Content about Health & Wellness

WASHINGTON — Reps. Charles Boustany, R-La., and John Larson, D-Conn., on Friday introduced bipartisan legislation that would eliminate the “use-it-or-lose-it” provision associated with flexible spending accounts.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid is working with Sharps Compliance to help customers dispose of unused medications, the retailer said Monday.

Customers can buy a Sharps Compliance medication-disposal envelope at a Rite Aid store for $3.99, place unused prescriptions or over-the-counter drugs inside and then send it via the U.S. Postal Service to the incinerator.

ELMSFORD, N.Y. — Specialty pharmacy provider BioScrip had sales of $450.4 million in fourth quarter 2010 and $1.6 billion for the year as a whole, according to financial results released Friday.

Sales for the quarter were $108.8 million higher than in fourth quarter 2009, while sales for the fiscal year were $300 million higher than in fiscal year 2009. However, the company still had net losses of $67.1 million for the quarter and $69.1 million for the year.

SEATTLE — The Food and Drug Administration has approved biotech company Dendreon’s expansion of manufacturing capacity for an immunotherapy treatment for prostate cancer, Dendreon said Thursday.

The company said it would be able to increase the ability of Provenge (sipuleucel-T) manufactured at its plant in New Jersey by increasing the number of workstations to produce it from 12 to 48.

The treatment is designed to induce an immune response against prostatic acid phosphatase, an antigen present in most prostate cancers.

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — GlaxoSmithKline said it is establishing a dedicated team to support community pharmacists and other healthcare professionals.

Effective March 28, GSK said its community pharmacy liaisons will provide information and tools to help community pharmacists communicate with their patients about chronic diseases and the appropriate use of medicines and vaccines.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a treatment for lupus made by GlaxoSmithKline and Human Genome Sciences, the agency said Wednesday.

The FDA approved Benlysta (belimumab), a treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus, the first new treatment for the autoimmune disease in 56 years.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration is putting its weight behind a campaign by the National Consumers League to combat poor medication adherence.

INDIANAPOLIS — Eli Lilly on Thursday announced that it has named Greg Plowman VP oncology research and SVP for ImClone Systems research.

Plowman will oversee the oncology research efforts of both Lilly and ImClone, the drug maker's subsidiary that it acquired in 2008. He will report to Jan Lundberg, EVP science and technology and Lilly Research Labs president, as well as Bernhard Ehmer, ImClone president.

Prior to accepting the position at Lilly, Plowman served as senior director of research for Genentech for six years. He officially will join the company March 28.

WASHINGTON — Advocacy on behalf of pharmacy at the state level has won recognition from the National Association of Chain Drug Stores for a pharmacy school in West Virginia.

The NACDS said it gave its RxImpact “U” Advocacy Award to students Katrina Thompson and John Hudson from the University of Charleston School of Pharmacy for their leadership in organizing student participation in a Pharmacist’s Legislative Day at the West Virginia State Capitol.

PITTSBURGH — A subsidiary of Mylan has won approval to sell a generic drug for HIV and AIDS in developing countries under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

Mylan announced Thursday that Matrix Labs won Food and Drug Administration approval for zidovudine tablets in the 100-mg strength. The drug is a generic version of ViiV Healthcare’s Retrovir, an antiretroviral sold as a water-dispersible tablet. The drug is designed to treat HIV and AIDS in children and prevent transmission of the virus from pregnant mothers to their children.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Healthcare Distribution Management Association on Tuesday honored Neil Warren of Cardinal Health with its Distribution Management Award for Career Achievement.

The award, presented at the HDMA’s 2011 Distribution Management Conference and Technology Expo in Tampa, Fla., recognizes a distribution industry professional with at least 15 years of service who demonstrates the highest standards of integrity, has made significant contributions to the healthcare distribution industry and is respected by peers and trading partners.