Specialty Pharmacy

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Health’s Advanced Care Scripts on Tuesday received accreditation in specialty pharmacy from URAC, an independent firm that promotes healthcare quality through accreditation, certification and measurement. According to CVS, by achieving this status, ACS has demonstrated a comprehensive commitment to quality care, improved processes and better patient outcomes.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — The deal between Walgreens and pharmacy benefit manager Prime Therapeutics to form a combined central specialty pharmacy and mail services company has been closed, the companies announced Monday.

FLINT, Mich. — Diplomat Pharmacy this week announced that it would be dispensing two drugs, one of which is limited-distribution. The company will be dispensing Dupixent (dupilumab) and the limited-distribution Ocrevus (ocrelizumab).

Dupixent, a treatment for moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, was co-developed by Sanofi and Regeneron, and is administered through subcutaneous injection.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Health’s contract to provide specialty pharmacy services for the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Federal Employee Program (FEP) will end at the end of 2017.

“Given that the contract expires at year end, the loss of this contract does not affect the company’s 2017 financial results. The loss of this specialty pharmacy contract, which is expected to generate revenues of approximately $2.8 billion in 2017, is not expected to have a material impact on the company’s operating profit in 2018,” CVS wrote in a statement.

NEW YORK — Actinium Pharmaceuticals appointed Dr. Ajit Shetty to its board of directors. Dr. Shetty is a pharmaceutical industry executive with 36 years of experience at Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary Janssen. Most recently Dr. Shetty served as the Head of Enterprise Supply Chain at J&J where he was responsible for the transformation and optimization of J&J’s global supply chain.

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill. — AbbVie has joined the Oncology Research Information Exchange Network (ORIEN) Avatar Research Program.

HAYWARD, Calif. — Impax Laboratories named Paul M. Bisaro its president and CEO, as well as the company’s board of directors.

Bisaro succeeds J. Kevin Buchi, who has served as interim president and CEO since December. Bisaro, 56, has 25 years of generic and branded pharmaceutical experience. He previously served as executive chairman of Allergan, and president, CEO and chairman of the board of Actavis.

NEW YORK — Cota Healthcare inked a multi-year collaboration agreement with Novartis to help improve clinical and cost outcomes for breast cancer patients.