New Products

Approval of Actonel monthly 2-day dosage

Postmenopausal patients taking Actonel (risedronate sodium) will soon have the option of swallowing just two tablets monthly, a 75-mg tablet on 2 consecutive days to treat their osteoporosis or prevent it. Now that the Food and Drug Administration has approved the new dosage, the product is expected to be on the market by early summer.

In the clinical trial comparing this new dosage of Actonel with 5 mg daily of Actonel, the most common adverse events were arthalgia, dyspepsia (9.1% vs. 7.3%), and back pain. Any dose of this product is contraindicated in patients with hypocalcemia, renal problems, or those who cannot stand or sit upright for 30 minutes. The product is marketed by The Alliance for Better Bone Health, an alliance between Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals and Sanofi-Aventis U.S. For more information, visit the product Web site at http://www.actonel.com/.

A Pap-like screen for breast disease?

The newly introduced HALO Breast Pap Test System is the first automatic, noninvasive breast disease screening device designed for the primary-care office setting, according to NeoMatrix (Irvine, Calif.). Designed to detect abnormal cells in the breast years earlier than a lesion might be found on a mammogram or during a clinical breast exam, the HALO System aims to make it easier to identify benign breast disease, said to be an important risk factor for breast cancer.

Launched in January, the 5-minute office-based test has been FDA cleared for the collection of nipple aspirate fluid (NAF) for cytological evaluation for determining normal versus premalignant cells. To collect samples for lab analysis, gentle suction similar to that of a breast pump is used. Ob/gyns may find the test especially useful for assessing specific risk in younger women who are not yet getting mammograms or who are at an age when mammograms are less sensitive. Patients identified as high risk can then be referred to a surgeon or breast center. For further information, visit http://www.neomatrix.com/.

Fast-acting topical gel anesthetic

Cetacaine is a fast-acting, long-lasting prescription topical anesthetic for enhancing patient comfort for a wide range of hospital-based applications, including vaginal and rectal procedures. The gel's three active ingredients are benzocaine (14%), butamben (2%), and tetracaine hydrochloride (2%). The anesthesia starts working within 20 seconds and promotes a deep penetrating anesthesia that lasts up to 30 to 60 minutes. The product is indicated for all accessible mucous membranes except the eyes. For more information, call 1-800-257-7740 or visit the company's Web site at http://www.cetylite.com/.