Pharmacy Technology

NEW YORK — Industry veteran Bob Kwait, chairman and COO of Bob Kwait Consulting Group, and FreshDirect chairman and CEO Richard Braddock were honored Wednesday during the 2010 Consumer Products "Good Scout" Award Luncheon in New York.

The annual luncheon, presented by the Greater New York Councils of Boy Scouts of America, was held at Hilton New York.

WASHINGTON — One hundred new drugs and vaccines are in development to treat HIV/AIDS and related conditions, according to a new report by a pharmaceutical industry trade group.

CINCINNATI — A consumer products giant and a big-box retailer are looking to connect deployed members of the U.S. military with their families during the holiday season, with help from the United Service Organizations.

HAMBURG, Germany (Dec. 1) Skin care company Beiersdorf has established an independent affiliate in Vietnam called "Beiersdorf Vietnam Limited," laying the groundwork for further growth in Southeast Asia and for meeting the rising demand for skin care products in Vietnam.

From the company's local headquarters in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the new global Beiersdorf strategy "Focus on Skincare. Closer to Markets." will be implemented regionally to expand sales in a targeted manner. The goal is to double turnover in Vietnam by 2015.

MORRISTOWN, N.J. — Drug maker Watson Pharmaceuticals has made an emergency oral contraceptive available by prescription in the United States, the company said Wednesday.

Watson announced the launch of Ella (ulipristal acetate) in the 30-mg dose, designed to prevent pregnancy up to five days after unprotected sex or failure of other contraceptives. The drug is designed to delay ovulation for five days, the amount of time that sperm can survive in the female genital tract.

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. — The president of drug maker Merck now will fill an additional position at the company: CEO.

Merck's board of directors elected president and board member Kenneth Frazier as the company's next leader, effective Jan. 1. Frazier will succeed Richard Clark, who has served as Merck's CEO since 2005. Clark will continue as chairman of the board, the drug maker said.

GURGAON, India, and PRINCETON, N.J. — Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals has received final approval for its generic Alzheimer's drug from the Food and Drug Administration, giving the drug maker 180 days of market exclusivity.

Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Ranbaxy Labs, will manufacture and market donepezil hydrochloride tablets, a generic version of Aricept, in the 5-mg and 10-mg strength in the United States.

NEW YORK — The spate of recent product recalls may be eroding consumer confidence in the Food and Drug Administration, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers survey of 1,000 Americans released Tuesday.

Approximately one-half of respondents reported they think the FDA does a good job, but more than one-third (36%) of U.S. consumers said they have lost confidence in the FDA over the past two years as a result of high profile safety concerns and product recalls.