New Products

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Actavis hopes to become the first to market a generic drug for treating chronic pain, the company said Monday.

Actavis said it had filed with the Food and Drug Administration for approval of tapentadol extended-release tablets in the 50-mg, 100-mg, 150-mg and 200-mg strengths. The drug is a generic version of Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals' Nucynta ER. The drug is used as a continuous, around-the-clock analgesic over a long period of time.

SLOUGH, England — Reckitt Benckiser will be launching a product for nighttime cold and flu relief in both liquid and tablet form, the company's CEO told investors Monday morning. 

HYDERABAD, India — Dr. Reddy's Labs has launched a generic drug used to treat Alzheimer's disease, the company said.

The Indian drug maker announced the launch of donepezil hydrochloride tablets in the 23-mg strength, a generic version of Eisai and Pfizer's Aricept. The drug is being launched in 30- and 90-count bottles.

Aricept in the 23-mg strength had sales of about $92.6 million during the 12-month period that ended in May, according to IMS Health.

FONTANA, Calif. — Oral care brand Brush Buddies is expanding its line of licensed toothbrushes with the launch of the new Brush Buddies Smurfs Poppin' toothbrushes, Brush Buddies Smurfs Talking Toothbrushes and Brush Buddies Smurfs manual toothbrushes.

NEW YORK — Pretty soon, retail clerks may be asking customers if they want to pay with cash, credit or face, according to published reports. 

Popular Science reported that Finland-based Uniqul was creating a system that would take the customer's photo and then process biometric data, connecting it to their account. Customers would create the accounts using their credit or debit cards, and Uniqul said the system — which uses military encryption technology — would reduce time for payments from 30 seconds to less than five seconds.

NEW YORK — Dermatologist Fredric Brandt is jumping aboard the CC Cream bandwagon with the new CC glow with signature Ruby Crystal.

This new "CC" (color correcting) formula is designed to instantly illuminate, hydrate, brighten and protect, smoothing away the appearance of lines and wrinkles while shielding against UVA/UVB rays, the company said. 

NEW YORK — Kiss is gearing up for Halloween with the creation of four new limited-edition Disney villains nail art kits that are slated to hit retail in October.

PRINCETON, N.J. — A federal court has ruled in favor of generic drug maker Sandoz in a case involving a drug for multiple sclerosis, Sandoz said.

Sandoz, the generics division of Switerland-based Novartis, said the U.S. Federal Circuit Court of Appeals invalidated nine patents owned by Israel-based Teva Pharmaceutical Industries covering the drug Copaxone (glatiramer acetate).