Specialty Pharmacy

DANBURRY, Conn. and RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — The latest report from the QunitilesIMS Institute is highlighting strides made in oncology therapies and the robust pipeline of forthcoming treatments.

The report, Global Oncology Trends 2017: Advances, Complexity and Cost, notes that 68 novel therapies have been approved globally across 22 cancer indications since 2011, providing more access and better outcomes for patients, particularly those with metastatic cancers.

BOISE, Idaho — Albertsons has taken a big step to expand its specialty pharmacy services. The company on Wednesday announced the acquisition of MedCart Specialty Pharmacy, a URAC accredited provider of specialty care services and medication management for patients and providers dealing with complex diseases.

FLINT, Mich. — Diplomat Pharmacy on Friday announced that it would be dispensing a recently approved treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. The specialty pharmacy will be dispensing Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Sanofi’s Kevzara (sarilumab).

The drug is administered once every two weeks as a subcutaneous injection, and can treat moderate to severely active rheumatoid arthritis that’s is intolerant of or unresponsive to one or more disease-modiying antirheumatic drugs.

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Pharmacy technology solutions provider QS/1 and Asembia have announced a new partnership. Asembia’s Asembia1 specialty pharmacy workflow platform will be integrated with QS/1’s software platform as a result of the partnership.

NEW YORK — CVS Health has a “very strong balance sheet” and will “look into opportunities” in the merger and acquisition space that can help the retailer become even more helpful to its clients, president and CEO Larry Merlo said Wednesday during the UBS Healthcare Conference at the Grand Hyatt here.

PRINCETON, N.J. — Bristol-Myers Squibb announced Wednesday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration accepted a supplemental Biologics License Application that seeks to extend the use of Opdivo (nivolumab) to patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after prior sorafenib therapy. The FDA granted the application priority review and previously granted Opdivo orphan-drug designation for the treatment of HCC.

The FDA action date on the application Sept. 24.

AUSTIN, Texas — A new survey from Innovatix is highlighting concerns home infusion providers have as the 21st Cures Act enters its fifth month. Under the law, which was signed by President Barack Obama in December 2016, the payment structure for infusion drugs under Medicare Part B changed from an average wholesale price to an average sales price.