Specialty Pharmacy

CVS Caremark announced the appointment of Alan Lotvin, MD, to the position of executive vice president, specialty pharmacy.

In this Medscape One-on-One video, former FDA Commissioner and former director of the National Cancer Institute Andrew von Eschenbach, MD, suggests using adaptive trial design to test drugs rather than a stepwise approach.

On October 17, the FDA approved Jetrea (ocriplasmin), the first drug approved to treat an eye condition called symptomatic vitreomacular adhesion (VMA).

In a session at the 2012 Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy Educational Conference, Aimee Tharaldson, PharmD, identified the top specialty drugs in the pipeline and highlighted the most recent therapeutic trends within each medication class.

A new study carried out by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and PBM Prime Therapeutics forecasts that multiple sclerosis specialty drug treatment cost will exceed $50,000 per person per year in 2016.

A recent outbreak of meningitis tied to a compounded drug raises concerns about the scope of the practice of pharmacy compounding and prompts legislators to push for increased FDA authority over these products.

Therapies for chronic conditions are increasingly being subjected to utilization management tools, according to ICORE Healthcare's 2011 Medical Pharmacy & Oncology Trend Report.

In this video from The American Journal of Pharmacy Benefits, Aimee Tharaldson, PharmD, discusses some of the current trends in the specialty pharmacy market and notes that the pipeline for cancer drugs is likely to be the most robust.

A free source of evidence-based information for health care professionals and for researchers studying liver injury associated with prescription and over-the-counter drugs, herbals, and dietary supplements is now available from the National Institutes of Health.

Genentech, Inc, a member of the Roche Group, today announced that the FDA has expanded the approved indication for Actemra (tocilizumab) for the treatment of adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have had an inadequate response to one or more disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs).

Humira, Abbott's biggest seller, was recently approved by the FDA to treat ulcerative colitis.

Aimee Tharaldson, PharmD, senior clinical consultant, Emerging Therapeutics, Express Scripts, Inc, discussed the 351K pathway and compared it with the biologic licensing application (BLA) submission route for biosimilar drugs at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy's Educational Conference.

Walgreens and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation announced today they are forming an alliance that will give Walgreens a significant ownership stake in the parent company of Cystic Fibrosis Services, Inc, a specialty pharmacy that provides medications and treatment support for the cystic fibrosis community.

Axium Healthcare Pharmacy, one of the nation's largest independent specialty pharmacy providers, kicked off October with an in-depth look at Balanced Solutions Compounding Pharmacy.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius released a video today on the importance of prevention and early detection in the fight against breast cancer.

Catamaran Corp, a leading provider of pharmacy benefit management (PBM) services and technology announced it has launched its new specialty brand, BriovaRx.

The Foundation for Managed Care Pharmacy (FMCP) will hold its 2nd Annual Research Symposium, October 2, 2012 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The FDA approved Stivarga (regorafenib) to treat patients with colorectal cancer that has progressed after treatment and spread to other parts of the body.

Vanderbilt University and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company announced that they have signed a collaboration agreement for the discovery, development and commercialization of novel therapies acting on the mGluR4 glutamate receptor, known as positive allosteric modulators or PAMs, for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

Managed Health Care Associates, Inc (MHA), a leading health care service company focused on the alternate site health care provider marketplace, announced that Erik Halstrom has joined MHA as vice president of Specialty Pharmacy Solutions.

Avella Specialty Pharmacy, formerly The Apothecary Shops, was recognized by the Arizona Corporate Excellence (ACE) Awards as the fastest growing privately held company based in Arizona.

Study of the biology of squamous cell lung carcinoma leads a team of scientists to conclude that potential new cancer treatment approaches should focus on genetic aberrations rather than on the organ of origin.

Patients taking Truvada may still significantly reduce their risk of HIV infection even when they are not 100% adherent to their drug regimens, a new study revealed.

When compared with traditional treatments, biologic therapies for RA were found to not be associated with an increased risk of cancer.

A new report finds that among all the types of physicians, oncologists are most likely to restrict visits with pharmaceutical reps.

The National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP) announced it is scheduled to launch the organization and its marketing campaign this coming October. NASP is a non-profit organization that will be dedicated to represent all specialty pharmacy stakeholders and provide a strong voice in the specialty pharmacy industry.

The staff at all CVS Caremark Specialty Pharmacy locations are being trained to use PAN's Specialty Pharmacy Portal to help patients quickly access financial support to cover medication costs that may not be covered by insurance.

Magellan Pharmacy Solutions, a specialty health care management organization, has launched Total Drug Solutions, an integrated approach to managing all drugs - oral, injectable and infusible.