Table 9. Shortlist of APIs where at least one year’s weight is 10× bigger or smaller than the mean.
| API name | Type | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| altrenogest | sex hormone | veterinary birth control | New formulation (“Altresyn Ceva” authorised in
Norway 2018 ( Statens legemiddelverk, 2022) |
| asenapine | antipsychotic | atypical antipsychotic for schizophrenia
and bipolar disorder |
Sole product (“Syncrest”) deregistered 2017
( Felleskatalogen, 2022) |
| carglumic acid | metabolic | carbamoyl phosphate synthetase
inhibitor for hyperammonaemia |
Two products, one of which (“Ucedane”) was first
authorised in June 2017 ( Felleskatalogen, 2022) |
| cefalotin | antibacterial | beta-lactam cephalosporin antibiotic | Shortage of cefalotin in Norway recorded 2019
( Antibiotika.no, 2019) |
| cladribine | antineoplastic | antimetabolite and immunosuppressant
for multiple sclerosis and leukaemia |
Authorised August 2017 ( Felleskatalogen, 2022) |
| cobimetinib | antineoplastic | mitogen-activated protein kinase
inhibitor for melanoma |
Authorised November 2015 ( Felleskatalogen, 2022) |
| cyclizine | antiemetic | piperazine antihistamine for nausea
relief from motion sickness, vertigo |
Cause of change unknown |
| dacarbazine | antineoplastic | alkylating agent for skin cancer and
lymphoma |
Authorised March 2017 ( Felleskatalogen, 2022) |
| dasabuvir | antiviral | antiviral used in combination for
treatment of hepatitis C |
Manufacturer withdrew application for dasabuvir/
ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir in 2016 ( Nye Metoder, 2016); however, ritonavir is also available alone |
| edoxaban | antithrombotic | Factor Xa inhibitor for clotting reduction
for strokes, atrial fibrillation, DVT |
Authorised June 2015 ( Felleskatalogen, 2022) |
| eluxadoline | antidiarrheal | treatment for diarrhoea from IBS | Authorised as reimbursable prescription
2017, withdrawn from market 2019 ( Statens legemiddelverk, 2017; Felleskatalogen, 2022) |
| fomepizole | antidote | antidote to methanol and antifreeze
poisoning |
Cause of change unknown |
| gadobenic acid | diagnostic agent | gadolinium contrast agent used for
magnetic resonance imaging |
Cause of change unknown |
| gadodiamide | diagnostic agent | gadolinium contrast agent used for
magnetic resonance imaging |
Deregistered 2018 ( Felleskatalogen, 2022) |
| glecaprevir | antiviral | protease inhibitor used in combination
with pibrentasvir for hepatitis C |
Glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (“Maviret”) Authorised July
2017 ( Felleskatalogen, 2022) |
| ixazomib | antineoplastic | proteasome inhibitor for multiple
myeloma |
Authorised November 2016 ( Felleskatalogen, 2022) |
| nitrofurantoin | antibacterial | antibiotic for bladder infections | Shortage recorded from 2018–2021 ( VG, 2019) |
| nystatin | antifungal | topical antifungal | Cause of change unknown |
| ombitasvir | antiviral | antiviral taken with paritaprevir and
ritonavir for hepatitis C |
See dasabuvir |
| osimertinib | antineoplastic | tyrosine kinase inhibitor for non-small
cell lung cancer |
Authorised February 2016 ( Felleskatalogen, 2022) |
| palbociclib | antineoplastic | selective cyclin-dependent kinase
inhibitor for breast cancer |
Authorised November 2016 ( Felleskatalogen, 2022) |
| paritaprevir | antiviral | combination treatment for hepatitis C | See dasabuvir |
| pibrentasvir | antiviral | antiviral used in combination for
hepatitis C |
See glecaprevir |
| prednisone | steroid | corticosteroid and immunosuppressant
for many immune and allergic disorders |
Shortage recorded 2019 ( Statens legemiddelverk, 2019) |
| safinamide | dopaminergic | MAO inhibitor for Parkinson's | Authorised February 2015 ( Felleskatalogen, 2022) |
| toceranib | antibacterial | receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor for
canine cancers |
Deregistered 2019 ( Felleskatalogen, 2022) |
| tofacitinib | immunosuppressant | treatment for arthritis, ulcerative colitis | Authorised March 2017 ( Felleskatalogen, 2022) |
| velpatasvir | antiviral | NS5A inhibitor for hepatitis C | Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (“Epclusa”), Sofosbuvir/
velpatasvir/voxilaprevir (“Vosevi”) authorised July 2016 ( Felleskatalogen, 2022) |
| venetoclax | antineoplastic | treatment for leukaemia | Authorised December 2016 ( Felleskatalogen, 2022) |
| vinflunine | antineoplastic | alkaloid derivative for bladder cancer | Cause of change unknown |
| voxilaprevir | antiviral | protease inhibitor for hepatitis C | See velpatasvir |
API, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient; DVT, deep vein thrombosis; IBS, irritable bowel syndrome; MAO, monoamine oxidase; NS5A, nonstructural protein 5A.