Generics

ATLANTA — Most people who abuse prescription opioid drugs get them for free from a friend or relative — but those at highest risk of overdose are as likely to get them from a doctor’s prescription, Centers for Disease Control researchers reported Monday in a research letter, “Sources of Prescription Opioid Pain Relievers by Frequency of Past-Year Nonmedical Use: United States, 2008-2011,” in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine.

JERUSALEM — Teva Pharmaceutical Industries on Tuesday announced that it received approval for generic Evista (raloxifene) tablets, 60-mg, in the United States. The company was the first to file, which means the product is eligible for 180 days of marketing exclusivity. Teva will begin shipping the drug within the next 30 days.

Evista 60-mg tablets, marketed by Eli Lilly and Co., had annual sales in the United States of approximately $824 million as of December 2013, according to IMS data. The drug is used to prevent and treat osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.

WASHINGTON — The Generic Pharmaceutical Association on Friday hosted a Congressional briefing highlighting the economic impact the Food and Drug Administration’s proposed rule on prescription labeling that would allow for label changes without prior FDA approval.

WASHINGTON — "The problem [of counterfeit medicines] is so big, disperse and complex that it requires a sweeping coordinated global response," wrote Scott LaGanga, executive director of the Partnership for Safe Medicines and SVP public affairs and advocacy for PhRMA in a blog published by The Hill on Saturday.

MUMBAI and BALTIMORE — Lupin on Wednesday announced that it received approval from the Food and Drug Administration for rifabutin capsules USP, 150 mg — a generic version of Pharmacia and Upjohn Company's Mycobutin capsules. The company's U.S. subsidiary will begin marketing the product soon.

The drug is used for the prevention of disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex disease in patients with advanced HIV infection. Mycobutin capsules had annual sales of $18.6 million in the United States, according to IMS MAT.

ATLANTA — The annual ritual of visiting a doctor's office or health clinic to receive a flu shot may soon be outdated, thanks to the findings of a new study published in the journal Vaccine.

HYDERABAD, India — Dr. Reddy's Labs announced that it has launched Sumatriptan Injection USP, Autoinjector System 6-mg/0.5-mL, a generic version of Imitrex STATdose Pen (sumatriptan succinate) 6-mg/0.5-mL. The drug is available in a carton containing 2 single-dose prefilled syringes.

Sumatriptan is used to treat acute migraine headaches with or without aura and acute cluster headaches in adults who have been diagnosed with migraine or cluster headaches, according to the company.

SWIFTWATER, Pa. — A new national survey released Wednesday found that the majority of moms who have experienced head lice in their household as an adult (81%) used an OTC treatment the last time they had an infestation. Less than a third of moms (27%) chose a prescription option.