ISTA Pharmaceuticals begins Vitrase shipments

Irvine, CA-ISTA Pharmaceuticals has begun shipping units of pure ovine hyaluronidase for injection (Vitrase) in two sizes.

The product, which increases the absorption and dispersion of anesthetics and other injected drugs, is available in its ovine form in the single-use, 200 USP units/ml and the lyophilized, ovine version in multipurpose, 6,200 USP units.

The FDA approved the larger unit in May, and the smaller unit in December. The May approval ended the drug's tenure on the FDA's drug shortage list, where it had been since the previous manufacturer withdrew it from the market in 2001.