Health Systems Product News

29-Gauge Needle for Copaxone (glatiramer acetate injection)

Teva Pharmaceuticals (North Wales, PA) recently launched a new, thinner 29-Gauge Prefilled Syringe for Copaxone. The product is indicated for reduction of the frequency of relapses in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). A recent survey of 562 patients with MS found that the new thinner needlewas significantly preferred by 77% of patients over the previous 27-gauge needle. The recommended dose of Copaxone is 20 mg/day injected subcutaneously. The product is supplied as a single-use prefilled syringe containing 1.0 mL of a clear, colorless to slightly yellow, sterile, nonpyrogenic solution containing 20 mg of glatiramer acetate and 40 mg of mannitol, USP in cartons of 30 single-use prefilled syringes. For more information, visit www.copaxone.com.

Precedex (dexmedetomidine HCl) Injection

Hospira Inc (Lake Forest, IL) recentlyreceived FDA approval for PrecedexInjection for use in nonintubatedpatients requiring sedation prior toand/or during surgical and other procedures.The product also is indicatedfor sedation of initially intubated andmechanically ventilated patients duringtreatment in an intensive caresetting. Precedex Injection should beadministered by continuous infusionnot to exceed 24 hours. For intensivecare unit sedation, clinicians should generally initiate at 1mcg/kg over 10 minutes, followed by a maintenance infusionof 0.2 mcg/kg to 0.7 mcg/kg per hour. For proceduralsedation, clinicians should generally initiate at 1 mcg/kg over 10 minutes, followed by a maintenance infusioninitiated at 0.6 mcg/kg per hour and titrated to achievedesired clinical effect with doses ranging from 0.2 mcg/kgto 1 mcg/kg per hour. For more information, visit www.hospira.com, or call 877-9HOSPIRA (877-946-7747).