Branded

NEW YORK — Google has removed advertisements for websites that sell drugs without prescriptions, following a series of warning letters from a state attorney general, according to published reports.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens on Wednesday reached an agreement settling DEA concerns relating to the distribution and dispensing of controlled substances. The company released the following statement from Kermit Crawford, president of pharmacy, health and wellness:

PHILADELPHIA — The Annals of Internal Medicine on Tuesday published a study comparing generic utilization of common diabetes medications across two government programs — Medicare Part D and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Medicare's use of brand-name medicines was two to three times greater than the VA.

According to the study, the disparity comes out of Medicare's reliance on private plans with distinct formularies, whereas the VA administers its own benefit using a national formulary.

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. — Aceto Corp. will sell an authorized generic version of a drug used to treat a rare but devastating degenerative disorder.

Aceto said it would launch the authorized generic version of Covis Pharma's Rilutek (riluzole) tablets in the 50-mg strength through its Rising Pharmaceuticals subsidiary. The drug is used to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Sales of the drug were about $64 million in 2012, according to Aceto.

RICHMOND, Va. — Misperceptions and stereotypes about opioid dependence that may affect how it's treated have persisted among the general public and physicians, despite increased attention devoted to the issue, according to a new survey.

LONDON — Anglo-Swedish drug maker AstraZeneca will pay up to $1.15 billion for a U.S. developer of drugs for respiratory diseases, AstraZeneca said Monday.

The company announced that it would buy Redwood City, Calif.-based Pearl Therapeutics, which has an inhaled drug for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, called PT003 (formoterol fumarate; glycopyrrolate), in late-stage clinical development.

LEXINGTON, Mass. — Drug maker Amag Pharmaceuticals has licensed the U.S. commercial rights to a treatment for a common side effect of cancer treatments from another company, Amag said Monday.

Amag said it licensed the rights for MuGard, used to treat oral mucositis, a condition that affects about 400,000 cancer patients each year. The drug is an oral mucoadhesive that works by creating a gel coating over the oral mucosa to shield the membranes of the mouth and tongue.

PHILADELPHIA — A joint Food and Drug Administration expert panel voted to recommend keeping a controversial GlaxoSmithKline diabetes drug available for certain patients, GSK said.