Weekly Industry News – Pharma & Healthcare

Pharma & Healthcare – the latest on FDA approval, Sanofi, Biotech drugs, and more.

Maine Goes Rogue on Importing Prescription Drugs by Megan McArdle  Posted on Bloomberg.com

Maine has decided to allow importing of prescription drugs from countries that control the prices of said drugs. The result will be a discount for Maine residents, some decrease in the incentives and money for drug discovery and, eventually, some sort of government or private action that shuts down this gambit. Maine is not the first U.S. state government that has decided it would be nice to run its own trade policy… [ Read More ]

Gov. Brown of California Vetoes Biotech Drug Bill by  ANDREW POLLACK Posted on NYTimes.com

The first year of skirmishes in state legislatures over bills that would govern the use of cheaper versions of expensive biotechnology drugs is nearly over. Health insurers and generic drug companies have prevailed in most states over brand-name pharmaceutical companies. Their latest victory came in dramatic fashion on Saturday, when Gov. Jerry Brown of California vetoed a bill that had passed both houses of the legislature with overwhelming bipartisan support, but that critics said would limit the use of less expensive drugs… [ Read More ]

Sanofi’s Nasacort Allergy 24HR nasal spray receives FDA approval for over-the-counter use by news-medical.net on news-medical.net

Sanofi  announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Nasacort® Allergy 24HR nasal spray as an over-the-counter (OTC) treatment for seasonal and year-round nasal allergies in adults and children 2 years of age and older. Nasacort is the first and only medicine in its class to be available without a prescription and will be marketed by Sanofi’s consumer healthcare division, Chattem, Inc. “We believe there is significant value in making certain types of medicines, like Nasacort, directly available to consumers,” said Anne Whitaker, President, North America Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi US.  “Allergy sufferers will benefit from having an additional treatment option and it’s a strong addition to our existing consumer health portfolio.” [Read More ]

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