Specialty Pharmacy

SILVER SPRING, Md. – The Food and Drug Administration has approved a drug made by Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals for treating thyroid cancer, the agency said Friday.

The FDA announced the approval of Nexavar (sorafenib) to treat late-stage differentiated thyroid cancer. The drug was already approved for kidney and liver cancers. The drug works by limiting cancer cell growth and replication by inhibiting proteins within the cells.

NEW YORK — The Food and Drug Administration has granted regular approval to a new drug made by Pfizer for treating a form of lung cancer, the drug maker said.

Pharmacists traditionally have been one of the most underutilized members of the healthcare team, possibly because they hadn’t been officially recognized as part of that team. That, however, is about to change.

DUBLIN — Actavis will lay off more than 30% of the sales staff from its branded-drugs division as part of its acquisition of Warner Chilcott, the drug maker said.

Nowhere is the need to engage more effectively with patients  more apparent than in the area of medication adherence.

“Over 50% of patients with chronic conditions stop taking their medications,” said Diane Gilworth, a geriatric nurse practitioner and chief clinical officer for Dovetail Health. “So we have to find a way to help patients take better care of themselves.”

BURLINGTON, Mass. — While drug companies are developing treatments for a wide variety of diseases, the greatest amount of mid- to late-stage research and development activity is in cancer treatments, according to a new report.

According to healthcare market research company Decision Resources, among the top 25 drug companies, oncology is the focus for 30% of phase-2 drugs and 22% of phase-3 drugs. Other areas seeing strong activity include drugs for obesity, diabetes, infections and central nervous system disorders.

It has been called “the blockbuster drug of the century,” the holy grail of health care and the next great frontier in the search for a more responsive and cost-effective healthcare system. But is it a truly achievable goal, and will it really transform the way health care is delivered in the United States?

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — Specialty drug spend is expected to more than quadruple by 2020, reaching approximately $402 billion a year, according to a new CVS Caremark report released today.