Amid a shortage of amoxicillin and penicillin — the two main antibiotics for strep infections, which rose in early 2023 — Pfizer said it has "limited supply and [an] impending stock out situation" for some of its penicillin prefilled syringe products. 

Sanofi announced its latest endeavor into AI technologies with the use of an internal app, which company CEO Paul Hudson says is a move to align with its aim to become the "first pharma company powered by artificial intelligence at scale," according to a June 13 news release. 

The FDA approved Ironwood Pharmaceuticals' Linzess (linaclotide) capsules June 12, making it the first pediatric treatment for functional constipation. 

An over-the-counter topical treatment for men with erectile dysfunction on May 12 was authorized by the FDA for marketing. Futura Medical's Eroxon gel can now be marketed as a de novo medical device.

Novo Nordisk's Type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic (semaglutide) shot up in popularity for its off-label use for weight loss. Here are six recent updates on the drug: 

The Alliance for Patient Access, a national advocacy group, has published a report outlining key ways employer-sponsored health plans can benefit from alternative funding programs at the expense of some patients.

Novartis announced June 12 that it will acquire Chinook Therapeutics, a Seattle-based biopharmaceutical company that develops novel kidney medicines, for a total value of $3.5 billion.

Francis deSouza, CEO of San Diego-based biotech company Illumina, stepped down from the role June 11 and will be an adviser through July. 

Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co. recently expanded its network of independent pharmacies from 36 to 80 across seven states. 

Teva Pharmaceuticals will stop shipping 36 discounted drugs to contract pharmacies July 5 because of its concerns of a diluted 340B program, according to a letter acquired by 340B Health. 

Metformin — a first-line treatment for Type 2 diabetes — significantly lowers the risk of developing long COVID-19 when taken within the first few days of infection, according to new findings from researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis. 

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists honored 41 members as 2023 Fellows for their "excellence in pharmacy practice," the organization said June 8. 

The ongoing shortages of numerous oncology medications are causing delays in care for patients at cancer centers, according to a study from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. 

Seventy percent of the 20 most commonly prescribed medications from GoodRx are in shortage, according to databases from the FDA and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

The Department of Defense is designing a program to assess the safety of widely used generic drugs amid concerns over their quality, Bloomberg reported June 7.

Atlanta-based Mercer University College of Pharmacy secured a deal with another Georgia university to promise priority applicant status for Mercer's PharmD program and cut one school year. 

Local anesthetics bupivacaine and lidocaine have been in unsteady supply since at least 2015, and recently, drugmakers postponed their expected resupply dates again. 

Shortages of a handful of cancer drugs are causing concern as drug companies delay resupply dates and physicians worry about providing adequate care for their patients. 

Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co., a mail-order pharmacy with thousands of generics and a handful of brand-name drugs, has partnered with two mail-order pharmacies. 

AstraZeneca's approved lung cancer drug Tagrisso (osimertinib) reduced the risk of death by 51 percent in a phase 3 study that involved 682 patients with non-small cell lung cancer.