Novavax received clearance from the FDA to move forward with phase 3 clinical trials for its COVID-19-influenza combination (CIC) and standalone influenza vaccines. 

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists has chosen David Chen, a former hospital pharmacy director in Maryland, as vice president for pharmacy leadership and planning. 

Becker's asked pharmacy executives from hospitals and health systems across the U.S. to share their team or system's biggest achievement this year.

A few weeks after Baxter temporarily shuttered its manufacturing plant in Marion, N.C., which was the nation's main supplier of intravenous solutions, 84% of hospital pharmacy workers reported a moderate or critical fluid shortage. 

GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro might influence the volume of all-cause hospital admissions and bariatric surgeries, two studies suggest. 

The FDA has proposed ending the use of phenylephrine, a common ingredient in decongestants, following an extensive review of its effectiveness.

Novo Nordisk's CEO told CNN he is "alarmed" by the risks compounded versions of semaglutide — the active ingredient in the company's diabetes drug Ozempic and weight loss drug Wegovy — are posing to users. 

Compared to the previous year, the third quarter of 2024 saw a 144% increase in demand for pharmacy technicians and a 14% demand increase for pharmacy directors, according to data from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. 

The FDA has updated the labels for all GLP-1 receptor agonists, including popular medications Ozempic, Wegovy, Saxenda and Mounjaro, to include a new warning about the risk of pulmonary aspiration during general anesthesia or deep sedation, Medscape reported Nov. 6. 

GoodRx and pharmacy benefit managers CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, MedImpact and Navitus Health Solutions are facing class-action lawsuits accusing them of colluding to super press reimbursements to independent pharmacies for generic drug prescriptions. 

Beam Therapeutics, based in Cambridge, Mass., released early clinical data from its first trial for patients with sickle cell disease that employed a gene editing tool, known as CRISPR. All four patients showed positive results, but one died four months post-treatment, according to a Nov. 5 news release from the company.

Telehealth platform Hims & Hers will begin offering a generic version of liraglutide, a GLP-1 weight loss drug, to its customers in 2025, Quartz reported Nov. 4. 

As mpox cases rise globally, many Americans at high risk of contracting the virus are struggling to access the Jynneos vaccine due to its high cost and gaps in insurance coverage, The New York Times reported Nov. 4.  Here are five things to know: 

As the U.S. healthcare industry mitigates a critical shortage of intravenous fluids, experts predict the supply strain will alleviate by early December, Bloomberg reported Nov. 5. 

The FDA issued a warning to patients and healthcare professionals to refrain from using compounded drugs distributed by Ontario, Calif.-based Fullerton Wellness, expressing concerns about the sterility of the drugs following reports of contamination. 

Over the past few years, drug shortages have become an ever-present challenge for hospital pharmacies, with shortages at their highest in over a decade1 and the majority of those, 53 percent, were for generic sterile injectable medicines.2 We all recognize that the consequences of such shortages are dire for patients—all the while costing hospitals an estimated $359 million annually in additional labor costs to manage these shortages day-to-day.3

Wegovy may significantly reduce hospital admissions for any cause and overall length of stay, according to a new analysis of data from Novo Nordisk's phase 3 SELECT trial. 

A survey by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists found that 50% of active drug shortages in the U.S. persist for two or more years, the Pharmacy Times reported Nov. 1. 

A Novo Nordisk Phase 3 trial found that 37% of adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis who received once-weekly semaglutide 2.4 milligrams showed improvement in liver fibrosis without worsening steatohepatitis, a disease that causes the body to store excess fat in the liver. 

Two drug companies will pay a combined $49.1 million for their alleged involvement in schemes to inflate drug prices and limit competition in the generic pharmaceuticals market nationwide, the Connecticut Law Tribune reported Oct. 31.