Active substance: etoposide The company Bristol-Myers Squibb GmbH & Co. KGaA is circulating information regarding the shortage of Etopophos® 100-/1000 mg.

Active substance: Acitretin The BfArM issues information on the result of the European PSUR worksharing procedure for the active substance acitretin. It was determined that the current 2-year period of pregnancy prevention after end of treatment is not sufficient and must therefore be extended to 3 years.

Active substance: idelalisib The BfArM issues information on the recommendations of the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) for physicians and patients in order to make use of the medicinal product Zydelig® as safe as possible.

Active substance: posaconazole The company MSD is circulating information on the broad-spectrum antimycotic Noxafil® with regard to the use of different pharmaceutical forms.

Active substance: etoricoxib The company MSD is circulating information on altered dosage recommendations for the medicinal product Arcoxia®.

Active substance: tenofovi rdisoproxil, emtricitabine The Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) warns that counterfeits of the medicinal products Viread 245 mg film-coated tablets and Trudava 200 mg film-coated tablets have been discovered in several European countries.

Active substance: idelalisib The company Gilead Sciences GmbH is circulating information on the updated indication of idelalisib as first-line treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and on risk minimisation measures for prevention of infections.

Active substance: crisantaspase In connection with the import of Erwinase® from The United Kingdom, the company Jazz Pharmaceuticals Germany GmbH is circulating information on the fact that a 5 μm filter needle is to be used when administering batches 174aG116 and 177aG116.

Active substance: glucagon hydrochloride The company Novo Nordisk Pharma GmbH is circulating information that 3 batches of the GlucaGen® HypoKit are being recalled in Germany.

Active substance: 3-Bromopyruvate Medicinal products for human use with effects not generally known in medical science only to be dispensed upon prescription by a physician.

Active substance: levonorgestrel The company Gedeon Richter Pharma GmbH is circulating new recommendations for women taking liver enzyme inducers. Active substances that trigger such an induction include e.g. preparations containing St. John's wort, rifampicin, certain HIV medicines or antiepileptic agents.

Active substance: hydroxyethyl starch In its notice of 12 October 2016, the BfArM has ruled suspension of the marketing authorisations until 1 November 2017. This notice is not legally enforceable. It is currently permitted to place the medicinal products on the market.

Active substance: metformin As of 14 October 2016 and based on a European safety review, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended further lowering the limit of the creatinine clearance above which metformin is contraindicated.

Active substance: acitretin In an Information Letter, the companies Dermapharm and Puren Pharma point out the extension of the contraception period and the prohibition of blood donation up to three years after discontinuation of therapy with acitretin.

Active substance: lenalidomide The company Celgene GmbH is circulating information that cases of virus reactivation after treatment with lenalidomide have been reported.