Branded

SANTA FE, N.M. — Pharmacists in New Mexico have become the first in the United States certified to prescribe Narcan (naloxone), which prevents or reverses the effects of opioids including respiratory depression, sedation and hypotension, according to a report published Wednesday by The New Mexican. 

MOUNT PROSPECT, Ill. — According to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, a Missouri bill would require health benefit plans to reimburse pharmacies when they dispense less than a 30-day supply for the purpose of synchronizing a patient’s chronic medications. 

ATLANTA — Getting a flu vaccine reduces a child’s risk of flu-related intensive care hospitalization by 74%, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study published Thursday in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

SAN ANTONIO— Mission Pharmacal Company on Thursday announced the availability of a new, patented dual-iron version of its prenatal vitamin, CitraNatal Harmony, a single-pill prescription supplement with calcium citrate. The product features Ferr-Ease, a patented blend of ferrous fumarate, a rapidly absorbing iron salt, and carbonyl iron, known for its gentle, prolonged absorption.  

DUBLIN and LAVAL, Quebec — Actavis and Valeant Pharmaceuticals International announced that the Food and Drug Administration approved the new drug application for Metronidazole 1.3% vaginal gel.

The antibiotic is used for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis, an infection caused by an imbalance in the normal bacteria of vagina. It's the most common vaginal infection in women ages 15 years to 44 years. Metronidazole 1.3% provides a single-dose treatment that is packaged in a pre-filled disposable applicator.

PITTSBURGH — Mylan on Monday announced the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia ruled in favor of upholding the validity of patents protecting Perforomist (formoterol fumarate) Inhalation Solution. Mylan previously sued Teva alleging that Teva's abbreviated new drug application for this product infringed four Mylan patents covering Perforomist.  

The court's decision prevents Teva's ANDA, which has yet to receive a tentative approval from the Food and Drug Administration. 

MAPLE GROVE, Minn. — Upsher-Smith Laboratories on Monday announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement under which New Jersey-based Vertical Pharmaceuticals has acquired Upsher-Smith's rights to Divigel (estradiol gel) 0.1%, Nexa Plus Rx Prenatal Vitamin, and Provella, a probiotic dietary supplement. As part of the transaction, Upsher-Smith has transferred the new drug application for Divigel to Vertical Pharmaceuticals. 

NEW YORK — IMS Health Holdings is expected to launch an initial public stock offering in two weeks, according to a report Sunday in the Wall Street Journal. The syndicated prescription data service could be valued as much as $7 billion, WSJ noted, citing people familiar with the matter, with a per-share price of as much as $21.