Retail Clinics

SAN ANTONIO — Orgain introduced the first certified organic ready-to-drink meal replacement last week at the ECRM Vitamin, Diet and Sports Nutrition conference.

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Stater Bros. is helping customers find which vitamin supplements are best for them.

Stater Bros. said that customers who fill out a free, five-minute personal health survey on its website or with one of its in-store pharmacists are provided with recommendations based on their lifestyles and needs, thanks to the retailer's partnership with Top Care, a vitamins and supplements brand.

SAN ANTONIO — Parlaying off of the success of energy shots, iChill Beverages hopes to offer a relaxation alternative with the iChill relaxation shot, introduced last week here at the ECRM Vitamin, Diet and Sports Nutrition conference.

The shot contains such ingredients as melatonin and valerian root to help people with high stress or those who have trouble sleeping to relax. The shot currently is available in several convenience store retailers, including 7-Eleven stores, and retails for a suggested price of $2.99.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Reckitt Benckiser on Tuesday announced its purchase of the LiceMD shampoo brand from Combe.

LiceMD is a pesticide-free treatment that helps control lice outbreaks with dimethicone, an effective synthetic lubricant with a well-known safety profile that is odorless, nonirritating and hypoallergenic, the company said.

WOBURN, Mass. — Advanced Vision Research on Monday announced results from a pilot trial published in the journal Cornea that demonstrated a reduction in dry-eye symptoms and an increase in tear volume and tear flow for those patients taking TheraTears Nutrition, an optimized blend of omega-3 oils.

Almost 3-in-4 symptomatic dry-eye patients who received the omega-3 supplement reported having no symptoms of dry eye after 90 days. In the placebo group, only 7% had a complete reduction of symptoms.

ATLANTA — Obesity rates continue to soar among the U.S. population, particularly in children. And the result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported, leads both to “psychosocial problems and to cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension, high cholesterol and abnormal glucose tolerance or diabetes.”

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — The Little Clinic has promoted Chance Cole to VP business development and processes, handling business-to-business and overall business development, process improvement and nonclinical training activities.

Cole joined the company in July 2010 as The Little Clinic manager of integration. Prior to accepting a position with The Little Clinic, he spent 20 years with Kroger as a store manager, Kroger coordinator, Kroger merchandising, retail operations manager and marketplace merchandising manager.

HYDERABAD, India — Indian drug maker Dr. Reddy’s Labs has launched a generic treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease.

The company announced Thursday the launch of pantoprazole sodium delayed-release tablets in the 20-mg and 40-mg strengths. The drug is a version of Protonix, made by Wyeth, now part of Pfizer.

Pantoprazole sodium delayed-release tablets had sales of around $1.8 billion during the 12-month period ended in September 2010, according to IMS Health.