British Columbia Drug and Poison Information Centre (BC DPIC)

La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company provided an update today that the Company is actively seeking and evaluating potential pharmaceutical products for in-licensing or acquisition and has engaged consultants to determine whether there is any potential for the further development of Riquent for the treatment of lupus.

After recent research found that some donated malaria drugs are being stolen and sold commercially in several African countries, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Communications Director Joe Liden said the group is looking into the situation "in a number of countries," PBS' NewsHour's blog, "The Rundown" reports.

Forest Laboratories, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Anti-Infective Drugs Advisory Committee voted 21 - 0 in favor of approval of ceftaroline fosamil for the treatment of community acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP) and voted 18 - 0 in favor of approval for complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI).

Infants who received heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccination (PCV-7) at 2, 4, and 11 months were more likely than unvaccinated controls to have nasopharyngeal (in the nasal passages and upper part of the throat behind the nose) acquisition of pneumococcal serotype 19A, a leading cause of respiratory pneumococcal disease, according to a study in the September 8 issue of JAMA.

A BMJ investigation into the top-selling diabetes drug rosiglitazone (Avandia) raises concerns about its safety and the whole system by which drugs are evaluated, regulated, and promoted around the world.

Health officials say that there will be plenty of flu vaccine available this year, now that the H1N1 pandemic has ended, The Washington Post reports. "The World Health Organization declared an end to the pandemic last month, based on indications that the H1N1 flu was transitioning to a more seasonal virus. Unlike last year, when there was one vaccine for H1N1 flu and another for seasonal flu, this year's vaccine is a 'three-in-one' that includes protection against H1N1 as well as two other strains."

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that, owing to the emergence of new agents that have the potential to affect disease progression, the Alzheimer's disease drug market will more than triple, from $4.3 billion in 2009 to $13.3 billion in 2019 in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Japan.

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc., today announced that its subsidiary, Watson Laboratories, Inc., has received approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Abbreviated New Drug Application for Zarah (drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol tablets) 3 mg/0.03 mg, the generic equivalent to Bayer's Yasmin.

Florida-based biopharmaceutical company Oragenics, Inc. announced today that its oral care probiotic EvoraPlus® is now expected to be available at corporate-owned GNC stores nationwide. In addition, GNC has included Oragenics' oral care probiotic for children, EvoraKids™, in its concept stores and on GNC.com.

September is Menopause Awareness Month and women starting the transition into menopause have more information and resources than ever to start taking control of their menopause symptoms. Bayer Consumer Care now introduces One A Day® Menopause Formula, a complete multivitamin with soy isoflavones to help address hot flashes and mild mood changes.