Nicardipine Hydrochloride Injection
Teva Pharmaceuticals
(North
Wales, PA) recently
introduced the first
generic Nicardipine
Hydrochloride
Injection.
The product
is AP-rated to
EKR Therapeutics
Inc's Cardene I.V.
Nicardipine Hydrochloride
Injection is
a calcium channel
blocker indicated
for the short-term
treatment of hypertension when oral
therapy is not feasible or desirable.
The product is intended for intravenous
use. The dosage for Nicardipine
Hydrochloride Injection must be individualized
depending on the severity of
hypertension and the response of the
patient during dosing. Blood pressure
(BP) and heart rate should be monitored
both during and after the infusion
to avoid tachycardia or too rapid or
excessive reduction in either systolic
or diastolic BP. The product is available
in 25-mg (2.5 mg/mL) single-dose
amber glass vials. For more information,
visit
www.tevausa.com, or call
888-TEVA USA (888-838-2872).
High-Alert Line Tracing Labels
EPS Inc (Ivyland, PA) recently added
to its line of High-Alert Line Tracing
Labels. The product line is designed to
call attention to medications requiring
special handling both in the pharmacy
and at the patient's bedside. The pharmacy
places the entire label on an
intravenous (IV) infusion container or
its overwrap. When the medication is
administered at the bedside, the nursing
staff applies the 2 IV line labels to
each end of the IV tubing. This facilitates
easy line traces, improves accuracy,
and minimizes IV line confusion.
In response to pharmacists and nurses,
the company has added 6 new labels
to its existing line of 4 different labels.
The labels include Paralytic, Narcotic,
Oxytocin, Magnesium Sulfate, IV
Nutrition, and "blank." For more information,
visit
www.medidose.com, or
call 800-523-8966.
Alimta (pemetrexed for
injection)
Eli Lilly and Co (Indianapolis, IN)
recently received FDA approval for
Alimta, in combination with cisplatin,
in the first-line treatment of locally
advanced and metastatic non?small
cell lung cancer (NSCLC) for patients
with nonsquamous histology. The product
is not indicated for the treatment of
patients with squamous cell NSCLC.
Alimta also is indicated as a single
agent for the treatment of patients
with locally advanced or metastatic
nonsquamous NSCLC after prior chemotherapy,
and in combination with
cisplatin for the treatment of patients
with malignant pleural mesothelioma
whose disease is unresectable or who
are otherwise not candidates for curative
surgery. The recommended dose
of Alimta in combination with cisplatin
for NSCLC and malignant pleural
mesothelioma is 500 mg/m
2 administered
as an intravenous (IV) infusion
over 10 minutes on day 1 of each 21-day
cycle. The recommended dose of cisplatin
is 75 mg/m
2 infused over 2 hours
beginning approximately 30 minutes
after the end of Alimta administration.
For single-agent use, the recommended
dose of Alimta is 500 mg/m
2 administered
as an IV infusion over 10 minutes
on day 1 of each 21-day cycle. For more
information, visit
www.alimta.com, or
call 800-LILLY-RX (800-545-5979).
Vaprisol (conivaptan hydrochloride injection)
Premixed in 5% Dextrose
Astellas Pharma US Inc (Deerfield, IL)
recently announced FDA approval for a
new premixed formulation—Vaprisol
Premixed in 5% Dextrose. Vaprisol, an
arginine vasopressin receptor antagonist,
is the first and only approved drug
indicated for the treatment of both
euvolemic and hypervolemic hyponatremia
in hospitalized patients. The 100-
mL, single-use premixed formulation of
Vaprisol comes in Baxter Healthcare
Corp's Intravia Container containing
20 mg of conivaptan hydrochloride in
5% dextrose solution. The new formulation
will make preparation easier for
health care providers, as it requires no
measuring or mixing. Furthermore, it
has an expiration date of 24 months—6
months longer than the original ampule
formulation. For more information,
visit
www.vaprisol.com.
