Content about Social Issues

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. Amgen's SVP research and development, Joe Miletich, urged members of a Food and Drug Administration panel to establish approval standards for biosimilars that ensure patient safety and follow a science-based approach.

“Put patients first and sound policy will follow,” Miletich said. “Amgen believes biosimilars have a meaningful role to play in the healthcare system. However, dissimilar — unlike generic drugs — are not identical to the innovative biological products.” 

CHADDS FORD, Pa. Strong generic sales helped Endo edge analyst expectations for the third quarter, the company noted.

Net income reached $54.2 million, compared with $49.4 million during the period ended Sept. 30. Net sales jumped 23% to $444.1 million, versus $361 million during the same period a year ago. Analysts had estimated sales of $443.36 million for the quarter.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. The National Association of Chain Drug Stores is urging federal health officials to adopt a simpler means of communicating drug safety and efficacy information to patients, and to clear the way for an approval pathway for generic versions of biologically engineered drugs.

NACDS made its priorities known in a letter Monday to Margaret Hamburg, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. The letter came from Kevin Nicholson, the group’s VP government affairs and public policy.

WASHINGTON The Food and Drug Administration should ensure patient access, safety and efficacy; create a transparent and scientific regulatory structure; and enable innovation and competition when creating regulations governing follow-on biologics, according to testimony released in advance of an FDA hearing by a drug lobbying group.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. Wegmans on Monday announced the availability of its co-branded blood-glucose monitoring systems: Nipro Diagnostics’ TrueResult system and True2go.

Positioned directly opposite the pharmacy counter, Sam's Club has placed children's supplementation center stage with this pallet display of Bayer HealthCare's licensed Flintstone gummy vitamins. And as an extra "Yabba-dabba-doo!" for parents, Sam's Club makes mention of the fact that supplemented nutrition is only 7 cents per day.

PORTLAND, Ore. Aisle7 on Thursday announced the launch of its Aisle7 online widget gallery, home to plug-and-play mini apps that easily can be placed on a website to inform shoppers of the latest health recommendations, provide shopping ideas and recommend products for health-and-wellness goals. The widgets also provide website content producers a cost-effective solution that automatically updates a page with the latest wellness content without extra development overhead.

AKRON, Ohio Six years after it sold its hand sanitizer brand, Gojo on Friday announced it reacquired the brand from Johnson & Johnson's consumer products division.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT The natural affinity that has sprung up between independent pharmacy and the generic drug industry -- both viewed as underdogs in the relentless fight for market position and profits: one versus powerful chain and big-box retailers, the other versus the far more entrenched and well-funded branded drug industry -- was never more fully realized than it was last weekend, when the National Community Pharmacists Association introduced its new top manager to its members at the group’s annual meeting.

WESTPORT, Conn. Many active diabetes managers have not changed their oral care habits since being diagnosed, despite the fact they are at higher risk for developing serious complications from poor oral hygiene, according to a study by dLife, a multimedia network serving the diabetes community, and market research firm SoundView Research.

Furthermore, more than half of active diabetes managers surveyed had not been advised by their dentists to take extra care to brush, floss or rinse daily.