New Products

NEW YORK — Drug maker Forest Labs has acquired worldwide rights to a drug developed by Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals for treating arrhythmia.

Forest said Tuesday that it had purchased the rights to azimilide from Blue Ash Therapeutics and had been assigned a license agreement between Blue Ash and Warner Chilcott. Forest will assume responsibility for all future development and commercialization, including costs. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

CLEVELAND — American Greetings is boosting its Mother's Day portfolio with a new collection of cards by Kathy Davis.

The Kathy Davis collection of Mother's Day cards celebrates moms everywhere with a collection of heartfelt, beautifully rendered cards, the company said. Each card is adorned with inspirations from nature and Kathy Davis' signature watercolors.

NEW YORK — Kitty litter brand Fresh Step has introduced a new product that combines natural pine shavings with the odor-control performance of activated carbon.

New Fresh Step Natural Scoop litter offers such great odor control ingredients as Fresh Step's traditional clay-based litter, but this time with the sustainability benefits of natural wood, the company said. The new product, Fresh Step said, also weighs significantly less than the company's clay-based litter — available in a 20-lb. box — in a bag that weighs 3.3 lbs.

NEW YORK — Vichy Labs has developed Capital Soleil, a new line of sun care products that will be sold at select CVS/pharmacy, Duane Reade and Walgreens locations.

This new full range of sun care products features an advanced UV filtering system to provide broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection, and employs an antioxidant combination of white grape polyphenols and vitamin E that helps provide cellular protection and neutralizes almost all types of skin-aging free radicals, the manufacturer stated.

BOSTON — InhalerWear on Tuesday announced its launch of a neoprene cover for inhalers that will help make carrying around an inhaler “trendy and cool” to children and teenagers. The new inhaler can be clipped to a backpack, purse or belt loop.

"We started InhalerWear because we knew the challenge facing parents was not in getting their kids to use their inhaler, but to get them to carry their inhalers with them at all times,” stated co-founder Rob Fiore.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Reckitt Benckiser on Tuesday announced the launch of Urban Thrill, an online free runner-themed game available on RB.com for free.

The game allows users to mimic the fast-paced, risk-taking and dynamic environment of the consumer packaged goods company by completing free runner challenges across nine countries. The launch of Urban Thrill is a significant component of RB's corporate brand campaign, the company stated, which was designed to create awareness among graduates and people early on in their business careers.

NEW YORK — A U.S. drug maker and its Japanese partner have started a late-stage clinical trial of a drug for treating elevated phosphate levels in the body, the two announced Monday.

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals and Torii Pharmaceutical, the pharmaceuticals subsidiary of Japan Tobacco, started a phase-3 trial of Zerenex (ferric citrate) in Japan for patients with hyperphosphatemia. The drug also is in phase-3 trials in the United States as a treatment for hyperphosphatemia in patients with end-stage kidney disease on dialysis.

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — Annie Chun's has introduced soup singles that include ramen noodles and gourmet sauce, serving as an alternative to dry or canned soups.