Branded

WASHINGTON — The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on Wednesday released a staff report on the investigation into the gray market for pharmaceuticals — what the committee defined as "shady operators who make enormous profits by buying hard-to-find drugs and reselling them at huge markups" — specifically naming pharmacies as a primary culprit.

NEW YORK — An experimental drug under development by Pfizer and a unit of Johnson & Johnson does not appear effective in Alzheimer's disease patients who carry a certain genotype, according to results of a late-stage clinical trial announced by Pfizer on Tuesday.

NEW YORK — A district court ruled in favor of Pfizer and Northwestern University in a patent infringement case relating to Lyrica (pregabalin).

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug made by Forest Labs for treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the agency said.

The FDA announced the approval of Tudorza Pressair (aclidinium bromide) for the long-term maintenance of COPD-related narrowing of the airways in the lung, also known as bronchospasm. The drug is an inhaled dry powder used twice per day.

NEW YORK — A drug made by Pfizer for treating pain disorders doesn't affect men's reproductive functions, according to a new post-approval clinical study.

The drug maker announced Monday the results of study A0081104 of Lyrica (pregabalin), which compared the drug with placebo in healthy males to assess its effects on sperm production. The phase-4 study was required by the Food and Drug Administration.

EAST HANOVER, N.J. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new use for a Novartis cancer drug.

The drug maker said Friday that the FDA had approved Afinitor (everolimus) combined with exemestane for postmenopausal women with advanced hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer who have failed treatment with letrozole or anastrozole.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Less than one-third of people take the basic steps necessary to preserve eye sight, according to a Bausch + Lomb global survey released last week. Though if forced to choose, people would rather lose their sense of taste (79%), hearing (78%), one of their limbs (68%) or 10 years off their life (67%) instead of their eyesight.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug for treating multiple myeloma, the agency said Friday.