Content about Specialty pharmacy

BURLINGTON, Mass. — A majority of prescribers would prescribe biosimilar versions of two treatments for rheumatoid arthritis within a year of their approval, according to a new study.

EAST HANOVER, N.J. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug to treat a rare but serious endocrine disorder.

Swiss drug maker Novartis announced the approval of Signifor (pasireotide), an injectable drug for treating Cushing's disease in adults for whom pituitary surgery is not an option or has not been curative. Novartis said Signifor was the first drug to be approved in the United States that addresses the disease's underlying mechanism.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new leukemia drug made by Ariad Pharmaceuticals, the agency said Friday.

The FDA announced the approval of Iclusig (ponatinib) to treat chronic myeloid leukemia and Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia, also known respectively as CML and Ph+ ALL.

NEW YORK — Thousands of patients in Los Angeles with serious, chronic diseases could soon find themselves unable to get their drugs from community pharmacies, advocates for the pharmacies said.

EXTON, Pa. — Drug maker ViroPharma has launched an education campaign focused on a rare, debilitating and life-threatening genetic disorder.

The company announced Wednesday the launch of the unbranded campaign focused on hereditary angioedema, particularly the emotional and psychological burden faced by patients with the disease, which results from deficiency of the human plasma protein C1 inhibitor and causes attacks of swelling and pain.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Amgen is buying an Iceland-based biotech company for $415 million, the two said Monday.

Amgen announced it would acquire DeCode Genetics, based in Reykjavik, Iceland, in a deal that Amgen's board of directors unanimously approved. Founded in 1996, DeCode focuses its business on finding links between the human genome and disease susceptibility. The acquisition is expected to close before the end of 2012 and does not require regulatory approval.

NEW YORK — A Congressional committee is looking into allegations that a compounding pharmacy industry association may have taught pharmacists how to sidestep requests for samples from the Food and Drug Administration, according to published reports.

Reuters reported that the House Energy and Commerce Committee had requested internal documents from the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists, citing a news report about the organization.

FLINT, Mich. — Inc. magazine has named Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy as one of the country's top 100 job creators, the privately owned company said.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation on Friday announced they have completed a transaction giving Walgreens a significant ownership stake in Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Pharmacy, the parent company of Cystic Fibrosis Services.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

HORSHAM, Pa. — Johnson & Johnson is seeking approval from the Food and Drug Administration for a drug to treat active psoriatic arthritis, the company said Thursday.

J&J subsidiary Janssen Biotech submitted an application to the FDA for Stelara (ustekinumab) for adult patients with the disease, which affects more than 2 million people in the United States, according to the National Psoriasis Foundation. Another subsidiary is seeking approval for Stelara for the same usage in Europe.

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Pharmacy technology provider QS/1 has entered a contract with CoverMyMeds to automate a process often required by insurers to dispense specialty drugs.

QS/1 said it entered a partnership with CoverMyMeds to automate the prior-authorization process, required for 90% of specialty drugs on the market.

"A pharmacist can spend a lot of time cutting through the red tape to get these prescriptions filled," QS/1 pharmacy market analyst John Frady said. "CoverMyMeds helps cut down on that work load by automating the process."

NEW YORK — Women with ovarian cancer and diabetes who took the generic diabetes drug metformin showed better survival rates than those who did not take the drug, according to a new study led by the Mayo Clinic.

The study, published in the journal Cancer, enrolled 61 patients who took metformin and 178 who didn't. Of those who took the drug, 67% were surviving after five years, compared with 47% of those who didn't take it. Further analysis indicated that patients taking metformin were almost four times likelier to survive than those not taking it.