New Product Newswire

NEW PRODUCT NEWSWIRE Rx NEW DRUGS Aventis' Lantus (insulin glargine [rDNA origin] injection) is now available. The Bridgewater, N.J., firm, (908) 243-6000, claims that Lantus is the first and only insulin analog that lowers glucose for 24 hours with once-a-day administration. The long-acting insulin, indicated for subcutaneous injection at bedtime, can be used by both type 2 (adult) and type 1 (adult and pediatric) diabetes patients. Lantus must not be mixed or diluted with any other insulin or solution, or the onset of action and time to peak effect may be affected. Approved in March 2000, Viadur (leuprolide acetate implant) is now available to treat advanced prostate cancer. The titanium implant is inserted under the skin of a patient's upper arm in a physician's office. Testosterone suppression can relieve disease symptoms and slow the growth of cancer cells. Once-yearly implantation of this LH-RH agonist offers more convenience than the one-, three-, or four-month injections now in use. Viadur is marketed by Bayer Corp., West Haven, Conn., (800) 288-8371. NEW FORMULATION TAP Pharmaceutical's Prevacid (lansoprazole) will soon be available in a new form. Prevacid Packet for Oral Suspension is intended for gastroesophageal reflux disease patients who cannot swallow the capsule form of the drug. The Lake Forest, Ill., firm claims its product, which comes in a strawberry flavor, is the first proton pump inhibitor to be available in this formulation. Available in 15-mg and 30-mg packets, the drug is supposed to be stirred and swallowed with two tablespoons of water. If any of the contents remains, patients should add more water, stir, and drink again. Patients should not mix the suspension with other liquids or foods, nor should they chew or crush the granules. For information, call (800) 621-1020. NEW GENERICS American Regent Laboratories has released leucovorin calcium injection, USP. The product comes in a 10-mg/ml (50 mg/5 ml) single-dose vial. It is indicated for intravenous or intramuscular injection in osteosarcoma patients after high-dose methotrexate therapy, in patients with megaloblastic anemias due to folic acid deficiency, and in combination with 5-fluorouracil for colorectal cancer patients. For more information, call the Shirley, N.Y., firm at (800) 645-1706. Roxane Laboratories has rolled out albuterol sulfate inhalation solution, 0.083%, to relieve bronchospasm in patients aged two years or older with reversible obstructive airway disease and acute attacks of bronchospasm. The product is packaged in cartons of 25, 30, and 60 sterile unit-dose vials in color-coded five-vial ProtectaPak foil packages to ensure purity. The Columbus, Ohio, firm can be contacted at (800) 962-8364. Shipments have begun of Eon Labs' methimazole 5-mg and 10-mg tablets for hyperthyroidism. The drug is the generic equivalent of Jones Pharma's Tapazole. Eon said its product is only the second generic version on the market and the only one available in 100 and 1,000-count bottles. Eon Labs, Laurelton, N.Y., can be reached at (800) 526-0225. Out of the gate at Fougera is clotrimazole and betamethasone dipropionate cream USP 1%/0.05% (base). The product is AB-rated to Schering/Key's Lotrisone, which is indicated for the topical treatment of skin infections caused by fungus, such as athlete's foot, jock itch, and ringworm of the body. The combination antifungal and corticosteroid cream is supplied in 15-gm and 45-gm tubes. For customer service, call the Melville, N.Y., firm at (800) 645-9833. This month should see the launch of Barr Laboratories' norethindrone acetate tablets, USP 5 mg. The women's product is the generic equivalent of ESI Lederle's Aygestin tablets. It is indicated for treating secondary amenorrhea, endometriosis, and abnormal uterine bleeding due to hormonal imbalance in the absence of organic pathology, such as submucous fibroids or uterine cancer. To contact the Pomona, N.Y., firm, call (800) BARRLAB. OTC Nature Made, Northridge, Calif., has launched Triple Flex dietary supplement. Containing 500 mg of glucosamine hydrochloride, 400 mg of chondroitin sulfate, and 125 mg of methylsulfonylmethane, the product is said to help repair cartilage, lubricate joints, and maintain elasticity of connective tissue. The suggested daily dosage is three tablets taken with a meal. Triple Flex, available in 50-count tablets, carries a suggested retail price of $16.65. For information, call (800) 276-2878. Interested in adding some private-label cough and cold products? Consider Reese Pharmaceutical Corp.'s Intense Strength line. The Cleveland company claims the line features "stronger than leading brand" formulations to help retailers and wholesalers differentiate their store brands. For more information, call (216) 231-6441. Flexanew is a natural pain reliever that is now available from Natrol Inc., Chatsworth, Calif. The product contains glucosamine and chondroitin as well as the selective COX-2 inhibitor Nexrutine, from Next Pharmaceuticals. Nexrutine helps to relieve pain and inflammation yet is claimed to be gentle on the stomach. Flexanew will be advertised this fall. Each box contains 120 tablets. For customer service at Natrol, call (800) 326-1520. Home Health Care With HIV patients taking up to 50 protease inhibitors and other drugs per day, Medicine-On-Time has developed a multidose medication packaging system formulated to increase a patient's adherence to their drug regimen. The HIV-specific Medicine-On-Time System lets pharmacists pack all the drugs a patient needs per day in a hermetically sealed bubble. Each bubble is labeled with the patient's name, contents, and time to take the drugs and is color-coded to correspond to different times of the day. There is also a wristwatch that can be programmed to alert patients as to when it is time to take their medication or to refill their prescriptions. The device electronically stores drug-compliance data for 40 days. Pharmacies can lease the system and pass the cost along to patients or offer it as a value-added service. For more information, contact Medicine-On-Time, Owings Mills, Md., at (800) 722-8824. Health & Beauty Care Coming this August is Revlon High Dimension Haircolor, which claims to be the first and only permanent hair color that works in just 10 minutes. The line includes 24 shades. Revlon is also launching High Dimension Mascara and High Dimension Eye Liner. These two products will debut in September. The former has four shades, the latter six. The customer service number for the New York, N.Y., firm is (800) 473-8566. FatBoy Concepts is launching a new hair care line called göt2b. The line will include 13 products: Squeaky Clean Daily Cleanse Shampoo, Moisture Freak Smoothing Shampoo, Instantly Gratified Instant Conditioner, In Therapy Reconstructing Conditioner, Defiant De-fine and Shine Pomade, Smoothed Over Straightening Balm, Curled Up Curling Balm, Shocking Firm Hold Sculpting Gel, Hard Headed Styling Gel, Dazzling Shine Spray, In Control Hard-hold Hairspray, Full of Yourself Control and Hold Gel 2 Mousse, and Playful Texturizing Crème. Each of the products has a suggested retail price of $6.49. FatBoy Concepts, (714) 556-1028, is a division of Advanced Research Laboratories, Costa Mesa, Calif., which is the maker of Citré Shine and Thicker Fuller Hair. Etc. Rembrandt Oral Care has rolled out a lower-priced kit for bleaching teeth. Called the Dazzling White Tooth Bleaching Value Kit, this product follows the more expensive Rembrandt Plus Superior Bleaching System. The value kit uses a tube to dispense the peroxide gel, while its predecessor deploys a syringe. The value kit contains two mouth guards, a tube of bleaching gel, a bottle of mouth rinse, and toothpaste. It has a suggested retail price of $14.99. Rembrandt Oral Care is a division of Den-Mat Corp., Santa Maria, Calif., (800) 548-3663. Judy Chi. New Product Newswire. Drug Topics 2001;11:59.