Did you ever hear of bonus pills when buying Biaxin at your local pharmacy?

Nurse Practitioner - First 7-day H. pylori treatment approved

admin — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 04:06:02 +0000

FAST H. PYLORI REGIMEN
Rabeprazole sodium (Aciphex) is now approved in combination with antibiotics to treat Helicobacter pylori infection in 7 days. Current treatments for H. pylori infection take 10-14 days.
In combination with amoxicillin and clarithromycin (Biaxin) as a threedrug regimen, rabeprazole is indicated for the treatment of H. pylori infection and duodenal ulcer disease (active or history within the last 5 years) to eradicate H. pylori.
The 1-week treatment regimen was tested in a multicenter, double blind, placebo-controlled trial of 803 patients infected with H. pylori. Eighty-three percent of patients treated with rabeprazole, amoxicillin, and clarithromycin (RAC) taken twice daily were free of H. pylori after 7 days of therapy.

Related Results

Biaxin FilmtabTeva Provides Generic Biaxin XL UpdateFDA OKs Abbott's seven-day Biaxin treatmentAndrx Receives Final Approval for Generic Biaxin XL Filmtab 500mgCourt of Appeals Rules in Favor of Teva on Biaxin XL Preliminary…

No adverse events unique to this drug combination were observed in clinical trials. The most frequently reported drug-related adverse events in RAC trials were diarrhea and taste perversion. For full prescribing information, consult product labeling.
Rabeprazole is a product of Eisai Inc. and is co-promoted by Janssen Pharmaceutica.
Copyright Springhouse Corporation Jan 2003
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved

Adverse Event Reporting News - Biaxin Filmtab

admin — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:36:02 +0000

Biaxin XL Filmtab (clarithromycin extended-release tablets)
Biaxin Granules (clarithromycin for oral suspension, USP)
WARNINGS
Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea (CDAD) has been reported with use of nearly all antibacterial agents, including Biaxin, and may range in severity from mild diarrhea to fatal colitis. Treatment with antibacterial agents alters the normal flora of the colon leading to overgrowth of C. difficile.

Related Results

Teva Provides Generic Biaxin XL UpdateFDA OKs Abbott's seven-day Biaxin treatmentAndrx Receives Final Approval for Generic Biaxin XL Filmtab 500mgCourt of Appeals Rules in Favor of Teva on Biaxin XL Preliminary…Abbott Laboratories gets new patent for Biaxin XL: ESSE, IPCY, ABT.

C. difficile produces toxins A and B which contribute to the development of CDAD. Hypertoxin producing strains of C. difficile cause increased morbidity and mortality, as these infections can be refractory to antimicrobial therapy and may require colectomy. CDAD must be considered in all patients who present with diarrhea following antibiotic use. Careful medical history is necessary since CDAD has been reported to occur over two months after the administration of antibacterial agents.
If CDAD is suspected or confirmed, ongoing antibiotic use not directed against C. difficile may need to be discontinued. Appropriate fluid and electrolyte management, protein supplementation, antibiotic treatment of C. difficile, and surgical evaluation should be instituted as clinically indicated.
PRECAUTIONS
Information for Patients
Diarrhea is a common problem caused by antibiotics which usually ends when the antibiotic is discontinued. Sometimes after starting treatment with antibiotics, patients can develop watery and bloody stools (with or without stomach cramps and fever) even as late as two or more months after having taken the last dose of the antibiotic. If this occurs, patients should contact their physician as soon as possible.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Washington Information Source, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning

Drug Store News - Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. was hit with a temporary restraining order by the U.S. District Court for the District of Northern Illinois that prevented…

admin — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:46:02 +0000

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. was hit with a temporary restraining order by the U.S. District Court for the District of Northern Illinois that prevented the company from introducing its clarithromycin extended-release tablets (500 mg) pending the outcome of a preliminary injunction hearing that was scheduled for May 26.

Related Results

Teva’s clarithromycin extended-release tablets are the AB-rated generic equivalent of Abbott’s macrolide antibiotic Biaxin XL Filmtabs. The brand product has annual sales of approximately $284 million. Teva also received final approval for its ANDA for fenofibrate tablets, 54 mg and 160 mg, the AB-rated generic equivalent of Abbott’s Tricor tablets indicated for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia.
COPYRIGHT 2005 Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning

Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL) - Market briefs.(Business)

admin — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:36:02 +0000

Abbott loses bid to halt generic LIBERTYVILLE TOWNSHIP - Abbott Laboratories lost its challenge to a generic-drug company’s proposed immediate-release version of the antibiotic drug Biaxin. Canada’s Supreme Court Thursday dismissed without explanation the company’s claim that Ratiopharm GmbH’s version of the drug infringed its patent.

Related Results

“We’re disappointed that the Canadian Supreme Court declined to hear our appeal,” Scott Stoffel, an Abbott spokesman, said. “The company will continue to vigorously defend its intellectual property.” Biaxin generated $816 million …

Read the rest of this article with a Free Trial at HighBeam Research.

FDA Consumer - Combination drug treatment approved for ulcers - Food and Drug Administration approves use of Biaxin, or clarithromycin, and Prilosec, or omeprazole, to treat…

admin — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 08:16:04 +0000

The first antibiotic treatment for eradicating Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria associated with active duodenal ulcers, has been approved by FDA.
The treatment involves taking two previously approved drugs: Biaxin (clarithromycin) and Prilosec (omeprazole). It was approved April 18.
Biaxin, manufactured by Abbott Laboratories, is an antibiotic for various mild to moderate infections. Prilosec, manufactured by Astra Merck, is a proton pump inhibitor that helps heal ulcers by suppressing gastric acid. In combination, the two drugs are effective in healing active duodenal ulcers and reducing the risk of ulcer recurrence. This combination treatment, however, is not effective against other bacteria associated with ulcers.

Related Results

In 1994, a National Institutes of Health consensus panel of medical experts made a landmark recommendation in support of an antibiotic-based approach for treating ulcers. FDA used the recommendation to advise companies on the best trial designs for developing these therapies.
In one foreign and two U.S. randomized studies, the most effective dosage levels were Biaxin at 500 milligrams three times a day plus Prilosec at 40 mg once a day for two weeks, followed by Prilosec at 20 mg once a day for two more weeks.
Although study participants reported few side effects, mild to moderate cases of taste distortion, nausea, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain did occur.
COPYRIGHT 1996 U.S. Government Printing Office
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group

Hospital Materials Management - Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, Ill., in late April sent cases of hospital, pharmaceutical and nutritional products valued at $2.1 million to AmeriCares, a…

admin — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 22:26:02 +0000

Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, Ill., in late April sent cases of hospital, pharmaceutical and nutritional products valued at $2.1 million to AmeriCares, a not-for-profit humanitarian aid organization, to aid victims of the war in Iraq. Another 15,000 pounds of emergency relief …

Related Results

Read the rest of this article with a Free Trial at HighBeam Research.

Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL) - Lake County Briefs.(Business)

admin — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 06:21:02 +0000

Big Foot reports smaller profit LONG GROVE - Big Foot Financial Corp. announced first-quarter earnings ended Sept. 30 of $157,000, or 10 cents per share, down from $181,000, or 9 cents per share the same quarter a year ago. Net interest income declined to $1.5 million from $1.6 million in 1999.

Related Results

Non-interest income grew to $88,000 from $80,000 in 1999. The holding company for Fairfield Savings Bank said it hired management consultants John M. Floyd and Associates to make recommendations to improve profitability. Abbott seeks new Biaxin use LIBERTYVILLE TOWNSHIP - Abbott …

Read the rest of this article with a Free Trial at HighBeam Research.

Chain Drug Review - Abbott approval

admin — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 15:36:02 +0000

Abbott Laboratories has received FDA approval for a community acquired pneumonia (CAP) indication for Biaxin XL (clarithromycin extended-release tablets). The product is a once-daily version of Biaxin and is indicated for treating mild to moderate CAP.

Related Results

Internal Medicine News - Pneumonia Treatment

admin — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 09:46:02 +0000

Biaxin XL (clarithromycin extended-release tablets) has a new 7-day indication for the treatment of mild to moderate community-acquired pneumonia. The once-daily formulation is indicated for the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia caused by Haemophilus influenzae, H. parainfluenzae, Moraxella catarrahalis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

Related Results

It is also indicated for mild to moderate infections in adults with acute bacterial exacerbation of chronic bronchitis.
COPYRIGHT 2002 International Medical News Group
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning

Business Wire - Teva Initiates Phase III Study to Confirm Increased Efficacy of Higher Dose of Glatiramer Acetate for the Treatment of Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis;…

admin — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 18:21:03 +0000

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released guidelines on antimicrobial agents for the treatment and postexposure prophylaxis of pertussis. The full report was published in the December 9, 2005, issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report and is available at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5414a1.htm.
Recommendations
The use of antibiotics and antimicrobial agents for postexposure prophylaxis eliminates Bordetella pertussis from the nasopharynx of infected persons. Early macrolide administration can reduce the duration and severity of symptoms and shorten the communicability period. Postexposure chemoprophylaxis can be given to asymptomatic contacts to prevent secondary cases, but symptomatic contacts should be treated as if they have pertussis.

Related Results

Popular prescription drugs

PFIZER.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)

The Boston Globe business briefs column.

Pfizer: growth amid adversity

Local Focus.(Business)

TREATMENT
Erythromycin, clarithromycin (Biaxin), and azithromycin (Zithromax) are preferred for the treatment of pertussis in persons one month and older. In thoses younger than one month, the use of erythromycin and clarithromycin is not recommended, and azithromycin is preferred. For patients two months and older, an alternative agent, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX [Bactrim, Septra]), is available.
When choosing an antimicrobial for treatment or prophylaxis, the following factors should be taken into account: effectiveness, safety, tolerability, ease of adherence, and cost. Azithromycin and clarithromycin are as effective as erythromycin for treatment of pertussis in patients six months and older. They also are better tolerated and are associated with fewer and milder side effects than erythromycin. However, erythromycin is available in generic form and is less expensive.
POSTEXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS
If there is no contraindication, a macrolide can be given as prophylaxis for persons who are in close contact with a patient who has pertussis. Before making a decision about postexposure chemoprophylaxis, the following factors should be evaluated: infectiousness, degree of exposure, potential consequences of severe pertussis in the contact, and possibilities for secondary exposure of persons at high risk (e.g., those younger than 12 months). Benefits should be weighed against the potential side effects of the drug.
Giving postexposure prophylaxis to asymptomatic household contacts within 21 days of the original patient’s cough onset can prevent symptomatic infection. Symptomatic household members should be treated as if they have pertussis. Postexposure prophylaxis should be administered in infants younger than 12 months or women in the third trimester of pregnancy, because they are at risk for severe and possibly deadly complications. The recommended antimicrobial agents and dosages for postexposure prophylaxis are the same as those for the treatment of pertussis (Table 1).
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved any macrolide for use in infants younger than six months. Information regarding the safety and effectiveness of azithromycin and clarithromycin use in this age group is limited.
Small clinical studies propose that azithromycin and clarithromycin are similarly effective in patients one to five months of age and in older infants and children. These limited trials support the use of azithromycin and clarithromycin as first-line agents in infants one to five months of age. This is because of their in vitro effectiveness against B. pertussis, their more convenient dosing, and their recognized safety and effectiveness in older children and adults. However, it should be noted that untreated infants with pertussis remain culture-positive for a longer duration than older children and adults.
SAFETY
A macrolide is contraindicated if there is a history of hypersensitivity. The common side effects of oral macrolides are gastrointestinal (e.g., nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and cramps, diarrhea, anorexia) and rashes. Side effects are more common and severe with erythromycin therapy.
Specific Antimicrobial Agents AZITHROMYCIN
Azithromycin is administered as a single daily dose, and it is classified as a Pregnancy Category B drug. Because they reduce absorption of azithromycin, antacids containing aluminum or magnesium should not be used by patients taking azithromycin. Physicians should be cautious about prescribing to patients with impaired hepatic function, and patients should be monitored if they also use agents that are metabolized by the cytochrome P450 enzyme system or other drugs for which pharmacokinetics change (e.g., digoxin, triazolam [Halcion], or ergot alkaloids). Possible side effects of azithromycin use include abdominal discomfort or pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, headache, and dizziness.
ERYTHROMYCIN
A 14-day course of erythromycin is recommended because relapses have been reported after completion of a seven-to 10-day treatment regimen. Erythromycin is classified as a Pregnancy Category B drug. Although animal reproduction studies have not demonstrated a risk to the fetus, no sufficient or well-controlled trials in humans exist.