HEALTH

BASEL, Switzerland — Novartis Consumer Health will be relaunching Theraflu for the 2014-2015 cough-cold season, Brian McNamara, Novartis division head OTC, told analysts Wednesday. 

"As you know, in the U.S. business we launched Lamisil and Triaminic and Excedrin end of 2012 and 2013. About halfway through the year, we launched Benefiber. And for next year, we expect to launch Theraflu for that cough and cold season," he said. 

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid's January same-store sales increased 1.8%, beating out an analyst projection of a 0.5% increase in overall comparable-store sales. Total drug store sales for the four weeks ended Jan. 25 increased 1.5% to $1.9 billion.

January front-end same-store sales decreased 1.3%, of which 1.4% was attributable to a decrease in sales of flu-related over-the-counter products. Pharmacy same-store sales, which included an approximate 124 basis points negative impact from new generic introductions, increased 3.2%. 

DENVER — UrgentRx on Thursday began asking America where they would #WhipItOut with the launch of a provocative new campaign. The initiative is aimed at educating consumers during Heart Health Month by raising awareness around the potentially life-saving role that 325mg of aspirin plays for heart attack victims.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Omron Healthcare on Tuesday announced the release of its new Pain Relief Pro electroTHERAPY unit. Its versatility delivers more settings and more power for more relief with 10 power levels and eight pre-set modes.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — A pair of Food and Drug Administration advisory committees will be meeting Feb. 10 to talk about heart risks associated with use of NSAIDs and whether or not Bayer's Aleve (naproxen) carries a lower risk profile than other NSAIDs. The FDA is also considering potentially revoking OTC status of certain nonprescription NSAIDS, according to published reports. 

PITTSBURGH — Women who are deficient in vitamin D in the first 26 weeks of their pregnancy may be at risk of developing severe preeclampsia, a potentially life-threatening disorder diagnosed by an increase in blood pressure and protein in the urine, according to research by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health released last week.

Americans by and large have lousy diets, pharmacist and supplement expert James LaValle, CEO of Integrative Health Resources, told DSN Collaborative Care recently. Over a lifetime, those nutrient-poor diets contribute to the development of such chronic disease states as obesity, hypertension and diabetes. The medicines prescribed to treat those conditions then further deplete essential vitamins and minerals.

AKRON, Ohio — Hygenic/Performance Health, maker of Perform Pain Reliever, on Tuesday announced that the company had increased in-store activity with an Instant Redeemable Coupon program in support of Pink-Link Breast Cancer Support Network, an online support resource for women affected by breast cancer. For each coupon redeemed, Hygenic/Performance Health donated a portion to Pink-Link. 

The program ran during Breast Cancer Awareness Month and concluded with a total donation of more than $18,000 to Pink-Link.