Content about Pharmaceutical sciences

January 25, 2011
NACDS again makes case for pharmacy’s value

Maneuvering to set forth a firm policy position in advance of President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores again urged Congress Tuesday to “look to pharmacy as a solution in improving patient health and curbing healthcare costs.”

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Maneuvering to set forth a firm policy position in advance of President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores again urged Congress Tuesday to “look to pharmacy as a solution in improving patient health and curbing healthcare costs.”

January 25, 2011
Teva receives FDA action letter for generic Lovenox

Teva on Tuesday confirmed its receipt of an action letter from the Food and Drug Administration for its generic blood-thinning drug.

JERUSALEM — Teva on Tuesday confirmed its receipt of an action letter from the Food and Drug Administration for its generic blood-thinning drug.

January 24, 2011
Matrix Labs' generic Protonix DR receives FDA approval

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a treatment for gastroesphageal reflux disease made by a subsidiary of Mylan, the generic drug maker said Monday.

PITTSBURGH — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a treatment for gastroesphageal reflux disease made by a subsidiary of Mylan, the generic drug maker said Monday.

The FDA approved Matrix Labs’ pantoprazole sodium delayed-release tablets in the 20-mg and 40-mg strengths.

The drug is a version of Protonix DR, made by Wyeth, now part of Pfizer. Various versions of the drug had sales of around $1.7 billion during the 12-month period ended in September, according to IMS Health. The FDA also approved a version made by Dr. Reddy’s Labs on Friday.

January 21, 2011
Pfizer extends tender offer for King

Pfizer again has extended the expiration date on its tender offer to buy Bristol, Tenn.-based King Pharmaceuticals to Jan. 28, the drug maker said Friday.

NEW YORK — Pfizer again has extended the expiration date on its tender offer to buy Bristol, Tenn.-based King Pharmaceuticals to Jan. 28, the drug maker said Friday.

Pfizer announced in October that it would buy King for $3.6 billion, or $14.25 per share. King manufactures branded prescription drugs, including several painkillers.

January 20, 2011
Report: Genzyme CEO calls acquisition by Sanofi-Aventis a long process

Finalizing an acquisition of biotech company Genzyme by French drug maker Sanofi-Aventis “will take some time,” media reports quoted Genzyme’s chief executive as saying.

BOSTON — Finalizing an acquisition of biotech company Genzyme by French drug maker Sanofi-Aventis “will take some time,” media reports quoted Genzyme’s chief executive as saying.

The Boston Globe quoted Genzyme CEO Henri Termeer as saying it would be a long process to understand the company’s full value, in particular because of an investigational multiple sclerosis drug, Campath (alemtuzumab), which could achieve blockbuster sales and thus raise the company’s value and acquisition price if it wins approval.

January 19, 2011
BI purchases Amgen facility

German drug maker Boehringer Ingelheim will purchase a manufacturing plant from U.S. biotech company Amgen, the two said.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — German drug maker Boehringer Ingelheim will purchase a manufacturing plant from U.S. biotech company Amgen, the two said.

The plant, located in Fremont, Calif., is 100,000 sq. ft. and employs around 360 people. BI has been a contract manufacturer for Amgen for more than 10 years. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, though BI said it would purchase “substantially all” of the assets at the plant.

January 19, 2011
Impax responds to reports about generic Lipitor

In response to articles that appeared in several media outlets about its generic drug pipeline, drug maker Impax Labs is looking to set the record straight.

HAYWARD, Calif. — In response to articles that appeared in several media outlets about its generic drug pipeline, drug maker Impax Labs is looking to set the record straight.

The company said several financial websites had reported that Impax had found a way to make a generic version of Pfizer’s cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium).

January 19, 2011
Patients split on filling 90-day Rx's at retail or through mail-order

When consumers are offered a cost-neutral choice to fill their 90-day prescription medications in a retail store or through a mail-order pharmacy, they tend to split their preferences, largely depending on their past experiences, according to the findings of a first-of-its-kind study from CVS Caremark.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — When consumers are offered a cost-neutral choice to fill their 90-day prescription medications in a retail store or through a mail-order pharmacy, they tend to split their preferences, largely depending on their past experiences, according to the findings of a first-of-its-kind study from CVS Caremark.

January 18, 2011
IMS Health expands with SDI Health acquisition

Healthcare market research firm IMS Health will buy privately held market research firm SDI Health, IMS said.

NEW YORK — Healthcare market research firm IMS Health will buy privately held market research firm SDI Health, IMS said.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but the deal would bring together two of the leading healthcare analytics companies. In terms of drug industry analytics, IMS focuses on drug sales and dispensed prescriptions, while SDI provides data on prescriptions written by physicians and other prescribers.

January 18, 2011
NACDS leader addresses legislation impacting pharmacies, patients

A group representing the drug retailing industry submitted a letter to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform chairman, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., regarding "issues [that] are of the utmost importance" to its members.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A group representing the drug retailing industry submitted a letter to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform chairman, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., regarding "issues [that] are of the utmost importance" to its members.

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores' president and CEO, Steve Anderson, wrote to Issa, highlighting certain pieces of legislation that affect traditional drug stores, supermarkets and mass merchants with pharmacies, all of which NACDS represents.

January 17, 2011
Court: Teva, Barr Labs must hold off on generic versions of Sensipar

Generic drug maker Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and subsidiary Barr Labs are prohibited from marketing a generic version of an Amgen drug for patients with chronic kidney disease until the drug’s patents expire, under a recent court decision.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Generic drug maker Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and subsidiary Barr Labs are prohibited from marketing a generic version of an Amgen drug for patients with chronic kidney disease until the drug’s patents expire, under a recent court decision.

January 17, 2011
FDA extends review time of AstraZeneca's vandetanib

A new drug application for Anglo-Swedish drug maker AstraZeneca's vandetanib has been extended.

LONDON — A new drug application for Anglo-Swedish drug maker AstraZeneca's vandetanib has been extended.

The drug maker recently announced that the Food and Drug Administration asked AstraZeneca to submit a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, which accordingly extended the Prescription Drug User Fee Act from Jan. 7 to April 7.

AstraZeneca will continue to work closely with the FDA to support the review of vandetanib, a drug for treating patients with advanced medullary thyroid cancer.

January 14, 2011
Genentech: Despite alcohol prep pads recall, drugs are safe to use

Biotech company Genentech advised consumers to avoid alcohol prep pads distributed with some of its drugs due to possible contamination.

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Biotech company Genentech advised consumers to avoid alcohol prep pads distributed with some of its drugs due to possible contamination.

Genentech, a subsidiary of Swiss drug maker Roche, said users of its drugs should not use prep pads made by Triad Group, but that the drugs themselves were still safe to use. Triad Group recently recalled several of its pads due to contamination, prompting Bayer HealthCare to issue a similar warning.

January 13, 2011
USciences, PGH develop sustainability training partnership

In an effort to develop and promote sustainability training for pharmacists, pharmacy students and related professionals, the University of the Sciences and Practice Greenhealth have formed a new partnership.

PHILADELPHIA and RESTON, Va. — University of the Sciences and Practice Greenhealth announced that they will collaborate to develop and promote sustainability training for pharmacists, pharmacy students and related professionals.

The USciences and PGH partnership includes:

  • Developing a methodology for assessing the effectiveness of sustainability training for pharmacists;

  • Assessing the feasibility of similar course offerings to pharmacy students at USciences; and

January 12, 2011
Merck to develop biosimilars with Parexel

Drug maker Merck and drug industry services organization Parexel International will work together to develop biosimilars, the two said Wednesday.

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. — Drug maker Merck and drug industry services organization Parexel International will work together to develop biosimilars, the two said Wednesday.

Under the agreement, Parexel will give Merck BioVentures access to clinical and regulatory services for the development of biosimilars. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

January 12, 2011
NCPA sends letter to House committee chairman on ways to help pharmacy, patients

The independent pharmacy lobby has issued a letter to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform chairman, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., with insight on how certain current or proposed federal regulations can burden pharmacies and their patients.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The independent pharmacy lobby has issued a letter to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform chairman, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., with insight on how certain current or proposed federal regulations can burden pharmacies and their patients.

January 12, 2011
Walgreens encourages mail-order pharmacy patients to make the switch

It seems that many mail-order pharmacy patients are unaware that they can receive their 90-day supply of prescription medications at community pharmacies.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — It seems that many mail-order pharmacy patients are unaware that they can receive their 90-day supply of prescription medications at community pharmacies.

January 11, 2011
Navarro Discount Pharmacies broadens reach

Navarro Discount Pharmacies has signed a lease for a new 14,000-sq.-ft. store in north Miami. With a store opening planned for the summer of 2011, the newest store will be the company's 29th location and its first new store opening since its airport location opened in 2007.

MIAMI — Navarro Discount Pharmacies has signed a lease for a new 14,000-sq.-ft. store in north Miami. With a store opening planned for the summer of 2011, the newest store will be the company's 29th location and its first new store opening since its airport location opened in 2007.

January 11, 2011
Older physicians less likely to prescribe generic medications

While a majority of physicians are comfortable with generic medications, there is a small segment who still have negative perceptions about the effectiveness and quality of generic drugs, and that may lead to doctors prescribing unnecessarily expensive medications, according to a new study by researchers at Harvard University, Brigham and Women's Hospital and CVS Caremark.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — While a majority of physicians are comfortable with generic medications, there is a small segment who still have negative perceptions about the effectiveness and quality of generic drugs, and that may lead to doctors prescribing unnecessarily expensive medications, according to a new study by researchers at Harvard University, Brigham and Women's Hospital and CVS Caremark.

January 10, 2011
'Pharmacy home' can help organize medication management

The healthcare system needs to find ways to help patients with such complex therapies as chronic heart disease to simplify and centralize their medication management and create a "pharmacy home" to improve medication adherence, according to a new study conducted by researchers from Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital and CVS Caremark.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — The healthcare system needs to find ways to help patients with such complex therapies as chronic heart disease to simplify and centralize their medication management and create a "pharmacy home" to improve medication adherence, according to a new study conducted by researchers from Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital and CVS Caremark.

January 6, 2011
AdventRx's application for Exelbine accepted by FDA

The Food and Drug Administration has accepted the approval application for a chemotherapy drug to treat lung cancer from AdventRx Pharmaceuticals, the drug maker said Thursday.

SAN DIEGO — The Food and Drug Administration has accepted the approval application for a chemotherapy drug to treat lung cancer from AdventRx Pharmaceuticals, the drug maker said Thursday.

The FDA accepted AdventRx’s application for Exelbine (vinorelbine). The drug is a branded generic, being formulated with the same active ingredient as Navelbine, originally marketed by French drug maker Pierre Fabre and now available as a generic from seven companies.

January 6, 2011
Merck's hepatitis C drug granted priority review by FDA

The Food and Drug Administration granted priority review to an approval application for a hepatitis C drug made by Merck, the drug maker said Thursday.

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. — The Food and Drug Administration granted priority review to an approval application for a hepatitis C drug made by Merck, the drug maker said Thursday.

Merck said the FDA would seek to complete its review of the application for the drug boceprevir within six months. Authorities in the European Union have granted expedited review as well.

January 5, 2011
Collaborative care alchemy: Pharmacists + nurses = gold



Last month, the American Journal of Managed Care published a review of more than 40 years worth of studies from various medical journals that demonstrated that the best way to improve adherence is to get patients to talk to the store pharmacist; the second-best way is to get them to talk to a nurse before they leave the hospital.


January 5, 2011
Indy franchisees a model of pharmacy ‘Care’ in nation’s capital

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — It’s a 53-store collection of independents that serves as a model of neighborhood pharmacy to the nation’s lawmakers. That’s in part thanks to the number of Care pharmacies operating in the nation’s capital and in part due to the franchisee-owned group’s proximity to the headquarters of the National Community Pharmacist Association, which is located across the hall.


“[That proximity] really is an opportunity for us to represent independent pharmacy,” said Michael Wysong, Care CEO. 


January 5, 2011
Making friends with pharmacy in the heart of Kinney Country

GOUVERNEUR, N.Y. — When you get north of Syracuse, N.Y., you enter a special part of Retail Pharmacy America known as “Kinney Country,” where people know their neighbors and everybody knows their neighborhood drug store.