INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — A late-stage clinical trial of a drug under development as a treatment for multiple sclerosis has shown "successful" results.

Genzyme, acquired earlier this year by French drug maker Sanofi, announced results of the phase-3 "CARE-MS II" trial of Lemtrada (alemtuzumab), saying the drug "significantly reduced" worsening of disability and relapse in patients with MS, compared with Rebif (interferon beta-1a), made by Pfizer and German drug maker Merck KGaA, a separate company from U.S.-based Merck.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — Walgreens is running the ball straight down the middle of the field in its bid to mitigate any lost Express Scripts prescriptions once the retailer is removed from that benefit manager's pharmacy network at the end of the year — and that seems increasingly likely with each passing day. And if Walgreens achieves 97% to 99% of its 2011 prescription volume of 819 million prescriptons next year, as the pharmacy retailer maintains, then it will be the Chicago-based Walgreens doing an end-zone shuffle of sorts by the end of next year.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Colonial Life and Accident Insurance last week released its top five trends and predictions for health care in 2012 — three of which may have some direct impact on retail pharmacy.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — Going fresh has emerged as one of the biggest trends in the retail pharmacy business, but due to various limitations — including smaller store size and disproportionate space devoted to such traditional categories as over-the-counter medicines and beauty — fresh food generally has meant such items as salads and fresh fruit.

NEW YORK — A drug under development by Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb for preventing internal blood clots failed to show superiority over a treatment already on the market, the companies said Monday.

The two drug makers announced Monday results of the phase-3 "ADOPT" study, which was designed to compare the safety and effectiveness of Eliquis (apixaban) with enoxaparin in preventing venous thromboembolism in patients with acute medical illness. Sanofi sells enoxaparin under the brand name Lovenox, and it is available as a generic.

WORTHINGTON, Ohio — According to a survey released last week, 61.7% of mobile users said they plan to use their smartphone or tablet for holiday shopping this year.

CHICAGO — After releasing its report on days that retailers should expect a boost in sales, ShopperTrak has released a report that highlights 10 days that will give way to better customer experiences.

ATLANTA — Most American adults who smoke wish they could quit, and more than half have tried within the past year, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Thursday.