News Briefs

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores is hosting a virtual RxIMPACT Votes event on Tuesday, Sept. 20 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. EST.

The event, hosted by NACDS president and CEO Steve Anderson, will feature national political analyst Charlie Cook who will discuss the 2022 elections and what they portend for the future of pharmacy.

The event follows numerous NACDS RxIMPACT in-person grassroots activities. NACDS members already have hosted more than 80 Congressional pharmacy tours in 2022. 

“NACDS members have a presence in every state and Congressional District, and NACDS RxIMPACT Votes is here to encourage the people of pharmacy to engage with and vote for the candidates of their choice,” said Anderson. 

In a recent newsletter, Anderson noted that the upcoming event with Cook is about much more than political knowledge. "It is about political and policy engagement, and it is about community," he said.

Anderson continued, "NACDS RxIMPACT Votes – the get-out-the-vote arm of NACDS’ grassroots program – has a huge mission this year. Not only is the program charged with the task of making this the year of the pharmacy voter, but it also is charged with helping to enroll new pharmacy advocates. To this point, the pandemic stifled many in-person political events. NACDS has looked to virtual options to keep the momentum of pharmacy grassroots engagement headed in the right direction."

Anderson noted that NACDS’ virtual strategies have boosted the ranks of NACDS RxIMPACT advocates by 33% in 2022 alone. "It is engagement like this that made it possible for NACDS RxIMPACT advocates to account for one-quarter of the comments submitted on the DIR fee transparency rule earlier this year," he said.

Anderson also shared that approximately 50 event partners have stepped up to help get out the word about this NACDS event with Charlie Cook. 

Lastly, Anderson said, "Join us for this Sept. 20 event with a huge purpose: spreading political knowledge; urging electoral involvement; boosting the roles of pharmacy advocates; and demonstrating the strong engagement of the NACDS membership."

To register, click here.

Rind Snacks’ latest innovation features notes of dark cocoa, coconut and sea salt.

The dark cocoa sea salt coconut crisps are made with dried coconut, coconut sugar, dark cocoa powder and a hint of sea salt, the company said.

“Our new dark cocoa sea salt coconut crisps embody all the qualities consumers crave in a snack: sweet, salty, simple and sustainable,” said Matt Weiss, founder and CEO. “It represents our first foray into clean and wholesome seasonings, and it’s the first in our line of single-serve snack bags, making Rind an even more convenient and ‘a-peel-ing’ option for on-the-go snacking.”

Featuring 7 g of fiber per serving, Rind’s dark cocoa sea salt coconut crisps are available in 3.5-oz. multipack options online and in 1.4-oz. snack bags at select CVS Pharmacy stores nationwide beginning in October.

Total Resources International, or TRI, has launched a wound care kit as part of its flagship Be Smart Get Prepared brand to treat wounds associated with diabetes, specifically foot and leg ulcers.

Developed with the supervision of a wound care doctor, the Be Smart Get Prepared Tender Lovin’ Diabetic Wound Care Kit is a 70-piece kit that accommodates five or more wound dressing changes. It features Silvex Wound Gel, silicone foam pads, sterile gauzes, bandages, tapes, scissors, a wound care guide and more.

The goal for the wound kit is “infection prevention,” according to the company. For most diabetic patients, wounds often take longer to heal or do not heal properly. It is common for poorly treated wounds to develop infections, which can lead to life-threatening complications.

The Tender Lovin’ Diabetic Wound Care Kit will be available at major retailers in 2023.

Little Bites is taking on a favorite fall flavor with a seasonal limited-edition relaunch.

The Horsham, Pa.-based company announced the return of its pumpkin muffins, which come in a pre-portioned pouch and are made with real pumpkin.

“We love this time of year because it means our fan-favorite Little Bites pumpkin muffins make a comeback for families to enjoy,” said Moira Flood, senior brand manager at Little Bites Snacks. “For more than 20 years, we’ve been providing delicious flavor options that will help families create little moments that feel really big during snack time. We can’t wait to hear how our pumpkin muffins are adding excitement to our fan’s adventures this fall!”

Featuring 200 calories per pouch, Little Bites’ pumpkin muffins are made without the use of high fructose corn syrup, contain 0 g of trans fat and will be available at most retailers nationwide through October, the brand said.

Nestlé Rallies is adding a new flavor to its lineup of Nut Butter Bombs.

The latest addition is raspberry peanut butter, which features a dark chocolate coating that helps balance out the flavors of peanut butter and real raspberry pieces, the company said.

In addition, the brand also announced that all its Nut Butter Bombs are now available nationwide.

The trio of Nestlé Rallies Nut Butter Bombs, which include brownie almond butter, salted cashew butter and raspberry peanut butter, can now be found in the refrigerated section of select Harris Teeter, Giant Eagle and QuickChek stores, with additional in-store distribution coming in the next few months, the company said.

Bristol Myers Squibb has received the green light from the Food and Drug Administration for Sotyktu (deucravacitinib), a first-in-class, oral, selective, allosteric tyrosine kinase 2 inhibitor, for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy.

“Sotyktu has the potential to become the new standard of care oral treatment for people with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, given its profile in helping patients achieve clearer skin as demonstrated in the POETYK PSO clinical program,” said April Armstrong, clinical investigator in the POETYK PSO-1 trial and associate dean and professor of dermatology at the University of Southern California. “People living with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis face significant burdens, and Sotyktu is a welcome first-line systemic treatment option.”

Psoriasis is a widely prevalent, chronic, systemic immune-mediated disease that affects approximately 7.5 million people in the United States. Up to 90% of patients with psoriasis have plaque psoriasis, which is characterized by distinct, round or oval plaques typically covered by silvery white scales. Nearly one-quarter of people with psoriasis, or around 2 million in the United States, have cases that are considered moderate to severe.

“The approval of Sotyktu represents an exciting day for patients suffering from moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis who are not satisfied with topical and conventional treatments. This is another extraordinary achievement for Bristol Myers Squibb, as we bring forward a new mechanism of action, the first oral treatment approved in nearly 10 years, and the first orally dosed once-daily treatment for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis,” said Samit Hirawat, chief medical officer at Bristol Myers Squibb. “We believe Sotyktu is a breakthrough in the treatment of patients with this condition, and we’re excited about its potential in other immune-mediated diseases.”

“Despite the availability of therapies, many people living with plaque psoriasis in the United States are untreated or undertreated,” said Leah Howard, president and CEO of the National Psoriasis Foundation. “The FDA approval of a new oral treatment is exciting news for the psoriasis community. We welcome this new treatment option.”