AstraZeneca taps Biologics to distribute carcinoma drug

Patients diagnosed with advance bladder cancer often start receiving platinum-containing chemotherapy.
Patients diagnosed with advance bladder cancer often start receiving platinum-containing chemotherapy. | File photo

Biologics Inc., a McKesson Specialty Health oncology pharmacy services company, has been chosen by AstraZeneca to distribute Imfinzi.

Imfinzi, which was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on March 1, was created to treat patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) who meet specific criteria. Imfinzi specifically treats patients whose disease progressed during chemotherapy or whose disease progress within 12 months of receiving chemotherapy before or after surgery.

Biologics noted patients diagnosed with advance bladder cancer often start receiving platinum-containing chemotherapy as a first-line treatment. However, if their disease keeps progressing during or following chemotherapy, patients are left with few options.

“We’re excited to support patients taking this new immuno-oncology therapy as there has been a significant need for additional treatment options for advanced mUC,” Brandon Tom, vice president of Biopharma Services at McKesson Specialty Health, said in a statement. “Our team’s experience and knowledge in specialty medications will provide the clinical, financial and emotional support that patients need when starting a new treatment.”