarding several pieces of "pro-patient, pro-pharmacist legislation." To counter that effort, the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association issued some marketing firepower of its own.