The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 274 No 7332 p40
15 January 2005

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Paracetamol infusion given the green light in Scotland

Paracetamol infusion (Perfalgan), launched last year (PJ, 24 April 2004, p498), has been given the green light for use within NHS Scotland by the Scottish Medicines Consortium.

In guidance issued last month, the SMC also recommended that four other products be accepted for use:

· Rosiglitazone maleate/metformin hydrochloride (Avandamet) for type 2 diabetes
· Rituximab (MabThera) for stage III-IV follicular lymphoma
· Etomidate (Lipuro) for general anaesthesia
· Miglustat (Zavesca) for Type 1 Gaucher’s disease

Laronidase (Aldurazyme), a product used for mucopolysaccharidosis I and granted orphan drug status by European regulators, was not approved for use by the SMC.
Products approved for restricted use were:

· Creon micro (Creon) for pancreatic exocrine insufficiency in infants unable to swallow capsules
· Eplerenone (Inspra) for cardiovascular
disease in patients with left ventricular dysfunction who cannot tolerate
spironolactone
· Voriconazole (Vfend) for invasive fungal infections primarily in immunocompromised patients with progressive, possibly life-threatening infections
· Ertapenem (Invanz) as second- or third-line treatment of adults with community acquired abdominal infections resistant to conventional treatments