The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 274 No 7355 p787
25 June 2005

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Products

New medicines
• Azilect
Prescription Products
• Aranesp SureClick
• Inegy
• Mirtazapine tablets
Discontinued products
• Colestyramine
• Relifex dispersible

Recall Staril tablets
Alert Blood glucose meters

New medicines

Azilect
Composition: Rasagiline (as mesilate).
Presentation: 1mg tablets.
Class: Monoamine oxidase-B inhibitor.
Indications: Treatment of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease as monotherapy (without levodopa) or as adjunct therapy (with levodopa) in patients with end of dose fluctuations.
Dosage: 1mg once daily with or without levodopa.
Precautions: Use in patients with moderate hepatic impairment should be avoided, as should concomitant use of rasagiline and fluoxetine or fluvoxamine. Concomitant use of rasagiline and dextromethorphan or sympathomimetics is not recommended. Any suspicious skin lesions should be evaluated by a specialist.
Contraindications: Concomitant treatment with other monoamine oxidase inhibitors or pethidine. Patients with severe hepatic insufficiency.
Side effects: Monotherapy: very common (>1/10) headache; common (>1/100, <1/10) include flu syndrome, dyspepsia and depression. Adjunct therapy: very common dyskinesia; common include abdominal pain and postural hypotension. See SPC.
Legal category: POM.
Net price: 28 tablets, £70.72.
Contact details: Teva Pharmaceuticals, Barclays House, 1 Gatehouse Way, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP19 8DB. Tel 01296 719768.
Lundbeck, Lundbeck House, Caldecotte Lake Business Park, Caldecotte, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK7 8LF. Tel 01908 649966.
Azilect will be available from 4 July.

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Prescription Products

Aranesp SureClick
Aranesp (darbepoetin alfa;Amgen) solution for injection is now available in a pre-filled pen device for single use, called Aranesp SureClick. Net price, 1 pen, 20µg in 0.5ml £31.17, 40µg in 0.4ml £62.34, 60µg in 0.3ml £93.51, 80µg in 0.4ml £124.68, 100µg in 0.5ml £155.85, 150µg in 0.3ml £233.78, 300µg in 0.6ml £467.55, 500µg in 1ml £779.25. Legal category: POM.

Inegy
Inegy (ezetimibe and simvastatin) tablets have been launched jointly by Merck Sharp & Dohme and Schering-Plough. Net price, 28 tablets, 10/20mg £33.42, 10/40mg £38.98, 10/80mg £41.21. Legal category:POM.

Mirtazapine tablets
Mirtazapine tablets will be available from Genus Pharmaceuticals from 1 July; net price, 15mg, 30mg or 45mg, 28 tablets, £17.49. Legal category: POM.

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Discontinued products

Colestyramine
PLIVA Pharma is discontinuing colestyramine 4g sachets, packs of 60, when current stocks are exhausted. The 50 sachet packs remain available. Details on 01730 710910.

Relifex dispersible
Relifex (nabumetone; Meda) dispersible tablets will be discontinued from 1 July.

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