Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1497584
38 INNOVATION Cuban breaks into brand- name drug market By Ashleigh Hollowell M ark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co. has entered into an agreement with IBSA Pharma to sell Tirosint, a medication for hypothyroidism. It will be the first brand-name drug offered by Mr. Cuban's pharmacy. Since its launch in 2021, Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co. has focused on growth from originally offering 100 prescriptions to more than 1,000 — which are generic. Not offering brand-name drugs is something the company has previously been criticized over. But, in November, Mr. Cuban said that the company's ability to offer brand- name drugs to its then-1.3 million customers was "on the horizon." e company has since grown to 2 million customers. Tirosint is widely used and one of the most prescribed medications in the country, a March 7 news release noted. As such, the move for Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co. is one that "marks one of the company's first forays into the branded segment of the U.S. pharmaceutical market," according to the press release. IBSA Pharma CEO Nicholas Hart said in a statement that the company is "delighted" to partner with Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co. to make the medication more widely available. "We are super excited to finally offer Tirosint," Mr. Cuban told Becker's. "Cost Plus customers have been asking for it and IBSA is truly a forward-thinking company that recognizes the importance that transparency brings to the industry. It truly is exciting. ey are a great partner, and we look forward to working with them."n Walmart Health to add 28 new clinics by 2024 By Naomi Diaz Walmart Health will open 28 new Walmart Health centers by the first quarter of 2024. The retailer will open 10 new locations in Dallas, eight locations in Houston, six locations in Phoenix and four locations in Kansas City, Mo., according to a March 2 release from Walmart. The clinics will provide primary care, dental care, behavioral health care, labs and X-ray, audiology, and telehealth services. With the new clinics, Walmart will have more than 75 total locations by the end of 2024. The move comes shortly after the retail giant entered into a 10-year agreement with UnitedHealth Group to deliver care to seniors in Medicare Advantage plans. n Mayo Clinic set to build 120-acre innovation hub in Arizona By Giles Bruce R ochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic plans to start building a 120-acre innovation hub soon at its Arizona campus, the Phoenix Business Journal reported. Mayo Clinic submitted a zoning application with the city of Phoenix to construct the 3.3-million-square-foot medical and research center adjacent to its hospital there, according to the March 1 story. "It's an exciting step," Richard Gray, MD, CEO of Mayo Clinic in Arizona, told the news outlet. "Discovery Oasis is getting real." Ten years in the making, the project would include advanced research and development, medical equipment manufacturing and outpatient treatment, according to the Business Journal. n Best Buy's $400M remote patient monitoring company partners with Geisinger, Mount Sinai, NYU Langone Health By Giles Bruce B est Buy has partnered with five of the 10 largest U.S. health systems on remote patient monitoring, according to a March 2 earnings call. Its subsidiary, Current Health, now works with Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger, New York City-based Mount Sinai Health System and New York City-based NYU Langone Health, said Mollie O'Brien, Best Buy's vice president of investor relations, in the call transcribed by The Motley Fool. The company's platform combines remote patient monitoring, telehealth, patient engagement and a "full support model," Ms. O'Brien said. She said Current had its best commercial booking year yet in 2022. Best Buy acquired Current Health for $400 million in 2021, part of its continued push into providing technology for remote patient monitoring. n