Civica Rx and Hikma Pharmaceuticals, the multinational generic pharmaceutical company, today announced imminent shipments of Heparin Sodium Injection, USP, and seven other essential injectable medicines, with additional products to follow in the near term in the US through its affiliate, Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.
Today’s announcement comes as industry experts work to avoid an extended shortage of Heparin, the preferred anticoagulant for many hospitalized patients. Heparin is commonly prescribed for patients with significant blood clots in their lungs or clogged arteries, and patients receiving dialysis, or undergoing cardiac surgery. It is prescribed to more than 10 million Americans every year.
Shortages of Heparin, which is derived from porcine intestinal mucosa, may be possible due to an outbreak of African Swine Fever that has killed an unprecedented number of the world’s pigs. The outbreak has predominately impacted China, home to half of the world’s swine population. Hikma sources its Heparin raw materials from the US, and has not been impacted.
In addition to Heparin, the Civica Rx-Hikma partnership will be shipping additional medications, including essential shortage medications^, before the end of the year, including:
- Naloxone Hydrochloride Injection, USP – Naloxone is an opioid antagonist medication used to
block or reverse the effects of opioid drugs, particularly drug overdoses. It works by blocking the
effects of the opioid in the brain and is often used in hospitals and EMS services. - Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate Injection, USP^ – Dexamethasone is a steroid used to treat
various conditions such as severe allergic reactions, arthritis, blood diseases, breathing problems,
certain cancers, eye diseases, intestinal disorders, and skin diseases. It decreases the body’s natural
defensive response and reduces symptoms such as swelling and other physical reactions. - Glycopyrrolate Injection, USP – Glycopyrrolate is used in surgeries to reduce airway secretions
or to prevent heart rhythm problems during anesthesia, intubation, or surgery. - Prochlorperazine Edisylate Injection, USP – Prochlorperazine is used to control severe nausea
and vomiting caused by chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and in the pre- and post-operative
setting. - Ondansetron Injection, USP^ – Ondansetron is used to prevent nausea and vomiting that may
be caused by surgery or cancer chemotherapy. - Morphine Sulfate Injection, USP^ – Morphine is a narcotic analgesic medication used to relieve
moderate to severe pain. It may be also be used before or during surgery with an anesthetic. - Metoprolol Tartrate Injection, USP^ – Metoprolol is a beta-blocker used to treat angina and
hypertension. It is also used to lower the risk of death or need for hospitalization for heart
failure.
“We are thrilled to be delivering on our partnership’s promise to ensure vital medications are consistently available for hospitals and patients who need them,” said Martin VanTrieste, President and CEO of Civica Rx. “These shipments reinforce our confidence in Hikma’s expertise and manufacturing capabilities and it’s especially gratifying that the initial deliverable of our partnership will help ensure an increased supply of heparin at a time when there is an ongoing threat to supply.”
“As a leading provider of generic injectable medicines, Hikma is committed to working across the US healthcare system on long-term, sustainable solutions to help ensure a consistent supply of needed medicines to patients,” said Riad Mishlawi, President, Hikma Injectables. “Our partnership with Civica is an excellent example of combining Hikma’s strong manufacturing capabilities and strong quality and supply record with Civica’s extensive network of more than 1,100 US hospitals. We are pleased that patients and healthcare providers across the country will now begin benefiting from Civica’s forward-thinking approach.”
Civica Rx & Hikma’s Partnership
Under the partnership with Civica Rx, announced last July, Hikma will produce 14 essential sterile injectable medications for Civica, using Hikma’s Abbreviated New Drug Applications (ANDAs) and Civica’s National Drug Code (NDC) and label. These medicines are used daily by hospitals in emergency care, surgery, pain management and in treating hypertension.
Importantly, Civica Rx’s ability to coordinate directly with manufacturers like Hikma enables it to ensure that the APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients) in Civica Rx drugs are purchased from reputable, high quality suppliers. As a result, Civica Rx and its partners manufacture and deliver generic drugs that conform to strict industry standards of quality, strength and purity.
Civica was founded in 2018 by leading US hospital systems concerned about generic drug shortages and philanthropic organizations passionate about improving healthcare. To date, more than 45 health systems are Civica members, representing more than 1,100 US hospitals and over 30 percent of all licensed US hospital beds.
Hikma is the third largest US supplier by volume of generic injectable medicines with a growing portfolio of more than 100 injectable products. Today, one in every six generic injectable medicines used in US hospitals is a Hikma product. During the last three years, Hikma has launched more than 20 medications into US shortage situations and in 2016 the company received a Drug Shortage Assistance Award from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its role in preventing or alleviating drug shortages.
Earlier this fall, Civica delivered two essential antibiotics through its partnership with Xellia Pharmaceuticals to member hospitals which are being administered daily to patients nationwide. The organization plans to announce shipments of additional life-saving drugs in the near future.
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About Civica Rx
Civica Rx was established in 2018 by health systems (CommonSpirit Health, HCA Healthcare, Intermountain Healthcare, Mayo Clinic, Providence St. Joseph Health, SSM Health, and Trinity Health) and philanthropies (Gary and Mary West Foundation, Laura and John Arnold Foundation, and Peterson Center on Healthcare) to reduce chronic generic drug shortages and related high prices in the United States. It exists in the public interest as a non-profit, non-stock corporation committed to stabilizing the supply of essential generic medications in a hospital setting.
Civica is committed to transparency and offers fair and sustainable prices to its member hospitals. It will also ensure it has dedicated manufacturing capacity for the medications that are most desperately needed in hospitals across the country through redundant manufacturing and a strategic safety stock of medications to help prevent drug shortages in the future.
Civica aims to stabilize the supply of antibiotics, anesthetics, cardiac medications, pain management medications, and other essential sterile injectable medicines used in hospitals daily. It is actively pursuing a three-pronged product supply strategy:
- Working with multiple generic drug manufacturers that have the US FDA approved
manufacturing facilities and capacity to produce Civica labeled generic drugs, allowing
manufacturers to re-enter the market or increase existing capacity. - Developing Abbreviated New Drug Applications (ANDAs) for generic drugs and working with
contract manufacturing organizations to produce Civica medications. - Acquiring/building Civica manufacturing facilities using Civica’s ANDAs
Find more information about Civica Rx at www.civicafoundation.org
About Hikma
Hikma helps put better health within reach every day for millions of people in more than 50 countries around the world. For more than 40 years, we’ve been creating high-quality medicines and making them accessible to the people who need them. Headquartered in the UK, we are a global company with a local presence across the United States (US), the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Europe, and we use our unique insight and expertise to transform cutting-edge science into innovative solutions that transform people’s lives. We’re committed to our customers, and the people they care for, and by thinking creatively and acting practically, we provide them with a broad range of branded and non-branded generic medicines. Together, our 8,400 colleagues are helping to shape a healthier world that enriches all our communities. We are a leading licensing partner, and through our venture capital arm, are helping bring innovative health technologies to people around the world. For more information, please visit: www.hikma.com
CONTACTS FOR MEDIA:
- Civica Rx, Debbi Ford, +1 970 227 3991, Debbi.ford@civicarx.org
- Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC, Susan Ringdal, EVP, Strategic Planning and Global Affairs, +44 (0)20
7399 2760/ +44 7776 477050, uk-investors@hikma.uk.com; Steve Weiss, US Communications
and Public Affairs, +1 732 720 2830/ +1 732 788 8279, sweiss@hikma.com;
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1 Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. was formerly known as West-Ward Pharmaceuticals Corp.
^ Denotes essential shortage medication
