The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 273 No 7311 p183
7 August 2004

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Products

New medicines
• Telzir
• Vaniqa
• Quinapril tablets
Discontinued products
• Algicon
• Farlutal tablets
Supply issues
• Eldepryl syrup
Products miscellany
• Pro-Epanutin livery
• Sotacor appearance

New medicines

Telzir
Composition: Fosamprenavir calcium.
Presentation: Film-coated tablets.
Action: Protease inhibitor.
Indications: In combination with low dose ritonavir for the treatment of HIV-1 infected adults in combination with other antiretrovirals.
Dosage: 700mg fosamprenavir twice daily with 100mg ritonavir twice daily, in combination with other antiretriviral agents. See SPC.
Precautions: Fosamprenavir must only be given with low dose ritonavir as a pharmacokinetic enhancer of amprenavir and in combination with other antiretroviral agents. The SPC for ritonavir must be consulted before initiation of therapy. Must not be administered concomitantly with other products containing amprenavir. Patients should be advised that they may still develop opportunistic infections and other complications.
Contraindications:Co-administration with rifampicin or preparations containing St John’s wort. Severe hepatic impairment.Co-administration with drugs with narrow therapeutic windows that are substrates of cytochrome CYP3A4 or those highly dependent on CYP2D6 metabolism.
Side effects: Include headache, dizziness, diarrhoea, rash, fatigue.
Legal category: POM
Net price: 700mg 60 £295.61
Contact details: GlaxoSmithKline, Stockley Park West, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB11 1BT (tel 020 8990 9000).

Vaniqa
Composition: Eflornithine hydrochloride 11.5 per cent w/w.
Presentation: Cream.
Action: Inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase.
Indications: Treatment of facial hirsutism in women.
Dosage: Twice daily application of a thin layer of cream, at least eight hours between applications.
Precautions: Underlying disorders or medicines that may cause excessive hair growth should be considered. Avoid contact with eyes or mucous membranes.
Side effects: Acne.
Legal category: POM.
Net price: 30g £26.04
Contact details: Shire Pharmaceuticals, Hampshire International Business Park, Chineham, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG24 8EP (tel 01256 894000).

Quinapril tablets
Quinapril tablets are now available from Genus Pharmaceuticals, net price, 5mg 28 £7.99, 10mg 28 £7.99, 20mg 28 £9.99.

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Discontinued products

Algicon
Algicon (compound alginate) tablets will be discontinued when stocks are exhausted (Aventis). The company expects this to be at the end of September. Any outstanding orders will be cancelled at that time. Queries should be directed to customer services on 0870 5133347.

Farlutal tablets
Farlutal (medroxyprogesterone acetate) tablets will be unavailable after 1 October (Pharmacia). Farlutal injection will remain available.

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Supply issues

Eldepryl syrup
Eldepryl (selegiline hydrochloride) syrup is currently out of stock (Orion). The company expects stock to become available again during September. Eldepryl tablets remain available.

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Products miscellany

Pro-Epanutin livery
Pro-Epanutin (fosphenytoin sodium) ampoules, currently packaged under Parke-Davis livery, will change to standard Pfizer livery from 26 August (Pfizer). All orders received for shipment up to this date will continue to be fulfilled with existing Parke-Davis stock. The price is unaffected by this change. Details on 01304 645262.

Sotacor appearance
Sotacor (sotalol hydrochloride) tablets 80mg and 160mg have changed in appearance owing to a new formulation (Bristol-Myers Squibb). The tablets are now round and biconvex, scored on one side and engraved on the other side with “80” or “160”. The 80mg tablet is now smaller than the old formulation and the 160mg tablet is larger. See SPC.

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