The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 269 No 7214 p317
7 September 2002

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Products

Prescription Products
• Vfend tablets and infusion
• Faulding products
• Pulmicort NebuChamber
Supply problems
• Kloref tablets

Prescription Products

Vfend tablets and infusion

Composition: Voriconazole tablets 50mg and 200mg, infusion 200mg (10mg/ml).

Presentation: Tablets; powder for solution for infusion.

Class: Antifungal.

Indications: Treatment of invasive aspergillosis, fluconazole-resistant serious invasive Candida infections (including C krusei), serious fungal infections caused by Scedosporium spp and Fusarium spp. Voriconazole should be administered primarily to immunocompromised patients with progressive, possibly life-threatening infections.

Dosage: Loading dose (every 12 hours for the first 24 hours), intravenously 6mg/kg, orally 400mg for patients 40kg and over and 200mg for patients less than 40kg. Maintenance dose (after first 24 hours), intravenously 4mg/kg twice daily, orally 200mg twice daily for patients 40kg and over and 100mg twice daily for patients under 40kg. See SPC for dose adjustments.

Major cautions and contra-indications: Voriconazole is not recommended in children under 2 years of age. Co-administration of voriconazole with any of the following drugs is contraindicated: Terfenadine, astemizole, cisapride, pimozide, quinidine, rifampicin, carbamazepine, ergotamine, dihydroergotamine, phenobarbital, and sirolimus. Concomitant use of vori-conazole with phenytoin, and vori-conazole with rifabutin should be avoided unless the benefit outweighs the risk. Voriconazole must not be used during pregnancy unless the benefit to the mother clearly outweighs the potential risk to the foetus. Breast-feeding must be stopped on inititation of treatment with voriconazole.

Side effects: Very common (> 10 per cent) undesirable effects are fever, headache, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, peripheral oedema, rash and visual disturbances.

Legal category: POM.

Net price: Tablets 50mg 28 £227.84, 200mg 28 £911.36; vials 1 £77.14.

Contact details: Pfizer, Walton Oaks, Dorking Road, Tadworth, Surrey KT20 7NS. Tel 01737 331535, fax 01737 332507.

See SPC for further details.

Faulding products

Faulding Pharmaceuticals has launched the following products:

• Mitoxantrone sterile concentrate 20mg/10ml; net price, 1 vial £100

• Fluorouracil injection 1g/20ml; net price, 5 vials £64

Pulmicort NebuChamber

Packs of pulmicort (budesonide) 200µg inhalers containing a Nebu-Chamber, a small volume spacer are now available (AstraZeneca).

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Supply problems

Kloref tablets

Kloref tablets, pack size 50, are back in stock (Alpharma). They are available in Cox Pharmaceuticals livery.

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