Specialty Pharmacy

SILVER SPRING, Md. — Eli Lilly’s new treatment for certain breast cancers has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Verzenio (abemaciclib) was approved to as a treatment for patients with a hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative breast cancer that is advanced or metastatic and has progressed following endocrine therapy.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new indication for Keytruda (pembrolizumab), the drug’s manufacturer Merck announced recently. The drug is now approved as a third-line treatment for patients with recurrent locally advanced or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma whose tumors test positive for a certain protein identified by an FDA-approved test.

With specialty pharmacy marking a growing component of community pharmacies’ business, inventory monitoring — particularly for specialty medications that are meant to kept at certain temperatures — is becoming an added stressor for pharmacists. Temptime VP global customer development Christopher Caulfield spoke with Drug Store News about how the company’s temperature monitoring tools help pharmacies deliver value to patients and the healthcare system. 

OMAHA, Neb. – Mike Agostino, president of Amber Pharmacy and Hy-Vee Pharmacy Solutions, has been awarded the 2017 Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy.

“Nobody works as tirelessly as Mike when it comes to doing what’s right for our patients,” stated Micaila Ruiz, chief pharmacy officer Amber Pharmacy. “He has the ability to instill his mission of patient-centered care with everyone he meets, whether it’s a member of Congress in Washington, D.C., or a member of our staff.”

WASHINGTON — A new report from the Moran Co. for the Association for Accessible Medicines and its Biosimilars Council is projecting big savings to the federal government from biosimilars in the next 10 years. But the estimated $11.4 billion in savings would require the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to revise the way it currently reimburses for biosimilar drugs.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first biosimilar approved to treat cancer, Amgen’s Mvasi (bevacizumab-awwb), a biosimilar of Avastin.

FLINT, Mich. — Diplomat Pharmacy has a new addition to its ranks. The company on Monday announced the closing of its acquisition of Focus Rx Pharmacy Services, a New York-based specialty and infusion pharmacy with two locations in the state.

Focus Rx offers home infusion and specialty prescription management services, and its acquisition will strengthen Diplomat’s ability to deliver solutions for increasing infusion therapy demand, the company said.

The price of drugs — particularly specialty drugs — is the perennial issue plaguing both patients and the companies that make them, as the cost of making a drug, estimated at around $2.6 billion with an average time of 10-15 years, will be factored into the cost of a treatment. Recently, though, patient advocates and regulators have begun acknowledging a need for something to be done about this trend.