Generics

WASHINGTON — As many as 47 million women will be gaining greater control over their health care and access to eight new prevention-related healthcare services without paying more out of their own pocket beginning Aug. 1, Health and Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced Tuesday.

“This law puts women and their doctors, not insurance companies or the government, in charge of healthcare decisions," Sebelius stated, citing regulations going into effect under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

NORTHVALE, N.J. — Abon Pharmaceuticals is challenging the patent protection on an injected drug used to treat leukemia in children and adolescents, the company said Tuesday.

Abon said it filed with the Food and Drug Administration for regulatory approval of clofarabine in the 1 mg-per-mL strength. The drug is a generic version of Genzyme's Clolar, used to treat relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia in patients ages one to 21 years, who already have undergone at least two regimens.

ARLINGTON, Va. — Surescripts on Tuesday announced that Minnesota achieved the highest rate of e-prescribing use in the nation during 2011 to capture the No. 1 ranking in its seventh annual Safe-Rx Awards. The rankings are determined by an analysis of data that measures electronic prescribing use by physicians, pharmacies and payers in each state.

SUPPLIER NEWS — The Food and Drug Administration has approved Watson Pharmaceuticals’ Next Choice One Dose (levonorgestrel) tablets in the 1.5-mg strength. The drug is an emergency contraceptive used to prevent pregnancy following unprotected sex or contraceptive failure. It is a generic version of Teva Women’s Health’s Plan B One-Step, which had sales of about $88 million during the 12-month period ended in March, according to IMS Health.


In July, the country’s largest trade group representing the drug industry released a report showing nearly 200 drugs under clinical development or Food and Drug Administration review for treating mental disorders.


The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America released a report listing 187 drugs, including 52 for depression, 37 for schizophrenia and 26 for anxiety disorders.


PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Generic drug maker Watson Pharmaceuticals is challenging the patent protection on a drug for acne and a drug for bronchospasm, the company said Monday.

PITTSBURGH — Mylan has launched a generic drug for treating fungal infections, the drug maker said Friday.

Mylan announced the launch of itraconazole capsules in the 100-mg strength. The drug is a generic version of Johnson & Johnson's Sporanox, which is used to treat fungal infections that begin in the lungs blatsomycosis, histoplasmosis and aspergillosis in patients who are intolerant of or refractory to amphotericin B therapy. The drug also is used to treat fungal infections in the toenails and fingernails in patients without compromised immune systems.

WASHINGTON — The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on Wednesday released a staff report on the investigation into the gray market for pharmaceuticals — what the committee defined as "shady operators who make enormous profits by buying hard-to-find drugs and reselling them at huge markups" — specifically naming pharmacies as a primary culprit.