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Over the past few decades, very few new antibiotics have been developed, and most of those newly approved antibiotics are slightly different variants of existing drugs. Current methods for screening new antibiotics are often prohibitively costly, require a significant time investment, and are usually limited to a narrow spectrum of chemical diversity…In this case, the researchers designed their model to look for chemical features that make molecules effective at killing E. coli… This molecule…halicin…The researchers…found that it was able to kill many that are resistant to treatment, including Clostridium difficile, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis…“This groundbreaking work signifies a paradigm shift in antibiotic discovery and indeed in drug discovery more generally,”…READ MORE

Christina Mattina, welcome to This Week in Managed Care from the Managed Markets News Network

At a time when people expect negative news in the generics industry — whether it is unabating competition, price deflation, product quality and recall issues, or product supply shortages — many generics firms are managing to thrive...Amidst this disruption, many players in the generics sector are counterpunching with innovative strategies, accelerating their efforts to pursue a diversified business model and focusing on significantly increasing their pipeline of products to include new therapeutic areas and new dosage forms. They also are developing and commercializing complex medicines and delivery systems that position their business for continued long-term growth...READ MORE

Two new reports quantify the problem that community pharmacists have experienced firsthand: direct and indirect remuneration fees are skyrocketing, causing some pharmacies to go out of business...DIR fees have skyrocketed by 1600% in the last 5 years, totaling $8.5 billion since 2013, according to a new policy analysis...Pharmacy benefit managers are profiting from DIR fees in excess of 500% per prescription, compared with the average PBM administration fee...A loophole in the program allows health plans and PBMs to pocket an excessive amount of pharmacy DIR fees rather than offset prescription costs for seniors...READ MORE

Health care is poised for a potential giant leap forward thanks to the 3D printing of medications. To advance the technology and science of 3D pharmaceutical printing, Purdue University’s College of Pharmacy and Aprecia Pharmaceuticals are launching a comprehensive collaboration on future 3DP pharmaceutical equipment and medications…READ MORE

Nicole Grassano, PTNN, Pharmacy Week in Review, this weekly video program provides our readers with an in-depth review of the latest news, product approvals, FDA rulings and more.

The Food and Drug Administration...outlined its efforts to track potential supply chain disruptions emanating from the spread of the new coronavirus from China, noting increased ordering of surgical masks, gowns and other personal protective equipment through distributors...Agency chief Stephen Hahn said in a statement that shifting ordering patterns has yet to result in shortages but warned the situation is "evolving and very dynamic."...The agency is holding off on conducting medical product inspections in China, heeding the State Department's warning against traveling to the country where the outbreak began. Still, Hahn noted the FDA is working to use other information "to inform decisions allowing the products to enter the U.S. market."...READ MORE

At the beginning of 2019, ...the…Food and Drug Administration began accepting pilot project proposals to identify solutions for meeting the 2023 requirements of the Drug Supply Chain and Security Act. The…Congress passed the DSCSA to improve the security of the pharmaceutical supply chain to help eliminate counterfeit pharmaceuticals and enhance patient safety...the MediLedger Project, a working group of 24 industry leading pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors, retail chains, logistics partners and solution providers, was accepted by the FDA as one of their approved proposals…The working group’s purpose was to evaluate blockchain technology…in the track and trace of prescription medicines in the United States. The MediLedger Project released…the MediLedger DSCSA Pilot Project Final Report detailing how and why blockchain can meet the 2023 DSCSA requirements for an interoperable, confidential change of ownership system in the US pharmaceutical supply chain…READ MORE

The surge in vertical integration in the healthcare industry has created "an oligopoly of integrated healthcare companies controlling nearly all aspects of the healthcare and pharmacy supply chain," said the National Community Pharmacists Association in comments submitted today to the Federal Trade Commission and the US Department of Justice Antitrust Division..."These vertical mergers have allowed a handful of massive companies to exercise enormous power over patients and the marketplace. In many cases, we believe they are creating for themselves unfair advantages that are driving up patient costs and killing local businesses," said B. Douglas Hoey, NCPA CEO...READ MORE

Spread of the novel coronavirus in China and beyond would have mixed effects on U.S. biopharma companies, says Moody's...the impact on their businesses may be mixed...If the virus persists long enough, branded drugmakers may see decreased demand for their innovative drugs in China...the global spread of the virus could lead to government stockpiling of certain drugs such as antivirals...As for generic players, which depend on China for active pharmaceutical ingredients, a continued outbreak may increase the risk of supply disruption...READ MORE