December Product News

Nicardipine Hydrochloride Injection

Teva Pharmaceuticals(NorthWales, PA) recentlyintroduced the firstgeneric NicardipineHydrochlorideInjection.The productis AP-rated toEKR TherapeuticsInc's Cardene I.V.Nicardipine HydrochlorideInjection isa calcium channelblocker indicatedfor the short-termtreatment of hypertension when oraltherapy is not feasible or desirable.The product is intended for intravenoususe. The dosage for NicardipineHydrochloride Injection must be individualizeddepending on the severity ofhypertension and the response of thepatient during dosing. Blood pressure(BP) and heart rate should be monitoredboth during and after the infusionto avoid tachycardia or too rapid orexcessive reduction in either systolicor diastolic BP. The product is availablein 25-mg (2.5 mg/mL) single-doseamber glass vials. For more information,visit www.tevausa.com, or call888-TEVA USA (888-838-2872).

High-Alert Line Tracing Labels

EPS Inc (Ivyland, PA) recently addedto its line of High-Alert Line TracingLabels. The product line is designed tocall attention to medications requiringspecial handling both in the pharmacyand at the patient's bedside. The pharmacyplaces the entire label on anintravenous (IV) infusion container orits overwrap. When the medication isadministered at the bedside, the nursingstaff applies the 2 IV line labels toeach end of the IV tubing. This facilitateseasy line traces, improves accuracy,and minimizes IV line confusion.In response to pharmacists and nurses,the company has added 6 new labelsto its existing line of 4 different labels.The labels include Paralytic, Narcotic,Oxytocin, Magnesium Sulfate, IVNutrition, and "blank." For more information,visit www.medidose.com, orcall 800-523-8966.

Alimta (pemetrexed forinjection)

Eli Lilly and Co (Indianapolis, IN)recently received FDA approval forAlimta, in combination with cisplatin,in the first-line treatment of locallyadvanced and metastatic non?smallcell lung cancer (NSCLC) for patientswith nonsquamous histology. The productis not indicated for the treatment ofpatients with squamous cell NSCLC.Alimta also is indicated as a singleagent for the treatment of patientswith locally advanced or metastaticnonsquamous NSCLC after prior chemotherapy,and in combination withcisplatin for the treatment of patientswith malignant pleural mesotheliomawhose disease is unresectable or whoare otherwise not candidates for curativesurgery. The recommended doseof Alimta in combination with cisplatinfor NSCLC and malignant pleuralmesothelioma is 500 mg/m² administeredas an intravenous (IV) infusionover 10 minutes on day 1 of each 21-daycycle. The recommended dose of cisplatinis 75 mg/m² infused over 2 hoursbeginning approximately 30 minutesafter the end of Alimta administration.For single-agent use, the recommendeddose of Alimta is 500 mg/m² administeredas an IV infusion over 10 minuteson day 1 of each 21-day cycle. For moreinformation, visit www.alimta.com, orcall 800-LILLY-RX (800-545-5979).

Vaprisol (conivaptan hydrochloride injection)

Premixed in 5% DextroseAstellas Pharma US Inc (Deerfield, IL)recently announced FDA approval for anew premixed formulation—VaprisolPremixed in 5% Dextrose. Vaprisol, anarginine vasopressin receptor antagonist,is the first and only approved drugindicated for the treatment of botheuvolemic and hypervolemic hyponatremiain hospitalized patients. The 100-mL, single-use premixed formulation ofVaprisol comes in Baxter HealthcareCorp's Intravia Container containing20 mg of conivaptan hydrochloride in5% dextrose solution. The new formulationwill make preparation easier forhealth care providers, as it requires nomeasuring or mixing. Furthermore, ithas an expiration date of 24 months—6months longer than the original ampuleformulation. For more information,visit www.vaprisol.com.