Retail Clinics

ATLANTA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday updated the nation’s influenza status. Nine states are reporting high influenza-like activity (a metric that captures the severity of a flu outbreak) and 25 states are reporting widespread activity (a metric that captures the estimated level of spread of influenza activity through state and territorial epidemiologists reports.)

RARITAN, N.J. — A drug made by Johnson & Johnson may be effective in reducing pain in patients with a complication of diabetes, according to a late-stage clinical study.

PITTSBURGH — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a generic hypertension treatment made by Mylan.

Mylan announced the approval Friday of nisoldipine extended-release tablets in the 8.5-mg, 17-mg, 25.5-mg and 34-mg strengths. The drug is a generic version of Shionogi Pharma’s Sular, which had sales of about $103 million during the 12-month period ended in September 2010, according to IMS Health.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Spouses of older patients with diabetes tend to experience distress if the diabetic patient has symptoms of depression, according to a new study.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Seniors of Hispanic descent are far less likely to become immunized against the flu or pneumonia, compared with white seniors, according to a new RAND study released earlier this week.

Researchers found that Hispanic seniors who prefer speaking Spanish and live in such linguistically isolated communities as the Southeast are least likely to be immunized.

NEEDHAM, Mass. — LiceGuard on Monday announced the launch of its Robi Comb product, a noninvasive electronic lice comb powered by a single AA battery that detects and destroys lice on contact simply by combing it through dry hair.

When the Robi Comb's metal teeth touch lice, the lice get zapped, die and then get combed away, the company stated. The Robi Comb lets you know by an audible signal whether or not head lice are present, so it can be used to detect an infestation as well as to treat one.

MORRISTOWN, N.J. — Watson Pharmaceuticals is seeking regulatory approval for a generic drug for high cholesterol.

Watson, through subsidiary Watson Labs, said it applied for approval of a generic version of Daiichi Sankyo’s and Genzyme’s Welchol (colesevelam hydrochloride). The drug, a powdered oral suspension, is used to reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol in patients with primary hyperlipidemia, either alone or in combination with a statin.

ATLANTA — Nearly 26 million Americans have diabetes, according to new estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Wednesday.

In addition, an estimated 79 million U.S. adults have prediabetes, a condition in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.