Specialty Pharmacy News Roundup: October 2023

The following company announcements are just a few of the specialty pharmacy company activities from this month. Subscribe to AMI’s Specialty Pharmacy Database to stay up to date on company and industry trends. 

Alto Pharmacy, a full-service digital pharmacy, and Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company (Cost Plus Drugs), which offers generic and brand medicines at cost-plus prices, announced that hundreds of low-cost medications are now available for delivery and pickup to Team Cuban Card users in the metros where Alto has pharmacy locations. Founded in 2018 with the mission to improve the quality of life for everyone who needs it, Alto is a full-service, digitally-powered pharmacy that makes it simple for patients to live their healthiest life by providing an easier, more supportive and more affordable pharmacy experience – including a variety of fast and reliable delivery options. Alto’s industry-leading commitment to patient experience includes direct access to on-call pharmacists seven days a week, automated refills and tools like treatment reminders.

Celltrion Healthcare, Celltrion’s distribution unit, offers biologics to about 110 countries, along with more than 30 global partners around the world.  Celltrion Healthcare recently signed an agreement with Libertyville, IL-based CarePartners Pharmacy to sell its Humira biosimilar Yuflyma in the US market. CarePartners Pharmacy is a national specialty infusion pharmacy business focused on niche therapies and markets, including Specialty Infusion, Specialty Pharmacy, and Ambulatory Infusion services.

Orsini Specialty Pharmacy has been selected by Amicus Therapeutics to dispense Pombiliti (cipaglucosidase alfa-atga) and Opfolda™ (miglustat), a two-component treatment approved for certain patients with late-onset Pompe disease. POMBILITI is a hydrolytic lysosomal glycogen-specific enzyme indicated, in combination with OPFOLDA, an enzyme stabilizer, for the treatment of adult patients with late-onset Pompe disease (lysosomal acid alpha-glucosidase [GAA] deficiency) weighing ≥40 kg and who are not improving on their current enzyme replacement therapy (ERT).

Rite Aid filed for bankruptcy protection and said it would close underperforming stores, sell its pharmacy benefit company Elixir Solutions and resolve lawsuits over its sale of addictive opioid medications. Elixir’s in-house specialty pharmacy helps patients control rapidly increasing drug costs while providing the care member with complex conditions need. Rite Aid has entered into an agreement with MedImpact Healthcare Systems, an independent pharmacy benefit solutions company, pursuant to which MedImpact will acquire Rite Aid’s Elixir Solutions business.

Terrapin Pharmacy, located in Annapolis, MD, announced that it is changing its name to Altruix. Altruix consists of the combined operations of the now former Terrapin Pharmacy, Bank’s Apothecary, and Altruix in Lancaster (formerly Ganse Apothecary), serving over 23,000 customers across 23 states. By combining three local, independent pharmacy organizations, Altruix is able to offer access to expanded personalized pharmacy services and more behavioral health, substance use disorder (SUD), and intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) medications.