Lucy Malmberg, Wedgewood Executive Vice President and Corporate Secretary/Treasurer, Named to USP Board
Two new members were recently elected and one alumni representative was appointed to serve on the board of trustees of University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. The responsibilities of USP's board of trustees include approving the University's strategic plans and ensuring their consistency with the institution's mission and goals. Dr. Frank Baldino, Jr., and Dr. Raj Lakhanpal will serve as members at-large, and Lucy Malmberg as the alumni representative. READ MORE

Pet Incontinence is Treatable
When an older dog loses her house-training, some owners fear it may be a sign that the end is near. No one wants urine puddles in their home, but concerns about senility, diabetes and cancer also play a large role. Fear of bad news about a beloved pet can sometimes drive owners away from their vet's office and drive pets to the backyard...Fortunately, urinary incontinence is often a relatively easy condition to treat. READ MORE

FDA's Regulatory Extensions: An Overburdened Agency Assigns Itself New Responsibilities
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been given far-reaching responsibilities by Congress. FDA regulates a vast array of products, including foods, drugs, devices, animal drugs, biologicals, and radiationemitting products. The value of FDA-regulated products is estimated at around $1.5 trillion annually. The sheer scope of these oversight responsibilities would strain any organization. READ MORE

Macular Degeneration Clinical Trial
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a condition that affects the light-sensitive cells in the central area of the eye's retina, called the macula. The macula is responsible for clear, central vision and fine details. As these cells die, people have difficulty with tasks like reading, driving, and eventually, recognizing faces. READ MORE

Cyclosporine Therapy in Veterinary Dermatology
Treating canine and feline dermatoses with cyclosporine has been the subject of great interest in recent years. Many studies have focused on canine atopic dermatitis, and now there is substantial evidence that cyclosporine is efficacious in treating this common condition. In addition, cyclosporine has been used to treat a number of recalitrant skin diseases, ranging from canine perianal fistulas to feline eosinophilic granuloma complex.

Cyclosporine is a potent immunomodulating polypeptide originally isolated from the soil fungus Tolypocladium inflatum. By inhibiting the production of IL-2, IL-4 and other cytokines, cyclosporine is effective in controlling the inflammation associated with many allergic and immune-mediated skin diseases. READ MORE

Fifth Circuit Medical Center Pharmacy v. Mukasey Decision Creates Circuit Split Over FDCA § 503A Pharmacy Compounding “Safe Harbor"
When Congress enacted the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act ("FDCA") in 1938, it required New Drug Applications ("NDAs") for "any" new drug. At the time, approximately half of the drugs in this country were compounded, not manufactured. Today, while the percentage of compounded prescriptions has dropped significantly, millions of compounded drugs are dispensed each year. One unresolved legal question was whether the NDA requirements applied to compounded drugs. On July 18th, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit announced its answer to the question in Medical Center Pharmacy v. Mukasey. READ MORE

Senators Join Thousands of Patients, Doctors, Pharmacists in Supporting Women's Access to Critical Hormone Treatments
The International Acedemy of Compounding Pharmacists (IACP) today [July 15, 2008] joined hundreds of thousands of women and doctors in applauding the introduction of S. Con. Res. 88, a resolution stating that "the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) new policy restricting women's access to medications containing estriol does not serve the public interest" and calling on the FDA to "reverse its policy." READ MORE

Wedgewood Pharmacy Compounds for the Entire Family - Four-Legged and Otherwise
As a nation, we love our pets. A glance at recent statistics details this love affair. According to the 2007-2008 National Pet Owners Survey, about 63 percent of us own a pet, with dogs slightly edging out cats for most popular animal companions. We pamper them in new and ever more fantastic ways, grooming their fur with celebrity products, serving up gourmet dinners, toting them to pet-friendly hotels and tracking their whereabouts with computerized ID tags. We're not stingy when it comes to caring for them either, shelling out almost $41 billion on them in 2007. We spent $10 billion on veterinary care, and if Lucky, Rusty, Buddy or Tweety received a prescription, Wedgewood Pharmacy may have filled it. READ MORE

Pharmacist Associations Partner to Increase the Voice of Pharmacy
The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) and the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists (IACP) are collaborating to increase the legislative and regulatory clout of pharmacists who engage in compounding. IACP has established a satellite office at NCPA's headquarters, which is led by their Director of Public Affairs, Sarah R. Dodge. In addition, since both groups share common concerns about federal government policies regarding pharmacy compounding, they will be able to better unite in conveying a message to elected and appointed federal officials about how patients can be hurt or helped by their pharmacy compounding decisions. READ MORE

FDA Contradicts Genentech on Eye Drug
An FDA letter to Senate investigators appears to contradict one of Genentech's main reasons for restricting the distribution of its cancer drug Avastin. Last year, the company said it would no longer sell the drug to compounding pharmacies, which repackage Avastin for use in patients with eye disease. In an open letter, the company said it was making the switch in part because the FDA inspectors' concerns that some batches of the drug didn't meet standards for use in the eye. READ MORE

Trilostane: A Therapeutic Consideration for Canine Hyperadrenocorticism
More than 85% of dogs have shown both clinical and biochemical improvement (decreased alkaline phosphatase activity and cholesterol concentration) after a month of trilostane therapy, with substantial improvements in post-ACTH stimulation cortisol concentrations. Survival times for patients treated with trilostane (662 to 930 days) compare favorably with those receiving mitotane (708 days). READ MORE

Patients, Doctors, Pharmacists Praise Bipartisan House Resolution on Compounded Hormones Containing Estriol
The International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists joined hundreds of thousands of women and doctors in applauding the introduction of H. Con. Res. 342, a bipartisan resolution stating that "the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) new policy restricting women's access to medications containing estriol does not serve the public interest" and calling on the FDA to "reverse its policy." READ MORE