Selected items from the News and Latest Additions sections of www.palliativedrugs.com , the world’s leading palliative care website.
Drug Updates
Clarifying dexamethasone prescribing
The British National Formulary now recommends prescribing of dexamethasone injection as dexamethasone base. This follows recent changes to the labeling of both UK dexamethasone injection products (Organon product, 2003 and Hospira product June 2010) in line with guidance from the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and National Patient Safety Agency. In order to clarify the label changes and highlight the potential for confusion when swapping between products, www.palliativedrugs.com has produced a fact sheet which can be downloaded from here.
UK national shortage of lorazepam 4mg/mL injection
An unexpected manufacturing issue has left lorazepam injection 4mg/mL (Ativan, Pfizer) in short supply in the UK, which is not expected to be resolved until late 2011. For more information, click here.
Actiq SPC updated
The UK SPC for Actiq (Oromucosal fentanyl lozenge, Flynn Pharma 01462 458 974) has been amended to include additional information on measures to prevent a potential overdose and to further clarify the dosage during titration, maintenance therapy and dose readjustment.
Oramorph SPC updated
The UK SPC for Oramorph oral solution 10mg/5mL (morphine sulphate, Boehringer Ingelheim 01344 424600) has been updated to include a specific section for paediatric patients and new information for children 13-18 years old. Specific information has also been added on excipients, including the amount of ethanol (alcohol), i.e. 10vol%.
European Medicines Agency (EMEA) grants a marketing authorization for generic ibandronic acid
The EMEA has granted a marketing authorization for generic ibandronic acid (Ibandronic acid) for the prevention of skeletal events in patients with breast cancer and bone metastases (50mg tablets) and for the treatment of osteoporosis in post-menopausal women at risk of developing fractures (150mg tablets). The EMEA has also granted a marketing authorization for generic ibandronic acid (Iasibon) for the prevention of skeletal events in patients with breast cancer and bone metastases (tablets and infusion), and for the treatment of tumour-induced hypercalcaemia with or without metastases (infusion).
Rosiglitazone no longer available in UK
Further to the suspension of its licence, the two preparations containing rosiglitazone (Avandia and Avandamet, GSK) have been withdrawn from the UK. For more information, click here.
Prepared by Sarah Charlesworth and Andrew Wilcock