Specialty Pharmacy

WASHINGTON — According to an economic impact analysis released Tuesday by Martin Kennedy, a former professor of economics who spent seven years on the faculty of Middle Tennessee State University, adopting a prescription requirement for pseudoephedrine products in Tennessee would result in an influx of more than 497,000 additional physician office visits at a direct cost of $44.3 million annually.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A. and Lundbeck on Tuesday announced the availability of Brintellix (vortioxetine) — a once-daily oral antidepressant for treatment of major depressive disorder in adults — in pharmacies across the United States.

“MDD continues to be a challenging condition to manage, and we are proud to make Brintellix available as a new treatment option for people struggling with major depression,” said Douglas Cole, president of Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — With the role of social media rapidly expanding, nearly half of pharmaceutical manufacturers are now actively using this channel to engage with patients on healthcare-related topics, according to a new report released Tuesday by the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics. 

NEW YORK — Novo Nordisk has launched a new insulin pen designed for children with diabetes.

The new NovoPen Echo is the first and only prefilled pen device in the United States that allows for half-unit dosing in combination with a memory function, the company said.

DUBLIN — Actavis Pharma recently announced that it intends to enter into an agreement for Aurobindo Pharma to acquire Actavis' generics commercial operations in seven markets in Western Europe. The transaction is conditional on certain antitrust approvals and completion of employee consultation processes. 

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. — The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy’s Lisa Lubsch has been appointed to lead the Pediatric Pharmacy Advocacy Group-University initiative.

SIUE’s Lisa Lubsch, clinical associate professor of pharmacy practice in the School of Pharmacy, with a patient.

NEW YORK — The Food and Drug Administration recently approved Mekinist (trametinib) in combination with Tafinlar (dabrafenib) to treat patients with advanced melanoma that is unresectable (i.e., cannot be removed by surgery) or metastatic (i.e., late-stage), Onco360 announced last week. 

Both Mekinist and Tafinlar are only available in limited distribution, and Onco360 is one of the few pharmacies with access to both medications.

FLINT, Mich. — Diplomat on Thursday was lauded for its civic efforts and proclaimed “a fabulous company” by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder in the governor’s annual State of the State address delivered last night from the state capital in Lansing.