Microsoft word - january06-draft.doc

Pharmacy Update
“The Pharmacist Down the Hall”
Scott M. Draeger, Pharm.D.
January 2006
Proposal Made to Move Prescription Diet
Old Drug, New Technique to Treat
Drug Over-the-Counter
Alcoholism
At the end of the month, a joint meeting of the Food Vivitrol™, a new medication marketed by Cephalon and Drug Administration’s Nonprescription Drugs Inc. to treat alcoholism, is set to be released the and Endocrinologic & Metabolic Drugs advisory second quarter of this year pending final federal committee will consider GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) approval. Vivitrol™ will be the first injectable request to produce a reduced over-the-counter (OTC) medication used to treat alcoholism. The medication dose of its prescription anti-obesity drug Xenical®.
will be administered by physicians once a month.
Xenical® is currently available as a 120mg capsuleby prescription. GSK seeks to create a 60mg capsule Vivitrol’s™ active ingredient, Naltrexone, is already available as a generic oral agent. Researchers believean injectable form of Naltrexone offers increased GSK submitted the request in June and recommends compliance over the oral formulation, thus the that the sale of OTC Xenical be limited to individuals 18 years old and older unless specificallyrecommended by a physician. GSK currently Naltrexone is an opioid receptor antagonist. Studies markets the popular OTC nicotine replacement have indicated a link between alcohol consumption products Nicorette® and NicoDerm CQ®.
and opioids; injections of small amounts of opioidsinto animals were followed by an increase in alcohol Xenical® works by preventing absorption of dietary consumption. Present theory suggests that blocking fats. Patients generally take one capsule three times a opioid effects decreases the level of self-administered day with each main meal containing fat. Many experts consider Xenical® a safer alternative thanother weight loss drugs because it is not considered a Phase III studies of Vivitrol™ have shown the drug stimulant. The prescription strength of Xenical® to cut the days of heavy drinking per month from 19 currently carries an AWP of approximately $2.65 per to three over three months. Approximately 18 capsule. There is no word yet on what GSK plans to million people in the United States are dependent charge for the OTC version if it is approved.
upon or abuse alcohol. The company predicts endsales of Vivitrol™ to reach $30 million in 2006.
There is no word yet of Vivitrol’s™ expected price.
Serve You Custom Prescription Management www.serve-you-rx.com9051 W. Heather Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53224 414-410-8100/888-243-6890 Current Flu Strain Resistant to Common
Femara® belongs to a class of medications known as aromatase inhibitors. Femara® works by preventingthe enzyme aromatase from converting androgens to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estrogens, leading to a reduction in blood estrogen (CDC) has warned health care officials that two levels. Femara® is generally dosed once a day and common drugs used to treat influenza, Amantadine carries an AWP of approximately $9.18 per tablet.
and Rimantadine, are considered ineffective for thetreatment of this year’s influenza strain. The CDCfound that 91 percent of flu samples tested this winter Rare Reports of Swelling and Serious
have proven resistant to Amantadine andRimantadine. It is not unusual for viruses to undergo Vision Complications Linked With
mutations as a way of increasing their chances for Diabetic Drugs Avandia® and
Avandamet®
There are still options available to health care Drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) alerted professionals for the treatment of influenza. The flu health care professionals this month to reports of new vaccine is still regarded as one of the most effective or worsening eye complications and swelling in legs prophylactic measures available, and the oral and feet in patients using Avandia® or Avandamet®.
medications Tamiflu® and Relenza® have lower Experts believe this may be linked to Avandia’s® resistant rates compared to Amantadine and and Avandamet’s® main ingredient, rosiglitazone.
The reports of eye complications are particularly Recent reports have indicated that health care disturbing. The complication is known as macula officials are concerned about the potential hoarding edema and is the result of leaking blood vessels in the of Tamiflu® in response to the possibility of an avian eye. This typically occurs in association with flu pandemic. Currently, there is enough Tamiflu diabetic retinopathy. Patients should contact their physician immediately if they notice any visualdisturbances.
GSK emphasizes that the actual cases of macula New Indication for Breast Cancer Drug
edema are rare, but patients should contact theirphysicians if they have any questions.
Drug manufacturer Novartis recently receivedapproval for a new indication for its breast cancerdrug Femara®. The drug has now been approved as Formulary Materials Have Arrived
a treatment for use after surgery in postmenopausalwomen with hormone-sensitive early breast cancer.
Formulary materials were mailed out to all applicable Femara® is the only drug in its class to receive this clients the week of January 9th. If you have not received your materials or would like extra copies,please contact your client partner or myself.
The approval was a result of a study published in theNew England Journal of Medicine that compared itseffectiveness and tolerability to another breast cancermedication, Tamoxifen. The study showed Femara®reduced the risk of breast cancer returning by anadditional 21 percent compared to that of Tamoxifen.
Furthermore, Femara® showed a 27 percentreduction in the risk of cancer spreading to otherparts of the body. It is important to note that nosurvival advantage was seen with Femara®.
Serve You Custom Prescription Management www.serve-you-rx.com9051 W. Heather Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53224 414-410-8100/888-243-6890

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