New Products

CHICAGO — General Nutrition is looking to get into the health diagnostics business with Monday’s announcement of a licensing agreement with technology and consumer products manufacturer Sakar International on a line of more than two dozen branded health-and-wellness products.

The announcement comes on the heels of another distribution agreement brokered by GNC: distribution of its GNC-branded supplements through approximately 400 Sam’s Club locations.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Frank's RedHot is cooking up something spicy in the frozen food aisle.

Through a collaboration with Completely Fresh Foods, the hot sauce brand announced it was introducing fully cooked chicken wings, shrimp and appetizers that will be sold in grocery, mass and club stores nationwide. Frank's RedHot heat-and-serve offerings will include buffalo wings, buffalo shrimp, chicken fries and chicken poppers.

NEW YORK — Late-stage clinical trial data for a Keryx Biopharmaceuticals drug to treat kidney disease will be presented at a medical conference in Las Vegas.

Keryx said Monday that phase-3 data for the drug Zerenex (ferric citrate), a drug for abnormally high phosphate levels in patients with end-stage kidney disease on dialysis, will be presented at the upcoming National Kidney Foundation spring clinical meetings in April.

The company announced “positive” results from a phase-3 trial of the drug in November.

ATLANTA — Meda Consumer Healthcare recently was named the grand winner of the MAX Awards for excellence in marketing for the relaunch of Bifera, an over-the-counter supplement that offers two types of iron — protein- and plant-based.

Presented by Georgia State University's Robinson College of Business Department of Marketing and the Atlanta Business Chronicle, the MAX Awards honored outstanding marketing innovations developed or launched by Georgia companies in 2010.

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. — Pollen.com and Weather Trends International last month teamed together on a new forecast tool for allergy sufferers: a 28-day weather forecast by zip code to help people with allergies better plan when pollen levels are likely to be high in their area.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — A subsidiary of Endo Pharmaceuticals has won approval from the Food and Drug Administration for an oral contraceptive.

Qualitest Pharmaceuticals announced Friday the approval of Emoquette (desogestrel and ethinyl estradiol) tablets in the 0.15-mg/0.03-mg strength.

The drug is a generic version of Johnson & Johnson’s Ortho-Cept.

TAMPA BAY, Fla. — Women who long for sleek locks don’t have to pay salon prices for a blowout or worry about the potential health hazards of some salon formulas. Enter the Organix Ever Straight Brazilian keratin therapy collection for the mass market. Debuting this spring, the new line features organic active ingredients in a formaldehyde-free formula. In addition to a sulfate and sodium-free shampoo, conditioner, flat iron spray and antibreakage serum ($7.99 each), the line includes a 30-day smoothing treatment ($14.99).

SUPPLIER NEWS — Juicy Fruit has expanded its sugar-free gum offerings with new mystery-flavored Juicy Secret gum. The gum builds on the 2009 launch of Juicy Fruit’s foray into sugar-free treats with its pellet gum, available in parent company Wrigley’s Big E-pak. Juicy Secret will be available in a 15-stick slim pack nationwide.