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Pharmacy giant Walgreens is going deeper into specialty products with plans that include opening a cell and gene therapy pharmacy in the Pittsburgh region.
The company unveiled Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy, a division of the Walgreens Boots Alliance that will include a new 18,000-square-foot gene and cell services pharmacy and innovation center in the Pittsburgh region. It didn't immediately disclose the location.
Walgreens said in a news release that the center would have "services and capabilities for these emerging therapies, including innovative solutions for managing the complexity of the supply chain, logistics and financing as well as clinical and social needs management to ensure success for patients and partners."
It would also include four central specialty pharmacies that would be located around the country and 300 community specialty pharmacies.
Specialty pharmaceuticals are about half of the prescription drug spend in the country and help people with rare and complex diseases. Pittsburgh is also a major center for specialty and rare disease pharmacy centers, including Pantherx Specialty Pharmacy and Zeal.
“We have the flexibility to contract dynamically with any payer. We can partner directly with pharmaceutical manufacturers to facilitate products to market, including limited distribution drugs, and coordinate closely with providers to ensure patients experience a smooth start to treatment," said Walgreens Chief Pharmacy Officer Rick Gates.