Here are a few brief news related to healthcare & pharmaceutical scenes for your quick update.

• Hyphens Signed a Regional Deal with American Company Ceragenix to Sell Atopic Dermatitis Drug
• Thai FDA confirms generic heart drug clopidogrel is safe
• Abbott opens US$300m paediatric nutrition & to merge with AMO
• Ranbaxy’s Paonta Sahib Plant in India under FDA Surveillance 

• Hyphens Signed a Regional Deal with American Company Ceragenix to Sell Atopic Dermatitis Drug
One of Singapore’s homegrown pharma companies, Hyphens Marketing & Technical Services Pte Ltd has recently entered into an exclusive distribution & supply agreement with an American medical device company with focus on infectious disease and dermatology - Ceragenix Pharmaceuticals Inc - to commercialize EpiCeram® in South East Asian (SEA) countries. EpiCeram® is a prescription topical cream for treatment of atopic dermatitis and other dry skin conditions. The SEA countries covered under the agreement are Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and Brunei. Hyphens is headed by fellow pharmacist – Mr. Lim See Wah – and the company, which is headquartered in Singapore, has local offices in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

• Thai FDA confirms generic heart drug clopidogrel is safe
The Thai FDA confirmed the safety and bioequivalence of generic clopidogrel imported from India.
According to Mrs. Weerawan Tangkeo, Deputy Director General of Thai FDA, the generic version of PlavixTM from India has been tested with its quality and efficacy approved by the Department of Medical Science before being distributed to hospitals. The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) has imported over 6 million tablets of generic clopidogrel and distributed them to hospitals across the country. So far, safety profile of the drug has been very good.

• Abbott opens US$300m paediatric nutrition & to merge with AMO
US  healthcare giant Abbott has opened a new nutrition factory in Singapore. This plant can serve up to 1m Asian infants and children every year. According to Abbott, Singapore was chosen because of the superior transportation infrastructure to serve the region. Approximately 300 jobs will be created in the plant. Additionally, Abbott has also finalized a deal to open a new Asia-Pacific R&D Center for Nutrition Science at the Biopolis.
In a separate story, Abbot has received merger control clearance from the European Commission for its acquisition of Advanced Medical Optics (AMO). AMO specializes in medical devices for the eye.The deal was achieved through a cash tender offer for the outstanding shares of AMO’s common stock.

• Ranbaxy’s Paonta Sahib Plant in India under FDA Surveillance 
The Indian generic maker, Ranbaxy, has again come under the US FDA’s scrutiny due to issue of integrity. FDA has allegedly discovered data falsification by the Indian drug maker. The facility in Paonta Sahib has been under FDA import alert since Sep 2008. Regulatory investigations are continuing to ensure that safety and efficacy of Ranbaxy’s Paonta Sahib site are not compromised. To date, the FDA has no evidence that these drugs do not meet their quality specifications and has not identified any health risks associated with currently marketed Ranbaxy products.

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