Cambridge, Mass.-based Biogen is cutting its workforce again after laying off 885 people last year, Boston Business Journal reported April 10.

Thirty-four solutions of docetaxel injection, a drug intended for five different cancers, are on back order, according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

The FDA included quinacrine hydrochloride to its list of bulk drug substances allowed to be used in compounding by outsourcing facilities on April 6. It is the fifth addition and is for oral use only. 

Two drugmakers withdrew two indications for their drug Imbruvica (ibrutinib) — the treatment for mantle cell lymphoma and marginal zone lymphoma — after a failure to meet endpoints in a phase 3 study. 

Expanded reimbursement for pharmacist services is something industry professionals and organizations like the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists have long advocated for, but it can be complex to execute, researchers have said. But since 2023, several states have passed legislation broadening the scope for such.

The FDA withdrew its approval of Makena, the only preterm birth drug greenlit by the agency, on April 6 after research showed the treatment did not work better than a placebo. 

Camber Pharmaceuticals recalled one lot of a drug for pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia because of the contamination risk of Bacillus cereus. 

During dozens of drug shortages, which include cancer medications, emergency treatments and 14 others after a U.S. pharma company closed, the FDA drafted a guidance asking manufacturers to alert the agency on drug supply disruptions. 

California is legally required to continue doing business with Walgreens through its Medicaid program, legal experts told KHN in an April 6 report. 

While the nation awaits a decision out of a Texas court that could drastically shape access to medication abortion nationwide, Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington decided to buy a three-year supply of mifepristone, one of two drugs used in medication abortion.

Webster University, based in Webster Groves, Mo., and the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis agreed April 3 to meld a school year for students working toward their Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees. 

A prominent Illinois hospital pharmacist, Sister Mary Louise Degenhart, died March 31 at age 85, according to the Belleville Messenger.

The FDA authorized Gohibic (vilobelimab) for emergency use as a COVID-19 treatment for some hospitalized adults. 

Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co. now sells more brand-name drugs. 

Mercer University College of Pharmacy and Georgia Gwinnett College recently inked an agreement for Gwinnett students to have priority applicant status for Mercer's doctor of pharmacy program. 

Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co. will collaborate with Zócalo Health, a healthcare company that focuses on Latino patients, according to a news release shared with Becker's. 

It has been about a month since a U.S. drugmaker closed all operations, and since then, at least 14 drugs have gone into shortage and four are discontinued. 

While droves of patients experiencing obesity have turned to Novo Nordisk's Ozempic for treatment, the drug Mounjaro from its competitor Eli Lilly is closely trailing its success, according to an April 3 report from The Wall Street Journal.

Medication literacy and patient-centered labels have been linked to improved health outcomes. Now, Denver-based UCHealth has announced plans to take this a step further by implementing a program to translate prescription instructions into 26 languages.

New York state aims to increase access to affordable prescription medications through its new pharmacy benefit program, which launched April 1.