NEW PRODUCT NEWSWIRE

Rx

NEW DRUGS

From KV Pharmaceutical Co., St. Louis, (314) 645-6600, comes PrimaCare. The company claims this is the first prescription nutritional supplement with essential fatty acids, which the FDA has now approved for addition to infant formulas to bring them closer to the nutritional superiority of breast milk. PrimaCare is formulated to provide nutritional support prenatally, and postnatally for breastfeeding mothers and their babies, along with ongoing nutritional support for women throughout their childbearing years.

Newly available from IDEC Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, (858) 431-8500, is Zevalin (ibritumomab tiuxetan), used in the treatment of certain B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. The monoclonal antibody was approved in February. Infused into a patient, the radiation-carrying antibodies locate and bind to the surface of specific cells, then deliver cytotoxic radiation directly to malignant cells.

Doak Dermatologics, Fairfield, N.J., (800) 929-9300, has added another keratolytic formulation to its Carmol 40 line. Carmol 40 (40% Urea) Gel is the company's most potent keratolytic formulation to date. This site-specific tissue softener can be used alone or along with antifungal and steroid therapies as therapy for hyperkeratolytic, diseased, devitalized nails and such skin conditions as corns, calluses, and seborrheic keratoses.

Crinone 8% (progesterone gel), from Serono Inc., Rockland, Mass., (781) 681-2340, has been reintroduced into the U.S. market following an earlier recall involving the viscosity of the product. The progesterone vaginal gel, delivered via a prefilled disposable applicator, is used in the treatment of infertile women needing progesterone supplementation.

Avinza (morphine sulfate extended-release) capsules, from Elan Corp., South San Francisco, (888) 638-7605, have been approved for once-daily treatment of chronic, moderate to severe pain in patients needing round-the-clock pain therapy. The new dual-release formulation contains immediate- and sustained-release morphine beads that provide 24-hour pain relief for many patients with cancer and other medical conditions.

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