Branded

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Although Rite Aid affirmed it believes its acquisition by Walgreens Boots Alliance is in the “best interest of Rite Aid shareholders, customers and associates,” Chairman and CEO John Standley acknowledged “the extended duration of the merger process is having a negative impact on our results.

MAPLE GROVE, Minn. — Japanese generic pharmaceutical manufacturer Sawai Pharmaceutical will purchase the generic pharmaceuticals business of Upsher-Smith Laboratories, from its parent, Acova, for $1.05 billion.

Under Thursday’s agreement, expected to close near the end of June 2017, Rusty Field, the current President of Upsher-Smith, will continue leading the company. Following the closing, Upsher-Smith’s non-generic pharmaceuticals businesses will remain with Acova.

JERUSALEM — Teva Pharmaceutical Industries on Thursday announced the simultaneous launch of AirDuo RespiClick (fluticasone propionate and salmeterol) inhalation powder and its authorized generic for the treatment of asthma in patients aged 12 years and older who are uncontrolled on an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) or whose disease severity clearly warrants the use of an ICS/long-acting beta₂-adrenergic agonist (LABA) combination.

NEW YORK — Generic pharmaceutical manufacturer Argentum Pharmaceuticals announced that it has reached a settlement and license agreement with Allergan related to Argentum's generic version of Restasis (0.05% cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion).

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to Genentech’s Tecentriq (atezolizumab) for the treatment of people with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) who are not eligible for cisplatin chemotherapy. Tecentriq was previously approved for people with locally advanced or mUC who have disease progression during or following any platinum-containing chemotherapy, or within 12 months of receiving chemotherapy before surgery (neoadjuvant) or after surgery (adjuvant).

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Johnson & Johnson confirmed Tuesday during its 2017 fiscal first-quarter earnings report that it expects its $30 billion acquisition of Actelion to close this quarter.

“The public tender offer for Actelion has been declared successful based on the number of shares tendered and regulatory approval has been obtained in six of seven jurisdictions in which the company filed for such approval, with antitrust approval from the European Commission pending.”

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri’s State Senate passed legislation to make it the final state to adopt a prescription drug pricing database. The bill would create a database pharmacists and doctors could check to see if patients have recently filled or been prescribed addictive medications.

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration approved Neurocrine Biosciences’ Ingrezza (valbenazine) capsules to treat adults with tardive dyskinesia. This is the first drug approved by the FDA for this condition.  

Tardive dyskinesia is a neurological disorder characterized by repetitive involuntary movements, usually of the jaw, lips and tongue, such as grimacing, sticking out the tongue and smacking the lips. Some affected people also experience involuntary movement of the extremities or difficulty breathing.