Specialty Pharmacy

FLINT, Mich. — Diplomat has become a distributor of a new cancer drug made by Genentech, Diplomat said Thursday.

The specialty pharmacy company said it had received a distribution contract for Gazyva (obinutuzumab) for chronic lymphocytic leukemia, which received Food and Drug Administration approval on Nov. 1. CLL is a slowly advancing blood and bone marrow disease that, according to the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, will be diagnosed in 15,680 Americans this year and cause 4,580 deaths.

NEW YORK — Bristol-Myers Squibb is selling its diabetes business to AstraZeneca for up to $4.3 billion as part of an effort to focus more on specialty drugs, the company said Thursday.

BMS said AstraZeneca would pay $2.7 billion upfront, as well as up to $1.4 billion in milestone payments and up to $225 million on the condition of certain assets being sold. The companies have had a diabetes drug-development partnership since 2007.

NEW YORK — A new study has found a significant increase in the number of high school students who report having abused a common prescription drug for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, even as abuse of other prescription drugs has decreased or remained low.

BALTIMORE — Lupin has launched a generic drug for treating HIV, following its victory in a patent-infringement suit in federal court, the Indian drug maker said Wednesday.

Lupin's U.S. subsidiary launched its generic version of ViiV Healthcare's Trizivir (abacavir sulfate; lamivudine; zidovudine) tablets in the 300-mg/150-mg/300-mg strength. The launch follows a ruling by the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware that the drug did not infringe on Viiv's patent.

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Actelion has launched a topical gel used to treat a kind of skin cancer, the company said.

Actelion announced the launch of Valchlor (mechlorethamine), which the Food and Drug Administration approved in August for treating stage 1A and 1B mycosis fungoides-type cutaneous T-cell lymphoma in patient who have received skin-directed therapy before. Actelion acquired rights to the drug when it merged with Ceptaris Therapeutics. Accredo Specialty Pharmacy distributes the drug in the United States.

DUBLIN — Perrigo has finalized its acquisition of Elan Corp., Perrigo said Wednesday.

The Michigan-based maker of branded and generic prescription and OTC drugs announced last week that the Irish High Court had approved its $8.6 billion deal to buy Ireland-based Elan, the last regulatory hurdle it had to clear before finalizing the deal, which it announced in July.

PITTSBURGH — Mylan and a partnering company will be able to sell a generic version of a cancer drug starting in summer 2015, under a court settlement announced Tuesday.

Mylan said that it and Banner Pharmacaps had reached a settlement agreement with Eisai and a subsidiary of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International to resolve a lawsuit filed over their generic version of Targretin (bexarotene) capsules in the 75-mg strength. The drug is used to treat certain forms of T-cell lymphoma.

NEW YORK — Three organizations will receive part of $1.3 million in funding that German drug maker Merck KGaA and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society are distributing for MS research.

EMD Serono, the name the Merck KGaA uses in the United States to avoid confusion with U.S.-based Merck & Co., and the National MS Society said the money will help encourage early-stage drug discovery for the autoimmune disease.