Generics

NEW YORK — CVS Health has a “very strong balance sheet” and will “look into opportunities” in the merger and acquisition space that can help the retailer become even more helpful to its clients, president and CEO Larry Merlo said Wednesday during the UBS Healthcare Conference at the Grand Hyatt here.

NEW YORK — Walgreens Boots Alliance needs to “rethink its approach and do something radically different” in the front end, EVP and CEO Stefano Pessina said Tuesday during a question-and-answer session at the UBS Global Healthcare Conference at the Grand Hyatt here.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Community Pharmacy on Monday submitted its comments to the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, suggesting how to improve access to prescription drugs and essential health services for Medicare beneficiaries. The organization, writing on behalf of the roughly 22,000 independent community pharmacy owners, highlighted pharmacy’s role in facilitating patient healthcare access.

EAST WINDSOR, N.J. — The Food and Drug Administration granted final approval for Aurobindo Pharma’s amlodipine and olmesartan medoxomil Tablets, 5 mg/20 mg, 5 mg/40 mg, 10 mg/20 mg, and 10 mg/40 mg. The Division of Bioequivalence has determined Aurobindo's Amlodipine and olmesartan medoxomil Tablets, 5 mg/20 mg, 5 mg/40 mg, 10 mg/20 mg, and 10 mg/40 mg to be bioequivalent and, therefore, therapeutically equivalent to the reference listed drug, Azor of Daiichi Sankyo.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved Lupin’s generic of AstraZeneca’s Zeroquel XR (quetiapine fumarate) extended-release tablets.

The drug is indicated to treat schizophrenia, acute manic or mixed bipolar I disorder on its own or as an adjunctive treatment to lithium or divalproex, acute depressive disorders in bipolar disorder, maintenance treatment of bipolar I, as an adjunctive treatment to lithium or divalproex and as an adjunctive treatment to antidepressants for the treating major depressive disorder.

ST. LOUIS — Express Scripts, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Innovative Product Alignment, on Thursday announced it will participate in the Walgreens Boots Alliance Development group purchasing organization.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Meijer on Thursday opened new supercenters in Escanaba and Sault Ste.

SEATTLE — A Wall Street analyst believes the potential for Amazon’s entry into the pharmacy business would not be “market disruptive.” These are the words of Mizuho Securities analyst Ann Hynes.

According to Barron’s, a major reason for this line of thinking is that ordering drugs by mail is not a new innovation. “CVS and Walgreens have been in this business for years and have relationships with drug companies and insurers that give them an early advantage,” the newspaper wrote.