New Products

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration on Friday announced a meeting of the Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee on May 2 to discuss the potential switch of Merck's Singulair Allergy tablets. 

The proposed OTC use is "temporarily relieves these symptoms due to hay fever or other upper respiratory allergies: Nasal congestion, runny nose, itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, itching of the nose.” The applicant proposes to label the product for OTC use in adults 18 years and older. 

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. — Merck announced that the Food and Drug Administration has approved Grastek (Timothy grass pollen allergen extract) tablet for sublingual use. The drug is an allergen extract used for the treatment of grass pollen-induced allergic rhinitis with or without conjunctivitis. It is approved for use in persons ages 5 years through 65 years of age.

PEAPACK, N.J. — Greenstone, a generic pharmaceutical subsidiary of Pfizer, announced the introduction of amlodipine besylate/atorvastatin calcium tablets to its roster of products. The drug is the authorized generic versions of Caduet.

GURNEE, Ill. — Quest Products on Friday announced the addition of a gel formulated for emergency burn relief, Alocane Emergency Burn Gel, to its current line of products. Previously a top-selling product on retail shelves in the 80's and 90's, it was taken off the market due to financial difficulties facing the parent company, First Pharmaceutical.

JERUSALEM — Teva Pharmaceutical Industries announced the launch of a generic equivalent to Lunesta (eszopiclone tablets) in 1-,2- and 3-mg form in the United States. The drug is used to treat insomnia.

Lunesta tablets, which are marketed by Sunovion Pharmaceuticals, had annual sales of $852 million in the United States as of December 2013, according to IMS data.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Air Wick's partnership with the National Park Foundation continues with the return of the limited-edition spring collection, which celebrates the nation's parks.

The collection's four limited-edition scents inspired by celebrate parks like the Channel Islands, Yosemite, Biscayne and Gulf Islands. The scents were crafted by fragrance experts who spent time creating notes that were representative of the fruits and plants found in America's national parks.

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — QS/1, a provider of healthcare automation solutions, announced the introduction of the Motion SlateMate tablet, a wireless device that is available for use with QS/1's pharmacy management systems and point-of-sale platforms.

ORLANDO, Fla. — AssistRx last week introduced a new technology that simplifies the prescribing of specialty therapies while streamlining communications between prescribers, pharmacies, patients and manufacturers. It’s smart technology that can lead to patients receiving specialty medications weeks earlier than ever before, the company claimed.