PHARM.D

FDA Drug Safety Communication: Voluntary market withdrawal of Xigris [drotrecogin alfa (activated)] due to failure to show a survival benefit The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is informing healthcare professionals and the public that on October 25, 2011, Eli Lilly and Company announced a worldwide voluntary market withdrawal of Xigris [drotrecogin alfa (activated)]. In a recent study, Xigris failed to show a survival benefit for patients with severe sepsis and septic shock.  Xigris treatment should not be started in new patients. Xigris treatment should be stopped in patients being treated with Xigris.   All remaining Xigris product should be returned to the supplier from whom it was purchased.   In a recently completed clinical trial (PROWESS-SHOCK trial), Xigris failed to show a survival benefit. In this trial of 1696 patients, 851 patients were enrolled in the Xigris arm and 845 patients were enrolled in the placebo arm. Results based on preliminary analyse...

 FDA approves first cord blood product The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved HEMACORD, the first licensed hematopoietic progenitor cells-cord (HPC-C) cell therapy. HEMACORD is indicated for use in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation procedures in patients with disorders affecting the hematopoietic (blood forming) system. For example, cord blood transplants have been used to treat patients with certain blood cancers and some inherited metabolic and immune system disorders. "The use of cord blood hematopoietic progenitor cell therapy offers potentially life-saving treatment options for patients with these types of disorders," said Karen Midthun, M.D., director, FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. HEMACORD contains hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) from human cord blood. Cord blood is one of three sources of HPCs used in transplants; the other two are bone marrow and peripheral blood. Once these HPCs are infused into patients, the ce...