Specialty Pharmacy

ROCKLAND, Mass. — A redesigned version of an injector pen used to treat infertility is available for distribution in the United States, the manufacturer said Monday.

EMD Serono, a subsidiary of German drug maker Merck KGaA, said that Gonal-f RFF Redi-ject, a disposable, pre-filled pen used for the drug Gonal-f RFF (follitropin alfa), had become available. The Food and Drug Administration approved the redesigned pen in October. Merck KGaA operates in the United States under the name EMD in order to avoid confusion with U.S.-based Merck & Co.

ALLEGAN, Mich. — The Irish High Court has approved Perrigo's pending acquisition of Irish drug maker Elan, the companies said Friday.

NEW YORK — Pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts hopes to drive down the cost of new drugs to treat hepatitis C by pitting their manufacturers against each other, according to published reports.

Bloomberg News reported that ESI would pit companies like Gilead Sciences against others such as AbbVie when the new treatments become available in 2014 or 2015. The Food and Drug Administration announced last week the approval of Gilead's new drug, Sovaldi (sofosbuvir), which is designed to cut by three quarters the time needed for treatment.

CHESTERBROOK, Pa. — Drug maker Shire has launched an online information website for patients in the United States with ulcerative colitis, the company said Thursday.

The website, Shire UCentral, includes information for patients and caregivers. UC is a chronic disease that causes inflammation in the lining of the colon and rectum.

PRINCETON, N.J. — A panel of experts at the Food and Drug Administration has recommended approval for an experimental biotech drug under development by Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca for a group of rare metabolic disorders.

NEW YORK — While the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will undoubtedly reshape the U.S. healthcare industry for years to come, it is only one of many factors that will emerge next year, according to a new report released Wednesday.

The report, Top Health Industry Issues for 2014, by PwC's Health Research Institute, was based on a survey of 1,000 consumers and interviews with health industry leaders.

PITTSBURGH — McKesson Pharmacy Systems and Automation on Wednesday introduced a new EnterpriseRx Flexible Delivery solution that expands the reach of outpatient and retail pharmacies beyond their local communities. The new solution can be seen at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Midyear Clinical Meeting, which runs Dec. 8 to12.

JERUSALEM — Teva Pharmaceutical Industries anticipates that it could lose about $500 million in sales next year if a generic version of its multiple sclerosis drug hits the market, the Israeli drug maker said Tuesday.