Sagent Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held specialty pharmaceutical company, has launched fluconazole injection in premix bags.

IMS Health estimates that 2008 US sales of fluconazole injection approximated $18 million. Sagent will begin marketing and shipping fluconazole bags immediately.

Fluconazole injection is the generic equivalent of Pfizer's Diflucan. It is indicated for the treatment of oropharyngeal and esophageal candidiasis, cryptococcal meningitis, and for prophylactic administration to decrease the incidence of candidiasis in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation who receive cytotoxic chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Fluconazole injection is approved for intravenous infusion only.

The most common adverse effects for patients receiving fluconazole include upset stomach, loss of appetite, altered sense of taste, diarrhea, headache, dizziness and fatigue.

"Our commitment to hospital safety is again exemplified in our new fluconazole offering, the most recent addition to our growing line of premixed IV bags," said Ravi Malhotra, vice president of project management for Sagent Pharmaceuticals. "The labelling and packaging of our fluconazole premix bag offerings are intended to clearly distinguish and differentiate each of the two dose sizes from the other and from similar products, thereby helping to reduce the potential for medication errors commonly caused by inadvertent use of the wrong product or dosage."

Sagent's fluconazole is available in 200 mg per 100 mL and 400 mg per 200 mL premix bags and is latex and preservative free.

Sagent Pharmaceuticals, founded in 2006, is a privately held specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing, manufacturing, sourcing and marketing pharmaceutical products, with a specific emphasis on injectable products.