Phoenix, AZ - (NewMediaWire) - July 24, 2014 - Avella Specialty Pharmacy today announced it has been chosen by Gilead Sciences, Inc. as a specialty pharmacy partner to dispense Zydelig^® (idelalisib) for the treatment of patients with three B-cell blood cancers. Zydelig^® is approved for the treatment of patients with relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), in combination with rituximab, for whom rituximab alone is considered appropriate therapy due to other co-morbidities. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also granted accelerated approval to Zydelig^® for the treatment of patients with relapsed follicular B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (FL) or relapsed small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) who have received at least two prior therapies. Avella is one of a limited number of specialty pharmacies with access to the product.

According to the National Cancer Society, more than 200,000 Americans are living with these slow-growing blood cancers that can lead to life-threatening complications such as anemia, serious infection and bone marrow failure requiring treatment. Relapse commonly occurs after initial chemoimmunotherapy and many patients with relapsed CLL, FL or SLL are unable to tolerate chemotherapy, which may limit their treatment options.

The FDA’s approval for use in CLL patients was based on the results of a randomized, placebo-controlled study that demonstrated patients receiving Zydelig^® had a significant reduction in risk of disease progression or death when the drug was combined with rituximab, compared to rituximab alone. The drug’s accelerated approval as an FL and SLL therapy resulted from another study, which showed that patients receiving Zydelig^® achieved an overall response rate of 54 percent (for FL) and 58 percent (for SLL). Results of both studies were published in The New England Journal of Medicine in March 2014.

“Avella is proud to be able to offer this innovative therapy that has shown such incredible potential in clinical studies,” said Leslie Yendro, RN, VP Business Development of Avella. “With the approval of Zydelig^®, our patients will benefit from this breakthrough drug along with the comprehensive support and guidance our clinical team can provide.”  

About Avella Specialty Pharmacy

Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Avella Specialty Pharmacy is a National Accredited Specialty Pharmacy, providing individualized care and support to patients since 1996. Avella's clinical pharmacists and staff members are experts in managing complex disease states and providing compassionate care. The company offers a nationwide distribution service to complement its retail locations. Avella reached 1,105th on Inc. magazine's 2013 list of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the country. In addition, the Arizona Corporate Excellence Awards has named Avella Specialty Pharmacy as the fastest-growing private company based in the state. For more information, please visit www.avella.com.