Specialty Pharmacy

NEW YORK — More than 80% of health plans would require a drug manufacturer to demonstrate a clear clinical benefit compared with current branded and generic treatments in order for its drug to be placed in the plan's formulary, according to a new survey.

NEW YORK — An experimental kidney cancer drug made by Pfizer didn't extend the time in which patients survived without their disease worsening when compared with a competing drug, according to results of a late-stage clinical trial released Wednesday.

NEW YORK — A former football coach is joining an effort to educate men about the risks of a deadly form of skin cancer.

Former National Football League Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher will work with Melanoma Exposed, an educational campaign run by the Melanoma International Foundation, Melanoma Research Alliance, Melanoma Research Foundation and the Skin Cancer Foundation, with sponsorship from drug maker Bristol-Myers Squibb, the organizations announced Tuesday.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Specialty pharmacy group purchasing and channel management organization Armada Health Care is moving into a bigger office space, the company said Tuesday.

Armada announced that the new space, two floors up from its current offices at 100 Campus Drive in Florham Park, N.J., is nearly three times larger. The company plans to take possession of the new offices in late June and expects to use it to support its expanded service and technology divisions.

NEW YORK — Legislation proposed in the House of Representatives would speed up Food and Drug Administration approval of knock-off versions of vaccines and other biologics while requiring the agency to conduct more inspections of drug factories overseas, according to published reports.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the bills, sponsored by Republican Rep. Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania, would create an expedited FDA approval pathway for follow-on versions of biogenetic medications such as vaccines and drugs made from human tissue and plasma.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Schnuck Markets is opening a stand-alone pharmacy at a hospital in Illinois with an emphasis on specialty pharmacy services, the supermarket operator said.

Schnucks said the 2,000-sq.-ft. pharmacy at the pavilion of St. John's Hospital in Springfield, Ill., would be its first stand-alone specialty pharmacy in Illinois, specializing in such conditions as HIV, hepatitis, autoimmune disorders, organ transplants and cancers. The pharmacy replaces the specialty pharmacy at a nearby store, though the store's traditional pharmacy will remain.

FOSTER CITY, Calif. — Gilead Sciences scored a second favorable Food and Drug Administration expert panel vote as the FDA's Antiviral Drugs Advisory Committee recommended on Friday that the regulatory agency approve an experimental drug designed to treat HIV.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Biotech drug maker Amgen has joined the list of companies offering testimony at a Food and Drug Administration hearing on biosimilars Friday.