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SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration announced that it has approved Sivextro (tedizolid phosphate), an antibacterial drug.

Sivextro is approved to treat patients with acute bacterial and skin structure infection caused by certain susceptible bacteria like staphylococcus aureus — including methicillin-resistant strains (MRSA) and methicillin-susceptible strains — various streptococcus species, and enterococcus faecalis. The drug is available for both intravenous and oral use.

WASHINGTON — America’s biopharmaceutical research companies are developing 435 innovative new medicines to target 15 leading chronic conditions affecting the Medicare population, according to a new report released by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America last week.

These medicines in development — all either in clinical trials or under review by the Food and Drug Administration — are diverse in scope. They include:

NEW YORK — In an effort to address opioid drug abuse, governors of five New England states convened for a summit on Monday, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy stated.

PLAINSBORO, N.J. — Novo Nordisk on Thursday announced the launch of Levemir FlexTouch (insulin detemir [rDNA origin] injection), a prefilled insulin delivery mechanism providing a new way for diabetics to administer their insulin.

The device is the first and only prefilled insulin delivery system without a push-button extension, which helps to eliminate delivery challenges for the patient, according to the company.

BASEL, Switzerland — Novartis on Tuesday announced that it had submitted a biologic license application to the Food and Drug Administration for marketing approval for the use of Bexsero. The vaccine will help combat invasive meningococcal disease caused by serogroup B (meningitis B) in adolescents and young adults from ages 10 years through 25 years, according to the company.

NEW YORK — New approaches to treating cancer are creating big growth opportunities for the pharmaceutical industry, Moody's Investors Service stated in a report released Thursday titled "Cancer Breakthroughs Bring New Options for Patients and Revenue Streams to Big Pharma." Drugs for the treatment of solid tumors in prevalent cancer types will serve a large and growing market, the report noted.

GENEVA — Following the campaign's six-month anniversary, Fight the Fakes last week announced 11 new partners, bringing the total number of member organizations to 25. New partners, representing wholesalers, pharmacists, mobile app services, coalitions for consumer protection and generic pharmaceutical manufactures, join the campaign to speak up and spread the word about the impact of fake medicines.