BUSINESS INSIGHTS, PHARMA TECH
ADC Therapeutics | January 03, 2023
Sobi® and ADC Therapeutics SA informed that Zynlonta® (loncastuximab tesirine) has recently received conditional marketing authorization from the European Commission (EC) for the treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma ((DLBCL) that has relapsed or become resistant. The approval comes after the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use issued a favorable opinion in September.
Sobi has said that it wants to give Zynlonta, a new treatment for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, to people in the European Union who have this debilitating blood cancer.
The approval was granted based on the findings from LOTIS-2, which was a large (n=145), phase 2 multinational, single-arm clinical study of Zynlonta for treating adult patients who had relapsed or refractory DLBCL following two or more prior lines of systemic therapy. Zynlonta was granted accelerated approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration in April 2021. This approval made it the first CD19-targeted antibody-drug conjugate to be used as a single-agent treatment for adult patients who had relapsed or been resistant to two or more lines of systemic therapy for their DLBCL.
Sobi announced an exclusive license agreement with ADC Therapeutics to develop and commercialize Zynlonta in Europe and other international markets. The license aims to boost Sobi's presence in hematology, one of its two main disease areas. Besides, Zynlonta will be sold with other Sobi hematology drugs.
ADC Therapeutics added that this approval expands Zynlonta's global reach. Zynlonta will fill a critical unmet need for DLBCL patients in Europe. The EU decision applies to Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein.
According to the terms of the license agreement and as previously communicated, Sobi will pay ADC Therapeutics USD 50 million as a result of the EU's approval of DLBCL. Sobi's clinical development and product supply are handled by ADC Therapeutics.
About ADC Therapeutics
ADC Therapeutics next-generation, targeted antibody-drug conjugates help cancer patients. With a deep understanding of oncology and an ADC platform that the FDA's approval of Zynlonta has proven, the company is working to meet unmet medical needs and improve outcomes for people with hard-to-treat hematological cancers and solid tumors. ADC Therapeutics' highly skilled global team is committed to fighting cancer with science, bringing targeted therapies and hope to patients and their families.
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BUSINESS INSIGHTS, PHARMACY MARKET
Shields Health Solutions | March 17, 2023
Shields Health Solutions (Shields), the premier specialty pharmacy accelerator in the country, announced that it has partnered with Nemours Children’s Health, Delaware, to collaborate in developing a specialty pharmacy program that will provide patients with complex, chronic conditions access to specialized pharmacy services designed to lower costs, expand treatment options, enhance medication management, and improve overall health.
Shields will provide Nemours Children’s Health new support services through its partnership to meet the unique needs of patients with complex chronic conditions. Now, specialty pharmacy liaisons will work with patients on-site in clinics, offices, and pharmacies, among other locations, guiding patients who fill their prescriptions with Nemours Children’s. These liaisons work with teams of experts to assist patients and families with a multitude of tasks, including health insurance prior authorizations or securing financial assistance to help overcome one of the significant barriers to care.
These expanded patient support services, combined with access to recently approved and newly available drugs, will give Nemours’ patients greater availability for onsite treatment options. Shields currently partners with nearly 80 health systems around the country and has helped their patients reduce co-pays, promptly receive medication delivery, often within two days, and improved medication adherence greater than 90 percent on average.
Nemours Children’s Health is one of the largest multistate pediatric health systems in the country and provides award-winning care to more than 38,000 specialty patients. The complete health system includes two free-standing children's hospitals and a network of more than 70 primary, specialty and urgent care practices. US News & World Report ranked Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware among the 10 best children’s hospitals in the Mid-Atlantic region and recognized Nemours Children’s Hospital, Florida for excellence in orthopedics and endocrinology.
“Nemours’ commitment to outstanding care for children with chronic diseases aligns with Shields core mission,” said Stephen Davis, Senior Director of Health System Strategy. “Specialty pharmacy services provide challenges for all patient populations, but pediatric patients have unique needs that require tremendous support. We are proud to provide that support for patients at Nemours Children’s Health and help them achieve the best possible health outcomes.”
“As Nemours Children’s Health works toward creating the healthiest generations of children, it is imperative to address social determinants of health including access to medications that are affordable, said,” said Robert J. Mullen, BS, PharmD, RPh, Vice President, Patient Operations, Delaware Valley, at Nemours Children’s Health, Delaware. “Specialty pharmacy services can cause many challenges for the complex patients that Nemours Children’s cares for on a daily basis. We are proud to be partnering with Shields Health Solutions to help ease the burden for families acquiring prescription medication for their children and in turn achieve better health outcomes.”
About Shields Health Solutions
Shields Health Solutions (Shields) is the premier specialty pharmacy accelerator in the country. The Shields Performance Platform, an integrated set of solutions, services and technology, is intentionally designed to elevate payer and drug access for specialty pharmacies, elevate health outcomes for complex patients, and elevate growth throughout the entire health system. As the foremost experts in the health system specialty pharmacy industry, Shields has a proven track record of success including access to over 80 percent of all limited distribution drugs (LDDs) and most (health insurance) payers in the nation; and a clinical model proven to lower total cost of care by 13%. In partnership with more than 70 health systems across the country through national-scale collaboration, Shields has a vested interest in delivering measurable clinical and financial results for health systems.
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BUSINESS INSIGHTS, PHARMACY MARKET
Envision Pharma Group | February 10, 2023
Envision Pharma Group (Envision), a leading evidence-based communication services and industry-leading technology solutions provider serving biotech, pharmaceutical, and medical device companies recently announced the acquisition of OKRA.ai, a leading technology company active in the development of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for commercialization, medical, real-world evidence and data analytics, and pricing for the life sciences and pharmaceutical industries.
OKRA.ai's AI products and solutions transform enormous scientific, clinical, and commercial data sets into actionable insights for customers in the health sciences industry, empowering decision-making and driving action.
Dr. Loubna Bouarfa, the founder of OKRA.ai, will join the Executive Leadership Team of Envision. Loubna recently received the renowned Deloitte Fast 50 Women in Leadership Award as well as the Forbes 50 Top Women in Tech.
OKRA.ai has offices in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands and employs around 30 people. With the purchase of OKRA.ai, Envision Pharma Group will have over 1,400 employees spread across four continents.
Envision Pharma Group's CEO Meg Heim commented, "We are delighted to welcome OKRA.ai into the Envision Pharma Group family." She added, "The acquisition of OKRA.ai marks an exciting milestone in Envision's evolution as we continue to accelerate and deliver a compelling combination of technology-enabled capabilities and solutions to clients. The combination of Envision's leading technology, capabilities, and solutions with OKRA.ai's artificial intelligence solutions and expertise enables us to strengthen our offerings to clients across the product life cycle, but more importantly, support patients in their journey to health and wellness."
(Source – Globe Newswire)
About Envision Pharma Group
Founded in 2001, Envision is a leading evidence-based communication service and industry-leading technology solutions provider serving biotech, pharmaceutical, and medical device companies. It works with over 200 pharmaceutical and biotech firms, including 18 of the top 20 pharmaceutical firms. The company began by reinventing how biopharma companies managed their global data communications programs by leveraging smart technology and best-in-class publication planning. It has since grown to become a leading provider of healthcare communications services and medical affairs technology solutions. It assists clients throughout the pharmaceutical product lifecycle, establishing solid partnerships and gaining client trust in purpose-built solutions.
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