New product newswire
Now available from Watson Pharmaceuticals, Corona, Calif., are one-month and three-month sustained-release formulations, respectively, of a drug approved earlier.
NEW DRUGS Now available from Watson Pharmaceuticals, Corona, Calif., are one-month and three-month sustained-release formulations, respectively, of a drug approved earlier. Trelstar Depot 3.75 mg and Trelstar LA (triptorelin pamoate for injectable suspension) 11.25 mg are indicated for the palliative treatment of advanced prostate cancer when orchiectomy (surgical removal of the testicles) or estrogen administration is not indicated or is unacceptable to the patient. Triptorelin pamoate is a synthetic luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist that suppresses the production of testosterone in the testicles to slow the growth of the prostate. Ordering information is available at (866) 75-J3315.
NEW INDICATIONSZofran (ondansetron hydrochloride) Injection, an antiemetic approved earlier for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in patients as young as two years of age, can now be used for the prevention of PONV and CINV in children as young as six months of age. Zofran is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park, N.C., (919) 483-2100.
A new indication for Hyzaar (losartan potassium/ hydrochlorothiazide) has been cleared for Merck & Co., Whitehouse Station, N.J., (908) 423-1000. The medication, an angiotensin II receptor blocker/diuretic combination, previously approved for hypertension, is now approved for reducing he risk of stroke in patients with hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy.
A combination formulation of Fosamax (alendronate), from Merck & Co., Whitehouse Station, N.J., (908) 423-1000, has been approved. Fosamax Plus D (alendronate sodium 70 mg and 2800 I.U. vitamin D3) is available as a drug and nutritional supplement for the treatment of osteoporosis.
Donnatal Elixir, a product of PBM Pharmaceuticals, Gordonsville, Va., (540) 832-3282, is now available in a new grape flavor for use as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome and acute enterocolitis. This antispasmodic therapy is indicated for both adult and pediatric patients.
There is a new treatment option for the pain of endometriosis in women. From Pfizer Inc., New York City, (212) 733-2323, Depo-subQ provera 104 is a long-acting injectable contraceptive and a new formulation of medroxyprogesterone acetate, the same active ingredient as used in the previously approved Depo Provera Contraceptive Injection. The new formulation is injected four times a year to halt menstruation, resulting in thinner endometrial tissue. Depo-subQ provera 104 was approved in December 2004 as a contraceptive for injection every three months. One potential side effect of the drug is significant bone loss.
NEW GENERICSGabapentin capsules, in 100-, 300-, and 400-mg strengths, have been granted final FDA approval for two companies: Apotex Corp., Weston, Fla., (800) 706-557, and Eon Labs, Lake Success, N.Y., (516) 478-9700. Gabapentin, offering a generic alternative to Pfizer's Neurontin, is used to treat epileptic seizures and postherpetic neuralgia.
