Specialty Pharmacy

A variety of treatments to counteract the bone-wasting effects of multiple myeloma are in development.

A large epidemiologic study in Baltimore and Philadelphia shows that patients with mental illness are 4 times more likely to have HIV infection than the general population. Results of this study reveal a need for routine HIV screening in mental health facilities.

Innovative new specialty drugs helped push total drug spending to $329.2 billion in 2013.

Gary Rice, RPh, MS, MBA, vice president of clinical services at Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy, discusses how HIPAA laws could change the use of electronic adherence tools.

The reason for discontinuing tumor necrosis factor (TNF)–alpha inhibitor therapy in severe psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis patients may correlate to how well they respond to treatment with a different TNF-alpha inhibitor.

Celgene's apremilast (Otezla) was found to alleviate joint pain and inflammation during clinical trials.

The National Institutes of Health guidelines for prevention of HIV transmission from mother to child were updated on March 28, 2014.

CVS Caremark report projects that transition of specialty drugs from the medical benefit to the pharmacy benefit could provide significant cost relief to payers.

Inflammatory bowel disease patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy had decreased immunogenicity to at least 1 of the 3 strains in the trivalent flu vaccine.

Treatment found to cause a delay in tumor growth during clinical trials.

Primary androgen-deprivation therapy appears not to be an effective treatment for men with clinically localized prostate cancer.

In an interview with Specialty Pharmacy Times, James E. Smeeding, executive director of the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy, discusses the organization's future and issues in the specialty marketplace.

Newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia patients may be more likely to achieve major molecular response if they receive nilotinib therapy, a new study suggests.

In a phase II trial, combination treatment with simeprevir and sofosbuvir yields functional cure rates exceeding 90% in patients receiving 12 weeks of therapy-even among difficult-to-treat patients.

Study finds aspirin improves survival outcomes only for patients with HLA class I antigen expression.

Suzanne Tschida, PharmD, BCPS, vice president of specialty benefit and outcomes strategy at OptumRx, talks about promoting patient adherence.

Celgene's Abraxane is expected to drive expansion of pancreatic cancer therapeutics market.

The new design may potentially improve adherence and outcomes for patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

Study suggests that standard dose of GnRH antagonist clears out of obese women's systems more quickly than in normal-weight women.

Bristol-Myers Squibb submitted NDAs for daclatasvir and asunaprevir. Although asunaprevir is limited to treatment of genotype-1 HCV, a combination of daclatasvir with sofosbuvir may be useful in a range of HCV genotypes.

Express Scripts Senior Clinical Consultant Aimee Tharaldson, PharmD, discusses specialty pharmacy treatment options for 2014 and beyond.

Patients with accelerated-phase chronic myeloid leukemia at diagnosis may benefit from immediate tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy rather than alternate treatments.

Efficacy of standard dose can be suboptimal in patients with hepatitis C, study shows.

Service to dispense oral oncolytics to patients shows positive results, doctors say.

Patients taking Rebif (interferon beta-1a) may ask specialty pharmacists about recent reports of an increased risk of malignant hypertension with this specific formulation of interferon beta-1a.

National Association of Specialty Pharmacy brings together hundreds of stakeholders to discuss the rapidly changing special medication landscape.

Complexity of specialty drugs leads most health plans to create specific rules for coverage, cost share, and benefit management, survey indicates.