Specialty Pharmacy

A combination of daclatasvir and asunaprevir for type-1b hepatitis C virus infection has received breakthrough therapy designation by the FDA, meaning a faster path to approval.

Isotretinoin, a treatment for severe acne, has been linked to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in some case reports and 1 study. To investigate whether isotretinoin can induce IBD, French researchers conducted a 2-year nationwide registry study.

A proposed bill allowing biosimilar substitution in Georgia mirrors the state's generic drug substitution regulations.

Poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) may increase the risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes, kidney damage, and peripheral neuropathy. Considering the effect of medications to treat MM on blood glucose control may be an important part of choosing a treatment regimen for some patients.

Rounding doses of ipilimumab to the nearest 50 mg resulted in significant cost savings for institutions, a new study found.

Scientists are using monoclonal antibodies to help the body fight off tumors in the same way that the body fights off infections. Monoclonal antibodies that target the interaction of programmed-death receptor-1 (PD-1) on T cells and its ligand (PD-L1) on tumor cells. Merck's MK-3475 prevents the interaction of PD-1 and PD-L1, thereby inhibiting a mechanism by which some tumors avoid immune detection.

Suzanne Tschida, PharmD, BCPS, vice president of specialty benefit and outcomes strategy at OptumRx, talks about how benefit design, financial assistance programs, and co-pay cards can help make medications affordable for patients.

With the approval of several new therapies in hepatitis C, by late 2013, the 2011 hepatitis C treatment guidelines were well out of date. A multidisciplinary group of infectious disease specialists and hepatology specialists have changed that with a website offering treatment guideline updates at unprecedented speed.

Methods to manage rising specialty drug costs were addressed in a session at the Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute's 2014 Annual Drug Benefit Conference.

Gary Rice, RPh, MS, MBA, vice president of clinical services at Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy, discusses compliance packaging options.

Nominations for the fifth annual Next-Generation Pharmacist awards, co-founded by Pharmacy Times and Parata Systems, are now being accepted.

The race is on to develop a topical preventive agent for reducing the transmission of HIV. Researchers at the University of Texas report in vitro efficacy of a vaginal cream containing silver nanoparticles. Other researchers are already reporting favorable results in human studies of an antiretroviral-containing gel.

Most patients receiving antiretroviral therapy do not meet the minimum threshold for medication adherence, but patients on single-tablet medication regimens tended to meet that threshold.

A recent trial indicates that the antinausea medication ondansetron may have some utility in treating the symptoms of diarrhea-associated irritable bowel syndrome.

Payers will encourage the use of biosimilars where appropriate through the use of step edits, lower tiers, and novel strategies, said Steven Lucio, Senior Director, Clinical Solutions and Pharmacy Program Development at Novation.

Saliva tests for detecting anti–hepatitis C antibodies may not be as effective in patients who also have an HIV infection.

Close on the heels of Vertex Pharmaceuticals' and Bristol-Myers Squibb's announcement of 4-week sustained viral response (SVR4) results with VX-135 and daclatasvir, Medivir AB and Idenix Pharmaceuticals, Inc announce SVR4 results with simeprevir, ribavirin, and samatasvir.

The combination of Bristol-Myers Squibb's daclatasvir and Vertex Pharmaceuticals' VX-135 shows early promise as an all-oral ribavirin-free and interferon-free treatment for hepatitis C.

MitoQ, an antioxidant drug under development by Antipodean Pharmaceuticals Inc, may have potential in treating multiple sclerosis in addition to other neurologic diseases.

An immunotoxin code-named 3B3-PE38 may help shut down HIV-infected cells, according to researchers reporting results of a trial in 40 humanized mice.

A testing program that screens for HIV when patients have indicator disease can catch the virus early, but should be coupled with patient education.

Receptos is set to start phase III trials of a sphingosine-1–phosphate-1–receptor modulator codenamed RPC1063. Trial investigators are recruiting participants.

Combination therapy using Bristol-Myers Squibb's daclatasvir and Gilead Sciences Inc's sofosbuvir has attained a sustained viral response 12 weeks after the end of treatment (SVR12) in more than 90% of patients with hepatitis C, regardless of prior treatment.

Immunogenicity is an important consideration for all biologics, not just for biosimilars, noted Steven Lucio, Senior Director, Clinical Solutions and Pharmacy Program Development at Novation.

The American Journal of Managed Care presents exclusive videos from the 2013 Patient-Centered Oncology Care: Real-World Perspectives conference.