Allergan, Perrigo launch store-brand Mucinex D
Allergan plc and Perrigo Co. plc have launched combination guaifenesin 600-mg and pseudoephedrine HCl 60-mg extended-release tablets to retail and wholesale customers.
Pharmacy
Gallup: Pharmacists get high marks for trust
Pharmacists rank high in terms of public trust, but they fall short of being No. 1. Nurses topped Gallup’s Honesty and Ethics of Professions rankings for 2015, a feat that the profession has accomplished every year but one since it was added to the list in 1999. The exception is 2001, when
FDA approves Zyvox generic from Glenmark
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc. USA has been granted approval from the Food and Drug Administration for linezolid tablets 600 mg, an antibiotic. Glenmark said its linezolid product is a therapeutic equivalent of Zyvox tablets 600 mg from Pfizer Inc.
Lawmakers see pharmacists as linchpin for MTM
A bipartisan coalition of congressmen is urging the participation of retail pharmacists in a new initiative to improve the use of medication therapy management (MTM) in Medicare. The National Association of Chain Drug Stores said Wednesday that 44 members of the U.S.
Aurobindo gets approval for Patanol generic
Aurobindo Pharma Ltd. has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration for olopatadine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution 0.1%. Aurobindo said its olopatadine HCl ophthalmic solution product is a generic version of Patanol ophthalmic solution/drops from Alcon, a Novartis company.
NCPA finds strong support for med sync
Both patients and pharmacists give high marks to medication synchronization programs, according to a recent survey by the National Community Pharmacists Association.
Lilly, BI cleared to market Basaglar long-acting insulin
Eli Lilly and Co. and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. have received approval for Basaglar long-acting insulin (insulin glargine injection, 100 units/ml) in the United States.
Merck OK’d for Gardasil 9 expanded age indication
Merck has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration for an expanded age indication for Gardasil 9, its 9-valent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
AstraZeneca buys Takeda respiratory business
AstraZeneca plans to acquire the core respiratory business of Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. for $575 million. Under the agreement, approximately 200 Takeda staff will transfer to AstraZeneca after the closing of the transaction, expected in the first quarter of 2016.
Sucampo CEO to become chairman
Peter Greenleaf, chief executive officer of Sucampo Pharmaceuticals Inc., has been appointed as chairman of the board. Sucampo said late Tuesday that Greenleaf, the company’s CEO and a board member since March 2014, is slated to take the reins as chairman on Jan. 1.
Rite Aid deploys EQuIPP Rx performance platform chainwide
Pharmacists in Rite Aid Corp.’s nearly 4,600 drug stores are now using the EQuIPP pharmacy performance measurement platform from Pharmacy Quality Solutions (PQS). Rite Aid said Wednesday that it’s the largest drug chain to enable EQuIPP access to all of its pharmacists.
CVS closes purchase of Target pharmacies, clinics
CVS Health has completed its $1.9 billion acquisition of Target Corp.’s pharmacy and retail health clinic business. The companies said Wednesday that Target’s 1,672 pharmacies in 47 states will be branded as CVS/pharmacy and operated under a store-within-a-store format.
Sanofi, Boehringer Ingelheim mull business swap
Sanofi and Boehringer Ingelheim are in talks to swap their animal health and consumer health care businesses, respectively. The companies said Tuesday that the proposed transaction would involve an exchange of Sanofi’s Merial animal health business (“Merial”), valued at €11.4 billion ($12.
Allergan rolls out IBS drug Viberzi
Allergan plc has released Viberzi (eluxadoline), a treatment for irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D), to U.S. pharmacies. The company said Monday that Viberzi, a twice-daily oral medication, relieves the core symptoms of IBS-D: recurrent diarrhea and abdominal pain.
Walgreens, Valeant plan direct distribution model
Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. and Walgreens have entered agreements in which the drug maker will directly distribute branded prescription drugs in a range of therapeutical areas to the pharmacy chain at reduced pricing.
Endo granted extended U.S. rights for Voltaren Gel
Endo International plc has received an extension of its exclusive U.S. marketing rights for Voltaren Gel (diclofenac sodium topical gel 1%), a nonsteriodal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Endo said Monday that it also was granted extended U.S.