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Specialty Pharmacy

  • KKR and WBA close PharMerica deal

    Investment firm KKR and minority investor Walgreens Boots Alliance, based in Deerfield, Ill., on Thursday closed its acquisition of PharMerica, a provider of specialty pharmacy services.

    The deal, first announced in August, was closed ahead of schedule. The all-cash transaction is valued at roughly $1.4 billion and will make PharMerica a private company. In connection with the completion of the acquisition, shares of PharMerica’s common stock will cease trading on the NYSE prior to the opening of the NYSE on Dec. 8, 2017.

  • Fred’s mulls putting specialty business on auction block amid Q3, YTD losses

    In its third quarter, Fred’s reported a $51.8 million loss — an increase over the $38.4 million loss it reported in Q3 2016. As it works to pay off its debt, the company canceled its quarterly dividend and said it is exploring strategic alternatives for non-core businesses, including its specialty pharmacy business and real estate. It’s also updating its share repurchase program.

  • GSK's Shingrix proven effective in immune-compromised patient populations

    GlaxoSmithKline on Wednesday announced that new data from a Phase III clinical study supports the safety and efficacy of Shingrix ((Zoster Vaccine Recombinant, Adjuvanted) in preventing shingles (herpes zoster) when given to adults 18 years and above shortly after undergoing autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplant (auHSCT).

  • The Gates Foundation, NIH and J&J work together on HIV vaccine

    On the eve of World AIDS Day (Dec. 1), Johnson & Johnson announced that its Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies together with a consortium of global partners have initiated the first efficacy study for an investigational mosaic HIV-1 preventive vaccine.

    The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and National Institutes of Health are joining forces with Johnson & Johnson to advance the potential prevention option, which is designed to be a “global vaccine” that could prevent a wide range of viral strains responsible for the HIV pandemic.

  • FDA approves first Herceptin biosimilar from Mylan, Biocon

    The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first biosmilar to treat HER2-positive breast cancer and certain gastric cancers, the agency announced Friday. Ogivri (trastuzumab-dkst), from Pittsburgh-based Mylan and Bengaluru, India-based Biocon, is a biosimilar of Genentech’s Herceptin, and the second biosimilar approved to treat cancer.

  • OraSure partners with Walgreens to promote HIV testing

    OraSure Technologies on Thursday announced several new HIV testing-related initiatives in recognition of World AIDS Day.  OraSure is working with The AIDS Institute to launch a grant program to encourage the development of HIV self testing programs and collaborating with both The AIDS Institute and Walgreens, based in Deerfield, Ill., to promote rapid HIV testing in cities across the U.S.

  • Walgreens study finds results from pharmacy, specialty clinic collaboration

    A recent Walgreens Center for Health and Wellbeing Research study assessed a collaboration between Piedmont Healthcare’s Hepatitis C specialty clinic and a Walgreens local specialty pharmacy and showed that a high proportion (94%) of Hepatitis C patients who were prescribed direct-acting antiretrovirals were able to achieve the primary outcome goal, sustained virologic response, even though many patients had advanced liver disease, previous treatment failure or previous liver transplants.

  • Diplomat: Second PBM acquisition in 2 weeks signals shift to ‘disruptive’ approach

    Diplomat Pharmacy is continuing its growth and diving head-first into the pharmacy benefits management business with its plan to acquire Leehar Distributors, which does business as LDI Integrated Pharmacy Services. The acquisition of LDI marks Diplomat’s second PBM acquisition this month, having acquired National Pharmaceutical Services on Nov. 6. 

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