Pharmacy

The World Health Organization published an updated list of essential medicines July 9, adding 28 drugs for adults and 23 medicines for children.

Sandoz, a generics and biosimilar unit of Novartis, will make its generic epinephrine shots immediately available for sale in U.S. retail pharmacies as a shortage of Mylan's lifesaving allergy treatment EpiPen drags on.

The FDA has approved 13 novel medicines in 2019, compared to 2018 when there were 20 new molecular entity approvals by July 1, according to the Eye on FDA blog. 

Altaire Pharmaceuticals is recalling several lots of over-the-counter eyedrops and ointments exclusively sold at Walmart and Walgreens due to sterility concerns.

A federal judge has blocked an HHS rule that would force pharmaceutical companies to include the list prices of their drugs in direct-to-consumer advertisements, according to CNBC.

Cardinal Health's CFO Jorge Gomez will step down from his role Aug. 9 to join Dentsply Sirona, a dental products maker, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

Illinois paid $4.7 million to more than 70 independent pharmacies to help offset inadequate reimbursement from filling prescriptions for Medicaid beneficiaries, according to The State Journal-Register. 

Acer Therapeutics, a rare-disease drugmaker, has cut 60 percent of its workforce two weeks after the FDA refused to approve its lead drug candidate Edsivo for a rare connective tissue disorder.

Fresenius Kabi has recalled two lots of its chemotherapy drug fluorouracil after glass particulate was discovered in five vials. 

PharMEDium Services is recalling 45 lots of its injectable hydromorphone because they were classified as sulfite-free, but the products contain sulfites.