Diplomat Publishes Report on Specialty Drug Approvals

FLINT, Mich., Jan. 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. (NYSE: DPLO) has published a new report on the state of specialty pharmaceuticals, including a recap of Food and Drug Administration approvals in 2016 and an overview of the pipeline for 2017.

The report offers insight on developments in emerging specialty therapies. Last year, the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) approved 22 novel new drugs. While there was a reduction in novel new drugs compared to previous years, there were several expanded indications for previously approved therapies that allowed these drugs to reach additional patient populations. New approvals included a mix of oncology, immunology, rare diseases, and other disease states.

Although the quantity of novel new drugs was lower in 2016, important new drugs became available in each of the broad disease states covered by specialty pharmacy. Specialty drug products accounted for approximately half of new drugs and biologics approved in 2016, similarly to in 2015. Nine specialty agents were approved for rare diseases.

"The specialty pharmacy industry continues to show exceptional growth," said Paul Urick, Diplomat's president. "The development of new drugs, as well as expanded indications for previously approved treatments continues to make the robust specialty drug pipeline one of the major drivers of growth."

The pipeline is expected to produce more novel new oral oncology drug approvals in 2017 than in 2016, with multiple approvals forecasted in breast cancer and blood cancers.

To view the report, visit http://bit.ly/2jnTRwl.

To learn more about Diplomat, visit diplomat.is.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements give current expectations or forecasts of future events or our future financial or operating performance. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on management's good-faith belief and reasonable judgment based on current information. These statements are qualified by important risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those forecasted or indicated by such forward-looking statements. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, you should review Diplomat's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including "Risk Factors" in Diplomat's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2015, and in subsequent reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as may be required by any applicable laws, Diplomat assumes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements, which are made as of the date hereof or the earlier date specified herein, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

About Diplomat

Diplomat (NYSE: DPLO) serves patients and physicians in all 50 states. Headquartered in Flint, Michigan, the company focuses on medication management programs for people with complex chronic diseases. Diplomat opened its doors in 1975 as a neighborhood pharmacy with one essential tenet: "Take good care of patients and the rest falls into place." Today, that tradition continues—always focused on improving patient care and clinical adherence. For more information, visit diplomat.is.

CONTACT:

Kali Lucas, Public Relations Specialist
810.768.9580 | press@diplomat.is

Gary Rice, RPh, MS, MBA, CSP
Executive Vice President of Operations
810.768.9863 | grice@diplomat.is

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/diplomat-publishes-report-on-specialty-drug-approvals-300395955.html

SOURCE Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc.