Below are the 10 top pharmacy stories published by Becker's Hospital Review in June, beginning with the most popular:
1. 5 drugmakers have recalled metformin products after FDA warning
Since the FDA said in late May that it found unacceptable levels of a carcinogen in metformin — the generic name for a drug commonly used to control blood sugar in Type 2 diabetes patients — five drugmakers have issued recalls of their metformin products.
2. FDA's vaccine head quits Operation Warp Speed days after joining
Peter Marks MD, PhD, quit Operation Warp Speed, the White House's task force to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, just days after joining the program in May, according to Politico.
3. FDA asks 5 drugmakers to recall metformin products
The FDA has asked five drugmakers to voluntarily recall their metformin products after it found unacceptable levels of a carcinogen in the drug, The Wall Street Journal reported.
4. Sanofi shakes up leadership, brings in 4 new execs
Sanofi brought in four new executives in what it says will be the last major change made to simplify its executive leadership team.
5. 10 things to know about the steroid called a 'major breakthrough' in COVID-19 treatment
Researchers from the University of Oxford in England touted results June 16 of a clinical trial that found a commonly used steroid could significantly improve survival rates in COVID-19 patients.
6. Cigna sues dozens of drugmakers in alleged price-fixing scheme
Cigna, one of the country's largest health insurers, has filed a lawsuit accusing dozens of generic drugmakers of breaking national and state antitrust laws by fixing prices.
7. Pharmacist salaries across the most common work settings
Pharmacists working at outpatient care centers had the highest median salary in 2019, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
8. Zoloft in shortage due to increased demand during pandemic
The FDA added Zoloft, one of the most commonly prescribed antidepressants in the U.S., to its list of drugs in shortage as demand for the drug has spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bloomberg reported.
9. Boehringer Ingelheim appoints new CEO
German pharma company Boehringer Ingelheim named Jean-Michel Boers its new CEO, according to a June 15 new release.
10. AstraZeneca plans to distribute up to 2 billion COVID-19 vaccines doses
AstraZeneca said June 4 it has partnered with several organizations to help manufacture and distribute up to 2 billion doses of the experimental COVID-19 vaccine it is developing with Oxford University.