Specialty Pharmacy

NEW YORK — Drug maker Genentech is hoping to keep a breast cancer treatment on the market as the Food and Drug Administration considers whether to revoke its approval for the disease, according to published reports.

The San Francisco Business Times reported Tuesday that Genentech, part of Swiss drug maker Roche, is appealing the FDA’s plan to revoke approval for the drug Avastin (bevacizumab) as a first-line treatment for advanced HER2-negative breast cancer in combination with paclitaxel chemotherapy.

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Patients taking an investigational drug made by Genentech for advanced skin cancer fared better than those receiving standard treatments, according to results of a late-stage clinical trial announced Wednesday.

The company, part of Swiss drug maker Roche, said patients with advanced melanoma containing a mutated version of a protein called BRAF lived longer when receiving the orally administered personalized investigational medicine RG7204 than those receiving the injected chemotherapy drug dacarbazine.

HOLZKIRCHEN, Switzerland — Generic drug maker Sandoz has started a mid-stage clinical trial of a monoclonal antibody used to treat cancer and autoimmune disease, the company said.

Sandoz (pronounced “SAN-doh”), the generics arm of Swiss drug maker Novartis, announced the start of a phase-2 trial of rituximab, a biosimilar of Genentech’s Rituxan, used to treat such conditions as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and rheumatoid arthritis.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Pfizer president and general manager for specialty care and oncology, Geno Germano, will deliver the “State of the Pharma/Biotech Industry Address” at the 2011 Armada Specialty Pharmacy Summit, Armada Health Care said Tuesday.

The summit, which will take place in Las Vegas in May, is in its seventh year and is expected to bring 1,500 participants representing 400 specialty healthcare organizations, including specialty pharmacy providers, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, wholesale distributors and others.

OSAKA, Japan — Japanese drug maker Takeda Pharmaceutical  has signed an agreement with Durham, N.C.-based Zinfandel Pharmaceuticals to develop a test for assessing Alzheimer’s disease risk in adults, the two companies said.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new formulation of a drug for treating acetaminophen poisoning.

Cumberland Pharmaceuticals announced Thursday that the agency had approved a version of Acetadote (acetylcysteine) injection that does not contain preservatives or stabilization and chelating agents, and will replace the currently marketed version. The drug originally was approved in 2004.

CINCINNATI — Specialty pharmacy and home infusion provider CarePoint Partners has acquired a Houston-based infusion company that it said would make it a leader in the Texas market.

CarePoint announced the acquisition of ivA Lifetec, a home-infusion pharmacy that specializes in infusions for children, as well as nursing. Financial details were not disclosed. CarePoint said Lifetec was its 10th acquisition since December 2007, and that it now provides home infusion and specialty services in seven states.

LAKE MARY, Fla. — Specialty pharmacy provider Axium Healthcare Pharmacy has launched an online portal to complement its services, the company said Wednesday.

AxiumPortal.com allows patients to manage their accounts, request refills, make co-payments, set reminders and perform other functions.