Specialty Pharmacy

SAN ANTONIO — An increase of 1% in prescribed drug use decreases Medicare spending on other medical services by 5%, according to statements made Tuesday at a specialty pharmacy conference by a former chief of staff for the Obama administration.

NEW YORK — Cancer-focused specialty pharmacy Onco360 has signed a contract with privately owned pharmacy benefit manager MedImpact Healthcare Systems, whereby the pharmacy will offer its services to the PBM's members.

The two companies said the partnership would offer MedImpact clients "a unique and effective solution for bending the cost curve," and was aimed at providing benefit payers with a proven and effective cancer pharmacy program that combines a cost-effective dispensing model with "clinical excellence."

WASHINGTON — Calling it a "looming threat," the National Council on Patient Information and Education released a 10-step plan to draw attention to the problem of poor medication adherence among elderly people with multiple chronic conditions.

LONDON — AstraZeneca has acquired a British developer of biotech drugs for treating cancer, AstraZeneca said Tuesday.

The company said its MedImmune subsidiary had acquired privately held Spirogen and also entered into a collaboration with ADC Therapeutics to develop two of ADC's antibody-drug conjugate programs, currently in pre-clinical development. MedImmune will make an equity investment in ADC, which has an existing licensing agreement with Spirogen.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — More than three-quarters of Medicare beneficiaries don't compare drug prices when shopping for their health plans, according to a new study.

The study, conducted by eHealth, found that 78% of respondents don't compare prices, but that the average beneficiary could have saved more than $600 this year on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs if he had. The study was based on an analysis of more than 450,000 unique visitor sessions during Medicare's 2013 Annual Enrollment Period.

NEW YORK — The governor of California has vetoed a bill that critics said would have limited patients' access to knock-off versions of biotech drugs.

EWING, N.J. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug made by Antares Pharma for treating rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis, the drug maker said Monday.

FLINT, Mich. — Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy is now Diplomat, the company said Monday in announcing a change to its name and branding strategy.

Calling it a "new and more human brand," the company said it had grown to include more than pharmacists, nurses and care coordinators and now includes software developers, researchers and business strategists.