Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., launches Liquid Formulation of TREANDA (bendamustine HCI) Injection in U.S.
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., today announced the commercial availability of a liquid formulation of TREANDA® (bendamustine HCI) Injection. This new liquid formulation removes the step of reconstituting lyophilized powder with sterile water prior to adding the required dose of medicine to the infusion bag and administering to a patient. By eliminating the need for reconstitution, preparation time for healthcare professionals is reduced.
“TREANDA® continues to play a valuable role in the treatment of patients with CLL or indolent B-cell NHL that has progressed during or within six months of treatment with rituximab or a rituximab-containing regimen,” said Paul Rittman, Vice President and General Manager, Teva Oncology. “With the new liquid formulation of TREANDA®, we are not only building on the legacy of this important product, but also furthering Teva’s commitment to continuously improving our medicines.”
Indications
TREANDA® is indicated for the treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Efficacy relative to first-line therapies other than chlorambucil has not been established.
TREANDA® is indicated for the treatment of patients with indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) that has progressed during or within six months of treatment with rituximab or a rituximab-containing regimen.
Important Safety Information
Allergic Reactions: Patients with a known allergic response to bendamustine should not take TREANDA®.
Serious Side Effects: TREANDA® may cause serious side effects, including low blood cell counts, infections, unexpected responses to TREANDA® when placed in your blood, sudden and severe allergic responses, kidney failure due to fast breakdown of cancer cells, other cancers, and leaking of TREANDA® out of your vein and into your surrounding skin. Some of these side effects, such as low blood counts, infections, and severe allergic skin responses (when TREANDA® was given with allopurinol and other medications known to cause severe allergic skin responses), have caused death. Tell your doctor right away if you have any of these side effects.
Changes in Therapy: Some serious side effects may require changes in therapy, such as lowering the amount of TREANDA® given, stopping the use of TREANDA®, or waiting longer than expected between doses of TREANDA®.
Pregnancy: Women should avoid becoming pregnant while using TREANDA® because it may cause fetal harm if you take TREANDA® while pregnant.
Most Common Side Effects: The most common non-blood-related side effects associated with TREANDA® (occurring in ≥15% of patients) are nausea, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, constipation, loss of appetite, cough, headache, weight loss, difficulty breathing, rash, and mouth irritation. The most common blood-related side effects associated with TREANDA® (frequency ≥15%) are decreased number of three different types of white blood cells (infection-fighting cells), low red blood cells (oxygen-carrying cells), and low platelets (blood-clotting cells).
About TREANDA® (bendamustine HCI) Injection
TREANDA® was approved by the FDA for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in March 2008. Efficacy relative to first line therapies other than chlorambucil has not been established. TREANDA® received its second approval in October 2008 for the treatment of patients with indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) that has progressed during or within six months of treatment with rituximab or a rituximab-containing regimen.
TREANDA® has a unique chemical structure that is synthesized to combine an alkylating group and a purine-like benzimidazole component. Though the exact mechanism of action of TREANDA® remains unknown, bendamustine is active against both quiescent and dividing cells. Preclinical studies suggest that TREANDA® may lead to cell death by a process known as apoptosis (programmed cell death) as well as by an alternate cell death pathway which disrupts normal cell division known as mitotic catastrophe (a non-apoptotic pathway).
Source : http://www.tevapharm.com/
