Fostamatinib Disodium Hexahydrate Tablet to Be Dispensed by US Bioservices for ITP

Rigel Pharmaceuticals has recently selected US Bioservices to dispense fostamatinib disodium hexahydrate (TAVALISSE) tablets, for the treatment of adult patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), a rare blood disorder, who have had an insufficient response to a previous treatment.

Fostamatinib disodium hexahydrate was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 17, 2018, for the treatment of adult patients with chronic ITP.

“ITP is a rare blood disorder in which the immune system attacks and destroys platelets in the blood,” Randy Maloziec, vice president of BioPharma Relations at US Bioservices, told Rare Disease Report ^®. “Many adult patients with ITP develop chronic thrombocytopenic purpura, a long-term form of the disease that requires more targeted treatment, specialized disease management, and continual follow-up care. Rigel Pharmaceuticals’ ITP program was developed to treat chronic ITP, targeting an underlying autoimmune cause of the disease.”

By dispensing fostamatinib disodium hexahydrate tablets, US Boiservices, hopes to help patients overcome hurdles associated with filling prescriptions. “Many of the challenges that patients with rare diseases and their caregivers face stem from the small patient populations inherent to this classification and their wide geographic spread,” Maloziec said.

“Interacting with a specialty pharmacy is usually a new, and oftentimes, overwhelming experience for patients with a rare disease,” he added. “Helping reduce the anxiety of the experience and their diagnosis is a critical success factor to ensuring patients are able to access their prescribed treatment.”

US Bioservices has also put together multidisciplinary teams who are organized to develop long-standing, collaborative relationships with hematologists and oncologists in order to provide more comprehensive care for patients and caregivers.

AmerisourceBergen companies — ASD Healthcare, Oncology Supply, and ION Solutions – will also respectively distribute support specialty to health systems, hematology, and community oncology practices for the fostamatinib disodium hexahydrate launch.

“Specialty pharmacies play a vital role in facilitating and maintaining a clinically coordinated approach to care, especially for rare disease patients,” Maloziec said. “We must work in concert with the other members of the patient’s care team to offer patient-centric care that goes beyond dispensing medication.”

Not only is coordination and collaboration vital to improving patient outcomes, he also stressed that specialty pharmacy care is an essential aspect of every patient’s treatment journey. “The pharmacist is often the last member of the clinical care team to interact with a patient before they receive treatment,” he said. “Patients turn to us for education on when and how to take their medication, insight on avoiding adverse side effects from drug interactions, as well as 24/7 access for questions when their doctor is unavailable — all questions and concerns that come up after their physician appointment.”

With US Bioservices’ fostamatinib disodium hexahydrate tablet dispersal, ITP patients will be able to fill their prescriptions at their preferred point of care, regardless of whether they present for care in a health system or community prescriber’s office.

The accessibility of fostamatinib disodium hexahydrate for ITP patients will also be increased by the company’s concerted approach which will strategically and geographically increase the accessibility of fostamatinib disodium hexahydrate for patients.

“Our goal is always to help patients have a healthier future,” Maloziec concluded. “We work to offer consistent, exceptional service levels to maintain a standard of quality care. We also remain flexible enough to find solutions that engage the entire care team to optimize therapy.”