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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Meijer will fund local food pantries by doubling every customer's $10 donation next month, the mass-merchandise retailer said.

As part of the spring "Simply Give" campaign, the company will double donations made April 12-13 to restock shelves of pantries that were depleted during the holidays. Meijer said customers have donated nearly $5 million — equal to 30 million meals — since November 2008.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Generic drug maker Actavis has reached a deal with AstraZeneca that will allow it to launch a version of a drug used to treat cholesterol in three years, Actavis said Monday.

Under a deal to settle a patent-infringement lawsuit, Actavis will be allowed to launch its generic version of Crestor (rosuvastatin calcium) tablets in the 5-mg, 10-mg, 20-mg and 40-mg strengths 67 days before July 8, 2016, when the drug's market exclusivity for use in children expires, at a fee of 39% of net sales to AstraZeneca.

WASHINGTON — More than 400 drugs are under development for the 10 most common chronic health conditions affecting elderly people, according to a new report by a drug industry trade group.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Kmart is collecting donations for the March of Dimes Foundation for the 30th year in a row, the mass merchandise retailer said Monday.

Kmart said that since 1983, it had raised more than $106 million for the non-profit group, which is focused on the needs of mothers and infants, including $8 million last year.

NEW YORK — Shopko and William R. Wrigley Jr. Co. have donated more than 60,000 candy-filled plastic Easter eggs to nonprofit organizations in the Green Bay, Wis., area, the companies said Monday.

NEW YORK — AstraZeneca will pay $420 million to Moderna Therapeutics in a deal to develop drugs for a variety of diseases using a technology developed by Moderna, AstraZeneca said.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Disease relapse rates and worsening of disability were low among patients taking a drug made by Genzyme for multiple sclerosis, the company said.

Genzyme, a division of French drug maker Sanofi, announced results of an extension study of the drug Lemtrada (alemtuzumab). The study was a follow-up to two other late-stage clinical studies of the drug, finding that relapse rates and sustained accumulation of disability remained low among patients who had previously received the drug.

BAGSVÆRD, Denmark — A drug made by Novo Nordisk for Type 2 diabetes produced a 6% loss of weight in a trial of the drug in obese patients, the company said.

The Danish drug maker announced results of a 56-week phase-3 trial to investigate the potential of Victoza (liraglutide) to produce and maintain weight loss in overweight and obese patients with Type 2 diabetes.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens is opening its latest New York flagship store in the Empire State Building, the retail pharmacy chain said Friday.

The store, scheduled to open Saturday at 10 a.m., will include an enhanced pharmacy designed to encourage greater interaction between pharmacists and patients, a health guide to help customers find health-and-wellness products and healthcare services ranging from immunizations to health tests. An "Ask Your Pharmacist" desk, private consultation rooms and Express Rx kiosks are included as well.

NEW YORK — Alcon has launched a mobile website designed to facilitate dialogue between patients and pharmacists about eye and ear treatments, the company said Thursday.

Alcon announced the launch of Drops101 Web Tools, which offers access to information about two of its products: Ciprodex Otic (ciprofloxacin and dexamethasone), for acute otitis externa and acute otitis media in children with tymponostomy tubes; and Moxeza ophthalmic solution (moxifloxacin hydrochloride) for bacterial conjunctivitis.

WASHINGTON — Gov. Bob McDonnell of Virginia has signed into law the first bill that could limit the reach of follow-on biologics, though the bill includes a two-year sunset clause, meaning it will expire in 2015.

McDonnell signed House bill 1422 and the identical Senate bill 1285, which would prevent a pharmacist from dispensing a biosimilar to substitute for the original, branded biologic if the prescriber indicated that substitution was not allowed or if the patient insisted on receiving the branded product.

WAUKESHA, Wis. — Hamacher Resource Group is offering pharmacists a new service that it said would allow them to get the top prescriptions dispensed in their two-digit ZIP code to ensure they are accurately and competitively pricing drugs.

HRG said the service, Rx Top Sellers, would provide data on the top 200, 500, 750 or 1,000 prescriptions and include cash median prices that are charged by food-drug retailers and independent pharmacies, as well as mass merchandise retailers.