Content about Environment

FLINT, Mich. — The leader of the country's largest privately owned specialty pharmacy provider is going to Washington, D.C.

Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy said Thursday that CEO Phil Hagerman had received an invitation, along with other business leaders, from the White House Business Council and Business Forward to attend a one-day forum on jobs and the economy, and opportunities for collaboration between the private sector and government.

ATLANTA — Asthma is having a growing effect on the country's health, according to a new study.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its "Asthma's Impact on the Nation" report Wednesday, based on data gathered using the "Asthma Call-back Survey" of people with the disease. An estimated 29.1 million American adults, or 12.7% of the total, have been diagnosed with asthma in their lifetimes, while 18.7 million, or 8.2%, still had asthma in 2010.

LAS VEGAS — The 8th annual Armada Specialty Pharmacy Summit officially kicked off here at the Wynn casino resort on Wednesday morning, with early attendance figures showing a 30% increase over 2011, when more than 1,500 executives attended.

CLEVELAND — Giant Eagle has opened an 83,000-sq.-ft., state-of-the-art supermarket in Cleveland.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — It seems that many U.S. adults are unaware of what inoculations are government-recommended vaccinations, while more than half are not diligent about regular checkups with their primary care physician, according to a Walgreens survey.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Community Pharmacists Association and Sharps Compliance said community pharmacies nationwide are ready for consumers to safely dispose of unused patient medications.

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. — Two drug makers have signed a deal to develop an experimental drug for treating two types of cancer.

Merck and Endocyte announced that they would develop and commercialize the latter's drug EC145 (vintafolide), currently in a phase-3 trial, as a treatment for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer and a phase-2 trial for non-small cell lung cancer. Both studies are also using Endocyte's experimental diagnostic agent, EC20 (etarfolatide).

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase, the first line of skin care products sold in the mass market that offers exclusive clinical strength kinetin in anti-aging formulas, is launching at retail in June its new Wrinkle Repair day and night cream.

The new formula is an intensive moisturizer for day and night that is designed to erase signs of wrinkles and protect skin from environmental damage. It is free of parabens, fragrances and dye.

It is has a suggested retail price of $25.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS/pharmacy officially announced on Wednesday the April schedule of Project Health (Proyecto Salud in Spanish), a wellness program delivering more than $21 million worth of free health screenings to multicultural communities throughout 2012.

As part of National Minority Health Month, CVS/pharmacy will offer free health screenings at select stores in African-American and Latino communities in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. — The Food and Drug Administration is asking for additional data before it approves a new cholesterol drug made by Merck, the drug maker said.

Merck said the agency issued a complete response letter for its regulatory approval application for a drug that would combine the cholesterol drug Zetia (ezetimibe) with atorvastatin, the active ingredient in Pfizer's Lipitor. A complete response letter means that the FDA cannot approve a drug application in its current form.

CHICAGO — The number of working people concerned about their weight is on the rise, according to a new study.

Results of a poll released Tuesday by ComPsych, a company that calls itself the world's largest provider of employee assistance programs, indicated that 43% of employees cited weight loss as their primary health concern, a number that was 10% higher than in 2011.

NEW YORK — The Center for Reproductive Rights on Wednesday asked a federal court to reopen its 2005 lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration for imposing age restrictions on emergency contraceptive drugs. Presently, emergency contraceptives, like Plan B One Step, are available behind a pharmacy counter for women 17 years and older but require a prescription for women under the age of 17 years.