Paris: Sanofi-Aventis, French pharmaceutical group has annunciated that the U.S. health officials have approved another application of its anti-cancer drug ‘Taxotere.’

The company said that the drug has been sanctioned to treat locally advanced head and neck cancer before chemo-radiotherapy and surgical treatment.

The approval is based on the outcomes of a phase III clinical examination, which showed that adding up Taxotere to typical induction chemotherapy resulted in a more than three year betterment in patient endurance rate.

Detroit-based Caraco Pharmaceutical Laboratories Ltd. has announced that its generic drug Methimazole has been granted final approval by U.S. health. The tablet used for treatment of hyperthyroidism will be sold in 5mg and 10mg strengths by the company under brand name Northyx.

Chennai: Cadila Healthcare Ltd has received USFDA approval for hydroxychloroquine sulphate tabs in the strength of 200 mg.

The medicine falls under the DMARD (disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug) section, and is used in caring rheumatoid arthritis.

According to NDC Health, the sales of such pills in the US market in 2006 stood at $30 million.

London: GlaxoSmithKline PLC’s cervical cancer vaccine ‘Cervarix’ has received nod for sale across the European Union.

The vaccine has been sanctioned to avert pre-cancerous wounds and cervical cancer caused by human papillomavirus types 16 and 18 that held responsible for over 70 per cent of all cervical cancer cases.

The world’s second-biggest drug manufacturer said that the indication for Cervarix is based on statistics developed by clinical studies in girls and young women between 10 and 25.