Branded

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a treatment for diarrhea caused by a bacterial infection.

The agency announced the approval of Optimer Pharmaceuticals’ Dificid (fidaxomicin) tablets for the treatment of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea, also known as CDAD.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved an injectable gel for fecal incontinence, the agency said.

The FDA announced the approval of Oceana Therapeutics’ Solesta for patients who have involuntarily lost bowel control and for whom such therapies as diet change, fiber therapy and antimotility medications have failed.

Fecal incontinence affects more than 5.5 million Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health.

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Drug maker Johnson & Johnson plans to file for regulatory approval for 11 new drugs between 2011 and 2015, the company said Thursday in relation to a meeting between J&J’s executive committee and investors.

SAN DIEGO — Eli Lilly is temporarily barred from using the same sales team to market two diabetes drugs, under a court order issued Thursday.

WESTON, Mass. — Biogen Idec is looking to address the advantages and challenges female clinicians experience in treating patients living with multiple sclerosis through a new educational initiative.

BRUSSELS — UCB announced that it will add two members to its executive committee, effective July 1.

The drug maker said that Greg Duncan, currently SVP and president of UCB’s North American operations, and Jean-Christophe Tellier, who is joining the company from Ipsen, now are the heads of the U.S. and European commercial operations, respectively.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — Many people who provide care and support to loved ones said they are more likely to be nonadherent to their own personal medication regimen than to neglect providing medications to those they are caring for, according to a new study by researchers at Harvard University, Brigham and Women's Hospital and CVS Caremark. Given this, there's a significant opportunity for pharmacists and doctors to identify and work with caregivers to improve medication adherence and chronic disease management.

INDIANAPOLIS — Drug maker Eli Lilly is partnering with two private investor groups to form a new biotech company based in central Indiana, the company said Monday.

Lilly signed a deal with Care Capital and NovaQuest Capital to establish BioCritica, a privately held biotechnology company that will focus on continued U.S. development and commercialization of the severe sepsis treatment Xigris (drotrecogin alfa [activated]). The new company also will expand its portfolio of critical care medicines for hospitals.