Specialty Pharmacy

DUBLIN — Actavis Pharma recently announced that it intends to enter into an agreement for Aurobindo Pharma to acquire Actavis' generics commercial operations in seven markets in Western Europe. The transaction is conditional on certain antitrust approvals and completion of employee consultation processes. 

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — With the role of social media rapidly expanding, nearly half of pharmaceutical manufacturers are now actively using this channel to engage with patients on healthcare-related topics, according to a new report released Tuesday by the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics. 

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. — The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy’s Lisa Lubsch has been appointed to lead the Pediatric Pharmacy Advocacy Group-University initiative.

SIUE’s Lisa Lubsch, clinical associate professor of pharmacy practice in the School of Pharmacy, with a patient.

NEW YORK — The Food and Drug Administration recently approved Mekinist (trametinib) in combination with Tafinlar (dabrafenib) to treat patients with advanced melanoma that is unresectable (i.e., cannot be removed by surgery) or metastatic (i.e., late-stage), Onco360 announced last week. 

Both Mekinist and Tafinlar are only available in limited distribution, and Onco360 is one of the few pharmacies with access to both medications.

FLINT, Mich. — Diplomat on Thursday was lauded for its civic efforts and proclaimed “a fabulous company” by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder in the governor’s annual State of the State address delivered last night from the state capital in Lansing.

EWING, N.J. — A new drug for autoimmune diseases from Antares Pharma that the company calls the first of its kind is now available, the drug maker said Wednesday.

Antares announced the availability of Otrexup for rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis in adults and polyarticular idiopathic arthritis in children. The company said the drug is the first Food and Drug Administration-approved subcutaneous methotrexate product for once-weekly self-administration. Otrexup, which the FDA approved in October, is available with a single-dose auto injector.

NEW YORK — Pharmacists in Illinois are pushing for the state to let them run medical marijuana dispensaries, according to published reports.

The Chicago Tribune reported that pharmacists are trying to get the state to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule II controlled substance. Currently, the Drug Enforcement Administration classifies it as Schedule I, making it illegal in all circumstances at the federal level; the proposed rescheduling would mean it was legal for medical use, but still tightly regulated, similar to opioid painkillers.

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill. – Drug maker AbbVie has started a late-stage clinical trial of an experimental drug for treating triple-negative breast cancer, the company said Wednesday.