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PHOENIX — Ernst & Young has named Avella Specialty Pharmacy founder and CEO John Musil as a finalist for a regional award.

Avella said Musil had been shortlisted for the Entrepreneur of the Year 2013 Award in the Mountain Desert region, which includes Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. Avella is headquartered in Phoenix.

NEW YORK — Forest Labs president and CEO Howard Solomon will retire at the end of 2013, the company said.

The drug maker announced that Solomon would still remain as chairman through the 2014 annual meeting, retaining the title of chairman emeritus after a replacement is elected. Solomon has served as CEO since 1977, chairman since 1998 and president since 2010.

An independent committee of the company's board of directors is looking within and outside the company for candidates to replace Solomon and plans to announce a successor before the end of the year.

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Johnson & Johnson expects to file for Food and Drug Administration approval of more than 10 new drugs over the next four years, the drug maker said Thursday.

J&J's Janssen Pharmaceutical Cos. highlighted its more than 11 new product launches since 2009 and said it hoped to file with the FDA for more than two-dozen "significant" extensions to its branded drug lines by 2017.

WASHINGTON — More than half of all healthcare providers who are eligible have received Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments for electronic health records, the Department of Health and Human Services said.

HHS secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the department had exceeded its goal for 50% of doctor offices and 80% of hospitals to have EHRs by the end of the year. By contrast, the percentage of physicians using EHRs in 2008 was 17%. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 contained incentive programs for adoption of EHRs that went into effect in 2011.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Several members of Congress are requesting that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reverse a decision to prohibit independent pharmacies from delivering diabetes-testing supplies to homebound seniors.

PRINCETON, N.J. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a generic heart-disease drug made by Sandoz, the company said Wednesday.

Sandoz, the generics division of Swiss drug maker Novartis, announced the approval of candesartan cilexetil tablets, a generic version of AstraZeneca's Atacand.

The drug is used to treat some types of heart failure in adults with left ventricular systolic dysfunction, as well as high blood pressure in adults and children as young as 1.

Atacand had sales of $120.3 million in 2012, according to IMS Health.

WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J. — Generic drug maker Par Pharmaceutical Cos. has started shipping an authorized generic version of a heart-disease medication made by AstraZeneca.

Par said it had entered into an agreement with AstraZeneca to supply authorized generic Atacand (candesartan cilexetil) and had begun shipping the drug in the 4 mg, 8 mg, 16 mg and 32 mg strengths. Atacand has annual sales of about $113 million, according to IMS Health, and is used to treat certain kinds of heart failure and high blood pressure in children and adults.

MINNEAPOLIS — Colder weather and more conservative shoppers contributed to a drop in Target Corp.'s first-quarter 2013 profits, but the company's underlying business remains healthy, executives said Wednesday morning in a conference call with investors.

"While we are not satisfied with this quarter's performance, we remain highly confident in our strategy," president, chairman and CEO Gregg Steinhafel said during the call.

PITTSBURGH — A federal appellate court has ruled in favor of Mylan in a case involving a drug for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the drug maker said Tuesday.

Mylan said that the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit had reversed a lower court's decision invalidating five patents held by subsidiary Mylan Specialty for Perforomist (formoterol fumarate) in a case filed in 2007 against Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma subsidiary Sunovion Pharmaceuticals over the drug Brovana (arformoterol tartrate).

HAYWARD, Calif. — Impax Labs has launched an authorized generic drug for migraine headaches under a partnership with AstraZeneca, Impax said.

Impax said its generics division, Global Pharmaceuticals, began shipping authorized generic zolmitriptan tablets and orally disintegrating tablets in the 2.5 mg and 5 mg strengths. The drug is a version of AstraZeneca's Zomig.

Zomig had sales of about $196 million during the 12-month period that ended in April, according to IMS Health.

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. — A subsidiary of drug maker Mylan is sponsoring a campaign to draw attention to severe allergic reactions.

Mylan Specialty announced the Raise Your Hand for Anaphylaxis Awareness campaign, hiring actress Julie Bowen as a celebrity spokeswoman. The campaign will invite people to virtually "raise their hands" for their school districts by visiting www.Anaphylaxis101.com; four winning school districts will receive grants of $15,000 to support educational programs.

ST. LOUIS — Spending on specialty drugs is likely to increase by 67% over the next couple of years, according to a new study by pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts.