New Products and Industry News

 Sales and distribution agreement reached

    Healthpoint (Fort Worth, Tex.) an affiliate company of DFB Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (San Antonio, Tex.) and Barrier Therapeutics, Inc. (Princeton, NJ) a biopharmaceutical company developing dermatology products, announced a product development and marketing agreement for Zimycan™, Barrier’s antifungal ointment. The topical petrolatum-based antifungal agent contains a 0.25% miconazole nitrate and zinc oxide. The ointment is for the treatment of infants with Candida-associated diaper dermatitis, an inflammatory disease in which an infant’s diaper rash is complicated with an infection caused by Candida fungus.

    Under the terms of the agreement, Healthpoint will retain the right to market the product for all approved indications to healthcare institutions in the US and Canada, including hospitals, convalescent facilities, extended and long-term care facilities, and nursing homes.

    For more information, visit www.healthpoint.com. 

Drug fights complicated skin and soft tissue infections

    Pfizer Inc. (New York, NY) announced that treatment with ZYVOX® (linezolid injection, tablets, and oral suspension) for complicated skin and soft tissue infections (cSSTIs) caused by suspected or proven methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) resulted in higher cure rates and decreased healthcare costs compared with intravenous (IV) vancomycin, according to a US sub-analysis of data presented at the annual Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) meeting. This product provides the only oral therapy approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for complicated skin and soft tissue infections (cSSTIs) caused by MRSA.

    The drug was initially approved in the US in April 2000 to treat infections in adults with susceptible strains of designated organisms, complicated skin and skin structure infections, and nosocomial pneumonia caused by MRSA.

    For more information, visit www.pfizer.com or www.zyvox.com. 

Pain-relieving traction boot stabilizes leg

    DM Systems Inc., (Evanston, Ill.) Heelift® Traction Boot applies traction to stabilize femur fractures before surgery and provides elevation support when the patient is unable to control the leg. The boot delivers up to 10 lb of skin traction to relieve fracture-related pain. The boot also helps prevent heel and lateral malleolar ulcer development. Removing the traction straps, bar, and rope after surgery converts the boot to a traditional heel pressure prevention boot.

    Each traction boot comes with a customizable foam boot with fixed elevation pad, a spare pad with adhesive backing, Velcro® side traction straps, and a removable traction bar and rope.

    For more information, call (800) 254-5438 or visit www.dmsystems.com. 

Nutritional supplement supports immune system

    Nestle Nutrition’s (Glendale, Calif.) Crucial® Diet is a ready-to-use complete or supplemental tube feeding diet specifically formulated for immune support of critically ill patients or those with Stage III and Stage IV pressure ulcers and/or nonhealing wounds. The product is formulated to meet the complex nutritional and immune-supporting needs of patients suffering from trauma, major surgery, hypermetabolism, burns, malabsorption, head injury, and chronic pressure ulcers. The supplement also may be useful as a dual feeding with total parenteral nutrition (TPN) or as a transitional diet from TPN.

    For more information, visit www.nestleclinicalnutrition.com.