Content about Biology

PASADENA, Calif. — A new vaccine against pneumococcal disease appears as safe as an older one, according to a new study.

The study, conducted by Kaiser Permanente and published Wednesday in the journal Vaccine, compared the new 13-valent vaccine with the seven-valent one used before 2010. The Food and Drug Administration approved the newer vaccine, called PCV13, in 2010 after a series of trials. The valent number refers to the number of varieties of pneumococcal disease the vaccine prevents.

NEW YORK — Vitamin C can kill a virulent form of tuberculosis, researchers in New York have found.

The researchers, at Yeshiva University's Albert Einstein College of Medicine, determined that vitamin C was able to kill drug-resistant forms of the bacteria that causes tuberculosis in lab culture, publishing their findings in the online journal Nature Communications. They had been looking into how TB bacteria become resistant to isoniazid, a first-line drug used to treat it.

PITTSBURGH — Mylan has launched a generic drug for treating cholesterol, the company said Friday.

Mylan announced the launch of fenofibrate tablets in the 48 mg and 145 mg strengths. The drug is used to reduce so-called "bad" low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides and apolipoprotein B while increasing "good" high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in adults with primary hyperocholesterolemia or mixed dyslipidemia.

TARRYTOWN, N.Y. — The booming 2012-2013 cough-cold season may not have come with a fresh set of challenges for the 2013-2014 season. Retailers who had to beef up their cold and flu remedy supplies in the latter half of the season may not need to order as heavily over the summer as they may have in the past. A late start to the allergy season also is reducing the need for cough-cold stock. 

DALTON, Ga. — BeKoool, makers of a cooling soft gel sheet formulated for children to relieve fevers, announced last week a new product to relieve itching and scratching associated with insect bites, poison ivy and more.

PHOENIX — Inventure Foods, a leading specialty food marketer and manufacturer, has received certification from the Gluten-Free Certification Organization for its Boulder Canyon natural foods products and manufacturing facilities in Bluffton, Ind., and Goodyear, Ariz., the company stated.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Meijer will open its 200th store next week, the mass merchandise retailer said Thursday.

Calling the opening of the Swartz Creek, Mich., store a "milestone," the company said it will open on May 16. The store is the first of six new stores the chain plans to open this year in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois.

AKRON, Ohio — TripAdvisor on Wednesday named Purell Advanced Hand Sanitizer "best hand sanitizer" as part of the travel site's second annual Travelers' Choice Awards for Travel Favorites.  

The awards honor top brands travelers across select global markets prefer to use on their trips. In the U.S., there were 21 winners in categories ranging from cameras to sunscreen and carry-on luggage. Winners also were announced in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, India, Italy, Spain and Russia.

NEW YORK — The seventh annual Delete Blood Cancer Gala held on May 1 at Cipriani Wall Street broke all records of previous years and raised $3.7 million to support the fight against leukemia and other blood-related cancers. The money raised jointly by beauty company Coty Inc. and Delete Blood Cancer, part of the world's largest bone marrow donor center, will help register 55,000 new bone marrow donors and help patients worldwide.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Sam's Club is offering free skin and weight screenings during the weekend, the club retailer said Monday.

Sam's Club said all of its stores that operate pharmacies would offer the screenings, as well as screenings for the effects of stress on both, on Saturday. The screenings include body mass index, blood tests for the stress hormone cortisol, weight, height, blood pressure and vision. The stores also will give away certificates for free samples of the probiotic supplement Align.

INDIANAPOLIS — Drug makers Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly have started a campaign designed to educate healthcare professionals about the role a type of protein plays in maintaining blood-sugar balance.

BI and Lilly created the website sglt.com to inform users about the role of sodium glucose co-transporters. The program also includes a video, Glucose Perspectives, in the form of a sketch animation by the United Kingdom's Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce.

NEW YORK — Following a report published Monday in The New York Times about how high doses of the supplement ginkgo biloba caused cancer in lab animals, many are calling for the removal of the product from store shelves to prevent consumer consumption. 

On Tuesday, the Natural Products Association issued a release protesting the indirect correlation.