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NEW YORK — Contrary to the pharmaceutical industry’s commonly-held belief that active Rx and OTC brand consumers are harder to find online than offline, a new study released Tuesday reveals that the online audience is just as active — and for select categories, more active — than the general population.

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.

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.

NEW YORK — Nearly half of patients with schizophrenia don't comply with doctors' prescription instructions, according to a new physician survey.

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.

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Johnson & Johnson on Monday announced that Mark McClellan, senior fellow in economic studies and director of the Initiative on Value and Innovation in Health Care at the Brookings Institution, will join the company's board of directors on Oct. 15. McClellan will serve on the regulatory, compliance and government affairs committee, as well as the science, technology and sustainability committee.

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.

ORLANDO, Fla. — The National Community Pharmacists Association on Sunday recognized Merck with its 2013 Corporate Recognition Award — the award recognizes a company for its support and work on behalf of independent community pharmacies — during NCPA’s 115th Annual Convention and Trade Exposition.