Healio News

FDA grants de novo status to ‘5-minute’ drug monitoring tests for Humira, Remicade in IBD

The FDA has granted de novo clearance to ProciseDx Inc.

for its therapeutic drug monitoring tests for Humira and Remicade, as well as their biosimilars, in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, according to a company release.These are the first therapeutic drug monitoring tests authorized by the FDA for Humira (adalimumab, AbbVie) and Remicade (infliximab, Janssen) biologic therapies, in addition to the biosimilars Amjevita (adalimumab-atto, Amgen), Inflectra (infliximab-dyyb; Celltrion/Pfizer) and Renflexis (infliximab-abda, Samsung and Merck).“Therapeutic drug monitoring of

1 year 8 months ago

STAT

STAT+: FDA cites Fresenius Kabi for contamination problems that CDC linked to deadly sepsis cases

Several cases of sepsis — three of which ended in patients deaths — were traced to a Fresenius Kabi manufacturing plant in a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And the findings were released a year after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cited the company for contamination problems and other quality control issues at the same facility.

The findings stemmed from a multi-state investigation of seven sepsis cases transmitted during blood transfusions. Samples collected between 2018 and 2022 led researchers to platelet collection products made by the company at a plant in Puerto Rico. Ultimately, the facility was the “most probable” source of the cases, according to the report in the CDC’s Emerging Infectious Diseases journal.

Bacterial contamination of platelet components commonly occurs during blood collection and typically involves a single identified species of bacteria. But “multiple episodes” of different bacteria contamination “with identical bacterial species in platelet components across different states is exceedingly rare, suggesting a possible common source of contamination,” the researchers wrote.

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…

1 year 8 months ago

Pharma, Pharmalot, CDC, FDA, Pharmaceuticals, STAT+

PAHO/WHO | Pan American Health Organization

PAHO seeks to strengthen pharmaceutical services in the Americas

PAHO seeks to strengthen pharmaceutical services in the Americas

Cristina Mitchell

4 Oct 2023

PAHO seeks to strengthen pharmaceutical services in the Americas

Cristina Mitchell

4 Oct 2023

1 year 8 months ago

Medical News, Health News Latest, Medical News Today - Medical Dialogues |

Eli Lilly eczema drug lebrikizumab rejected by USFDA

Indianapolis: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has declined to approve Eli Lilly's drug to treat a type of skin disease due to certain findings during an inspection of a contract manufacturer, the drugmaker said on Monday.

The company said the agency did not raise concerns about the clinical trial data, safety or label for lebrikizumab, a monoclonal antibody for treatment of atopic dermatitis, or eczema.

The company said it will work with the manufacturer and the FDA to address the issues cited by the regulator in its so-called complete response letter.

A spokesperson for Lilly declined to provide more details on the findings of the FDA and the contract manufacturer.

Lebrikizumab was one of the five treatments that Eli Lilly was hoping to launch this year. The others include donanemab to treat Alzheimer's disease and tirzepatide for obesity.

It had sought approval for lebrikizumab based on three studies involving over 1,000 patients with moderate-to-severe eczema who were unable to control their symptoms with topical medicines or other systemic treatments.

Analysts, on average, estimate lebrikizumab to generate $1.64 billion in sales in 2026, according to LSEG data.

Atopic dermatitis has multiple treatments available, including those by AbbVie and Pfizer as well as some generic drugs like cetirizine

Read also: Eli Lilly settles whistleblower lawsuit over manufacturing problems

1 year 8 months ago

News,Industry,Pharma News,Latest Industry News

Medical News, Health News Latest, Medical News Today - Medical Dialogues |

Boehringer unveils 81 percent discounted biosimilar of AbbVie Humira

Germany's Boehringer Ingelheim has launched an unbranded version of its biosimilar of AbbVie's Humira with a list price 81% cheaper than the blockbuster rheumatoid arthritis drug.

The company in July launched a branded biosimilar, Cyltezo, priced at a 5% discount to Humira's current list price of $6,922 per month. Boehringer's close-copies of Humira are the only ones that can be substituted for the original without consulting the prescriber after being designated as interchangeable by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Eight Humira biosimilars from companies including Novartis unit Sandoz and Amgen were launched in the U.S. this year. Several of those companies are also seeking interchangeability status with the FDA to better compete with Humira and Cyltezo.

Until recently, Humira was the world's biggest-selling prescription drug. It had sales of $21.2 billion in 2022.

Unlike easy to manufacture pills that can be copied and sold as generics at a huge discount once patents lapse, complex biologic medicines made from living cells cannot be exactly duplicated. Their close alternatives are called biosimilars.

Boehringer executive Stephen Pagnotta said the company wanted to make a lower-cost version of Cyltezo available to pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) looking to add cheaper Humira biosimilars on their formulary, and for healthcare systems that act as both insurer and provider and typically do not seek after-market discounts.

"We felt the dual pricing approach could really help with payers and PBMs to ensure that biosimilars are available to as many patients as possible," he said.

Pagnotta said Boehringer was in negotiations with PBMs to put the unbranded version on their lists of covered medicines over the coming months.

UnitedHealth Group's Optum RX, one of the largest U.S. PBMs, said it has already committed to covering the lower-cost version of Cyltezo on its formulary.

Sandoz and Amgen also launched Humira biosimilars with two pricing tiers. Sandoz's Hyrimoz is sold at a 5% discount to Humira's price, while its unbranded version carries an 81% discount.

Healthcare experts have said the heavily discounted versions of Humira may not be made widely available because they are unlikely to appeal to PBMs like CVS Health's Caremark, Cigna Group's Express Scripts, and Optum RX, which together control 80% of the prescription drug market.

PBMs have come under increasing scrutiny for taking some of their fees as a percentage of the discounts they negotiate for drugs they cover, which some lawmakers have said can be an incentive for favoring higher-priced medicines in their negotiations.

Read also: Eli Lilly-Boehringer Ingelheim Jardiance gets USFDA approval for adults with chronic kidney disease

1 year 8 months ago

News,Industry,Pharma News,Latest Industry News

Medical News, Health News Latest, Medical News Today - Medical Dialogues |

6 medicines of Alembic Pharma received USFDA nod during Q2FY24

Mumbai: Alembic Pharmaceuticals Limited has announced that it has received US Food & Drug Administration (USFDA) approvals on six of its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) during Q2FY24.

The Company has received six final approvals that includes Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride Tablets USP, 10 mg, 25 mg, 50 mg, 100 mg, and 200 mg, Brimonidine Tartrate Ophthalmic Solution, 0.1%, Guanfacine Extended-Release Tablets USP, 1 mg, 2 mg, 3 mg, and 4 mg, Erythromycin Tablets USP, 250 mg and 500 mg, Brimonidine Tartrate and Timolol Maleate Ophthalmic Solution, 0.2%/0.5%, Chlordiazepoxide Hydrochloride and Clidinium Bromide Capsules USP, 5 mg/2.5 mg.

Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride Tablets USP, 10 mg, 25 mg, 50 mg, 100 mg, and 200 mg of Upsher-Smith Laboratories, LLC., is to manage the symptoms of psychotic disorders and treatment of schizophrenia, control nausea and vomiting, relief of restlessness and apprehension before surgery, acute intermittent porphyria, adjunct in the treatment of tetanus, to control the manifestations of the manic type of manic-depressive illness and for relief of intractable hiccups.

Brimonidine Tartrate Ophthalmic Solution, 0.1% with the brand name Alphagan P Ophthalmic Solution is from the innovator AbbVie, Inc. The medication is indicated to lower elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients suffering with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

Guanfacine Extended-Release Tablets USP, 1 mg, 2 mg, 3 mg, and 4 mg by Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. and with brand name Intuniv Extended-Release Tablets is indicated for individuals suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The tablets can be used alone or alongside stimulant medications.

Erythromycin Tablets USP, 250 mg and 500 mg by Azurity Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is for treatment of various infections caused by certain microorganisms.

Brimonidine Tartrate and Timolol Maleate Ophthalmic Solution, 0.2%/0.5% by AbbVie,Inc. is an alpha-adrenergic receptor agonist with a beta-adrenergic receptor inhibitor indicated for the reduction of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension who require adjunctive or replacement therapy due to inadequately controlled IOP. The brand name for the product is Combigan Ophthalmic Solution.

Chlordiazepoxide Hydrochloride and Clidinium Bromide Capsules USP, 5 mg/2.5 mg with the brand name Librax Capsules by Bausch Health US, LLC. are indicated to control emotional and physical factors that can cause gastrointestinal disorders. These capsules may also be used as additional treatments to help in peptic ulcer and in irritable bowel syndrome (irritable colon, spastic colon, mucous colitis) and acute enterocolitis.

Read also: Alembic Pharma successfully completes ANVISA, Brazil GMP audit for API-III facility at Karakhadi

1 year 8 months ago

News,Industry,Pharma News,Latest Industry News

Health

UN authorises a second malaria vaccine

LONDON (AP): The World Health Organization authorised a second malaria vaccine on Monday, a decision that could offer countries a cheaper and a more readily available option than the world’s first shot against the parasitic disease. WHO Director-...

LONDON (AP): The World Health Organization authorised a second malaria vaccine on Monday, a decision that could offer countries a cheaper and a more readily available option than the world’s first shot against the parasitic disease. WHO Director-...

1 year 8 months ago

Health

Nobel in medicine goes to two scientists whose work enabled creation of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19

STOCKHOLM (AP): Two scientists won the Nobel Prize in medicine on Monday for discoveries that enabled the creation of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 that were critical in slowing the pandemic — technology that’s also being studied to fight cancer...

STOCKHOLM (AP): Two scientists won the Nobel Prize in medicine on Monday for discoveries that enabled the creation of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 that were critical in slowing the pandemic — technology that’s also being studied to fight cancer...

1 year 8 months ago

Health

Prediabetes: Hidden blood sugar

PREDIABETES, ALSO called impaired fasting or impaired glucose tolerance, is a metabolic disorder characterised by abnormally high blood sugar levels (glucose) but not high enough to be diagnosed as Type 2 diabetes yet. Unfortunately, prediabetes is...

PREDIABETES, ALSO called impaired fasting or impaired glucose tolerance, is a metabolic disorder characterised by abnormally high blood sugar levels (glucose) but not high enough to be diagnosed as Type 2 diabetes yet. Unfortunately, prediabetes is...

1 year 8 months ago

Health

Can hormone imbalance affect weight loss?

IT IS true that hormone imbalances can be associated with many problems, such as period problems, unwanted hair growth, fertility struggles, weight gain, and even difficulty sleeping. If you are experiencing these symptoms, you should talk to your...

IT IS true that hormone imbalances can be associated with many problems, such as period problems, unwanted hair growth, fertility struggles, weight gain, and even difficulty sleeping. If you are experiencing these symptoms, you should talk to your...

1 year 8 months ago

Health

Relationship between immunity and cancer

CANCER IS a group of diseases characterised by the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells in the body. These cells can form tumours, invade nearby tissues, and in some cases, metastasise to other parts of the body. Cancer can occur in...

CANCER IS a group of diseases characterised by the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells in the body. These cells can form tumours, invade nearby tissues, and in some cases, metastasise to other parts of the body. Cancer can occur in...

1 year 8 months ago

PAHO/WHO | Pan American Health Organization

Director de la OPS se reúne con el Presidente de Argentina para dialogar sobre desarrollo regional de vacunas y otros temas de salud prioritarios

PAHO Director meets with President of Argentina to discuss regional vaccine development and other priority health issues

Cristina Mitchell

3 Oct 2023

PAHO Director meets with President of Argentina to discuss regional vaccine development and other priority health issues

Cristina Mitchell

3 Oct 2023

1 year 8 months ago

Health | NOW Grenada

Changing the tune of Gender-Based Violence

“Donysia Francis–Domergé, a former calypsonian, a mother, and a passionate advocate striving to “change the narrative” of acceptance that has persisted from her childhood into her adult life”

1 year 8 months ago

Arts/Culture/Entertainment, Community, Crime, Health, PRESS RELEASE, donysia francis-domergé, gbv, gender based violence, sophia phillip, spotlight initiative

Health | NOW Grenada

Towards a National Coordinating Mechanism to address Gender-Based Violence

The strategic vision of establishing a National Coordinating Mechanism will be further fortified by sub-national committees in each parish

1 year 8 months ago

Community, Crime, Health, lifestyle, abigail jeffrey, bertrand edwards, donysia francis-domergé, gender based violence, ministry of gender affairs, national coordinating mechanism, nicole neva pitt, spotlight initiative

STAT

STAT+: Pharmalittle: Drugmakers agree to negotiate Medicare prices under protest; AstraZeneca settles lawsuits over heartburn drugs

Top of the morning to you, and a fine one it is. Cool breezes and clear blue skies are wafting above the Pharmalot campus, where the official mascots are settling in for a well-deserved snooze. As for us, we are busy with the usual sorts of things. We are quaffing another cup of stimulation – our choice today is gingerbread – and are attempting to get organized, a Quixotic notion in our world.

Nonetheless, we are giving it a go. Hopefully, you will be a beneficiary, since we have assembled a few items of interest to help you start your own day. On that note, we hope that all goes well and that you conquer the world. And of course, do keep in touch. …

All the drugmakers that make the 10 prescription medicines subject to the first-ever price negotiations for the U.S. Medicare health program said they signed on to participate in the talks by the Oct. 1 deadline, Reuters notes. The penalties for not doing so would have been steep: Drugmakers would have to pay 65% to 95% taxes on their drug’s Medicare sales or withdraw all of their products from the Medicare and Medicaid programs, which together provide health benefits to 158 million Americans. At least seven of the drugmakers have sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the Medicare agency, calling the process unconstitutional price-setting.

AstraZeneca agreed to pay $425 million to settle U.S. product liability lawsuits related to the heartburn and stomach acid treatments Nexium and Prilosec, which some users said caused kidney damage, Bloomberg News says. The settlement resolves litigation in New Jersey and Delaware courts. A single case is still pending in Louisiana, with a trial set for next year. AstraZeneca said it continues to believe the claims are without merit and admits no wrongdoing, but settled to avoid costly legal procedures. Heartburn medications have been the subject of a range of concerns in recent years. In June, GSK settled litigation with a man who claimed its Zantac treatment caused his cancer.

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…

1 year 8 months ago

Pharma, Pharmalot, pharmalittle, STAT+

Health News | Mail Online

Carol Vorderman, 62, recalls feeling suicidal amid struggle with 'severe depression' during the menopause

The presenter confessed to wondering: ' what's the point?' and thinking: 'there is obviously one way to make this stop' , while describing how 'horrific' the menopause can be

The presenter confessed to wondering: ' what's the point?' and thinking: 'there is obviously one way to make this stop' , while describing how 'horrific' the menopause can be

1 year 8 months ago

PAHO/WHO | Pan American Health Organization

PAHO advances technical cooperation with Argentina to strengthen regional production of mRNA vaccines

PAHO advances technical cooperation with Argentina to strengthen regional production of mRNA vaccines

Cristina Mitchell

2 Oct 2023

PAHO advances technical cooperation with Argentina to strengthen regional production of mRNA vaccines

Cristina Mitchell

2 Oct 2023

1 year 8 months ago

Health | NOW Grenada

Grenada National Council on Aging appeals for fulfilment of rights for older people

The GNCA Inc is aware of systemic and structural barriers that exist for older persons and appeals to the Government and all NGO stakeholders to urgently address these and other concerns

1 year 8 months ago

Business, Community, Education, Health, PRESS RELEASE, desk of the elderly, grenada national council on ageing, international day of older persons, ministry of social development, senior citizens, universal declaration on human rights

Medscape Medical News Headlines

AbbVie's Blood Cancer Combo Therapy Fails in Late-Stage Study

AbbVie has said a late-stage study of its experimental combination therapy failed to meaningfully increase the survival rate of patients without the disease worsening. Reuters Health Information

AbbVie has said a late-stage study of its experimental combination therapy failed to meaningfully increase the survival rate of patients without the disease worsening. Reuters Health Information

1 year 8 months ago

Hematology-Oncology, News

Health | NOW Grenada

Grenadian Dentist to be inducted into Pierre Fauchard Academy

Dr Jullie Du Bois, the first Grenadian dentist to receive this prestigious fellowship, is expected to attend the gala event on 7 October 2023 in Orlando, Florida

1 year 8 months ago

Business, Health, PRESS RELEASE, dentistry, jullie du bois, pierre fauchard academy

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