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C h a i n D r u g s t o r e D a i l y 2 3 Tu e s d a y, A u g u s t 1 3 , 2 0 1 3 AMNEAL BANKS ON DIFFERENTIATED GENERICS, BIOSIMILARS, INTERNATIONAL MARKETS FOR STRATEGIC GROWTH Celebrating six years in the market in 2013, Amneal Pharmaceuticals is still the seventh largest U.S. generic drug manufacturer based on number of pre- scriptions dispensed, according to IMS Health. Despite its phenomenal growth, this award-winning company is pas- sionately pursuing additional expansion across both current business segments as well as new products, dosage forms and markets. Amneal's comprehensive growth strategy calls for advancing existing plat- forms aggressively while migrating its portfolio and development capabilities into high-value, differentiated and com- plex products. Through intelligent product selection and expanded manufacturing resources, the company's significant ROI- driven investment in differentiated gener- ics and delivery platforms will sustain and accelerate growth long-term. Over $400 million in R&D and capital investment is planned over the next two years. Amneal is also expanding through selective acquisitions and strategic part- nerships. The firm oversees an alliance of differentiated yet independently-man- aged life science companies including Therapeutic Proteins International (TPI) and Prolong Pharmaceuticals. Therapeutic Proteins International is a developer, commercial manufacturer and global supplier of finished biosimilar recombinant therapeutic proteins. TPI has pioneered patented technology for a breakthrough, first-in-class biologics manufacturing platform. MayaBio ® is a proprietary disposable bio- reactor system that offers increased efficiency, high yields, and quick turnaround times. The company has seven products in the pipeline which together represent a U.S. mar- ket size of $20 billion. Prolong Pharmaceuticals is a global biotechnology company that develops novel platforms for next-generation biologics. Prolong's core technology, PEGylation, improves the delivery of proteins and other biolog- ics into the body. Four pipeline products include follow-on brands and first-in- class biologics targeted to cardiovascular, oncology, multiple sclerosis, and other therapeutic areas. These high-potential offerings represent a U.S. market size in excess of $18 billion. Amneal is strategically building a global presence by establishing front-end distribution capabilities in select regions to market differentiated complex gener- ics and biosimilar products. In the regu- lated pharmaceutical environments of the United Kingsom, Canada, Australia, Germany and Japan, the company is pursuing acquisitions, support- ing organic growth, and evaluat- ing strategic partners. In emerging markets such as India, China and Latin America, Amneal is employing a branded generics strategy, targeting local partners with front-end capabilities. Additionally, the firm is signifi- cantly expanding R&D, API production and finished goods manufacturing in India to broadly support both global expansion in ex-U.S. markets as well as supply products to the U.S. market. Whether broadening its reach inter- nationally or serving its core U.S. cus- tomers, Amneal remains steadfast in its total commitment to provide superb qual- ity generic products and create superior customer value and relationships—the foundation of its business and the reason for its tremendous success. Visit Amneal at booth 2624 at the NACDS Total Store Expo, www.amneal.com, or call the company at 866-525-7270. EMPOWERED PRODUCTS ANNOUNCES FSI AND INTRODUCTORY STOCKING PROMOTIONS Empowered Products, Inc., a rising star in the personal lubricant and sexual well- ness products category, will launch its first Free Standing Insert (FSI) cam- paigns in September and February 2014 to support its expanded presence in large national chains. It also announced com- petitive introductory stocking programs for the holiday season and Valentine's Day. The company recently landed chain-wide and regional deals that will put its PINK and Gun Oil products in more than 21,000 locations in the U.S. Empowered Products develops, manufactures, markets and sells 17 SKUs in two product lines: PINK for women, and Gun Oil for men. Product lines include silicone-based, water-based, and water/silicone hybrid formulas. The company has carved out shelf space in the sexual wellness sections of the largest big box retailers, drug store chains, and grocery stores with com- pelling branding and packaging, superior formulations, aggressive pricing and out- standing customer service. The personal lubricant market is growing faster than many other wellness product categories, and Empowered Products, Inc. has positioned itself to capture a healthy share of it, according to Scott Fraser, President and CEO. "Baby boomers who remain sexual- ly and physically active are demanding more sophisticated products and will use them in greater volumes," said Fraser. "They expect to be able to buy them in the places they shop for everything else, and we plan to be on those store shelves." Fraser reports better-than-expected consumer interest, especially for its PINK products. PINK is for everyday women: pre- and post-natal women, heterosexu- al couples, post-menopausal women, and lesbian couples. A reported 43 percent of women have some form of sexual function issue attributable to age or hormone replace- ment therapies that lubricants can great- ly improve. Gun Oil has found a consid- erable audience among heterosexual men and couples for its masculine appeal and superior formulation. "To our pleasant surprise, we see a lot of crossover with male and female cus- tomers alike buying PINK and Gun Oil in the same transaction," Fraser added. Empowered Products brands have been featured on the Dr. Oz show, and received unsolicited endorsements from celebrities including Marlo Thomas and Jenny McCarthy. The company has sup- ported its brands with advertising in well- ness and lifestyle publications for some time, and generates awareness and con- sumer engagement through events, pub- lic relations and social media including Facebook and Twitter. They are a leading brand in the alternate lifestyle markets and do extensive product sampling promotions at pride events across the country. PINK and Gun Oil silicone-based products are made with a superior propri- etary, three-molecule blend, and infused with Aloe Vera and Vitamin E for restora- tive and healing properties. PINK and Gun Oil water-based lubricants are pre- mier, purified water-based formulations that provide the long-lasting glide of sili- cone, but also offer a wetter, lighter tex- ture that is both slippery smooth and feels clean. They have infused these products with Ginseng and Guarana to heighten sensation and increase blood flow. For more information, visit booth 4343 at NACDS Total Store Expo, go online to www.empoweredproducts.com, call 800-929-0407 or email wholesale@ empoweredproducts.com. INMAR: MAKING PHARMACIES MORE EFFICIENT WITH CONTRACT MANAGEMENT The processes for reconciling the mil- lions of claims and transactions tied to thousands of contracts move through pharmacies each day are complex and cumbersome. These complex transac- tions are highly detailed and labor inten- sive—driving up costs and lowering effi- ciencies. To counter declining margins, pharmacies must improve these third- party reimbursements. Usually the claims are handled manually, which leads to high labor costs and poor cash flow with limited visibility to contracts, reimburse- ment and profitability exceptions. Recently Inmar was issued a patent for its Contract Management technology and processes to automate highly com- plex, labor intensive processes for recon- ciling the claims and managing the con- tracts among pharmacies, manufacturers and carriers. By using the Inmar Pharmacy Financial Management solu- tion, pharmacies have the information and tools needed to help ensure the accu- racy of the payments they receive from carriers, as well as those they make to government programs. The Inmar solu- tion is currently implemented in more than 12,000 pharmacies nationwide. "A large retailer required access to actionable information and insights to its pharmacy business to ensure compliance, to reduce bad debt and to improve rev- enue cycle management," stated Jeff Pepperworth, Vice President of Healthcare Network, Inmar. "Our con- tract management app was able to deliver the data security, data granularity and regulatory compliance that was required." This Contract Management app is the first system that electronically matches individual claims directly to carrier contracts using a 10- step proprietary process to validate that the paid amount meets contract terms. Users also can view extensive informa- tion regarding contract profitability on screen and benchmark carriers on key metrics. The tool is used for profitability and compliance monitoring on a number of levels for both generic and brand drugs. Carriers reimburse pharmacies for generic drugs based on what they deter- mine to be the Maximum Allowable Cost (MAC). It is problematic for pharmacies that the MAC rate at which they are reim- bursed can fall below the acquisition cost. For brand drugs, Contract Management matches each claim against the specific rate agreed to in the con- tract between the car- rier and the pharmacy, which is typically based on an Average Wholesale Price (AWP) or Wholesale Acquisition Cost (WAC), plus or minus "x" percent. While such calculations and compar- isons can be done manually, the sheer volume of claims and number of carrier contracts make relying on manual processes virtually impossible for any pharmacy regardless of size, leaving them with no real data to support their negotiations with carriers. Inmar studies show that pharmacies have been able to reduce bad debt write-offs up to 50 per- cent and increase electronic remittance to 98 percent. For more information, contact Inmar at solutions@inmar.com or visit www.inmar.com. Visit booth 5225 for a demonstration.