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FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirm that the fungus Exserohilum rostratum contaminated 1 of the 3 implicated lots of preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate (80 mg/mL) from the New England Compounding Center (NECC), which the company recalled September 26.

FDA has expanded the approved indication for tocilizumab (Actemra, Genentech) for the treatment of adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have had an inadequate response to 1 or more disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs).

Patients who experience a warfarin-associated gastrointestinal tract bleeding event should resume anticoagulation therapy during the 90 days following the event to decrease the risk of thrombosis and death, according to a study published online in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

FDA has approved paclitaxel protein-bound particles for injectable suspension) (albumin-bound) (Abraxane, Celgene) for the first-line treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), in combination with carboplatin, in patients who are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation therapy.

With medication misuse resulting in more than 1 million adverse drug events per year in the United States, new standards released today by the U.S. Pharmacopeia Convention (USP) for the first time, provide a universal approach to the format, appearance, content, and language of instructions for medicines in containers dispensed by pharmacists.

After reviewing new data, FDA has concluded that Budeprion XL 300 mg (bupropion hydrochloride extended-release tablets), manufactured by Impax Laboratories, Inc., and marketed by Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc., is not therapeutically equivalent to GlaxoSmithKline’s Wellbutrin XL 300 mg.

FDA has approved Boston Therapeutic’s petition to file an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for a new, chewable tablet formulation of the diabetes drug metformin hydrochloride. The company plans to market the new formulation under the name Pazamet.

Treatment with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acides to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been controversial. A recent meta-analysis and review showed that overall, omega-3 PUFA supplementation did not lower the risk of CVD, according to data published in the Sept. 12, 2012 issues of JAMA.

Long-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs following a first-time myocardial infarction is associated with persistent increased cardiovascular risk, according to an online study published September 24 in the journal Circulation.

FDA has granted delafloxacin (Rib-X) as a Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) for the indications of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) and community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP).

Paliperidone palmitate (Invega Sustenna), a monthly extended-release injectable suspension atypical antipsychotic for the treatment of schizophrenia, has a new updated product label that describes greater flexibility and dosing options for healthcare providers as well as additional warnings and precautions, according to its manufacturer, Janssen Pharmaceuticals.

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Recent FDA action (through September 2012) related to, Lymphoseek, technetium Tc 99m tilmanocept, Tobramycin inhalation powder, Lixivaptan, CRTX 080, ALV003, AB103, Atox Bio

Recent FDA Approvals (through August 2012) related to (Innocutise, Genzyme, Sanofi, Pfizer, Amgen, Astellas Pharma US, Medivation, Gilead Sciences, Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Forest, Reckitt Benckiser, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, Sicor Biotech UAB, Teva Corporation, Novartis)

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system targets synovial joints and causes mild-to-severe joint disease with extra-articular manifestations. This review discusses the current standards of care and details the data being collected on new agents.