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CHICAGO — A drug made by Merck for treating HIV infection was effective and tolerated in patients regardless of their gender or race, according to results of a late-stage clinical trial announced Monday.

INDIANAPOLIS — Healthcare giant WellPoint has inked a deal with IBM whereby it will develop applications using IBM's Watson artificial intelligence technology to deliver healthcare information to patients.

Watson, named for IBM founder Thomas Watson, is a system developed by IBM scientists designed to mimic a human's ability to answer questions posed in natural language that earlier this year appeared on the TV game show "Jeopardy!" and won against two human contestants.

MIDWEST CITY, Okla. — Walmart is gearing up to open a Neighborhood Market store this month in Midwest City, Okla.

The 40,000-sq.-ft. format will offer customers quick access to low-cost groceries, prescriptions and household products. The store officially will open its doors on Sept. 21.

As previously reported, Walmart president and CEO Bill Simon said that the Neighborhood Market format is being rebranded as Walmart Market.

NEW YORK — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new cancer drug made by Pfizer, the drug maker said.

The FDA approved Pfizer's Xalkori (crizotinib) capsules, a treatment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer that has advanced locally or spread to other parts of the body, also known as metastasis. The drug specifically is designed to target NSCLC containing the enzyme anaplastic lymphoma kinase, as determined by a companion test also approved by the FDA.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Despite the absence of top line growth at Walmart’s U.S. stores division, second-quarter earnings grew 12.4% to $1.09 and came in a penny ahead of analysts’ estimates, which was enough for the company to narrow and increase the range of its full-year profit forecast.

CINCINNATI — Procter & Gamble announced on Friday double-digit growth in fourth-quarter net sales and earnings.

Net sales for the quarter rose 10% to $20.9 billion. Organic sales, which exclude the impact of acquisitions, divestitures and foreign exchange, grew 5% for the quarter.

Net earnings totaled $2.5 billion, or 84 cents per diluted share, compared with $2.2 billion, or 71 cents per diluted share, in the year-ago period.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart announced that it is making back-to-school shopping even easier with new store improvements.

Back-to-school items now are organized, both in stores and online, in one place and categorized by school age group, so families can quickly and easily shop supplies appropriate for their child’s grade, the company reported. Many of the most common school supply list items are located down the center of the back-to-school aisle, allowing families to quickly check these items off their list.

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — Walmart has returned to the consumer packaged goods industry's information sharing model through a new cooperation agreement with Nielsen.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Karen Roberts was named EVP and president of Walmart Realty on Friday, filling a position vacated by the company’s long-time real estate executive Eric Zorn, who retired after a 20-year career.

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Johnson & Johnson on Thursday announced that the company has entered into an agreement to become a global sponsor of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, becoming the eighth and final FIFA World Cup sponsor.

With this sponsorship, Johnson & Johnson will be the exclusive and official healthcare sponsor, with the ability to promote across their consumer, medical devices and diagnostics, and pharmaceutical businesses.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart announced that it will offer customers savings of 10 cents a gallon on all fuel, gas and diesel at participating Murphy USA and Walmart gas stations. The reduction is part of a 90-day Rollback program.

The program will be implemented across 18 states.

NEW YORK — The Food and Drug Administration has declined to approve an investigative painkiller made by Pfizer, the drug maker said Friday.

The FDA issued a complete response letter for Remoxy (oxycodone) extended-release capsules, which Pfizer is developing under a partnership with Pain Therapeutics. Pain Therapeutics originally developed the drug using Durect’s Oradur technology, which is designed to prevent tampering by drug abusers, in collaboration with King Pharmaceuticals. Pfizer took control of development of the drug when it acquired King in February.