Civica Rx
Civica Rx is a nonprofit generic drug company founded in 2018 by national philanthropies and leading U.S. health systems[1] to reduce and prevent drug shortages in the United States and the price spikes that can accompany them. [2]
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Industry | Generic drug development |
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Founded | September 6, 2018 |
Headquarters | Lehi, Utah |
Key people | Martin VanTrieste (President and CEO) |
Website | www |
Civica's mission is to make quality generic medicines accessible and affordable to everyone. More than 50 health systems have joined Civica, representing 1,350 hospitals and approximately one-third of all U.S. hospital beds. Civica has also begun to supply the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs, the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile.[3]
The drugs Civica makes are identified and prioritized by member health systems' doctors, hospital pharmacists and clinicians as the medications most important for quality patient care.[3] The company's initial business plan was to produce 14 generic drugs for hospitals in 2019. By the end of that year, Civica had 18 medications (28 SKUs) in production. By the end of 2020, Civica had 41 different generic medications available for hospitals in multiple dosage forms. Eleven Civica medications are being used to help COVID-19 patients, including neuromuscular blocking agents, sedation agents and pain management medications for patients on ventilators.[4]
Civica plans to bring over 100 medications to market by 2023 through various manufacturing approaches such as partnerships, developing ANDAs, and building its own manufacturing capability.[5] On January 21, 2021, the company announced its plans to build a 120,000 square-foot sterile injectable manufacturing facility in Petersburg, Virginia, representing a $124.5 million investment.[6]
The first shipment of Civica private-label medication was vancomycin, delivered to Riverton Hospital, a part of Civica founder health system Intermountain Healthcare, in October 2019.[7] To date, Civica has provided approximately 25 million vials or syringes of essential generic medications to hospitals, which have been or are being used to treat approximately 10 million patients.[5]
Partnerships and deals
In January 2021, Civica Rx announced its plans to build an essential medicines manufacturing facility in Virginia, part of a partnership with Virginia-based Phlow Corp to produce sterile injectable medications used in hospitals for COVID-19 patient care, emergency room and intensive-care unit treatments, surgeries, and to treat other serious conditions.[6] Civica is a key collaborator in the U.S. government-funded partnership with Phlow Corp, Medicines for All Institute at Virginia Commonwealth University and AMPAC Fine Chemicals.
In January 2020, Civica Rx announced a seven-year partnership with Thermo Fisher to produce nine drugs for emergency and critical care applications that are vulnerable to frequent shortages.[8] This is the first deal in which a manufacturer would produce drugs under an ANDA owned by Civica Rx itself, rather than under the manufacturer's ANDA.
Also in January 2020, Civica and 18 Blue Cross Blue Shield plans announced an initiative to lower the cost of drugs for consumers.[9] The effort, which focuses on a targeted list of generic drugs in the retail setting, provides opportunities for additional health plans, states, employers and pharmacies to join.
In July 2019, Civica announced a supplier partnership with Hikma Pharmaceuticals to provide 14 essential medicines used daily by hospitals in emergency care, surgery, pain management and hypertension treatment.[10]. By the end of 2019 Civica was working with five confirmed supplier partners and in negotiations with several more.
In May 2019, Civica announced that Xellia Pharmaceuticals of Copenhagen, Denmark, was its first supplier partnership and would provide the antibiotics vancomycin and daptomycin.[11]
References
- Johnson, Carolyn (6 September 2018). "Hospitals are fed up with drug companies, so they're starting their own". The Washington Post.
- Kodjak, Alison (6 September 2018). "Hospitals Prepare To Launch Their Own Drug Company To Fight High Prices And Shortages". NPR. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
- "Civica Overview" (PDF). Civica Rx. January 2021.
- Wilkerson, John (May 6, 2020). "Hospitals Created Their Own Drug Maker Just In Time For Pandemic" (PDF). Inside Health Policy.
- "Civica Media". Civica Rx.
- "Governor Northam Announces Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Civica Inc. to Create 186 New Jobs in City of Petersburg". Commonwealth of Virginia. January 21, 2021.
- Liss, Samantha (October 2, 2019). "After fanfare, Civica Rx delivers its 1st drugs". Biopharma Drive.
- Gardner, Jonathan (January 16, 2020). "Civica advances drug supply strategy with Thermo Fisher deal". Biopharma Drive.
- Thomas, Katie (January 23, 2020). "Major Insurers Pledge $55 Million to Try to Lower Generic Drug Prices". New York Times.
- "Hikma and Civica Rx sign long-term agreement to reduce generic drug shortages in the US". PR Newswire. Cision. July 23, 2019.
- Garguilo, Louis. "Ending Generic Drug Shortages At Hospitals: A Capitalist Goes Nonprofit". Life Science Leader (July, 2019). Retrieved 14 August 2019.