Generics

ZAGREB, Croatia — Teva Pharmaceutical Industries is investing more than $100 million in its Croatian division for a plant that will make pills mostly for the international market.

Teva subsidiary Pliva said the new plant, in the capital of Zagreb, would considerably increase its production capacities for tablets and capsules. The company said the new plant would increase the annual manufacturing capacity by more than 25%.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a generic contraceptive drug made by Famy Care, agency records show.

The agency approved Famy's levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol tablets in the 0.02-mg/0.1-mg strengths.

The drug is a generic version of Aviane-28, made by Teva Women's Health, a division of Israeli drug maker Teva Pharmaceutical Industries that previously went under the name Duramed.

NEW YORK — The state Senate of Pennsylvania will vote on a bill to curb misuse of prescription drugs, according to published reports.

The Beaver County, Pa., Times reported that Pennsylvania House Bill 1694 cleared the lower house of the state legislature in a 191-7 vote. The bill is designed to stop doctor-shopping and pill mills by creating an electronic prescription drug database to track drugs dispensed by doctors and veterinarians. Doctors and pharmacists can then use it to verify patients' medication histories.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new generic drug for treating bacterial and protozoan infections, according to the agency.

The FDA approved a generic version of Mission Pharmacal's Tindamax (tinidazole) made by Unique Pharmaceuticals. The drug is a tablet in the 250-mg and 500-mg strengths.

Tindamax is used to treat bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis and giardiasis. The drug has annual sales of about $16.2 million, according to IMS Health.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — A top executive of generic drug maker Hospira spoke in favor of giving biosimilar drugs the same generic names as the branded biologics they're based on.

CARLISLE, Pa. — Giant Food Stores and Martin's Food Markets — collectively known as Giant-Carlisle — will sponsor drug take-back events at more than three dozen stores next weekend.

The Ahold USA-owned supermarket banner said customers could bring expired and unwanted drugs to 42 stores on Oct. 26; 40 of the stores are in Pennsylvania, and two are in Virginia.

CINCINNATI — Prasco Labs will distribute an authorized generic for reducing serum phosphate in patients with end-stage renal disease under a contract with Shire, Prasco said Thursday.

The company, which focuses on authorized generic drugs, announced the deal for lanthanum carbonate chewable tablets in the 500-mg, 750-mg and 1,000-mg strengths. The drug is a version of Shire's Fosrenol. Authorized generics are branded drugs marketed under their generic names at a discounted price, usually through a third-party company under contract with the branded drug's manufacturer.

PITTSBURGH — Generic drug maker Mylan has appointed Jacek Glinka as president of its European division, the company said Thursday.

Glinka's appointment becomes effective Dec. 2. Before joining Mylan, he was CEO of Polpharma Group from 2003 to 2006 and again from 2009 until this year, helping the company expand from a small, local company to a leading drug company in central and eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. The company became a leader in the Polish market and doubled its sales to more than $1 billion between 2011 and 2013.