Specialty Pharmacy

CINCINNATI — Kroger on Thursday announced it will acquire the outstanding shares of Axium Pharmacy Holdings, a leading specialty pharmacy, and merge the two companies.

The partnership gives Kroger significantly enhanced capabilities to serve customers who require complex drug therapies, and to deliver those therapies at a greater value to customers and insurance payers, the grocer stated. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Perhaps the iconic scene at the end of Ridley Scott’s 1991 movie “Thelma & Louise” — with Gina Davis’ and Susan Sarandon’s characters hurdling into the Grand Canyon in a green convertible — is a good metaphor for what’s happening in the generic drug industry these days.


NEW YORK — Spurred by health reform and other factors, a "golden era" could be approaching for drug companies as they reinvent themselves, according to a new report by PwC.

The report, "Pharma 2020: From Vision to Decision," said that the industry was on the verge of an era of renewed productivity and prosperity, but its success was not guaranteed.

DREXEL HILL, Pa. — The Community Specialty Pharmacy Network has entered a contract with Dara BioSciences to distribute a nonsteroidal anti-estrogen product.

CSPN announced the agreement with Dara to distribute Soltamox (tamoxifen) solution for oral administration. The drug, a treatment for breast cancer, is for patients who have difficulty swallowing pills.

ABBOTT PARK, Ill. — Patients with a form of arthritis that affects young adults taking a drug made by Abbott experienced improvements in their condition after a year of treatment, according to late-stage clinical trial results.

Abbott announced Monday the first long-term patient-reported health outcomes data for the phase-3 "ABILITY-1" trial of Humira (adalimumab) in patients with nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis, or nr-axSpA. Results of the trial were presented at the American College of Rheumatology's annual scientific meeting in Washington.

TITUSVILLE, N.J. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new strength of a drug for HIV made by Johnson & Johnson, the drug maker said.

J&J subsidiary Janssen Therapeutics announced the approval of an 800-mg formulation of Prezista (darunavir) as a once-daily treatment for HIV. The drug is designed to be taken with food at the same time as ritonavir and in combination with other HIV drugs.

RIDGEFIELD, Conn. — Drug maker Boehringer Ingelheim has created a website designed for patients with hepatitis C and advocates, the company said Friday.

BI announced the launch of HepCRedefined.com, which it describes as an online portal to help improve the lives of those living with the virus through education, information and understanding.

EAST HANOVER, N.J. — A Food and Drug Administration expert panel has voted unanimously in favor of approval for a Novartis drug for a rare endocrine disorder.