Specialty Pharmacy

LONDON — Patent expirations of key blockbuster drugs and efforts by payers to contain costs are likely to bring strong growth to the global generic drug market in the next few years as market-earned revenues grow by more than $100 billion, according to an analysis by research firm Frost & Sullivan.

The report, titled "Generic Pharmaceuticals Market — A Global Analysis" and focusing on the United States and Europe, also found that healthcare expenditure and sales revenues are poised to shift to India, China, Brazil, Turkey and South Korea.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Food and Drug Administration has provided guidance to Provectus Pharmaceuticals as the drug maker prepares to apply with the agency for approval to start a late-stage clinical trial of a drug for skin cancer, Provectus said Wednesday.

Provectus is planning to start a phase-3 trial of the investigational drug PV-10 for melanoma that has spread to other parts of the body, and said the FDA told the company that a meeting with the agency in addition to the one they had in October would not be required.

FOSTER CITY, Calif. — Drug maker Gilead Sciences has completed its $11.2 billion acquisition of Pharmasset, Gilead said.

The $137-per-share merger, originally announced in November 2011, makes Pharmasset a wholly owned subsidiary of Gilead. Pharmasset, based in Princeton, N.J., focuses on developing orally administered drugs for viral infections, particularly hepatitis C.

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NEW YORK — Bristol-Myers Squibb has officially launched its tender offer for Inhibitex, the drug maker said Friday.

Bristol said it had commenced a $2.5 billion offer to buy all outstanding shares of Inhibitex, an Alpharetta, Ga.-based company developing treatments for hepatitis C. The company's leading product is INX-189, an orally administered drug currently in phase-2 clinical trials.

Bristol announced its intention to buy Inhibitex Monday. The New York-based drug maker said it would make Inhibitex a wholly owned subsidiary following the acquisition.

HOBOKEN, N.J. — Drug maker Octapharma USA has appointed David Holliday as VP commercial development, the company said.

ST. LOUIS — Fleming Pharmaceuticals has sold rights of several of its products to Valeant International, Fleming said Wednesday.

Fleming announced the sale of the OTC nasal spray Ocean, the prescription kidney dialysis vitamin supplement Nephrocaps, the magnesium supplement Magonate and ProBarimin QT, a medical food product for patients who have received weight loss surgery. Financial terms were not disclosed.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Generic drug maker Hospira has enrolled the first patient in a late-stage clinical trial of a biosimilar drug for treating kidney disease.

The company said the phase-3 trial of biosimilar EPO (erythropoietin) would compare its product with Amgen's Epogen in patients with kidney dysfunction who have anemia. The trial, which will enroll about 1,000 patients who already have taken Epogen, follows a phase-1 trial that ended last year, and results of the late-stage trial are expected next year.

FLINT, Mich. — Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy has received limited distribution rights for a neovascular age-related macular degeneration treatment.

The specialty pharmacy chain said it has received distribution of Eylea (aflibercept) injection from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, the drug's manufacturer. Macular degeneration is diagnosed as either nonvascular (dry) or vascular (wet) and is a leading cause of blindness in older adults. The vascular AMD usually leads to more serious vision loss, Diplomat said.