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CINCINNATI — Through its beauty brands, Procter & Gamble has announced its pledge to donate $400,000 to the P&G|Team USA Youth Sports Fund to enrich and support youth sports programs across the country.

P&G's commitment to youth sports expands on its partnership with USA Gymnastics, Alicia Sacramone and Natalie Coughlin for the London 2012 Olympic Games, and its global marketing partnership with the International Olympic Committee through the 2020 Olympic Games.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens and the National Urban League on Wednesday launched the Walgreens Way to Well Health Tour with National Urban League as a charitable component of the Walgreens Way to Well Commitment. The national tour provides free health resources to residents in urban and minority communities who experience disproportionately higher rates of preventable diseases, the companies stated. The service is free and insurance will not be billed.

The market for drugs to treat diabetes — especially Type 2 diabetes — has shown quite a bit of activity lately. At the end of January, the Food and Drug Administration approved Bydureon (exenatide), a once-weekly version of the drug Byetta, which was originally developed by Alkermes and subsequently developed further under an alliance between Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly that the two companies formed in 2002. In November 2011, however, Amylin and Lilly terminated their alliance in the wake of an announced diabetes drug partnership between Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim.

SAN DIEGO — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a long-acting injected diabetes drug made by Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Alkermes, the two companies said.

The FDA approved Bydureon (exenatide), which the companies called the first once-weekly treatment for Type 2 diabetes. The drug will become available in February.

HAIFA BAY, Israel — A committee formed by Taro Pharmaceutical Industries in December is continuing to evaluate an acquisition offer by India-based Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Taro said.

Sun is hoping to acquire Israel-based Taro for $24.50 per share.

The committee, comprising members of the company's board of directors, has brought on Citigroup Global Markets as its financial adviser and is receiving legal advice from Israeli legal firm Goldfarb Seligman & Co. and U.S. firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher.

NORWALK, Conn. — GE Capital Corporate Retail Finance announced it is administrative agent and sole lender on a $65 million asset-based credit facility for Navarro Discount Pharmacy. The financing will be used to refinance debt and for general corporate purposes.

“GE Capital understands retailing and has a great deal of experience financing drug stores,” Navarro Discount Pharmacy CEO Juan Ortiz said. “This allowed us to secure the right capital structure to help build our business.”

MINNEAPOLIS — Despite an overall decrease in free standing insert coupon activity, retailer promotion pages within the FSI vehicles recorded a 30.7% increase to more than 17 billion pages in 2011, continuing the significant annual increases in retailer promotion activity, which began in 2007, Kantar Media reported Wednesday.

Overall, the number of free-standing insert coupons distributed through 2011 dropped 6.5% compared with 2010. This decline in FSI coupon activity followed two consecutive years of annual increases of 8% in 2009 and 7.2% in 2010.

For those of us in the healthcare and wellness business, we realize our industry is changing and evolving quickly, mostly out of pure necessity.  The healthcare industry is overburdened, over budget and in need of an overhaul.  But the potential for our healthcare and wellness system is incredible for all audiences it touches — from consumers to medical professions to healthcare and wellness marketers. Throughout this past year familiar themes rang clear across our industry, giving us insights into what will play vital roles for healthcare in our future.

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Medbox has acquired Prescription Vending Machines and will operate it as a wholly owned subsidiary, Medbox said.

Founded in 2008, Prescription Vending Machines makes a biometric medicine dispensing system that can dispense drugs available form pharmacies, doctors' offices, hospitals, urgent care centers and alternative medicine clinics. The company has installed more than 100 machines and point of sale systems worldwide.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Supervalu will serve as the primary grocery supplier for retailer Western Beef beginning in January 2012, the company announced Tuesday.

Supervalu, which currently supplies Western Beef’s two stores in Florida, now will include an additional 22 of Western Beef’s conventional stores and five of their limited assortment stores in New York and New Jersey, along with a third Florida store that is slated to open soon.

NEW YORK and REDMOND, Wash. — L’Oréal USA has announced that it plans to acquire Pacific Bioscience Labs, the innovator of sonic skin care technology.

Established in 2001, PBL developed its patented technology, enabling a series of products under the Clarisonic brand that redefined consumers’ approach to skin care. These include the Clarisonic Classic, Clarisonic Mia, Clarisonic PLUS and PRO, and the Clarisonic Opal Sonic Infusion System.

SAN FRANCISCO — Joint Juice on Wednesday announced its acquisition of the Premier Nutrition Brand. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.